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During its recent Volunteer Celebration, Girl Scouts San Diego honored five Coloradans for their outstanding achievements.

Stephanie Nurding received the Cookie Award for her support of the 2019 Girl Scout Cookie Program, through which girls build key leadership and life skills. She serves as co-leader of Girl Scout Troop 6136 and cookie program coordinator for the Coronado Service Unit. Nurding planned an exceptional cookie kickoff event, and arranged for older Girl Scouts to mentor younger ones as “Cookie Captains.”

Also in the spotlight was Nurding’s troop co-leader, Ashley Taylor, who received the Get Outdoors award. As a volunteer in many capacities, Taylor creates opportunities for Girl Scouts explore nature and learn to love their planet. Her contributions have included helping lead a project called the Butterfly Effect, through

by David Axelson

The two most prestigious student honors presented annually to graduating seniors at Coronado High School are the Jike Wong Award and the Molly McGowan Award. The Wong Award for 2019 has been presented to Bryce Alexander and Avery Dozier is the winner of the McGowan Award.

Awarded since 1944 in memory of McGowan, who passed away during her junior year in 1943 after a lengthy illness, the perpetual award honors the senior girl who best achieves the ideals of friendliness, scholastic achievement and service. The Wong Award is named after Jike Wong (CHS ’48), who died in a car accident shortly after his class graduated. The criteria for the Wong Award, which is inscribed on the trophy are, “Scholar, athlete, leader, and friend. To the boy who best exemplifies these ideals.”

Although being an athlete isn’t part of the criteria for either award, Alexander and Dozier both were outstanding in their respective sports and coincidentally both scholar-athletes earned five varsity letters during their Islander career. Dozier won four letters in Soccer and one in Track. “I ran the 100, 200, the 4x100 relay and did the long jump. I was the shortest long jumper out there.”

Alexander at one point in his Football career was a combination quarterback and defensive back, eventually transitioning into a middle linebacker and tight end by his senior year. Alexander was a center for the Islander Basketball team for the past two seasons and was an effective big man who could rebound, play defense and score enough to keep the opposing defense honest.

Little Lola Wants You

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by Alessandra Selgi-Harrigan

“Where else can you play, have fun and talk about God?” is how a child described the past weekend at Whispering Winds, a Catholic Camp and Conference Center in Julian. A number of Sacred Heart Church parishioners attended the weekend retreat called family camp which was a whirlwind of fun activities for parents and children and - yes talks about God. Our family started attending the camp six years ago when our daughter was 6 years old. It was all new to us then but those three days made a mark in our lives and every year since then we have returned, always looking forward to recharge our faith batteries.

The camp was started by two families, the Kojis and the Tisis who had the idea to create a camp for families after attending a Christian Family Camp themselves. They purchased 368 acres of land in 1978. The camp first started small, with modular buildings and mobile homes. In 2003 the Cedar Fire destroyed 80 percent of the camp, but by the next year the camp reopened. In 2005 the camp was opened year-round and launched Confirmation Retreats, Young Adults Retreats and Sixth Grade Camps. Over the years new buildings have been added to the grounds thanks to donations. Whispering Winds is a not-for profit organization who continues its work thanks to big and small donors.

In keeping with long-standing tradition, dozens of local Marines, former, active and retired, are banding together to form the first ever Coronado Detachment of the Marine Corps League. An official Charter Presentation Ceremony will be held at Star Park on June 22 at 11 a.m. If you are a veteran, know a veteran, or are free because of a veteran, we hope you will attend the ceremony.

Colonel Bill Spittler, a retired Marine, said, “We in the Crown City, sometimes forget our connection to the Marine Corps with famous Marines like Major General Joseph H. Pendleton, who served as our Mayor from 1928 to 1930. Besides commitment to community service, our detachment hopes to remind us all of the long and honorable legacy.”

Colonel Chris Ellinger, an active duty Marine stationed at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego said, “Our small band of Coronado Marines asked the question ‘Why is there no Marine Corps League in Coronado?’

The Coronado Eagle & Journal’s e-blast, the Eagle Weekender, randomly selects a weekly winner on their subscribers list to receive 2 free tickets to the Coronado Village Theater. This has been a huge success due to the support and donation of tickets from the Coronado Village Theater.