The choices we all make

It’s been said that life presents many choices and the ones we make determine our future.

Several weeks ago I read the amazing story of the arrest of the “Golden State Killer” suspect based on DNA evidence. Even with the advancements made over the intervening years, the ability to identify an individual using 40-year-old evidence, (and hopefully encouraging for some cold cases) just boggles my feeble mind. The killer made a conscious choice to commit heinous illegal acts.

Shortly after his arrest, a story appeared in this newspaper regarding another unsolved murder which was committed in Poway 51 years ago, resulting in another individual carrying out an unimaginable pain-inflicting choice. The article noted that on May 1, 1967 at around 6:30 p.m., an 11-year-old boy riding his bike home from Little League practice discovered the body of 14-year-old Nikki Benedict. In this cold case however, any glimmer of hope similar to the DNA breakthrough with the “Golden State Killer” is quickly dashed when you read the remarks of the Benedict investigator that, “DNA is not what would solve this case right now.”

In reading about Nikki, it was easy to reflect back to 1967 as even today, that type of crime was just so foreign to those of us living in Poway. I remember how surreal it felt. The young boy who found Nikki was Ron Fisk. I attended Meadowbrook Middle School with Ron, and similar to the boys in the movie “Stand by Me,” there were four of us at Meadowbrook who remained tight all the way through high school. As I reflected on my three dear childhood friends, I couldn’t help but think of the statement made by someone that “Sometimes it’s the smallest decision and choices that change your life forever.”

Ron played football at Poway High and later at U.S. International University in Scripps Ranch. Ron made a choice to make his dream to run his own business a reality, so he drove long haul trucks, saved money, and opened his own landscaping company. Lots of good choices. In 1980, Ron was the best man at my wedding. Just eight years later, he made a choice to ride in a small plane during inclement weather, resulting in his death at the tender age of 33.

Dave Smith, or “Smitty” as we called him, was the athlete in our gang. Smitty loved two things, surfing and baseball. At a young age he made a choice to become a great pitcher and the hole in the stucco on his garage testified to his dedication. Smitty pitched at Poway High and at San Diego State. Drafted by the Houston Astros he became a star relief pitcher with over 200 saves. Smitty served as the San Diego Padres pitching coach in 1999-2000. Just eight years later Smitty, who had a real zest for life, was gone at the age of 53.

Mark Sanchez was the short one in our group but only in stature. He would remind us that good things come in small packages. Mark became interested in the Fire Volunteer Program at the age of 15 and joined. He made the choice that the safety field would be his profession and became a firefighter for the city in 1974 and in 1990 became Poway’ s director of safety services/fire chief. He remains active in the community, was inducted into the Poway High School Hall of Fame. Like the Energizer bunny, Mark continues to be passionate and dedicated in his key role of keeping Poway safe.

We are each confronted with constant choices to be made. As for me and my choices since 1967, the words of H. Jackson Brown say it all, “Choose your life mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 percent of all happiness or misery.” My most important choice was a no-brainer. I am one happy guy.

Higginson served on the Poway City Council from 1986 to 2014.