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I'M CALLING TONIGHT'S MEETING TO ORDER, PLEASE TAKE ROLL.
[City Council Special Meeting on July 23, 2024.]
COUNCIL MEMBER LUNA.PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER BURKHOLDER.
PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER ACOSTA.
I'M HERE. MAYOR PRO TEM BHAT-PATEL HERE.
ALL FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.
NEXT IS THE PLEDGE. I'M GOING TO INVITE SOCORRO ANDERSON PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AND THIS IS CONSIDERED A COUNCIL MEETING.
SO I'M CALLING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS ON PUBLIC COMMENT? THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS.
OKAY. NEXT IS THE REASON WE'RE ALL HERE.
I'M SORRY. COULD YOU TURN UP THE MICROPHONES JUST A TAD? THANKS. IT'S MY PLEASURE TONIGHT TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO THE CITIZENS OF THE YEAR CEREMONY.
TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO HONOR TWO RECIPIENTS.
THE CITIZENS OF THE YEAR PROGRAM STARTED IN 1967, AND SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD 89 COMMUNITY MEMBERS RECOGNIZED AS CITIZENS OF THE YEAR.
CITIZENS OF THE YEAR AREN'T TAKEN LIGHTLY.
AND FIRST NEXT, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE THE FOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
FIRST IS JOHN DAVIS, SAMANTHA FLETCHER, THEY'VE ALL DECIDED TO SIT IN THE BACK ROW.
LUANNE ENGSTROM, SHE COULDN'T MAKE IT.
AND LAURETTE PERKINS SO [APPLAUSE].
AND LIKE I SAID, THIS IS A DIFFICULT JOB FOR THEM TO GO THROUGH.
THIS IS MAKING THE DECISION OF WHO'S REPRESENTING THE BEST OF THE BEST OF THE RESIDENTS OF CARLSBAD.
MY FIRST HONOREE TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE SOCORRO ANDERSON.
WILL YOU PLEASE JOIN ME WHILE I TALK ABOUT YOU [APPLAUSE]? SOCORRO. I KNOW HER AS ANDERSON, BUT IT'S RODRIGUEZ ANDERSON HAS LIVED IN CARLSBAD FOR MORE THAN 45 YEARS, SPENT MUCH OF HER TIME WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS IN THE BARRIO COMMUNITY AND THROUGHOUT THE NORTH COUNTY.
A LONGTIME PARISHIONER OF SAINT PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CARLSBAD SERVES AS A COORDINATOR FOR FATHER RAYMOND MOORE HALL, WHICH OFFERS SHOWERS, CLOTHING, DENTAL, DENTAL AND MEDICAL CARE, AND FOOD AND LAUNDRY SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE IN NEED.
FOR TEN YEARS WAS PRESIDENT OF THE CONGREGATIONS FOR CIVIC ACTION.
THAT'S A NONPROFIT INTERFAITH ORGANIZATION SERVING 14,000 FAMILIES IN NORTH COUNTY WORKING TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS LIKE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN.
SHE'S VERY ENGAGED IN CITIZEN'S ACADEMY, CITIZEN'S POLICE ACADEMY, CITIZEN OF CARLSBAD, I'M SORRY, CITY OF CARLSBAD LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM.
AND SHE'S BEEN HONORED TWICE FOR HER COMMUNITY SERVICE BY THE CARLSBAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
IN ADDITION TO HER COMMUNITY SERVICE, SHE'S DEDICATED MATRIARCH OF THE BEAUTIFUL FAMILY, CONSISTING OF TWO ADULT CHILDREN, FIVE ADULT GRANDCHILDREN, AND FOUR GREAT GRANDCHILDREN.
WHEN WE ASKED SOCORRO WHY SHE HAS CHOSEN TO BE SO INVOLVED OVER THE YEARS, HERE'S WHAT SHE SAID.
I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE IN MY LIFE.
I'VE ALWAYS HAD A ROOF OVER MY HEAD AND ENOUGH TO EAT.
I LIKE HELPING OTHERS BECAUSE I THINK A HEALTHY COMMUNITY IS WHEN EVERYONE HAS THOSE SAME BENEFITS.
I APPRECIATE THE WAY SOCORRO BRINGS THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. SHE ISN'T AFRAID TO REACH OUT TO US AT CITY HALL OR THE POLICE CHIEF, AND I WILL TELL YOU, SHE IS NOT AFRAID TO REACH OUT TO CITY HALL.
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SAY. SHE DOESN'T JUST COME WITH COMPLAINTS, SHE COMES WITH SOLUTIONS.THE BARRIO HAS A SPECIAL PLACE IN HER HEART.
PEOPLE COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER DURING HARD TIMES.
SOCORRO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEART.
AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY OF CARLSBAD [APPLAUSE].
AND THIS IS A SYMBOL OF OUR THANKS.
I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU RECEIVE THIS AWARD.
I KNOW WE MET. GOSH, IT WAS NOW SIX YEARS AGO, ALMOST IN SOMEONE'S HOME.
AND I'M TRULY I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU RECEIVED THIS BECAUSE I THINK OUT OF ANYONE, YOU DESERVE THIS AND CONGRATULATIONS! I'M SO, SO PROUD TO STAND BESIDE YOU.
I WANT TO ALSO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE AND MY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, SOCORRO.
I'VE SEEN YOU COME AND ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE HERE AT THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST ATTENDING THE DIFFERENT ACADEMIES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN YOUR BIO, BUT FOR THE 45 YEARS THAT YOU'VE BEEN HERE HELPING THE LEAST FORTUNATE, THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND NOT JUST IN IN A WAY THAT IS SERVING THEM INDIVIDUALLY, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO IN A SYSTEMIC WAY, BY ADVOCATING FOR THEM AND LOOKING FOR BIGGER CHANGES TO HELP MORE PEOPLE AT ONCE.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DESERVE CITIZEN OF THE YEAR [APPLAUSE].
THANK YOU. MISS BURKHOLDER YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT'S SUCH A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU.
WE APPRECIATE THAT FOR YOU AND THE EFFORTS THAT YOU UNDERTAKE IN THE VILLAGE AND THE BARRIO.
WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE. I'M SO PROUD OF YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS [APPLAUSE].
MISS LUNA. SO OUR CITIZENS OF THE YEAR AND IS THIS OUR HOW MANY YEARS? IT'S BEEN 57 YEARS.
NOBODY TOLD ME THERE'D BE MATH.
67. OKAY, SO I LIKE MATH AND SOCORRO FOR EVERY 1300 CITIZENS, THERE'S ONE OF YOU.
BECAUSE HONESTLY, WITHOUT YOU GUYS, I MEAN, I HATE TO SAY THIS TO MY COLLEAGUES AND STAFF UP HERE REALLY DON'T NEED US TRULY, IT'S YOU GUYS. AND SO HOPEFULLY PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT THIS AND SEE ALL THE 89 OTHER PEOPLE BEFORE YOU AND I PUT A CHALLENGE OUT TO THEM THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF YOU UP HERE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING A ROLE MODEL [APPLAUSE].
SOCORRO THE MICROPHONE IS YOURS.
I HAD A LOT TO SAY ABOUT MYSELF, BUT HE DID IT VERY WELL [LAUGHTER].
I STAND BEFORE YOU VERY HUMBLED AND HONORED TO ACCEPT THIS AWARD.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO SAINT PATRICK'S CHURCH.
OUR PASTORS ARE BACK THERE KEEPING AN EYE ON ME.
THEY CHALLENGED ME TO LET'S SEE, WHAT DID I WRITE HERE? THEY CHALLENGED ME, WORKING WITH PROFOUND SENSE OF SHARED PURPOSE AND COMMITMENT, MOVING OUR COMMUNITIES INTO ACTION AND ENGAGING OUR ELECTRICAL, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN MEANINGFUL DIALOG FOR CHANGE.
THIS AWARD IS NOT JUST FOR ME.
IT IS ABOUT THE FAMILY'S VOICES FOR CHANGE.
TO BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, DEBBIE FOUNTAIN OF HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT, HER DEDICATION AND TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF THE FAMILIES LIVING IN THE BARRIO IS UNSURMOUNTABLE.
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PARENTS LIVING LEAVING THE CENTRAL VALLEY AT A YOUNG AGE TO RAISE A FAMILY IN CARLSBAD, EMBRACED BY THE RESIDENTS OF THE BARRIO MANY OF THE SAME LIFE EXPERIENCES AS MY PARENTS.LIFE IS A LIVED AND LEARNED EXPERIENCE THAT DEFINES YOU.
EVERY STEP IN THIS JOURNEY HAS BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN, GROW, AND EXCEL.
I AM DEEPLY THANKFUL TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN PART OF THIS JOURNEY.
THANK YOU MAYOR, COUNCIL AND EVERYONE WHO PLAYED A PART IN THIS AWARD [APPLAUSE].
[APPLAUSE] RON MOVED TO CARLSBAD IN 1964 WITH HIS FATHER, GORDON.
HE WAS HIRED AS A PASTOR OF PILGRIM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST.
SERVING THE COMMUNITY RUNS IN THE FAMILY.
GORDON WAS ACTIVE IN LOCAL LITERACY AND FARM WORKER HOUSING CAMPAIGNS.
GORDON WAS CARLSBAD CITIZEN OF THE YEAR IN 2003, IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY.
RON FOUND HIS PATH IN HIGHER EDUCATION, WORKING AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DEAN AND ADMINISTRATOR WORKED TO CREATE EDUCATION AND CAREER TRAINING PROGRAMS. IN 1973, STARTED AT MIRACOSTA COLLEGE AND SET UP THE SCHOOL'S FIRST PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
HE EARNED A DOCTORATE IN EDUCATION AND OVER THE NEXT 34 YEARS SERVED AT THREE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES, INCLUDING THE DEAN OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE, RETIRED IN 2006 AND RETURNED TO CARLSBAD AND WANTED TO STAY ACTIVE IN THE IN HIS RETIREMENT.
RON IS A NAVY SUBMARINE VETERAN, SERVED IN THE VIETNAM WAR, TODAY HELPS LOCAL VETERANS AND SENIORS WHO HAVE A HARDER TIME GETTING AROUND.
DOES IT ALL BEHIND THE SCENES AND DOES NOT SEEK RECOGNITION.
AND WHEN I THE THE COMMITTEE TALKED ABOUT RON.
THAT HIT A SPECIAL SPOT IN THEIR HEARTS.
TAKING CARE OF VETERANS WHO TOOK CARE OF US BUT CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.
AND THAT THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
HIS SERVICE GOES BEYOND CARLSBAD.
RON'S WIFE, JUDITH, IS A FORMER DEAN OF COUNSELING AT PALOMAR COLLEGE.
THEY VOLUNTEER TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN THAILAND AND BHUTAN RAISED TEENS OF RAISED AND RAISED FOR THEM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
WHEN WE ASKED RON WHY HE CHOSE CARLSBAD, HE SAID HE RECOGNIZED SOME SPECIAL THINGS ABOUT THE CITY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN IT WAS STILL A SLEEPY LITTLE BEACH TOWN. AND HE'S GRATEFUL THAT EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, HE HELD ON TO THAT SPECIAL FEELING THAT MAKES CARLSBAD UNIQUE.
RON'S TWO ADULT CHILDREN WERE RAISED IN CARLSBAD.
RON AND JUDITH ARE PROUD GRANDPARENTS OF SIX CHILDREN, AND FOR THAT, THANK YOU, RON.
THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. I THINK I JUST PUT MY FINGERPRINTS ALL OVER IT.
I WANT TO INVITE THE COUNCIL ANY COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL, MISS BHAT-PATEL.
SURE. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS AND REALLY COOL THAT YOUR DAD WAS ALSO A CITIZEN OF THE YEAR.
IT'S LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, JUST SEEING THE AMOUNT OF SERVICE THAT IS IN YOUR FAMILY, INCLUDING YOUR WIFE, AND GIVING BACK TO NOT ONLY OUR YOUNGEST AND OUR STUDENTS AND OUR VETERANS CLEARLY SHOWS THAT YOU'RE DEDICATED TO OUR COMMUNITY AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THAT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS AND WELL DESERVED.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. MISS ACOSTA, THANK YOU.
IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO LEARN ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND YOUR FAMILY LEGACY.
AND I DO ALSO SEE THAT YOU'RE PASSING THAT ALONG THROUGH AS A AS A MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY, BUT ALSO THROUGH THE STUDENTS THAT YOU EDUCATE, A COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE SUCH A WONDERFUL PLACE TO DO THAT WORK BECAUSE SO MANY STUDENTS COME THERE FROM DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE, WHETHER IT'S STRAIGHT OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL OR COMING BACK YEARS LATER.
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SO COMMUNITY COLLEGES ARE ALSO VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO ME AS A FORMER PROFESSOR AT MIRACOSTA COLLEGE, BUT ALSO LIBRARIES, THE WORK THAT WE DO FOR LITERACY, THE WORK THAT WE DO TO HELP OTHERS.SO KIND OF THE FULL PACKAGE OF HELPING OTHERS AND TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION.
CONGRATULATIONS VERY MUCH ON BEING CITIZEN OF THE YEAR [APPLAUSE].
RON, I HAVE TO ASK YOU, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT ACTUALLY RETIRING? I'M SERIOUS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND FOR YOUR SERVICE ABOVE SELF.
SO THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS [APPLAUSE].
COMING FROM A MARINE CORPS FAMILY SEMPER FI.
I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE.
IT BECAME I DON'T WANT TO SAY NATIONALIZED, BUT YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS WAY BEFORE THAT, AND FROM MY FAMILY AND MY UNCLES AND MY AUNTS WHO SERVED.
I JUST WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR HIS KIND WORDS.
AND IT'S REALLY HUMBLING AND APPRECIATIVE OF THIS RECOGNITION.
IT ALWAYS COME BACK HERE, MY FOLKS WERE HERE, MY DAD LIVED HERE NEAR THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR 47 YEARS SO THANKSGIVINGS, CHRISTMASES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, I WAS ALWAYS COMING BACK, EVEN THOUGH I WAS MAYBE IN SANTA BARBARA OR MONTEREY.
WHEN I WAS CONTEMPLATING MY RETIREMENT, I KNEW I WANTED TO RETURN TO CARLSBAD.
I BOUGHT A PLACE OVER ON CHINQUAPIN NEAR THE BEACH, AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING TO RETIRE.
BUT THEN, AS YOU KNOW, LIFE BRINGS US UNEXPECTED CHANGES.
SO WITH THAT, ALL OF A SUDDEN I RETURNED OF THE WITH THE RETURN OF A WONDERFUL WOMAN BACK INTO MY LIFE BACK IN.
AND TOGETHER WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER NOW FOR 18 YEARS.
WE'RE MARRIED NOW, AND SO WE'RE LIVING THE RETIRED LIFE.
SO I'D LIKE TO KIND OF THANK A FEW PEOPLE.
BUT FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE TO SAY, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF MY FRIENDS HERE TODAY, BUT I REALLY KNOW IS THAT THEY DIDN'T COME TO SEE ME BECAUSE THEY CAME TO SEE JUDY TODAY, YOU KNOW. NOW, NOW, WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? JUDY JUST HAD A TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT OVER JUST A LITTLE OVER TWO WEEKS AGO.
SO I'D LIKE TO KIND OF RECOGNIZE AND MAYBE THANK A FEW OTHER PEOPLE.
I THINK I HAVE TO START WITH MY PARENTS BETTY AND GORDON BAKER, WHO WERE WONDERFUL ROLE MODELS AND INSTILLED IN US THREE KIDS THE REWARDS OF SERVING AND HELPING PEOPLE. ALL THREE OF US, IN THE END, ENDED UP WORKING IN EDUCATION, AND WE ALL WORKED ON ASSISTING DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS FOR OUR CAREERS.
WHILE MY DAD'S RECEIVED A LOT OF RECOGNITION FOR HIS WORK IN THE COMMUNITY, IT WAS MY MOM WHO ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED THE CARLSBAD LAUBACH LITERACY CENTER AT THAT TIME, IN 1971 AFTER MY MOM'S DEATH, MY DAD CONTINUED MANAGING THE PROGRAM AND EXPANDING IT, AND NOW IS A PART OF THE CARLSBAD LEARNING CENTER DOWN THE STREET HERE, WHICH IS PRETTY NEAT.
MY BOTH SISTERS WENT TO CARLSBAD HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADUATED.
MAGGIE HERE WAS VALEDICTORIAN.
YOU KNOW, SHE'S ALWAYS SMARTER THAN ME, YOU KNOW? AND BOTH OF THEM TRAVELED AND LIVED AND STUDIED IN COLOMBIA AND LEARNED SPANISH VERY WELL.
SO MY YOUNGEST SISTER, CATHY, IS NOT HERE TODAY.
SHE'S SITTING. AND MAYBE I'LL WAVE BECAUSE I THINK SHE'S WATCHING US ON TV RIGHT NOW.
SHE WORKED AS A BILINGUAL AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER.
SO THERE'S THE SPANISH SIDE OF THE HER CAREER.
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AGED KIDS ABOUT NATURE.SHE'S GOT A DOCTORATE IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND HAS ALSO HAD A CAREER IN HIGHER EDUCATION.
SHE DESIGNED AND TAUGHT A VERY POPULAR CLASS CALLED BILINGUAL WOMEN'S HEALTH EDUCATION.
SHE TAUGHT THAT CLASS AT THE SAN ISIDRO CENTER FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS.
TODAY SHE, OF COURSE, SHE'S GOT A VOLUNTEER TO DO SOMETHING TOO.
SHE'S VERY INVOLVED IN THE SOUTH BAY SUPPORTING HAITIAN MIGRANTS ON THEIR ROAD TO CITIZENSHIP.
VERY FLATTERING AND VERY HEARTWARMING.
AND IT WAS REALLY NICE TO GET YOUR PHONE CALL.
WE FINALLY GOT HOOKED UP AND SAYING, HEY, ME.
OKAY. IT WAS QUITE A SURPRISE.
AND LAST I'D LIKE TO REALLY THANK THE CITY COUNCIL.
SCOTT CITY MANAGER, I'VE WATCHED CARLSBAD FOR 60 YEARS AND WATCH IT GROW WATCH THE PLANNING.
AND THAT'S WHY I LOVE THIS PLACE.
AND SO THIS IS THE BEST SMALL TOWN.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE LIVING HERE AND WHO WANT TO KEEP IT UP.
SO IN CLOSING, THANK YOU TAKE CARE AND IF POSSIBLE, OF SOMEONE ELSE [APPLAUSE].
BOTH SOCORRO AND RON ARE BOTH EXAMPLES OF ALL THE GREAT CITIZENS OF THE YEAR WE'VE HAD.
I JUST WISH THAT THIS WAS A COMPETITION WITH THE OTHER CITIES BECAUSE I THINK WE WOULD WIN.
WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE BEST CAKE.
THE LESS YOU GUYS EAT, THE MORE I GET TO TAKE HOME.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.