Tracy Jara memorialized at Castaic Lake…

Castaic community leaders joined Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich and the friends and family of Jara for the dedication of a special memorial in Jara's name at Castaic Lake Tuesday morning. Tracy Jara, a past President of the Castaic Chamber of Commerce and Castaic business owner, passed away in June of 2007 after a brief battle with cancer.

To commemorate the tireless work Jara performed to improve the quality of life for Castaic residents, current Castaic chamber members worked in conjunction with local boy scout Filippo Alimonda to create a permanent memorial near the Castaic Lake beach area. Alimonda, who oversaw the construction of the memorial for his Eagle Scout service project, began construction planning in September, and coordinated several dozen volunteers over the past few weeks to overhaul the site.

The memorial features a winding, crushed brick pathway through a beautiful shaded area overlooking the lake. Three handmade wooden benches were installed, each engraved with the names of Jara, his wife Maria, and their two children, Jenna and Veronica. In addition, several birdhouses adorned with butterflies- one of Jara and his wife's favorite animals- are featured throughout the site.

In her remarks, current Castaic Chamber of Commerce President, Reverend Latisha Smith, challenged those assembled to work as hard as Jara to improve the Castaic community. and to continue his legacy. Supervisor Antonovich congratulated Alimonda for his service in creating the memorial, and praised local leaders for working to make the monument a reality.

The memorial is open to the public and can accessed during Castaic Lake's normal operating hours.