Always a cut above and tailored just for you!  

      
Pauma/Valley Insurance Agency, Inc.
"Valley Center's Most Trusted Independent Insurance Agency Since 1978"


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November 20, 2019
COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS
Brandon Strausbaugh, PVI Manager

November, in particular, is a month for being thankful. Of course, the fact that Thanksgiving "falls" in November is a major reason, but also the fact that Veterans Day is in November helps to remind us to be thankful for this wonderful country in which we are blessed to live.

At PVI, November also is a time when we begin to reflect on the year and focus on how fortunate we are to have the best customers. and it's the perfect time to say "Thank you!" for putting your trust in us to serve your insurance needs here in PVI Country!

It's also a time for our PVI Team to so say how thankful we are to live and work and play in such a wonderful community.
 
Of course, what makes this community so great is the people. That's why we love being involved in so many community organizations. Together, we are able to accomplish so much more than any of us could individually.  

Which is why PVI is pleased to sponsor the monthly CAN (Community Action Network) meetings! More than any other meeting in our community, the CAN meeting is a true collaboration that brings together representatives from every aspect of our community. These include First Responders (VC Fire, CAL Fire, Sheriff's Dept, CHP); Water Department; Chamber of Commerce; Parks & Rec; local Legislators; school representatives; faith community; local businesses; and, of course, our fantastic volunteer organizations that we couldn't do without! 

So, please consider joining us tomorrow (Thursday, November 21st) to get connected, informed and involved in our community! You'll be thankful you did!

 

 


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UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

Please click on flyers
for more info.

(All events also are listed on the Official Community Calendar
or www.pvins.com for mobile)
   
      
VCFPD TO HOST NOVEMBER 21st 
CHAMBER
 SUNDOWNER

Mark your calendar for the  Valley Center Chamber of Commerce Sundowner on Thursday, November 21st, hosted by the  Valley Center Fire Protection District at Fire Station 1!

You know the "drill" - $10 gets you a great dinner prepared by the Firefighters and a chance to win a nice raffle prize! You'll have an "alarmingly" good time with Valley Center's finest!

   

 

      
Dig out those 
Christmas Sweaters...


Community Christmas Tree Lighting also! Don't miss it!

 

      
Attention all "good" boys and girls!


Time to mark your calendar for  Armstrong Feed & Supply 's "Breakfast with Santa" on Saturday, December 7th!

This free, annual event is a Santa's bag full of fun for the whole family, including pets! HoHoHope you can join us!

 

 
REMEMBER
Our Fallen U.S.Veterans.

HONOR
Those Who Serve.

TEACH
Your Children the 
Value  of Freedom.
     

Wreaths Across America  is a celebration of veterans and their service by placing hand-crafted wreaths, made of all-American balsam and hand-tied with a red velvet bow, on the graves of veterans and saying their names out loud with reverence and appreciation.

The  Center of the Valley DAR (our local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution) has taken the lead with celebrating Wreaths Across America locally and thanks the community for sponsoring the 350 wreaths that will be placed  during the Third Annual Wreaths Across America Ceremony on Saturday, December 14th, at 9 am.

If you have a family member or friend buried in the cemetery, and you would like to place a wreath on their grave during the ceremony, please join us for this very special occasion.

 

Here are two great ways to keep up with the "Happenings" in our community:

1) Like (and Follow) Valley Center Happenings on Facebook. 

2) Bookmark the official

Both are proudly sponsored by PVI to help keep our community connected and informed.

or 
www.pvins.com for mobile

  REMINDER: As an added bonus of being a  PVI valued customer, you can have your special events listed on the Community Calendar. 

Additionally, we will share them on our Facebook pages, too! Just email your flyer(s) to us. 

 


PVI is An Award Winning Agency
  

Golden Standard

 

  
Look for us on
Valley Center Road

              

 

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Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.
 
William Arthur Ward
   
Open to all! 
Please join us and bring a friend/neighbor!

If you're like most of us in Valley Center, you know we have much for which to be thankful, especially as a community! 
So please join us at the November 21st CAN meeting for a preview of this exciting new community-wide event...  

      

Bill Trok will provide a preview/overview of what this Celebration will be all about, with input from other community participants. This is your opportunity to get involved at the grassroots level and be a part of this exciting new, annual event! Volunteers can sign up onsite to contribute your time and talents to making this first annual event a huge success, a lot of fun and a meaningful time of thankful celebration for our community. Come get connected, informed and involved!

Door Prize Sponsor - El Rey Mexican Restaurant

Thank you to  El Rey Mexican Restaurant  for being this month's Door Prize Sponsor! Attendees have the chance to win one of two gift certificates that can be used toward a fun fiesta of flavors for your family!
 
Of course, very importantly, don't forget the monthly updates from our  First Responders who also contribute so much to our community, as well as representatives from local entities and our legislative representatives.

You also have a great opportunity to network and meet & greet your neighbors while enjoying a  light breakfast  provided by Julie Stroh. 

Where else can you get so much information  at  one time and in one place ?!

That's why the CAN meeting is...
 
"Your Monthly Community Connection!"

(For more information and/or to RSVP, please  click here .

Also, please note - Donations to the "I'm Thankful" Campaign and "Toys for Tots" can be brought to the CAN meeting!

"I'M THANKFUL" CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING
A huge "thank you" to John Yeager with Summit Mortgage for kicking off our "I'm Thankful" Campaign at the October CAN Meeting! Pictured: Phyllis Knight, PVI; John Yeager, VCCAG Treasurer; Diane Conaway, VCCAG Vice President; Larry McKenzie, VCCAG President; and Brandon Strausbaugh, PVI.

PVI's Second Annual "I'm Thankful" Campaign to raise awareness and funds for the Valley Center Community Aid Group (VCCAG) is well underway!

The Campaign officially launched at the  October 17th CAN (Community Action Network) Meeting and will  run through our December CAN meeting.  So you still have time to save your change, break your piggy bank or see what you can donate to support our community, since everything raised by the VCCAG goes directly back into our community to help our friends and neighbors in need!

A collection box has been established at the PVI office (27357 Valley Center Road), for cash, check and/or gift card donations.

Not just monetary donations are collected - gift cards, free services, raffle items - all are welcome and appreciated!

For more information and/or to donate online, please see the VCCAG website  or message them through their Facebook page. Also, you can message Valley Center Happenings for assistance.

Below are a few in our community who have donated to the Campaign. Thanks, everyone!


When it comes to supporting our community, nobody does it better than 
A-1 Irrigation Do it Best Hardware So big shout out to A-1 for their generous donation of gift cards!
Pictured: Stuart Holthaus, A-1 General Manager;  
Phyllis Knight, PVI; and Veronica Angel, A-1 Marketing Manager.

On October 30th, it took more than high winds & power outages to keep Diane Conaway fr om stopping at PVI to drop off her generous donation! 
  Pictured with Duane and Diane Conaway, The Conaway Group of Re/max Unitedare PVI's Debbie Svetich, Justina Strausbaugh & Brooke Dunn.

Shout out to Alan Kirkpatrick (left) and Pete Nelson with the VC Sheriff's Substation Senior Volunteer Patrol (SVP) who stopped by PVI on Nov 8th to show their support! (Click on the picture for more on how these amazing volunteers help our community.) Pictured with  Alan and Pete is PVI's Brandon Strausbaugh. 

You would be hard-pressed to find guys with bigger hearts for our community than Steve (left) and Trent Green with  Armstrong Feed & Supply . So it comes as no surprise that they were quick to respond to the "I'm Thankful" Campaign by donating gift certificates  to help our neighbors in need.
Pictured with Steve and Trent is Phyllis Knight, with PVI.

The Valley Center Community Aid Group is the nonprofit organization established by the 
Valley Center Real Estate Professionals  to provide assistance to those in need in our community.
"SIXTY SECONDS OF SAFETY" 
WITH VC FIRE CHIEF, JOE NAPIER


With Thanksgiving in mind, VC Fire Chief Joe Napier shares a little "food for thought" when it comes to cooking safety and safely. Please click here or on the photo above for important ways to help insure that the only thing "cooked" at your house on Thanksgiving is the turkey!

And speaking of the Fire Department and food, don't miss the chance to have a "station-cooked" dinner with the firefighters at the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce Sundowner on Thursday, November 21st, at 5:30 pm at Fire Station 1! For more information on this great opportunity to meet and thank our firefighters for all they do for our community, please click here.

PVI SALUTES OUR VETERANS
WITH AN "ALL AMERICAN" DRINK FOR NOVEMBER
WWII Veteran, Wesley, Means, enjoys the PVI Signature Drink with his son-in-law, 
Roy Knight, compliments of PVI and prepared by Ted Hackleman, Spins Coffee Truck.

At PVI, we truly are thankful for all of our veterans and we thank them for their service!
 
So in honor of Veterans Day this month and to honor these worthy warriors, we are excited to pay tribute to them with this month's  PVI's Signature Drink of the Month - The All American Peanut Butter Cookie Crumble , available only at Spins Coffee Truck !

Although National Peanut Butter Cookie Day occurs on June 12th, we think the peanut butter cookie is about as all American as you can get and the perfect pairing for our valued veterans!
 
But first, here's a little history about the peanut butter cookie. (As you know, veterans and history go hand-in-hand.) Peanut butter was invented by the Aztecs in the 14th century, but it didn't become an American favorite until the early 1900s. In 1916, George Washington Carver began promoting the peanut and its many uses. As part of the campaign, he published three peanut butter cookie recipes in a research bulletin entitled, "How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption."
 
REMEMBERING A SPECIAL VETERAN
Derek "Van" Quackenbush and his lovely wife, Marjorie

During the Third Annual Wreaths Across America Ceremony, which will be held at Valley Center Cemetery on Saturday, December 14, 2019, Van Quackenbush's grandson, Brandon Strausbaugh, will again place a wreath on his grandfather's grave.

In preparation for this special ceremony, t
he Center of the Valley Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution , is highlighting some of our local veterans b uried in Valley Center Cemetery. Since this featured veteran has a strong connection to Brandon Strausbaugh, we love being able to share his story...

Derek Van Quackenbush was 
a beloved husband, father and grandfather, musician, award winning editor, publisher and journalist, prominent Valley Center citizen, owner of The Valley Roadrunner and a veteran of World War II.


MEET MARVELOUS MARICRUZ 


Editor's Note - Most of you have had the pleasure of meeting (or at least speaking with)  Maricruz Avelar. Her PVI journey has truly been a success story, and she's pleased to share it with you below...

I grew up in Valley Center and went from Kinder through High School here. I then attended Cal State San Marcos where I obtained a Bachelors in Literature and Writing Studies.

In August, I celebrated my seventh anniversary working at PVI. I'm thankful for this journey that started seven years ago when I was working with Claudia Alba (one of our long-time customers) at Country Junction Deli. She told me that her insurance office (aka PVI) was hiring. I had just finished college in December of 2011 and needed to pursue my career.

So I decided to give it a shot. I walked into the PVI office and Barni Strausbaugh was there, and interviewed me right then. Once I said that I was a CSUSM graduate he said his son, Ryan, was going to school there and he hired me on the spot. I began working for PVI the following Monday. 


JOIN THE "TOYS FOR TOTS" DRIVE TRAIN!
Helping fill the new Toys for Tots donation box at Pauma/Valley Insurance are
(l-r)  Maricruz Avelar, Justina Strausbaugh,  Phyllis Knight and  Brooke Beatty Dunn.

It is our pleasure to work with the  Valley Center Chamber of Commerce to support their third annual "Toys for Tots" donation campaign.  As in past years, the Chamber is thankful for the support  of local businesses, organizations and the community-at-large for making each toy drive a huge success.

Toys for Tots was founded in 1947 by a Marine Reservist in Los Angeles, with 5000 toys distributed that year. Currently, an average of 18 million toys are distributed annually, with over 56 million toys distributed to date.

PVI volunteered to be responsible for distribution of the donation boxes around town and also for pick up and delivery of the boxes to the Toys for Tots Collection Drive at Fallbrook Airpark on December 14th. If you would like to donate toys to support this wonderful organization and make a child's Christmas a little brighter, please make sure to drop off your toy donation(s) to one of the boxes by Friday, December 13th.


THE STRAUSBAUGHS ARE ON A ROLL...

Kudos to PVI's Brandon Strausbaugh, who not only works hard, he plays hard! Of course, we're not sure that you can call it "play" considering how hard he works at it! But work or play - it paid off, with Brandon coming in Second in his Class in his first time participating in the Southern California Cyclocross Event recently held in San Diego!







 





The Cyclocross is one of three race disciplines in which Brandon participates/competes, along with Cross Country (cardio) and Enduro (gravity). 

But perhaps Brandon's favorite form of cycling would be the "family" one, which he enjoys along with his wife, Justina, and son, Landon, who also competes.

For the Strausbaughs, that's just how they roll...

WE HAD A BALL  SPONSORING 
THE BLUE LIGHTNING SOCCER TEAM !
Coaches Gabe Perpetua (left) and Trent Oney display the team banner
while PVI's Diane Wick (left) and Phyllis Knight stand with the team.

What a great time on November 16th celebrating with the "Blue Lightning" soccer team and their families at  Dandy Land Yogurt and Treats! These boys had a fantastic season (that went by in a "flash") winning not only the Mid-Season Tournament, but their last game of the season!


But what really makes them a winning team is that they played hard, learned teamwork, respected others and had fun doing it! Each boy also made a point of telling us personally "Thank you for sponsoring us." How sweet i s that?!

It truly was our pleasure to be their sponsor, you could even say we got a "kick" out of it. We're a little "blue" that it's over for this season, but we're already looking forward to next year!

Congratulations to the Blue Lightning team, coaches and families! We had a ball being your sponsor!


A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS...

As we've mentioned before, PVI is pleased to be able to sponsor Valley Center Happenings (VCH) to help keep our community connected and informed. But there's another aspect that we love about doing Valley Center Happenings and that's being able to highlight and thank those who do so much to help our community!  

After seeing the valiant efforts of the First Responders in response to the Miller Fire, this simple photo was shared to VCH on October 25th. Many were glad to add their personal messages of gratitude! In fact, this particular post was our most popular post for October, generating 819 responses, 52 comments and 46 shares. Yes, you can tell that we love our First Responders!  
A HAUNTINGLY GOOD TIME AT THE SUNDOWNER  

What a great turnout at the October 17th 
Sundowner! Thank you to  Krueger Realty for sponsoring and hosting it! It was a fun evening filled with lively music, a  delizioso Italian dinner, great raffle prizes, and "spirited" conversations with friends and neighbors!

Thank you to all who participated and made this such an enjoyable evening!


Sundowners are not just a great way to promote your business, they're also a fun opportunity to connect with old friends and make new ones!

Pictured (l-r): Phyllis Knight (PVI), Larry McKenzie (The Broker Network), Brandon Strausbaugh (PVI), John Yeager (John Yeager Real Estate Loans/VCCAG), and Diane Wick (PVI).

   
COMMUNITY AID HIGHLIGHT OF OCTOBER CAN MEETING
Another great turnout for the October CAN Meeting!

If you missed the October CAN Meeting, you really missed a special opportunity to hear about the Valley Center Community Aid Group and how they do so much good in our community! In addition to a presentation by Diane Conaway, VCCAG Vice President, we also heard personal testimonies from local families who have been helped through this group, including the Latulippe family, the Stroh family, and the Prayther family.

Additionally we launched the Second Annual "I'm Thankful" Campaign to support the VCCAG and benefit our community, which will run through our December meeting.
  
Of course, we also received the important monthly updates from our First Responders and other local groups and organizations. 

Thanks again to the VCCAG for their presentation and to all those who provided important updates and information on upcoming activities. Also, thank you to those community members who attended. Frankly, there is no better place to be than at the CAN meetings on the third Thursday of the month where you get so much information at one time and in one place!

A few pictures from the meeting follow:


Congratulations to the lucky winners of the door prizes sponsored by Dandy Land Yogurt and Treats - Lt. Pat Shannon, Commander of the VC Sheriff's Substation, and community member, Trisha Murrin, pictured with PVI's Brandon Strausbaugh.





Also a winner at the meeting was VC Fire Marshal Mike Shore, who took home these lovely artworks donated by local realtor, John Marko, to benefit the VCCAG.








Cal Hendrie, CAL Fire , shares his report following updates from VC Fire Chief Joe Napier and Fire Marshal Mike Shore. 







Alan Kirkpatrick, who is head of the Senior Volunteer Patrol at the VC Sheriff's Substation, shared information on this dedicated group of volunteers, while Bill Trok, John Yeager and Larry McKenzie look on.







Aaron Andrews, with Senator Jones' office, shares info on the Senator's Open House as Diane Conaway looks on.




CONGRATULATIONS, COSMIC SOLAR!

Congratulations to Bahram and  Judith Shadzi , President and Vice President, respectively, of  Cosmic Solar , who recently were invited to Salt Lake City, Utah to receive their 6th award from Solar Power International for being one of the top solar companies in the United States! They are ranked number 216, and in the top 50 for rooftop solar in the nation!

The Shadzis are very active in our communit y and support numerous charities and organizations, and we are excited to see them receive this well-deserved recognition and honor for Cosmic Solar!


(Please note - If you have an important life event you would like to share, we would love to hear from you! Just  click here to email your story to us.)   

                            - CUSTOMER COMMENTS -  
"THANKFUL" FOR YOUR TESTIMONIALS & REFERRALS!  

"Thanks for all your help! It was the best decision we made, regarding insurance, in switching to your company!"

- Brenden Bourgeois

If you have a testimonial to share, like Brenden, we'd love to hear it! You can share it either via our website or email to  
Please click here to share a testimonial or click here to read what others have to say.
Or, better yet, there is no greater compliment you pay us than sharing your experience with family and friends in referring them to us. As our way of saying "thank you" we are pleased to present a $10 gift card to you and a $10 donation to a local non-profit organization per referral. For each referral we receive, your name also goes into a year-end drawing for a 2019 Apple Watch. Sounds like a good "time" to  

    

As your personal Valley Center insurance agent, anytime you walk-in, call or email the agency you always will receive the same great hometown customer service that we have been providing for our community since 1978. Because we are an independent agent appointed to represent over 50 carriers including Mercury, Allstate, Progressive, MetLife, Travelers, Safeco, The Hartford, and more,  you can be assured that we are going to provide the highest level of coverage at the most competitive rates.


We are located at 27357 Valley Center Road
(Right across the street from Napa Auto Parts.)


 
Thank you from all of us at Pauma/Valley Insurance
Your PVI Protection Team

 


Who's ready for turkey and pumpkin pie?
"Have a Happy Thanksgiving!" from PVI!