City of San Diego Retired Employees Association
February 10, 2020
General Meeting Minutes
The minutes for the January 2020 meeting were approved.
Cynthia Queen of SDCERS announced that members should have received their 1099R forms in the mail. She also advised that members read SDCERS’ Annual Report which, in addition to providing financial information, also as material on SDCERS’ privacy program, awards and recognition, and the Scoop newsletter.
Vice-President for Advocacy Mike Bresnahan announced REA’s “meet and greets” with City Council members have been completed. REA Board members will now have informal introductory chats with the Mayor, as well as members of the County Board of Supervisors, State Legislature, and Congress as appropriate.
Joan McNamara reminded members of the symphony rehearsal outing on February 21.
PROGRAM: The program was Charlie Hogquist on the history of Balboa Park. He pointed out that our park is the largest cultural park in the US – twice the size of Central Park – and much of that is due to John D Spreckels moving from San Francisco and bringing lots of money with him. Charlie also explained why the statue of El Cid is in the park, how the park got its name, and that the lily pond was used for swimming and rowing instruction during WW2. On the subject of sound, the Spreckels Organ remains the world’s largest outdoor pipe organ by adding a new pipe every time any other organ adds one, and that the only place in the park that is free of airplane noise is Palm Canyon.