He helped assemble a M-240 machine gun at the bottom of a pool. Cohen even jumped from a 35-foot tall tower into a pool. Without surfacing, he swam for 30 meters as part of an abandon ship drill. And that’s just a sample of the course, completed by Cohen other Marines.

The nine-hour long Recon Challenge prepared Marines for the physical and mental rigors of combat. Beyond that, it also carried a special significance for many Marines and their families.

A young girl encourages her dad to “Dig Deep” during the Recon Challenge. Photo by Jared Whitlock

Throughout the course, a dog tag engraved with the name Cpl. Ryan Pape hung from Cohen’s neck. Ryan, a sniper who served in Cohen’s unit, died four years ago.

“He was the consummate professional,” Cohen said.

“Ryan was just a good guy to be around,” Cohen added. “Truly one of the most generous people I’ve known.”

Additionally, Cohen and his teammate’s backpacks had attached panels with “Pape” across them. It was their way of paying tribute to Ryan’s brother, Riley Pape — who was a Marine as well and died in 2005. Each of the 22 two-man teams that competed dedicated the course to Marines who served in reconnaissance and passed away.

Families were encouraged to attend. Standing near legs of the course, parents, friends and even children of Marines yelled out words of encouragement. One young girl bolstered her dad’s spirits during one of the obstacle courses by holding up a sign that read, “Dig Deep!”

Ryan and Riley’s parents, Ron and Shar Pape, were among the supporters. The couple flew to San Diego from Minnesota to offer encouragement for Cohen and his teammate, Gunnery Sgt. Randy Messineo, as they made their way through the Recon Challenge.

“They’ve given so much to the country,” Cohen said of Ron and Shar. “Carrying their name is the least I could do.”

Shortly before 4 a.m., Cohen geared up in the dark at San Onofre Beach for a 2,000-meter swim, the start of the Recon Challenge. And sure enough, Ron and Shar were cheering for him from the outset.

Reconnaissance marines crawl along bars at an obstacle course during the fifth annual Recon Challenge May 17 at Camp Pendleton. Photo by Jared Whitlock

“They have 50 pounds on their backs; they’re stopping to shoot,” Ron said. “There’s so much more they have to do. It’s an eye-opener seeing what they have to go through.”

The couple was also motivated to visit because many of Ryan’s cohorts will likely be retiring or moving to different parts of the world in the next year or two.

“Once they start spreading out, it’s really hard to keep track of everyone,” Ron said.

“They’ve all come up to us and been really supportive,” Ron added.

“These guys are the best,” Shar said.

Ron and Shar watched as teams put parts of a machine gun together — no easy task considering the pieces were at the bottom of a 15-foot deep pool. One at a time, they sunk to the bottom, slowly assembling the gun while holding their breath. Once finished, they resurfaced and made sure the gun functioned properly.

An earlier leg of the course was rigged with ropes and high walls, requiring plenty of cooperation among the two-man teams. To get over the wall, Marines clutched their hands together, providing a foothold so their teammate could launch over.

On another portion of the course, there was a marksmanship challenge with rifles and pistols.

The course, open to graduates of reconnaissance classes, isn’t merely about fitness, Marine 1st Sgt. David Danel said. Skills gained ready Marines for real-life situations and combat.

“This is what these guys do on a daily basis, what they live,” Danel said. “This is who they are. This is not just a training event to them, this is a way of life.”

He added that Marines taking part in the Recon Challenge are able to survive in desolate environments.

Spectators clapped and cheered as the teams neared the home stretch. Shortly after crossing the finish line, Gunnery Sgt. Tyler Fedelchak said the challenge was “grueling.” For him, the last four miles were the toughest.

He said the support of his girlfriend and others at the event kept him going, though.

“Having them here gives you that extra nudge,” Fedelchak said.

Not long after, then-Supervisor Pam Slater-Price sent letters to Del Mar and Solana Beach urging them to follow suit. Solana Beach did so in May 2010.

Neighboring cities such as San Diego and its jurisdictions — Rancho Santa Fe, Carmel Valley, etc. — and Encinitas have a 10 p.m. curfew. Having a later curfew, as Del Mar currently does, creates an oasis effect in which minors stay in the city where they can remain in public an extra hour.

According to the staff report, the park ranger and enforcement officers have found most minors contacted in Del Mar after 10 p.m. live in surrounding jurisdictions where curfew hours start earlier.

“That has created juveniles arriving in our city knowing they’re legal here until 11, but when they head home they’re actually in violation,” Park Ranger Adam Chase said. “So we’re trying to create an ordinance to be more in line with surrounding cities and with the county.”

The change is expected to result in fewer crimes related to minors. The new curfew will likely take effect in early July.

Despite opposition to sell a 3,170-square-foot parcel just east of 301 Hidden Pines Road, council agreed to move forward with the sale of the property that once housed a water pump.

The lot is 25 feet wide, 127 feet deep and has a steep south-to-north slope, with an elevation difference of about 40 feet. There is a small, relatively flat area on the northern portion that is slightly elevated from the street.

Zoned residential, it could be developed with variances.

Peter Van Rooyen, who owns the property to the east of the lot, said he would like to buy it to provide a greenbelt between him and the other surrounding owners, Clyde Freeman and Gary Burke.

Van Rooyen said he has no plans to build on the property or expand his existing home and would take steps to ensure it remains open space in perpetuity.

Because the city no longer has any use for the property, it is in the public interest to sell it. To do so, a hearing was required to allow testimony from anyone who opposes the sale.

Freeman, Burke and Don Countryman, representing another property owner, objected, mainly because there is no guarantee Van Rooyen will be the successful bidder.

Councilman Don Mosier said there is no clear mechanism to guarantee it remains open space.

“How do we ensure that this gentleman’s agreement is fully executed?” he asked.

“I don’t see a way that you can … because you can’t take away those property rights,” City Attorney Leslie Devaney said.

Because there was at least one protest to the sale, four of the five council members had to agree to move forward. The vote was 4-1, with Mayor Terry Sinnott dissenting.

The proposed sale will be presented to the Planning Commission during its June 11 meeting, after which staff will proceed with the preliminary title report and appraisal, then return to council with the estimated value and seek direction on the minimum price and method of sale, such as a sealed bid or use of a broker.

Money from the sale would be used to acquire or improve city parks. Sinnott asked that there be language to ensure funds are used for capital expenses.

“I don’t want this money to go to operating expenses for the city,” he said.

In other council news, Mosier and former Councilman Richard Earnest applied to fill a vacant seat on the nine-member, governor-appointed 22nd District Agricultural Association board of directors, which oversees the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

The city agreed to send a letter to Sacramento supporting the appointment of either resident.

Today, the Lone Pine Film History Museum pays homage to the movie and television industry and the stars of past and present with its exhibits of hundreds of posters, artifacts, memorabilia and one-of-a-kind cars. Think icons like John Wayne; Gene Autry; Roy Rogers; William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy); Clayton Moore (The Lone Ranger); Jay Silverheels (Tonto); Randolph Scott; and Johnny Mack Brown.

Also think Robert Downey Jr.; Demi Moore; Brad Pitt; Kevin Bacon; Mel Gibson; Kirk Douglas; William Shatner; James Garner; and Gregory Peck .

The list goes on, but the common denominator is that all of these actors and dozens more spent days, weeks and months in Lone Pine territory making the movies we know and love.

Early on in filmmaking history, the landscape of the Eastern Sierra was seen as the ideal place to shoot westerns, dramas and sci-fi flicks, according to museum director and an Inyo County film commissioner Christopher Langley. He arrived in Lone Pine, population 2,035, some 40 years ago by way of Dartmouth College and the Peace Corp. The mountains and geological formations, the valleys, the exquisite light both early and late in the day — all made for attractive, dramatic and majestic backdrops.

“Eventually the importance of a museum was evident,” Langley said. And thanks to large donations of money and artifacts from Beverly and Jim Rogers of Intermountain West Communications Company, the idea became reality.

My husband and I discovered the museum driving south on Highway 395 on our way home from Mammoth Lakes. We made a quick U-turn to check it out, and the stop was well worth abandoning our schedule.

The custom, over-the-top, be-horned 1975 Cadillac El Dorado that sits just inside the door tells visitors immediately that this place is a gem. The car, once owned by famed Hollywood costume designer Nudie Cohn, is one of several unique autos given to the museum. Surrounding the El Dorado are posters, artifacts, memorabilia and souvenirs from movies, television shows and commercials that compete for attention in the 10,500-square-foot building.

The extensive list of movies produced in this area includes “Star Trek V” and “Star Trek VII;” “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen;” “Around the World in 80 Days;” “The Great Race;” “Gladiator;” “G.I. Jane;” “How the West Was Won;” “Maverick;” “Kalifornia;” “Have Gun, Will Travel;” “Wagon Train;” and the “The Rockford Files.”

The latest Superman movie, “Man of Steel,” also was filmed near Lone Pine.

“We want to tie the museum into the present as well as the past,” said Langley, whose job as a film commissioner is to help filmmakers find what they need in the Lone Pine/Eastern Sierra/Death Valley area.

“(In 2011), we brought in $10.5 million,” he told the Inyo Register last year. Langley also writes a regular column for the Register to keep residents informed about area projects, and conducts several tours of filming and historical sites.

“I think our museum is different than others because we can actually go out to our ‘back lot’ and see where the films are shot — see where John Wayne or Gregory Peck stood.”

The museum can serve as a break room for directors, actors and crew. For instance, in 2011 while filming “Django Unchained,” Quentin Tarantino rented the museum to show spaghetti westerns to cast and crew. When he saw the exhibit dedicated to the first “Iron Man” film, Langley said, “he said he wanted his exhibit to be better than the ‘Iron Man’ exhibit, so he gave us the dentist’s wagon.”

Tarantino also donated his director’s chair and an autographed copy of the working script.

The museum is open every day except Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is $5.

Visit lonepinefilmhistorymuseum.org/, or call (760) 876-9100.

E’Louise Ondash is a freelance writer living in North County. Tell her about your travels at eondash@coastnewsgroup.com.

The misinformation contained in this brochure is reflected in a corresponding web site, EncinitasHope.com. Both the brochure and the website are deliberate attempts to confuse and frighten you into voting against Prop A, the Right to Vote initiative, in the upcoming June 18 special election.

Who paid for the brochure and the website? — A building industry-backed organization that calls itself “Homeowners to Preserve Encinitas” (HOPE). This organization ironically claims to “protect Encinitas” when, in fact, their aim is to “hope” to protect their profits at the expense of our community character and quality of life.

Who is behind the homeowners to preserve Encinitas?

The site itself is registered to John Wainio of the “San Diego Group” (SDG), a consulting firm that counts among its clients Barratt American (campaign donor to ex-Mayor Jerome Stocks), the Building Industry Association, and two “No on Growth Control” initiatives. SDG claims to be “game changers,” and “able to help if you face real challenges with the public, community groups…” Pretty chilling words from this group hired to oppose Prop A. Apparently, Prop A’s main intent to put city self-determination in resident hands presents a “real challenge” to No on A backers; so much so that they will pull out all the stops to prevail, no matter how underhanded the tactics.

How are the brochure and website deceptive?

For starters, HOPE attempts to make it sound like Prop A was created in a secret and subversive manner, written by a small group of people “behind closed doors” and “without an environmental or legal review.”

In fact, Prop A was written under the guidance of an environmental attorney and the initiative wording was approved by our City Attorney Glenn Sabine. With representation from all five Encinitas communities and scores of volunteers, the Encinitas Right to Vote group gathered more than 8,500 resident signatures from a populace very eager to sign.

Wainio’s HOPE site claims, “An independent study identified many adverse consequences of Proposition A.” This “independent study” refers to the city-ordered Rutan report that identified a number of “mights,” and “coulds,” but, in the end, was forced to conclude:

“If passed, the voter approval requirements, extended public notice requirements and absolute height limit would accomplish the goal of voter control, and facilitate the maintenance of community character in Encinitas.” (Page 12 Rutan & Tucker Report.)

Among other false charges, HOPE claims that Prop A will:

• Restrict your ability as a homeowner to improve your home. In fact, Prop A imposes no restrictions within current zoning whatsoever.

• Allow developers to exceed our height limits. In fact city height and density limits stay the same after Prop A as before.

• Drain city financial reserves to defend lawsuits. In fact, the same Proposition in effect in Escondido for over 14 years has not resulted in a single lawsuit!

Ask yourself these questions when you read NO on A material:

Why do they only provide ballot arguments against Prop A and links to one side of the argument? The Yes on A and City of Encinitas websites link to all arguments.

• Why do they indicate that HOPE’s No on A is endorsed by our three Main Street organizations? In fact, none of these organizations authorized the use of their names. Weeks after repeated demands for the removal of their logos from the HOPE website, they still remain.

• Why do they call themselves “Homeowners to Protect Encinitas” when, in fact, their website is registered to a San Diego consultant who boasts that his company “has proven that development proponents can win approvals for controversial projects.”

Encinitas HOPE got one thing right: Their logo states, “No on A — It’s not what it seems.” Fact: NO on A is most certainly not what it seems.

Don’t be fooled.

Ask yourself: Who do I trust more to protect Encinitas? Do I trust the politicians and the building industry or do I trust myself?

For all opinions and reports, go to EncinitasRightToVote.com.

More than ever our county misses an unbiased, all-San Diego County daily newspaper.

We haven’t had one for years, but North County had one daily and, luckily, still has one weekly, The Coast News. The rest of the area has two weekly freebies with features worth reading: The San Diego Reader and the San Diego City Beat. For some hard-hitting reporting on the Manchester-Grand Del Mar Hotel vs. San Diego saga, I laud the San Diego Reader heartily. In their article “Got a Permit for That, Manchester?” (May 2, 2013) a bold reporter, told of how Doug Manchester has been at odds with San Diego for 10 years.

Playing nice with Manchester apparently did not persuade the multimillionaire and co-owner of the U-T, to play by the rules and obtain required permits for a myriad of changes on the Grand Del Mar property. A new heliport was built without a permit, and the landings were illegal also.

Major grading without a permit has also been charged by the city. These infractions and continued “Manchester” violations finally caused the city attorney of San Diego to seek redress for the “alleged” illegal actions through court. Our county, which should also carry the banner “America’s Finest,” will continue to bereft of any alternative editorial viewpoints in the U-T, as long as its is owned by Manchester and Lynch. This is what gives conservative businessmen, who tout and see only the GOP view, a bad name.

G. Lance Johannsen,

Carlsbad

97% of scientists agree about climate change

A review of 12,000 papers on climate change, in the May 15 issue of “Environmental Research Letters” found that 97 percent of scientists attribute climate change to human activities. Although we’re unlikely to reverse climate change, we can mitigate its effects by reducing our driving, energy use, and meat consumption.

Yes, meat consumption. A 2006 U.N. report estimated that meat consumption accounts for 18 percent of man-made greenhouse gases. A 2009 article in the respected World Watch magazine suggested that it may be closer to 50 percent.

Carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, is generated by burning forests to create animal pastures and by combustion of fossil fuels to confine, feed, transport, and slaughter animals. The much more damaging methane and nitrous oxide are discharged from digestive tracts of cattle and from animal waste cesspools, respectively.

Each of us has the power to reduce the devastating effects of climate change every time we eat. Our local supermarket offers a rich variety of soy-based lunchmeats, hotdogs, veggie burgers and soy and nut-based dairy products, as well as an ample selection of vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts. Product lists, easy recipes, and transition tips are at livevegan.org.

Sincerely,

Edward Cole,

Encinitas

In 2001, she had a pivotal experience when she visited the Musée d’Orsay in Paris with her father and saw Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s “Ugolino and His Sons.”

“I was so enthralled by the sculpture that I walked around it in circles, weeping,” she recalled. “The work of ancient masters struck a chord so deep, I knew then that this would be my future.”

When Forbes returned home to Orange County, she enrolled in a sculpting class at the local community college. Soon she was recruited as the instructor’s assistant because of her self-described “obsession” with sculpture and skills honed as a costume builder that also applied to the art.

“When you are drafting clothing, you have to learn how to draw and transpose so it will be the right shape to put on a form,” she explained. “It’s a three-dimensional process.”

In 2005, she was hired to teach sculpting at the Irvine Fine Arts Center. The same year she opened her first studio.

Since relocating to Carlsbad in 2007, and opening a studio and gallery at Village Faire, Forbes’ reputation has spread. Currently, a bust that was commissioned of Carlsbad Mayor Bud Lewis is on exhibit at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce as well as a bronze statue titled “Fathers of Medicine” at Tri-City Medical Center.

Forbes’ gallery also serve as the venue for one of the largest sculpture schools in the world, dedicated to students of all ages who appreciate what she describes as “the new Renaissance in the classical Greek art form.”

On May 25 Forbes will be hosting her sixth annual Sculpture Party. This is a tradition, she explained, that she started to give the community an opportunity to experience what it’s like to create sculpture.

Festivities will begin at 11 a.m. and continue to 4 p.m. The hub of activity will be near the fountain in the courtyard of the Village Faire, 300 Carlsbad Village Drive. Bands will perform, and live models will be on hand for students to work with. There is no charge for admission or instruction. Clay will be sold in two sizes, priced at $5 and $10.

After learning two key techniques during the day, Forbes said students will go home with a sculpture that will make them proud.

“One man who came to the sculpture party in 2010 used a plastic toy elephant as a model and made an amazing, realistic sculpture,” she remembered. “He became a student.”

Forbes explained that sculpting is one of the most highly disciplined art forms, leaving the artist with a sense of completion after “taking chaos and putting it in order.” Forbes describes her style as “organic, involving intuition, sight and touch instead of measurements.”

Students primarily work using live models or Forbes’ own sculptures. Some prefer to work from a photograph, particularly if they are creating a bust of an ancestor or loved one who has passed away.

Student Frances Mahon is working on bust of her late husband.

“Sometimes I feel so connected and it’s such a wonderful feeling,” Mahon said. “I never thought sculpting would also be such a healing process.”

Forbes added, “You really feel close to the subject because you are focusing on nuances of the shape of their face.”

Forbes’ students range from 6 years old to seniors. They also include those with special needs such as visual impairment, Parkinson’s disease, mental illness and substance abuse issues.

She explains that sculpting also offers a myriad of therapeutic benefits.

“It’s a right brain activity very similar to meditation,” she said. “It uses the intuitive part of the brain and connects both sides together.

It can even help people recover from a stroke because it creates new pathways in the brain.”

Adult programs, 2.5 hours long, are offered Monday through Sat. Youth and family programs take place Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Lynn Forbes Gallery and School of Sculpture is located in Suite 102, Village Faire. For more information visit sculptureschool.net, call (949) 444-1926 or email lforbes@lynnforbessculpture.net.

A respected principal, who has been involved with public education for two decades, Fregoso’s school last year scored a paltry 678 on the state Academic Performance Index that measures how much kids are learning.

That’s 678 on a scale to 1,000, a scale on which the state of California expects all schools to reach 800.

This year, though, Fregoso’s school scored a phenomenal 970. That’s about as close to being perfect that a campus can get without being perfect.

As talented as she is, though, Fregoso is no miracle worker. Her students didn’t suddenly become geniuses. Her teachers didn’t suddenly discover how to become even more effective. No, after several years the veteran educator is simply leaving Escondido’s Central Elementary School — a school where virtually every child lives in poverty, a school where nearly 9 out of every 10 students is Latino, a school where nearly 3 out of 4 students are learning English.

She was named this week as the new principal at Solana Pacific School in Solana Beach, one of the top performing elementary schools in the county — a school where nearly 1 in 4 students have been found to be gifted, a school where nearly two-thirds of students have parents who went to graduate school, a school where nearly every student is white or Asian and few are classified as English learners.

If we can hardly call Fregoso a miracle worker simply for being fortunate enough to have been hired to lead a school where children come from wealthier families more in tune with how to prepare their child for an education before they reach kindergarten, how can we call the teachers at Fregoso’s old school failures simply for educating children who live in poverty, children who live in neighborhoods where crime is a daily occurrence, children whose parents may barely speak English?

I asked Fregoso that question the other day. She took the high road.

“Kids are kids,” she said, “and every parent, whether they are poor or wealthy or whether they are in the middle, wants their child to get a good education and wants their child to grow up and be successful. Every parent wants what’s best for their children.”

Being the pest that I am, I kept pressing her to see if she would discuss the inequities in public education. This is as far as she would go:

“The fundamental fact is that children do not always begin from the same starting line.” But, she quickly added: “That doesn’t mean that children from different families on opposite ends of the spectrum can’t both achieve, can’t both go to college, can’t both live successful lives.”

For years I served as an editor overseeing education coverage at one of the larger daily newspapers in the nation, and it would puzzle me to hear people in the newsroom wax poetic about our “failing” schools. Pointing to low test scores ignored the reality that too much is expected of too many teachers working with children whom society has failed.

It wasn’t too long ago that I found myself volunteering in a kindergarten class at one of San Diego Unified’s worst performing campuses. Only a handful of children could speak English.

None were read to regularly by a parent before they enrolled in school. Less than half of the students in class when the academic year began remained by the time June rolled around as they found their families evicted, homeless or on the run. There were no parent volunteers. And that’s the teacher’s fault? That’s the school’s fault? That’s the principal’s fault?

By the way, Fregoso isn’t leaving Escondido because she tired of the challenges of trying to succeed when the odds are stacked against her and her staff. “This was just an exciting opportunity,” she said. Besides, Fregoso lives in La Costa, and the shorter commute south to Solana Beach means she will no longer have to navigate the daily carmageddon known as state Route 78.

“It will be different,” she said of her new school. “But I’m going to miss the children at Central. They’re absolutely precious.”

David Ogul is a longtime reporter and editor who has worked at numerous Southern California daily newspapers in a career spanning more than three decades. He now runs his own communications company and writes a column twice monthly for The Coast News. You can follow him on Twitter via @ogul, and he can be reached via email at OgulCommunications@gmail.com.

But council also decided to consider selling the names of the park’s individual facilities to sponsors at a future meeting.

The park, which is currently under construction, has been referred to as Alga Norte Community Park for decades throughout its planning process, but City Council had not formally named it.

At its May 21 meeting, City Council considered seeking out name suggestions from the community, a process that could take about 3 months according to Carlsbad Director of Parks and Recreation Chris Hazeltine.

Hazeltine pointed out that because the park is anticipated to open later this year, city staff would not have much time to establish a new name.

Mayor Pro Tem Mark Packard was the only councilmember who expressed interest in considering a new name.

“Our history is that the community gets to choose the name as opposed to a staff member,” he said. He expressed that a few community members had approached him about the park’s name. He further mentioned, “Apparently ‘alga’ is a variation of the Spanish word for algae.” Yet all other council members stated that they were content with the name.

“I’m happy with Alga Norte Community Park. I’ve always known it as such,” said Councilmember Farrah Douglas.

“Actually until this was brought up, I hadn’t even given it a thought,” said Councilmember Keith Blackburn.

Ultimately, council majority instated Alga Norte Community Park as the official name.

But the opportunity remains for naming the individual facilities of the park and will be considered at a council meeting in July.

The park will consist of a swimming complex, skate park, ball fields, dog park, playground, and basketball courts.

The city can entertain selling name rights of these facilities to private sponsors, according to Communication Manager Kristina Ray.

This would be similar to how Carlsbad named its newest library facility, the Dove Library, which in turn contains the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium and William D. Cannon Art Gallery, both named after sponsors.

This year’s creations from Charlie Boghosian, aka Chicken Charlie, are deep-fried cookie dough and Krispy Kreme sloppy joes, literally a labor of love.

“My wife loves sloppy joes and I love doughnuts,” said Boghosian, whose all-time favorite is deep-fried Oreo cookies.

Cooking with CSA, or community supported agriculture, will present the healthier side of eating, demonstrating how to cook with items such as locally grown kale or beets.

“The big thing we’re doing right now is twofold accreditation and an education series,” Tanya Danielly, Ivey Ranch Park executive director, said.

The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International accredited center now trains therapy instructors and provides workshops on how to run a horse therapy program.

Horse therapy helps those with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, spina bifida, autism, Down syndrome, mental retardation and other disorders.

Activities are structured to provide engaging experiences that require participants to take initiative, make decisions and gain results.

The center also offers riding lessons to able-bodied riders.

Through the years the equestrian program has grown in its number of horses, barns and riding arenas.

Ivey Ranch Park ranks in the top 5 percent of United States equestrian centers in safety and management.

Next year it will host a four-day regional conference that draws more than 100 participants from California, Nevada and Hawaii.

The center also provides childcare for disabled and able-bodied children.

Its childcare program is especially designed to meet the needs of disabled toddlers through children up to age 18.

Fine and gross motor skills, language development, social and living skills and pre-academics are taught.

Ivey Ranch Park Association leases 10 acres of city land in exchange for the daycare and equestrian services it provides to disabled and low-income children and riders.

Its programs are supported through fundraisers and donations.

Councilman Jack Feller has been a longtime supporter of Ivey Ranch Park. He participated in the center’s annual golf marathon fundraiser for 10 years and later raised an additional $18,000 by asking donors to pledge contributions for each pound he lost. He dropped 55 pounds during the weight loss fundraiser.

“I have to credit all the people who doubted I could lose weight or ended up paying,” Feller said. “It was a great success.”

Feller said he became a supporter of Ivey Ranch when he learned about its daycare program for special needs children, many who need 24/7 care.

“I believe in the respite it gives parents who are so desperate for a free moment to themselves or to get things done,” he said. “The daycare is a great idea. It’s pretty amazing as far as I’m concerned.”

“Now they do so much more, able-bodied and disabled training, a place for people to volunteer,” he added. “It’s a terrific place, I’m glad we have it here.”