Coronado Magazine September 2022

The First Word

Summer is in the rear-view-mirror, though you’d never be able to tell by looking at the weather!

In this issue of the Coronado Magazine we are proud to be … “One Town One Team.” Coronado is back to school, and it’s time for some home-made cookies. We take a stroll down memory lane with the CHS Class of 1962 … and some time off for a little Parental Elixir. Coronadans help a soccer club in Cape Town, South Africa … and we get to know Christine Johnson. With the help of the Coronado Historical Association we celebrate the history of the Windsor Cottage. Take a journey to the Williamette Valley with Kris Grant and get to know Island Icons, Don and Leslie Budinger.

The new school year is upon us (be a little more careful on the road now) … and as parents drop their children off each morning, it’s a good time to consider a little …

COURAGE

The stories we tell ourselves in books and movies have long created an imagery of courage that is often embodied in two very different icons; one a larger-than-life figure heroically standing tall, and another that fades into the background alone in silence to overcome. We are well familiar with these stories and the different images of courage they portray. But, in this day of anonymity provided through electronic interfaces and anonymous avatars, I would ask you to consider another form of courage, the courage to see and be seen. We spend our hours hidden behind keyboards, crafting personas far removed from the reality of what we really are, when the true challenge is to step into the day and bare forth the self before the crowd … and to embrace a self that is so revealed, free of all preconceptions.

Each month five members of this community embark on an exercise of courage, to reveal a piece of their inner self through their considerations upon the word of the month … and we are all richer for it.

Find a little exercise in courage to embrace in your daily life.

Dean K. Eckenroth Jr Editor & Associate Publisher

Cover and above photo by Hattie Foote

Publisher

Dean Eckenroth publisher@eaglenewsca.com

Associate Publisher

Dean K. Eckenroth Jr. editor@eaglenewsca.com

Business Development

Advertising Director Patricia Ross patricia@eaglenewsca.com

Amanda Ramirez amanda@eaglenewsca.com

Renee Schoen renee@eaglenewsca.com

Editorial

Alessandra Selgi-Harrigan alessandra@eaglenewsca.com

Lauren Curtis copyeditor@eaglenewsca.com

Kel Casey kel@eaglenewsca.com

Maria Simon maria@eaglenewsca.com

Christine Johnson christine@eaglenewsca.com

Brooke Clifford eaglenewsbrooke@gmail.com

Photographer Hattie Foote

Production

Andrew Koorey

Printing

Advanced Web Offset

Distribution

Roberto Gamez

Bay Books Book Club Corner

What books people are reading…

It Ends With Us

By Colleen Hoover

In this “brave and heartbreaking novel that digs its claws into you and doesn’t let go, long after you’ve finished it” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All Your Perfects, a workaholic with a toogood-to-be-true romance can’t stop thinking about her first love. Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. And when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life seems too good to be true. As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened. An honest, evocative, and tender novel, It Ends with Us is “a glorious and touching read, a forever keeper. The kind of book that gets handed down” (USA TODAY).

Mean Baby

By Selma Blair

Selma Blair has played many roles: Ingenue in Cruel Intentions. Preppy ice queen in Legally Blonde. Muse to Karl Lagerfeld. Advocate for the multiple sclerosis community. But before all of that, Selma was known best as … a mean baby. In a memoir that is as wildly funny as it is emotionally shattering, Blair tells the captivating story of growing up and finding her truth. In a voice that is powerfully original, fiercely intelligent, and full of hard-won wisdom, Selma Blair’s Mean Baby is a deeply human memoir and a true literary achievement.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

By Sarah J. Maas

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world. At least, he’s not a beast all the time. As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his worldforever. From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.

The Terminal List

By Jack Carr

On his last combat deployment, Lieutenant Commander James Reece’s entire team was killed in a catastrophic ambush. But when those dearest to him are murdered on the day of his homecoming, Reece discovers that this was not an act of war by a foreign enemy but a conspiracy that runs to the highest levels of government. Now, with no family and free from the military’s command structure, Reece applies the lessons that he’s learned in over a decade of constant warfare toward avenging the deaths of his family and teammates. With breathless pacing and relentless suspense, Reece ruthlessly targets his enemies in the upper echelons of power without regard for the laws of combat or the rule of law.

Whether you live in Coronado or come here to work, learn or play… we are all Islanders when we are in the 92118.

We are proud to be One Town One Team

The 92118 is home to one of the best school districts in the county; a place to learn and grow, where academics, athletics, and arts all thrive.

The opportunities for connections across generations are a gift to our children.

As summer winds down and students are back to school, it is a great time to reflect on what makes our community great. The One Town One Team logo belongs to all of Coronado and can be applied to any group, individual or organization.

The Coronado community pours its support into our schools and our youth.

One Town One Team

… embodying the sentiment that represents our unified community.

That’s How the That’s How the

By Hattie Foote

Alright alright alright (I hope you read that in Matthew McConaughey’s voice) a new school year is upon us! My kids started third grade and kindergarten respectively, and I, for the first time in motherhood, am childfree during the week. It is bittersweet for sure, a new chapter for everyone in the family but most of all me. There are moments that I choke up, wondering where the time went. I remember in May I drove by CHS and saw the graduation set up on the field and cried for all the parents having to start their next chapter, releasing their babies into adulthood. I swear when my kids graduate, I will have to be fully sedated. I will be the woman crying hysterically in the audience and will be asked to leave because I am making people uncomfortable. For now, though, I am going to mourn that part of my life changing and allow myself to be excited for more “me time.”

I am looking forward to more time to focus on my photography, some self-care, and setting new goals for myself. Specifically cooking. All I want is to set a beautiful roast chicken dinner out for my family, looking so chic and effortless. Maybe followed by a stunning dessert I whipped up; I don’t know… I’m just spit balling here.

And you are probably sitting here reading this thinking Hattie, please, knowing delusion when you see it. The truth is cooking/ baking stresses me out, I am always scared of giving someone salmonella and nothing about the process is relaxing to me. I feel like baking is a more realistic goal, I mean I can whip up some boxed brownies like no one’s business. Or I could just step away from the kitchen and let the professionals handle it, while I explore other hobbies like gardening.

I follow a lot of cooking/baking Instagram accounts, partly because I tell myself I will make those recipes, but mostly because I truly appreciate the talent. About a year ago I stumbled upon a local business called Sunbaked Cookies that made the most insanely beautiful cookies. The posts would always stop me in my tracks because there is nothing more soothing than watching cookies be decorated. Then I started noticing the captions with each post, and they were funny. Like really funny. Who was

Cookie Crumbles Cookie Crumbles

lives in Imperial Beach with her husband and two small children. I had assumed she went to some fancy culinary school and was shook to hear she is self-taught, growing up decorating her mom’s baked goods. She graduated from Cazenovia College with an art degree, and while living in Virginia Beach started making cookies for friends and colleagues. What started as a hobby snowballed into this full-fledged business. I am seriously so impressed with her entrepreneurship, especially while having a young family at home.

Now I hate to break it to you, but Halloween is coming, then Thanksgiving, followed by the most wonderful time of the year. Not to mention all the small and large life events in between. I can’t recommend Sunbaked Cookies enough, they are ideal for any occasion. Who doesn’t love a cookie? And just FYI, I love cookie deliveries if you ever want to start a friendship with me!

this mysterious baker in our community? I reached out to introduce myself and there started my Instagram friendship with Mary from Sunbaked Cookies. Over the year we would chat and obviously I would order cookies. I watched her bake for everyone in town, baby showers, bachelorettes, birthdays, retirements, holidays, literally every occasion. She is truly the cookie queen of Coronado and I want to introduce her to those of you who haven’t had the pleasure! The awkward part was, I hadn’t had the

pleasure of meeting her in person myself! I decided to invite her over to talk about business, but I also hoped to charm her into being my real-life friend. Ugh the internet is so weird but can be cool too. Luckily Mary wasn’t creeped out (I don’t think) by my invite and we got to spend the morning talking while she gave me a cookie decorating demonstration. I can confirm that it is just as soothing to watch in person as it is online.

Originally from Sacramento, Mary

A Stroll Down Memory Lane: CHS Class of ’62 Celebrates Their 60th Reunion

By Brooke Clifford Reunion photos by Kel Casey

When the Coronado High School (CHS) Class of 1962 students were walking the halls of CHS and making the most of life on Coronado, the island didn’t yet have the bridge, or traffic lights, and the Silver Strand highway was still fairly new. Sixty years later and Coronado has seen changes to life on the island, but to these longtime Islanders their connection to this place and each other remains as it ever was.

A committee from the Class of ’62 recently organized a special 60th reunion at the Hotel del Coronado, giving their classmates the chance to reconnect and walk down memory lane. “I think we knew how fortunate we were to go to school in Coronado but afterward we really knew,” Cindy Mendoza, one of the organizers of the event, reminisced of growing up on the island. “With no bridge Coronado really was a sleepy little community. We all learned to drive there.”

Bob Buxton, another member of the committee, added, “There was a drive-in called Oscars where we cruised and sat for hours instead of being home doing homework.”

Others mentioned the changes both the school and the community have seen over the years; more housing, traffic lights, the creation of Tidelands Park, more opportunities for girls in sports, the renovated high school campus and addition of programs like the Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA), to name a few. “What hasn’t

Ed Carney and Cindy Robinson Mendoza then (1962) and now.

changed?” asked Kay Nixon, looking at the island then and now. But despite the ways in which Coronado has morphed and grown, this group of Islanders still sees the character of the place where they grew up and continue to feel a strong attachment to it.

“It was just a special place and still is,” Mendoza summed up.

“It’s a very special place because of the people,” Buxton agreed.

“There is no other place on this earth I’d rather live,” Nixon noted. “I was always envious of classmates who got to go to different areas of the U.S. I guess it was because I was the one who was left behind, but when I got married and left this ‘paradise,’ I couldn’t wait to get back.”

Their 60th reunion dance at the Del gave these classmates a chance to return to the place that still resonates with them and turn back the clock for an evening. “If you had been there and seen the dance floor, you would have thought nothing’s changed,” Mendoza said of the event which featured a live band that played classics from the late 50s and early 60s.

“All our proms were held at the Hotel del Coronado,” Nixon said of her time at CHS, explaining how they were the last class to enjoy that tradition before the high school dances began shifting to other venues as other schools started using the Del. “We probably

took for granted that the proms were held at the Del but I think we appreciated it,” Mendoza added.

Fellow classmate and committee member, Martha Protzman, still recalls details from those proms, such as the dance cards and having to have a date to go. “We all got corsages and wore such fun strapless dresses. We had dance cards numbered one through ten, and one and ten were for your date. The rest were open,” she described.

“I have many memories from our proms but this event for our 60th was the best of all,” Protzman continued. “It’s so much fun when you are older and wiser. People aren’t in clicks now like in high school and everyone enjoys each other.” Mendoza agreed with the sentiment, and joked, “I do like being more mature and not as emotional as I was in high school… We’re older and wiser but the ties are still there and we enjoy one another like we did back in school.”

A little over a hundred people attended the reunion event (held over the Fourth of July weekend) which was also open to the graduating classes around the Class of ’62, given that the pandemic had thrown off plans for some of the other big reunions. “It was terrific,” Buxton said. “The Hotel put a lot of work into it working

with our planning committee and it went off perfectly. We started with cocktails in the garden courtyard and the weather was beautiful. Then moved into the Crown Room which was put together beautifully and had a three course dinner and dancing with the live band.”

“It was so very special; a memory for all time,” Buxton continued. He noted there was a bittersweet element to the night with thoughts of classmates lost and the passage of time adding uncertainty to future reunions.

“It made me wish we could have one [reunion] a year as we are older and we have lost some wonderful people in our class,” Protzman commented.

Buxton added, “We’re all in our seventies, but you just have to toss that aside and we made some fun memories and our time while we were there couldn’t have been better.”

For each of these Islanders, it just adds emphasis to the importance of celebrating these moments of connection. “CHS was a wonderful school and our class always had strong relationships,” Protzman noted.

Mendoza added, “We’ve always been good at keeping in touch and have had reunions every ten years. Then as we got older we

had them every five years.”

With the success of the 60th reunion and looking ahead, the Class of ’62 is considering events with greater frequency, including the possibility of another gathering this year. “It won’t be as elaborate for sure, but we like getting together and are aware that we’re not getting any younger,” Mendoza noted.

Their advice to classes below them is to keep in touch with each other and take advantage of opportunities to come together. “You can never have too many friends,” Nixon stated. “I think that, more than ever, relationships from school days are everlasting. Even friends that were unable to be here this year (myself included due to COVID) and years past, I keep in touch with and consider them some of my best and closest friends.”

“We must always stay in touch; life is too short not to,” Buxton concluded.

*The Class of ’62 had been fundraising so everyone available was able to attend the reunion event at the Del. Due to the generosity of CHS students and the community, they were able to raise more than what was needed and donated the remaining money to the Coronado Schools Foundation on September 2.

Pictured from left to right: Terry and Bud Smith, Martha Protzman, Bob and Susan Buxton.

U.S. CONSTITUTION DAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2022

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 6:30 PM

"The Genius of the Constitution"

Casey Tanaka

Don't miss this free talk by Coronado City Councilmember and Coronado High School AP U S History teacher Casey Tanaka on the genius of the U.S. Constitution

"Bells Across America" Concert

The Coronado Big Band will play patriotic favorites for this free performance. The Coronado Community Band, founded in 1996 is funded by a grant from the City of Coronado, and supported with smaller grants and contributions from civic organizations and individuals.

Bring your chairs or a blanket and celebrate the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Bring a bell to ring at 1:00 p.m to mark the signing - Let Freedom Ring!

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT US

The DAR, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D C , is a non-profit, nonpolitical volunteer women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children.

Parental Elixir Parental Elixir

by Christine Johnson

Haveyou ever noticed as you wander the streets of Coronado, or any hometown, that the expression on faces of parents begin a dramatic turn in the late days of August?

Is it because it’s still a little too warm outside? People are coming and going from vacation so there are smiles and frowns? Looking forward to fall weather?

NO NO NO.

THE KIDS ARE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL!

September is the month where Mom and Dad pull back the mask and expose pure joy as kids climb into the SUV or on their bikes and head back to the classroom. The start of a new school year where the house becomes empty during the week and parents return to their regularly scheduled programming.

I have never been the parent who experienced joy in their kids heading back to school. I loved having my child around for the Summer where we could do things together and I could witness her having fun with friends. Then again – I only have one child. Easy for me to sit back and watch life only make a slight adjustment for a few months. But what about the family unit that has multiple children? Teenagers

driving, mixed with a baby that only sleeps half the night and one in the middle who needs your attention but there isn’t enough to go around. As the oldest of three, I have always been amazed observing parents juggle more than one child.

Cars traveling in various directions to practices, doctor appointments, and dance lessons. Making sure the baby is taken care of by a family member or nanny, while hoping their teen is hanging out with the right people, making good grades and not torturing the younger sibling. How does this work? How do so many parents excel at this chaos? What about the hero single parents who do this all alone?

I don’t want to sound presumptuous or even begin to suggest that there are vices involved in keeping us parents sane. After all, I have friends with anywhere from four to seven children, and they are the happiest, most loving, calm individuals I know. They’re just born that way. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that most of us are not that lucky. We need a little somethin’ somethin’ to take the edge off once the children have gone to bed.

To celebrate the return to academics, I am presenting a lecture on a fun and easy cocktail to toast the never-ending quest for scholarships. Don’t forget to raise your glasses to our teachers as well.

I call this drink the “Parental Elixir.” Like #2 pencils and lined white paper, these ingredients are most likely in your home. So, sit back and enjoy the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. You only have about 100 days till they are home for Christmas break!

Ingredients

1 Bottle of your favorite Rose champagne

1 Bottle of Cranapple juice

1 Can of Ginger Ale

1 Red apple

Handful of frozen cranberries

Champagne flutes

Mixology

Mix 1/3 champagne, 1/3 cranapple juice and 1/3 ginger ale

Drop frozen cranberries in bottom of champagne flute

Garnish with slice of red apple

From Coronado to Cape Town:

Soccer Uniforms Donated to Young Lions FC

By Brooke Clifford

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, one local family found a way to help a soccer club 10,000 miles away in Cape Town, South Africa. I had a chance to speak with George Smith about his family’s ongoing efforts to help supply the Young Lions Football Club (FC) with equipment and their own uniforms.

The Smiths hail from England and have brought their love of soccer to Coronado when they moved to the States about ten years ago. Just before that, Smith had attended the 2010 World Cup in South Africa which is where the inspiration to help out Young Lions FC began. “Some friends and I decided we wanted to try and do something to help people while we were out there,” he began. “So we collected 300 football shirts and took them over in our luggage, and we went to an orphanage in Johannesburg and then an orphanage in Durban and gave out the soccer kits to kids out there.”

“It went really well,” Smith continued. “We played soccer with the kids at the orphanages in their new football shirts and it was a cool experience. They seemed to enjoy it and so did myself and my friends.” Fast forward ten years and Smith was planning another trip to South Africa for a friend’s wedding in Cape Town. “We’d

George Smith with his youngest two children, Charlie and Victoria, with CYSL gear they’ve collected for Young Lions FC. (Photo courtesy of the Smith family)

thought we could do the same sort of thing leading up to the wedding, collecting football shirts to bring to Cape Town when we went.”

Smith’s three children are involved in the recreation and Coronado FC soccer programs, and he approached Cindi Gehler, a member of the Coronado Youth Soccer

League (CYSL) Board of Directors, with the idea. “We knew Cindi, and I figured if anyone would know about extra kits, she would,” Smith noted. “So I asked if the club had extras, and they had just switched over from Nado Select to Coronado FC, and she told me they had boxes of stuff.”

Gehler and Coronado FC were able to

bring Smith 140 full Coronado uniforms. Smith also collected donations from the CYSL recreation league teams he coaches, pieces from thrift stores around San Diego and kits the Smith kids had outgrown or no longer needed, all adding to a growing supply that he would take with him to the

wedding in Cape Town.

But then COVID-19 began to spread worldwide and the shutdowns began. “Our friends were out here visiting us right before COVID, and luckily they got home to England before [the shutdowns], but the wedding was called off,” Smith recalled. “Suddenly we had all this stuff with no way to get it to South Africa.”

“We had been wondering if we should take it to an orphanage again, but this time we had full kits so we thought it might be better to find a club,” Smith explained. He got in touch with the friends who had been planning their wedding in Cape Town, and they reached out to their family there and found the Young Lions Football Club.

“They’re based out of one of the South

African townships and seemed like a really worthy cause to have these full jerseys to donate to.”

Alfonso “Fonnie” Manuel runs the club which is based in the Delft township of Cape Town, where the average monthly income is about $300. “I had been in contact with Fonnie and had told him all this stuff was coming and when I learned I wouldn’t

Young Lions Football Club team sporting donated Coronado jerseys. (Photo courtesy of Young Lions FC Facebook Page)

be going I felt really bad as I’d promised them these 150 sets of kits,” Smith told me. “But then my kids came in and got the idea that we could recycle cans and they would do lemonade stands and we could use that money to pay for shipping to get it all over there.”

As the family had been saving up with their fundraising efforts and keeping in

touch with Fonnie, a stroke of good luck came about earlier this year. “My wife mentioned that our friend and neighbor, Jessica Tompane, would be going over to South Africa,” Smith said. “She kindly agreed to take some of the donations with her and managed to bring 70 pounds of stuff (the maximum she could take) to Cape Town.”

Since February the Young Lions FC

players, ranging from U-8 (under eight) to U-18 (under 18) boys teams, have been able to make use of the Coronado uniforms that Tompane was able to bring over to them. “Before all they had were t-shirts and for games they’d try to all wear a black t-shirt and that would be their uniform,” Smith added. “So we were happy to get that over, and we still have about 30 pounds of stuff to figure out how to get to them.”

Smith also has another goal in mind now, which is to help Young Lions FC get their own jerseys. “We would love to get them their own kits so that the Coronado stuff could be used for training and they can have a Young Lions kit for their games, so that’s our next target,” he mentioned. The Smith family is still working on collecting spare jerseys, but also on raising money now to get new uniforms made. The Smith kids have raised a little over $300 so far with their can recycling and lemonade stand efforts to help the cause, and Smith has been reaching out to friends and fellow soccer lovers to reach their goal.

A design with the club’s green, yellow, and red colors has been created with input from Fonnie, and the Smith family has collected enough funds so far to have jerseys made and shipped to Cape Town for one of the club’s age groups. “We found a way to get whole new kits made at $20 a kit, so every $20 goes to a kit for a kid to wear and can get passed on from generation to generation in the club. So these would be for all the kids going through that football

club over there,” Smith added. For Smith, seeing these efforts come together and how his family and the community have gotten involved has been particularly special. “It’s been cool

Charlie, who was present for our chat as well, nodded at this. “I hope it’s been helping them early on to think about being altruistic, and I think that’s something that the Coronado schools have done a great job in as well.”

“And thanks to Cindi and Coronado FC, which is such a wonderful community asset for all the kids in Coronado, especially at the moment in times of COVID when sports are more important than ever after kids have been stuck indoors” he continued. “I coach as well and I think it’s such a great way for kids everywhere to stay out of trouble and keep them busy and on the right track health wise, and with mental attitude, and as a way to communicate,” he noted. “I’m a big believer in that, and being able to help people who are less fortunate and be able to help them enjoy soccer makes me feel really happy about this.”

to get my kids involved where they’re able to see how lucky they are to have a home jersey, an away jersey, a practice jersey, and perfect grass fields, etc., and to have the chance to see kids super happy to play soccer who don’t have those things,” he described. His son,

Smith hopes to be able to continue these efforts in the future and help other kids in need around the world, as well, but for now they are focusing on their efforts with Young Lions FC. “I would love to someday visit Cape Town and get the chance to meet Fonnie and see them play and

what they’ve got going on as a club,” Smith said. “In [the] meantime I’m getting to live vicariously through the club’s Facebook posts and it’s super cool to see those Coronado shirts and the Coronado FC club being representing miles away.”

Anyone is welcome to get involved and help donate gear or money for Young Lions Football Club uniforms, and can contact George Smith at georgeecfc+kitsforkids@gmail.com for more information or visit https://www. freefunder.com/campaign/new-kits-foryoung-lions.

To see more about Young Lions FC and their soccer exploits, check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/groups/328883024686131/.

Despite Detours, Life’s Path Led Christine Johnson Where She was Meant to Be: Coronado

By Ivy Weston  Eckenroth Publications Staff Writer

Christine Johnson went to journalism school, but didn’t make it her career until later in life.

Johnson is a staff writer who pens weekly pieces for the Coronado Eagle & Journal and a popular monthly feature about cocktails in Coronado Magazine – both publications under the umbrella of local publishing company Eckenroth Publications.

While earning her journalism degree from Georgia Southern, she wrote for the school newspaper and also had a radio show. “I

really did more radio than writing,” she laughs. Curiously, her daughter Sammy Johnson has a radio show at Chapman University, where she is entering her junior year. She didn’t do it to emulate her mom, but because she needed an elective and saw it in the course catalog.

Christine, who grew up in both Florida and Georgia, left both journalism and broadcasting behind after graduating from college, instead choosing a career in corporate communications. One day, she read a People magazine story that changed her life.

“They had a feature story about a doctor who had a program in the Florida Keys where he worked with special-needs children in the water with dolphins,” she says. “At the time, I volunteered on the weekends at a children’s hospital. They had a program that prepped children who were going to have surgery. The idea was to walk them around the hospital to the areas they would see before, during and after surgery so that when the day of their surgery came, they wouldn’t be scared. So when I saw that in the magazine, I went ‘Oh my god, I’m going to go down and see this guy.’”

It was called the Dolphin Research Center, and she and her brother jumped in the car and drove from Atlanta to the Keys. Christine, a self-described Type-A personality, “literally barged in and said ‘Can I see Dr Dave?’”

Dr. Dave told her that she came at the right time because the program was expanding tenfold and he needed someone to do marketing and PR and to set up an internship program. Three weeks later, she moved to the Keys and worked at the Dolphin Research Center for the next 15 years.

It remains one of the happiest periods of her life. Dolphins are extremely intelligent, gentle animals who are very intuitive when it comes to humans.

“You put a child with cerebral palsy, which is a physical disability, in the water, vs. someone in the water with no physical disability, the dolphins are going to roam around you and do things normally – but with a child with cerebral palsy, their approach is slow and easy, and they echolocate to figure out what’s wrong,” she says, adding that she still goes to the Keys every summer for two weeks to swim with the dolphins and visit with Dr. Dave.

Christine was so into her career that dating was never a big priority, and she enjoyed being independent. Then at age 38 she met – or more accurately, re-met – her husband Chris.

“Our two families grew up together. His dad was our pediatrician. He was eight years older than me, so I grew up with his two younger brothers. I’ll bet I met him twice, maybe,” Christine says. “When I was 38, his

brother, who I grew up with, was getting married. Chris came to the wedding, had just gotten divorced. When I walked into the rehearsal, he was standing with my parents and his, and I walked in with a friend and he was like, ‘Who is that?’ And my mom said ‘That’s Chrissy’ -- that’s what everyone called me, which I hate – and he said, ‘What?! No. That kid? That can’t be!’”

It literally was love at first sight. She lived in Florida, he lived in Arizona. They did the long-distance thing for six months, and then she moved to Arizona. Chris had been married for 24 years and had kids who were graduating from high school. Christine felt nervous to bring up talk of kids, but had to tell him she wanted to have one child before she got too old. He responded with “No problem.”

They had their daughter, Sammy, when Christine was 41.

The couple bought a vacation home in Coronado which they had for 12 years. They fell in love with Coronado and came here in the summers when Sammy was on school break. Sammy was seven when her parents bought the house.

“Our daughter could get on her bike and ride around, she could have all her friends over to the house, when they went up to Mootime to get ice cream I didn’t feel nervous about it,” Christine said.

Then life took an unexpected turn for the family.

“We always were going to retire here. That was our game plan. And then Chris got sick with cancer, and he passed away six years ago,” Christine said. “He was sick really quickly, came out of nowhere, it was stage 4 melanoma when they found it. When he was diagnosed they gave him six months, and he lived two years. For the most part, those two years were a good quality of life. We came here a lot because he loved it here, it was peaceful.”

Chris asked Christine to promise him one thing.

“Over the last couple days of his life we sat and did nothing but talk, and he was like ‘please promise me you and Sammy are going to Coronado. That’s where you were meant to be, that’s where we wanted to be, and I’ll be there with you.’” She promised, and Chris is here with them. He was buried on Coronado.

As much as she mourned her husband,

Christine was more concerned with Sammy, who was only 14 when her dad passed away.

“But you know what? After the shock, my daughter and I got together and we said ‘OK, we’re a team, and we’re going to continue with what we planned as a family. You graduate from high school in Arizona, and we’re going to Coronado.’ Because she was always going to go to a California school, she’s totally a West Coast girl.”

Christine sold the vacation home, which was too big and had too many memories, and built another, two blocks away. As soon as Sammy graduated from high school, the two moved to Coronado in 2020.

“I give Sammy amazing credit, because she was 14 and lost her dad in a terrible way, watched him be very sick, but she was one of those kids that decided it wasn’t going to define her and she was going to take something tragic and make something really good,” Christine said.

Now in her junior year of college, Sammy wants to go into medicine.

“She’s a sports fanatic, and she wants to be that physio person that runs out on the field at an NFL game after the player snaps

his knee,” Christine says. “When we watch football together and something happens to someone, she’s like ‘OK, I’ve gotta pause that and go back,’ and I’m like ‘Oh my God, no! Why do you want to see him twist his knee?’ and she’s like ‘Well, he just tore his so-and-so ligament.’ That would be her dream job.”

Moving to Coronado led to Christine’s current gig.

“I opened up the Eagle one day and I saw an ad for a writer in the wanted ads. And I went, ‘Huh. I actually would kind of like at least checking into that.’ So I interviewed with both Deans [Eckenroth Senior and Junior], and we totally hit it off. I think Dean Sr. and I sat in his office for I don’t know how long, talking community and politics and everything. It was just something that was meant to be.”

She started out very part-time but has since gotten more involved because she loves it.

“I do a lot of community pieces. I’ve turned out to be the feature writer for the Coronado Police Department. It shows them as human beings, not just people in uniform. I love doing those features, because they are some of the nicest people I have ever met, and they truly love this community,” she says.

She also enjoys the cocktails feature she does monthly for Coronado Magazine. She has creative freedom and usually chooses a cocktail that goes with the magazine’s monthly theme, such as the Fourth of July. Unlike writing straight news for the Eagle, the magazine feature allows her to write in her own voice, which she really enjoys.

Christine has fond memories of the Eckenroth Publications offices from before she lived here permanently.

“When we had our vacation home, their office was in the little white house on 10th. My daughter did the Pet Photo Contest one year, and won in her category,” with a photo featuring the family dog, Christine says. “The Pet Photo Contest is going on now, and Sammy asked ‘Can I enter?’ and I said ‘Well, now you can’t because I work for Eckenroth!’ But it’s funny how some things lead you down a strange path.”

Now Mom is thriving on Coronado, and Sammy is thriving, too, despite her father’s death.

“She doesn’t talk about it much at all,” Christine observes. “We’ve talked about therapy, I’ve tried to talk to her just the two of us, and she’s like ‘Mom, I’m OK. Everything I do is going to make dad proud and

I know that’s what he wanted.’”

Sammy now has a full plate at school, taking 18 credit hours this semester along with playing soccer, her radio show, and her sorority. Perhaps the most important activity to her is being vice president of fundraising for the American Cancer Society at Chapman in honor of her dad.

For her part, Christine is enjoying her independence, her job, and Coronado living.

“I love being part of the paper because I love being part of this community. The paper has given me the opportunity to go behind the scenes if you will, and meet

people that are incredible and are here for a reason and love what they do: the police officers, the fire department, the shop owners. It’s given me the opportunity to love this place even more, if that’s possible,” she says. “Whenever I think about moving away for whatever reason - say my daughter graduates and moves away - I think to myself, is there a better place to live than this? Where I can ride my bike wherever I want, if I forget to lock my doors I’m not going to lose sleep over it. There’s just not a better place to live.”

Celebrating the Community History of Windsor Cottage

By Coronado Historical Association

From a modest residence to member clubhouse today, the Windsor Cottage has an extensive 116 year history that makes it one of the foremost examples of historic preservation in Coronado.

The beach cottage was originally located on Flora Avenue, constructed for Laura H. Slemmons. Built in 1906, it was a rental property for many Navy families. The cottage’s most notable residents were Wallis Simpson and her husband Earl Winfield Spencer Jr., who was the first Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station North Island. An active socialite in Coronado, national and international social circles, Wallis Simpson later gained fame for her marriage to Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor in the late 1930s after his abdication of the British throne.

No other property in Coronado has such an acknowledged or pervasive association with Wallis Simpson and Lieutenant Commander E.W. The cottage is a symbol of LCDR Spencer Jr.’s accomplishments during his tenure as the first Commanding Officer (CO) of North Island. While he was CO the Navy gained possession of the land on North Island, eventually securing 525 acres. This was no small feat due to considerable dispute with the Army, which occupied most of North Island at the time. During this same time was the operational start of the Navy flight school with student aviators and mechanics. At the time the NAS trained 892 seaplane riggers, hull workers, engine mechanics, and other avia-

tion mechanics. The flight school graduated 206 officers who logged 35,000 flight hours that covered a total distance of 2,360,000 miles without a single pilot or student officer sent to the hospital for injuries or one seaplane wrecked.

During LCDR Spencer Jr.’s command, the Navy also expanded North Island’s role from a focus only on seaplanes to include landplanes and Lighter-Than-Air aircraft. It was at this time that NASNI expanded its role as simply a training facility to the home of the aviation base of the Pacific Fleet. One can read more about LCDR Spencer Jr. and the history of North Island in Jackrabbits to Jets: the History of North Island, San Diego, California by Elretta Sudsbury and the North Island Historical Committee. This illustrated account, issued

Then-Mayor of Coronado, Mary Herron, in front of the Duchess of Windsor Cottage on September 21, 1989, during its move to the Hotel del Coronado’s property.

Portrait of Wallis Simpson, then Mrs. Earl Winfield Spencer, taken by local Coronado photographer Lou Goodale Bigelow. c. 1920.

All Images Courtesy of the Coronado Historical Association Collection.

to commemorate the 50th anniversary of North Island’s U. S. Naval Air Station, is the authoritative resource on the subject and is available at the Coronado Public Library.

Here in Coronado, Wallis Simpson and Lieutenant Commander Earl Winfield Spencer Jr.’s occupancy of the home will forever be associated with the property, thanks to the community effort to preserve the cottage. In 1963, Leo and Helen Hansen purchased the property. Their son Mark lived at the parcel with his family in the 1980s when they found the cottage was too small for their growing family, the community gathered to move the cottage to a new home.

The Windsor Cottage exemplifies special elements of the Coronado community’s

historic preservation activism of the late 1980s. The City of Coronado, the Hotel del Coronado, the Coronado Historical Association (CHA), along with a plethora of individual community members joined to support the move of the cottage to prevent it from being razed. As the president of CHA, Gerry MacCartee said, “This is a great example of how working together we can find these old friends a new life and save a piece of Coronado’s remarkable history.”

In the 1980s, Coronado was faced with the demolition of multiple historic buildings, such as the Olde Reid Hotel, designed by Irving Gill, (replaced by what is now the Bank of America building) and Babcock Court (where the Police Department is today). Coronado’s community and its

citizens, infuriated by the demolition of Coronado’s history and heritage, advocated for the preservation of local history and historic buildings. The Windsor Cottage is the one they saved and to many who lived in Coronado at the time, it is the primary symbol of this community effort.

Local stories about the Windsor Cottage’s association with the Duchess of Windsor and her former husband Lieutenant Commander Earl Winfield Spencer Jr. and the efforts to preserve the cottage have been told for decades and are regular talking points of historical walking tours. Today, you can see the cottage at its home at the Hotel del Coronado who has recently announced renovations of the Windsor Cottage that will be completed by summer of 2023.

Photograph showing the progression of the restoration of the Duchess of Windsor cottage in 1992 after it moved onto the Hotel del Coronado’s property.

Taste the Quality and Experience the Di erence

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Step into our Tasting Room with over 58 oils and vinegars “on tap” for your tasting pleasure. We provide you with usage and recipe ideas and discuss some cooking applications while you are there. As always, we provide complimentar y spark ing water, Vanilla ice cream and bread to augment your tasting experience. We also provide free deliver y for Coronado residents and maintain a full online shopping experience.

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Fire and Rebirth

By Kris Grant

I’ve traveled to every state and I’ve always considered our neighbor to the north to be one of the most beautiful.

Oregon’s Willamette Valley in particular is a land of scenic beauty, filled with covered bridges, vineyards and farmlands.

But in September 2020, while most of us were hunkered down during the pandemic, fire and wind raced through the eastern mountains of this valley. Here’s how a community and tourists came together, and continue to do so, to help Mother Nature get back on her feet.

Stretching from the crest of the Cascade Mountain range to the crest of the Coastal Range, the Willamette Valley is the largest river valley in the Pacific Northwest. Its northern tip is about an hour south of Portland International Airport; the town of Cottage Grove, near Eugene, marks the southern border. It’s an area of ample rainfall and cool weather. More than 170 crops, ranging from wine grapes and berries to Christmas trees and hazelnuts, are grown in the area. Not surprisingly, farm-to-table restaurants abound in the area. One of note is Sybaris Bistro in Albany. Chef/owner Matt Bennett, who has cooked at the James Beard house, comments, “We change our menu monthly. It just depends on what our local farmers have.”

The Willamette Valley is also Oregon’s leading wine region, containing two-thirds of the state’s wineries and vineyards more than 600 wineries. The long, gentle growing season and mild maritime climate provide near ideal conditions for grow -

ing the cool climate grape for which Oregon is best known: Pinot Noir. Wineries also produce Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and many other varietals.

Outdoor recreation is huge in the valley. Bordering forests, single-track trails (trails that are only as wide as a mountain bike) abound. The McKenzie River is a 90-mile tributary of the Willamette River in western Oregon. It drains part of the Cascade Range east of Eugene and flows westward into the southernmost end of the Willamette. Along the McKenzie River, outfitters like Alyssa and Gary Brownlee, owners of the Horse Creek Lodge, lead raft adventures. Visitors also find spots to paddleboard, float in inner tubes or kayak.

Trouble hit this idyllic setting on Sept. 7, 2020 when a devastating fire – the Holiday Farm Fire – broke out. Strong winds pushed the flames and over the next few days 173,094 acres were burned. Along a 30-mile stretch of the McKenzie, the

The Holiday Farm Fire blackened 173,094 acres along the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains in September 2020.

Southwest of the fire area, the lower McKenzie spreads into Leaburg Lake at the Leaburg fish hatchery.

communities of Vida, Blue River, Mohawk, McKenzie Bridge, Leaburg and Waterville were all evacuated.

The Brownlee’s lodge in McKenzie Bridge, like almost all visitor facilities, is located along Highway 126, the only corridor connecting them to the Willamette Valley below and the towns of Sisters and Bend to the east.

Alyssa Brownlee remembers how she and Gary quickly went into survival mode.

“We’ve been through emergencies before – severe flooding and windstorms. We felt fortunate that we had our whole family. We knew we had to quickly evacuate; time was of the essence. The winds were intense, so Gary and I grabbed a couple of chain saws and the whole neighborhood followed us out. We cut trees out of the way, drove through Sisters and sheltered that night in the parking lot at Hoodoo ski resort. The wind was blowing at over 100 miles per hour, but we were in the middle of a huge parking lot and felt pretty safe.”

The fire ultimately missed their immediate area, and for the first few months in its aftermath, the Brownlees housed FEMA personnel and locals who had lost their homes at their lodge.

“After the fire, it was post-apocalyptic,” Alyssa said. “But this place is extremely resilient. The flora is greening back up. And tourists and business has returned. People want to be out here, they’re curious and they want to help our community get back on its feet.”

Horse Creek Lodge, into the forest between the McKenzie River and Horse Creek, includes four cabins that house from four to 16 people each, plus 12 campsites for small RVs and tent campers. “We’re busy all year round,” said Alyssa, who, with Gary, bought the circa-1960 lodge in 2011. “Some people come for fishing and hunting, others for mountain biking, rafting and just getaways.”

More recently, Horse Creek was the lodging site for a new type of tourism adventure: regenerative tourism.

The McKenzie Regenerative Travel Project: Where Stewardship and Tourism Meet

Dawnielle Tehama is the executive director of the Willamette Valley Visitor Association. The native Oregonian oversees 33 DMOs (destination marketing organizations) throughout the valley. She notes that “Oregon has always been a real thought leader on the sustainability front of tourism. We had some time when we were shut down during the pandemic to do some in-depth thinking and discussion on the topic.”

Tehama explains that the core of sustainable tourism involves looking at how to improve long-term residents’ wellbeing. “It’s so much more than leaving less of an environmental footprint,” she said. “It’s about making sure that the small farmer, in seven generations to come, is still able to harvest the hazelnuts on their family farm. It’s making sure we have small businesses that take care of their destination and don’t feel they’re over-visited by massive amounts of people. It’s making sure we’re keeping our people employed. And we want to ensure our environment is protected, all at the same time.”

Tour operator and ecologist Kieron Wilde was also taking time during the pandemic to reassess where he wanted to take his Port-

land, Oregon-based company, First Nature Tours, which develops private tour products in the Pacific Northwest and selected international destinations. Before he established his company in 2007, Wilde had been a restoration ecologist with the U. S. Forest Service, the North Cascades and the Bureau of Land Management.

In short order, he teamed up with Willamette and Lane counties and secured a grant from Travel Oregon to set up a regenerative tourism program along the McKenzie River.

“The saying used to be ‘take only photos, leave only footprints,’” Wilde said. “Regenerative tourism takes it up a notch, where tourists leave a net positive impact on the environment. It’s about diving in and engaging with stewardship activities in a meaningful and impactful way.”

Over the course of a typical three-day regenerative tourism weekend, participants combine fun experiences with work projects. Wilde and his crew pick up visitors from either the Portland International Airport or Eugene Airport in a 15-passenger bio-fueled Sprinter van, and transport them to a destination, such as Horse Creek Lodge,

which was the site of the first regenerative program last spring. Over dinner, the 11 participants met the Brownlees and learned about the history and special characteristics of the area. The next morning, the group set out on a reforestation project, planting trees in a backcountry area not likely seen by most visitors. After a hearty lunch, the afternoon featured a rafting trip down the McKenzie. That night, another dinner at the lodge was followed by a marshmallow roast and guitars ‘round the campfire. Sunday morning, the group spent three or four hours planting more trees, with the lodge providing sack lunches. Then they returned to the hotel, checked out and were escorted back to the airport.

As far as the work component of the weekend goes, it is often the most fun, rewarding, and memorable because it builds camaraderie and is filled with purpose. “It might sound like work, but it’s more like a ‘work party,’” said Wilde, who is currently designing more regenerative tourism programs in the McKenzie region that include trail and watershed restoration, along with some kayaking and biking adventures. And he’s planning a similar program for the Olympic Peninsula that includes salmon habitat restoration. Programs will be offered yearround, including the rainy winter season, because, he said, “You need to plant in the rainy season because it promotes a higher survivability level for the trees.”

He believes corporations and service clubs will be interested in participating in future programs.

“We need programs that give people hope,” he said.

Tehama agrees. “The more people recognize this is a movement, the more it will gain in popularity in other areas. Speaking for myself personally, I want my kids to be able experience blueberry picking and harvesting hazelnuts.”

More fun in the Willamette Valley

After visiting the McKenzie River, I journeyed back down into the heart of the Willamette Valley for a little sightseeing on my own. I wasn’t disappointed.

Kieron Wilde (second from right) leads the crew of First Nature Tours, which takes tourists to remote areas in a bio-fueled Sprinter van for regenerative tourism activities such as planting trees and restoring nature trails.

Covered Bridges

What is it about covered bridges that I find so appealing? I guess it’s the history and nostalgia connected with so many of these edifices, which were built in large part by the Works Progress Administration, an ambitious employment and infrastructure program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935, during the bleakest years of the Great Depression.

It’s also the clippity-clop sounds and feel of car tires rolling across the thick wooden beams. Or, if you walk across the bridge, you’ll hear echoes of your voice or passing cars bouncing off the interior rafters. There’s also the joy of looking out the side windows to creeks or rivers below; the windows providing a lovely frame to a view that likely hasn’t changed one iota since the bridge was first constructed.

Covered bridges existed even earlier than the days of the Depression. Pioneers armed with simple hand tools began building covered bridges in Oregon during the 1850s; the more standardized designs came from

the Federal government in the 20th century. At their height of usage, there were more than 700 covered bridges throughout Oregon. Today, only 49 remain, but there is a concerted effort to keep these remaining beauties.

Most incorporated “the Howe truss” invented by William Howe in 1840 that incorporated chords, verticals and diagonals that, working together, provided a good blend of tension and compression. The abundance of Douglas fir and the shortage of steel during the two World Wars continued the use of these materials well into the 1950s.

Bridges were covered to keep the huge truss timbers dry. A covered bridge could last 80 years or more, while an uncovered bridge would deteriorate in about nine years, states the Covered Bridge Society of Oregon.

A case in point is the Thomas CreekShimanek Covered Bridge, currently undergoing a $2.9 million reconstruction in which the entire bridge is being lifted off its

decaying timbers, which will be reinforced with steel. At 130 feet, it’s the longest bridge in Linn County and the fifth bridge to be constructed on the site. When construction is complete, it will conform to the design of the bridge that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

I toured a few bridges along the Scio “Five Bridges Bicycling or Driving Tour.” Scio is a blink of a town in Linn County that was incorporated in 1866. It sits astride Thomas Creek, a year-round stream, and bills itself as “The Covered Bridge Capitol of the West.” Most of the townspeople are employed in agriculture, including growing vegetables and grass seed, along with raising sheep. Each year on the third weekend in May, the Linn County Lamb and Wool Fair, which has such activities as a pie-eating contest, sheep dog trials, a fleece-and-fiber marketplace, tractor show and parade. Sounds like fun; I might go back!

The interior of the Hoffman Bridge

The Goodpasture Bridge spans the McKenzie River near the community ofVida, Oregon

The Hoffman Bridge

The Thomas Creek-Shimanek Bridge is being rebuilt for the fifth time, this time with bottom steel supports. It will be repainted the original red color.

Wine Country

As I mentioned, there are more than 600 wineries throughout the Willamette Valley. I only visited a couple, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wine, and the friendliness of the people who greeted me. These Oregonians are happy to be living in the Willamette Valley and even happier to greet visitors.

Award-winning wines

Many of the wineries throughout the Willamette Valley practice sustainable farming, such as Benton-Lane, which grows estate Pinot Noir, and ages the wine 10 to 15 months in carefully maintained new and used French Oak barrels. The vines were planted in 1988 by Steve Girard, who ventured north from Napa where he had founded his namesake winery. Girard planted the vines on a former sheep ranch, located on a sweeping ridge below the Coastal Mountain range. Over the years, he consistently farmed sustainably, relying on the natural rainwater to reach the deep roots and practicing biodynamic and organic practices. In 2018, Girard sold the winery to Huuneeus Vintners.

I very much enjoyed my visit to this picturesque winery and its newly expanded visitor center (there’s also attractive outdoor patios) and my visit with Bethany Reed, the winery’s hospitality manager. She presented me with a wonderful plate of small bites that featured Willamette specialties, including hazelnuts, blueberries, cherries and lo-

cal cheeses, a perfect accompaniment to Benton-Lane’s silky smooth Pinot Noir and luscious Chardonnay.

Compton Family Vineyards is located in the small town of Philomath, the site of a former women’s college, 10 minutes from Corvallis and at the base of Mary’s Peak, the highest point of the Coastal Range. Philomath means love of learning and the 5,000 or so town residents pride themselves on education and hard work. Such is the case of Compton Family Vineyard owners Matt and Tabitha Compton.

That “love of learning” proved fortuitous for Matt Compton, who at age 22, went to work for Oregon State University, managing a research farm for wine grapes. After establishing another winery, he created the first vintage in 2003 of Compton Family Wines. Over the years the winery, which uses regenerative agricultural practices, has garnered many awards and recognitions, including ratings of 93 and above; selection as Best Buy and Top 100 Wines of the World by Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines. The Comptons plant three main varietals, Chardonnay, Albarino and a rare German varietal, Müller Thurgau, a cross between a Riesling and a lesser-known Madeleine Royale. I found it crisp, with mild acidity, and a bit of a melon finish. I would drink this wine ice cold on a hot summer day. Have you ever had wine from an egg?

Compton’s Chardonnay is pressed and placed in an unusual holding tank: a concrete egg where it ferments and ages. With no corners, the wine is free to circulate naturally during fermentation. Concrete can take the heat or the cold. It’s a natural insulator and will stabilize the temperature of whatever is inside of it. “This stability makes for a smooth and gradual fermentation, which increases the flavors,” explained Tabitha Compton. “As it ages, the lees (leftover yeast particles) settle down the lower sides of the egg resulting in a creamier mouth feel.” I sampled the 2018 vintage and found that to be true, plus I enjoyed notes of white peaches and vanilla. Very nice!

Tasting at Compton Family Winery.

Wine tasting at Benton-Lane Winery

Tabitha Compton and the unusual egg that holds a very smooth Chardonnay.

Have a little extra time?

You might want to visit the town of Sisters, named for a trio of peaks to its west, at the crest of the Cascade. This is a charming artsy community where the buildings in its downtown sport a 1880s western motif. I went there over the second weekend of June during the annual Sisters Rodeo, the day before the annual parade through town with floats, bands, antique cars, equestrian teams and rodeo stars. The rodeo grounds are located just three miles southeast of town on the main highway.

The town also hosts the world’s largest outdoor quilt show, the second Saturday of July each year.

Passing Sisters, you then drop down into Bend. Smack dab in the middle of the state you’ll find this growing metropolis with a population of 99,178 according to the 2020 census. It was half that in the year 2000 and I’ll bet it has added at least 5,000 since the last count, as people have left the bigger metropolises in the wake of Covid. I stopped by a realty firm and chatted with a local agent who said homes were being sold the day they were listed for way over the asking price, noting that this was due mostly to Californians. I winced a bit, noting I was one of those Golden Staters. The town, located on the eastern edge of the Cascades, is named for a bend in the Deschutes River that winds through it. The weather gets hot in the summer, and visitors and locals alike cool off in the river, many coasting along on large colorful inner tubes. Before I leave Bend, here’s one more factoid: it is home to the last standing Blockbuster Video. Visitors often take selfies before the blue-and-yellow logo, or buy a “Be Kind – Rewind” T-shirt.

Throughout Oregon, I saw highway warnings of “Elk” but never saw a single animal, not even a deer. That is until I passed Grant’s Pass, as I headed back to California, and glanced out the passenger window to behold an entire herd grazing in a field. Quick as a wink, I braked and swerved onto to the gravel shoulder. It was early in the season and the male’s antlers were mere sprouts. But they were ever alert, with several giving me the evil eye, and I think there may have been a calf in the background, shielded from view by the larger critters. They held their ground and I held mine. Soon I was back on the highway, thanking them all for the big send-off.

IF YOU GO…

Willamette Valley Visitors Association

This is your go-to resource for tasting rooms, dining and drinking, things to do and the regions of the Willamette Valley. It is funded by the four visitor organizations throughout the Willamette Valley. Willamettevalley.org

Horseshoe Lodge & Outfitters, McKenzie Bridge

Four cabins, that can sleep from four to sixteen, plus tent and small RV camping. (541) 822-3243 | www.horse-creek.com

LoLoma Lodge

Four McKenzie riverfront cabins each have full kitchens, bedroom with queen bed, bathroom with shower, and a futon sofa in the living room for additional guests, wood-burning fireplace and radiant heated stone floors. www.lolomalodge.com

McKenzie Station Restaurant, Bar and Espresso

56393 McKenzie Highway (#126) Rainbow

(541) 822-6006 | www.mckenziestationpub.wixsite.com

Takoda’s Restaurant

Casual American restaurant near the McKenzie River with beautiful patio dining

91806 Mill Creek Road, Blue River (just off McKenzie Hwy 126) (541) 822-1153 | www.takodasrainbow.com

Holiday Inn Express & Suite Albany

105 Opal Court NE

Well located just off I-5; close to covered bridges with easy access to Willamette’s many wineries.

www.ihg.com

Sybaris Bistro

“An eclectic Pacific Northwest Bistro”

442 West 1st Avenue, Albany (541)928-8157 | www.sybarisbistro.com

Frankie’s

“A farm-to-table restaurant”

641 Hickory St NW Ste 160, Albany (541) 248-3671 | www.frankies-oregon.com

Benton-Lane Winery

Tasting Room

23924 Territorial Rd, Monroe (541) 847-5792 | www.benton-lane.com

Compton Family Wines

Tasting Room

810 Applegate St, Philomath

(541) 929-6555 | www.comptonwines.com

What Would A Recession

As more recession talk lls the air, one concern many people have is: should I delay my homeownership plans if there's a recession?

Here's a look at historical data to show what happened in real estate during previous recessions to help prove why you shouldn't be afraid of what a recession would mean for the housing market today.

A Recession Doesn't Mean Falling Home Prices.

A Recession Means Falling Mortgage Rates

Over the past ve recessions, mortgage rates have fallen an average of 1.8 percentage points from the peak seen during the recession to the trough. And in many cases, they continued to fall af ter the fact as it takes some time to turn things around even when the recession is technically over

And while histor y doesn' t always repeat itself, we can learn from and nd comfor t in the historical data.

Bottom Line

There's no doubt everyone remembers what happened in the housing market in 2008. But you don't need to fear the word recession if you're planning to buy or sell a home

According to historical data, in most recessions, home price gains have stayed strong, and mor tgage rates have declined

If you're thinking about buying or selling a home, let's connect so you have expert advice on what's happening in the housing market and what that means for your homeownership goals.

Don and Leslie Budinger Island Icons

Don Budinger and his wife Leslie are lifetime benefactors of the Coronado Historical Association. CHA’s current headquarters would not be possible without the visionary and philanthropic assistance of the Budingers, which began in 1999 and continues to this day.

Soon after moving their summer home from the mountains of Arizona to Coronado, Don and Leslie had the idea to purchase and renovate the historic 1100 Orange Avenue landmark. Designed in 1910 by nationally-recognized San Francisco based architects MacDonald and Applegarth, the neo-classical building features many Beaux-Arts elements such as a symmetrical plan and monumental columns. The Budingers invested millions to restore the exterior of the building to its initial grandeur, revealing the large plate glass windows at the street level and resurfacing the exterior. The majestic building has had several uses over the years, starting with the Bank of Commerce and Trust, then the Bank of America, and lastly the Marcos restaurant.

1999 was a milestone year for CHA. On its 30th anniversary, the Budingers gifted the historic 1100 Orange Avenue building to CHA allowing CHA to move its headquarters, museum, and collections repository from their location on Loma Avenue

to a permanent location in the heart of downtown Coronado. The building and vision of the Budingers allowed CHA to become a modern museum. “We are so grateful for this opportunity to support the strategic vision of the Coronado Historical Association, which we believe is a vital resource and important cornerstone of our community,” Don Budinger said.

The Budingers gift of the landmark building that CHA calls home had three

components over a thirty-year time period:

(1) Complete restoration and continued maintenance of the building, (2) exclusive use of the entire building at a discounted rent, and (3) transfer of title in 2030 with the option to take title as early as 2020.

In late 2021, CHA’s Board of Directors worked with the Budingers to complete the transfer of title of the building. By completing the transfer of title of the property, the Budingers realized their vision of sustaining CHA and ensuring its role as Coronado’s archivist and historian for the community, well into the future.

The extraordinary agreement between CHA and the Budingers represents an important cooperation between a private citizen and a civic purposed nonprofit to partner together in service to the people

of Coronado. To help CHA become the steward of Coronado’s history, its presentation and preservation was the objective.

“This idea is rooted in a key Budinger family value – To leave the Country and local community in better condition than it was given to us,” Don explained as to why he offered such a generous gift to the citizens of Coronado. For their support of CHA, the Budingers were awarded the Spreckels Award in August 2022 at the annual Spreckels Society Summer Party at Carolyn Elledge-Baker and Bud Baker’s home.

In addition to the Historic Bank of Commerce building, Don and Leslie bought and restored the carriage house and servant’s quarters of the Rew-Sharp mansion on Alameda. In 2002, their efforts were rewarded with the presentation of the Cobb-MacCartee Preservation Award. The Budingers continue to be avid supporters of Coronado Historical Association’s mission of history, community, and education.

MOLLY HAINES MCKAY BROKER ASSOCIATE

619.985.2726

DRE# 01876062

MollyHainesMcKay@gmail.com

MollyHainesMcKay.com

CARRIE MICKEL SALES

619.630.3570

DRE# 01999494

CarrieMickel@bhhscal.com

ShopNadoHomes.com

LINDSEY LYONS SALES

619.405.9208

DRE# 01993229

lindseyblyons@gmail.com

Staying the Course

by Britta Ferguson, CFP® CDFA Vice President, Financial Advisor Wealth Enhancement Group

It’s been a tough year for investors trying to see past the daunting headlines and navigate the volatile markets. With midyear elections on the horizon, concerns around inflation, and the impact of rising interest rates, it can be difficult to Stay the Course. And staying the course isn’t always for the faint of heart nor does it mean sitting back and doing nothing. Fortunately, there are opportunities for investors to maximize their financial situation before year end, regardless of the current environment. This 3-part series will help you reframe your mindset by broadening your perspective and leave you with actionable year end items that give a new meaning to staying the course.

Fear and Greed are the two most influential emotions that can lead to some costly mistakes. How does one remove at least some emotion from the equation? It begins with your mindset and a financial plan.

A financial plan is both a pulse check of your current situation and a roadmap. It shows if you’re on track with your goals, what improvements could be made by running different What If scenarios, and helps you define actionable items to achieve your lifestyle goals. Mindset is just as important.

For example, a common mistake by investors is focusing too much on “do I have the BEST stocks in my portfolio?”. This granular approach often leads to paralysis by analysis. Thinking big picture

helps investors avoid this pitfall. Instead, start with an assessment of your risk tolerance. Ask yourself:

• What does risk mean to me?

• How would I react to a large decrease in my portfolio?

• Is the potential loss worth the potential gain?

There are always trade-offs to every decision. Running different What If scenarios can be eye opening and test your comfort level. Once you’ve defined your risk appetite, move on to the next step: choosing an appropriate asset allocation.

Simply put, the asset allocation defines the amount one should allocate towards stocks, bonds, and cash based on their risk tolerance and goals. Stocks are more for growth and risk, bonds are more for safety and income, while cash can be used

Part 1: Have a plan

in different ways. Defining the asset allocation is a great starting point for decisions regarding how the portfolio should be invested.

The asset allocation is most effective if coupled with rebalancing. Rebalancing is the proactive part of the portfolio that helps investors stay aligned with their risk tolerance, adapt to market cycles, and evolve with their life stages.

What people don’t realize, especially in today’s environment, is that market volatility creates investment opportunities. If the market declines, stocks typically go down in value, while bonds tend to be more stable and fluctuate less in value. Instead of waiting for the market to bounce back, rebalancing takes a portion of the bonds, and potentially some cash, to buy stocks at a discount and realign

the portfolio. This process challenges the average investor because it can lead to emotional trading (or lack thereof), requires consistent effort, and is time consuming. This is where financial advisors can really add value. This methodical, consistent, and unemotional approach has been proven over time.

To sum it up:

• Control what you can control and that’s your mindset and having a financial plan.

• Investing is a marathon not a sprint.

• There are opportunities for investors during all different market cycles.

• Being proactive, unemotional, and consistent can help you stay the course.

Stayed tuned for Part 2: Maxing out Savings and Part 3: Getting a Grip on Taxes of the Year End Wealth Checkup series.

Advisory services offered through Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, a registered investment advisor and affiliate of Wealth Enhancement Group®. Wealth Enhancement Group is a registered trademark of Wealth Enhancement Group, LLC.

Photo by Tim Gouw

The Butter Spread - Peanut Butter or Almond Butter

Hundreds of years ago, South American Inca Indians ground the first peanut paste, while grinding almond paste most likely originated in the middle east. Both nut butters became popular in the U.S. by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, who patented the process for peanut butter in 1895 and almond butter in 1913. (And for those of you who always think of chocolate when peanut butter is mentioned, that concoction came about from dairyman Harry Reese in 1928.)

In comparison, almond and peanut butters have about the same amount of calories. Almond butter has a slight edge on healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, but both are high on vitamin E, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and biotin. Both are high in fiber, but again, almond butter has more, where as peanut butter has the advantage on protein. Can’t go wrong with either. Almond and peanut butters are ideal for sandwiches, baking, a dip for fruits and perfect for smoothies.

Both nut butters are basically a nut paste; some add salt and oil and others add sugar. Check the labels for what’s inside. Store your nut butters in a cool, dark place, like the pantry. If the oil separates after opening, store in the pantry upside down, stir after each use. After about 3-4 weeks, move it into the fridge.

Pick your favorite and enjoy!

Scott Aurich

(619) 987-9797

(619) 437-1614

ScottAurich.com

Scott@ScottAurich.com

DRE#00978974

Shelly Klessinger

(619) 519-3925

shellyklessinger@gmail.com

DRE#01355449

Beth Aiello

(619) 300-3577

realtybybeth@gmail.com

www.yourcoronadorealtor.com

DRE#01775191

Mariane Abbott

(619) 301-2452

marianeabbott@yahoo.com

DRE#01438122

Gerri-Lynn Fives

(619) 813-7193

justgl@coronadobeach.com

DRE#01274657

Ashley Mendham

(619) 519-3290

Youragentash@gmail.com

DRE#02077483

Marisa Ponce

(619) 321-9660

ponceh3@yahoo.com

DRE#01820090

Millie Chase

(760) 803-0140

prioritybychase@gmail.com

DRE#01800422

Corey Simone

(619) 244.2901

corey@simonerealestategroup.com

DRE#01944488

ScottAurich.com

Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty

(619) 823-2142

cahern@bhhscal.com

DRE#01262309

Charles Ahern Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

Christine Baker

(858) 449-3200

chris@bakersellssandiego.com

BakerSellsSanDiego.com

DRE#01808132

Willis Allen Real Estate

Jaime Bea

(619) 357-5581

jnfbea@hotmail.com

DRE#01387894

Coronado Cays Realty

Jeff Brummitt

619-208-1342

JB@JeffBrummitt.com

DRE#00663912

Islander Realty

Fran Carrigan (619) 852-3898

francescarrigan2@gmail.com

DRE#01017971

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

Sherilyn Clayes

(619) 320-1119

sclayes2@gmail.com

DRE#01790281

Independent Real Estate Broker

Jan Clements

(619) 806-7052

Jan@JanClements.com

DRE#01120956

Lennie Clements

(619) 894-0033

LennieClements@yahoo.com

DRE#01864061

Chris Clements (619) 203-8538

Christopher.L.Clements@gmail.com

DRE#01877934

ClementsGroupRE.com

Compass Real Estate

Stacy Bell Begin

(619) 200-9184

DRE#02014995

StacyBegin619@gmail.com

Phyl Sarber

(619) 933-1276

DRE#00636519

Charlotte Rudowicz

(619) 865-0794

DRE#01435710

Frances MacCartee (619) 312-7466

DRE#0200954

Felicia Bell

(619) 920-9184

DRE#00429681

FeliciaFBell@gmail.com

www.Shorelifeluxury.com Coronado Shores Company

Compass Real Estate

Doni Corcoran (858) 922-0978

corcoran.doni@gmail.com

DRE#01951522

eXp Realty

Julia M. Elassaad

(619) 573-8350

jelassaad@cbwhomes.com

DRE#01937427

Coldwell Banker West

Zach Todaro (619) 302-9239

DRE#01881566 zach.todaro@compass.com

Erin Todaro (619) 302-0481

erin.todaro@compass.com

DRE#01947874

todarorealestate.com

Compass Real Estate

Lisa Storey (619) 997-3112

Lisa@CoronadoPremier Properties.com

DRE#01185272

Herlinda Sandoval-Ryan (619) 917-8888

Hablo Espanol

Herlinda@CoronadoPremier Properties.com

DRE#0120853

Kina Fowler (619) 823-6725

Kina@CoronadoPremier Properties.com

DRE#01991990

Tazzie Treadwell (619) 880-5512

Tazzie@CoronadoPremier Properties.com

DRE# 02022372

CoronadoPremierProperties.com CoronadoRentals.com

Hablamos Español

Coronado Premier Properties

Adrienne Dente

(619) 850-2880

adriennedd@aol.com

DRE#00932112

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

(619) 339-2383

(619) 339-9736

Ara Koubeserian Ryan Koubeserian arakoubeserian yahoo.com

DRE#0045410 ryankoubeserian@yahoo.com

DRE#01738738

Coronado Shores Company

Myssie McCann

(619) 435-6238

myssie@coronadoshoresco.com

DRE#02145422

Martha Kuenhold

(619) 987-7725

mkuenhold@gmail.com

DRE#01369875

John Harrington

(619) 200-8504

jharrington60@gmail.com

DRE#01210260

Raquel Fernandez

(619) 453-4513

Raquel@coronadoshoresrealtor.com

DRE#01945891

CoronadoShoresCo.com

Coronado Shores Company

Georgia Ellis

(619) 988-2455

georgia@bhhscal.com

DRE#01012774

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

Paulette Fennello

(619) 318-5707

ownyourdreams123@aol.com

DRE#: 01124030

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ca Properties

Ruth Ann Fisher (619) 733-4100

rfisher@delcoronadorealty.com

DRE#01909797 delcoronadorealty.com

Del Coronado Realty

Carrie O’Brien

(619) 847-3524

DRE#01144127

Beth Delano

(619) 514-7740

DRE#0126197

Serena Bleam

480-235-5600

Cal DRE #2137496

Flagship.net

Flagship Properties, Inc.

Olga Lavalle

(619) 995-6259

Olga.Lavalle@elliman.com

DRE#01724705

Maria Garate (619) 991-5073

Maria.Garate@elliman.com

DRE#02090976

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Monique Fuzet

(619) 994-4453

fuzetpmonique@gmail.com

DRE#00949513

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

Apua Garbutt

(619) 372-2777

apuareagent@gmail.com

DRE#01859903

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

Tina Gavzie

(619) 778-0955

tinagav@aol.com MovetoCoronado.com

DRE#01205962

Compass Real Estate

Richard Inghram (619) 301-7766

ringhram@gmail.com

DRE#01377744

Compass Real Estate

Vicki Inghram

(619) 204-3400

BestofCoronado.com

DRE#01293521

Compass Real Estate

Linda Lomas

(619) 884-4499

LindaLomasCoronado@gmail.com

DRE#00595800

Compass Real Estate

Kari Lyons

(619) 884-4193

karisellscoastal.com

kari@karisellscoastal.com

DRE#01475331

Park Life | Compass

Neva Kaye

Ken May

(619) 435-5200

chaines@bhhscal.com www.sellcoronadorealestate.com

DRE# 00953131

Caroline Haines Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

Kathleen K. Hanlon

(619) 339-6536 Mobile

kathleen.hanlon@yahoo.com

DRE#01386879

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

Shannon Herlihy

(619) 855-8655

shannon@kenpecus.com

DRE #01863573

eXp Realty

Katie Herrick

(619) 865-2085

kate@katieherrickgroup.com www.ktherrick.com

DRE#01800357

Compass Real Estate

Francine Howard

(619) 302-0234

Francine@sd-realtor.com

DRE#01802654

RE/MAX Hometown Realtors

Karen Hust

(619) 838-7021

karen@themorabitogroup.com

DRE#01708516

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

Napolitano & Associates

(619) 865-2019

neva.kaye@sothebysrealty.com

nevakayegroup.com

DRE#01925476

Pacific Sotheby’s Realty

Molly Korson (619) 808-6610

mollykorson1@aol.com

DRE#01379254

Korson Properties

The Koop Group

(619) 435-8722

Kathy Koop

(619) 985-8722

DRE#00460840

Karrie Koop Gilby

(619) 857-7665

DRE#01465419

Allison Koop Rice

(619)490-9049

DRE#01818903

www.KathyKoop.com

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

Karen Lee

(619) 861-4133

karenlee.realtor@gmail.com

DRE# 00962910

Willis Allen Real Estate

(619) 254-7497

SocalKenm@gmail.com

FindCoronadoRealEstate.com

DRE#01260645

Compass Real Estate

Molly Haines McKay

(619) 985-2726

MollyHainesMcKay@gmail.com

DRE#01876062

Carrie Mickel

(619) 630-3570

carriemickel@bhhscal.com

DRE#01999494

Lindsey Lyons

619.405.9208

lindseyblyons@gmail.com

DRE# 01993229

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

Maryellen McMahon

(619) 252-4778

maryellen.mcmahon@elliman.com

maryellenmcmahon.elliman.com

DRE#01992431

Douglas Elliman

Meridith Metzger

(619) 850-8285

meridithmetzger@gmail.com

DRE#01435132

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices CA Properties

David Udell Chris Probasco

(619) 435-0988

David@justlistedhomes.com

DRE#01184568

(619) 435-0988

Chris@justlistedhomes.com

DRE#02118648

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Napolitano & Associates

Nancy Parrett

(619) 368-1898

Nancyparrett@sd-realtor.com

DRE#01256239

At Home Realty

Ken Pecus (619) 977-8419

ken@kenpecus.com

DRE#: 01056969

eXp Realty

Kathy Pounds

(619) 997-3171

kathypoundsteam@gmail.com

www.KathyPoundsTeam.com

DRE#01044960

Cheryl Morabito Dino Morabito DRE#01183389 DRE#01415017

(619) 987-3066

Dino@TheMorabitoGroup.com www.TheMorabitoGroup.com

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Napolitano & Associates

Ed Noonan

(619) 252-1232

enoonan12@aol.com

CoronadoCays LuxuryHomes.com

DRE#00993300

Noonan Properties

Jon Palmieri

(619) 400-7583

Jon.Palmieri@compass.com www.Jonpalmieri.com

DRE#01901955

Compass Real Estate

Zack Thornton

(619) 209-0169

zacharyj.thornton@outlook.com

DRE#01911180

Mary H. Bowlby

(727) 692-6516

mary.bowlby@compass.com

DRE#01994278

Steve Clinton

(619) 279-1818

sclinton95@gmail.com

DRE#01006292

Diego Ocampo

(858) 200-5780

diego.ocampo@compass.com

DRE#02015515

Victoria Wise

Dalton Pepper (619) 775-9585

daltonnado@gmail.com

athomerealty.net

DRE#02134109

At Home Realty

Edith Salas (619) 905-5780

edith@salasproperties.com

DRE#01966248

Stephanie Baker (619) 306-6317

stephanie@salasproperties.com

DRE#01986654

Josh Barbera

(619) 957-5357

josh@salasproperties.com

DRE#02053563

Evan Piritz

(619) 600-7817

CAPT USN (ret) evan@salasproperties.com

DRE#02022374

Roberto Cornejo

619.548.6306

roberto@salasproperties.com

DRE#01204327

Ken Nagel

619.952.4486

ken@salasproperties.com

DRE#01946378

www.salasproperties.com

Salas Properties

(619) 518-7501

DRE #01192858

(619) 847-4282

Renee@parklifeproperties.com Scott@parklifeproperties.com

DRE #01391946

www.parklifeproperties.com

Renee Wilson Scott Grimes Parklife | Compass

(619) 519-0352

wiserealestateinfo@gmail.com

DRE#01464951

Compass Real Estate

Gina Schnell

(619) 865-0650

Realtor® | Broker Associate gina.schnell@compass.com

DRE# 01945038

Compass Real Estate

THE KATHY POUNDS TEAM

Olga Stevens (619) 778-8011

Olgaminvielle1@gmail.com

OlgaCoronado.com

DRE#01105050

Willis Allen Real Estate

Suzanne Fahy (619) 841-5870

seashorepropertiescoronado@gmail.com

DRE#01454055

Tara Brown

(619) 869-1547 tara92118@gmail.com

DRE#01452962

Lisa Davenport

(619) 261-5963 lindadavenport007@gmail.com

DRE#01422713

Jill Lehr

(619) 981-2750 lehrpad@yahoo.com

DRE#02035838

Hope Baker

(480) 221-0516 hopebake4@aol.com

DRE#02030667

Seashorepropertiescoronado.com

Seashore Properties

Taylor Smith (619) 762-8815

TaylorSmithRealEstate.com

DRE# 02076557

Willis Allen Real Estate

Shirley Smith (619)559-6548

shirley@shirleysmith.com www.shirleysmith.com

DRE #02046865

Coldwell Banker West

Carol Stanford (619) 987-8766

carol@carolstanford.com

BuyCoronado.com

DRE#01390529

eXp Realty

Tom Tilford (619) 300-2218

tom@tomtilfordre.com

DRE#01897051

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Napolitano & Associates

Jeff Tyler (619) 865-7153

Jtyler@cbwhomes.com

JeffTylerCoronado.com

DRE#01900337

Coldwell Banker West

Kate Danilova

(619) 865-3402

DRE#01997872

Chris Toogood

(619) 865-3334

DRE#01882388

TooGoodRealty.com

chris@christoogood.com

Toogood Realty

Barbara Wamhoff

(619) 517-8880 barbarawamhoff@gmail.com

DRE#01225350

eXp realty

•

Emily Wendell (619) 348-9212

emilywendell@bhhscal.com

DRE#02032915

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e s i d e n t s , b u s i n e s s e s & c i t y r a c k s

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As with most of our more prevalent terms and ideas like courage that are so often used in movies, books, and tv shows- we form our original relationship and definition of the term as children. Growing up in a Navy town with a rescue swimmer and navigator as a father, I remember my first introduction to the idea of courage was the brave sailors in the old naval history and explorer books my dad would read to me before bed. The men who ventured out into the largely untamed and uncharted blue expanse, climbing wet rigging onto towering sails with “hold fast” tattooed on their knuckles trying to avoid sinking into Davy Jones Locker. This was at that time to me the ultimate form of courage, bold actions and facing danger with a crew of brave sailors. And while there are still many brave explorers and sailors out there continuing their courageous acts and sacrifices, as I got older I realized most of us won’t really face the traditional representations of courage in movies and books in our everyday lives. I think in these sometimes confusing and frightening times, my form of courage is holding fast to my ideals, good friends, and close family in the face of some of the more sinister elements that have recently emerged in our public discourse and sometimes co-opt terms like courage to be used for causes that aren’t worthy of them. Then, if you one day find yourself fall-

Coronadans share their thoughts on COURAGE the final word

I was brought up reading fantasy books and watching Disney films. These stories of dragons and knights told me that being courageous meant winning wars, defending your family’s honor, and battling impossible odds. Good versus evil, right versus wrong, always so black and white. But I am no longer that child, and life has turned out to be full of gray areas. As I’ve gotten older, I have realized that courage can be found in the small, often overlooked moments in each day. Choosing to get out of bed when your mental health is telling you not to, saying no instead of caving in to pressure, telling someone a hard truth when it would be much easier to lie, being kind to a world that will not always be kind in return. I have found that you don’t need to be a hero to have courage, simply choosing to be exactly who you are takes courage enough.

Courage is a word that takes on different meanings for different folks. Courage to me is about facing fears, admitting wrong, and doing the right thing even if no one is looking. Courage when facing danger is different than the courage one would use when admitting wrongs.

Courage when facing danger would be more instinctual and come from within, perhaps driven by adrenalin of just knowing it needed to be done and nothing but facing a particular danger can be done.

Courage when admitting a wrong really rests with the moral fiber within an individual, it can be as simple as driving five miles over the speed limit, knowing it’s not likely to be a citation but still break the law. Should you be pulled over you are morally committed to doing the right thing and admitting you were wrong.

Courage is doing the right thing even if you know you will not be caught because nobody is looking, your morals will steer your decision.

We all have courage. It is in our beliefs and proven in our commitments when we take action. Legendary people do it best when they put it into words for us. I find courage in remembering… “Life is full of bubbles, two things stand as stone, kindness in another’s troubles, courage in your own,” by poet Adam Lindsey Gordon. A strong look at how we should sort our daily lives, and we are reminded of our past. Here in Coronado, we have so much beautiful history and legends that we must keep alive. Our garden influences on Orange Avenue remind us of our ties to the English, local parades and our homes brought together with the annual Flower Show are all visual reminders of what the Coronado residents and visitors love about our community’s courage to remain a small island.

ing off the rigging in your own way of life, you’ll be surrounded with your own courageous crew to pick you back up.

Courage is many things, it just depends on the individual and the circumstance.

In 1940, Queen Elizabeth made her first broadcast as Princess Elizabeth. She went on air saying “we children at home are full of cheerfulness and courage” to show support in a time of need with words of empathy and wisdom eager to help in the war effort. On the coronavirus pandemic she said: “We will succeed - and that success will belong to every one of us. We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return.”

Often when we think of the word courage we think of heroes only heard of on the news and in fairytales. To me, courage is so much more than scratches the surface. I believe courage is getting up at five in the morning to work one of two jobs and barely getting by. I believe courage is expressing your opinions and yourself to the world without caring about others’ perception of you. It’s not always something we are born with, but certain things in life do take courage to get by, and that’s the beauty of life. The growth and evolution we experience throughout our time on Earth is why we are here. The innovators of the world have the courage to try new things to enhance the way we live. Some will get shot down, some will succeed, but having the courage to try is all you can ask for. So go face your oppositions with courage and strive to climb mountains that have never been climbed before.

Master Chief,

Aileen Oya, Coronado resident, Gold Coast Real Estate

Sam Dulin Junior, Coronado High School

Lauren Curtis Copyeditor Eagle Newspapers

Todd Elliott

USN, retired

Sam Working Coronado resident