Resident's Corner

CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Roughly 400 of some of Carlsbad's toughest food critics – the residents of La Costa Glen retirement community – recently had a chance to rate local restaurants and food vendors as part of La Costa Glen's second annual Food and Vendor Show.

According to Walter Moser, director of food and beverage operations for the community, the Food and Vendor Show offers residents a chance to taste and review new products and food items for the community. Residents rate their favorite items on suggestion cards and the most popular items are considered for serving in the dining rooms.

This year's event drew 26 local vendors, including Moceri Produce, a local produce provider, Central Meats, Sara Lee Food Services, Ken's Dressings, Le Chef Bakery, Campbell's, Dole, Smucker's, Dreyer's and Nestlé. La Costa Glen's Executive Chef Judd Canepari and Pastry Chef Andrea Martinez topped off the show with several of their own specially-created dishes and frozen desserts.

"Our goal is to constantly develop new menu items that are both tasty and nutritious for the residents," Moser said. "Food should be fun, and our staff is dedicated to offering dishes that will delight our residents. Many people living at La Costa Glen are excellent chefs in their own right, so we have a challenging job. The Food and Vendor Show is a great way to solicit their input and make sure we are satisfying this very important part of retirement living."

Ellie Johns, a three-year member of the La Costa Glen Resident Food and Beverage Committee, said the annual show "provides a lot of good food, which is always great. More importantly, it allows us a chance to contribute our thoughts on what dishes we'd like to see served in the dining room."

For more information on La Costa Glen, visit www.lacostaglen.com. For a glimpse of some of the food and beverages served at La Costa Glen's 2012 Food and Vendor Show, go to https://www.facebook.com/LaCostaGlenRetirement.

It has always amazed me how the personnel at LCG seem to be so beautifully hand-picked. Management did just that when they brought our transportation coordinator to our realm.

Karen Taylor is an ideal person for the job. Karen is a natural for seeing to the travel needs of our seniors, as she was the sole caregiver for her own aged mother. She has had seven years of driving experience as a school bus driver in New Mexico, Texas and locally in Vista. Karen also has 20 years of administrative experience, including ten years with FedEx. She has always enjoyed working with seniors and when she noticed the LCG ad, she knew this was what she wanted and where she needed to be.

There are seven full-time drivers in the Transportation Department at present and a fleet of six cars and three buses (including "Mr. Big"). She has safety uppermost in her mind as well as maintaining an accurate and timely service for the residents.

Karen's personal life features a full schedule of activities including those with her four sons and two delightful grandchildren. We salute you Karen and want you to know we appreciate you and the outstanding work you accomplish daily.

I have visited three unforgettable military cemeteries: Normandy, France; Arlington, Virginia; and Fort Rosecrans, San Diego. As I walked among the many crosses and headstones, I saw names of Private First Class, Sergeants, Captains, Ensigns, Petty Officers and many more.

This brought to my mind the memories of many dead soldiers I witnessed lying along the frozen banks of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. That miserable 25°-below-zero frozen wasteland is where those brave men died in combat, allowing the lucky ones still alive to escape.

While in Washington, D.C., I also visited several of the war memorials. I spent a few hours at the Vietnam Wall finding the names of several friends of mine there. When I approached the Korean War Memorial, I had a flashback of the many times I marched in the rain, snow, and mud as depicted by the hauntingly realistic platoon of soldiers carved in stone.

My next visit was the Iwo Jima Memorial. This scene brought back memories of the many Marines who were killed or wounded for America's freedom, one being my daughter's father-in-law. I have always considered this man one of my heroes. As he landed on the beach, it took only 32 seconds for him to be hit by an exploding shell. He spent the next six months in the Balboa Naval Hospital and, after receiving a plate in his head, he was able to recover, becoming a successful businessman, a loving father, a faithful husband, and a good friend.

All of these heroes who gave of themselves for America have given us the opportunity to live this great life at La Costa Glen. God Bless America.