Cassity is honored by high school

Longtime Scripps Ranch resident Beverly Cassity was recently chosen to be inducted into the Kearny High School Hall of Fame. She is a graduate of the Kearny High School class of 1964.

The school selects a few alumni for this high honor each year. The honorees are chosen by the Kearny High School Alumni Association based on their accomplishments within a handful of categories. This year, Cassity was chosen for her accomplishments in business.

Cassity joked that her reaction was, “Have you run out of important people?”

However, her business accomplishments clearly justify this honor. She ran a car transfer business, owned a national award-winning cheerleading gym and operated the original Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market.

Today, Cassity is the manager of the “new” Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market and Family Festival, held from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. each Thursday at 10045 Carroll Canyon Road.

“I think what caught the attention of my high school was that we took a chance on opening up the (new) Farmer’s Market in the middle of COVID because I was sick and tired of staying home,” Cassity said. “We wanted to do something to get everybody on their feet and back out again and meeting with friends and family. And we accomplished that.”

Although her award is in the business category, her legacy of volunteerism is just as strong. Cassity was heavily into volunteering for the first 11 years she lived in Scripps Ranch, she said. Besides running the original Farmer’s Market, she organized the old Scripps Ranch Community Fair for several years. She used to volunteer to be in charge of opening day festivities for the local girls softball league, the youth soccer league and Scripps Ranch Little League.

She has always stayed close to her high school, and still meets with friends who are former students she went to high school with each month.

“I volunteered to head up the committee for our class reunions since the day we graduated. So, every class reunion that’s happened since I graduate in 1964, I’ve been the head of the committee,” Cassity said. “We just had our 57th year reunion. ... It was pretty cool.”

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held April 29. Cassity’s name will be added to a permanent plaque that stays on display at the school.

“I was really proud because my grandchildren will be there and I wanted them to be able to see this to learn that if you work really hard, people will notice,” Cassity said.

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5-year-old raises funds to cure cancer

Scripps Ranch resident Owen Presnall, age 5, recently raised more than $5,000 for cancer research. He started a team called O-wen We Cure Cancer to support Curebound’s Padres Pedal the Cause fundraising event that took place March 18 at Petco Park.

Book Donation Day set at the library

Grace’s Book Nook at the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library is holding a special book donation day event on Wednesday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers will be accepting donations curbside, and book donors will receive a special thank-you gift (at this special event only) and a receipt for tax purposes.

Can’t make it on that day? Donations of gently used books are welcome anytime at the library.

A Scripps Ranch gem hidden away in the library, Grace’s Book Nook is the used bookstore at the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library, staffed completely by volunteers and open Mondays through Saturdays.

Find fantastic bargains on books for all ages and tastes at the Book Nook, plus magazines, greeting cards, DVDs, CDs and more – including special floating waterfowl food for that visit to adjacent Evans Pond to feed the ducks.

The stock of used books is continuously updated.

The next Second Saturday pop-up book sale features an expanded inventory on May 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Those interested in exploring volunteer opportunities with the Book Nook team may send an email to booknook@srfol.org.

Owen, a T-K student attending Miramar Ranch Elementary School, started fundraising in January, taking photos with signs to send to family and friends to recruit support. He became a Cure Creator top fundraiser by raising $2,500 in February, and was rewarded with bubbles and M&Ms from the Padres Pedal the Cause team. Then, days before the event, he reached Yellow Jersey top fundraiser status: $5,000. He is only the second child to do so for this fundraiser.

The event occurred in midMarch with more than 3,000 participants raising $2.5 million and counting. Owen participated in the 5k walk along the Embarcadero and then participated in the kids challenge where he ran along the bases on the field at Petco Park with the Friar and Spiderman.

During this process, Owen’s parents explained to Owen how many people in their life cancer had touched, according to his mother, Heather Dean-Presnall. But since he is a five-year old, he ultimately told people he was fundraising to help sick people.

In total, Owen’s team raised more than $5,449, all of which will be directed to funding cancer research in San Diego.

Learn more about this mission to make San Diego the cancer curing city at Curebound.org.

Aviara Trio to perform

“The Pleasure of Your Company” concert series, sponsored by the Scripps Ranch Friends of the Library, will present the Aviara Piano Trio, comprised of violinist Robert Schumitzky, cellist Erin Breene and pianist

Ines Irawati, on Sunday, May 21, 2:30 pm, performing romantic chamber music in the intimate setting of our library’s Community Room. There is no charge for the concert, although donations are appreciated. Masks may be required for all audience members regardless of immunization status.

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