HOLIDAYS
SPORTS
W&P
Holiday fun and events
Cross country Champions!
Plenty of activities
ECRWSS PRESORTED STD US POSTAGE PAID GARDENA, CA PERMIT NO. 40
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POSTAL CUSTOMER
www.ScrippsRanchNews.com
Volume 6 Issue 12 • November 2023
Volunteer recounts aiding in Maui after fires By Ashley Shah
SCHOOLS SRHS band marches on
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SPORTS Hockey training
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Blood drive set for SR resident Scripps Ranch resident Jennifer Creager has been battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia for more than eight years. She requires blood and platelet transfusions as a part of her treatment. The Scripps Ranch community and residents from surrounding communities are asked to join for a blood drive to get much needed blood, especially at the holidays, to support Creager and other cancer patients. This special blood drive will be held Saturday, Dec. 9, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at St. Timothy’s Church, 10125 Azuaga St. in Rancho Penasquitos. Appointments are strongly encouraged. Visit mysdbb.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/ 79390. Walk-ins will be welcomed on a first come, first served basis.
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atasha Mar, a resident of Scripps Ranch, traveled to Maui last summer to support the community after disastrous wildfires struck the area. Mar went with the San Diego Loves Maui organization. “I got involved with this opportunity because of other organizations I am in. I am a part of the Thai American Chamber of Commerce, Asian Pacific Islander Initiative and do volunteer work at the temple in Escondido. Through these organizations, I met Joann Fields. We were able to create a group of people that went to Maui,” Mar said. On Aug. 27, the group started its work to help those in Maui. “We held a drive in San Diego to gather basic needed
Natasha Mar assists with supplies in Maui with the San Diego Loves Maui organization. (courtesy photo)
supplies for those in Maui, which we advertised online through social media. We
gathered new clothes, toiletries, canned food and more. We shipped the supplies to
Maui,” Mar said. The group traveled to Maui and provided aid from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4. “When we landed in Maui, we started distributing the supplies that we had shipped over from the drive. We worked with organizations, such as Lahaina Gateway, to support in the areas that needed it most. We also worked with the World Central Kitchen to help cook for the people that were affected,” she said. Mar had a unique learning experience since she was the youngest in the group. “There were a lot of strong minded people on the trip, and it made me learn how to be a leader. Now, I feel like I know what it means to be a leader, and how to take on that role,” she said. “The other major part of learning was getting to know the locals. Their culture and lives See AIDING IN MAUI, Page 6
Pottery classes relieve stress, open creativity By Kaila Mellos
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hat started as a dream in 2010 has become a passion project for Christina Edwards. Christina and her partner, Taylor Edwards, run a small pottery business called Little Pots Art Studio out of their garage, primarily for kids and some adults who want to experience the art form. Christina, who went to Mesa College initially to become an X-ray technician, decided to take an elective pottery class, and that was when she fell in love with the art. “I took pottery for fun, just because the classes I took were challenging and I needed an outlet,” Christina said. “It changed my life. I loved the art form, I loved the people, and so I eventually went to speak with my counselor
and told her I needed to change my major right away.” Christina became a fine art major after this change and began to help the professor during her time in the pottery class. She got a handle on what it would be like to teach the art and the skills needed, such as making different glazes. She knew teaching was the path she wanted to follow while expressing herself through pottery and, hopefully, one day be able to sell her work. “I worked for a woman in Ocean Beach at her at-home studio and thought I could do that,” Christina said. “I converted my garage at the time into a studio in 2014 when I lived in Serra Mesa. We moved and closed that version down after about four years, and we just opened back up in August last year in Scripps Ranch, so a little
Those involved in Little Pots Art Studio include (from left) Taylor Edwards, Christina Edwards and volunteer Megan Tomasi. (photo by Kaila Mellos)
over a year ago now.” Since starting over again a year ago, they have slowly been seeing a small group of kids and adults fall in love with pottery through throwing on their two wheels or even just painting premade pieces and watching them get fired in their kiln.
“I think for the first month, we had only one student that came every Saturday, and then we had two, finally shortly after. Since then, we’ve slowly grown,” Christina said. “We do a lot of group kid’s classes. However, I’m starting to see a transition in See POTTERY CLASSES, Page 14
NEWS, Pages 2-4 • LIFE, Pages 5-9 • HOLIDAYS, Pages 11-12 • LEISURE, Pages 13-16 • SCHOOLS, Page 15 • SPORTS, Pages 16-18 • WORDS & PICTURES, Pages 19-24