Fred Wollman - Membership Chairperson

I am Fred Wollman.  I grew up in South Dakota and received my BS at the University of South Dakota.  I met my wife Kathy on a blind date while working in Nashville, Tn.  We moved to California in 1980 and settled into Valley Center in 1993 so our young children could see the stars at night.

We started backpacking shortly after getting married and our kids, JC and Andrew, have both been packing since before their first birthdays.  We all love being outside watching the hawks, lizards and coyotes during the day and star gazing at night.  I am passionate about trails and preserving wild open spaces as a way for Valley Center to become of community of friends rather than merely a place to sleep before driving back to work the next day. 

Now that my children have left home (and no longer in soccer, karate and other sports) my best opportunity to meet people is to go for a walk.  Valley Center is a beautiful place.  The view from the ground on two feet while walking is very different from the view at 55 mph.  With the number of home being built, decline in agriculture and increased traffic, Valley Center is at risk of losing the attributes that drew many of us here.  Our sleepy country roads are no longer safe to walk or bicycle along.  The dirt road or large parcel that was available to ride my horse now is paved, covered with homes and surrounded by fences and gates.  If I am to go for a walk or ride a bicycle or horse safely, I must get into a car and drive to Hell Hole Canyon (in Valley Center), Wilderness Gardens (in Pala), Daley Ranch (in Escondido) or Palomar Mountain.

We need to follow the lead of other communities like Poway and Ramona, to develop our neighborhoods into friendly places where people leave the house to walk the dog, ride their horses and maybe even allow their kids to ride bikes to school and even talk to each other.

 Join us in making Valley Center a great place to live and not merely a pretty place to drive through.