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Kristin Harms
Kristin Harms, the energetic president of the University Heights Historical Society, and the organization itself are receiving the Keeper of the Flame Award. Harms conceived of and managed the creation, research, fabrication, funding, and installation of three 7-foot-tall historical markers, along with lifelong preservationist Ernestine Bonn, society members and community leaders. Designed and placed for high visibility, the markers describe City of San Diego Landmark No. 346—vestiges of the late 19th-century Mission Cliffs Gardens (established by philanthropist and businessman John D. Spreckels in 1898) and the adjacent Bentley Ostrich Farm (hatched in 1904). In 1997, UHHS successfully nominated what remains of the two storied entities for historic designation. So Harms and Dr. Sandra Bonura, the author of Empire Builder: John D. Spreckels and the Making of San Diego, recently crafted the markers’ text. Harms also designed the durable, cast-aluminum markers and, from University Heights, remotely monitored their fabrication at a Pennsylvania foundry. Ernestine Bonn, treasurer of the University Heights Community Development Corporation, was instrumental in securing a $10,000 grant from the County of San Diego Neighborhood Reinvestment Program. And, in another of her community roles, she arranged for a San Diego city crew to plant the markers at no charge. They now stand near the remaining Mission Cliffs Gardens’ 700-foot-long cobblestone wall and two redwood entry gates on Adams Avenue and on Mission Cliff Drive. Not your typical neighborhood project, the signs stand tall, as they educate and evoke pride in University Heights’ history. Top (left to right) Ernie Bonn, Kristin Harms, and Dr. Sandra Bonura Scroll to view more photos 
 All photos by Sandé Lollis |
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Mailing - PO Box 80788 · San Diego CA 92138 | Offices - 3525 Seventh Avenue · San Diego CA 92103
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