VETERAN'S FISHING DAY 

 

 

Donuts and Starbucks coffee were provided, when the veterans and PLRC volunteers first arrived at the pier. A trio of singers known as the Sweethearts of Swing, were dressed in period WAC outfits while singing World War II songs. Most of the veterans had never been fishing offshore. But these 40 inexperienced anglers, fly-lining live bait for tuna aboard the deck of the rocking and rolling Malihini, enjoyed this exhilarating experience. A Malihini deckhand gave a brief seminar at the bait tank, plus hands-on training at the rails. This is now an annual event, supported by various organizational sponsors and PLRC volunteers. Click here for the local news video about their inaugural event. 

Alan and Carter offer this heart-warming summation about their 2023 VFD
journey, within the context of the support provided by their fellow PLRC members:

          "For the fifth year, veterans from Veterans Village of San Diego enjoy-             enjoyed a day of fishing sponsored by the Point Loma Rotary Club                   [PLRC]. In the depths of life's trials, when the weight of the world seems too heavy to
           bear, there shines a beacon of hope, a testament to the unwavering spirit of humanity.
           It is the PLRC, a community bound by a singular purpose: to leave no one behind.    

 

PLRC EAST COUNTY VETERAN'S STANDOWN  [rest of webpage to be updated and re-edited into 2.0 format]

There is a pressing need to help people on the street, including both veterans and civilians. Rob Cenko and Doug Nau embraced that need in east county, by contacting social service groups. He amassed various resources to put together the PLRC's first east county mini-Stand Down. This PLRC event is modeled after the annual Veterans Village Stand Down. Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) has served all veterans since 1981. It is dedicated to the theme “Leave No One Behind.”

 

For over forty years, VVSD has sought to provide services and support to our nation’s heroes. Each
year, VVSD helps thousands of our most vulnerable veterans to reclaim their lives through programs offering transitional and permanent housing, mental health counseling, substance use treatment, and employment and training services. photo by Ray Blavatt    

 

Rob coordinated the first east county version of VVSD’s annual Stand Down PLRC's Wellness Fair with co-organizer Doug Nau, CEO of My KoZee, Carl Reed at V.V.S.D. (both pictured right, with Shannon Osborne, Community Service Director), other service groups, and some governmental agencies. The event was held on April 21, 2022, at the and some governmental VFW Hall, 136 Chambers Street, El Cajon, CA. Pictured left: Stand Down Family Health Medical Group. Pictured right: Stand Down Red Cross Blood Mobile Group. The group photo (below left) commemorates the providers who participated in the Stand Down.

 

This event facilitated the removal of three vets from off the streets. Participants saved a life-a suicidal vet with ulcers on his feet and legs, diabetic, and in critical condition who was taken to an ER. He would have likely died on the El Cajon streets. Another vet learned that he qualified for more benefits, due to his exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. He had no clue about his entitlement. 
 
The Stand Down offered haircuts and beard trims. Other student volunteers canvased the general area, in search of vets, to give them notice of this event. That search also produced five vets from the recent Middle East conflicts and five civilians−all of whom expressed their deep appreciation for services rendered.  

This event garnered Channel 10 TV exposure. That coverage prompted the incoming Lakeside   VFW Commander to drive to the event with a view toward hosting a like event at her local  hall. The mayor met with every provider. He personally thanked them, and the PLRC for its participation. County Supervisor Joel Anderson prepared Certificates of Appreciation for all attendees. Photos were taken by Paul Mitchell Barber School personnel. Pictured right are Darnisha Hunter (Regional Taskforce for Homeless), Rob Cenko (PLRC Pres. Elect), Bill Wells (El Cajon Mayor), and Lili Patch (PLRC club member). For the County of San Diego Certificate of Recognition to the PLRC, click here. 
 
CALIFORNIA FISHING LINE RECYCLING PROGRAM

Fishing line is not biodegradable. It can remain in the environment for many years. If it is improperly disposed of, broken, or abandoned, it can entangle or kill wildlife, and cause boat damage. Wildlife suffers loss of limbs from line entanglement−and death from gangrenous infection, or line ingestion.
 
When discarded in our waterways, fishing line fouls boat propellers, and creates a serious litter problem around boat ramps and fishing areas. Even when we discard the lines in trash bins, it still goes to a landfill. That creates the same hazards for wildlife, unless it is cut into small pieces. One solution is to have recycling containers available to boaters and fishermen to properly discard their used fishing lines.

 

The Point Loma Rotary Club (PLRC) has purchased parts and built fishing line recycling bins to benefit the San Diego community. The PLRC will install three bins at the San Diego Yacht Club. Twenty more will be installed along the San Diego waterfront. The PLRC does this project in partnership with the California Coastal Commission. Pictured left is Doug Nau "making the cut," with supervisor Gus Goldau providing invaluable suggestions. All hands are pictured right, with a sampling of the finished product.  

 

If your business is interested in supporting this project, or you want a fishing line recycling bin in your area, contact the Point Loma Rotary Club project manager at; gookind@hotmail.com.

 

Sarah Harron (pictured left with Debra) is the Point Loma resident who brought the discarded fishing lines issue to the PLRC’s attention. Sarah introduced Debra to the key people in local government, and the Surf Rider Foundation.

Debra’s assistant, Rocky (pictured right), takes some much-needed rest, after watching the PLRC volunteers’ hot Saturday afternoon assembly project.                                                                                             

This event exemplifies the heartfelt sharing that PLRC members offer the local community, during the Christmas  season− since 1989. PLRC member Dick Thorn has served on the Board of St. Paul’s Senior Homes and Services since 1992. The late Mifflin Ward, Dick’s mentor in Rotary and law, had been a resident at St. Paul’s senior living facility. Dick drove Mr. Ward to the weekly Rotary meetings.

 

Over the years, various PLRC members have been residents and patients at St. Paul’s. Our members have both sung, and been sung to, by other PLRC club members. As Dick describes this annual holiday Sing Along: “It is our own ‘Circle of Life.’ It means a great deal to me. We meet those we might have never met otherwise, to share a most rewarding afternoon. We get so much from them. I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.” 
 
OPERATION HOLIDAY HELPING HAND

In 2021, the PLRC’s Rotary Endowment Fund celebrated its 16th year of partnering with the San Diego Yacht Club and the San Diego Armed Services YMCA for a very special program. The SDYC’s Holiday Helping Hand tradition helps military families cope with serious physical, financial, and separation concerns.
 
Recipients are local military families, primarily lower-ranked enlisted personnel, who are decidedly in need of a helping hand during the holidays. Each family is carefully screened by the Armed Services YMCA for recent struggles with challenging financial difficulties.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
DISTRICT's MEMBER RECOGNITION 

Congratulations to Point Loma Rotarian Mike Whitehurst on receiving the Citation for Meritorious Service from the Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. 

Mike has served on the District Foundation Committee for many years−in the role of District Grants Chair, and now as Major Gifts/ Legacy Giv- ing Co-Chair. He has done a number of grants in India and has traveled to India as part of his involvement with these grants.  
 
COUNTY SUPERVISOR’s MEMBER RECOGNITION

The Point Loma Rotary Club co-hosted the inaugural Point Loma Meet & Greet, at the Liberty Station Light Box Theater, on August 29, 2022. The MC was PLRC member Dick Thorn (pictured left). The Liberty Station Arts District, Point Loma Association, and the Mockingbird Improv (refreshment provider) cohosted the event.
 
Richard Stakelum, Ed.D (pictured right) was honored with Supervisor Lawson-Remer’s Richard Stakelum Day Proclamation for his ongoing community service to the Point Loma community. Richard is a Past President of the Point Loma Rotary Club, and volunteer for many local non-profits, including the Point Loma Association, San Diego Bicycle Coalition, and the Point Loma Foundation. As a Defense Senior Leadership Development Executive Fellow, he served in the Department of State’s Political-Military Bureau Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers.

 

The Board of Supervisors’ Proclamation (pictured right), among other things, lauds Richard for his:

    “being the driving force behind the Jim Krause Memorial Ride the Point and Healthy Lifestyle Expo [see above RTP history], and having raised over $250,000.00 to support pancreatic cancer research at UCSD’s Moores Cancer Center. [Thus] Chair Fletcher and … all members of the County Board of Supervisors commend RICHARD STAKELEUM for his outstanding commitment….” 

 

A cohort of PLRC members were on hand, to help celebrate the surprise proclamation that Supervisor Lawson-Remer awarded to Richard.                                          

 

 

The Ocean Beach Veterans Park (at Abbott and Newport) was the site of the May 2022 PLRC, San Diego Blood Bank, and San Diego Voter Registration beach annual cleanup event. Also in attendance was Pt. Loma’s Warren Walker grade school, Caesar Chavez Jr. High, and the USD women's basketball team.

Surfrider Foundation of San Diego County is a community of people who protect the ocean and beaches for all to enjoy. Its members endeavor to promote clean water, coastal preservation, ocean protection, beach access, and the reduction of plastic pollution.

 

The San Diego County Chapter is part of Surfrider’s national network of grassroots activists. Its members serve as the first response to local threats to the county’s 72 miles of coastline. They are the boots on the ground, who implement this mission through campaign, program, and educational initiatives in San Diego County’s communities.