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Notes from Neighbors and Friends...

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(4/29/2010) Re: Sad Discovery on Deerhorn Valley Road

Anne Evosevich has written a letter acknowledging the quick and professional response of our firefighters to the body she and Stan spotted along DV Rd. It is posted in full on the Station #37 page.

Thanks so much for your Deerhorn newsletter.  I really enjoyed see the photos of your nature walk.  I have many of the same birds in my yard, and this reminds me to charge up the feeder for the Orioles.

I was touched to read your article on the body that was found on Deerhorn a couple of weeks ago.  My stallion who always whinnies at people had started up at around 11:30 p.m. the night before the body was found.  I went out to investigate, but didn’t see anything so threw him a little hay to placate him.  When he started up again the next night and the weather was so bad, I decided it was just a ploy to get me to go out and feed him again.  Maybe he was trying to tell me something.  Sad to think this might be the case.

On a happier note, my mare is due to foal in the next few weeks so all being well, I will send you pics of the baby.

-Suzanne Malden

We'll look forward to pictures of the new one!

I have always had mixed emotions about these travelers and their strive to support their families. Unfortunately, the US offers them more hope than their own country.

-Frank Braunlich

Thanks for bringing this “non-news” event to our attention.  It harkens back to a century or so ago in the south (and other areas of the U.S.), when the color of your skin determined how you were treated in life and in death…

-Lois Wauson

How easy it is to forget how fortunate we are.  Thank you for sharing this story.

- Cris Furtado

So sad. I hope they find out who he was so he can be returned to his famiy.  He is in our thoughts.

-Coral Thuet

This story really drives it all  home, at least to me.   People need to be able to come into our country legally and be able to work. Legally. This poor man most likely has a family waiting for him.  He most likely was doing a job in our country that no one else wanted to do.   He deserves to be able to go home. ... I appreciate you sending this on to me.  I hope some how, someone, will eventually come to know who he was.

-Suzanne Ruffcorn

I was out of town last week and was saddened to read your email about the man who died needlessly in our community.  After your email,  I looked through the SD Union papers that had accumulated while I was gone and did not see anything about it.  I was puzzled at the time, but thought I just missed it somehow.

There are hundreds of cases each rainy season in our back country where people are found or seek rescue that are in advanced stages of hypothermia.  Many of these people come from central or southern Mexico where they have never been cold.  Add to that the Coyote’s lies of “just a few kilometers, just a few hour’s walk” and tragedy is bound to happen. ..

I am wondering what clothing the man was wearing and if a search of the general area was undertaken.  The reason is that in the latter stages of acute hypothermia people often become disoriented and the brain sends signals that the body is too warm, hence individuals often react by shedding outer clothing layers, and sometimes most all of their clothing.  If clothing is found, it could have ID also.  The thought of relatives not knowing or never knowing the fate of their loved one is heart wrenching. 

-Tom Lamb

Another former DV resident wrote to tell of a worker they had many years ago to whom they had given a business card. Because of that card they received a phone call when he drowned returning to Mexico. They were able to identify his home village and send back word to his family. (KH)

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(4/18/2010) –Pink Booties

Peg Hance called to say a new mini (horse) arrived in the rain on April 12. Next-door neighbor Susie Norton arrived to watchthe foal walk under the bottom bar! With a gentle nudge, she helped him rejoin his mother and he helped himself to lunch. Too precious! Welcome to Deerhorn Valley, Little Guy!

-Susie Norton

It's hard to realized just how small that little mini is until you see it walk under the lowes rail of the fence. More pictures in Neighbor News...

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4/5/2010 –Better Internet Service?

Horst Leuschner has investigated the possibility of faster internet service for Deerhorn. He reminds us that the squeaky wheel gets the grease and provides the steps to take: (Forgive me, Horst, as I shortened your comments to fit the format.) - Kim

Dear Neighbors:

Since nobody from us asks for any better service, ATT does not provide it. When I talked to their DMDR (Direct Marketing Direct Response) division...

I was advised that we should all ask for improvement in service, e.g. U-verse by

1) ...going to the ATT website http://www.att.com/u-verse/availability ,

2) ...checking with your home land line number, which will return that there is no availability yet.

3) ...clicking on "Verify Phone"

...the next page asks if you want to be notified when it becomes available. Please answer yes!

... the next page asks you for your e-mail address and name as well as a check box: "If there is an opportunity to help bring AT&T U-verse to my neighborhood, please feel free to contact me."

If everybody goes this routine ATT at least will know that we don't have it but that we want it. If we don't ask we never will get it and stay in the stone age which ultimately will even depress the resale value of our house.

-Horst Leuschner

3/18/2010 –Community Swap Meet?

Anyone Interesed in a Community Swap Meet?I would like to take part in a big Deerhorn Valley Community Yard Sale this Spring once the rains halt - Is there anyone else interested? If so, please contact me at 619-466-7415 or aevosevich@wildblue.net.

Thanks, Anne Evosevich

This sounds like a great idea, especially since it looks like the Fire Station may not be available. Count us in (Kim & Rob)

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3/7/2010 –Rideshare to Steele Canyon High School?

Deerhorn Valley/ Steele Canyon Families – Ride Share?If you have students that attend Steele Canyon High School and are interested in some ride sharing, please contact me at aevosevich@wildblue.net or call me at 466-7415.

Thank You, Anne Evosevich

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3/7/2010 -- Re: Alert Honey Springs Road ~ Otay Lakes Road Cycling Event

When I left today to go down the hill, I encountered the cyclists on Honey Springs Road.  It was difficult because they were blocking the road and it is not always safe to pass them.  

About a half mile beyond the fire station I encountered a guy who looked like he needed assistance.  Since I was driving a pick-up truck, I felt it would be irresponsible to drive past someone who was in shorts and was wet and had a broken bike.  I stopped and asked if he needed some help.  He put his bike in the back of the truck, got in the cab and off we went.  I thought I was taking him to the Trading Post where he would get some help.  It ended up that I took him clear down to San Diego to the Civic Center where his car was parked.  

I don’t usually stop to help anyone but because of [the email alert], I felt I knew something of who he might be.  

I found out that he was a Career Marine from Camp Pendelton and had completed two tours to to Iraq.  If he was willing to fight for our country, then I guess I could try to help him out.  Then I found out he had a wife and three small children and they were at church in Oceanside and would have to drive clear down here to DV to pick him up and what was a few extra miles out of my way.  Anyway, he was cold and wet and needed to thaw out so was glad we had lots of heat in the truck.  

This guy had shopped carefully for a new bike and had had it only since December and had driven to Rancho Cucamonga to buy it only to have it break on him on a ride.  As a marine, he felt it was more fulfilling to ride a bike than to run to keep himself in shape.   It feels good to be able to help someone in need and to be safe doing it in this age, and to have them grateful for what you’ve done.

 - PhyllisDozier

Phyllis, that is some real backcountry spirit! Funny how finding out who someone is changes our perspective so much. Many thanks for demonstrating what it means to be "community."

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3/6/10

Thank you for the notice - we can hardly believe that everyone who lives along Honey Springs wasn't given official advance notice.

While it will be a great inconvenience to us all, and perhaps dangerous at times (any of the cyclists shooting for a fast time up the hill will be unlikely to give way for a car coming up behind him or her), may we offer some advice?

First, we've run a couple of marathons, and they inevitably go through people's neighborhoods and they definitely inconvenience local people with road closures and noise.  But many people who lived along the route got up early and actually lined the streets to cheer us on, brought radios out to play music, and turned what could be an unhappy inconvenience into something fun.  As runners we really appreciated it.  So (if we're home), we're going to sit in our driveway with our boys and offer encouragement to cyclists (at least for a little while).  We would encourage others of our neighbors to do the same.

Second, and last, like all of us we have come upon cyclists who block the lane and we get just as ticked off as anyone else.  But we have a cyclist friend who explained some of it to us.  While we're no experts on the situation, apparently there are justifiable explanations for a cyclist to be in the middle of a lane on a curve, effectively preventing cars in the same lane from passing.  One reason is, if the cyclist is to the right of the lane, near the white line, most of us will try to pass him or her, even on a curve.  Because most of the curves on Honey Springs are blind, that's dangerous for everyone, for us (the passing car), the cyclist, and any car coming around the curve from the other direction (and if it happens to be a younger driver going a bit fast from the other direction, they may be hugging the middle double line or even be encroaching into our lane a little).  CRASH!  So the cyclist moves out into the lane, effectively making you just slow down and wait until you get past the curve and can then pass at a spot where you have a cleared view of the road ahead.

So, at least for [now], let's try to have some patience, let the cyclists have their day, and maybe even have some fun and offer some encouragement.  Maybe afterward we can discuss this with the race managers so we all get better notice next year (it looks like this will be an annual event), and perhaps next time we can even have a say in the course management or get the Sheriff's office to help with traffic control or something. Regards to all.

Carol & Doug Dubé

Dubé Vineyards, Deerhorn Valley, California

With some advance notice and coordination, we might come to view these occasional races as events to celebrate. I can visualize lining up along Honey Springs to cheer these athletes on. Thanks for a new perspective, Carol and Doug. Too often we just see the inconvenience, and not the unique opportunity to be part of something special.

(2/16) Hey Neighbors,

Be on the lookout for some guy driving an old style, paint faded Suzuki.  We saw him throwing large bags of trash out his vehicle window along Skyline on Sunday morning.  Not only was he littering but I almost had a head on collision with him as he was driving on the wrong side of the road to throw his trash.  We were not able to get his license.  Let’s work together to keep our community clean.

-Debbie Hopkins on Bratton Valley

Thanks for the heads-up, Debbie. No excuses for that kind of behavior anywhere, but especially in our backcountry.

(2/8) Rob & Kim,

I don't know how to word this but I hope you can help me out.  During all the rains and flooding I feel there were some people overlooked.  One is our own Rural Carrier ARCHIE.  He along with the others at Jamul PO did an outstanding job making sure we got our mail each day.  When the roads were closed off, flooded, etc. didn't we got out to our mailboxes and expect to open them and find mail?  And when we did like magic it was there! And when I tried to Thank Archie all I got was 'That's my job'.  I think they all deserve a tip of the hat!

- Sandra Ignosci (The Elenas)

We took your suggestion and gave Archie a front-page Tip-O-the-Hat. Thanks for the reminder to stop and appreciate those who "go the extra distance."

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