(October 2005) Olympian Challenges All-Comers San Diego Union Tribune (April 2004) Viewer Favorite! ***** The Media Can't Win Against "The Passion." La Prensa San Diego (February 2005) Wright's Serves Food Right: Hormone-Free La Prensa San Diego (February 2005) Ancient water supply may save us from future droughts La Prensa San Diego (February 2005) Big Wheel Keeps on Turning for Ex-Charger Whelihan JDHawk.com Exclusive (January 2005) Viewer Favorite! ***** The Groz-- PC friendly, but intellectually dishonest La Prensa San Diego (December 2004) CV cheerleaders win national championship The Star-News (April 2003) Viewer Favorite! ***** Miracle On Third Ave? The Ranch (November 2003) Viewer Favorite! ***** A Journey of 30 Thousand Houses Begins with a Single Home The Lake (July 2004) Viewer Favorite! ***** US Navy invades EastLake The Lake (January 2004) Magnuson plays Solloto -- a Star Rising? The Ranch (January 2004) The new Bad Boy is coming The Lake (January 2004) Daydreams The Lake (January 2004) Meet your neighbor Shelia Burrell The Ranch (December 2003) John Dí Acquisto, the man who lived his dream. The Ranch (August 2003) Lolita's Opens in Sunbow The Ranch (August 2003) Greeter Guards -- What do they do? The Lake (July 2003) Bliss-ball The Ranch (June 2003) The Heritage Center has brought the exotic to Otay Ranch. The Star-News (June 2003) The Chula Vista Yacht Club's Juniors Sailing Program The Star-News (May 2003) Trolley victim re-visited The Ranch (June 2003) GEM The Lake (July 2003) EastLake mourns loss of South Bay Icon Unpublished Sars inspires local inventor		EastLake mourns loss of South Bay Icon by J.D. Hawk EastLake Community Church was filled to capacity Saturday, June 14, withadmirers of the late Pastor Paul Veenstra. Preaching from the back of a truck, Pastor Paul Veenstra, inspired a crowd of hundreds packed at the Harborside Drive-in at National City in the 1970's. Stripping Christianity to it's core, he offered a message of hope and deliverance to anyone willing to drive their car at the lot. "Those were the happiest memories of my childhood," Robin Yakas said while reminiscing. "We were taught in a schoolbus that was divided into two, separated by a curtain. Those were our classrooms. I was disappointed when I had to go to a real church." Robin Yakas was also baptized at the Harborside Drive-in and had plans for Veenstra to perform her marriage ceremony soon. "I can't say enough good things about him. I never saw him turn away anyone who ever needed help." The informal setting appealed to people who found the idea of church bothersome or problemattic."There were people who don't like to go to church attending," Sharon Yakas, former member, said. "Some of them were handi-capped and didn't like getting out their cars. Others just didn't like dressing up. We could go to church and then take off to the beach immediately afterwards." From these humble beginnings, Veenstra moved to a more more mainstream setting, Chula Vista Community Church on East J Street, where he pastored for forty years. He was a member of the Chula Vista Rotary Club for 25 years, even serving as the president from 1994 to 1995. As his reputation grew, so did the requests for his message. When a newly elected Mayor Shirly Horton was having a First Friday Breakfast at the San Diego Country Club, the drive-inn preacher was invited to give a congratulatory speech. Having a flare for the dramatic, he also would perform in his own church productions, delighting the audiences."Whenever there was a theatrical production Veenstra would love to get involved, taking on roles like the Apostle Paul, Matthew and Peter," Carloyn Campbell, a family friend, said. "He enjoyed things like that." Veenstra retired three years ago, but was recently hired at EastLake Community Church as the Pastor of Care. He helped start the Otay Mesa Community Church and was involved with the establishment of the Chula Vista Counseling Center. Contact J.D. Hawk
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