Board of Directors

Brady Clay

Dave DeWitt

Mike Dietz

Sal Garcia

Tom Garcia

David Graves

Rolando Moreno

Joe Rotta

Paul Thoreson

Art Warren

Mike Williams

 

 

 

Director Emeritus

Chick Embrey

 

Honorary Director

Steve Bridges

 

President

Dave DeWitt

 

Newsletter

Art Warren

 

Web Site

Paul Thoreson

 

 

 

VOL. LXXI        COUGAR ATHLETIC CLUB NEWSLETTER       Oct 13th, 2018

 

Today’s guest speaker, Don Anderson, is no stranger to our club nor to leadership in Escondido. Don’s family settled in Escondido when he was 1 ½ years old. He went on to graduate from Escondido High School in 1964 where he was active in both sports and student government. Don was elected as Class President his sophomore and senior years and Vice President his junior year, while also serving as Commissioner of Social Affairs, Varsity Club President and Junior Class Homecoming Prince.

 

Athletically, Don was a member of the Cougar baseball and football teams. He was a member of the 1962 CIF Championship football team his junior year and the team that lost in the CIF Semi Finals his senior team. He was honored as Times Advocate All League and 2nd Team All CIF his senior year. In addition, Don was the 3rd Anderson brother (Bob in 1956, Jack in 1957) to represent the Cougars in the San Diego Breitbard football City vs. County All Star game. Although he injured his foot during practices leading up to the game, Don “toughed it out” and played much of the game, as a starter, on both offense and defense. It turned out that he played on a broken foot!

 

During his junior year at EHS, Don was hired as a part time recreation leader and lifeguard/swim instructor for the City of Escondido Parks and Recreation Department by then Recreation Director Mike Williams. After graduating from Cal Poly Pomona, Don was hired full time by the City of Escondido. He was promoted to Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services in 1988. He was responsible for planning and development of the majority of Escondido’s parks and recreation facilities including: Ryan Park, Mountain View Park, Jesmond Dene Park, the East Valley Community Center, the Sports Center adult softball complex, the Niki de Saint Phalle’s Magical Circle in Kit Carson Park, and Trails Master Plan as well as the planning of the Daily Ranch.

 

Always a strong proponent of joint use of both city schools and city facilities, Don worked closely with both elementary and high school leadership to maximize recreational and school facilities for the students and citizens of Escondido. Improvements in facilities under Don’s leadership included: sports lighting at Escondido High School baseball and football fields, practice soccer field adjacent to the varsity baseball field, lighting of Orange Glen High School’s tennis courts, baseball backstops and dugouts on elementary school sites, sports field lights at Grant and Hidden Valley Middle Schools. He also enacted policy to name facilities in honor of sports greats of the city, including Jim Stone Pool at Grape Day Park, Pete Coscarart Field at EHS baseball facility, and Jim Gabbard Little League Field at Kit Carson Park.

 

Don’s leadership also extended to the many committees he has served on, including the Escondido History Center, The Escondido Employee’s Federal Credit Union, Palomar Family Counseling, Wilson Football Stadium Committee, School District Bond measures, and planning committee for the annual EHS 50+ class reunions.

  Don’s work has not gone unrecognized as evidenced by his inductions into the Escondido High School Hall of Fame, Escondido Boy’s and Girls’ Club Hall of Fame, as well as the City of Escondido’s honor of naming a community building the Don E. Anderson Community Center!

 

Don will say his proudest occasion was marrying his wife of 50 years, Susan, in 1968. The Andersons are proud parents of four children and nine grandchildren and continue to live in Escondido where they are active in the community and with their family.

 

Don Anderson: Loyal, Strong, and True!

 

The recent Cougar Athletic Alumni scholarship golf tournament, netted approximately $2000 for our scholarship program. Thank you to all who played, donated, and helped make this event a success.

 

As we wrap up our 2018 meetings, we have enjoyed a good year of fellowship and philanthropy. Guest speakers included; Cougar softball coach Cary Weiler, former Cougar football coach and Athletic Director Bruce Ward, the great tribute to long-time Cougar teacher/coach Marilyn Shriver, and capping off our year of honoring former Cougars, today’s speaker Don Anderson.

 

Don’t forget to reach out to someone you haven’t talked with in a while.

 

Get your calendars out for next year’s meeting dates: January 12, April 13, July 13, October 12.