The Poway Boys & Girls Club (Sulpizio Family Branch) held an open house for interested community members Thursday, Feb. 16, giving a presentation on their mission and a tour of the Poway branch.

The open house was part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego’s efforts to increase knowledge and show how they are part of the community, and what impact they have. Every two weeks, they highlight one of their 17 sites in San Diego, which includes locations in 4S Ranch, Escondido and Ramona.

Boys & Girls Club staff member Jeff Sahagun works with the children during their homework “Power Hour.” Photo by Emily Sorensen

Jim Oliver, a member of the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego, spoke on the impact of the organization. “Our kids have less gang involvement, less drug involvement, less teenage pregnancy and less dropping out of school,” said Oliver.

Many of the children who attend the Boys & Girls Clubs are children of single-parent households who need a safe place to be after school until their parent or parents get off work. In 2010, 31 percent of the children served in the greater San Diego area were from single-parent households, and 53 percent of those children were living in poverty.

The Poway branch, which is located next to Valley Elementary School, expands their area of service in the summer, accepting children from North County as well as Poway. It is open 11 hours a day whenever school is not in session to better accommodate working parents.

The club provides more than just childcare. Monday through Thursday after school includes a “Power Hour,” where all attendees must stop other activities and focus on doing their homework, with help from staff members and the club’s online tutorial homework program “Brain Fuse,” which connects students online with a qualified tutor. “Power Hour” was made mandatory three years ago in order to assist with the club’s three priority outcomes: academic achievement, good citizenship and character, and healthy lifestyles.

The center has also developed an anti-bullying curriculum, based on feedback from staff, that is held the first Tuesday of every month.

The Poway branch, which focuses on elementary-age children, also offers a basketball team and cooking classes, focused on learning healthy, fun recipes. In the summer, the club holds day camps, which include field trips, in an effort to keep the education going year-round.

In addition, the Poway branch has a computer lab where children can not only play games and do homework, but learn valuable computer skills that will aid them later in life.

“We have a ‘boot camp’ that they go through on the computer to earn time to play games. They learn Microsoft Excel, Word, Powerpoint,” said Katie Khasim, site supervisor for the Poway branch.

The Poway branch isn’t entirely about learning and molding their young charges into healthy, productive members of society. The facility also features a large gymnasium with basketball hoops, a large outdoor play field and playground, an arts and crafts room, and an indoor play area with pool tables, foosball, air hockey and ping-pong tables.

The club’s newest grant, the Office of Justice Programs’ Military Mentoring Project, allows them to give a little something extra back to military families, providing them with two free months of membership to the Boys & Girls Club. This also includes free transportation from school to the club.

By Elizabeth Marie Himchak

Poway Unified School District had four of its five high schools competing in the San Diego County Regional Science Olympiad place in the top 10 on Feb. 18.

Rancho Bernardo High students Ellen Hammon and Ryan Chen winding their helicopter prior to flight, one of 23 events in the regional Science Olympiad on Saturday. Photo by Beverley Brooks

Two weeks earlier, five of its six middle schools that competed also placed in the top 10.

“PUSD did very well,” said Liz Jablecki, regional director of the Secondary Science Olympiad in San Diego County.

“We have a very strong, highly competitive group of schools,” Jablecki said. “It is very difficult to break into the top 10 schools.

“For the other PUSD schools, I would say that they are building this year and looking forward to next year,” she added.

Science Olympiad has regional, state and national competitions for middle and high school students in 23 written and experimental events that span biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences and engineering, according to the contest’s website. Schools can send up to six teams, with a maximum of 15 students per team.

The regional competition for ninth to 12th graders was held on Feb. 18 at Del Norte High School. There were 23 schools who had more than 800 students competing in a combined 73 teams. Canyon Crest won the contest, followed by Torrey Pines, University City, Rancho Bernardo, Westview, Francis Parker, Scripps Ranch, Mt. Carmel, Del Norte and Pacific Ridge high schools.

The regional contest for sixth to ninth grades was on Feb. 4, with events held at Bernardo Heights Middle School and Rancho Bernardo High School. There were 28 schools who had more than 1,000 students among a combined 90 teams. Carmel Valley won, followed by Mesa Verde, Black Mountain, Warren, Parker, Marshall, Oak Valley, Torrey Hills, Meadowbrook and Twin Peaks middle schools.

Each of the top 10 schools received a team trophy. In addition, individual awards were given in each of the 23 events up to 20th place.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @pomeradosports for live updates from the Rancho Bernardo vs. Valhalla first-round CIF San Diego Section Division II girls soccer playoff game tonight. The action starts at 5 p.m. I will also post the game story right here and the link to it on Twitter about an hour or so after the game.

Three districts have a contested race in the March 3 Rancho Bernardo Planning Board election.

Three other districts have an incumbent seeking reelection unopposed and in Bernardo Heights (District F) no residents came forward, so its two open seats will have to be filled via appointment at a future meeting.

All Rancho Bernardo residents 18 years and older who have lived in the community at least 30 days can vote in their district’s election. Residents who want to cast an absentee ballot in advance of the March 3 election day can go to their respective community centers, except for Oaks North which does not have a contested race. Absentee ballots are also available at the Remington Club and Casa de las Campanas.

On Saturday, March 3 voters can continue to vote until 1 p.m. at their community centers, except for Oaks North, Seven Oaks, Remington Club and Casa de las Campanas. Winners will be notified the same day. For more details, go to www.RBPlanningBoard.com.

Incumbents running unopposed in their respective races are District A (Westwood) Robin Kaufman, District C (Oaks North) Wolfie Pores and District D (includes Bernardo Greens, Gatewood Hills, Montelena and The Trails) Peter Tereschuck.

* * *

In District B, incumbent Teri Denlinger is being challenged by Allen Gates. The district includes Eastview, Greens West, Campana Villas, Village Green, Bernardo Villas, Racquet Club, Bernardo Terrace, Playmor and Bernardo Pines.

• Teri Denlinger, the board’s chairwoman since late 2010, is seeking her fourth term, having served continuously since 2006. She previously was vice chairwoman, secretary and led the board’s publicity and election committee. She has lived in Eastview since 1996.

“I would like to put my experience to work in developing more community outreach programs in an effort to shape ideas to significant issues affecting Rancho Bernardo residents,” Denlinger said about her candidacy. “This will include cultivating strategic action plans that include RB residents as well as members of our business, industrial and educational communities.”

For qualifications, Denlinger mentioned her experience with many local and national community organizations. They included Eastview RB Community Center board, San Diego Association of Entrepreneurs, Rancho Bernardo Community Council, Ronald McDonald House board, San Diego Chamber of Commerce and other business groups.

Regarding biggest issue the board faces, Denlinger said there are several, “including working to establish a more cohesive organization that maintains a clear focus on meeting the board’s goals and objectives.”

• Allen Gates, who has lived in Eastview since 1998, is seeking his first term. Gates said he entered the race “to make my experience available to the board and assist in forming the board’s policies and decisions.”

Regarding qualifications, Gates said he has bachelor and master degrees in engineering from Johns Hopkins University, he “personally planned and developed several hundred acres of residential, commercial and industrial lands in the Clearwater and St. Petersburg areas of Florida” and has a “desire to contribute to the organization.

He also mentioned holding offices with local, county and state organizations when in Florida and said he worked with the military on engineering and construction matters.

“I believe there is a lack of board credibility, in both Rancho Bernardo and San Diego, that needs to be examined, discussed, changed and implemented,” when asked to name the biggest issues facing the board.

* * *

In Seven Oaks, two residents are running for District E seats. Because one is to fill an unexpired term, the candidate who receives the most votes will get a two-year term, with the other receiving a one-year term.

• Joe Dirks, a Seven Oaks resident for more than a decade, was on the planning board from 2006 until the board voted to remove him in October 2011 for his conduct. Over the years, he had been recording secretary, treasurer and parliamentarian and served on the election, traffic and regional issues committees.

Dirks said he wants to be on the board again “to help return the planning board to its former stature of integrity and effectiveness in community service.”

As for qualifications, Dirks said he “has repeatedly and consistently shown the integrity and fortitude needed to stand up for what is right and true no matter how formidable the entrenched powers may be.”

Regarding the board’s biggest issues he said, “The planning board has become a weak, contentious and divided group — even contradicting its very own self during meetings. It needs to stop playing games with personal agenda and goals. It needs to resume serving our community. Instead of seeking to grab power and control issues, it needs to recognize that there are other well-meaning and effective community groups that could very much better perform their tasks with the planning board’s cooperation and without its competition.”

• Estelle Wolf, who was recently appointed to the board, is seeking her first elected term. She has lived in Seven Oaks since 1997.

“I want to actively work for, not just be a member of, a local community organization that can address the issues and concerns of Rancho Bernardo,” Wolf said. “To me it is important to keep up with our changing times and be aware of how city, state and federal mandates impact our area.”

For qualifications, Wolf mentioned having administrative and managerial positions in the health care industry over the past 30 years and said she is a team player who feels “fresh ideas from all participants result in a positive outcome.” She also listed having “strong problem solving and critical thinking skills (that) will assist in finding resolution to issues. I do not just look on, I get involved.”

As for the board’s biggest issues, Wolf said “water availability is decreasing and the cost is increasing. This is one of the foremost concerns immediately facing us.” She also listed the proposed high-speed rail and its impact on Rancho Bernardo.

* * *

In District G, incumbent Michael Lutz is facing challenger Jeannie Foulkrod. The district includes High Country West, Camino Bernardo, Deerwood, The Falls and The Villas.

• Jeannie Foulkrod is seeking her first term. The Camino Bernardo resident since 2003 said she is “very aware of the challenges in the area and especially RB” having lived in the area for 20 years. She previously resided in Poway and Rancho Penasquitos.

“I really care about the RB community,” Foulkrod said about her decision to run. “We are reaching a critical time in our city’s planning, the board needs to be smarter and more efficient with taxpayer dollars that are in such (short) supply because of the unfriendly economic and business environment.”

For qualifications, Foulkrod listed her 24 years of working in finance, her business experience and said her community activity “make me uniquely qualified.” She added, “I plan to bring my experience and ideas to the board for better decisioning on planning proposals.”

When asked to name the biggest issues facing the board, she said “infrastructure maintenance and attracting more business to the area. The roads are in an awful state and causing more damage to cars as well as commerce than should be allowed in the city. Adding more business will broaden the tax revenue making the funding possible.”

• Michael Lutz is seeking his second term on the board, having first been elected in 2010. He has lived in High Country West since 1983.

Lutz said he entered the race “to give back to the Rancho Bernardo community.”

As for qualifications, Lutz mentioned his degrees in finance and accounting, 20 years of accounting experience, real estate sales experience and current management of the High Country West club facilities.

When asked to name the board’s biggest issues, Lutz said “making decisions as they come up on a timely basis that will most benefit the RB residents.”

In this nanny-state era when many people think government agencies should play an always-more-prominent role in solving all of society’s problems, it is no surprise that at least a few have jumped on the bandwagon proposing that schools take on the responsibility for rehabbing, treating or caring for substance-abusing students.

Dick Lyles

This is like saying the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League baseball, Pop Warner football or boys and girls volleyball clubs should assume the same responsibility because some of their members fall prey to the drug scene as well.

Schools should educate; rehab programs should rehab.

Many high schools are dropping band, sports programs and other extracurricular activities due to lack of funds. To say they should add a service for which they lack core competencies and that involves extensive resources simply doesn’t make sense.

Decades ago, under the leadership of Bob Reeves and subsequently shepherded by enlightened school board members Linda Vanderveen, Jeff Mangum and others, Poway Unified School District adopted a strategy that deals with the substance abuse problem as well as any school district in the state. It is aimed at prevention and it works admirably. If any student is caught using or under the influence at or on their way to or from a school function, they are transferred to another high school in the district. If they are caught a second time, they are not allowed to return to school in the district. The results are extraordinary.

A couple of decades ago, after the policy had been in effect for awhile, I conducted a leadership training program for senior San Diego police officers. Several had served in the Northeastern Division, which includes Mira Mesa and Rancho Penasquitos, two San Diego communities with similar demographics. However, Mira Mesa resides in San Diego Unified and Rancho Penasquitos resides in Poway Unified school district. All agreed that the drug situation in the two communities was as different as night and day. Rancho Penasquitos problems were minimal compared to pervasive problems throughout Mira Mesa. All attributed the difference to the dramatically different drug policies of the two school districts.

When the trend in our culture is to teach our kids to “do what you want today and we’ll deal with the consequences tomorrow,” Poway’s policy has provided valuable learning to Poway students by driving home the lesson that consequences for bad choices can be immediate and lasting. Most students get the message and benefit greatly. Continuing its current policy of focusing on prevention is the wisest choice for PUSD. Leave treatment and rehabilitation to a properly resourced entity with that mission.

As Peters and Waterman wrote in “In Search of Excellence,” excellent organizations “stick to the knitting.” This means focusing on their primary mission and doing it extraordinarily well, even when the rationale for providing other products or services seems compelling.

Schools should not assume the responsibility of cleaning up the mess created by a very few students who ignore the district’s message about the consequences of substance abuse. Nor should schools usurp the role of parents in teaching their kids to be socially responsible.

Schools districts today are pressed hard enough to maintain their focus on educating students with the knowledge needed to be responsible adults and citizens. Let’s not make their job more difficult by asking them to provide resources and skill-intensive services to the few knuckleheads who make bad social choices along the way. Let the rehab professionals do that.

In 1974, my brother was given a simple choice by a sympathetic judge: join the Air Force or be sentenced to prison for reckless driving and possession. He chose the Air Force.

Amy Sandberg

Three years later he was discharged for growing a marijuana plant in his locker using a heat lamp. Today, he is unemployed and would likely be homeless were in not for the support of our father.

He had been warned of the consequences, yet didn’t listen. After being transferred from one school to another, including a wilderness program, he was finally made the military’s problem. I like to think my brother’s life would be different today had he received more support from the place where he spent most of his waking hours — school.

A school’s “primary mission” is to educate. And if a school is to fulfill its mission, students must be ready to learn. Students with learning disabilities are assigned resource teachers. Students who arrive to school hungry get free lunches because students learn better when they’re not hungry. Schools allot a certain amount of time for exercise because a healthy mind goes hand-in-hand with a healthy body. Doesn’t it follow we should help rather than punish students with drug problems?

Not according to Dick Lyles. He supports Poway Unified School District’s punitive policy of casting problem students off to another school. This isn’t much different PUSD’s treatment of problem staff. In what was termed by a former superintendent as the “dance of the lemons,” the district transfers ineffective teachers and principals from one school to the next, so that every school shares the burden of the incompetent. Does the district really believe that just because a problem disappears it no longer exists?

If we want our children to receive an education and ultimately become responsible adults, they must first be functional. I’m not suggesting we convert gymnasiums into Betty Ford centers, however, when polls indicate that 75 percent of students have tried alcohol and 40 percent marijuana by their senior year of high school, it’s painfully obvious that we’re dealing with more than a few “knuckleheads” as Dick estimates.

Dick argues that helping kids who abuse drugs or alcohol is too tall an order for the schools and doesn’t fit their mission. Tell that to the grieving parents of Luke Lipscomp, Clay Blackburn and Veronica Aguirre, Dick. While it may not be practical for schools to be the primary providers treatment, they can and must do more to identify drug problems and work more closely with existing community resources to help students.

Start by offering workshops to teachers and parents on how to recognize someone on drugs. Offer support groups for parents of children with drug problems. Provide free or subsidized drug-testing kits — an effective deterrent in my household. Educate parents about the importance of talking with their children about drugs. Simply forbidding drugs will not prevent drug use, just as simply forbidding sex will not result in celibacy. However, open and honest dialogue does help and makes it more likely that our kids will talk with us when they have questions or are in trouble.

Make it safe for students to admit a problem with drugs to someone on campus, since it is often not safe to admit to at home. While we can’t tolerate repeat offenders and dealers interfering with the efforts of students wanting to study, first-time offenders should be referred for help and given a chance to clean up their act before being transferred or expelled. Finally, assign every entering high school student to a “posse” of 10 or so classmates from diverse backgrounds. Posses would stay and meet together through all four years of high school, and serve as a place where kids can talk with and support each other about concerns they may not feel comfortable sharing with their parents and/or teachers.

If nothing else, invite my brother to share his story at assemblies. He needs the work.

Beauty and the Beast Pet Grooming in Poway is celebrating a milestone anniversary this month, having serviced thousands of furry animals over its 20 years.

Jamie Clark, owner of Beauty and the Beast Pet Grooming, with groomer Devon Cardenas. Photo by Peijean Tsai

Established by Poway veterinarian Dr. David Kenney in February 1992, the full-service pet grooming business has been owned and operated by Jamie Clark for the last 15 years.

“It was small and slow in the beginning,” said Clark, who worked with Kenney when the business first opened.

“Now we have an average of a thousand clients,” she added, noting each client has one to four dogs. The business has grown every year, she said.

At Beauty and the Beast, certain principles are prioritized: customer service, clean facilities, and loving care for all pets. Clark and her staff aim to build trust and maintain relationships with the animals so they are relaxed and not afraid. Always having a positive attitude is important, she said.

“We emphasize gaining their trust, so the dog is comfortable,” said Clark, who has over 30 years of pet care experience, including working as a veterinary assistant and with grooming businesses all over San Diego County and shelters such as Helen Woodward Animal Center. She became owner of Beauty and the Beast after Kenney retired.

The business handles all grooming services for dogs and cats, including: brushing teeth and bathing, cleaning ears, haircuts (including fun hairstyles), toenail trim and painting, removing parasites and ticks, dematting, nutritional advice and more. In a single visit, many issues beyond grooming and hygiene are addressed, such as preventative care and diet, she said.

“We’re dealing with their health from top to bottom,” Clark said, adding that she lets owners know of potential medical issues that need to be taken care of. “I want to make sure the animals get what they need health-wise.”

In order to make the grooming experience a pleasant one, Clark has brought in the latest professional pet care technologies. For haircuts, there’s the clipper vacuum that sucks away hair to keep the area clear around the pet. The Bather’s Choice Pet Bathing System also helps deliver an efficient and healthy bath for pets, optimizing Ph levels and reducing bacteria. Clark attends trade shows twice a year such as SuperZoo, the annual national show for pet retailers, to stay up to date on the best techniques and technologies.

To further make appointments peaceful, not all services are done in one room, as is common in pet grooming businesses, Clark said. For instance, pet drying is in a separate, closed room.

At Beauty and the Beast, there’s even aromatherapy and spa music to calm pets.

“It means so much to me that the dogs enjoy being here,” Clark said. “They do it all the time in the spas, so why not have it here? I want them to have that type of atmosphere.”

Clark said they will handle even difficult cases, such as dogs who normally need anesthesia at grooming appointments. At Beauty and the Beast, however, Clark calms pets otherwise and is adamant about never using anesthesia.

“The closest I get to that is lavender oil,” she said.

Over the years, Clark has seen generations grow up. Those she first met as kids are now adults with families — and pets — of their own.

“My clients have seen my kids grow up, and I have clients from 20 years ago who are now on their second or third dog,” she said. “They call me Auntie Jamie. They are like my extended family.”

To learn about Beauty and the Beast Pet Grooming, 14023 Poway Road, and their 20th anniversary specials, call the business at 858-679-9559.

The Poway Center for the Performing Arts welcomes Guitar Masters to the stage 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25.

Guitar Masters, which is comprised of YouTube talent Andy McKee, acoustic sensation Antoine Dufour and “the Jedi Master of Fingerstyle Guitar” Stephen Bennett, has been touring for one-and-a-half years, with a variety of talented guitar players.

“We thought it would be good to have three acoustic guitars, three distinct styles on acoustic guitar,” said McKee.

McKee, Dufour and Bennett transform their guitars into a full orchestra using altered tunings, tapping, partial capos, percussive hits and a signature two-handed technique that is sure to wow their audience. After performing individually, the three performers come together at the end of the show to perform a few songs, showcase their ability to combine their unique styles into a cohesive acoustic sound.

McKee, considered one of the best acoustic guitar soloists and awarded the Acoustic Guitar Magazine worldwide silver medal award for fingerstyle in December 2008, made it into the music industry in an unusual way. Hailing from Topeka, Kansas, McKee, who other than one year of electric guitar lessons as a teenager is self-taught, was convinced in late 2006 by his then-record company, Candy Rat, to put up videos of himself playing instrumental acoustic guitar songs on YouTube.

“We shot about eight videos in one afternoon, and they just took off like crazy,” said McKee. His most-viewed video, his original song “Drifting,” has over 42 million views on YouTube.

In addition to paying the acoustic guitar, McKee also plays the baritone guitar and the harp guitar, which he described as being like a standard acoustic, but with extra bass strings, which allows him to play extra low-pitch tones.

McKee started playing guitar on his 13th birthday, when he received his first guitar as a present.

“I wanted to play because of Eric Johnson,” said McKee. “I really enjoyed it, staying home and figuring out the chords.”

Though he began his musical training with the electric guitar, after some time, he fell in love with the acoustic and the sounds it could make. McKee started writing acoustic guitar music at 19, inspired by his influences Preston Reed, Don Ross and Billy McLaughlin, and has released five independent albums since 2001, as well as performing on Josh Groban’s Grammy-nominated Christmas album, “NOEL.”

After the Guitar Masters tour wraps up at the end of February, McKee plans to tour the U.S. on his own, before traveling to Asia and South America to open for progressive metal band Dream Theater. After that, he plans to take the Guitar Masters tour to Europe.

Tickets for Guitar Masters range from $35 to $55 and are available at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts box office, or online at www.powayarts.org.

Influential playwright Clifford Odets’ 1935 masterpiece “Awake and Sing!” is finding new life thanks to PowPAC, Poway’s Community Theatre, which continues their 30th season by presenting it Friday, March 2 through Saturday, March 25 at their theater, located at 13250 Poway Road, Poway.

PowPAC’s new show, “Awake and Sing!” featuring Michael Adler as Jacob, Charmaine Reed as Bessie Berger, Roxanne Reed as Hennie Berger and Dan Feraldo as Myron Berger. Photo by Tony Eisenhower

“Awake and Sing!” tells the story of the Bergers, a second-generation Jewish family living in New York in 1933, fighting for survival against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the rise of fascism in Europe, and the rise of the workers’ movements in Russia and Eastern Europe. While the Berger parents, Myron and Bessie (played by Dan Feraldo and Charmaine Reed) scheme to manipulate their children’s relationships to improve their own lives, their children, Hennie and Ralph (played by Roxanne Reed and Clayton Gage) strive to fulfill their own dreams, knowing they must stay with their family to survive.

“We’re in our own recession,” said Charley Miller, director, “there’s a lot of correlation there.”

The show also features Michael Adler as Jacob, Peter Schwartz as Schlosser, Daniel Sky as Moe Axelrod, Fred Gaines Jr. as Uncle Morty, Lee Howell as Sam Feinschreiber and introducing Rosey as Tootsie Berger.

The history behind “Awake and Sing!” is almost as interesting as the play itself. Originally written in 1933 under the title “I Got the Blues,” audiences claimed the show was “too Yiddish, with too much Jewish influence,” said Miller. Odets continued to work on the show for two years with the Group Theatre, with the actors influencing the characters.

“It dove into the edgy dramatic material of the time,” said Miller. “It had realistic places, realistic people and realistic situations of the time.”

Odets, the son of Romanian and Russian Jewish immigrants and a Marxist, found himself under the scrutiny of Senator McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee in 1952. Odets disavowed any current communist affiliations and cooperated by answering the committee’s questions, avoiding being blacklisted. Despite Odets’ colorful past, his shows have remained quietly popular, undergoing a number of Off-Broadway revivals. The latest Broadway revival, in 2006, featuring Mark Ruffalo, was nominated for seven Tonys, and won two, including Best Revival of a Play.

“I used stories of the original actors’ relationships and performances of the roles to inspire my actors,” said Miller.

Due to the shortened production schedule caused by February being short, Miller knew he needed a cast that could not only act, but ones he knew could follow directions well and work in a tight schedule.

“I’ve worked with number of them before,” said Miller. “The cast has great chemistry, and everyone connected.”

Tickets for “Awake and Sing!” are $18 general admission, $15 seniors and students. For reservations, conact the box office at 858-679-8085, email boxoffice@powpac.org, or visit www.powpac.org.

Adjusting to a world without redevelopment program revenues, city officials last week laid off five City Hall employees and on Tuesday night talked openly of having to use a special reserve fund to balance next year’s budget.

Five workers who had direct ties to redevelopment work received word on Feb. 15 that their jobs would end March 1.

Three of the positions cut were full-time: an assistant engineer in development services, a senior management analyst in community services and the assistant director of community services. Two positions were part-time: a senior management analyst in public works and senior management analyst in community services.

In addition, City Manager Penny Riley said the city will not replace a senior planner who is retiring this summer.

This is the third time since 2006 that Poway city employees have been laid off, for a total of about 40 positions, or 20 percent of the 2006 workforce. Previous rounds of layoffs were sparked largely by recession-related declining sales tax and property tax revenues.

The Feb. 1 ending by the state of all local redevelopment programs means that Poway will loose $40 million in annual property tax revenues. The money will be transferred to the county, which must by May 1 establish local oversight boards to administer the redevelopment programs. Revenues will be redistributed to taxing agencies in the city, including schools and hospital districts. City officials say about $20 million will be returned to the city for payment of redevelopment bond obligations. Another $2 million or so is expected to come back as the city’s share of the property tax distribution, but the amount falls short of the estimated $4 million hit the general fund will take due to the redevelopment agency’s death.

The City Council will be asked during spring budget discussions to dip into a $3 million “economic uncertainly” reserve to balance the 2012-12 general fund budget, Riley said. The fund was started in the mid-1990s and has grown with money allocated from frequent year-end general fund surpluses.

Riley told the council that using the reserve funds will “buy time” until the full impact of the Feb. 1 elimination of local redevelopment agencies across the state are evaluated.

John French, the city’s director of administrative services, said that while sales tax revenues this year are up a surprising 6 percent, the still-unknown true impacts of the death of the redevelopment program may also affect the current budget. Based on what is known today, he said, the current budget remains “tenuously” balanced.

As to the use of reserve funds, French told the council “We will probably be bringing that into discussion.”

The city’s long-standing practice of setting aside reserves for a rainy day like the one being faced now was praised by Mayor Don Higginson and Councilmen John Mullin and Jim Cunningham.

“Our predecessors have positioned ourselves to weather the storm,” Mullin said.

“We’re in solid shape. We’re ready for this,” Cunningham added.