{"id":443255,"date":"2026-08-25T18:42:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T18:42:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/443255\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T18:42:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T18:42:12","slug":"rotary-club-hopes-coronado-sign-will-be-a-lasting-tribute-to-the-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/443255\/","title":{"rendered":"Rotary Club hopes Coronado sign will be a lasting tribute to the community"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The Coronado Rotary Club dedicated the \u201cCoronado\u201d sign to the community on Friday, August 21. Members of the subcommittee stand with the sign after the ceremony. Photo by Joel Ortiz.<\/p>\n

It took community, creativity, a little political maneuvering, and a lot of grit. But three years later, the city has what Coronado Rotary Club hopes will be an iconic addition to the San Diego Bayfront: its own \u201cCoronado\u201d sign, in the City\u2019s signature shade of green.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first day I saw the sign, someone said that it looked like it had been there forever, and I said, I guess we got it right,\u201d said Bill Sandke, who has been championing the project for the last several years.<\/p>\n

Sandke says as a photographer, he could really envision what the sign would look like in photos, framed by the bridge, with the blue water and the sign \u201cCoronado green.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVisually, it was already painted in my head,\u201d he said. \u201cBut to see it in real life, and to see people interacting with it, it\u2019s the icing on the cake of three years of effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Bill Sandke has been championing the sign project for the last three years. Here, he sits with a painting of the sign created by local artist Connie Spitzer.<\/p>\n

In celebration of the Rotary Club of Coronado\u2019s 100th anniversary, the sign was presented to the Coronado community at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, August 21. Located along Tidelands Park\u2019s Bayshore Bikeway, with the San Diego Bay and Coronado Bridge as its backdrop, the sign \u2014 which cost $75,000 \u2014 is already becoming a popular photo stop for residents and tourists alike. It\u2019s the first signature sign of its kind around San Diego Bay.<\/p>\n

But the project hasn\u2019t come without its challenges.<\/p>\n

The sign was originally going to have each of the letters painted by a different artist. But the committee spearheading the project decided this would be difficult to maintain. The committee landed on creating the sign in the City font of Garamond and painting it a solid color.<\/p>\n

Then there was the cost. Fortunately, about 90 Rotarians and members of the community stepped up and donated $1000 to get their names on one of the commemorative bricks which make up the base of the sign, according to Sandke.<\/p>\n

Then, there\u2019s the location. At first, the Port Authority pushed back on the idea of putting the sign on the bayside at Tidelands Park, which it oversees. It cited environmental concerns with birds and problems with light pollution. Then, the sign was going to be installed near the playground at Tidelands Park. But City Council didn\u2019t like that idea, said Sandke.<\/p>\n

Eventually, the Port decided to allow the sign to be placed in its current location.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is where it needed to be, all along,\u201d said Frank Urtasan, who represents the City of Coronado with the Port Authority. \u201cWe\u2019ve done a lot of great things for the city. This is one of them here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Urtasan acknowledged all the blood, sweat and tears that went into getting the sign installed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese things don\u2019t happen overnight, folks,\u201d he said. \u201cIt takes a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for members of the Coronado Rotary Club, it\u2019s much more than just a sign.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Rotarians and dignitaries celebrated the ribbon-cutting of the sign. Rotary Club president Karol McClelland wielded the scissors. Photo by Joel Ortiz.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not simply celebrating this sign,\u201d said Coronado Mayor John Duncan. \u201cIt\u2019s recognizing that we are each only a small part of an extraordinary thread of history in 100 years of Rotary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Mayor John Duncan stands with Mitch McKay, mayor of Imperial Beach. Photo by Joel Ortiz.<\/p>\n

He said that, for a century, generations of Rotarians have worked quietly in the background with a deep commitment to \u201cservice above self,\u201d which has made Coronado a much better community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is true, with Rotary\u2019s work extending beyond the Coronado region, country, and around the world,\u201d said Duncan.<\/p>\n

Sharon Raffer, Coronado Rotarian, applauded the work of the subcommittee and the volunteer spirit of the club.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a part of Rotary is friendship, it\u2019s leadership, and it\u2019s doing things that are important to you and having other people help you with it,\u201d said Raffer. \u201cAnd the sign is a lasting tribute to a volunteer organization that\u2019s done a lot for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Sandke, it\u2019s rewarding to see the dream turn into a reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real expression of how well it\u2019s been accepted by the community when you look at those in the audience today,\u201d said Sandke. \u201cPort commission executives, port commisioners, and both mayors from Coronado and Imperial Beach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sandke says he\u2019s excited about the role the sign will play in the Coronado community, for residents and visitors alike.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake ten minutes and sit on the park bench across from the sign, and you will be rewarded with a nice slice of humanity in a world that\u2019s so turbulent,\u201d he said. \u201cWatching families and children interact with the sign will warm your heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo by Joel Ortiz.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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