Much of the Bird Rock Community Council’s March meeting was not dedicated to agenda items and updates but rather to a new project the group plans to continue every month.
The uncharacteristically brief 40-minute meeting March 4 saw the debut of a Bird Rock history project headed by BRCC Vice President Joe Parker. The first batch of nine photos from the past, obtained from longtime Bird Rock resident Philomene Offen, were put in a presentation for the audience to see.
The segment, titled “5 Minutes of Bird Rock,” attracted strong engagement from people in attendance and extended to more than 15 minutes.
“That’s five minutes, but a lawyer’s five minutes, so it was a little longer,” Parker quipped.
The project was created to showcase historical photos of Bird Rock along with anecdotes in an effort to increase interest and participation in BRCC meetings. Technical difficulties prevented a February debut for the project, but there were no such issues at the March 4 meeting, which drew five of the public.
Featured photographs included an aerial shot of Bird Rock from 1945, Bird Rock Elementary School being built the following decade and an artillery training center in Bird Rock during World War II. Undated photos showed La Jolla United Methodist Church and a hillside decorated with “Bird Rock” spelled out in rocks.
“Some of these photos show a side of Bird Rock I’ve never seen, and then some similarities in how things have evolved,” Parker said. “And we all know there’s plenty of things we will see moving forward that are still standing today, which makes Bird Rock and some older portions of La Jolla quite unique.”
Offen was Parker’s starting point for obtaining photos. Her collection first caught Parker’s eye when they were displayed at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters from 2009 to 2011.
He recently ed her about providing photos he could show at BRCC meetings, and she agreed.
“I’m delighted that they are getting a second life and a new audience,” Offen told the La Jolla Light last month. “Bird Rock has an amazing history that even I had no idea about when I first began researching it. I am beyond grateful to Joe Parker for his efforts in this.”
Once Parker runs through Offen’s collection, he intends to field photographs from local archives at the La Jolla/Riford Library and La Jolla Historical Society.
He also encouraged community to send in their own pieces of Bird Rock history by emailing [email protected].
Resident Don Schmidt chimed in at the March meeting with additional anecdotes of Bird Rock history and suggestions on how the new project can continue.
He encouraged Parker to “keep on this” and recalled a Bird Rock history night in the early 2000s, which he believes was the most well-attended Bird Rock meeting he has seen, with about 200 people. The event was catered and included several speakers.
“Everybody loves history,” Schmidt said. “And this little community has a great history.”
Schmidt offered to help connect Parker with records and collections from the descendants of Michael Francis Hall, who initially subdivided Bird Rock in the 1900s.
Another person suggested featuring boards with pictures and information about Bird Rock throughout La Jolla Boulevard to engage tourists and further highlight the community’s history.
BRCC President Joe Terry said a neighbor suggested placing a sign at La Jolla Hermosa Park explaining the naming of Bird Rock.
Though the board decided that would not be an ideal location, it discussed placing a small sign at the end of Bird Rock Avenue. For now, however, that idea is on the backburner.
Other Bird Rock news
Newest newsletter on the horizon: A new edition of the Community Council newsletter is coming soon, Terry said, though an official date was not announced.
It will be the first since BRCC treasurer Barbara Dunbar stepped down from running the newsletter late last year.
The newsletter, which normally is published every other month, now will be released primarily online.
BirdStock boost?: Terry said BRCC intends to submit an application for a $10,000 special-event grant for this year’s BirdStock Music Festival when grant applications open for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1.
The grant type, initiated by state Sen. Toni Atkins before she left office last fall, is istered by the city of San Diego in partnership with the area’s Business Improvement District Alliance.
Terry said the group also has applied for a grant to help pay costs of the 2024 BirdStock, which was held Oct. 19, with proceeds benefiting Bird Rock Elementary School and future BirdStock festivals.
Next meeting: The Bird Rock Community Council next meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, at Bird Rock Elementary School, 5371 La Jolla Hermosa Ave. Learn more at birdrockcc.org. ♦
