03-30-2012 15:14:49    Posted by: Mary Haas

The Rewards of Being a Member of Kiwanis

Kiwanis is a worldwide service organization of men and women who share the challenge of community and world improvement. As members of a club, we have opportunities to make business and professional contacts; learn firsthand about local, national, and international issues; improve and use leadership skills; participate in the life of our community and world; and develop life-long friendships.

Being a Kiwanis member can be rewarding in many ways. The greatest gift you could ever give yourself as a person is the gratification in knowing you are contributing your help, time, and efforts to people in and out of your community who are in need. Sharing your talents and helping inspire service and leadership in young people; raising funds to help the poor; participating in fellowship; and giving something back to your community can give you the highest levels of self-satisfaction you can ever experience. It just feels good!

03-30-2012 15:14:36    Posted by: Mary Haas

Bob Frankhouser - Charter Member

It’s hard to imagine the Kiwanis Club of Grantville-Allied Gardens without its senior member, Bob Frankhouser.  Whether he’s helping out with the House Committee, inspecting pans and rubber grommets at the Tree Lot, or handing out catnip in those suspicious little sandwich baggies, our friend Bob is two parts Kiwanis member and one part marvel.

As he turned 90 this month (March 12, to be precise), it’s impressive to think that it was almost fifty-two years ago that the Grantville Kiwanis Club formed with a young Bobby Frankhouser as one of the first members.  When the club chartered in 1960, there he was, getting started as a Kiwanian in the club’s infancy, attending some of the club’s first meetings at the Purple Cow Restaurant on Mission Gorge Road.  Bob served as the third President in the history of the club, serving his term in 1963, and in 1965 he became the first recipient of the Kiwanian of the Year Award.  Through the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and beyond, Bob has been a stalwart of the G.A.G. Kiwanis Club, but at the age of 90, he’s hardly a historical artifact.  Bob remains highly active in the club, still attending conventions and conferences, still showing up early to set up for meetings, and staying late to break down tables when the meetings are done.  Other members have come and gone over the years, and nearly fifty different people have served as club President  since Bob had his term in office, but through it all, Bob keeps showing up like clockwork for those 7:00 a.m. Thursday morning meetings.

Bob was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, the youngest of seven children.  He enlisted with the Army in 1943, becoming an aircraft mechanic and earning the rank of PFC before being discharged at the conclusion of the war.

In 1949, Bob and his wife Gwen moved to San Diego, where he was able to start his own business in the sheet metal industry.  They had two sons, Jeff and Brian, and together they were among the first residents of Allied Gardens when they bought a home on Waring Road in 1956.  Ten years later, they moved again to El Cajon, but Bob remained with G.A.G. Kiwanis, even helping the club rebound when it dwindled at one point down to eleven members.  If not for Bobby, there might not be a G.A.G. Kiwanis Club today!

In the years since those early days, Bob has served on countless committees and held several positions on the club’s Board of Directors.  It’s impossible to quantify what Bob has meant to G.A.G. Kiwanis over the years, but if there’s work to be done in the kitchen, at the Tree Lot, or on the delivery route for Meals-On-Wheels, Bob is always ready for the job.  Appropriately, he was the guest of honor for the club’s 50th Anniversary bash in September of 2010, when the City of San Diego proclaimed Bob Frankhouser Day.

Be sure to wish him a very Happy 90th Birthday and many more years of Kiwanis membership! 

(Thanks to John Crawford and John Peterson for researching and writing this piece.)

Kiwanian Bobby-1975                          Biker Bobby-1977                 Bobby celebrates 90 years

03-30-2012 15:14:24    Posted by: Kathy Butterstein

John Peterson – Recipient of the Kiwanis Distinguished Service Award

John Peterson is this year’s recipient of the Kiwanis Cal-Nev-Ha District Distinguished Service Award. John was president of our Kiwanis Club in 1971-1972 and Kiwanian of the Year in 1973-1974 and1996-1997. John has been a part of our community for close to 60 years. He has served on the Allied Gardens Community Council, delivered Meals on Wheels to those who are home bound, coached Little League and served as Circle K advisor.  He currently serves on the SpringFest committee and on the board of directors for New Entra Casa. 

John's strong sense of patriotism led him to propose that we dispay American flags along Waring Road on U.S. holidays. He helped bring this dream to fruition, and to this day the flags are placed on Waring Road during the appropriate holidays for the community to enjoy. John is the keeper of the flags,maintains them at his home and is in charge of putting them up at the crack of dawn and retiring them at dusk. He also was instrumental in getting the flag pole placed at the triangle, and helps to maintain this as well.

The middle child of three, John grew up in Winslow, AZ. His family moved to California in March of 1944. He finished his senior year of high school at Sweetwater High and graduated with the class of 1944. John was drafted into the Army and attended Engineering School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia before going to Japan in 1946 as a mapmaker with the 64th Engineers Topographical Battalion. After serving in the Army, John attended SDSU from 1947-51. He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and graduated with a degree in business administration. In December of 1950, while still attending college, John went to work part-time as a delivery truck driver at Kettenburg Marine.  He became a full-time employee in June of 1951 and retired in 1989 as Vice President of the company.

While working at Kettenburg, John met the woman who would become his bride. In 1953 John and Norma were married. Their first child, Susan, was born in 1954. John and Norma bought their first home on 49th Street in Allied Gardens in 1954. In 1959 their son, Jim, was born. The family moved to the home that John and Norma still live in today - still in the heart of Allied Gardens.

In 1966 John’s neighbor, Paul Christman, sponsored John and he joined Kiwanis. Now 46 years later, John is still active in his community, active in Kiwanis and respected by all who know him. Thank you, John, for your service with Kiwanis and for all you do for the great community of Grantville-Allied Gardens.

03-30-2012 15:12:04    Posted by: Kathy Butterstein

John Crawford

John Crawford has been an energetic member of our club since 2002.    He dedicates much of his time to the Key Clubs in our district. He is the advisor of the Patrick Henry High School Key Club, Regional Advisor for the Cal-Nev-Ha Key Club District’s Region 2 (Northern San Diego County), a past PHHS Key Club member, and a past president of the Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club.

Currently, John works as a claims representative for GEICO. In his spare time, he enjoys Padres baseball, desert travel, trivia games, and music from every generation. His favorite service projects always involve dirt and a shovel, or, for the past twenty years, selling Christmas Trees as a Kiwanis fundraiser.

John started his involvement in community service in the Kiwanis Sponsored Youth Programs. He was fortunate enough to get involved with the Lewis Middle School Builders Club when he was in the seventh grade, and  hasn’t stopped serving since. He is quick to say that his experiences as a leader and as a volunteer in Builders Club, Key Club, and Circle K were overwhelmingly positive over the course of eleven years. When he graduated from college, one of John's first priorities was to join our Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis Club – the same Kiwanis Club that he first got involved with when he was just 12 years old! We are proud that John remains a member of our club today, more than 20 years after his first Builders Club meeting. His commitment today to the youth of our community is helping to create the leaders of tomorrow!

02-18-2012 20:21:19    Posted by: Kathy Butterstein

In Loving Memory of Dorothy Dougherty

Dorothy was born and raised in the hills of western Pennsylvania, in the little town of Beaver Falls, the only child of George and Rosellyn Kasputis. George worked in a tube mill while Rosellyn ran her sewing business from her home. Dorothy's home, with its large lawn and beautiful garden, sparked in Dorothy a life-long love of roses. Here in San Diego, Dorothy took great pride in her rose garden which was admired and appreciated by all her family, neighbors and friends.

Dorothy attended Pitt University where she joined a sorority and forged friendships that lasted throughout her life. She became a physical therapist so she would be able to help relieve her clients' pain and restore them to good health. She met her husband Joseph at Dickens University where they fell in love and began their life together. In those days, in Pittsburg, "you either worked in the mill or you went over the hill." So Dorothy and Joe "went over the hill" to the Big Apple, New York, NY. While there, their two sons, Larry and James, were born. The family moved many times as Joe's job dictated. Chicago, Cleveland, Toronto and Washington, DC were places they called home. San Diego was their final destination, a beautiful city where Dorothy became a real estate agent and could have her rose garden. 

Joe and Dorothy loved their life together. They enjoyed the theater and both had a life-long love of reading. Although Dorothy lost Joe in 2004, she said her memories of their many happy years together plus the loving support of her sons enabled her to persevere and go on with life. She joined the Grantville-Allied Gardens Kiwanis and was able to give of her time and energy to the children of our community. She will be remembered by us as the delightful lady with the lovely hats, beautiful smile and amazing garden. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

12-12-2011 07:38:23    Posted by: Kathy Butterstein

Kathy Butterstein Voted Kiwanian of the Year - 2011

Kathy Butterstein, one of our most friendly and enthusiastic members, was chosen by the Grantville Allied Gardens  Kiwanis Club as Kiwanian of the Year, an honor which she certainly deserves.  Kathy says she is not comfortable mentioning what she does for the Club because she doesn’t want to sound like she is bragging and that a lot of our members do so much for the Club.  Being a little humble doesn’t change the fact that Kathy has been outstanding among the volunteers in our Club.  She co-chairs the Membership Committee; delivers Meals on Wheels with husband, George; helps coordinate collection of Miracle Mile of Quarters contributions for Rady Children’s Hospital; mentors young readers at Foster Elementary; sends congratulatory correspondence and notices to schools for Student of the Month; helps with club publicity by providing photos and writing articles for print and this website; and works very hard on Club service projects that are too numerous to list. A former high school biology teacher, Kathy and her husband came to us from New York. Kathy is a kind hearted and hard working Kiwanian with a delightful sense of humor and is well loved by all.  We are so glad to have her in our Club and congratulate her for receiving this honor! 

11-16-2011 19:04:16    Posted by: Mary Haas

Luisa Moore - President 2011 - 2012

Our new President, Luisa Moore, joined GAG Kiwanis in 2007 and has been a devoted Kiwanian from the start. She is always on hand to help at our club events and her enthusiasm and commitment will enable her to be an inspiring and successful leader. Luisa attends all club functions and conventions, works tirelessly at our Christmas Tree Lot Fundraiser and is always there to go the extra mile. This dedication led us to recognize Luisa as last year's Kiwanian of the Year! Luisa manages to do all this and still work full-time as a real estate agent at Remax Heritage Homes, specializing in property management. With Luisa as our leader, GAG Kiwanis is in good hands heading into the new Kiwanis year!

Luisa dressed up for her luau-style installation banquet.

09-18-2011 21:30:46    Posted by: Kathy Butterstein

Brian Arnold

Brian is our newest member. He grew up in Northern California with four older sisters and one younger sister. He attended Gonzoga University where he met the love of his life, Maureen.  After 17 years of "persistence and personal growth" Brian finally persuaded Maureen to say "I do"!  Brian has been a student, a carpenter, a river guide, a rugby player, a general contractor and currently helps his insurance clients plan for their financial futures. However, his favorite rolls are husband to Maureen and father to daughters Megan and Bridget. Brian claims he has an odd affinity for carving Jack-o'-lanterns with a chain saw, a skill that may prove useful at our Christmas tree lot! We are thrilled to welcome the Arnold's to our Kiwanis family.

06-16-2011 14:08:38    Posted by: Kathy Butterstein

Boyd Sauter

On March 26, 2011, Boyd Sauter received the CAL-NEV-HA Distinguished Service award from our district Governor. Boyd deserves this prestigious award because he has dedication more than 29 years of service to Kiwanis. He has been the President of our Grantville-Allied Gardens Club (1997-98), as well as Past Lieutenant Governor of Division 21 (2005-06). Boyd is a valued member who has served in every position our club has to offer!  He is currently our club secretary and continues to advise the SDSU Circle K club, as he has for over 29 years!  Recently he was the Master of Ceremonies for the Kiwanis Governor's luncheon where he was a great hit! 

We appreciate the many contributions Boyd has made to our organization and we applaud his dedication to our Circle K students!

05-17-2011 11:18:45    Posted by: Kathy Butterstein

Dr. Doug Grosmark

On March 26, 2011, Dr. Doug Grosmark, 17-year member of GAG-Kiwanis, was awarded the CAL-NEV-HA Distinguished Service by our district Governor.  Doug has been our K-Kids Advisor at Hearst Elementary School since K-Kids began.  After 16 years, the K-Kids  and Hearst students have donated thousands of dollars to childrens charities and have collected tons of food that has been donated to the San Diego Food Bank, the St Vincent De Paul Center and for the last 8 years the Navy Wives Club Food Locker at MCAS Miramar.  Each year the K-Kids make Valentine cards for Hospital Patients and Thanksgiving Placemats for Mama's Kitchen.

Congratulations, Doug, and thank you for all you do for the children of our community!

05-03-2011 12:23:40    Posted by: Kathy Butterstein

Kevin Tostado

Kevin is the founder of Tostie Productions, a high-definition film and video production company based in San Diego, CA. But strangely enough, before launching a career as a filmmaker, he earned a B.S. degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering. While in his senior year as a member of the inaugural class at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, MA, he co-wrote and directed a full-length independent feature, Yellow Lights. This movie took home awards for “Best Feature” and “Best Cinematography” from Indie Fest USA 2007 as well as Telly and DV Awards. Kevin also was a producer for "The Olin Experience," a documentary short about student life at Olin College from a students' perspective which Olin College still regularly shows to prospective students. In addition to his work producing and directing "Under the Boardwalk: The MONOPOLY Story," Kevin has worked as a camera operator, director of photography, and assistant director on music videos, webisodes for NBC's "Heroes," police training videos, webisodes for AT&T featuring paralympic athlete April Holmes, Disney Channel commercials, and independent short films.

Since completing photography on "Under the Boardwalk," Kevin has putting the MONOPOLY tips and tricks he's learned to good use by starting to compete in MONOPOLY tournaments, even besting a former World Champion in one tournament.

To learn more about Kevin's production company, click here.

05-02-2011 11:16:29    Posted by: Kathy Butterstein

Byron Newman

The San Diego Optometric Society awarded Byron Newman the highest honor they have: Optometrist of the Year for 2010.  At our January 27, 2011 meeting, he was re-awarded this honor by Larry McLeland.  Congratulations and thank you, Byron, for your continued service to our community!

04-19-2011 16:35:45    Posted by: Kathy Butterstein