Page 20 - SD Woman Glace Ziperovich Issue

El Camino Country Club

FINDING MY HAPPY PLACE

By Judith A. Habert

Born and raised in the New York City and the financial situation has greatly champion, and a six-time European
area, and coming from a working-class improved over those lean years back in champion. At the height of her career,
family, certain concepts clearly resonated New York. she was one of the highest paid actresses
growing up. You had to go to college, About a year ago, a neighbor Mark, in Hollywood. Shirley Temple was an
work really hard, and pray that one day a former New Yorker, shared with us that American actress, singer, dancer, and dip-
you would live the life of those New he was a member of a local country club. lomat who was Hollywood's number one
Yorkers living on Park Avenue or the Up- We still figured, well he is an attorney, box-office draw as a child actress from
per East Side. Let’s face it few of us ever guess he captured the carrot. Once we 1934 to 1938. Together they purchased
achieved those dreams, but it was nice learned more about the country club, we 1,600 acres called Henie Ranch.
having a goal regardless of how unlikely soon learned that it was within our reach The intention was to farm the land
it was to attain. and maybe a visit to it would be in order. and Sonja put it in her brother’s name,
One of my dreams was to one day It took approximately 5 minutes to realize Leif Henie, who was also her business
belong to a country club, with a full that it was something we wanted to do. manager. In the mid-1950’s Leif had the
calendar of events to attend with a large The Country Club, El Camino Country vision to plan and develop a commu-
group of close friends who enjoyed a Club in Oceanside, not only fit the bill, nity around a golf course. His concept
similar lifestyle. Well, for most of my life but in a small way, in the back of our was to create a weekend getaway for
it was purely a dream, a carrot dangled in minds we felt like we had finally arrived. his Hollywood friends and LA business
the hope that all of the hard work would The history of the Country Club associates. William H. Atkins was the
result in finally reaching the prize. dates back to early 1939. Originally it primary person responsible for the start
It’s now over 22 years since a job was owned by Sonja Henie and Shirley of El Camino Country Club and formed
opportunity brought me and my family to Temple. Sonja was the famed Norwegian the Ocean-Vista Land Company in 1958
San Diego. We worked hard, we start- skater and actress. She was a three-time acquiring 185 acres of the Henie Ranch.
ed businesses. The children are grown, Olympic champion, a ten-time world But Ted Vallas owned and is credited

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