Tea raises funds for needy pets B-1
Vallecitos students ‘Commit to be Fit’ C-2
A ‘Spring Fling’ starts summer D-1
Village News Fallbrook & Bonsall
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D e L u z , R a i n b ow , C a m p P e ndl e t o n , Pa l a ,
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June 19, 2014
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Volume 18, Issue 25
De Luz residents voice concerns over sex offender
Fallbrook Hospital, healthcare district seek solution to sustain services Debbie Ramsey Managing Editor
At a community meeting held June 14, local residents Cydne Haffner, left, and Steven Stern, right, direct questions to authorities regarding convicted rapist Barrett Littleton moving into De Luz.
Shane Gibson photos
Change is coming to hospitalbased healthcare in Fallbrook, and that will happen sooner rather than later, according to an announcement made June 12 by Fallbrook Hospital Corporation (a subsidiary of Community Health Systems) and Fallbrook Healthcare District. “The operation of Fallbrook Hospital, as it is currently, is not viable, not sustainable for the long term,” said hospital CEO Kapua Conley. “We need to be more amenable to the times and the hospital is working collectively with the healthcare district to see what can be changed here for the long term.” According to Stephen Abbott, president of the Fallbrook Healthcare District, the district’s contingency plan showed a loss of $5.8 million for last fiscal year and $4.5 million the year prior. The reason for the shortfall and the need for change is due to three factors, they said.
see HOSPITAL, page A-4
Sheriff’s Lt.: “This has garnered attention all the way up the chain of command.” Andrea Verdin Special to The Village News Concerns over how the Sheriff’s Department and parole board inform residents when and where sexual offenders are being released in their area were brought up at a community meeting in De Luz on Saturday, June 14, after area residents became aware that a convicted rapist was living in their community. De Luz residents began alerting neighbors, public officials, law
San Luis Rey Downs golf course to close
enforcement, and news media that Barrett Littleton, who served 24 years for raping a 25-yearold Pacific Beach woman twice and forcing her to engage in oral copulation in 1988, had moved into their community. His original sentence was for 48 years, in addition to a 15-year term for three prior sex-related convictions in the 1970s. According to Fallbrook Sheriff’s substation commander Lt. Art Wager, Littleton was released from prison approximately one
year ago, and had lived in Campo and San Diego, holding various addresses of residency. At one point, Littleton had registered as transient, and had been living in his car. In April, Littleton moved to the Fallbrook area and listed a residence on South Mission Road. In May, Littleton moved to De Luz. All of these changes in residence had been done with proper information provided to Littleton’s parole officer. “I was made aware of [Littleton] about the same time as the rest of
see GOLF, page A-6
Village News Correspondent
Debbie Ramsey Managing Editor
Joe Naiman Village News Correspondent
Ken Seals photo Clockwise from bottom left, Lila MacDonald, Linda Costello, Lacy Schwartz, and Jackie Toppin, are the staff members of the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce.
CWA board adopts MND for SLR River pipeline relining
see CONCERNS, page A-10 Joe Naiman
MacDonald accepts chamber CEO position after six months as interim
Owners say Aug. 6 last day
The San Luis Rey Downs golf course will close Aug. 6. San Luis Rey Downs staff received the announcement of the closure June 6 and transmitted notice of the closure to members that afternoon. “I knew it was a possibility, but none of us knew it was going to be quite so quick,” said San Luis Rey Downs director of golf Greg Milligan. Milligan is one of 36 staff members whose jobs will be affected by the closure. Also affected will be the 450 playing members, along with non-member golfers including school teams. The San Luis Rey Downs golf course is currently owned by the Vessels family, which has reached an option agreement with the mitigation bank management company Conservation Land Group, Inc. (CLG). CLG has filed an application with the Army Corps of Engineers to create the Moosa Creek Mitigation Bank. If the Army Corps of
the community, but only because I was not briefed specifically about him,” said Wager to the large crowd that met at the Volunteer Fire Department Station in De Luz. “He had complied with the current policies for parole; however, this is forcing us to look at our policies, and has garnered attention all the way up the chain of command.” According to Luis Patino, a public information officer with the California Department of
It was unanimous. Members of the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce’s search committee, executive committee, and board of directors all voted in favor of offering Lila MacDonald the permanent position of CEO, following her service as interim for the past six months. MacDonald assumed the reins of the organization on a temporary basis after the departure of previous CEO Ted Garrett, who was only in the position a short period of time. “Lila has taken ownership of the chamber; she has a positive team leadership style,” said board president Jon Frandell. The chamber board conducted its vote on May 27 and the position became MacDonald’s permanently on May 28. The six months that MacDonald served as interim were full of challenges, all of which she overcame with gusto. “Due to the resignation of one person, Lila was tasked with handling the Avocado Festival – and it ended up being the best and smoothest run one we have ever had,” said Frandell. “In addition, she has handled the financials and we are looking good. Not one person has had a negative comment about her performance.”
see CHAMBER, page A-9
The San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) board adopted an environmental Mitigated Negative Declaration and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting program for the relining of the San Luis Rey River portion of the CWA’s Second Aqueduct pipelines. The CWA board vote May 22 also approved the project itself, which allows CWA staff to solicit proposals. The CWA is expected to approve a contract for the relining at the July 24 board meeting. The relining is expected to extend the service life of the pipelines by approximately 75 years. The Second Aqueduct includes Pipelines 3, 4, and 5. Pipelines 3 and 5 currently convey untreated water along the San Diego Aqueduct. Pipeline 4 currently transports treated
see CWA, page A-8
thisweek
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