Fletcher Hills receives new flag

The Kiwanis Club of Fletcher Hills raised a new United States flag at the intersection of Fletcher Hills and Navajo Road, and the old, worn one at the site received an honorable retirement during a Nov. 19 ceremony.

A ladder truck from the Heartland Fire and Rescue Service was used to hoist the new 5-by-8-foot version of Old Glory. The Kiwanis Club of Fletcher Hills maintains the flag, the pole and the lighting, which illuminates the flag around the clock each day. According to a plaque on the flagpole base, the Optimist Club of Cowles Mountain erected the flagpole in 1968 and is “maintained in perpetuity” by the Kiwanis.

Fletcher Hills Kiwanis president Tim Horning and Heartland Fire Chief Ted Kakuris coordinated the event.

Salvation Army bells ring again

The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle fundraising drive has begun and will continue through Christmas Eve. The Kroc Center will host a number of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettles at locations throughout East San Diego, La Mesa and Lemon Grove. Ringing bells are always associated with the 133-year tradition of the Red Kettle drive. Funds collected in the Kroc Center Red Kettles will benefit the Family Resource Center.

Eagle Scout earns every badge possible

Eagle Scout Oliver “Ollie” Shirley IV, a 17-year-old member of St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in La Mesa’s Troop 51, has earned all 36 merit badges offered by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). In addition, he was awarded the William T. Hornaday Award and the Thomas Edison Supernova Award. Fewer than 350 Scouts from the United Sates have ever earned every merit badge offered by the BSA during its 106-year history.

Shirley, a senior in the Engineering Academy at Patrick Henry High School and avid outdoorsman and naturalist, earned the William T. Hornaday Award for service in ecology and conservation — an award only shared by 2,200 Scouts since the award was established in 1914. Using the knowledge he obtained from earning the Bird Study, Woodwork, Carpentry, and Drafting merit badges, Shirley constructed, installed and spent two years monitoring 12 small bird nest boxes for Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP), benefiting House Wrens, Ash-Throated Flycatchers, Bewick’s Wrens, Tree Swallows, Western Bluebirds and House Finches.

Other Boy Scout awards he earned include the God and Life Religious Emblem; Dr. Bernard Harris (Bronze) and Thomas Edison (Silver) Supernova Awards for achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; James M. Stewart Good Citizenship Award; El Camino Real High Adventure medal; 50-Miler Award; 75 Nights Camping Award; two Eagle Silver Palms; a Certificate of Appreciation from the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department; and declared “Outstanding Youth” by the Rolando Community Council.

New gallery and framing shop opens

Roz and Dan Oserin recently opened Nainsook Framing + Art at 8130 La Mesa Blvd. in the West Village. Nainsook means “eye pleasure” in Hindi.

The business offers custom framing for two-dimensional art, and specialty framing of sports memorabilia and family treasures. The gallery’s art selection includes two-dimensional oil and watercolor paintings, fiber sculpture, ceramics and wood items from local artists. A variety of art classes, workshops and their popular “Creative YOU” Wine + Art classes will also be offered.

The Oserins also own Pret-a-Porter Salon & Spa nearby in the Village. The Nainsook Framing + Art website address is nainsookframing.com.

La Mesa property leased to medical group

Lee & Associates completed an eight-year lease on behalf of Alvarado Medical Group for a 4,641-square-foot building at 5332 Jackson Drive in La Mesa. The lease is valued at slightly more than $1 million. Jeff Abramson and Marc Dudzik of Lee & Associates-North County represented the landlord, KLTK Properties, LLC as well as the tenant, Alvarado Medical Group. Alvarado Medical Group offers primary care and medical specialists.

“The site is centrally located near Grossmont Center and adjacent to Interstate 8,” Abramson said in a prepared statement. “This also allows them to expand their needed services in an area that is limited in the number of properties that will allow this type of medical facility without lengthy approvals from the city.”

Deadline nears for free and reduced-cost meals

Residents with children attending the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District may apply for the Free and Reduced Meals program. Those whose families qualify for the program must complete and submit their application by Nov. 29. The federally subsidized program helps participating children receive proper nutrition, which aids in keeping students healthy and focused during class. Students in the program are assigned a PIN/student ID number that they may use to access the reduced or free lunches at school. Applications may be found at all La Mesa-Spring Valley schools as well as online at LMSVSchools.org.

Meeting the deadline is not only important for the students participating, but the number of qualified applicants count in the state’s distribution of funding for local schools.

Final day for donations approaches

Monday, Nov. 28 is the last day the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce will be accepting food and clothing items donated for homebound seniors in the area before the items are packed for distribution. The purpose of the collection is to help make the holiday season a little brighter for homebound senior citizens in La Mesa. Items still needed include canned food, crackers, breakfast bars, snacks and toiletries.

Items for donation may be dropped off Friday or Monday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce office, 8080 La Mesa Blvd., Suite 212. If unable to deliver the items and need them to be picked up, call Mary England, 619-251-7730.

Apartment complex sells for $17 million

CBRE Group Inc. announced the sale of The Quarry Apartment Homes, 4330 Palm Ave., for $17 million. The luxury apartment community is comprised of three three-story buildings and 60 units, with an average unit size of 717 square feet. It includes a total of 43,765 square feet of residential space on 1.59 acres of land.

Kevin Mulhern and Rachel Parsons of CBRE Group Inc. represented the seller, Silvergate Development, based in San Diego. The buyer was an affiliate of John Jaffe Company, LP.