RB Sunrise at Work

RB Sunrise definitely made a difference at Buckheart Ranch.  Chuck Dilts, who with his wife, Cindy, established Buckheart Ranch about 10 years ago was grateful for the enthusiasm and hard work of the all of the participants in our project.  Buckheart Ranch is located about 2 miles up a dirt road called Old Survey Road.  The ranch is home to Chuck and Cindy Dilts, his mother and 6 boys and other staff. The boys stay at the ranch and work and are educated on the site.  These boys, who were once doing poorly in school, now graduate and all go on to college with scholarships.  Buckhart Ranch is a model for a successful effort for boys and Chuck is a consultant for a similar ranch that is being established in the Dominican Republic.

Although only a few out buildings were lost in the October fires in 2007, Chucks house was extensively damaged and still has not been repaired.  All of the homes that surround the ranch were all lost to the fires.  Several Rotarians made the house more habitable by installing several cabinets in the kitchen.   Other Rotarians helped with the installation of pipe for an irrigation system for a vineyard that will be planted to replace the vines that were lost in the firestorm.

One project in particular which Chuck had been dreading for months. All of the bushes and trees had to be cleared on the slope above the house and barn at the ranch.  This brush had to be removed before a permit to grade and create pads for new buildings could be issued.  Some of the brush had been already cut and needed to be hauled to dumpster on the site. Other brush had to be cut before it also could be transported to the dumpsters.  Steve Sayler and Mike Moffat had brought electric chainsaws and spent over 4 hours cutting down brush.  At the end of the day the brush was cleared and two dumpsters were tightly packed with the brush.   

The brush clearing effort involved approximately 14 Rotarians and included two of our female members, Diane Homes and Allison Farrin.  Allison used her horse to drag brush to one of the dumpsters. Carrying and dragging the brush to the dumpsters was time consuming, but the teamwork effort was successful.

Besides the brush clearing, there were other tasks that needed to be done.  A food delivery on Friday from a food bank included vegetables and other foods that had to be processed in order to be used in the kitchen.  Several Rotarians and family set about cutting up onions, strawberries and mushrooms.  

Another project was to pick oranges from trees on the ranch.  Several Rotarians  climbed ladders and used a picking pole until the wind gusts got too great.

Karen Mortimer's husband, Bill,  was among those who spend the day stringing a fence on the north side of the property. Several other Rotarians painted rough cut plywood panels that will be used to finish the front of the barn that houses 6 boys, as well as the classroom space, study area and a commercial kitchen and a dining area.  

Although the ranch property includes approximately 23 acres, less than half of that space is usable due to open space requirements.  After the grass and any remaining stumps are cleared and the vineyard is planted, the grading for the expansion buildings can be done. It is during that time that the 4 railroad cars that were once a restaurant in Solana Beach will be refurbished.  The cars need extensive outside work, but inside they are in good shape and included a commercial kitchen, as well as tables and chairs and other restaurant equipment that had a capacity in the past for 300 diners.  The railroad cars will be the future school house, dining hall and classrooms for the school activities of the ranch.

There is much more to this story, but RB Sunrise Rotarians and the family members and others who volunteered their time on Saturday definitely made a difference by their hard work and can do spirit.  Their hard work demonstrated the reality of Rotary's Motto- Service Above Self.  Thanks to RB Sunrise Rotarian Paul Coleman, who suggested and organized this successful effort.