North Park News March 2012

sdnorthparknews.com Vol. 20 No. 3 March 2012

Serving San Diego’s Premier Urban Communities for 20 Years

NORTH PARK SCENE

‘Forever Plaid’ Debuts at The Birch“Forever Plaid,” the popular musical

that has delighted audiences in San Diegofor years, will debut at the Birch NorthPark Theatre on March 30 and 31 andApril 1. Performances the first two daysare at 8 p.m. and the April 1 performanceis at 2 p.m. The deliciously goofy revuecenters on four young, eager male singerskilled in a car crash in the 1950s on theway to their first big concert, and nowmiraculously revived for the posthumouschance to fulfill their dreams and per-form the show that never was. Singing inthe closest of harmony, squabbling boy-ishly over the smallest intonations andexecuting their charmingly outlandishchoreography with over-zealous preci-sion, the “Plaids” are a guaranteed smash,with a program of beloved songs anddelightful patter that keeps audiencesrolling in the aisles when they’re nothumming along to some of the greatnostalgic pop hits of the 1950s. Ticketprices start at $20.

Shop Farmers Market and HelpSchoolsThe Cash Crops program at the NorthPark Farmers Market provides a way tosupport local schools, local farmers andthe local economy by doing something

SEE SCENE, Page 4

SAINTS’LEGENDARYCOACH

Bill Whittaker saw his St. Augustine

boys turn into good teachers and

coaches — and pro athletes

Magic lives in childhood memories— playing “red light, green light” inthe street, prank calling the local gro-cer and watching scary movies, latenight, while at a sleepover. This samekind of magic is detectable in the voic-es of those who recall childhood mem-ories of a man who has been an inte-gral part of the North Park youthsports community for several decades

— Coach William “Bill” Whittaker. “I dispute whether or not his right

fielder fell in a ditch!” said Wes Brad-dock, laughingly. Braddock, principalat Monte Vista High School and for-mer San Diego High School student,spent many a summer in North Parkplaying sports. He hit a grand slam asa young athlete in a game againstWhittaker’s St. Augustine High Schoolteam. To this day, Whittaker still jokesabout how his player missed the ball,Braddock said.

“Whittaker,” as the boys at Saintsrespectfully called him, got his startcoaching at the city of San Diego Park& Recreation Department in 1946,after graduating from St. Augustine,North Park’s Catholic school for boys.

He coached the full gambit at theRec — football, basketball and base-ball, while attending San Diego CityCollege, but baseball was his expertise.

“I wasn’t a good player, I just lovedbaseball and we were very successful. Ihave a pretty good eye for talent,”

BY CECILIA BUCKNER

SEE COACH, Page 6

Bill Whittaker doffs his cap atSaints, where he coached formore than three decades.

Valet ServiceComes ToNorth ParkCitizens PatrolWill Follow

Residents living near North Park’scommercial sector have often com-plained about the scarcity of parking onweekend nights when restaurants, barsand other businesses lure gobs ofpatrons to their establishments. A newprogram launched in February is nowworking to free up those scarce parkingspaces — a valet service connected tothe North Park Parking Garage.

And for some of those same residentswho have griped about rowdy behavioraround local bars, the North Park Com-munity Association is preparing tolaunch a North Park Citizens Patrolmodeled after the Stonewall CitizensPatrol in the Hillcrest area. You’re invit-ed to a March 13 meeting to hear aboutit.

Valet ServiceThe North Park Valet Service is the

result of a pact between the city, AceParking, which operates the city-ownedparking garage on 29th Street, andNorth Park Main Street.

The service is provided on Fridayand Saturday nights. Motorists canleave their vehicles at any one of threelocations in the area and valets willpark them in the garage. The cost is $5.

SEE VALET, Page 13

CLICK & SHOOTGeorge’s Camera in focus

It’s been voted “Best Camera Store in San Diego” year after yearfor a good reason.

George’s Camera is unique. One of the country’s largest sin-gle-store operations, it’s the only full-service camera store in SanDiego, providing everything that focuses on photography. Theshop sells and rents equipment and all types of supplies. It teach-es classes and offers photo finishing services. And it’s been at itfor a long time — 40 years.

David Rivera took over management of George’s Camera in 1999 from his father,George Rivera, who opened the store in 1972.SEE CAMERA, Page 5

Adams AvenueUnpluggedWeekend music festivalhas all the right sounds

Adams Avenue Unplugged will make its debutalong a two-mile stretch of Adams Avenue on Sat-urday, April 21, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, April22, noon to 7 p.m.. This exciting new weekendmusic festival — formerly called the Adams AvenueRoots Festival — is free and open to the public.

SEE UNPLUGGED, Page 19

BY DELLE WILLETT

2 | sdnorthparknews.com | March 2012

(619) 683-5420 | www.aftonmiller.com | [email protected]

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March 2012 | sdnorthparknews.com | 3


SCENECONTINUED FROM Page 1

everyone does every week: shopping for groceries. Shoppers receive a ticket for eachdollar spent at the farmers market every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. and deposit thosein the bin for the school of their choice. SD Weekly Markets and North Park MainStreet then donate 5 percent of the dollars spent directly to local school groups. Par-ticipating schools include Jefferson Elementary, McKinley Elementary, RooseveltMiddle School.

Historic South Park Buildings SoldThe three single-story historic buildings on 30th Street and Fern Street in SouthPark — including Fire Station No. 9, the oldest standing fire station in the city —have been sold for $4.5 million to Hamon Properties. The seller was 12th & A HotelPartners. The other buildings are the Rose Grocery Building and the BurlingameGarage. All three buildings were renovated in 2007 and are leased to a variety oftenants, including the Stone Brewing Co. Store, South Park Fitness and EdwardJones. Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller and procured the buyer. Thebuildings are known as the South Park Commercial Center.

Three District 3 Projects Get FundingThe office of District 3 Councilman Todd Gloria has contributed over $34,000

to fund three projects in the district. The funding will allow the Park and Recre-ation Department to provide hourly staffing for the restoration of 30 additionalhours of operation per month at the Balboa Park Activity Center through June 30.The Activity Center, which had been closed on Sundays, will now be open sevendays per week.

Also, new marquee will be purchased and installed at the Adams Avenue Recre-ation Center, and the basketball and volleyball courts at the Golden Hill RecreationCenter will be repaired and resurfaced. The marquee and court improvements willbe complete by the end of June.

Previously, $1,000 was contributed to purchase and install sod and seed atGrape Street Park. The funds were matched by funds raised by the dog owners ofGrape Street. Also, $10,000 was contributed to Fire Station 14 in North Park.


Scripps Mercy Hospital 2nd Phase Addition CompletedMcCarthy Building Cos. Inc., has completed construction of the 13,500-square-foot addition to the emergency depart-

ment and trauma center at Scripps Mercy Hospital at 4077 Fifth Ave. in Hillcrest. Scripps Health officials recently dedicat-ed the expanded facility, renaming it the “Conrad Prebys Emergency & Trauma Center” in honor of its largest donor. Rep-resenting the second phase of a four-phased, $41.3 million expansion and remodeling project, the new addition doubles thesize of the existing emergency department and trauma center to encompass a combined 27,000 square feet of space. Thephase two, 13,500-square-foot addition was performed by McCarthy on an18,500-square-foot site on the east side of FifthAvenue, immediately adjacent to Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego’s existing emergency department. When fully complete,the Conrad Prebys Emergency & Trauma Center will accommodate 49 beds — double the number of beds previously avail-able. Four trauma bays will double the patient capacity of its current trauma center, accommodating up to eight people.

Cohns Bring European Influence to HillcrestRestaurateurs David and Lesley Cohn, founders of the Cohn Restaurant Group, have unveiled their newest concept —

100 Wines Hillcrest, set to open in early summer. Their partner and designer in the new venue is Philippe Beltran. The threesay the 2,500-square-foot space will bring an authentic, soulful European influence to the location at 1027 University Ave.

“We love Hillcrest,” says David. “Both Lesley and I are deeply rooted in this neighborhood, and we can’t wait to introduceour newest concept to the community.” Beltran is best known in San Diego as the creative mind behind Euro-inspired insti-tutions including Kensington’s Blue Bohème and Vagabond in South Park. The restaurant will feature an array of winesranging from local California to international selections. Wines will be sold by the glass and by the bottle through a pro-gram allowing guests to browse though selections priced in categories of $20, $30 and $40+ per bottle. 100 Wines Hillcrestalso will offer a full bar including a craft cocktail menu. Heavily influenced by Spain, France, Italy and touches of otherMediterranean countries, the menu will showcase a number of shared small plates crafted by numerous local chefs, includ-ing Katherine Humphus, a rising culinary talent and executive chef of BO-beau kitchen + bar.

Memories in the Making Art AuctionThe Memories in the Making Art Auction, set for March 23 at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park,

offers patrons the opportunity to purchase the artwork created by people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.Besides those, the event will feature “paired” work by local artists. These pieces will be placed side-by-side at the exhibit andattendees will have an opportunity to purchase this art and raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association’s programs and ser-vices. The event also will feature palettes designed by local artists, which will be included in the silent auction. VIP ticketsare $250. Individual tickets are $175. Marsha Mooradian is event chair. The event will include the awarding of the fifth annu-al Reagan-Thal Award to a community leader and a special tribute to Darlene Marcos Shiley. For more, visit alz.org/sandiego,or call (858) 492-4400.

One-Woman Art ShowArtist Thia Nevius will sponsor a one-half price art show and sale fea-

turing watercolors, drawings and monoprints on Saturday, March 17,from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3312 Vancouver Ave. in North Park.

Pre-Earth Day Celebration The WorldBeat Cultural Center, in collaboration with Sarva Dharma,

Bhakti Fest and Vision Magazine, will host internationally-renownedsacred music artists MC Yogi, Dave Stringer and Simrit Kaur for an eveningof World Music, Ecstatic Kirtan, Yoga and Dance. The Bhakti Fest Pre-EarthDay Celebration will take place on Saturday, April 21, from 6 p.m.to mid-night at the WorldBeat Cultural Center, in Balboa Park at 2100 Park Blvd.Aerial Revolution also will perform yoga and acrobatics and will be joinedby Six Degrees Recording Artist DJ Jef Stott, as well as multi-media vision-ary art and light displays.The Prophet Restaurant will offer East Indian veg-etarian cuisine and beverages for purchase. Sponsor gifts, prizes and dis-counted Bhakti festival tickets will be available as well.

Portions of the evening’s proceeds will go to the WorldBeat CulturalCenter’s ongoing community efforts. Advance tickets for the event are$25 and can be purchase at the WorldBeat Cultural Center box office.Vending and sponsorship spaces are available.

Atlas Retail Space Sells for $2.4 MillionThe ground floor retail space at the Atlas mixed-use building in Hillcrest has been sold for $2.4 million to Hamon Prop-

erties by Western Pacific Housing Inc./D.R. Horton, the original developer of the building. The building at 3650 Fifth Ave.was constructed in 2009. The four-unit commercial space is leased to Pappalecco’s Gelato Café, Osteria Origano Italian Restau-rant, Beauty By Dolly salon and Pure Barre fitness studio. Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial represented the seller. Cushman& Wakefield represented the buyer.

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Whittaker said.After a decade of coaching at the Rec,

Whittaker began coaching at his almamater, St. Augustine, where he remainedfor more than three decades.

Now 84, Whittaker has coached someSan Diego kids that turned out to be bigleaguers, such as former Padres and LosAngeles Angels (then, Anaheim Angels)pitcher John D’Acquisto and Deron John-son, who played major league baseballfor 17 seasons for several teams, includingthe Phillies and the Yankees, and latercoached the Anaheim Angels.

Whittaker said his greatest achieve-ment — what he is most proud of — isnot the professional athletic endeavors ofthe youth he coached, but the number ofkids he coached who became coaches andteachers.

Said Whittaker: “I guess they saw medoing it and they figured, ‘Hell if he cando it, I can do it. Whittaker never workeda day in his life. I’m going to go do whathe did.’”

“That’s the way I feel,” said Whittaker. “I never really worked a day in my life!”Whittaker said most of the coaching

legends at the San Diego Hall of Cham-pions played for him at the Rec and a lotof them went to Saints. “Some of themplayed pro ball, but most of them wereteachers and coaches — successfulhuman beings. You know, I’ve had a lotof guys that were born with that stuff.You just find some guy that’s just smartenough to stay the hell out of the wayand let you play!”

Obviously, Whittaker did more thanstay out of the way — during his tenure

as head varsity baseball coach at Saints,the team won more than 250 games, threeleague titles, made the CIF playoffs sixtimes and won three Lions tournaments.

Whittaker said times were different inhis early coaching days. “We did every-thing — every playground would havefootball, basketball, track, baseball teamsand the city paid for it all,” he said. “Par-ents didn’t have to worry about the kidsand they weren’t off hanging out at the 7-Eleven, trying to get some guy to go buya beer or cigarettes.”

But playing ball for Whittaker meantmore to the boys than just having a placeto go. They looked up to him.

“We were looking for someone toemulate, and I was blessed,” said Academyof Our Lady of Peace track coach, DanKeays. “We wanted to act like him.”

As a young boy, Keays was impressedby the laughing and ribbing that went onduring Whittaker’s games. He wasn’t allfun though. He demanded excellence. Butif you made an error on the field, he wasempathic — he knew you already felt bad

enough. Today you will find Whittaker, who still

works for the city as a recreation leader,riding around in a golf cart, making sureall is up and running and occasionallyvolunteering his coaching time. And hestill has that sense of humor that riled theboys during game time. But now, his wifeof 62 years, Jacqueline, shares in the rib-bing and riling.

“I used to think I was a great coachbecause the guys would hustle out andhustle in,” he said. “They just wanted to sitdown next to Jackie on the bench.”

“That’s because I was voluptuous,”Jackie said, chuckling.

Whittaker said he fell for Jackie becauseshe could hit the ball as a young girl. “Shewas the best hitter on the block,” helaughed.

Smiling, Jackie said she also was a goodcatcher. “I caught him.”

COACHCONTINUED FROM Page 1

An old newspaper clipping shows the coach with a few of his St. Augustine baseball players.

Coach Whittaker and his wife, Jackie, share a hug, an uncommon sense of humor, seven chil-dren and 16 grandchildren.

The City Council declares May 13, 1996, as Coach Bill Whittaker Day.

HALL OF CHAMPIONS INDUCTEEIn 2004, Bill Whittaker wasamong other coaches and sportsenthusiasts honored at the sixthannual San Diego County HighSchool Coaching Legends Induc-tion Banquet at the San DiegoHall of Champions.

Bill Whittaker — Baseball — St. Augustine

Bill Whittaker began coaching at St. Augustine in 1956 as the juniorvarsity coach in football, basketball and baseball. After two years,he was assigned to the varsity baseball coaching position at Saints,a title he held for the next 26 years.

During his tenure, the Saints varsity baseball team won 264 games,three league titles (1967, 1971, 1972), made the CIF playoffs sixtimes and won three Lions tournaments (1967, 1968, 1969).

As a high school coach and a City Recreation Department leader,Bill has coached countless numbers of young men that have goneon to professional baseball careers, such as Graig Nettles, JohnWathan and Bob Cluck.

Whittaker retired from Saints in 1990 after dedicating 49 years ofservice to the school. The Saint Augustine home baseball field wasnamed in Bill Whittaker’s honor in 1991. Bill is considered the patri-arch of Saints baseball, the figure responsible for elevating a smallprogram to unanticipated heights.

http://www.sdnorthparknews.com









Tom’s Blog: If I Owned the World/North Park Edition

Feb. 1, 2012UNFUNDED BRAIN—When you

grow up in the ‘hood you can find your-self day dreaming about ways to makeour part of town better. Here are sometweaks that have a home in this blog.

— In the February issue of SDHome/Garden there’s a cool article onCinepolis, the chic Del Mar Highlandsmovie house (858-794-4045) that servesfood and adult beverages along withflicks. Can someone ask the owners ifthey’d do the same makeover at theNorth Park Theatre (since the latter isup for sale?). We’d all go back to see “Cit-izen Kane” if we could sip on a local brewalong with some creative tapas?

— The 1920s water tank at Howard &Idaho Streets should be lit up for the hol-idays. And, why not paint “North Park”on the tank like the folks in the Midwestpaint on their water tanks? The tank isn’tgoing anywhere. It still delivers waterevery day. Let’s give it some buzz.

— Now that North Park has a collec-tion of superb restaurants and beer- cen-tric establishments why don’t restaurantsand bars and night retailers poolresources and hire a fleet of bicycle taxisto ride up and down 29th or 30thbetween Upas and El Cajon Boulevard totake customers back and forth betweenall the night spots? Charge a flat rate foreveryone and a buck tip. How much funwould that be, especially for Ray at Nightand 30 on 30th events?

— How about someone opening abrew pub, where on-site craft beer can bequaffed with a tasty menu? That shut-down post office would make a dandy

brew pub.— Why can’t the weekly Farmers

Market be held at the North Park The-atre parking lot? And, you could closedown 29th street from University to theopening of the parking building.

— 29th Street or 28th Street from Uni-versity to Upas could be renamed inhonor of North Parker Christine Kehoe,who served as a City Councilmemberfrom District 3, the state Assembly andthe state Senate. I’d be proud to live on thatstreet.

“….“You see things; and you say,‘Why?’ But I dream things that neverwere; and I say, ‘Why not?’” — Quotefrom George Bernard Shaw’s play “BackTo Methuselah.”

Feb. 1, 2012UNFUNDED BRAIN, Part 2 — Being

a kid in North Park, Balboa Park was ahuge plus. Like all San Diegans I love thepark. And, I often find myself day dream-ing about ways to make the park moreinteresting. Here are a few thoughts thathave found a home in this blog.

— Every summer the North Parkcommunity raises funds to have con-certs in Bird Park (Upas & 28th St).How about taking this idea to BalboaPark during the daylight hours by turn-ing the sleepy Starlight Bowl into aweekend concert stage for local groupsto play for free or a modest fee? Hire amusic/arts expert like George Varga ofthe UT to book the acts. No one in townknows more music acts than him. Cuthim a deal and every weekend therewould be sweet contemporary musiccoming from the bowl during the day?

—Wandering around America’s Finest

City Park, it sure would be nice to get agood caffe latte. OK, I’m a coffee addict.But you don’t think all the visitors wouldshun a good cup from Peet’s or Pannikinor Claire de Lune, or Starbucks. Turn theHouse of the Falkland Islands into asmall coffee bar with cute tables, wherefolks could relax and map their nextattraction visit. Yes, I know there’s noHouse of Falklands, I’m being silly, butmaybe there’s space in one of existinghouses to put in a coffee bar. Coffee justdoesn’t taste the same off of a cart. Onevery street corner in Europe there aretables and chairs where people can sitand watch the world go by. Hire someonelike the Urban League crew to collect allthe tables and chairs each evening if we’reworried about losing them. Store them inone of several empty City buildings in thepark. I’d rather pay for chair & table setup every day than a new mega millionparking garage. Fill the Prado with cafétables and chairs!

—What if we replaced some of the“comfortable” benches at the OrganPavillion with the aforementionedcaberet tables and chairs. Very cool to sitaround a table and listen to the organmusic. And, maybe our civic organistcould cut loose and perform an entireprogram of rock and roll organ musicala Jimmy McGriff or Booker T & theMGs. The park would rock! Come on,just once! Crank up those pipes!

—Let’s just stop all cars in BalboaPark’s Central Mesa, including LaurelBridge and Plaza de Panama period(keep parking lots adjacent to Park Blvd.)Banning cars in the central mesa re-

North Park Lions ClubServing the community since 1926

Meet Every Wednesday at NoonCome join us and make reservations for lunch

Email: [email protected] more information: northparklionsclub.com

3927 Utah St., San Diego, CA 92104-2906

SEE BLOG, Page 13

BY TOM SHESS



“Customer experience is our primaryobjective. We want to be sure that everycustomer who walks through the doorexperiences the best environment of anystore they shop in—not just camerastores,” says President and CEO DavidRivera.

David’s father, George, started thebusiness in 1972. His entrepreneurialtraits can be attributed to father JorgeRivera, founder of The Mighty 690 —atthe time the world’s strongest 50,000-watt radio station. He also owned XETVChannel 6 TV in Tijuana.

A graduate of St. Augustine HighSchool and the University of San Diego

(1964) with a business degree, Georgeexpected to go into his father’s radiobusiness. But after suffering a stroke inthe early 1960s, Jorge decided to retireand sell the network. So instead of radio,George got into the photography busi-ness with his cousin and brother-in-law,with Jorge financing the growing con-glomerate of four camera stores (SanDiego Camera Exchange, North ParkCamera, Pacific Beach Camera and Col-lege Camera), Surfer magazine and sev-eral liquor stores.

The San Diego Camera Exchangeopened in 1965 at Fourth Avenue and BStreet Downtown, run by George. Even-tually the partnership broke up andGeorge took over North Park Camera in1972, changing the name to “George’sCamera & Video Exchange,” and bring-

ing with him all the relationships he haddeveloped with vendors, manufacturersand customers.

George’s Camera is a destination storefor North Park. An icon. Centrally locat-ed, it draws customers from all over SanDiego to North Park, which has changeddramatically and completely over therecent years. “The area is a happeningplace now,” says David, who appreciatesthe additional exposure George’s is get-ting with the swarms of people patroniz-ing North Park’s new restaurants andnight spots.

Over the years George’s clients havebeen literally everybody: owners andplayers of both major league teams inSan Diego, the city of San Diego, U-TSan Diego, the aerospace industry, theU.S. Navy, President Jimmy Carter, and

well-known entrepreneurs such as Qual-comm co-founder Irwin Jacobs.

Rivera, 42, started working in the storein 1988 and took over management in1990. George officially retired in 2009.Before taking the management role,Rivera gained management and admin-istrative experience at Aladray ANA,while he was in high school and college.He also spent nearly eight years shootingNFL and major league baseball in SanDiego. This experience helped create aclientele of professionals for the camerastore.

Business has grown every year for thepast 20 years. And it’s changed. Changedwith the Internet. With the death of film.With rapidly evolving digital technology.With shorter product lifecycles. Withintroduction of the Best Buys of theworld.

The Internet creates challengesbecause, since taxes are not included inthe online price, it gives the customer theperception that George’s is the moreexpensive option. Conversely, the Inter-net has helped the store because it pro-vides a wealth of information on equip-ment, specs and training. People willresearch online and then buy in the store.Or, research in the store and then buyonline.

Regardless, given any opportunity tohelp someone, the staff of George’s Cam-era will. “We’ll train anyone who requestshelp; everyone is a potential customereven if they have purchased everythingonline,” says Rivera. While the firm lost ahuge revenue stream from the dropoffof film processing, George’s is sellingmore cameras. Most people today replacetheir digital cameras every two years orless, while the life of a film camera isthree to 10 years.

To compete with the purchasingpower of the Best Buys of the world,George’s is part of PRO, the largest pho-tography-buying group, with 2,000 loca-tions. Through this group, the shop getsrecognition from the manufacturers, giv-

ing them buying leverage in the constantbattle for product availability and distri-bution.

“My father worked in the business; Iwork on the business,” explained Rivera.Working on the business includes work-ing with every local chapter of nationalphotographic trade associations andevery photographic business in SanDiego in some capacity, and sitting on anumber of boards — at one time five ofthem: Museum of Photographic Arts,Photographic Research Organization,Digital Imaging and Marketing Associa-tion, American Dental Association andHigh Tech High.

Wanting to be more than the owner ofa camera store, Rivera saw an opportuni-ty with the introduction of digital tech-nology. “Right from the get-go Iembraced digital technology,” says Rivera,who became involved in helping moldindustry standards through his involve-ment in professional associations suchas the American Society of Media Pho-tography. With his considerable experi-ence, David also serves as expert witnessfor U.S. Customs and the DEA, and alsoworks on private criminal cases.

“Photography has opened up my lifeto going places and meeting people Inever would have known otherwise,” saysRivera.

Continuing the family tradition,Rivera’s mother, Mary (who died in2009), and his wife, Franca, have bothworked in the business. His daughters, 11and almost 13, aren’t working there yet,but the almost-13-year-old, who is a“phenomenal photographer” (accordingto Dad), could very well be in there someday soon, giving the excellent customerservice that George’s is known for.

George’s Camera is located at 383730th St. Phone: 619) 297-3544 . Hours: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Website: georgescamera.com.

CAMERACONTINUED FROM Page 1

George’s Camera store is filled with thousands of cameras, camera equipment and supplies.The store founder working on a camera backin the day.

An old photo print shows George Rivera (left) assisting a customer.

The store is a fixture on 30th Street.


South Park shops and eateries will kickoff the 2012 schedule of special eventswith the annual Spring Walkabout, thisyear designed to celebrate a “Wild WestWalkabout” theme. On the evening ofSaturday, March 24, the sidewalks andshops of Beech Street, the southern end ofthe historic neighborhood’s business dis-trict, will be decorated and lighted to hostvisitors in the first “Beech Street BuckarooBarbecue.” Local eateries Alchemy,Grant’s Marketplace, and Hamilton’sTavern & Cafe will celebrate with tastytake-away platters of chuck-wagon stylespecialties. Also on Beech Street, GinsengYoga offers Walkabout night specials andsale discounts on merchandise purchases,and Culinary Creative serves up Fat MollyBrownies and refreshments for visitors.

On the nearby corner where 30thStreet meets Beech, live musical enter-tainment will accompany the walkaboutfestivities.

The menu items for the special eventare a combination of the creative and theclassic for barbecue fans. Hamilton’s willserve up its signature Hop Sausage Sand-wiches (house-ground sausage spicedwith hops and Hamilton’s secret spices)with peppers and onions on an Italianroll, with a side of handcut Kennebecfrench fries. The platter is priced at $7.

Alchemy’s plate includes marinatedwhole-roasted pig-pulled pork on a sand-wich with ancho BBQ sauce and toppedwith hickory house cole slaw, all for $5.

At Grant’s Marketplace, in addition tospecials on wines and craft beers insidethe market, diners may enjoy a one-half-size BBQ roast beef sandwich with whitecheddar, baked open face in the pizzaoven and served with a side of Bush’sbaked beans.

The rest of South Park will be abuzzwith activity during the Spring Walka-bout evening. As always, a free Trolley will

circulate from Beech Street to GrapeStreet to Juniper Street from 6 to 10 p.m.Urban Safaris will conduct a one-hourwalking tour of the neighborhood,departing at 6:30 p.m. from the Info Tableon Juniper Street near 30th.

Junc Life & Style Boutique (FernStreet) will open a spring group art showtitled “Freaks of Nature” and featuringthe designs of two dozen local favorites.

At the busy corner of Juniper and 30thstreets, Rebecca’s Coffeehouse featuresentertainment by Jim Earps & AcousticGuests, and a benefit for Second ChanceDog Rescue. Across the street, The Groveat Juniper will celebrate the opening oftwo new shops within its emporium ofvendors. Circa A.D. brings its home fur-nishings and imported furniture to SouthPark, and Dig Garden & Home intro-duces art, accessories and supplies for thegarden.

Just north of that intersection areVagabond Kitchen, celebrating its sev-enth anniversary on 30th Street, andPlum Pottery offering its ever-changingselection of functional and decorativepieces along with new work by students.Mythology EcoBoutique welcomes Walk-about visitors to explore its new and cus-tomized designs for men, women, kids

and pets.Among the festive shops that now

reside in the restored garage buildingsalong 30th Street between Juniper andIvy is the Stone Company Store, whichwill offer 14 different beers on tap forgrowler fills and a “keep the glass” tastingspecial for the South Park Walkabout.

More than 40 South Park businessesparticipate in the Walkabout and will beopen throughout the festivities. Theneighborhood publishes a shop-by-shopWalkabout Guide, available to its emailsubscribers and visitors to south-parkscene.com, facebook.com/south-parkbiz, and at the Info Table and Trol-ley on the evening of March 24.

The Walkabouts are produced by theSouth Park Business Group Inc., withsupport from a city of San Diego BIDgrant. Additional 2012 events in theneighborhood are the Old House Fair(June 16) and Walkabouts on July 14,Oct. 6, and Dec. 1.

BY MARSHA SMELKINSON

‘Wild West’ Walkabout Features Beech Street BarbecueShops and sidewalks ready for March 24 event

Always busy during South Park Walkabout evening are the shops along Fern St., includingMake Good, which features crafts and gifts by local artisans.

Artist Douglas Thompson, whose abstractdesigns are often crafted with unusual materi-als, will open a showing of his recent work atThe Next Door Gallery, beginning March 24.

Colorful, one-of-a-kind birdhouses are featuredat Dig Garden & Home, a new shop openingthis month at The Grove on Juniper & 30th.

For a sampling of South Park shop offerings,consider these belts and buckles by RichardFredrick, sold at his Mythology EcoBoutique.


San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering Over two dozen Balboa Park institutions and community partners will once again put their heads togeth-er to demonstrate how much fun learning science can be at the Science Family Day. The park-wide Fam-ily Day on March 17 will kick off the weeklong San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering 2012, asvarious museums and cultural institutions feature science-related hands-on activities and special pro-grams for kids of all ages. In addition, a DNA Moving Performance, featuring one of the world’slongest DNA models (created by area science students), will be paraded down the Prado at 11:15 a.m.Children 12 and under will be admitted free with a paid adult admission at participating museums

(some restrictions apply). In addition, a free drawing at the Balboa Park Visitors Center will give away,among other items, a Family 4-Pack of Balboa Park Passports, tickets to Honk! at the San Diego JuniorTheatre, and Old Town Trolley/Seal Tour tickets.From March 17 to 24, the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering 2012 will present programs

throughout the county, culminating in the free Science & Engineering EXPO DAY at Petco Park onMarch 24, which will feature more than 135 hands-on exhibits and 16 stage performances. The eventwill take place from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. For a complete schedule, visit www.sdsciencefestival.com.All Balboa Park Science Family Day activities take place on March 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For updates,visit www.balboapark.org.

Spring Camps — Fun With A CameraThe Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) annual Spring Camp is the best way forkids to enjoy their spring vacation with fun and creativity. The full-day camps start onMonday, April 2, and will end Friday, April 6. Each day will feature a different activityand theme on-site at MOPA. The cost is $45 per day or $210 for all five days of camp.MOPA members enjoy a special rate of $35 per day or $160 for five days of camp. Tolearn more or to register, visit mopa.org/springcamps.Monday, April 2: Picture Me: Fun and Creative Self-Portraits. Learn the different tech-niques of self-portraiture. In this session, students will learn creative ways to expressthemselves in portraits. Learn how to show the qualities and characteristics that makeyou special with photography.Tuesday, April 3: New Landscapes: Panoramic Photo Collages . Create large-scalepanoramic photo-collages of Balboa Park. Students will photograph in natural land-scapes and make original artworks by creatively assembling multiple images.Wednesday, April 4: MOPA Geographic: Photo Safari (Includes free admission to SanDiego Zoo) . The day begins at the zoo as youngsters are led on a photographic safari.They will complete the day by creating an animal photo collage.Thursday, April 5: Fun in the Sun: Cyanotype Printing Mania . Discover how to usethe sun to make photographs. The Cyanotype, or sun print, is one of photography’s old-est processes. Students will learn how to combine modern digital photography with sunprinting.Friday, April 6 : Hands On: Get Crafty With Your Camera. Explore the crafty side ofphotography — digital photography, photo collage and more while visiting excitinglocations in Balboa Park.

‘Anna Christie’ Featured at the Old Globe The Old Globe announced the cast and creative team for the Globe’s revival of “Anna Christie,” Eugene O’Neill’smasterpiece about the knotty relationship between an old sailor and his estranged daughter. The productionwill be directed by Daniel Goldstein, who is currently represented on Broadway with the hit revival of “God-spell.” “Anna Christie” runs March 10 through April 15 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of theGlobe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Opening night is March 15 at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased onlineat theoldglobe.org, byphone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way.Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Anna Christie is Eugene O’Neill’s classic play about a weathered sailor and thedaughter he hasn’t seen in almost 20 years. Their new bond becomes strained when she falls in love with ayoung man whose seafaring life isn’t what her father wants for her. When Anna reveals to both men the shame-ful secret she has been harboring, they must all come to terms with the harsh reality of her past. Jessica Love makes her Globe debut in the title role made famous on film by Greta Garbo and Austin Durantportrays her seafaring lover, Mat Burke. Broadway veteran Bill Buell plays her father Chris Christopherson. Rounding out the cast of Anna Christie are Chance Dean (Longshoreman, Johnson), John Garcia (Postman,Deckhand), Raymond Lynch (Johnny-the-Priest, Deckhand) and Jason Maddy (Longshoreman, Deckhand).The creative team includes Wilson Chin (Scenic Design), Denitsa Bliznakova (Costume Design), Austin R.Smith (Lighting Design), Paul Peterson (Sound Design), Jan Gist (Vocal and Dialect Coach), Calleri Casting(Casting) and Annette Yé (Stage Manager).

Boomerang at the WorldBeat Cultural Center Vision Magazine is presenting a new monthly event at San Diego’s WorldBeat Cultural Center that willfeature live visionary art, music, dance and education with a positive message. It’s called Boomerang,a new monthly community cabaret for 2012 and will be held at the WorldBeat Cultural Center, 2100Park Blvd., March 17 from 8 p.m. to midnight. The Bay Area’s Eco-Afro-Latin-Funk Band “AFROLIS-CIOUS” will perform and the keynote speaker will be internationally renowned author Doug Noll shar-ing from his new book, “Elusive Peace.” International cuisine and beverages will be available for pur-chase from the Prophets Restaurant. Admission $12 at door. worldbeatcenter.org.

Paper Airplane Festival at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

Jessica Love stars as Anna Christophersonand Austin Durant as Mat Burke in ‘AnnaChristie.’ Photo by Henry DiRocco.

Bill Buell, Jessica Love and Austin Durant.Photo by Henry DiRocco.

http://www.sdsciencefestival.com

http://www.balboapark.org


War Vets Jerry Coleman and Chuck Yeager Honored Two World War II veterans — San Diego’s Jerry Coleman and Air Force fighter pilot ace Gen. Chuck Yeager —were feted at the Spirit of ’45 Awards and Celebration Dinner on Feb. 18 at the San Diego Air & Space Museumin Balboa Park. The event was part of the 2012 Spirit of ’45 National Leaders Conference. Yeager, who served asa fighter pilot during WWII and was the first to break the sound barrier in October 1945, will be presented theIndividual Lifetime Achievement Award. Coleman, a decorated Marine Corps pilot and current broadcaster forthe San Diego Padres, will serve as honorary chairman of the event.One of the highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2012 Spirit of ’45 Awards to six World War II indus-try leaders, which were major contributors to America’s “Arsenal of Democracy” during World War II —Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Ford, General Motors, Lockheed Martin and Chrysler. Several other World War IIveterans and defenders of freedom will be in attendance, including Rossco Brown of the Tuskegee Airmen.The Spirit of ’45 is a nonprofit, non-partisan initiative to raise public awareness about National Spirit of ’45 Dayso that it is observed every year in communities throughout the countryColeman, World Series MVP for the New York Yankees, left professional baseball to serve as a pilot during WorldWar II and the Korean War. He is the only Major League Baseball player ever to see combat in two wars). Cole-man earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses for his wartime exploits. He was a second baseman and memberof the six-time World Series champion New York Yankees.Yeager joined the Army Air Forces in 1941 and received his pilots wings in 1943. During World War II, he shotdown 13 German aircraft, becoming an ace. At Edwards Air Force Base, in 1947m Yeager became the first pilotto break the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 aircraft. During the Vietnam War, Yeager flew 127 combat missions.He retired from active duty in 1975. In 1997, on the 50th anniversary of his historic flight, he broke the soundbarrier again in an F-15 fighter. He retired from flying active military planes in 2002.

Chuck Yeager in his flying days.

The retired general today. Jerry Coleman

12 | sdnorthparknews.com | February 2012

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Visit our website: PaesanoOfNorthpark.com

The city of San Diego is faced withthe prospect of paying back a total ofabout $2 million that Greater GoldenHill property owners have beenassessed since the Greater Golden HillMaintenance Assessment District wasformed in 2007. The payback resultsfrom a ruling by San Diego SuperiorCourt Judge Richard Whitney thatvacated the city’s resolution formingthe district. The ruling was orderedby a state appellate court last Septem-ber.

Essentially, the courts ruled that thedistrict should never have beenformed. It will be up to the CityCouncil to determine how to pay backthe past assessments.

The Golden Hill NeighborhoodAssociation (GHNA), a group ofneighborhood residents, filed two law-suits, one in 2007 and one in 2008,arguing that the MAD had beenformed illegally. In 2009 Judge Whit-ney partially ruled in favor of theGHNA.

Both the city and the GHNAappealed the verdict to the appellatecourt, which ruled wholly in favor ofthe GHNA. It declared that the cityover-weighted the value of city-ownedproperty in the neighborhood, whichskewed the result of the vote onwhether to establish a MAD. The city,the court ruled, also failed to distin-guish between the specific benefits theMAD would provide assessed proper-ty owners and the benefits received bythe general public, as required by theCalifornia Constitution.

Attorneys Charles Khoury andSteve Haskins argued the case for theGHNA. Deputy City Attorney Car-

men Brock represented the city.Councilman Todd Gloria has previ-

ously stated through a spokespersonthat he has read and accepts thecourt’s decision and will work withcity staff “to implement the court’sdecision in a timely fashion.”

According to John McNab, presi-dent of GHNA, this was the first timea neighborhood group has challengedthe city’s procedures for formingMADs and won. He said the rulingshave implications for existing mainte-nance assessment districts and thoseon yet to be formed.

In the original election, each prop-erty was given a specific weight thatgave it more or less weight in the finaltally. City-owned properties received4.6 times the weight of single-familyhomes, but the city never explainedor justified this greater weighting,according to McNab. Because the cityowns 95 neighborhood properties,these made the difference in whetherthe MAD passed or failed.

The court stated: “When a localagency owns a substantial amount ofproperty subject to a special assess-ment, its failure to publicly disclosethe basis for the determination of theproposed assessment amounts to becharged against its parcels invites thesort of mischief the Association sug-gests the city committed in this case— i.e., the agency could over-assessits own properties without publicscrutiny for the purpose of obtaininga majority affirmative vote on the spe-cial assessment.”

The court also refuted the city’sargument that the assessments bene-fited only Golden Hill property own-

Golden Hill property owners win case to abolish maintenanceassessment district

The San Diego City Council recentlyapproved changes to local urban agricul-ture regulations, making it possible formore San Diegans to access locally-pro-duced food. I was proud to championmany of the changes, which grew out ofdiscussions during the council’s previ-ous passage of an ordinance easing com-munity garden rules.

At a community coffee in 2009, a cou-ple of North Park neighbors told meabout the challenges they faced becausethey wanted to raise a couple chickens intheir small yard for their eggs. I amincredibly proud that the common-sense

measures we passed will allow more SanDiegans to keep small numbers of ani-mals on their property and strengthentheir connection to their food.

Since the changes were approved, Ihave heard from a few folks who are con-cerned that their neighborhoods willsoon be overrun with loud and smellyanimals. I assure you that communityimpacts were certainly consideredthroughout the development of the newrules and hope this information clarifiessome aspects of the regulations.

Chickens:Roosters prohibited.Up to five chickens allowed with no

setback requirements from the onsitehouse. The coop must be located out-side the required setbacks.

Up to 15 chickens allowed with no set-back from onsite house. The coop mustbe outside required setbacks, or at least15 feet from property line, whichever isgreater.

Up to 25 chickens may be kept onpremises, as long as the coop and out-door enclosure are a minimum of 50 feetfrom any residential structure.

The coop must be predator proof,watertight, ventilated, easily accessed andcleaned, with a minimum of 6 squarefeet per chicken.

Miniature Goats: Miniature goats only. Must be de-

horned. Males must be neutered.Can be kept at single-family homes

and lots developed with single-familyhomes.

Shed must be located outside requiredsetback, predator proof, watertight, ven-tilated, easily accessed and cleaned, witha minimum of five square feet per goat.

Enclosure must have minimum five-foot high fence, minimum pen area of400 square feet, excluding shed.

Goat products allowed for personalconsumption only.

Bee Keeping:For up to two hives: Must be located

no closer than 30 feet from offsite resi-dence and 50 feet from right of way.

More than two hives: Must be located600 feet from offsite residence and 100feet from right of way.

No more than two hives allowed perlot.

Must have six-foot screen unless locat-ed eight feet above grade.

Required compliance with recognizedbest practices for bee keeping.

Community Gardens:Allowed to sell produce in residential

zones one day per week. Allowed with Neighborhood Use Per-

mit in the IL-21 industrial zone.Most of the changes are expected to go

into effect in mid-March. If you havequestions about this, please contact myoffice.

City staff work on this was made pos-sible partially by funding from the Cen-ters for Disease Control and Prevention,through the County of San Diego andthe San Diego Association of Govern-ments.

I am excited about these changes andlook forward to implementing more ofyour good ideas in the future.

Councilman Todd Gloria can be reachedat [email protected]; (619)-236-6633; 202 C Street, MS 10A, San Diego,CA 92101; and on Facebook and Twitter.Visit his website at www.sandiego.gov/cd3.

Urban Agriculture: Chickens, Goats and Bees Need Not be Feared

BY COUNCILMAN TODD GLORIA

SEE MAD, Page 14



The locations and hours of opera-tion:

• On 30th Street, next to UnionBank, from 6 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. onFridays and Saturdays.

• On Ray Street, across from Wang’sRestaurant, from 6 p.m. to midnighton Friday and Saturday nights.

• At the Birch North Park Theatre onweekend nights when there are theaterperformances.

“The city staff had been workingtoward establishment of the valet ser-

vice as a way to further increase use ofthe (parking) garage while minimiz-ing impacts to the residential areaswhich are so close to the commercialcore around 30th Street and Universi-ty Avenue,” said Eliana Barreiros, a pro-ject manager for the city. “The valueservice also helps us to continue tospread the word about the existence ofthe garage and increase demand for itscontinued use.”

“It’s a way to free up street parking,”said Mike Vargason, operations manag-er for ACE Parking. Twelve valets workthe shifts.

Citizens PatrolThe North Park Community Associ-

ation will tailor the North Park CitizensPatrol to the one that covers Hillcrestand surrounding areas by the StonewallCitizens Patrol.

To learn more about the program,attend the March 13 meeting of theNorth Park Community Association at6:30 p.m. at the Lafayette Hotel, 2223 ElCajon Blvd. Attendees will be able tosign up to be volunteers of the programto be launched in North Park.

The push for the citizens patrol aroseout of the growth of nightlife in the cen-tral business district of North Park,which has resulted in recurring prob-

lems with public drunkenness, rowdybehavior, loud noise, fighting and othernuisances. “A lot of residents are direct-ly affected by these issues,” said NikkiBerdy, president of the association.“People can’t park near their homes.There is a lot of vandalism. Some of thebars try to be responsible, but othersdon’t seem to care.”

The Stonewall Citizens Patrol con-sists of 30 volunteers who have receivedtraining from the San Diego PoliceDepartment and take turns patrolingthe streets. The organization focuseson crime awareness and crime preven-tion, including distributing safety whis-tles, posters and safety tip cards. “Our

volunteers conduct themselves with a‘hands-off ’ approach and do not carryweapons,” according to the organiza-tion’s Website. “We are merely addi-tional ‘eyes and ears’ for the San DiegoPolice Department.

The organization has three objec-tives: Increase awareness of street crimewithin the area; provide safety andcrime prevention education; and helppolice fight crime by serving as extraeyes and ears.

VALETCONTINUED FROM Page 1

invokes a 1915 founding fathers vehicleprohibition. Back then you needed a spe-cial permit to drive across the Laurel StreetBridge. And, it was only because FDR wasin town and needed a ride to the park.

— OK, here’s where fantasy hits thestucco: If we ban cars in central mesa, inorder to bring attendees into Balboa Parkon a daily basis (a) fund the old trolleylines and (b) grade parking lots overwhere the city dump used to be south ofthe Velodrome and west of Balboa ParkGolf Course. The East Mesa ex-dumparea is huge. Park all the cars there. Gradeit flat. If the idea works pave it later.

— Still with me? Here’s where it getscrazy, but a good crazy. Like Internet stor-age this fantasy has no limits. We’re nowgoing to build an extension line of theZoo’s overhead Skyfari cars from Zooentry all the way across the park to theEast Mesa. We could be creative regardingthe design of the aerial trams. From the

comfort of these new sky gondolas pas-sengers could ride from the new parkinglot across the Florida Canyon and arrivejust outside the main gate of the Zoo orthe Carousel Parking lot (now that carsare banned from that lot).

— The new aerial tram would aid inpark people moving needs and give us abird’s eye view of the park and the down-town skyline. We’re talking tourism here.Build an aerial tram system instead ofthe mega million proposed parkinggarage behind the Organ Pavillion. Thenew aerial trams from East Mesa parkingto Mid-Zoo could have corporate adver-tising sponsorships. Snapdragon,GoodYear or Southwest Airlines wouldbe just fine.

Tom Shess is a longtime North Park res-ident, creative director of San DiegoHome/Garden Lifestyles magazine andfounding editor of West Coast Crafts-man. His blog, portions of which appearhere, can be seen attomshess.blogspot.com.

BLOGCONTINUED FROM Page 7


California’s public universities and colleges usedto be a bargain for middle class parents.

In addition to their relatively low cost, they werealso among the top academic colleges in thenation. They were the ultimate equalizer, as anexcellent student could go to a world-class univer-sity even if their parents were not wealthy.

Due to the national recession and chronic bud-get shortfalls, college fees have risen dramaticallyover the last decade. Since the 2003-2004 schoolyear, California State University fees have increased191 percent, University of California fees haveincreased by 145 percent, and community collegestudent fees have also increased significantly.

While low-income students can still rely on CalGrants and Pell Grants, middle income studentswhose families make just over the cutoff limit arebeing increasingly squeezed out of higher educa-tion.

To keep college affordable for all Californians, Iam joining with Assembly Speaker John A. Pérezand my Democratic colleagues in the Assembly topropose the Middle Class Scholarship, a programto keep college fees down for middle income fam-ilies. These scholarships will be funded by closinga tax loophole for out-of-state corporations.

All students in the CSU and UC systems withfamily incomes less than $150,000 who do notalready have fees covered from another source willreceive a Middle Class Scholarship that cuts costsby 2/3. To apply for the Middle Class Scholarship,

CSU and UC students will fill out the standardfinancial aid forms.

Under this proposal, approximately 150,000CSU students will receive the Middle Class Schol-arship and save over $4,000 per year. About 42,000UC students will also receive the Middle ClassScholarship and save up to $8,169 per year. Fur-ther, community colleges will receive $150 mil-lion to expand affordability efforts.

Investing in California’s students is an invest-ment in our future. For every $1 we spend onhigher education, the state gets a $3 return on itsinvestment.

Passing this legislation will require a 2/3 vote ofthe Legislature, which means Republican andDemocrat legislators will have to join together insupporting the plan. This won’t be easy to accom-

plish, but with enough persuasion from students,parents, and all who depend on an educated work-force in California, it can become a reality.

For more information about the Middle ClassScholarship, please visit my website at:asmdc.org/members/a76.

Middle class scholarships make college affordable for all CaliforniansBY ASSEMBLYMEMBER TONI ATKINS

ers. It said the park property in the dis-trict “is unquestionably used by mem-bers of the general public outside thedistrict.”

McNab has said there were otherflaws in the way the MAD was formed.Although the law states that 30 percentof property owners must express aninterest in a MAD for a vote to proceed,in Golden Hill only 18 percent of prop-erty owners returned a preliminary bal-

lot, and many of them opposed a MAD.However, said McNab, the city wentahead with a binding vote. The GreaterGolden Hill Planning Committee wasrequired to weigh in on the matter, but itdid not, said McNab. He added that theofficial voting material prepared by citystaff failed to include any argumentagainst a MAD, such as the fact that onceestablished, it goes on in perpetuity.

Committee And Board MeetingsGreater Golden Hill Community

Development Corp.The CDC normally meets at 6:30

p.m. the third Thursday of the month atthe SDYS Golden Hill Center, 2220Broadway. For information, call (619)696-9992.

Greater Golden Hill Planning Com-mittee meets at 6:30 p.m. the secondWednesday of the month at the BalboaGolf Course clubhouse, 2600 GolfCourse Drive. For information, call(619) 533-5284.

The North Park RedevelopmentProject Area Committee meets at 6p.m. the second Tuesday of the monthat the Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El CajonBlvd. Meetings focus on redevelopmentprojects in construction or planning.For information, visitsandiego.gov/redevelopment-agency.

The North Park Main Street boardmeets at 7 a.m. the second Wednesdayof the month at its storefront office,3076 University Ave. North Park MainStreet has more than 250 members, pri-marily businesses paying annual assess-ments in the city-authorized North ParkBID. For information, call 294-2501.

The North Park MaintenanceAssessment District Committee nor-mally meets at 6 p.m. the second Mon-day of every other month at North ParkCommunity Adult Center, 2719Howard Ave.

The Greater North Park Communi-ty Planning Committee meets at 6:30p.m. the third Tuesday of the month atNorth Park Christian Fellowship, 2901North Park Way. The committee is anadvisory group to the city on NorthPark land use, including the general

plan, infrastructure and density. Forinformation, visit northparksd.org.

The North Park Community Associ-ation board normally meets at 6 p.m.the fourth Wednesday of the month atthe Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd..For information on the NPCA HistoryCommittee, visit northparkhistory.org.

The Business Group for South Parkand Golden Hill meets at 8:30 a.m. thelast Wednesday of the month at theMoose Lodge, 1648 30th St. The busi-ness group rotates its meeting locationevery few months. It helps organize thequarterly Walkabouts. For information,call 233-4060 Ext. 314.

The North Park Historical Societymeets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the thirdThursday of each month. The HistoricalSociety conducts research and educa-

tional outreach in order to facilitatepreservation of North Park's culturaland architectural history. For moreinformation, visit www.northparkhis-tory.org.

The University Heights CommunityAssociation meets at 7 p.m. the firstThursday of the month in the auditori-um of Birney Elementary School, 4345Campus Ave. For information, call 297-3166.

The Adams Avenue Business Asso-ciation board of directors normallymeets at 7:30 a.m. the first Tuesday ofthe month at the Normal Heights Com-munity Center, 4649 Hawley Blvd. Fortime, place and more information, call(619) 282-7329 or visit adamsaveon-line.com.

The Kensington/Talmadge Planning

Group meets at 6:30 p.m. the secondWednesday of the month at Kensing-ton Community Church, 4773 Marl-borough Drive. For information, call287-3157.

The Lions Club of North Park meetsfor lunch every Wednesday from noonto 1:30 p.m. at the club, 3927 Utah St.Prospective members are welcome toenjoy their first lunch on the club. Forinformation, call (619) 692-0540.

Uptown Rotary welcomes prospec-tive members at its 7 a.m. Thursdaybreakfasts at Jimmy Carter’s MexicanCafé, 3172 Fifth Ave. For more, call(619) 500-3229 or visit sdurotary.org.

The North Park Recreation Councilmeets at 6 p.m. the fourth Monday ofevery other month at North Park Recre-ation Center, 4044 Idaho St. For infor-mation, call 235-1152.

Toni Atkins represents the76th Assembly District ofCalifornia, which includesNorth Park and surround-ing neighborhoods. Her dis-trict office is at 2445 FifthAve., Suite 401, in Down-town San Diego. Phone:(619) 645-3090.

MADCONTINUED FROM Page 12

http://www.northparkhis-tory.org




The 2012 Old House Fair inSouth Park, an historic neigh-borhood on the edge of BalboaPark, will again feature a five-

house tour of architecturally significanthomes, along with a bonus visit to a100-year-old firehouse building.

The 14th annual event will be heldon Saturday, June 16, from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Complete information, includingadvance ticket purchases for the His-toric Home Tour, is available on thewebsite: theoldhousefair.com.

Always an Old House Fair highlight isthe docent-led Home Tour, for whichtickets are available at $20 per person.The homes selected for this year's His-toric Home Tour are all oriented to cel-ebrate their locations with views of theeastern sections of Balboa Park and itsadjacent canyons.

Other tours on June 12 will include aguided Trolley Tour ($5), a free UrbanSafaris neighborhood walking tour and

a self-guided walk-or-bike tour of thehistoric homes of South Park.

Throughout the day, a festival featur-ing exhibitors and vendors, food andmusical entertainment, will be held onthe streets where 30th Street and BeechStreet intersect. Craftsmen, contractors,restoration and repair experts will beavailable to answer questions, alongwith SOHO’s popular “Ask TheExperts” booth.

A few blocks north of the festival isthe Firehouse No. 9 building, originallybuilt in 1912, and recently restored tohouse South Park Fitness. The oldestsurviving firehouse in San Diego, thebuilding will be open for tours of itshistoric architecture in conjunction withthe 2012 Old House Fair.

The Station Tavern, also just a fewblocks away from the festival’s center, isthe Presenting Sponsor of the OldHouse Fair. Honored with the “Grand

Old House Fair Returnsto South Park June 16To include bonus tour of Historic Craftsman Firehouse

By Marsha Smelkinson

SEE FAIR, Page 15

The Batchelder tile fireplace in this home is one of the interior details that Old House Fairtourgoers will appreciate. The five-house tour includes docent-led visits, with historic andarchitectural features described in detail. Each tourgoer also receives an Old House Fair pro-gram booklet with complete descriptions of each home, prepared by design expert TraceyRaz of R+M Designs. Photo by Robert Pigott.

A highlight of the 2012 Old House Fair Historic Home Tour will be a visit to this grand eight-bedroom house built in 1913, Mediterraneanin style with neoclassical details. An anomaly in the South Park neighborhood of mostly smaller Craftsman-style homes, this large residencewas made for entertaining and is situated across the street from Balboa Park. Its original owner served as Vice Consul to the Netherlandsin San Diego for 15 years and entertained foreign dignitaries. The two-story house has an elongated floor plan where all of its rooms openonto extra wide hallways with beautiful wood doors, molding and staircase. Photo by Robert Pigott.


Old House Fair Seeks ExhibitorsThe 14th annual Old House Fair is seeking exhibitor and vendor applicants. The

event will be held on Saturday, June 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Businesses thatengage in the building or design trades, or which market products or services tothose who own or appreciate older homes, are encouraged to apply for exhibit andvending space. A 10x10-foot booth is available at $165, with early bird discountsavailable. An estimated 2,500 visitors attend the festival, which includes a five-houseHistoric Home Tour as well as guided trolley and walking tours of the historicneighborhood. More information on the event, and exhibitor applications, areavailable on the Website: theoldhousefair.com, or by calling (619) 233-6679.

Orchid” for its historic-centered design, The Stationwill be open throughout the day of the fair, welcom-ing visitors to its indoor dining and outdoor patioareas.

Also sponsoring the 2012 Old House Fair are localbusinesses South Bark Dog Wash, Andrea FrankHomes, Ed Landsberg Realtor, Home Restoration &Remodeling of San Diego, Berkley Construction,Thomas Bike Shop, Hamilton’s Tavern, AlchemyRestaurant, Whistlestop Bar, R+M Designs, and Stu-dio Maureen & The Next Door Gallery.

The event is produced by the South Park BusinessGroup Inc., an association of businesses located in thehistoric neighborhood, which also organizes the quar-terly South Park Walkabouts. The Spring Walkaboutwill be held on Saturday, March 24, from 6 to 10 p.m.Additional information is available on the website:southparkscene.com.

FAIRCONTINUED FROM Page 15

A highlight of the 2012 Old House Fair Historic Home Tour will be avisit to this grand eight-bedroom house built in 1913, Mediterraneanin style with neoclassical details. An anomaly in the South Park neigh-borhood of mostly smaller Craftsman-style homes, this large resi-dence was made for entertaining and is situated across the streetfrom Balboa Park. Its original owner served as Vice Consul to theNetherlands in San Diego for 15 years and entertained foreign dig-nitaries. The two-story house has an elongated floor plan where all ofits rooms open onto extra wide hallways with beautiful wood doors,molding and staircase. Photo by Robert Pigott.

Fire Station No. 9 was built in 1912 on 30th Street and is the oldest surviving fire-house in San Diego. Its Craftsman-style architecture has been carefully restored,and the building now houses South Park Fitness, a neighborhood gym. Freetours of the hhistoric restored building will be available during the Old House Fair.

Exhibitors who specialize in tile will be among the attractions at the June 16 Old House Fair.Photo by Luci Dumas Fine Photography.


You are immediately greeted by sweep-ing ocean views the second you walkthrough the door. If you’re checking inwith your family, as I was, one of theteam members instantly rolls out a redradio flyer wagon stuffed to the brimwith complimentary stuffed animals,much to your child’s delight.

A brief and scenic drive up the coastfrom San Diego, Montage Laguna Beachis a sophisticated, yet approachable resortthat makes for the perfect relaxing week-end away from home.

Built in 2003, Montage Laguna Beachis discreetly perched on an oceanfrontbluff along South Coast Highway. Span-ning 30 acres, this luxury Craftsman-styleresort melds the perfect blend of eleganceand comfort.

The lobby lounge is spacious and wel-coming, flanked by a fireplace and a baron either end. Once you’ve checked in,you are guided across the lobby to themain balcony for a vantage point tour ofthe property.

Having entered on the fifth and topfloor of the resort, you’re able to get yourbearings as you quickly scan rooms tothe left and right of you and settle on thejaw-dropping view of the Pacific Oceanthat extends beyond the massive mosaic-tiled infinity-edged pool in the center ofthe grounds.

To the right of the pool is Mosaic Bar& Grille, a casual bluff-side terrace andgrill complete with a fire pit. On the edge

of the bluff in a standalone Craftsmancottage is Studio, the resort’s signaturefine dining restaurant.

After several minutes absorbing thepicturesque view, you are then escortedto your room. There won’t be any aimlesshallway wandering here.

To say we were impressed by the bal-cony view from the lobby would be anunderstatement compared to how we feltonce we entered our suite.

Walking into our foyer (yes, foyer), wewere greeted once more by the samestunning ocean view we had just leftmoments ago. Just a few floors lower, wewere directly in front of the pool. Sheerwhite curtains billowed in the breeze thatwafted in from our living room balcony,and yes, I have to specify because oursuite had two.

Fresh flowers arranged on the coffeetable added a welcome touch, as didthe personalized note welcoming usto the resort.

Within minutes, a pistachio crusted,cranberry goat cheese hors d’oeuvre ofsorts was delivered, only to be followed bya chilled bottle of champagne, of course.We had been at Montage less than anhour and I was beginning to think Imight never leave.

Although it felt like we probably had thebest room on the property, each of the250 guest rooms have their own privateoceanfront balcony with floor to ceiling

Laid-Back Luxury

BY MICHELLE LYN

Slip away to Montage Laguna Beach forthe perfect weekend escape

I N L A G U N A

The moment you pull up to the entrance of

Montage Laguna Beach, you know you are

in for an unforgettable experience. The valet

team greets you instantly, and I say team

because before you know it, someone is

opening your doors, another person is

unloading your bags and yet another is

walking you into the lobby, chatting amiably

until it’s your turn to check in.

SEE LAGUNA, Page 18


windows that afford a view of the glitter-ing sea.

The well appointed rooms boast mar-ble bathrooms with oversized soakingtubs, feather topped beds with goosedown pillows, plenty of sitting areas anda bar area that make it a more than com-fortable home away from home.

Taking advantage of our early arrival,we headed over to Mosaic for an infor-mal, light lunch before taking a walkalong the beach. The fire pit in the mid-

dle of the terrace provided just the rightamount of warmth.

On the edge of the property, there is anenchanting path that leads you along thelush landscaping, overlooking four pris-tine white sand beaches that rival those inHawaii or Southern Portugal. From aperfectly manicured park at the edge ofthe path, you can peer over the cliff,down into the marine tide pools. Perfectfor a romantic stroll or a walk with thefamily, beach access is available from sev-eral different spots on the path.

After walking the grounds, our after-noon agenda consisted of nothing morethan indulging in the resort’s amenities.

Child care accounted for, my husbandheaded to the fitness center where hecould work out while watching the sun-set through the floor to ceiling windowsoverlooking the private adult lap pool.

I, on the other hand, chose to retire toSpa Montage for a complete dose ofrelaxation. There’s something intoxicat-ing about walking into a spa and smellingthat combination of candles, scentedlotion, cucumber water and eucalyptusemanating from the steam room.

The outdoor waterfall whirlpool beck-oned me to leave the outside world andall my worries behind. It isn’tsurprising that I soon foundmyself contemplating thelogistics of replicating thisexperience in my own home.

The next couple hours werean escape from all responsibil-ities as I retreated into thesteam room, followed by a cus-tomized balancing massage.The spa successfully managesto achieve a sense of quiet inti-macy, despite the labyrinth oftreatment rooms.

Refreshed and ready for ournext meal, we made our waydown to the edge of the property for din-ner at Studio. We passed the Studio gar-den, where Executive Chef Craig Stronggrows fruit trees, berry bushes and fiveraised planter beds full of organic vegeta-bles and herbs that provide a year-roundsource of fresh produce for use in Studiocuisine.

Dining at Studio is everything youwould expect from a 5-star restaurant,minus the pretension and arrogance. Ser-vice is friendly and unhurried the instantyou arrive.

Before sitting down to dinner, wepulled up a chair at the communal bartable for a drink. Although you have

your pick of $20 glasses of wine, theambience is nothing what you wouldexpect for a restaurant with such steepprices. The bar actually feels more likeyou’re at a swanky cocktail party at afriend's lavish beach cottage.

Upon entering the dining room, I wasstruck by the laid back chatter and instantwarmth I felt as we're led to our table.Servers clad in dark suits rush about inevery direction, smiling with a sense ofauthenticity you don't often see in finedining establishments. Service is impec-cable, while achieving congeniality at the

same time-not always an easy thing todo. The menu is described as ‘ModernFrench with California influences,’ so wedecided to leave the progression to theexperts and embark on the Chef 's Tast-ing Menu: six courses appropriatelypaired with unique wines from aroundthe world.

Before our first course, however, wewere treated to some delectable smallbites, such as a caviar taco and a miniquiche, as well as a warm brioche rollserved with house made lemon garlicbutter. Yum.

And it just got better and better afterthat. Dungeness crab, persimmon and

ginger salad, followed by parsnip soupwith quince and candied pecans (pairedwith a Champalou Vouvray which wasabsolutely delicious), filet mignon with acreamed parsley, and one of myfavorites...the cheese course.

Chef prepared a Brillat Savarin Affiné,a decadent triple cream Brie that waspaired with a blueberry – rosemary com-pôte. I think I finished mine before myhusband had even taken a bite of his.

Towards the end of our meal, the affa-ble Chef Strong came out to our table tointroduce himself. It was refreshing to hear

his philosophy on fine diningand his vision for it to exist inan unpretentious atmospherewhere you don’t have to spendall your time worrying aboutwhich fork to use.

This dining experienceruns you around $500 for twopeople.

As our weekend came to aclose, we headed to The Loftfor breakfast. If you don’twant a sit down breakfast, it’sgreat to grab coffee and a pas-try and head down to the

beach. Very family friendly,the staff was happy to accommodate ourstroller at a table on the gorgeous bal-cony with a perfect view. Complimenta-ry warm banana bread was served imme-diately alongside my coffee, yet anotherpleasant surprise. I ended my culinarysojourn with some of the best frenchtoast I’ve ever had-brioche with cinna-mon and whipped crème fraîche with acitrus zest.

Our entire stay was just under 24hours, but we felt so well rested and reju-venated, it was as if we’d been on vaca-tion for a week.

The lobby lounge at Montage Laguna Beach.

Sunlight floods the resort restaurant. Guest bedroom. Photo by Scott Frances.

Montage Laguna Beach is nestled on the Pacific.

LAGUNACONTINUED FROM Page 17


By Bart Mendoza

Melody Over BombastLestat’s has long been known as one of the area’s top spots for local acoustic performers, but more recent-

ly the venue has expanded its bookings with more worthy touring acts appearing on their stage. Such isthe case with Bay area acoustic pop trio Caught in Motion. Though they’ve only released one album, “Dol-drums” (2011), songs such as “Take Away Show” have a keenly placed sense of melancholy and harmo-ny well worth hearing. Based around the music of guitarist Banah Winn, Caught in Motion’s music willappeal to fans of Deathcab for Cutie or other such bands that place emphasis on melody over bombast.

Caught in Motion: Wednesday, March 7, at Lestats, 3343 Adams Ave. 9 p.m. All ages. Cover TBD. myspace.com/lestats.com.

Metallagher With Smashed Watermelon

Just when you think that all possible musicalavenues have been exhausted, along comes some-thing truly new — prop comic metal. Metallaghercombines the music of hard rock heroes Metallicawith the over the top humor of comedian Gal-lagher, for a show that’s as messy as it is loud. BothMetallica and Gallagher are impersonated, wigs,mustaches and all. The music centers on the clas-sic “Master of Puppets” album, while the stageshow includes the classic onstage smashing of awatermelon with a sledge hammer. Rain gear or atleast something fairly waterproof is recommend-ed for the front of the stage area. Silly? Yes. Greatfun? Absolutely.

Metallagher: Thursday, March 29, at The SodaBar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd. 8:30 p.m. 21 and up.$10. myspace.com/crocodilescrocodile-scrocodiles.

Ian Tyson Strikes the Right ChordAlthough perhaps best known as one half of ’60s folk duo Ian and Sylvia, today Ian Tyson’s career is more country oriented and concerned with

western culture, as in the type that might involve cowboys. An acclaimed songwriter, his hits include evergreen “You Were On My Mind,” but his musichas struck the right chord with many artists: Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot and Chris Hillman among the dozens who have covered his songs. A truelegend, Tyson’s part of a diminishing group of performers who were pioneering music before there was color TV. If you’re a fan of folk or countryroots, don’t miss this concert.

Ian Tyson: Wednesday, March 21, at AMSD Concerts, 4650 Mansfield St. 7: 30 p.m. All ages. $35-$62. amsdconcerts.com.

Case and Collins Surprise ReunionShow of the month is easily the appearance of musical cult hero’s Peter

Case and Paul Collins at Bar Pink. The pair first came to prominencetogether in iconic powerpop band the Nerves in the mid-70s, later goingon to individual success with their own bands in the early ’80s: Case withthe Plimsouls and hits like “Million Miles Away,” Collins with the Beat andclassics like “Rock ‘n’ Roll Girl.” Case has long since had an illustrious solocareer, while Collins has been touring with a new version of the Beat. Butthis surprise reunion promises to be one of the top music events of 2012.

Peter Case & Paul Collins: Thursday, March 8, at Bar Pink, 3829 30thSt. 9 p.m. 21 and up. $12. barpink.com.

Classic Celtic Tunes for St. Pat’sWhat would St. Patrick’s Day be without the Down’s Family?

Nowhere near as fun. The Celtic rock combo has been knocking themdead on the local circuit for several decades, known for a manic per-forming style perfect for a night of drinking, dancing and singingalong. Helmed by guitarist David Dick and backed by a top-rate bandthat includes accordionist Ed Moore, the band is adept at classic Celtictunes with plenty of like-minded originals to keep the energy level up.If you’re a fan of Flogging Molly or the Pogues, you’ll love this band,but anyone who is looking for an energy-packed St. Patrick’s Day willenjoy every second of this show.

Downs Family: Saturday, March 17, at Eleven, 3519 El Cajon Blvd.5 p.m. 21 and up. $8. elevensandiego.com.

From Texas Street on the west end toKensington on the east end, more than30 participating restaurants and bars willpresent more than 170 live unplugged(acoustic) musical performances.

Adams Avenue Unplugged will offer

music lovers a more intimate and club-like setting as well as three communitystages spread out along Adams Avenue.

A variety of musical genres will be per-formed by some of San Diego’s top musi-cians over the weekend with some per-formers playing multiple sets to allowattendees to catch their favorite artistswhile enjoying the neighborhood’s manyunique shops along the Adams Avenue

business corridor. Adams Avenue Unplugged is being

programmed by a quartet of local musicveterans who have curated past musicfestivals, including the Adams AvenueRoots Festival and Adams Avenue StreetFair. The fab-four are: Kent Johnson, alocal musician and co-publisher of theThe Troubadour; Lou Curtiss, rootsmusic historian and owner of Folk Arts

Rare Records; Louis Brazier, talent pro-grammer at Lestat’s; and Steve Kader,music programmer for several AdamsAvenue Street Fairs.

Since street parking is limited, organiz-ers will provide free trolley service alongAdams Avenue, as well as bike valet. Inaddition, mass transit bus service (MTS#2 and 11) will also be available sinceAdams Avenue will be open to traffic.

For further information, call ScottKessler at (619) 282-7329, or visitadamsavenuebusiness.com.

Adams Avenue Unplugged is pro-duced by the Adams Avenue BusinessAssociation, a nonprofit organizationwhose mission is to promote and revital-ize the Adams Avenue business corridorand is made up of area businesses andproperty owners.

UNPLUGGEDCONTINUED FROM Page 1


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North Park News March 2012