The Paper's Man About Town

Man About Town

It’s kinda fun watching young folks grow up into responsible, hard working, dedicated and talented adults. I remember a young gal, barely out of her teens, who used to run Paulette’s Playhouse, a computer bulletin board system, back in the early days of computers. I’ve stood on the sidelines and watched her grow as she took one computer job after another, mastered it, and grew into a major computer talent.



Besides repping a national company, Paulette Donnellon is also active in her community of Escondido, having served on the Escondido Education Foundation for almost two years. Last summer, she was named Vice President. She visits the schools and shares with teachers about upcoming events, or she presents at student assemblies and encourages them to attend the Escondido Youth Media Festival. She also has jumped in with both feet to the “Back to School Brunch.” When I was ‘recruited’ to become a member of the board, I stuck around for a planning meeting for the ‘Back to School Brunch’ and I haven’t stopped since then. Planning ‘Are you smarter than a 5th grader’ as the featured activity during the brunch is great fun. Watching the 5th graders answer questions that our local ‘superstars’ cannot, is SO entertaining.
”Paulette

Paulette Donnelon
”Cherry

Cherry cupcakes a’la Paulette

Another passion of mine is baking. My favorite thing to bake is Cupcakes. Anytime there is a birthday party or special event, I will bake. I even flew to Arizona to bake for a friend’s birthday party. I have also made cupcakes for an Escondido Education Foundation event. I love that folks think I own a bakery.”

Paulette is married to John Donellon, former Escondido police officer and currently owner of his own sign business.

Paulette and John love the desert and if not baking in her kitchen, demonstrating computer systems, or attending an EEF meeting, you can usually find her on The Riviera, at the Salton Sea, where they have another home.

I’d say that little kid I met so long ago grew up and has done pretty well for herself.

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Kudos to the Carlsbad Police Department. I am more and more impressed with them each day. Their investigative work nabs suspects shortly after major crimes have been committed. That is great police work!

Recently, for example, there was a fatal stabbing. In a matter of days the Carlsbad Police Department had identified three suspects and arrested them; several days later they identified three additional suspects and arrested them as well. In the course of the arrests they were able to recover evidence that appears to tie the suspects to the scene of the murder as well as other crimes.

Don’t be too surprised if we wind up spending a few days with the Carlsbad Police Department, gathering information and producing a full scale cover story on them and their work.

•••••

Bouquets are also due the Escondido Police Department, headed up by our good friend, Chief Jim Maher.

Lieutenants Craig Carter, Chris Wynn, and Tom Albergo, have all done a super job of keeping us informed here at The Paper as to what is happening in the city of Escondido. Robberies, Burglaries, Assaults, Murders, Sobriety and Drivers License Check Points, whatever the police action is . . . we learn about it quickly via very well written press releases. We, in turn, act as your eyes and ears and get this information to you via our Local News Section.

Knowing we have our dedicated police officers out on the street, protecting our home and hearth, and ensuring our communities are safe . . . is a very comforting situation.

I would like to see more input from both the Oceanside Police Department as well as the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, which serves both Vista and San Marcos.

We’ll be happy to let the folks in your community know of the jobs you are doing, folks, but you need to have your public relations department send us good, up to date information. That’s our job . . . getting the information to our readers about your job and how well you are doing it.

A word to the wise and all that ------

Spring is officially here . . . but I don’t need an official declaration. Spring has been here for quite some time . . . a fact I can readily discern every morning when I take Trixie for her morning walk. All you have to do is listen to the birds singing in the trees, calling for mates, with the breeding season upon us those songs are marvelous to hear; you also have but to breath in the fresh, sweet smelling warm air to know that spring has arrived.

In spite of all our national and local economic woes, I look for 2011 to be a wonderful year. This sense of wonderment and anticipation is nourished every morning during our daily walks.

Rejoice, folks, life is good and it will get even better.