Deal lets Vail Ranch plan move forward

| Thursday, June 12, 2003 10:00 PM PDT ∞

GREG SCHARF


Well, the picture has been hung on the right side of the building, and the Vail Ranch is ready to rock ---- or should I say renovate.

The Vail Ranch Restoration Association knows how to flow with the inevitable.They saved these historic buildings by working with the developer.

The shopping center was the inevitable in this case, and I won't bore you with any more diatribes against Wal-Mart. (I've waged a private war with Wal-Mart since the late '80s, and the best part is there are no casualties ---- I don't shop there, and they don't care.) Nor will I be able to describe any details of the secret deal that was made between them and Citizens First of Temecula Valley, which had sued to stop the store from being built but recently settled out of court.

I contacted Citizens First co-founder Pam Miod about it and her initial answer was rather sarcastic. I reminded her that I championed the Citizens First cause quite often in my columns. In fact, someone once accused me of advocating propaganda from Citizens First.

Ironically, the only time we actually met was when they asked me to consider running for City Council against the three incumbents. This idea went south when they discovered that I've got more skeletons in my closet than Saddam's summer palace. We all agreed that their interests would be better suited by a candidate who had not faced serious prison time.

She relaxed a little, but her lips remained sealed. They made their deal, and no one's talking. Too bad I hadn't mentioned that I could be bought for the price of a new shotgun and a date with a cashier.

The Chinese sage Lao-tse talked about the importance of flowing with the way of things, which was the strategy of the Vail Ranch Restoration Association.

Lao-tse talked about how even a rock is ultimately eroded by a mountain stream. (But then again, the rock apparently didn't have as good an attorney as Citizens First.)

Getting back to the Vail Ranch Restoration Association, they're going to be having antiques and collectibles at their booth at the Women's Club Flea Market at Sam Hicks Park from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

There will also be some great memorabilia items for sale: old glass cream bottles, electrical insulators and tin cups, all labeled with Wolf Store logos. Also featured, will be Olive Davis' children's fiction book, "Keeping Secrets," which takes place at the Pauba/Vail Ranch. The story weaves her childhood experiences of 1929, when her parents were cooks at the ranch, with local history events such as the bank robbery and bootlegging in the valley.

The profits from the sale will help them set up educational programs and museum displays at the historic ranch.

The restoration group is now working with the developer on a site plan. To give any input, call 699-5148.

Greg Scharf of Temecula is a regular columnist for The Californian. E-mail: Gscharf7@aol.com.

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