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40 | OHCC LIVING | MARCH 2024 | What's in a Name … Leisure Village becomes Ocean Hills Country Club as our 40th Anniversary moves closer, I take a look back. In 1982 word spread that a 55+ retirement community was being built in South Oceanside. Leisure Technology was taking reservations for homes that were being built. In April 1984, the first phase of Leisure Village homes was completed. The first residents to move in were Hiram and Elaine Martin, and the first homes available were on Cordoba Way. Homes ranged from 871 ft to 1819 sq. ft. and priced from $90,000 to $225,000. In 1992, due to the economic downturn, Leisure Tech went bankrupt. Eventually, Leisure Village became Ocean Hills Country Club. One of the only reminders of Leisure Village is the street we all use daily, Leisure Village Drive, a holdover from the Leisure Village days. The name change did not stop people from buying in OHCC. In 1992, my parents, Henry and Elinor Siesel, purchased their home in Leisure Village. They immediately became involved in the community. Elinor in art, photography, and theater arts projects. Henry was on committees, and played racquet ball, billiards, and made lovely stained glass. They settled into life a good for many years. As time marched on Dad became frail and Mom started to show signs of memory loss. Both of my sisters live in San Diego so they took over as much as possible. Mom and Dad had two cats, Tango and Paka, both Rescue House seniors. We made plans and I agreed to take both cats should my parents pre-decease the cats. Henry died in 2014 and Elinor died in 2019. It was suggested that I buy the house from the estate. I had just retired and had always wanted to join my sisters in San Diego. I felt I could not afford the house. My sister assured me that I could, and better yet, she said, the cats would not have to move! I bought the house, Paka and Tango did not have to move and we all had a seamless transition to our new life. Please think about a plan for your cherished pets should you pre-decease them. It's not always possible to buy a house for them. My parents were first generation Leisure Village residents with just over 1,000 homes. Now with over 1,600 homes, there are many of us who are second generation OHCC residents who one way or another acquired family property. The cats may have been the reason I came here, but they are no longer the reason that I stay. This is my home. Thank you to Patti Smith (at left) for sponsoring our Ice Cream in March and April Bingo is Sat., March 16. Doors open at 6:30 pm. For more information visit: https://ohccbingo.wixsite. com/ohcc-bingo. Written by Adele Siesel, President of Bingo ** ere was a small mistake in the February article. It should have said Leisure Village, no Leisure World. BINGO Elinor and Henry Siesel 1993ish Paka to 2022 & Tango to 2023 Patti Smith, our March & April ice-cream sponsor Mahjongg Club The lunar "Year of the Dragon" began Feb. 10. Celebrations will be evident throughout the year. Our Chinese MahJongg contingent celebrated in fine fashion with a party. Kudos to Weiling Mao for making that happen. She is the first to remind us that MahJongg was conceived in China where no card is required to play. Also, it is tournament time! Many of us have been looking forward to the American MahJongg Tournament returning to OHCC. Now that we have established the OHCC MahJongg Club, we are making it a reality. The last one was in the fall of 2019. We were in the throes of planning the 2020 tournament when Covid struck. (Remember washing your groceries as soon as they arrived?) The tournament will be held next month in Abravanel Hall on March 23. Registration forms and entrance fees are currently being accepted at the front desk in the Clubhouse. The deadline for registration is March 9th. This is one of our MahJongg Club benefits. It may have value to you only if you choose to participate. Please sign up and join in the fun, have lunch and possibly win a prize! It is highly likely that you will meet new people as our club surpassed 110 members on Do Dues Day. With club support, the entrance fee for our tournament is significantly less than other American MahJongg tournaments that advertise in North County. Maximize the benefit of being a club member by joining in on our social events. Expand your American MahJongg experience by registering for our tournament today. If necessary, we will have to cap our registration for the March Tournament at 80 attendees. I hope to see many of you there. Mahj On. Written by Dawn Edwards