Recreation Organizations of Mira Mesa
Mira Mesa
Recreation Advisory Group
A City Chartered Organization that is the community conduit to the San Diego Parks & Recreation Department responsible for providing input and advice to the City about community recreation programs, facilities, and park development projects.
Mira Mesa
Recreation Council 501c3
A 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization responsible for
supporting and promoting recreational activities in Mira Mesa.
Community News
Message About Park Renaming
December 9, 2016
Dear Mira Mesa Community
I would like to ask for your support on a very important issue in our community of naming and renaming of our community parks.
Background:
In March and April 2016 meeting of the Mira Mesa Recreation Council (MMRC), actions were taken to approve renaming of the following parks after (2) Mira Mesa community leaders and who are also sitting members of the Mira Mesa Recreation Council :
1. Walker Park will be renamed JULIUS HITCHENS PARK after it is merged with the expanded & renovated Wagenheim playing fields.
2. Maddox Park will be renamed STEVENS NEIGHBORHOOD PARK after it is merged with the new Salk School park site.
After careful consideration, the Mira Mesa Recreation Council is revisiting its action by inviting Mira Mesa residents to participate in the process by giving input on whether or not name changes are necessary or renaming or naming of the parks following Park and Recreation Board Policy #1001 as follows:
No. 1001 (Revised 11115/01)
PARK AND RECREATION BOARD POLICY
SUBJECT: Naming of Parks and Recreation Facilities
BACKGROUND: The public sometimes suggests that parks and recreation facilities be named after persons, living or dead.
PURPOSE: To provide a systematic procedure for the naming of parks and recreation facilities which will assist in their location by the
citizenry, and to develop a method for the retention of names of
historical or fiscal significance.
POLICY: As a general policy, parks and recreation facilities should be named to identify their locations. Especially for parks, the name of the
community area, the names of nearby geographic features, the
names of adjacent schools and street names should be given first
consideration. However, they may also be named for individuals,
living or dead, who are of historical significance to the local area or
who have made major financial contributions in the opinion of the
appropriate. Recreation Councils and/or other advisory bodies,
Board committees and the full Board. Facilities within parks,
(such as buildings, gyms, courts, .etc.) are more appropriate for
naming after individuals than are parks.
Renaming a facility for a person, when that facility is already
named for a person, should only be undertaken with the utmost
consideration. Every attempt should be made to contact the person
or heirs of the person for whom the facility is currently named, to
present their views verbally, or in writing, at a public hearing.
PROCEDURE: The Recreation Council effected by the proposed name change, shall hold a public hearing to review the request and the supporting documents and information, and shall make recommendations to the Area Committees and the Park and Recreation Board on any and all recommended changes to the renaming of existing facilities.
How can you help?
Based on the Park and Recreation Board Policy, please print and complete the survey form, and drop it off at either the December 2016 or January 2016 Mira Mesa Recreation Council meeting:
PARKS NAME SUGGESTIONS
Park #1
A new park is to be built by seamlessly merging the
existing Maddox Park with the undeveloped property
behind Salk School. This new park will include
restrooms and off-street parking as well as shaded
areas in addition to the existing amenities.
A suggested name for this new park is;
_____________________________________________
Park #2
A new park is to built by seamlessly merging the
A new park is to built by seamlessly merging the
existing Walker Park with the partially developed
Wangenheim Fields. This new park will include
restrooms, off-street parking, playground shade and a
new vehicle entrance from Flanders Drive in addition
to the existing amenities.
A suggested name for this new park is;
______________________________________________
Foggy Morning
by Al Radick
On a typical gloomy June morning in San Diego, eastbound on Flanders Drive, a car emerges through the morning fog as it arrives at Maddox Dog Park. The first of Mira Mesa’s unsung volunteers arrives to await their cohort. Soon another car arrives from the north on Parkdale Avenue and their daily routine begins.
Up the path they go, to the dog park. There awaiting them are the water jugs that need to be emptied, rinsed and refilled and the souvenir droppings of the many dogs that visited and played in the park the day before need to be removed. It must have been a busy day yesterday.
Victor, the Park & Rec. GMW arrives in his white pick up truck with a fresh supply of doggie bags for the dispensers and quickly leaves to get on with his chores in/around the park. Soon coming up the path they hear the familiar woof woof of a local black Lab on the way to “his park”, with his human in tow, to stretch his legs and burn off energy.
With the arrival of Gizmo, Duke, Blackie and Oliver the park once again comes alive with the sound of fun loving dogs greeting their friends and chasing each other around and around.
And then, all to soon, the sun is setting and another day at the Dog Park is finished, the same routine as the other 364 days this year. Tomorrow morning the Dog Park’s Stealth Angel’s will do it all over again.
Who are these stealthy, under the radar, angels of the dog park? Well they’ve both been Mira Mesa residents for many years, one since 1974, and have a mutual great love of dogs.
Don Castor, a “seasoned” citizen, is one. He’s a former Chairman of the Mira Mesa Recreation Council, circa 1980. Hmmm, I guess Old Rec. Council Chairman don’t fade away, they just go to the dogs.😂
His cohort is Terry Ellison. Terry works two jobs, dog park duty in the morning and VONS in the afternoon where she actually gets paid for her work.
These angels have been watching over the dog park since it first opened. They’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. They’ve been pleased, thrilled, disappointed and frustrated but through it all they keep showing up every morning, day after day after day…….for over twenty years!
If the dogs could speak, I’m pretty sure I know what they’d say, Thanks, we love you…….now go get us fresh water and a biscuit.
Breakfast with Santa – Lopez Ridge
December to Remember Kids Camp 2016
Magnificent Seven
That jolly old man in the red suit flying through the sky in a sleigh being pulled by reindeer will soon be here bringing gifts for all in Mira Mesa. It happens every year on Dec. 24th, Christmas Eve, without fail. Doubt me, just check with NORAD, they track his around the world trip every year so kids of all ages can follow along on their phones.
Of much more interest to Mira Mesans should be the year around, almost daily, trips that we can all observe, by Tim Manion’s band of merry men, the GMW’s of Mira Mesa, no sleigh pulling for these guys, they each have their own white SDP&R truck! On Ant. On Jose & Zack. On Jaime & Vic. On Eleazar and go Rockie go.
Santa has seven reindeer pulling one sled and Tim has seven Grounds Maintenance Workers (GMW) taking care of eleven of the twelve parks in Mira Mesa. Hmmmm.
So when you see one of the “Magnificent Seven” hard at work in a park, say hello and let them know that they really are appreciated by the community. They work hard for our benefit and deserve a shout out like Jennifer Batson did recently on Nextdoor about one of our “MagSeven” who tried to help with some “leashless” dogs & dog owners.