Anza Events Calendar, A-2
Growing up in Anza, A-4
Citrus pest threatens area trees, A-8
ANZA VALLEY
OUTLOOK WITH CONTENT FROM
August 7 – 13, 2015
www.anzavalleyoutlook.com
Local
Election for Anza Community Hall secretary to be held
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A
Section Volume 15, Issue 32
High Country Recreation’s end game
Noel Donahue President, Anza Community Building, Inc. Special to Anza Valley Outlook The 67th Board of Directors for the Anza Community Building, Inc. is sad to announce that Secretary Donna Barnhouse can no longer fulfill her duties as the secretary and must resign. see page A-3
Local
HCR’s new Board from left: Scott W., Kelli Hackett, Terri Ohly, Deedee Rayas, Sharron Evens, Daryl Evens, Vern Conejo, Joey Rayas, Lisa L., Tabitha Dawes and Christine Ohly. Courtesy photo
KOYT 96.3 auction spurs good support
Jodi Thomas Area Manager
Tony Ault Writer Several hundred Anza Valley residents appeared at the KOYT 96.3 auction at the old Whiskey River Tavern this past weekend continuing to show their strong support for the planned community radio station. see page A-5
Local
Volunteers snip out scourge of unwanted bull thistles Tony Ault Writer An entourage of U.S. Forest Service botanists, biologists and volunteers fanned out last Sunday to snip off and root out a new growth of bull thistle plants that threaten to out-compete native grasses and plants in Johnson Meadow north of Garner Valley near Anza.
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID FALLBROOK, CA PERMIT #499
see page A-7
It was the end of the season for the area’s children as High Country Recreation celebrated the end of their little league season. The closing ceremonies were an accumulation of all that had happened during HCR PONY League season. Trophies and pictures were handed
out. Team coaches, team managers and HRC organizers were thanked. The day was a celebration of what might not have been. When the first organizers created HCR they did so to give area kids a chance to play baseball locally. Also when they enter high school sports they would have had years behind them in the game. As years went by and organizers children
grew up and lives moved on, there were few left to run HRC, ending up this last spring with only Lorraine Elmore to head things up. If it was not for Elmore’s persistence to see that the kids of this area had the opportunity to play ball again as in years past, there would have been no games this season. Even with the low enrollment the kids had a great time. HCR or-
ganizers did what they had to do to give the kids a chance to compete. They combined teams and choose to travel to Warner Springs to play their league. Everyone from parents, kids and coaches say it was a blessing as they had a lot of fun and made new friends. Ball player Painter Hildahl, 9,
see BASEBALL, page A-6
Sacred Heart Catholic Church welcomes new priest Jodi Thomas Area Manager Growing up to become a priest was something that was always on Father Alphonsus Ngwaogu’s heart. When he entered secondary school, he entered a school not only geared to the learning of reading, writing and arithmetic, but also the spiritual. It was a seminary school for those young people who wanted to someday become a priest. After graduation it was on to a Seminary University. Four years of philosophy, and after that a year practicing what was learned living out among the world apart from Seminary. It was during this time priestly candidates had time to reflect on their calling. If the call was true, they would return after that year away from school to attend another four years of theology before taking their vows and officially becoming a Catholic priest. This was the path of Sacred Heart Catholic Church’s new Father Ngwaogu and he did all while growing up in Nigeria. Father explained there are three ethnic groups in Nigeria which was once a British colony, all with their
own language living in three different geographical sectors. Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy, but 60 percent of its population of 173 million (2013) live on less than $1 a day. It is interesting to note that although each area of the country has a different native language, nationally they all speak English and it is taught in the schools. In the north are the Muslim groups and this area is problematic; Sharia law imposed by local authorities, beginning in January 2000 and covering 12 northern states by late 2002 with ties to an ISIS like faction called Boko Haram. As a result there is a lot of violence, bombings, murders and general unrest in the north. Then there is the Yorubas in the western part and Igbos in the eastern part which is where Father grew up. There he grew up in a Catholic home. His father was a local councilman and his mother a business woman, he has three brothers and four sisters; he is the third child. One of his four sisters is a nun, so out of the eight children, two entered the ministry. He notes
see PRIEST, page A-3
In July Sacred Heart Catholic Church welcomed new priest, Father Alphonsus Ngwaogu. Jodi Thomas photo
Anza Valley Outlook
Small Anza consulting firm gaining SoCal notoriety Tony Ault Writer Irontree Management Company, located in a small building off a dirt road in Anza, champions the cause of small businesses and landowners facing county code enforcement violations and is rising in notoriety throughout Southern California. The firm’s principals, small businessmen themselves, Mike Machado and Jeff Walls, recently helped a number of small rural businesses in Menifee faced with numerous city land use code violations reach an equitable agreement with the city’s planning department. The city, working with Irontree, formulated a new city ordinance that resolved most of the issues between the two groups. Today, the Machado family and Walls, are answering calls from other cities and small businessmen in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino counties seeking their help and advice in resolving code enforcement and land use disagreements, some nearing physical threats. They are
actively working with nine clients on land use issues. Machado’s knowledge of land use laws stems not from academic education, but from real experiences as a struggling businessman located in the small unincorporated village of Anza. For more than 20 years Machado, the owner of an engineering firm, fought with the County of Riverside over keeping his heavy equipment and business itself on his personal property off of Bach Road. The county claimed by ordinance such equipment was prohibited on private property. He complied with the county’s ordinance, paid his fines, and moved the equipment off his property. Yet, code enforcement officials returned to give him new land use citations. They claimed that the only way a business can be established or a commercial building built is when the village has a viable water delivery system. Anza does not have such a system that complies with county building and zoning codes. He said he argued their claims that almost landed him in Supe-
rior Court on criminal charges. “It was finally resolved in Municipal Court,” he said. “Before that I tried everything to get it resolved. I even went to the Supreme Court and they just dismissed it,” he said. Because he could not afford an attorney, Machado said the experience set him to studying the laws on land use and constitutional law. His battles and experience with Riverside County were known by many people in the Anza area. When county code enforcement agency converged on the Anza Valley in 2011 under the direction of the County Board of Supervisors, writing hundreds of land use and code citations demanding compliance and fines residents became angered. The residents called on him to speak at a community meeting organized by AVPORT, (Anza Valley Property Owners Rights Team) who investigate alleged civil liberties and code enforcement violations. “When I got there I think there were 600 people waiting,” he recalled. He gave the residents
ideas on how to stand up to the county when threatened in land use problems. It was at that time he envisioned creating a consulting firm to help those who needed help. Machado joined with his business partner Walls, a legal analyst who administers Hydroscope Engineering in Anza, to form Irontree Consulting. Not only did local residents come to his door for help, but so did other small businessmen from throughout Southern California who had heard about AVPORT and Irontree Consulting. Many taking their advice stood up to the county and won their cases. Machado said Irontree cannot help everyone who comes to them for help, nor do they accept any and all cases. He said they seek to find a common ground between the complainants and the county or city respectively in contested land use issues. He said he and Walls understand the health and safety needs outlined in most of the county zoning and land use ordinances and
see FIRM, page A-8