Girls Lacrosse Preview: Local squads look strong

When it comes to girls lacrosse, North County features some of the
toughest competition in the West. La Costa Canyon, which has won three
consecutive San Diego Section CIF championships, is once again fielding
a strong team, but preseason polls and coaches say that this year, the
team pegged as the one to beat is Torrey Pines.

As for the local squads, they’re perhaps among the best poised to force
an upset at the top. Rancho Bernardo, who got as far as the semifinals
last year, is fielding a strong squad, though they did lose some of
their most experienced players (including Anne Morgan Yeatman, who is
now a freshman at University of Maryland ).

Meanwhile, the Poway Titans are showing signs of improvement over last
year on the field (even though their current record might be
deceiving). Second-year Coach Sara Spillet has set out a tough
pre-league schedule for her squad, mostly against teams that are
outside of San Diego, to get her team ready for what’s ahead.

What follows is a closer view of the girls lacrosse squads of Poway and Rancho Bernardo.

High school sports Calendar through April 7

The following varsity games have been scheduled for the upcoming week of the spring season of high school athletics.

Please note that games and venues often change without notice. Matches in bold denote league games.

•Boys Golf: Poway vs. Torrey Pines at Rancho Santa Fe, 3 p.m. Rancho Bernardo vs. Westview at Country Club of RB, 3 p.m.

•Gymnastics: Poway vs. La Costa Canyon at La Costa Canyon High School,
4 p.m. Rancho Bernardo vs. OLP/Independents at RB High School, 4 p.m.

•Boys Lacrosse: Poway vs. Coronado at Poway High School, 7:45 p.m.; Rancho Bernardo vs. Bishop’s at The Bishop’s School, 5 p.m.

•Track & Field: Poway vs. El Camino at Poway High School, 3:15 p.m.

• Girls Lacrosse: Rancho Bernardo vs. San Dieguito at San Dieguito Academy, 4 p.m.

• Boys Tennis: Poway vs. Westview at Westview, 3 p.m.

• Softball: Rancho Bernardo vs. Canyon Crest at Canyon Crest High, 4 p.m.

• Boys Volleyball: Poway vs. Westview at Poway High School, 4:45 p.m.; Rancho Bernardo vs. Carlsbad at Carlsbad High School, 5 p.m.

• Track & Field : Poway in Elmer Runge Classic at Patrick Henry High School, 9 a.m.

•Gymnastics: Rancho Bernardo in 2 Event Invitational, Time and Location TBA

•Baseball: Poway vs. San Marcos in North County Tournament at Poway High School, 3:30 p.m.

•Boys Lacrosse: Poway vs. Good Counsel (Maryland) at Poway High School, 7 p.m.

•Boys Golf: Poway & Rancho Bernardo in Pahr Tournament at Encinitas Ranch, 11 a.m.

• Baseball: Rancho Bernardo vs. Oceanside at Oceanside High School, 3:30 p.m.

Poway’s Jones sisters keep up with Terrapin lacrosse

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – It’s a beautiful March day in the nation’s capital,
the first such respite from Mother Nature after a winter of
record-breaking snowstorms. The University of Maryland’s womens
lacrosse team has just wrapped up practice and is enjoying lunch at the
nearby Jason’s Deli.

Sitting together over salads, sandwiches and ice cream for dessert are Poway’s Brittany and Brandi Jones.

“I don’t like the cold,” says Brandi, matter-of-factly.

“We’re spoiled in Poway; It’s 70 degrees year-around,” laughs Brittany. “Here, we had to get winter clothes.”

Freezing temperatures and snowfall measured in feet was just another
challenge for the Jones girls. One thing that is clear is that the pair
leans on each other with a bond only sisters have.

Chelsea’s Light forum draws hundreds

A call to action was issued to the hundreds who gathered in 4S Ranch
Tuesday night for one goal — to learn how registered sex offenders can
be prevented from attacking youths.

“Every one of us in this room has a voice,” said Brent King, the late
Chelsea King’s father. “A voice gives us power, (but) the only ones who
don’t have this power is our children.

“This is what Chelsea’s Light is all about,” he said. “We will bring a
voice to our children.”

State Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher challenged attendees to help Chelsea’s
Light Foundation recruit 100,000 “Changemakers,” tasked with pushing
California legislators to enact Chelsea’s Law. When introduced later
this month, it will include a one-strike clause.

Some PUSD workers pushing for new labor group

Some of Poway Unified School District’s classified employees who are 
represented by the California School Employees Association (CSEA) are
looking to create a new labor group.

A news release sent out Tuesday by former CSEA Chapter 313 president
Dianne Kodadek said that 450 of the 1,250 employees represented by the
San Jose-based union at PUSD are looking to create a new union, which
would be named the Poway School Employees Association. Kodadek stepped
down from her CSEA leadership position last week.

According to Tuesday’s news release, the new organization is “made up of
former CSEA leaders and activists at PUSD” and is led by Kodadek, who
was president of the PUSD chapter of CSEA for nine years.

The classified employees, mostly office workers, were expected to file a
petition with the Public Employment Relations Board on Tuesday to
replace the CSEA with the new Poway-based union.

Lian, Milne crowned Rancho Bernardo queens

Two members of Rancho Bernardo High’s junior class have become community
“royalty.”

Rebecca “Becky” Lian was crowned Miss Rancho Bernardo 2010 and Chelsea
Milne crowned Miss Rancho Bernardo Teen 2010 on Sunday afternoon.

The classmates will represent Rancho Bernardo throughout their year-long
reigns via public appearances at community events, such as the Spirit
of the Fourth parade, and by doing community service projects.

In previous years, titleholders have participated in pageant sponsor
events (this year that includes Rancho Bernardo’s Rotary and Soroptimist
International organizations), community fundraisers (such as American
Cancer Society’s Relay for Life) and read to children in local schools
and libraries.

Eight file as Poway recall replacement candidates

Poway voters will choose from among eight candidates to replace City
Councilwoman Betty Rexford in the event she is recalled from office on
June 8.

Three candidates have appeared before in unsuccessful attempts to win a
council seat: Howard Collins, Chuck Cross and Roger Willoughby. The
remaining hopefuls are making their first bid: Pete Babich, Dave Grosch,
John Mullin, David Radcliff and Steve Vaus.

The deadline to file for the election was 5 p.m. Thursday.

The recall election has been consolidated with the statewide  June 8
primary. Poway voters will be asked to make two related decisions:
Should Rexford be removed from office and, if she is, which candidate
should be elected to fill the balance of her term, which expires in
November? The candidate receiving the most votes will complete the term
and will have the opportunity to run for a four-year term in the fall.

‘Pioneer’ women join Poway Kiwanis Club

A little Kiwanis history was made March 25 when two pioneering women in
the organization joined the Poway club.

In the 1970s only one of the affiliated Kiwanis International groups,
Circle K International for college students, permitted women to join. In
1974, shortly after women were admitted, San Diego State University
student Patti Pancheri was elected as the first female lieutenant
governor in the Kiwanis district, which includes California, Nevada and
Hawaii.

Five years later, Colleen Sherlock, then a graduate student at
California State University, Fullerton, was elected as the district’s
first female governor.

Kiwanis International, the adult group, began admitting women in 1987.

Pancheri, now Patti Ryder, lives in Poway while Sherlock, now Colleen
Salzetti, resides in Rancho Penasquitos.

Police: RB burglary attempt may be linked

(CNS) – Authorities are alerting the pubic about a spate of residential
burglaries committed within an eight-hour period in Rancho Bernardo,
Miramar Ranch and Scripps Ranch, possibly by the same pepper
spray-wielding perpetrator.

In two of the three home-invasion crimes, which occurred between late
morning and early evening on Monday, an intruder used some type of
caustic chemical to temporarily incapacitate a resident or family dog,
according to San Diego police.

 
The first burglary occurred in the 18000 block of Cabela Drive in Rancho
Bernardo shortly before 1 p.m., SDPD Lt. Carolyn Kendrick said. When
confronted by a resident inside the house, the intruder — a thin man
who appeared to be in his 20s or early 30s, wearing black jeans, a
long-sleeved black-and-blue “flannel type” shirt and a bandanna over his
face — doused the man with some kind of chemical irritant, then fled,
the lieutenant said.

Faith: Christians usher in Holy Week

On March 28, Palm Sunday, Christians enter into Holy Week — a time to
remember the events that took place during the last days of Christ’s
Earthly life. Although it isn’t always the case, this year the Christian
celebration of Holy Week coincides with the Jewish celebration of
Passover, causing many Christians to look more closely at the Jewish
roots of their faith and the connections between the ancient Jewish
celebration of Passover, the Christian celebration of The Last Supper,
and the significance in both faiths of the sacrificial lamb.

Maranatha Chapel will host an instructional Passover Seder and meal at 6
p.m. on Friday, April 2 in the Fellowship Hall. This will be a time to
learn about the traditional Jewish Passover Seder and what its rituals
and symbols mean to Christians. Tickets for the Seder are $24 for
adults, $12 for children, and must be purchased in advance.