E-Blast: January 2016

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A Personal Thank You Note...

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

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

E-Blast: Neighborhood Watch Kickoff Event

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E-Blast: January 2015

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President's Letter: January 2015

It's January -- and, before we get into the really good news -- that means is time to renew your Town Council memberships for the year! Please be sure to renew online at ClairemontOnline.com/Join.

Over the Holidays, we heard that Haggen Foods will take over the Albertsons store on Balboa Ave. No -- it's not shutting down -- just changing hands.

Haggen Foods, based in Bellingham, Wash., is said to be a cross between Vons and Whole Foods. So, while it's not specifically a Trader Joe's, we can be thankful that our community is moving on up in the world!

We are certainly excited about the change, and welcome Haggen Foods as a new business, and Clairemont community partner. For information about Haggen Foods, please check out their website: Haggen.com.

Council Connection: Mid-January Update 2014

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CTC Membership Update for Mid-January 2014

I searched thru the 2013 Roster and found a few members that had paid for a one year membership during the last three months of 2013.  In order to keep these members,  I extended their membership until December 31, 2014.

As of our recent January 9th meeting,  we were able to enlist 30 new members.  By adding the carry overs from 2013 and a few that signed on thru PayPal, our membership now stands at 38 paid thru 2014.

For those of you who attend our council meetings, I'm sure you can agree that these meetings are quite interesting and exciting.  We usually have some great speakers, including a lot of important information that is passed on to us from our elected officials or their representatives.

Again, I wish to announce that all Clairemont residents are WELCOMED at our meetings and if you enjoy what you learn, hopefully you will consider becoming a fully-paid CTC member, and bring along a neighbor or a close friend.  The membership fee is very small for what you gain by becoming a member.  I hope to see a lot of new faces at our next meetings.

As a reminder, the annual Fees are as follows:

• Senior 55 years and older, and Veterans ($10/year)
• General membership, below age 55, includes immediate family members ($20/year)
• Non Profit business fees ($30/year)
• Profit type business ($50/year)

If you pay your fee at the door, each member will be given a written receipt. You can also mail in a check or pay on line, go to the CTC website www.clairemontonline.com and you can enroll using PayPal. Or mail your check to the address on the CTC Website.

Rick Richard

Director East
Chairman, Membership Committee

Clairemont Community Planning Group, January 2014 Agenda

Clairemont Community Planning Group
January 21, 2014
6:30pm at Clairemont Friendship Senior Center
4225 Bannock Ave.

To view the Agenda for January 21, 2014: Click Here

Steve Innis
Director-at-Large
Co-Chair, Public Safety Awareness Committee

CTC Committee Membership

We are always looking for new CTC committee members! If you're interested, sign-up at ClairemontOnline.com/Committees

List of Committees:

• Audit - Mike Brown, Chair
• Beautification - Rick Richard, Chair
• Budget - Arnie Garcia, Chair
• Bylaws - Richard Morris, Chair
• Communications - Janett Lewis, Chair
• Elections - Not Yet Appointed
• Events - Richard Morris, Chair
• Garden Tour - Ingrid Terpening, Chair
• Membership - Rick Richard, Chair
• Public Safety Awareness - Marvin Gartenbaum and Steve Innis (Co-Chairs)

Any Clairemont resident may eligible to be a CTC committee member. If you have any questions, please contact us at 858.480.9430, or e-mail Contact@ClairemontOnline.com

Clairemont. Chargers. Party.

WANTED: District Directors in Central and West

Hi, all! As your new CTC Secretary, it is my duty to remind everyone that due to our recent Board elections, we have two vacancies on our Clairemont Town Council Board of Directors -- Director Central and Director West. I've provided a map of our Director Districts below: 

CTC District Director Map. Current vacancies are Director Central and Director West.

We hope to interview potential candidates at our upcoming Board Meeting on Thursday, January 30. To be eligible for either position, you must be a CTC member in good standing for the last three (3) months, and reside, own a business, or have a general interest in that district. If you're interested in applying for either position, please e-mail us at Contact@ClairemontOnline.com.

Joanne Phillips
Secretary

Council Connection: January 2014

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President's Letter: January 2014

2014 -- Happy New Year! 

The start of a fresh new year should excite us all. It's an opportunity for resolutions, change, and getting a clean slate for a brand new 12 months ahead of us. For Clairemont Town Council, this year marks our 60th anniversary of our founding.

It's been 60 years since the merger of the former Clairemont Booster Club and Clairemont Civic Association. Our CTC Historian, Simone Henriques, has been collecting and gathering news clippings, photos, and memorabilia about the history of our organization, and the accomplishments we've racked up over 6 decades worth of dedication to this community.

None of these accomplishments would've been successful over the last 60 years if it weren't for our loyal, consistent, and ever-growing membership. Yes, we are a membership-oriented organization, and your humble dues greatly fund much of the community grants, projects, and activism we commit to every year for Clairemont.

CTC Membership Update!

To all Clairemont residents who are interested in becoming a member of the Clairemont Town Council:

For the past several months I have been promoting membership for our local Town Council. Major changes have been made regarding the payment of membership fees. The membership fees will become due on the first of January (each year) and will be adjusted in quarterly increments.

EXAMPLE - A full years fee will be from January 1, to December 31 of the same year. If a new member enrolls between April 1 to June 30, the fee will be 75% of the annual fee. from July 1 to September 30, the fee will be 50% of the annual fee, and from October 1 to December 31, the fee will be 25% of the annual. All Fees will again become due on the first of January of the following year. This revised method will make record keeping much easier to work with.

The annual Fees are as follows:

• Senior 55 years and older, and Veterans ($10/year)
• General membership, below age 55, includes immediate family members ($20/year)
• Non Profit business fees ($30/year)
• Profit type business ($50/year)

If you pay your fee at the door, each member will be given a written receipt. You can also mail in a check or pay on line, go to the CTC website www.clairemontonline.com and you can enroll using PayPal. Or mail your check to the address on the CTC Website.

Auto Theft Prevention Made Easy

Since December 1st, there have been over 30 vehicle thefts in the greater Clairemont area according to the CrimeMapping.com website. Many of these thefts were preventable if the car owner had bothered to take just one additional precaution.

It may come as a surprise to many that car alarms are not the first line of defense when it comes to stopping a car thief. The fact is that a car alarm is only activated after somebody decides to steal your car and breaks into it! It is important to realize that most car alarm horns can be deactivated by a skilled thief in under 30 seconds from the time it first sounds. Preventing someone from wanting to steal your car in the first place is much more effective than having only a car alarm which goes to work after a thief breaks into your car. In tandem having a car alarm and an inexpensive antitheft device are highly effective in preventing your car from ever being stolen.

The most common anti-theft device is the steering wheel lock. These brightly colored hardened steel locking devices attach to the steering wheel in plain sight for all to see. The locked bar blocks the steering wheel from being turned and prevents the car from being driven away. It also is easy for a thief to see for himself before he breaks into your car! If a thief can’t drive your car away he is much less likely to try to steal it!