CTC Blog

E-Blast: October 2016

2016-10-04T10:23:00.002-07:00

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President's Letter: October 2016

2016-10-04T09:45:00.002-07:00

It's October, and with our kids trick-or-treating soon it might be useful to partake in some neighborhood safety measures.

CTC Sergeant-at-Arms Steph Groce is organizing Stay SAFE (Self and Family Expo) event on Saturday, October 22nd, from 2pm to 5pm at the North Clairemont Park & Rec Center. For more information, email publicsafety@clairemontonline.com

October also means we are getting into the home stretch of this year's election season.

With dozens of state and local propositions on the ballot, Voice of San Diego has you covered. Here's their guide to state propositions, and here's their guide to all the local propositions.

Also, you'll likely want to make sure your voter registration is up-to-date before you head to the polls. Check to make sure your registration status is correct at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters website, and if you need to update or change any information, you can register to vote online.

Some dates to keep in mind:

Oct 10: First day Vote-by-Mail ballots are available (you can also vote early then, too)
Oct 24: Last day to register to vote in this election
Nov 1: Last day to submit written request for vote-by-mail ballot
Nov 8: Election Day

Moving on, our next Clairemont Town Council meeting will be held on Thursday, October 6th at 6:30pm in the Cadman Elementary cafeteria. Congressman Scott Peters will join us as our guest speaker, and we will also hear from representatives from the Neighborhoods First Coalition.

Also, our October meeting is the last day to declare your intention to run for one of our Town Council offices. Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, Director Central, Director East, and Director-at-Large seats A, B, and C are up for election as 2-year terms. Director North and Director-at-Large seat D are up for election as 1-year terms.

Finally, shout out to Ann Gomez, William Mallory, and Arianne Leigh -- our awesome librarians at all three of our Clairemont branch locations: Balboa, Clairemont, and North Clairemont. There's always something going on at every one of our libraries for you and your family, so please visit and frequent them. Need to apply for a library card? You can do that here.

Working for you, Clairemont!

Ryan Trabuco
CTC President

CTC Board Elections 2016

2016-09-13T10:35:00.002-07:00

Nomination time is open for offices on the Clairemont Town Council Board of Directors!

Have you wanted to be more involved in Clairemont Town Council? Now is the time to nominate yourself, or an interested neighbor, for offices on the Clairemont Town Council.

Nominations shall be accepted until the end of our October General Meeting on Thursday, October 6, 2016.

The following offices, and those declared candidates thus far, shall be considered for election at our November General Meeting on Thursday, November 3, 2016:

TREASURER

Jack Vellis (inc.)

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

Steph Groce (inc.)

DIRECTOR CENTRAL

Cory Lacy (inc.)

DIRECTOR EAST

Open

DIRECTOR NORTH (1-year term)

Open

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE, SEAT A

Open

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE, SEAT B

Jennifer Campbell, MD (inc.)

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE, SEAT C

Hugo Carmona (inc.)

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE, SEAT D (1-year term)

Open

The term of office shall commence at our Inaugural Meeting on Thursday, January 5, 2017.

Members in good standing for the previous six (6) months at the time of the election are deemed qualified for the offices of Treasurer and Sergeant-at-Arms.

Members in good standing for the previous three (3) months at the time of the election, and who reside, or own a business, in their corresponding districts are deemed qualified for the offices of District Directors.

Members in good standing for the previous three (3) months at the time of the election, are deemed qualified for the offices of Directors-at-Large.

For more information, or to nominate yourself or someone else, please contact Eden Yaege, Secretary of the Clairemont Town Council at Elections@ClairemontOnline.com, or via phone at 858.480.9430.

For information regarding the boundaries for Directors Central, North, and East, please visit ClairemontOnline.com/Resources/Maps.

Eden Yaege
Secretary, Clairemont Town Council

E-Blast: July 2016

2016-07-06T08:29:00.001-07:00

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President's Letter: July 2016

2016-07-06T02:07:00.000-07:00

Student Rep. Jesus Martinez celebrates her graduation from Clairemont High School

Congratulations to Jesus Martinez on her graduation!

In 2011, the Clairemont Town Council established the role of Student Representative as a way to help foster civic engagement among Clairemont's youth. It was an opportunity for CTC to help develop their leadership skills and help connect them with the many community and elected leaders who visit our meetings during any given month.

As a newer (and younger) member of the Town Council's Board five years ago, this was one of the first things I helped push.

Jesus Martinez was not our first Student Representative, but she has certainly had the most impact -- not only for Clairemont Town Council -- but hear leadership skills at Clairemont High School and throughout our community.

Midland University in Nebraska now awaits her enrollment on a women's wrestling scholarship. She will be working towards her double major in Sociology and Philosophy with a minor in Political Science. Post-college, we hope that she returns home to San Diego and continues her contribution to our Clairemont neighborhoods.

Our next Clairemont Town Council meeting will be held on Thursday, July 7th at 6:30pm in the Cadman Elementary cafeteria. As announced at last month's meeting, we will be holding a community forum on the growing issue of short-term vacation rentals. Representatives from Save San Diego Neighborhoods will present their case, as will noted land-use attorney Omar Passons. Clairemont Town Council will be considering taking a formal position on this issue.

Also, we will hear from some concerned residents near Jutland Drive about unfortunate parking and traffic issues along that route, and will will review the Amending Bylaws section -- the last of our continued updates on Bylaws for the foreseeable future. Proposed changes can be found on our website: clairemontonline.com

Finally, set your calendars young padawans. We will be screening Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Movies in the Park on Saturday, July 30th at the Cadman Recreation Center.

If you haven't felt the force and/or have seen this movie yet, please keep in mind that it's rated PG-13, so it might be too intense for younger kids. Otherwise, this is going to be a great summer event! We are lining up family-friendly activities, and we've confirmed appearances from some local stormtroopers.

Working for you, Clairemont!

Ryan Trabuco
CTC President

E-Blast: June 2016

2016-05-31T15:59:00.000-07:00

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President's Letter: June 2016

2016-05-31T15:42:00.001-07:00

The 2016 Presidential Primary Election is just around the corner on Tuesday, June 7th. Chances are you have a preference for who should be the next President of the United States, however, maybe you're not so sure on further offices down ballot.

The League of Women Voters has launched a new website, Voter's Edge, compiled of candidate information for every single office on the ballot. If you have any last minute questions about candidates, check out their website for further information: votersedge.org/ca

Our 20th Annual Clairemont Garden Tour last month was amazing! Thank you to all the homeowners, participants, volunteers, and attendees for, again, making this one of the most successful garden tours we've ever held. Special thank you goes out to those on the Garden Tour Committee and chair Kyley Christy for organizing again this year.

We are always on the lookout for input and involvement with our Garden Tour. It's a labor of love every year. If you would like to be involved and help organizing next year's tour, please reach out at GardenTour@ClairemontOnline.com.

Our next Clairemont Town Council meeting on Thursday, June 2nd at 6:30pm in the Cadman Elementary cafeteria. We will be reviewing the success of our Garden Tour, and hearing a presentation from Clairemont-area principals about how our schools are doing in our community.

Also, we will be voting on some Bylaw changes to our Nominating & Elections section, and hearing a first reading on the Amending Bylaws section -- the last of our continued updates on Bylaws for the foreseeable future. Proposed changes can be found on our website: clairemontonline.com

Finally, set your calendars young padawans. We will be screening Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Movies in the Park on Saturday, July 30th at the Cadman Recreation Center.

If you haven't felt the force and/or have seen this movie yet, please keep in mind that it's rated PG-13, so it might be too intense for younger kids. Otherwise, this is going to be a great summer event! We are lining up family-friendly activities, and we've confirmed appearances from some local stormtroopers.

Working for you, Clairemont!

Ryan Trabuco
CTC President

E-Blast: May 2016

2016-05-03T10:55:00.003-07:00

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President's Letter: May 2016

2016-05-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

It's finally here! Our 20th annual Clairemont Garden Tour will be Saturday, May 7th from 10am to 4pm. Ticket sales have been excellent, and we are expecting a record turnout for this year's tour!

The sale price for advanced tickets goes up Friday so, if you haven't already, please purchase your tickets online at gardentour.clairemontonline.com, or at our in-person locations:

Postal Connections (4321 Balboa Ave., San Diego, 92117)
The UPS Store at Clairemont Town Square (3952 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, 92117), or at
The UPS Store at Balboa Mesa (5663 Balboa Ave., San Diego, 92111)

Also, the Outdoor Experience will bring a focus to installing and expanding garden programs to all 19 of our Clairemont schools. So, if you have any unused garden tools that you'd like to get rid of, please consider donating them during the Garden Tour at our Bay Park Elementary School Garden, which will be included on the tour route.

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith is termed out, and there are 5 candidates in the running to succeed him. We are hosting a candidate forum in partnership with the League of Women Voters at our next Clairemont Town Council meeting on Thursday, May 5th. Our regular meeting will start at 6:30pm, while the candidate forum will begin at 7:00pm.

Also, we will be voting on some Bylaw changes to our Finance section, and hearing a first reading of changes to the section on Nominating & Elections. Proposed changes can be found on our website: clairemontonline.com

One of the great things about partnering with fellow community councils throughout the city, is learning about how other town councils and community advocacy groups operate. This led to the idea of creating a 501(c)3 foundation -- an idea borrowed from our friends at Mira Mesa Town Council -- in order to provide more significant funding to our community grants and special projects.

Speaking of community special projects, we are just waiting on confirmation from the contractor and the city before they replace the entryway sign at Balboa and 805. All the paperwork has been turned in, and once payment has been made to the contractor, it should be a quick turnaround process.

Finally, set your calendars young padawans. We will be screening Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Movies in the Park on Saturday, July 30th at the Cadman Recreation Center.

If you haven't felt the force and/or have seen this movie yet, please keep in mind that it's rated PG-13, so it might be too intense for younger kids. Otherwise, this is going to be a great summer event! We are lining up family-friendly activities, and we've confirmed appearances from some local stormtroopers.

Working for you, Clairemont!

Ryan Trabuco
CTC President

E-Blast: April 2016

2016-04-05T08:20:00.001-07:00

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President's Letter: April 2016

2016-04-05T00:32:00.001-07:00

Garden Tour tickets are on sale now!

Our 20th annual Clairemont Garden Tour will be Saturday, May 7th from 10am to 4pm. Banners and posters are currently being displayed all throughout our community. We have 12 gardens on the tour this year covering ornamental, succulent, edible, and drought varieties.

Please purchase your advanced tickets online at gardentour.clairemontonline.com, or at our in-person locations:

Postal Connections (4321 Balboa Ave., San Diego, 92117)
The UPS Store at Clairemont Town Square (3952 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, 92117), or at
The UPS Store at Balboa Mesa (5663 Balboa Ave., San Diego, 92111)

Beginning this year, the Outdoor Experience will bring a focus to installing and expanding garden programs to all 19 of our Clairemont schools. So, if you have any unused garden tools that you'd like to get rid of, please consider donating them during the Garden Tour at our Bay Park Elementary School Garden, which will be included on the tour route.

At our next Clairemont Town Council meeting on Thursday, April 7th, we will hear from City Councilwoman Lorie Zapf, and hear a quick presentation from Clairemont Produce Coop. Also, we will hear an overview presentation from the city's Economic Development Department on creating neighborhood special districts, such as business improvement districts, maintenance assessment districts, etc.

Also, the city has given the Town Council clearance to begin the replacement of the Balboa/805 Freeway community entrance sign that was destroyed months ago. We will let you know when it's installed, but start expecting some movement on this project in the coming weeks!

Finally, we confirmed our Movies in the Park event for later this summer -- Saturday, July 30th at the Cadman Recreation Center. Mark your calendars for a screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

If you haven't felt the force and/or have seen this movie yet, please keep in mind that it's rated PG-13, so it might be too intense for younger kids. Otherwise, this is going to be a great summer event! We are lining up family-friendly activities, and we might have some appearances from some stormtroopers and Kylo Ren.

Working for you, Clairemont!

Ryan Trabuco
CTC President

20th Annual Clairemont Garden Tour

2016-03-31T14:39:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends of the Clairemont Garden Tour,

This year's event is set for Saturday, May 7th from 10am-4pm and will be our 20TH Annual Clairemont Garden Tour!

We have a dozen water-wise, ornamental and edible gardens lined up to inspire you and show off the canyon, bay and ocean view backdrops of Bay Park, Bay Ho and Clairemont!

Tickets are now on sale!Go to gardentour.clairemontonline.com to buy your tickets at the early bird price of just $15 for Seniors (55+) and $20 for General Admission. Kids 12 and under are Free. Prices increase by $5 the day before the event. You may also buy tickets in-person at the UPS stores at Clairemont Square and Balboa Mesa, as well as Postal Connections. Visit our website for details!

Do you know of a garden we can showcase?
A special place has been held for one garden suggestion from our loyal Clairemont Garden Tour guests! Please email us at gardentour@clairemontonline.com if you know of a wonderful Clairemont, Bay Park or Bay Ho garden we could possibly include on the tour. We'll take it from there!

Let's be friends!
Please click here to "LIKE" us on Facebook

Thanks for your support. We look forward to seeing you at the gardens!

Your 2016 Clairemont Garden Tour Committee

E-Blast: March 2016

2016-03-02T09:28:00.001-08:00

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President's Letter: March 2016

2016-03-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

Haggen has been closed for months. Now what?

At our next Clairemont Town Council meeting on Thursday, March 3rd, we have invited a speaker from Tawa Services, Inc. -- the company that owns and operates 99 Ranch Market -- to come and present. There's been a tremendous amount of online chatter and interest since Tawa purchased the Balboa Ave. location, so maybe we will learn something!

Also, it's tax time! Dan McAllister, our County Treasurer-Tax Collector, will stop by and answer any last-minute tax questions you may have. Our next meeting will be held Thursday, March 3rd at 6:30pm in the Cadman Elementary auditorium.

We always take CTC Memberships year-round! So, if you're new and want to get involved in our community, or renew your membership, then please visit our website for more information: clairemontonline.com/join.

Finally, our 20th Annual Clairemont Garden Tour is coming up on May 7th -- so mark your calendars! The gardens have been set and tickets will soon be available to purchase in advance. Check out our Garden Tour website gardentour.clairemontonline.com, or email GardenTour@ClairemontOnline.com if you'd like to volunteer or have any questions!

Working for you, Clairemont!

Ryan Trabuco
CTC President

American Red Cross, Disaster Preparedness Information

2016-02-05T13:39:00.001-08:00

Special THANK YOU to Rana Yahya from American Red Cross of San Diego / Imperial Counties for speaking at our Clairemont Town Council's February meeting.

We were asked to share the PowerPoint presentation and materials with our CTC and community members, so if you'd like to download those for yourself in case you missed out, please check our American Red Cross shared folder on our website.

Also, it never hurts to be prepared with your own emergency preparedness kits which you can purchase from the American Red Cross store.

On their store site, select Emergency Preparedness.

E-Blast: February 2016

2016-02-03T09:39:00.003-08:00

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President's Letter: February 2016

2016-01-31T23:51:00.001-08:00

"There's been an awakening. Have you felt it?" What a great line from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but we're actually talking about El Nino -- or Darth Nino -- whichever you prefer.

City Councilmembers Lorie Zapf and Chris Cate have been on hand with sand bags to withstand the record downpour and potential flooding that we've all witnessed over the last month. If you would like information on obtaining sand bags, please reach out to James McGuirk (District 2) at 619-236-6622, or Allen Young (District 6) at 619-236-6616.

Our February meeting will be held Thursday, February 4th at 6:30pm in the Cadman Elementary auditorium. We will fill a vacancy for Director-at-Large, as well as hear a presentation from American Red Cross of San Diego/Imperial Counties on disaster preparedness.

CTC Memberships were due on January 1. If you need to renew your membership, or have not yet joined for this year, then please visit our website for more information: clairemontonline.com/join.

Finally, our 20th Annual Clairemont Garden Tour is coming up in May, and we are looking for gardens! If you'd like to showcase your garden, or nominate your neighbor's garden, then please email GardenTour@ClairemontOnline.com, or visit gardentour.clairemontonline.com.

Working for you, Clairemont!

Ryan Trabuco
CTC President

E-Blast: January 2016

2016-01-04T08:23:00.001-08:00

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A Personal Thank You Note...

2016-01-04T01:21:00.000-08:00

Last month, the CTC Board of Directors -- in their infinite wisdom -- surprised me with the "Iron Man Award" at our annual potluck dinner.

Totally caught off guard.

As our Historian notes, and as the award signifies -- not just for my love of Disney and Marvel comic book characters -- but starting 2016 as the longest-serving President of the Clairemont Town Council.

It is a milestone made all the more significant given the 60+ year history of CTC, and made all the more humble factoring in who previously held the record: Henry Ross, Jr. -- who served from 1965-1969.

The last four years have flown by, and truth be told... I had no idea what to do when this started.

I can only appreciate and whole-heartedly thank everyone who has served on our CTC Board over the last four years. Without their confidence, guidance, and ideas, we wouldn't be where we are today, and certainly, this opportunity would never have come to pass if it weren't for them.

Many of you in the Clairemont community have e-mailed and told me over the years how much you appreciate my leadership skills and abilities, but I've learned about leadership from listening to all of you.

The ability to share our achievements and our skills with other communities throughout San Diego is made even more rewarding because we've done it here in Clairemont.

Without rambling too much longer, I just want you all to know how much this is appreciated.

Thank you. (smiley emoticon)

-- Ryan.

Iron Man Award presented to CTC President Ryan Trabuco

President's Letter: January 2016

2016-01-03T21:54:00.005-08:00

Welcome to 2016 -- if you are a Clairemont Town Council member, renewals are due! If you'd like to renew or join the CTC, please visit our website at www.clairemontonline.com/join.

You don't have to be a member to attend our meetings however, like any membership organization, we are only as strong as our members. Membership dues go towards furthering the Council's purpose and objective over the last 60-plus years of working to benefit our Clairemont community.

Last month, Assemblyman Brian Maienschein joined us for our annual potluck dinner. We also had the honor of presenting awards to those who went above and beyond to help make Clairemont a better place. Our list of honorees included:

Business of the Year: Sandwich Emporium
Non-Profit/Organization of the Year: Clairemont Hilltoppers Little League
Elected Official Staffer of the Year: Allen Young (Councilman Chris Cate's Office)
Community Volunteer of the Year: Michael Snyder (Clairemont Mesa Education Foundation)
Event Volunteer of the Year: Lynn Haims (Clairemont Garden Tour)
Youth Volunteers of the Year: Clairemont High School Chieftain Cheer
Youth Volunteer of the Year: Jesus Martinez
Board of Directors Award: Holly Tafoya & Larry Hesselgesser (San Diego Police Dept. Northern Division)

Our January Inaugural meeting will be held Thursday, January 7th at 6:30pm in the Cadman Elementary auditorium. We will swear-in our newly elected board members, fill our vacant Director Central position, and open the floor to ideas and suggestions for the Council's 2016 goals. Also, we will hear a presentation from the San Diego Office of Homeland Security on disaster preparedness.

Finally, our 20th Annual Clairemont Garden Tour is coming up in May. Planning is already underway, so if you'd like to be on the committee or showcase your garden, or nominate your neighbor's garden, then please email GardenTour@ClairemontOnline.com, or visit gardentour.clairemontonline.com.

Let's kick off this new year right!

Working for you, Clairemont!

Ryan Trabuco
CTC President

Merry & Bright: Thanks for a Great Year!

2015-12-23T09:31:00.004-08:00

Thanks for a great year!

Can you believe that 2015 is already over?! Just insane.

We wanted to drop a line to let you know that we appreciate everything you've helped us accomplish this past year. Hoping for the very best this holiday season for you and your families -- we look forward to serving you and our Clairemont community in 2016!

Our 2016 Inaugural Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 7th at 6:30pm at Cadman Elementary.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season,

CLAIREMONT TOWN COUNCIL
Board of Directors

Reminder: CTC memberships are due on January 1. To renew, please visit our website: clairemontonline.com/join

Clairemont Central Podcast - Episode 1

2015-12-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

Clairemont Community News editor/publisher Janet Poutre, and CTC President Ryan Trabuco, recorded their first Clairemont Central podcast discussing community issues.

Expect this to be an ongoing, monthly series.

E-Blast: December 2015

2015-12-01T08:12:00.001-08:00

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President's Letter: December 2015

2015-12-01T01:04:00.002-08:00

Last month, we held our CTC Board elections, and those who were elected will be sworn-in at our 2016 Inaugural Meeting on Thursday, January 7th, 6:30pm at Cadman Elementary. Newly elected CTC Board members include:

Ryan Trabuco, President
Richard Morris, Vice President
Eden Yaege, Secretary
Deanna Gurley, Director North
Joe Sopher, Director South
John Poutre, Director-at-Large (Seat D), and
Carrie Munson, Director-at-Large (Seat E)

As a friendly reminder, Clairemont Town Council is a membership organization. As such, membership dues for the new year are due on January 1st, so if you are a current member you will need to renew on or before that date. Of course if you're not a member, then you should consider joining! For membership information, please visit our website at www.clairemontonline.com/join.

Our annual Holiday Potluck Dinner will take place in-lieu of a formal monthly meeting this month. We will present our annual awards for Business of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Youth Volunteer of the Year, Non-Profit/Organization of the Year, Elected Official Staffer of the Year among others, and we'll be joined by Councilwoman Lorie Zapf and Assemblyman Brian Maienschien.

Bring a dish if you'd like, and come celebrate with us on Thursday, December 3rd at 6:30pm at Cadman Elementary.

Finally, we are beginning to secure sponsors for next year's 20th Annual Clairemont Garden Tour. We are already planning for a fantastic anniversary in May, so if you'd like to be on the committee or showcase your garden, or nominate your neighbor's garden, then please email GardenTour@ClairemontOnline.com, or visit gardentour.clairemontonline.com.

Thank you again for an amazing year, and be safe during this joyous and festive holiday season!

Working for you, Clairemont!

Ryan Trabuco
CTC President

E-Blast: November 2015

2015-11-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

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