Desert Trail Column - August 15, 2019

The Meet & Greet/Ice Cream Social with our Municipal Advisory Council Delegate Steve Reyes went very well. Upon arrival, guests were treated to some great piano playing by Lauris K. while waiting for the meeting to start. The special guest speaker was Scott Brown from High Desert Keepers, a nonprofit organization that deals with illegal dumping. Scott, a former police officer, is the president and founder, and is dedicated to ending illegal dumping in the high desert. The organization has agreed to assist Wonder Valley in cleaning up our illegally-dumped trash. To learn more about this organization, go to www.highdesertkeepers.org

Godwin Christian Fellowship, 6389 Godwin Road at 29 Palms Highway, will have a free movie and pizza night on Friday, August 16, starting at 5:30. If planning to attend, RSVP at 831-234-6848 so they will be sure to have enough pizza for everyone.

The USDA Food Distribution will take place on Tuesday, August 20 at our Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526 ½ Amboy Road at Blower Road, from 9 to noon.

Mark your calendars for the following upcoming events: The mobile medical van at our WVCC on August 28; a theater presentation with Miri Hunter at our WVCC on September 28; a Halloween presentation with Ken Layne at our WVCC on October 26; and a one-year anniversary potluck for Pastor Lonnie Casper at Wonder Valley Community Church, 82575 Amboy Road, on October 28.

Most events at our WVCC are sponsored by our local nonprofit Friends of Wonder Valley. For additional information on any local event, contact WVCC Coordinator Teresa Sitz at teresa.sitz@sdd.sbcounty.gov or call 760-367-9880.

We send out Rainbows-of-Peridots-and-Gladioli to Chad Fairweather and Alexa who celebrate their special days this week. Happy birthday, Alexa and Chad!

Wonder Valley resident Susan Doggett has cared for over 35,000 sick, injured and/or orphaned wild birds since 1978. She’s an Emergency Medical Technician, a graduate biologist and holds an undergraduate degree in vertebrate zoology with two years of graduate studies in ornithology and animal behavior. Susan has operated state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitation facilities for over 39 years without any outside funding, and is a frequent guest speaker at schools and events where she provides public education on conservation and ecology of California’s birds of prey. If you come across a wild bird in distress, call Susan at 714-637-8355 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

Handy Hint: Not everything is a great deal at warehouse clubs, but the really smart buys include canned veggies, soda, toilet paper and eggs.

Today’s Thought: An unwillingness to quarrel about something doesn’t mean you agree with it.

Until next time . . . remember to take time to enjoy the WONDERs all around us.