por Jay Wilson

Congratulations to Councilmember Scott Sherman on his re-election to represent Del Cerro and the Navajo Community for District 7 on the City Council. Liz Saidkhanian, Councilmember Sherman’s Community Outreach Manager, will remain as our council representative for Del Cerro, Allied Gardens and Mission Trails. If you need to reach Liz with a city-related problem or concern, her phone number is 619-236-6677 and her email address is [email protected].

With the passing of John Pilch, I lost my “display the American flag” partner of nearly 15 years. We placed American flags along a portion of Navajo Road on Federal holidays. Thank you to Councilmember Scott Sherman who volunteered and helped me with the flags on Memorial Day.

At the June meeting of the Navajo Community Planners, Police Community Relations Officer John Steffen announced that the string of burglaries in Del Cerro appears to have ended with the apprehension of a suspect in North County. This does not mean we are to be lax in securing our homes. With summer approaching, you still need to keep your windows and doors locked. If you do not have an active Neighborhood Watch in your neighborhood, CRO Steffen will lend a hand meeting with you and your neighbors to fully explain the program. His email address is [email protected] and his office phone at Eastern Division is 858-495-7971.

There is no update on the proposed development by ColRich along College Avenue. Nor is there any good news about a new store in the old Albertsons on Waring Road in Allied Gardens. There are rumors periodically circulating on NextDoor.com, but Linda Lasher, the property manager for the shopping center, informed me there is currently no update. Hopefully there will be an update on both items at the July 28 DCAC meeting which will meet at Temple Emanu-El at 7 p.m.

Thank you to San Carlos residents Cathy and Dan Northcutt with Premier Realty Group for continuing to sponsor quarterly cleanups at the Pasatiempo Open Space Park at the top of Del Cerro. Their most recent cleanup was June 11. Cathy and Dan officially adopted the Pasatiempo Park through the city Park & Recreation Department “Adopt a Park” program about three years ago. If you are interested in volunteering on a quarterly basis to help maintain this 4-acre park with its spectacular views of most of San Diego, email Cathy at [email protected].

Wildland fire season is upon us. The mild and intermittent rains we had generated a lot of growth in canyon vegetation. The city of San Diego has a good four-color pamphlet titled “Ready, Set, Go!” about protecting your home from embers. Go to sandiego.gov and type in “embers” in the search engine window at the top right hand corner of the homepage. Embers from wildland fires have been tracked to travel up to five miles. Everyone in the Navajo area is in very close proximity to a number of canyons and Mission Trails.

There will be a special election for new board members to serve a two-year term on Navajo Community Planners, Inc. (NCPI) at the July meeting which will be held at 6:30 on Wednesday, July 13, at Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Carlos. There is an open seat for Del Cerro. You must have attended two meetings between July 2015 and June 2016 to be an eligible candidate. Anyone 18 years and older who resides, owns a business, or is a property owner in the Navajo Area may vote. For more information about NCPI, go to the website at navajoplanners.org.

Our website is delcerroactioncouncil.org. Be safe, and enjoy the summer!

—Jay Wilson is secretary of the Del Cerro Action Council. Reach him at [email protected].