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NOV. 19, 2010
RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS
Business network helps prevent youth violence community CALENDAR By Wehtahnah Tucker
RANCHO SANTA FE — The power of one group to make a difference in society was evident Nov. 13 as The PEERS Network hosted a black-tie gala to benefit The Tariq Khamisa Foundation. The star-studded event held at Casa Contenta, a private home in the Covenant, was well-attended. The gala featured cocktails and catering by Giuseppe of La Jolla, music and live and silent auctions. Attendees bid generously on items ranging from vacation homes in Spain, Canada and Mammoth to an antique mini-piano and everything in between. The PEERS Network is a nonprofit comprised of 12 entrepreneurs whose aim is to give back to the San Diego community in five different areas including philanthropy, entrepreneurship, the environment, relationships and social causes. The PEERS mission is to give back to the San Diego community by helping enhance and improve philanthropic pursuits while providing a network to encour-
WHAT’S COOKING? Giuseppe Ciuffa (middle) is flanked by his wife Salem (left) and chef John Williams. The owner of several restaurants and a successful catering company, Ciuffa is also on the PEERS board of directors. Photo by Wehtahnah Tucker
age entrepreneurship according to its founders Trevor Callan. What started out as an informal gathering of young entrepreneurs just last year quickly grew into a full-fledged organization. The group soon got to work making good on their mission to help the community. The group’s second annu-
al black-tie gala benefited The Tariq Khamisa Foundation, or TKF, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of youth violence. The group is named in memory of Tariq Khamisa, who was killed by 14-year-old Tony Hicks during a gang initiation in 1995. Khamisa’s
father Azim Khamisa reached out to Hicks’ grandfather, Ples Felix, after the murder in a sign of reconciliation. Together the two have worked to spread a message of nonviolence to kindergarten through 12th-grade students. They have spoken to thousands of youth about the “power of forgiveness,”
according to Khamisa. “From the onset, I saw victims on both ends of the gun,” he said. While Khamisa said he will mourn the loss of his son forever, he said his grief has been transformed into a commitment to change a society where children kill each other. The foundation provides leadership programs to at-risk youth, fosters coalitions between youth and parents and facilitates forums that include former gang members. PEERS was founded in March 2009 by a group of 12 local male entrepreneurs, ranging in age from 30 to 40 years old and from various industries. The members have experienced individual success in business but wanted to find a way to make a difference in the larger society by supporting the work of existing charities. “The idea was we wanted to give back and contribute to the community locally and at the same time encourage growth and develop a peer network to lean on TURN TO BUSINESS ON A18
Life’s a walk in the park for Cottonwood Creek host By Lillian Cox
ENCINITAS — Terry Sisson has a life anyone would envy. At 76, he’s free and unencumbered with retirement benefits he collects from three sources: the U.S. Navy, Caltrans and the city of
Encinitas. He also has nine children, 35 grandchildren, one great grandchild, and another on the way, scattered across the globe who, no doubt, would love to see him. Instead, Sisson has cho-
sen to spend the past six years as the park host at Cottonwood Creek Park. He receives no compensation, just a place to park his RV. He also gets free electricity, phone, sewage and basic cable.
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UNEXPECTED Cal State San Marcos will be present the Untitled Unexpected Art Show at 6 p.m. Nov. 19, Cal State San Marcos Arts Department, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd. Sixty different artists will present their work. Call (760) 750-4000 to learn more.
NOV. 20 BENEFIT RIDE CA1-N’s 23rd annual Toys For Tots Motorcycle Benefit Ride will be held at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 20. The police escorted ride starts at the Oceanside Harbor, parking lot No. 1, and is in support of the Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots Program. Call Jim Williams at (760) 941-4952 or visit www. gwrra-ca1n.net. RALLY! A rally for Pacific View Cultural Arts Center will be held at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20, Elk’s Lodge, 1393 Windsor Drive, Cardiff. Organizers say the property cannot be developed for residential use, meaning it could have a shot at giving it a second life as a cultural arts center. The band Rocket Science will perform. Call Danny at (760) 9446027 for more details. YEE HAW! The San Dieguito Heritage Museum will host an event to present the western heritage of the community from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 20. The event will feature presentations about cowboy equipment and tools, roping and horse grooming. Call the museum office at (760) 6329711 or visit www.sdheritage.org to learn more.
NOV. 21
FALL FESTIVAL The Fall Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 21, along the Coast Highway from D to J streets, Encinitas. This festival is a readymade bazaar for holiday TURN TO HOST ON A17 shoppers, and will feature more than 450 vendor booths showcasing various arts, crafts, gifts, food and more. PLANT NOW The Buena Vista Native Plant Club will meet at 2 p.m. Nov. 21, 2202 S. Coast Highway 101, Oceanside. Topics will include what to plant now that winter is coming. E-mail bvlagoon@gmail.com to learn more. UNIT GAME American Contract Bridge League Unit 531 will host a Unit Game at 12:15 p.m. Nov. 21, Esplanade Bridge Center, 437 S. Coast Highway 101, Suite 102, Solana Beach. It will feature Stratified Open Pairs, as well as a 499’er
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2004 he’s counted license plates from every state in the union. Sisson is required to be onsite between the hours of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. as a deterrent to vandalism and other illegal activity. His biggest headaches are with transients and teens who hang out at midnight. “If a transient is a vet I’ll ask him if he’s willing to get sober and clean up,” he explained. “If he is, I take him to Veterans Village in San Diego where he can get three
NOV. 19
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Why does he do it? “This is a magical mystery place,” he said. “Eight out of 10 kids cry when they leave because they don’t want to go home.” Sisson also admits to being an incurable people watcher who appreciates sentimental sights such as a father and son playing catch or an elderly man tenderly taking his wife for a stroll. “A couple of days ago I saw a Latino man kicking a soccer ball with his son,” he said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.” Since the park opened in
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