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VOL. 11, N0. 13
MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
JUNE 26, 2015
Fred Wasserman and Mike Licosati will begin their three-year terms as Rancho Santa Fe Association directors July 2. File photo by Christina Macone-Greene
From left: Outgoing Rancho Santa Fe Association Director Rochelle Putnam on her horse Valor, her trainer Paul Cook on Milo, her groom Luis Cardenas on Junior, and her husband Jim on Dreamer. The group rides the Rancho Santa Fe trails three times a week. Courtesy photo
Outgoing director remains active in RSF By Christina Macone-Greene
RANCHO SANTA FE — Although Rochelle Putnam has recently completed her term as director on the Rancho Santa Fe Association Board, she continues to remain closely involved in helping her community. Putnam serves on the Parks and Trails Committee, a position which means much to her, since the trails are an enjoyable part of her life. “You will see me on the trails every day on one of my horses or walking with my husband Jim and our dog Margarita,” Putnam said. While the chapter of serving as a director for the Association has come
to a close, Putnam reflects on her time there. “It has been interesting learning about how the Association serves the homeowners, what issues are important to the community, and I’ve met a lot of wonderful residents,” she said. “I’ve also gotten to know many of the full time staff that work for the Association, and I respect their dedication to serving our membership.” Putnam said her corporate background was something she relied on during her term. “Before I retired in 2007, I was a managing director for a $2.5 billion financial services firm where I man-
aged 300 customer service staff. For many years, I was involved in every major project, some of which were exceedingly complex, so I spent a lot of time in committee meetings collaborating on issues and planning changes and improvements,” Putnam said. She continued, “The valuable experience I gained working with a variety of individuals on complex issues was valuable when I was elected as a director for the RSFA.” Putnam went on to say that the adage, “Change is hard,” was even present in RSFA. An example of this TURN TO PUTNAM ON 18
Oceanside Police K-9 unit receives cheers RANCHO SANTA FE — For a second consecutive year in a row, the Oceanside Police and their K-9 unit showcased a riveting demo having the San Diego Polo crowd cheering. During halftime, the patrol cars motored on the field and the K-9 unit revealed the talent and skill of their four-legged partners. On the polo field were officer K-9 teams James Smith and Nero, Kevin Wilson and Atlas, Frank Wagner and Max, and Sam Hay and Gonzo. The K-9s, which apprehended the decoy, David Greene of Performance K-9 Training, were Nero and Atlas. Wagner was also on hand as a decoy for the demo. On the microphone, Hay navigated the crowd regarding the dogs, the work that they do on the streets, and the intense training the dogs and handlers continually undergo. Attendees also learned about the Oceanside Police Canine Officer’s Association, which is a charitable organization and subsidiary of the Oceanside Police Officer’s Association. San Diego Polo announcer, Steve Lewandowski, explained how donors Oceanside Police Officer Kevin Wilson and his K-9, Atlas during a halfand sponsors are vital to time show at the San Diego Polo fields. Photo by Susan White
this nonprofit entity of the Oceanside Police K-9 Unit. “With the support of the community, individual donors and corporate sponsors, we can all provide handlers and their K-9 partners with valuable and often life-saving equipment, training and resources that they need on the streets each and every day,” Lewandowski said. “Police K-9’s, like other animals, are not immune from medical problems and because of the nature of their work both active and retired K-9’s may require additional medical care.” This nonprofit was started when K-9, Atlas, inhaled a foxtail unbeknownst to Wilson during training a couple of years ago. Surprisingly, the foxtail became imbedded into the animal’s lung which required costly surgery and months of recovery. The nonprofit helps bridge any financial gaps to ensure that the K-9’s are healthy, well equipped and well trained as they continue, “leading the way” in law enforcement. While everyone enjoyed the demo, the Rancho Santa Fe Cup Finals also marked a time for all to meet with the Del Mar lifeguards, local fire department and first responders.
Licosati, Wasserman voted in as new Association directors By Christina Macone-Greene
RANCHO SANTA FE —The Rancho Santa Fe Association released its 2015 election results which revealed that Fred Wasserman and Mike Licosati will be serving a three-year term on the Association’s board. Outgoing directors who served their full term are Craig McAllister and Rochelle Putnam. The election results tallied 610 votes for Wasserman and 628 for Licosati. While both candidates endorsed each other, an election process was still required to formally fill the two vacant seats. Licosati and Wasserman will make their first appearance as new directors at the next July 2 RSF Association board meeting.
Spanish to be part of school’s curriculum By Christina Macone-Greene tal households with 198 re-
RANCHO SANTA FE — Following much discussion and a parent survey, the Rancho Santa Fe School District decided to implement a foreign language for its K-5 students. And Spanish is the language of choice for the new school year. According to Superintendent Lindy Delaney, students in grades K-5 are provided the opportunity to take art, music computers, drama, ocean science, and public speaking in a six-week rotation called the Elective Wheel. “We will be incorporating Ocean Science in the science program and public speaking will be incorporated to the time students spend in the school library,” she said. “Spanish will replace those subjects in the K-5 Elective Wheel.” Part of this decision-making process also included elementary school Principal Kimberly Pinkerton. At a previous school board meeting, Pinkerton told the board that she and her colleagues felt very strongly that if they were looking at an introductory program, which is how parents ultimately responded; a two-day-a-week program would offer this. The April online survey was sent to 798 paren-
sponding. While the response rate was low, the district believed that for those who did respond, offering language was important. Pinkerton told the board when new families attend a “meet and greet” the number one question asked is if the children are exposed to a foreign language. “So I know that there’s a definite interest from the families that have been coming in for the past several years is for us to offer something,” Pinkerton said. “So we want to be mindful of that, and we want to do it in a purposeful way.” Pinkerton said the district would be remiss if they removed Ocean Science or public speaking since they are valuable parts of the work that they do in school. Both would be incorporated. While almost 50 percent of parents taking the survey preferred foreign language three days a week, both Delaney and Pinkerton believed it would decrease the instructional time spent on math, science reading, and writing. Having Spanish as part of the Elective Wheel TURN TO CURRICULUM ON 18