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Thumbs: Volunteers make impact on schools

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THUMBS UP to three very dedicated individuals who have been selected by the Poway Unified School District as “Volunteers of the Year.” The three are Audrey Bank from Rancho Bernardo High School, Garry Burgess from Black Mountain Middle School and Stan Kim from Painted Rock Elementary School. Kudos also to the honored top volunteers from each PUSD campus. Administrators, teachers and staff are the backbone of every successful school, but the thousands of hours donated each year by parents, grandparents and others from the community go a long way toward making good campuses great and enhancing student learning.

THUMBS DOWN to Poway city employees responsible for putting the City Council in the difficult position of facing a roomful of neighbors upset over a proposed housing project on Twin Peaks Road. The July 19 public hearing was the first time the five-member council had seen the details of San Diego Habitat for Humanity’s plans. Three members of the council had as many questions about the project as those in the audience, including two big ones – can Habitat legally restrict home buyers to those currently or formerly in the military and will there be enough on-site parking to prevent spillovers into the neighborhood? A workshop session that should have been held prior to the meeting is now set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16 in the council chambers.

THUMBS UP to Poway and San Diego officials for the decision to increase the frequency of allowed outdoor watering, from twice to three times per week.Other restrictions still apply, such as limiting watering to 10 minutes per station and before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. In 4S Ranch, water conservation is now strictly voluntary. Maybe now remaining trees and lawns will have a chance.

THUMBS DOWN to San Diego Gas & Electric for saying it will take up to three months to process a request from the Save Webb Lake folks to install a meter and run electrical wiring to new pump that will replenish Webb Lake with groundwater rather than having to depend on city water. The well has been dug and is nearly ready to go. Can’t something be done to cut the red tape?

THUMBS UP to everyone who contributed to the fund to build a memorial at Lake Poway to San Diego Padres great Tony Gwynn. We were not as optimistic as Mayor Steve Vaus that the $150,000 mark would be reached. The fund has topped $161,000, thanks to private donations, big and small, from business, organizations and fans of all ages. An artist has been commissioned to create a larger-than-life statue of Gwynn and work on the site should begin by the end of the year.

THUMBS UP to San Diego Fire-Rescue for deciding to assign the brush truck from Station 33 in Rancho Bernardo to a Cal Fire facility in the San Pasqual Valley, and to staff the truck with a four-person crew for the balance of the wildfire season. That will prevent Station 33 firefighters from having to roll out to San Pasqual, keeping them closer to home. The Station 33 brush truck has been replaced by a state-owned one from another station.

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