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Encinitas Rotary Club highlights past year’s accomplishments at ‘changing of the guard’ meeting

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1 year ago

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Encinitas Rotary Club highlights past year’s accomplishments at ‘changing of the guard’ meeting


At a recent Encinitas “Animal House” Rotary Club “changing of the guard” meeting, outgoing president Dr. Kent Pollock recapped the highlights of the past year, according to a news release. In trying to name his personal favorite, Pollock said in the news release, “It’s really hard to choose the accomplishment that stood out. I fully enjoyed all of it. Bikes to orphanages in Mexico, raising money for Ronald McDonald House, and all of the community service that we did almost weekly. Working together with other community service groups like Community Resource Center Encinitas and the Rancho Coastal Humane Society. Building positive relationships with so many service-oriented people and working together to make our town and world a better place. My experience in Rotary, and particularly as president, has been life changing.”

Pollock, an Encinitas resident, is also a chiropractor and owner of North County Chiropractic on 2nd Street in Encinitas.

Courtesy of Josie Colvin

President-elect Mark Berning hands the Rotary Bell to incoming 2024-2025 Encinitas Rotary Club president Daphne Fletcher.

The club proceeded to “demote” Pollock, who, along with Mark Berning, the new president-elect, passed the “Liberty Bell” to incoming club president Daphne Fletcher. Encinitas Rotary’s 85th president, and fifth woman president, Fletcher is the CEO of Ledge Media and HPN Books, which publishes history books all over the country, including “Encinitas: Our History and People and Tribute to San Diego County Fire Departments.”

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In 2022, while serving as the club’s International Board Chair, Fletcher spearheaded the largest fundraiser in the club’s history: a Rotary International Global Grant that raised $250,000 for maternal health care in Uganda and was a joint effort between more than 15 Rotary Club chapters worldwide. Fletcher was inspired to organize the fundraiser after hearing the story of one of the club’s guest speakers, Jolly Okot, a Nobel Peace nominee who works to educate and empower women in Northern Uganda after surviving the civil war. That same year, Fletcher also headed up a fundraiser that raised nearly $50,000 towards humanitarian efforts for those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. For these initiatives, Fletcher was honored with the Encinitas Rotary Club’s Humanitarian Service Award.

President-elect Mark Berning, who is also on the board of directors of the San Dieguito Heritage Ranch Museum, is the founder and organizer of the Heritage Ranch Haunted Ghost Town, a big annual fundraiser, was awarded the Encinitas Rotary Club Rotarian of the Year a few years ago for his community service efforts.

Outgoing Encinitas

Courtesy of Josie Colvin

Outgoing Encinitas “Animal House” Rotary Club President Dr. Kent Pollock receives a ceremonial gavel plaque at the “demotion” party.

Rotarian Paul Dwork was also recognized for his key role in organizing Merlin’s Magic this past year. The local event, hosted by Dwork AKA Merlin the Magician, features renowned magicians from across the U.S. who regularly perform at Los Angeles’ Magic Castle and other major venues. As with its inaugural show in 2023, which attracted more than 400 attendees and raised over $20,000 for charity and scholarships, this year’s event sold out, prompting discussion about adding a matinee show next year.

Rotary International celebrates its 120th anniversary in February 2025. The Encinitas Rotary Club, founded in 1939, fosters lifelong friendships and drives social impact through numerous local, regional, and international causes. Local efforts include an annual Encinitas Wine Festival that raises nearly $100,000 each year for area charities, a program called Home Team that aids seniors with household repairs, and the preservation of historic landmarks and environmental cleanups, such as those held at Cottonwood Creek and area beaches, and $10,000 towards student scholarships at SDA.

Regionally, the Encinitas Rotary builds a house in Mexico every year through Project Mercy, and internationally, in addition to the Uganda and Ukraine projects mentioned above, $10,000 was raised to light up via solar panels an entire village in El Nido, Philippines, to help school children study at night.

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The Encinitas Rotary Club holds meetings every Wednesday at noon at the Encinitas Elks Lodge, 1393 Windsor Road. The club invites newcomers to enjoy a delicious buffet-style lunch, inspiring guest speakers, and camaraderie. Learn more at EncinitasRotary.org. –-Encinitas Rotary news release

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San Diego, CA

San Diego sues federal government over razor wire fence near U.S.-Mexico border

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5 hours ago

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January 6, 2026

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San Diego sues federal government over razor wire fence near U.S.-Mexico border


The city of San Diego has filed a lawsuit against the federal government that alleges the construction of a razor wire fence near the U.S.-Mexico border constitutes trespassing on city property and has caused environmental harm to the land.

The complaint filed Monday in San Diego federal court states that razor wire fencing being constructed by U.S. Marines in the Marron Valley area has harmed protected plant and wildlife habitats and that the presence of federal personnel there represents unpermitted trespassing.

The lawsuit, which names the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Defense among its defendants, says that city officials first discovered the presence of Marines and federal employees in the area in December.

The fencing under construction has blocked city officials from accessing the property to assess and manage the land, and the construction efforts have” caused and will continue to cause property damage and adverse environmental impacts,” according to the lawsuit.

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The suit seeks an injunction ordering the defendants to cease and desist from any further trespass or construction in the area.

“The city of San Diego will not allow federal agencies to disregard the law and damage city property,” City Attorney Heather Ferbert said in a statement. “We are taking decisive action to protect sensitive habitats, uphold environmental commitments and ensure that the rights and resources of our community are respected.”



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San Diego, CA

Padres roster review: Sung-Mun song

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17 hours ago

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January 6, 2026

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Padres roster review: Sung-Mun song





Padres roster review: Sung-Mun song – San Diego Union-Tribune


















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SUNG-MUN SONG

  • Position(s): Third base, second base
  • Bats / Throws: Left / Right
  • 2026 opening day age: 29
  • Height / Weight: 6-foot / 194 pounds
  • How acquired: Signed as a free agent in December 2025
  • Contract status: A four-year, $15 million deal will see Song make $2.5 million in 2026, $3 million in 2027, $3.5 million in 2028 and $4 million in 2029 if he does not opt out of last year; Half of his $1 million signing bonus is due in January 2026 and the other half in 2027; There is a $7 million mutual option for 2030.
  • fWAR in 2025: N/A
  • Key 2025 stats (KBO): .315 AVG, .387 OBP, .530 SLG, 26 HRs, 90 RBIs, 103 runs, 68 walks, 96 strikeouts, 25 steals (144 games, 646 plate appearances)

 

STAT TO NOTE

  • .214 — Song’s isolated power in 2025, a career high as he prepared for a jump to the majors. Isolated power measures a player’s raw power (extra bases per at-bat) and Song had a .190 OPS in 2018, in his third year as a pro in Korea, before it dropped to .101 in 2019 and then a career-low .095 in 2023. Hitting 19 homers pushed Song’s isolated power to .178 in 2024 and then a career-high 26 homers push it even higher in 2025.

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San Diego, CA

Poway removes hundreds of trees to make city safer

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1 day ago

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January 5, 2026

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Poway removes hundreds of trees to make city safer


Drivers traveling through the city of Poway may have noticed a dramatic change to the landscape. Since September, more than 1,400 trees — many of them eucalyptus — have been removed as part of the city’s hazardous mitigation grant project aimed at reducing wildfire risk and improving public safety.

Poway is spending roughly $3 million on the effort, which focuses on removing trees that are dead, dying or considered dangerous. Much of the cost is being reimbursed by FEMA. Officials say the project is designed to make emergency evacuation routes safer while improving the overall health of trees along major roadways, rights-of-way and open spaces.

“I was relieved that there were some efforts being put into improving our resiliency to wildfire in our community,” said Poway Fire Chief Brian Mitchell.

Mitchell said spacing out trees can slow the spread of a wildfire and prevent roads from becoming blocked during an emergency.

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“That certainly has the potential to block our first responders from accessing somebody’s house in the middle of an emergency,” Mitchell said.

City leaders also point to storm safety as a key reason for removing hazardous trees under controlled conditions rather than risking falling limbs or entire trees during severe weather.

“I don’t want to be driving down that street and just a random limb just happened to collapse, you know, just hit me,” said Poway resident Dawn Davis.

Davis said she also worries about the threat the trees pose to nearby homes.

“I don’t want anybody’s homes here to be damaged, either by them or fire,” Davis said.

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A Poway spokeswoman said a certified arborist evaluated nearly 6,800 trees in Poway. About 2,800 invasive trees were recommended for removal.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.



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