Skip to main content

Fire Trucks & Donut Holes

In this episode, Fire Trucks & Donut Holes: California Summit Celebrates Independence Day!

Dateline: July 4th, 2024. Welcome back to On the Fly, your neighborhood news on the go! Today, we're celebrating the spirit of community with a recap of this year’s fantastic California Summit Neighborhood 4th of July parade!

The 5th annual parade was a resounding success! Over 60 residents, representing the diverse fabric of our community, celebrated our nation's birthday with a festive walkathon (parade). Families of all ages and backgrounds joined in, from energetic youngsters on bikes, electric scooters, and skateboards to families strolling with little ones. It was a true community effort, with everyone walking about a mile and 1/2 together.

This year's parade had a Grand Marshal who rode in an electric golf cart. A group of happy kids followed closely behind on their decorated bikes, trikes, and scooters, as well as on foot. The mood was set by playing classic July 4th tunes from a boombox strapped to the back of their vehicle. Their enthusiasm and commitment helped make the event special, and we're so thankful for their creative approach to kicking off the festivities!

Meanwhile, generous neighbors who chose not to walk in the parade set up tables in their driveways, offering cool water to participants – a lifesaver on a hot day! Others got creative, whipping up delicious cotton candy for the kids, adding a touch of sugary fun to the walk. And, of course, plenty of residents lined the streets, waving flags and cheering on the walkers. This kind of enthusiastic support truly made the parade a special event for everyone.

And the fun didn't stop there! A big shout out to the Friestad family for organizing and generously hosting the after-parade party. Donut holes, hot dogs, chips, and cool, refreshing watermelon were the perfect way to refuel after the walk.

But wait, there's more! The local Vista Fire Department crew made a special appearance with one of their fire engines. Imagine the smiles on the kids' faces when they saw a real fire truck up close! This fantastic backdrop also served as a memorable spot for the group photo of all parade participants—a perfect way to capture the event's Red, White, and Blue community spirit.

Speaking of kids, the celebration didn't disappoint the younger residents either. A bouncy, jumpy house and neighborhood ice cream truck visit kept the smiles and energy high.

All in all, it was a day to remember. Thanks for joining us.

I’m Patrick Ball, your roving reporter for On the Fly. Join me next week for whatever comes to mind—really! Until then, get out there and celebrate your community!

Comments

Don Hanley said…
Great !! - a small town in a bit town.

Most Popular of All Time

Back to School (Without the Triple Lindy)

I hadn’t set foot inside a public library in over thirty years. Last Saturday, when I walked through the sliding doors of the modern County of San Diego branch on Eucalyptus Avenue in Vista, my eyes instinctively scanned the floor for the familiar, comforting sight of varnished oak cabinets and brass pull-handles. Nothing . No card catalog. No little wooden drawers. No rows of index cards typed by someone who presumably had beautiful penmanship and a pension. I walked up to the front desk, looked the librarian dead in the eye, and asked with complete earnestness: "Where’s the card catalog?" She didn’t laugh, though she had every right to. Instead, she offered a warm, dry smile: "We magically had the computer digest it." And just like that, I was enrolled. Not the Rodney Dangerfield kind of back-to-school. No diving board, no loud blazer, no campus party, and thankfully, no need to convince anyone I belonged there. Just an overdue reminder that while I was busy with ...

Beyond Facts-The Deep Dive

✨ In this episode, Beyond Facts: Reimagining School–in the Age of AI . . .   This week's podcast is a bit different; it's another example of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer tools to creatively enhance your analytical presentation of information. We took this week's blog and copied it into Gemini with the question, “If a story is to work, it must, on some level, create an illusion of escape and also achieve a goal simultaneously. Does this apply to my blog post that follows?” What's created is not just an analysis of the writing, but an AI-generated discussion produced “On the Fly” - Enjoy! Did you know that the word "school" comes from the ancient Greek word scholē , which originally meant "leisure"? Not a rigid schedule or droning lectures filled with "facts," but free time for thinking and conversation. To the Greeks, learning happened best when life slowed down—when you had room to reflect, to ask questions, and to wrestle ...

Doc Welch - The Country Doctor

In this episode, Doc Welch . . . Many authors have characterized life in rural Illinois over the years. Among the more notables are Edgar Lee Masters, who wrote Spoon River Anthology, Carl Sandburg for his poetry and biography of Abraham Lincoln, and little known to me until recently, my first doctor, whom everyone in town always called Doc Welch - James K. Welch, M.D.  (Feb. 7, 1915, to May 5, 1998) While exploring the microfilm of the Cuba Journal (published from 1884 to 1992), I consistently kept running across articles entitled The Country Doctor. This intrigued me. Doc Welch was a third-generation practicing Country Doctor in Cuba for over 40 years. His father, James William Welch, M.D., practiced medicine in Cuba for more than five decades. His grandfather, James Knox Welch, M.D., settled in Cuba after the Civil War. Cuba, Illinois, is a small, rural farming community in west-central Illinois, where I grew up. Like many small towns, it boasts a central square with a ban...

Vintage Vinyl

In this episode - Vintage Vinyl . . . Turntables are making a big comeback; why? Listening to music should be a multi-sensory experience. Harmony, rhythm, and the deep expression of emotion. Like a warm, gentle rain in the springtime cascading around you the room is filled with a resonant, rich, melodic sound. My emotions welled up, and tears come to my eyes. Ok, I get it, we need to step back to get some perspective here. Recently a visit to Lou's Records in Encinitas, California, inspired me to dig out my Vintage vinyl LP record collection. I selected the Carpenters Singles 1969- 1973 . This musical duo reigned from 1969-to 1982 with the rich, full melodic voice of Karen Carpenter. They were one of the biggest-selling groups of the 1970s. "No fewer than ten of their singles went on to become million-sellers, and by 2005 combined worldwide sales of albums and singles well exceeded 100 million units." The tactile sensory experience of music begins with the album cover it...