DID YOU KNOW?

Built in 1941, Coronado’s water tower had a capacity of a half-million gallons of water, increasing the city’s water pressure from 20 pounds per square inch to a steady 60 to 80 pounds of pressure. It was a great improvement for the residents and important for fire protection. The 120-foot-high tower was on a 160-foot-by-150-foot lot owned by California American Water at 1st Avenue and C Street. The tower was painted with 9-squarefoot alternating orange and white squares with a bank of red lights on the top to make it visible to airplanes, as required by the Civil Aeronautics Authority.

In 1982, California American Water installed a new pumping system that reliably brought water up the Silver Strand. By that time, the tower needed costly repairs, and the new system made the tower obsolete. There was talk of developing the tower into a restaurant, a swimming pool or decorating it as a huge crown to promote the Crown City moniker, but in the end, the property was sold and the tower dismantled and hauled away. ■

PHOTO COURTESY OF CORONADO PUBLIC LIBRARY This undated photo of the water tower was taken from C Avenue.

LESLIE CRAWFORD PHOTOS

A very low tide brings beachcombers to the strand by the Coronado Shores. Opposite page: Sidewalk stamps offer a glimpse into Coronado’s development.

Explore more

A month-by-month guide to reconnect with cool things about Coronado

By MARTINA SCHIMITSCHEK AND LESLIE CRAWFORD

We all know that most New Year’s resolutions come and go, but one resolution that should be easy to keep is to appreciate our surroundings. To get you started, we’ve put together a monthly guide to inspire you to get outside and reacquaint yourself with Coronado — and keep at least one of your New Year’s resolutions.

JANUARY

Jan. 21 is a day of extreme tides. At 8:03 a.m., a king tide of 6.96 feet will bring water to an impressive level. Key places to look at the high tide are the Glorietta Bay Launch ramp and the Bluewater Boathouse restaurant where the water can get inches from the floorboards. Low tide will be at 3:21 p.m., measuring -1.99 feet. With the tide so low, take a walk around the outside of the Hotel del Coronado’s jetty to the tidepools. If conditions are right, the wreck of the SS Monte Carlo, a gambling and prostitution ship that ran aground New Year’s Day 1937, will be exposed at the Coronado Shores Beach.

FEBRUARY

Take a walk around your neighborhood and notice the stamps embossed in the sidewalks. These are markers of Coronado’s growth. The stamps imbedded in concrete include the year the sidewalk was poured and typically the company that did the work. The oldest sidewalk stamp, dated from 1898, is on Ocean Boulevard

BOB OSIAS | UNSPLASH

Michael Stutz’s “Penelope,” wife of Odysseus, sits in Tidelands Park.

a block from The Del. Keep an eye out for the few city blocks that have multiple stamps from different contractors.

MARCH

Celebrate Women’s History Month by taking a walk down to Coronado Tidelands Park to see “Penelope,” a sculpture of Odysseus’ wife in Homer’s “Odyssey,” created by Michael Stutz with bronze strips. The statue of the head overlooks the San Diego-Coronado Bridge and is one of nearly 100 pieces of public art around Coronado listed on the free Coronado Public Art app. The app includes a map and description for each piece, to create easy walking or biking tours whenever life requires a cultural interlude.

LESLIE CRAWFORD Sailboats make their way to San Diego Bay for the Wednesday Beer Can Races.

APRIL

This month you’ll start noticing sailboats heading into San Diego Bay on Wednesday afternoons. April marks the beginning of the sailing season and the famous Wednesday Beer Can races. (According to sailing lore, beer cans were originally used to mark the course.) Coronado Yacht Club launches their race at 6 p.m. Depending on the wind, it might be a leisurely sail or a rip-roaring time in the bay. Sailors from other yacht clubs are also out, and boats from different clubs might pass each other in their separate races. Great viewing can be found on the promenade by Coronado City Hall, where you can watch the boats leave Glorietta Bay, or the bayfront.

MAY

The Coronado Historical Association’s annual Mother’s Day historical homes tour showcases some of the city’s historical gems. If you can’t make it to the tour and want to appreciate National Preservation Month, learn about the city’s historical homes and more with CHA’s free Coronado’s Historical Gems app. You’ll find information on everything from the Donal Hord’s “Legends of California” mural along the side of Coronado High School to the cannons at Star Park — and maybe

LESLIE CRAWFORD With nearly 10,000 trees, Coronado has been named a Tree City USA since 1984. even your neighbor’s house. The app includes a map, photos and descriptions.

JUNE

One of the cool things about coming over the bridge into Coronado is looking over the impressive canopy of trees. Since June is National Great Outdoors Month, take a walk in the city’s urban forest. Coronado has been a designated as a Tree City USA since 1984, maintaining more than 8,500 trees on city property including parks and streets. The city is committed to planting 50 trees a year to keep the urban forest thriving. Trivia question: How many varieties of palm trees are native to Coronado? (Answer: zero.)

JULY

July marks the beginning of the summer open grunion season, which typically runs through August. That’s when you are allowed to catch the slippery little fish as they wash themselves ashore to lay eggs in the sand. The California grunion is the only fish that spawns out of the water. Grunion runs are typically during latenight high tides. You can catch grunions only with your bare hands and need a valid fishing license if you’re over 16. But be aware: Most people catch the fish for the challenge, not for the great taste.

AUGUST

Bike the Bay, a 25-mile ride that takes cyclists over the Coronado Bridge, is scheduled for the end of the month. But you don’t have to wait for the annual event to enjoy the route, which heads down the

LESLIE CRAWFORD Possums are beneficial for gardens, eating snails, slugs and small rodents.

Silver Strand on a designated bike path. At the south end of the Strand, you can come back the same way or go up the bay’s eastern side. By sure to stop to take in the views and read the informational signs explaining the history of the area and the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

SEPTEMBER

Now that the summer crowds have eased, it’s time to rediscover the city’s thriving wildlife population. At night, keep an eye out for possums (which will eat your garden pests), raccoons and skunks. Belding ground squirrels live in

SAM ANTONIO | DREAMSTIME

Coronado is filled with small pocket parks, some with city views, where you can find a moment of solitude or gather with friends.

the rocks on Ocean Boulevard, and you might catch dolphins and an occasional sea lion swimming offshore. In the sky, look for birds of prey including hawks, osprey, kestrel and even great horned owls. September is also the time migratory birds such as grebes move in.

OCTOBER

Get into the spirit of Halloween with, well, a spirit. Check out the tours available at the Hotel Del to learn about the “Beautiful Stranger.” The mysterious Kate Morgan checked into the hotel on Thanksgiving Day in 1892 under an alias. The 24-year-old had worked as a housekeeper in Los Angeles. Five days after she checked in, she was found with a gunshot wound to her head on a staircase outside. Since then, a lot of weird things have

happened in the room where she stayed, (now Room 3327) such as Morgan’s initials appearing on the ceiling.

NOVEMBER

In honor of Veterans Day, take a walk along 3rd and 4th streets on the west side of Orange Avenue to see the Avenue of Heroes banners. A new set of banners is installed every six months with a ceremony. The dozen banners honor veterans and active-duty service members, and the city takes nominees on a continuing basis. For more information, go to coronado.ca.us/216/ Hometown-Banner-Program. The Coronado Historical Association also has information about the banners at coronadohistory.org/. To expand your walking tour, also check out CHA’s map highlighting the homes of naval aviators.

DECEMBER

Take a reprieve from the holiday parties, parades and purchases and find some quiet time at one of Coronado’s nearly two dozen parks. Many of the small triangle parks tucked into neighborhoods have no amenities, but they do have greenery to enjoy. Pack a picnic and get away from the crowds. Take some time to see if there’s a plaque commemorating the person for whom the park was named. Did you know that Pomona Park by Adella and Pomona avenues is officially called Mathewson Park, named after A.A. Mathewson, who opened the first grocery in town at 2nd Street and Orange Avenue and was also a city clerk? For a complete list of parks, go to coronado.ca.us/415/Parks-Beaches.

There’s always something to be discovered just beyond our backyards. Go out and explore. ■