Lakesiders celebrated the grand opening of the Cedar Fire Monument Garden on Oct. 24, the 12th anniversary of the firestorm that devastated the county of San Diego. The new pocket park is located on a spit of land at 12216 Lakeside Avenue.
Fire Chief Andy Parr said it was a community project…including the planning, designing and building and it is also ADA compliant. He encouraged all community members to come by to see the finished garden.
Lakesiders celebrated the grand opening of the Cedar Fire Monument Garden on Oct. 24, the 12th anniversary of the firestorm that devastated the county of San Diego. The new pocket park is located on a spit of land at 12216 Lakeside Avenue.
Fire Chief Andy Parr said it was a community project…including the planning, designing and building and it is also ADA compliant. He encouraged all community members to come by to see the finished garden.
“It was a labor of love,” he said with a lot of community businesses donating supplies and donors and volunteers becoming a part of the process.”
The Cedar Fire Monument Garden is meant to be educational and show visitors previous firestorms, native plants and fire artifacts. The red flag shows up as a reminder that there will be more firestorms in our future.
San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob said the Cedar Fire was a moment in time that changed the way San Diego County did business.
“This was the first time a back county fire came into the city,” said. “$32 million was pledged to become better prepared. We now have 3 helicopters, ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
Parr noted that when the new fire station #2 was built, funds were set-aside for the Cedar Fire Memorial. He said that Jacob contributed $40,000 from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program.
Bob Robeson, who chaired the Cedar Fire Monument Committee, is also a retired fire fighter and sits on the Fire District Board of Directors and the Eucalyptus Hills Fire Safe Council, he said that 15 Lakesiders died in the fire and one fire fighter in Julian. 2,232 homes were destroyed. He gave Jack Williams credit for being the lead contractor who organized the job and found other contractors who got the building jobs done in an orderly fashion.
A call was put out to Cedar Fire survivors, asking them to donate memorabilia and artifacts found after the fire. The plan was to create an art wall that was composed of treasures and found objects and create an assemblage to decorate the large wall in the Monument Garden. Boxes and boxes of burned rubble were donated. Artists Jackie Hanson and Dave Thefeld sifted through the treasures and spread them on the floor of a barn. Little by little they created artistic panels with remnants of the fire. Burned bottles, rusty objects and melted pennies were just a few of the objects turned into unique works of art by these two talented artists.
“We lost our loved ones, neighbors and homes, this fire was one the biggest in history and we came through it stronger, neighbors coming together,” said Kathy Kassel, Lakeside Chamber of Commerce CEO and member of the Cedar Fire Monument Committee.
Other news around Lakeside
The Woman’s Club of Lakeside toured the newish Lakeside Sheriff Sub Station on Oct. 21. 17 members crowded into the station on Parkside Avenue that was formerly the Fire District Office. The dedication of the Sub Station was held on May 26.
The ladies did not go empty handed, they showed appreciation to the first responders by bringing them cookies and candy treats. In return, Deputy Janet Carbajal gave the ladies a detailed tour of the facility. There were juvenile and adult holding cells, locker rooms, offices, a deputy writing room, gun checkout room, briefing room, interview room where all conversations are recorded and video taped and even an up close and personal look at a patrol car, all this topped off by bullet proof glass in the reception room.
The ladies also learned that deputies work 12-hour shifts and only five to six officers patrol Lakeside, unincorporated El Cajon and Santee. This Sub station is open around the clock and you may call 1-858-565-5200 for non-emergency problems.
