Presidio Sentinel - April 2012 by LLD Studios

Volume 13, No. 4

APRIL | 2012

Serving the Heart of San Diego | A Publication by Presidio Communications

Davy Jones

last San Diego Interview by Kevin Fulton

When we sat down with Davy Jones I had no idea this would become his last interview. He was healthy, happy and making plans for the future, 30 day’s later he passed away.

Davy Jones was not a wild party animal. He didn’t live the outrageous Hollywood lifestyle. Davy and his wife moved to Florida to raise their family out of the Hollywood spotlight. That’s why everyone was so shocked when he died. He was one of the nicest people you could meet. Davy Jones and the Monkee’s have a special tie to San Diego that most people don’t know about. Everyone knows the Monkee’s TV show and theme song. The TV opening is one of the most famous in the history of television. What most don’t realize is that it was all shot right here in San Diego at the Hotel Del Coronado. The next time Davy Jones performed at The Hershey Theatre in June with Monkees Peter Tork you see the opening look at the beach scenes and and Micky Dolenz. The group, without fourth Monkee Michael Nesmith, reunited to you will recognize Coronado. mark the 45th anniversary of the group. CHRISTINE BAKER, The Patriot-News.

Continued on pg 11

Small Business Owners Meet with Congresswoman

Bank VP Receives Citizen of the Year Award

Hundreds Help Remove Graffiti from Pacific Beach

Top Chef Cooking Up Success

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WEB EDITION APRIL 2012

Serving the Heart of San Diego The Presidio Sentinel is a commentary-driven newspaper that provides coverage on local, regional and national issues that impact the lives of its readers and the community it serves. The serious issues are politics, government, redevelopment, the environment, conservation and safety. The quality of life issues include health, community activities, fundraisers, social events, religious issues and activities, theatre, arts, science and educational programs and services. We have over 35,000 monthly readers! Highly-educated, community-and arts-oriented. Both young and mature members of society. Most enjoy entertainment and travel, fine dining, local coffee houses, book and garden clubs, and participate in church, school and neighborhood activities.

Our Mission: Making a difference, providing the facts, the truth, and a variety of opinions so that its readers are provided up-to-date researched information. The Presidio Sentinel strives to create dialogue, bringing topics to the forefront that need and deserve attention. Its writers, who share a variety of experiences and business backgrounds, write on topics that impact readers on a daily basis.

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Featured Stories

Featured Events

Chance Gets a Forever Family

New Hillcrest/Mission Hills Vons Is Open for Business

Parker Student Is Repeat Spelling Bee Champion

What Now? Old Town’s Leather Leader

Gloria Steinem & Women at Risk By George Mitrovich

In 1969 I slipped out of a Caucus Room hearing in the U.S. Senate Russell Office Building and into a telephone booth. I dialed a number in New York City for Gloria Steinem, whom I had never met but wanted to know. Ms. Steinem answered and I introduced myself, telling her I had worked for Bobby Kennedy and that I would like to meet her. She asked if I ever came to New York? I said yes and she said the next time you come let me know and I’ll be happy to see you. That telephone call, one of the more significant ones I’ve made in my life,

Gloria Steinem

was 43-years ago. All of that came rushing back March 18, when The New York Times ran a major front page article in Sunday Styles on Gloria Steinem. The article was entitled, “A Woman Like No Other.” Subsequently, as press secretary to Senator Charles Goodell, Republican of New York, I was often in Manhattan and just as often saw Gloria for either lunch or dinner; usually in the company of Richard Reeves, chief political correspondent of The New York Time, and Lynn Sherr of the Associated Press (later with ABC’s 20-20). But on one occasion it was just the two of us and we went to Toots Shor’s for dinner; the restaurant was among the most famous in New York. When we walked in all eyes turn to Gloria, and Mr. Shor immediately came over to welcome her. To be with Gloria was to be invisible, because she was Gloria Steinem – and she was, as she remains, magnetic. After Senator Goodell lost to Jim Buckley in the ’70 campaign and I went to work for Senator Harold Hughes, Democrat of Iowa, I was seldom in Manhattan and saw Gloria less and less. But coming back to California and home to San Diego and

Ashley Judd Keynote Speaker for YWCA Luncheon

Christie Brinkley makes her Broadway tour debut this spring

Rev Your Engines for a Hot Rod Fundraiser

La Jolla Concours d’Elegance Announces Call for Entrees

George Mitrovich is a San Diego civic leader and may be reached at gmitro35@gmail.com

starting The City Club, Gloria Steinem was one of our first guests – and would return several times thereafter. But there have been long intervals when she has been absent from my life. But a couple of years ago she came to Boston and spoke for me at The Great Fenway Park Writers Series I chair for the Red Sox. When I told Larry Lucchino, the Sox president and CEO, Gloria would speak to The Writers Series, he pointedly asked, “What has Gloria Steinem to do with baseball?” I knew Gloria wasn’t a baseball fan, but I told Larry if you go to Google and type in Gloria Steinem’s name it comes up 2,630,000 times. Your name, Larry, “only comes up 188,000 times.” To his credit, Lucchino came early to the luncheon and sat with Gloria and Red Sox Hall of Famer Dwight Evans. Larry is a restless soul but he stayed for the speech and through Q & A and then had his photo taken with Gloria and Dwight. I had not heard Gloria speak in a long time, but there she was, in her 74th year, beautiful, elegant, and as persuasive as ever on behalf of fairness and justice for women. There is to her being and in her speeches a moral clarity no man can match. No one who came that day to the State Street Pavilion at Fenway Park to hear Gloria speak about the women’s movement and the challenges women continue to face, 49-years after she and others began the fight for women’s equality, went away unimpressed, including Larry Lucchino. The Sunday of the Times article I posted a statement about Gloria on my Facebook

Mine Eyes Have Seen George Mitrovich

page and provided a link to the story, written by Sarah Hepola. I then emailed Gloria a note. This was her response: “Thank you so much for your kind words, posting on your website – all of it, especially the moral clarity part. “My problem and what I tried to say to the reporter was that there never was or should be one person representing a movement. Even in the early years, there was Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug, Pauli Murray, Eleanor Holmes Norton and more. It’s no accident that three out of even those four are black women. “In the very first-ever big Harris poll of women’s opinions on women’s issues, black women were more than twice as likely as white women to support women’s liberation, the movement and its issues. But then the media focused on white women and kept saying the movement was ‘white middle class’, and some black women began to feel unwelcome. That’s the destructive thing – and focusing on yours truly doesn’t help. “Even in the civil right movement, the emphasis on MLK alone didn’t work so well either. It rendered invisible the women who were the origin, backbone and majority of that movement – including the great Ella Baker, who was older than MLK, trained him; trained SNCC etc. People should know her as well as him. “Anyway, it is what it is. I find it helps if I just never appear in an all-white photo Continued on page 9 www.PresidioSentinel.com

Local News

April 2012 | © A Publication of Presidio Communications

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Local News

Local Artist Promotes Mission Hills Concerts in the Park

Mission Hills BID board members and Presidio Sentinel executive editor (center) meet with Congresswoman Susan Davis (far right).

Small Business Owners Meet with Congresswoman Davis By Patty Ducey-Brooks

the issue of funding. Banks aren’t acLast month I was fortu- commodating small businesses with nate to attend a breakfast/ loans and other assistance even though coffee session with the that’s the impression. Davis was surboard of the Mission Hills prised by this reality and the comments Business Improvement about government assistance. Tom Curl, president of the Mission District (BID), which was held at the Red Door Res- Hills BID, shared with Davis that the ristaurant on Washington ing cost of Workman’s Comp Insurance is having a serious impact on businesses. He Street in Mission Hills. When I arrived at the also expressed a concern for the difficulty session, there was already a healthy con- of obtaining financing and the amount of versation occurring. BID board mem- red tape required to run a business. Following the session, Davis and bers were seated around Congresswoman Susan Davis. She was inviting the members of the BID visited other loBID members to offer their thoughts on cal businesses to hear directly from the state of the economy and how their the owners, including Doug Yeagley businesses were doing. Eager to inform of Tops Salon and Cinema Under the Davis of the current business climate, Stars; and Michael and Victoria Mcsome of the restaurant owners said that Geath of Brooklyn Girl. Victoria McGeath offered her they seeing some activity, however it’s thoughts on the visit with Davis, “It still a hesitant and cautious market. One of the common comments was was a pleasure to meet with Congress-

woman Susan Davis and we enjoyed having the opportunity to address local issues with her.” She added, “Hopefully, this visit will be beneficial in raising awareness of the needs of small business owners. It is imperative that the city and state officials work with small business owners to help reinvigorate the economy, put people back to work and eliminate multiple obstacles toward reaching those goals.” As it is important to have our elected officials working with and for small businesses, which represent a significant percentage of San Diego’s market, I plan to reconnect with Congresswoman Davis and learn what steps she plans to take to respond to the comments from BID board members. We also plan to talk to the individuals running for Mayor to learn their plans to support the small business community.

Mission Hills resident and artist, Barbra Rhoda, wants to remind her neighbors that the 19th Annual Mission Hills Concerts in the Park are soon approaching. The first concert is scheduled for 6 p.m., Friday, July 6. The free event is a great place to visit with neighbors, enjoy great music and a picnic on the lawn. Donations are appreciated and can be made to the Mission Hills Foundation, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that has been serving Mission Hills for over 20 years. Donations are tax deductable. For more information, call (619) 296-8731, or contact us at info@presidiosentinel.com. The Mission Hills Foundation also thanks Victoria and Michael McGeath for their upcoming fundraiser at Brooklyn Girl at 1 p.m., Sunday, April 15 to raise funds on behalf of the Concerts in the Park.

Barbra Rhoda’s rendition of the Concerts in the Park.

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Local News

April 2012 | © A Publication of Presidio Communications

Between the Lines: “A Year in Ink” By Alice Lowe

“A Year in Ink” is an anthology of the creative work of San Diego County writers, published each year by San Diego Writers, Ink (SDWI). SDWI supports local writers with classes, workshops, and other resources at its East Village digs, The Ink Spot. The annual publication represents a sampling of the tangible results of our community’s diligent scribblers. The fifth anthology was released and celebrated at the Cygnet Theatre in Old Town on March 19th. The volume is rich and filling, with forty-five pieces of prose—including short stories, novel and memoir excerpts, creative nonfiction, satire, and flash fiction—and poetry. The thirty-six authors are a diverse group, young and old, new writers and much-published veterans. Several have had work in previous anthologies, most have been published in other literary journals, but a few have the thrill of claiming this as their first publication. SDWI receives several hundred responses to their call for submissions each summer, usually divided pretty evenly between poetry and prose. At the close of the submission period, all of the entries are read and commented on by multiple volunteer readers, and then guest editors reread everything and make the final selections. The work is read blind; the authors are not identified until the process is completed. This year’s prose editor was T. Greenwood, who teaches creative writing at UCSD and SDWI and is the author of six novels. Her introduction describes the chosen work as “. . . explorations and illustrations of lust and loneliness, fear and frustration . . . ruminations on the complexity of our lives.” Poetry editor Brandon Cesmat is an award-winning and much-published

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poet and performer who teaches at CSU San Marcos. Twenty authors read from their work at the launch party, and each unique contribution was enthusiastically received by the audience of writers and readers, family and friends. Both new faces and seasoned pros were represented. Judy Reeves is a mainstay in the local writing community who has taught and coached San Diego writers for years and published an award-winning manual, “A Writer’s Book of Days.” She read “Critical Mass,” one of two powerful flash fiction pieces that were selected. At the other end of the spectrum, Jim Brega read from his moving allegorical story, “Things Could Be Worse.” Jim said that he was humbled at the overall excellence of the collection, and that, “In the end I realized what an honor it was that my story was selected by the prereaders and editors, particularly so in that it’s the first story I’d ever submitted for publication!” A few other standouts for me were flash fiction by Eber Lambert, “Phantom,” and Nicole Vollrath’s “Hard Work and a Clean Spirit.” They shared a small-town and long-ago warmth and nostalgia, pathos laced with wit. Nancy Klann read an excerpt from “The Silver Twinkie,” and I had to read the whole bizarre story as soon as I got home; Airstream trailers will never seem the same. Debbie Hall’s foot-tapping poem, “jazz is e.e. cummings,” wove together the rhythms of two of her loves. I know now what the judges meant by the pain of the editorial process, the difficulty of having to reject some works in favor of others. I’d love to list all of the deserving “Inksters” and their contributions here but can only mention a few. I hope I’ve whetted some appetites for more: “A Year in Ink, Volume 5” is available for purchase from San Diego Writers, Ink at www.sandiegowriters.org.

Lost in Translation By Ilene Hubbs

It was time to leave New York City for the airport. We ordered our taxi very early because it was St. Patrick’s Day and the parade was causing major gridlock in the city. Our driver assured us it was an established upfront fee and the meter would not be on. Settling into the back seat, we looked around the cab and were pleased it was so pristine. The driver turned to us and, with pride, told us that although he rents the car, he makes sure it looks perfect every day, no scents, no decorations, just a spotless vehicle to transport his passengers to their destination. The driver was obviously from another country and we chatted with him as he drove away. He came from India 10 years ago, lost his white collar job 18 months ago and took this job to support his family. He was interesting, intelligent and kept assuring us of his desire to make sure his taxi ride would be as pleasant as a NewYork taxi ride can be. The city was bursting with people dressed in everything green they could muster up. Faces and hair were painted green, crazy hats were atop most heads, everyone seemed to be in some stage of inebriation and it was only noon. At one point a New York City policeman came over to the cab, knocked on the window indicating he wanted it open and began berating the driver for some unknown infraction. He wasn’t yelling but instead talking to him like he was stupid, asking him if he understood what a steering wheel is and how to use it. It was condescending and I could feel the

driver’s embarrassment. He was smart enough to keep silent just nodding and agreeing. The traffic kept getting worse and worse, nowhere to turn, inching along. Soon the driver began to get agitated. Every direction he tried to go he was blocked off, horns were honking incessantly, people were crossing wherever there was a tiny space to get through and racial slurs were being hurled at him as revelers looked into the taxi and saw it was someone who could be their version of the enemy. While we were stuck, for what seemed like forever, he turned to the rear seat and asked us to tell him about St. Patrick’s Day. I was stymied at first. Well, I said, it’s a holiday honoring a saint. What’s a saint? I tried explaining this Christian, western concept the best I could. Okay, he replied, why is everyone green? I tried again, the emerald isle and all that. Hmmm, I could see the wheels turning. Why is everyone dressed so strange and why were they all drunk and screaming? I compared the day to holidays in India and told him this has become the way people celebrate this holiday. You celebrate a holy day by drinking and screaming? Oh right, alcohol and eastern religion would not make sense to someone from his culture. In fact, as I looked around at the crazy crowd surrounding us, it didn’t make sense to me either. How could I explain this St. Patrick’s Day phenomenon to him? I couldn’t explain that any more than I could explain the slurs being tossed at him or the cop’s treatment of him. Was it his looks, was it a sign of the times, was it the confusion of all the pandemonium in the city or was it all just lost in translation?

Animal News

Chance Gets a Forever Family

Chance is an exceptional dog that survived gun-shot wounds this past February. A good Samaritan contacted the Department of Animal Services (DAS) after finding a dog that had been shot through the chest on the Viejas Indian Reservation. Animal Control Officer Gina Raygosa responded and immediately transported the dog to the VCA Emergency Animal Hospital in Mission Valley. The dog, named Chance by shelter staff, was in critical condition for several days and his life hung in the balance. After being kept in an oxygen chamber for five days to help with his damaged lungs, Chance was released to the care of the veterinary staff at Animal Services. Chance, a retriever mix, recently got to go home to a new bed, new toys, and new family. A total of 45 families submitted ap-

plications to become Chance’s adopted parents. After interacting with several families, Chance went home with Sean and Adria Cavanaugh and their two small children Finn, age 6, and Molly, 3, from North Park in San Diego. “It’s such a good feeling because he clicked with us,” Sean told the frenzy of media that showed up for Chance’s goodbye from the County’s animal shelter in Carlsbad. “He is such a good dog he would have clicked with anyone.” Chance’s care was paid by the Spirit Fund, established by DAS in 2008 to help animals get care above and beyond that which can be provided by the shelters. For more information about DAS and the many pets available for adoption at the County’s three shelters, visit www.sddac.com.

Not to be combined with any other offer. Not good for boarding, bathing, grooming, pet food and prescription and non-prescription drugs. Expires 4-31-2012

Annual Wildlife Baby Shower to Benefit Orphaned Wildlife Babies

Left to right: Adria, Molly and Finn enjoy some special time with Chance.

Baby - is a lovable 10-year old, calico Manx who is seeking a special home where she can enjoy her golden years as a cherished member of the family. Despite her mature age, Baby’s name reflects her youthful attitude and energetic personality. With bright eyes and a precious face, she has a beautiful personality to match. While she is a bit shy with new faces and places, she warms up as she becomes more familiar with her environment. Cherise -is a beautiful, nine-year old, German Shepherd that enjoys sharing her abundance of love with those around her. She is simply as sweet as can be and can’t wait to find a forever family to cherish and spend her golden years with. Both Baby and Cherise’s adoption fee is only $25 and includes spay, current vaccinations, permanent microchip identification, and a certificate for a free veterinary exam. And both are also candidates for San Diego Humane Society’s Seniors for Seniors Program.

Project Wildlife, San Diego’s primary resource for wildlife rehabilitation and education, invites the public to view their life-saving work at their 3rd annual Wildlife Baby Shower event. The shower will be held Saturday, April 14th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at their Central Triage Center in Linda Vista. Attendees will have the opportunity to take behindthe-scenes tours of the center, meet wildlife patients and Animal Ambassadors, sample cuisine from local food trucks and enter into a drawing for a SONY Netbook. The family-friendly event is free to attend and gifts and donations are greatly appreciated. “Each spring thousands of San Diegans bring abandoned or orphaned wildlife babies to our Triage Centers for care and medical treatment,” Project Wildlife CEO Lisa Culver said. “Our annual Baby Shower is a wonderful way to educate the public on what to do if they happen upon wildlife in need, and how they can contribute to our efforts.” Shower attendees are encouraged to bring monetary donations or gifts food,

A baby skunk gets special attention at Project Wildlife’s Central Triage Center.

medications and other supplies to the event. A shower Wish List and Amazon. com gift registry can be found at www. projectwildlife.org. The event will be held at Project Wildlife’s Central Triage Center at 887 ½ Sherman Street, San Diego, CA 92110. For more information on Project Wildlife, their annual Baby Shower and how to help, please visit www.projectwildlife.org or call 858866-0555, ext. 204.

Baby and Cherise are available at the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA Gaines St. Campus, located at 5500 Gaines Street in San Diego. For information, call (619) 299.7012.

SPCA www.PresidioSentinel.com

Life Style

April 2012 | © A Publication of Presidio Communications

Secret # 6: How Listening Makes You a Popular Person and Beyond By Sabine Starr Certified Life Coach

Have you ever talked to someone and realized how wonderful a listener that person is and how much you admire her or him? It seems so amazing that we can learn so much about others, while they are simply listening. On the other hand, have you ever talked to someone who was already taking a breath in order get a chance to speak themselves, where you got the sense that no matter how much or what you said, nothing was going to arrive? A while back I talked about how we say a lot about ourselves through the way we talk about others. Today is about how much we “say” about ourselves, while listening. Attitude matters, because we all sense it in others. We sense the supportive and well meaning attitude as well as the defensive and argumentative style of a listener, before they have even said a single word. Listening with your full attention and with the intention of seeing the speaker as a wonderful and complete human being also changes what we end up hearing. So often we put motifs and intentions in what it is we are hearing. Almost just as often we are not getting it right, we are

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simply interpreting with our own bias. But since we are so convinced to be seeing things right, we don´t think to ask any clarifying questions and a whole string of misunderstandings and actions get born from that attitude. Another habit we might have as listeners is to rehearse our own answer while the other person is still talking. By this action, we are usually not establishing a satisfactory conversation. It is interrupting the flow, because we can´t listen and think about what and how we are going to say, and say it at the same time. There is no hurry when we listen to someone speak. It is a true gift to us to be able to listen to someone’s thoughts, comments and ideas. After all, we already know what we would say about a certain topic at hand. Listening is the perfect chance to enhance our own points of view, to hear something new and to be introduced to a new perspective. mportant for us to examine our own “listening style.” We might even ask others how they perceive us as listeners. Habitual defensiveness can be very hindering to our communication with others. We can remind ourselves that hearing something new is not a bad thing. Just hearing it does not mean that we have to either convince the other of our own opinion or that we

need to adopt the other´s point of view. I like the saying “agree to disagree.” It is a very generous approach for ourselves, not just towards the other. We do not have to argue every point to the bitter end. I invite you to truly enjoy conversations, to follow the flow, the rhythm of it, to observe your own habits as a conversationalist. Think about who you admire as a speaker and why. You can incorporate any of the characteristics you admire for your

own style. “You spot it, you got it!” The next time you listen to someone, give them your full attention, see them in their best light, as the wonderful person they are, with the best interest in mind. That does not make you weak or in danger of being convinced of things you don´t care for. It means you are growing your reputation as a generous and open minded person. Find more on this topic at: www.MarvelsandStars.com.

The 10 Commandments for Losing Weight… and Keeping it Off! By Blake Beckcom

walking or running in addition to freSuccess breeds success. What ex- quent strength training sessions.) actly, in terms of lifestyle changes, do 4. 90 percent reported exercising, people who have been highly success- on average, about one hour per day. ful at both losing weight and keeping (Translation: get in some daily cardio it off over the long term do? That’s just such as walking or running in addition what researchers at the University of to strength training sessions-preferably Pittsburgh and the University of Colo- three times per week.) rado set out to determine when they be5. 78 percent reported eating breakgan their on-going study called the Na- fast daily. (Translation: eat breakfast… tional Weight Control Registry (www. lose weight.) nwcr.ws). 6. 75 percent of registry particiCurrently, the registry contains over pants reported weighing themselves at 5,000 successful weight losers. To be least once a week. (Translation: weigh eligible to become a member of the yourself weekly regardless of what you registry, one had to have lost think the number will read.) over 30 pounds and kept 7. 62 percent watched TV it off for more than one less than 10 hours per week. year. (Translation: limit the tube What the study found time unless you have a was that there is no treadmill in front of magic to losing the TV.) weight and keeping 8. 42 percent of it off. The essential the sample reportequation for suced that maintaincess is the age-old ing their weight motto: eat less loss was less difcalories and burn ficult than losing more through weight. (Transdaily exercise lation: once you and you will lose lose the weight, weight and keep be sure to keep up Blake and Gwen Beckcom it off. (And be sure with your new habto “get back on the horse” when life’s its—which is the hardest part.) ups and downs get in the way of you 9. Nearly all registry members stated maintaining your new healthy lifestyle that weight loss led to improvements in habits.) their level of energy, physical mobilHere are the 10 habits of ity, general mood, self-confidence, and these successful weight los- physical health. (Translation: losing ers: weight and attaining your health and 1. 98 percent of registry participants fitness goals will make you a happier reported that they modified their food person, so stick with it!) intake in some way to lose weight. 10. For those who did regain (Translation: you must change your eat- weight, weight regain was due, at least ing habits in some way to lose weight— in part, to failure to maintain behavmeaning eating fewer calories.) ior changes. (Translation: this is not a 2. Most registry members reporting diet that you go on and off but a lifeconsuming less high-fat-dense food style …always remember to keep at groups and more low-fat-dense food it and get support to overcome lapsgroups resulting in a lower daily calorie es and avoid a full-blown relapse.) intake and greater weight loss. (Trans- Call us today to learn more about a prolation: eat lighter [lower calorie] and gramed nutrition and fitness routine that healthier [lower “bad” fats, less fried will help you look better, feel better and foods and more fruits and vegetables].) perform better at Fitness Together, (619) 3. 94 percent of registry participants 794-0014. Follow our blog at BetterBodySreported increasing their physical ac- anDiego.com and join us on Facebook at tivity. (Translation: daily cardio such as Fitness Together San Diego-Mission Hills.

Investing With Discipline By Rick Brooks

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), more than half of Americans say they would be unable to pay their bills or meet their expenses if they became disabled and could not work for a year or longer. Research on the reasons for personal bankruptcy has shown that prolonged medical bills are often either a significant contributor or direct cause of personal bankruptcies. For example, a study by the Robert Wood Johnson foundation in 2009 suggested that more than 60 percent of bankruptcies between 2001 and 2007 were caused by medical bills. For working age Americans, there is a higher likelihood of becoming disabled than there is of dying prematurely, so protecting yourself (and especially your family) from the loss of income that may come with disability is critical to preserving your finances. Disability insurance pays a portion of your previous salary if you become disabled due to injury or a serious illness and are therefore unable to work. Exactly how long, and under what circumstance the policy will pay depends on the policy terms. But for many people, it can also be the difference between a couple of difficult years and financial ruin. There are two main types of disability insurance: • Short-term disability insurance replaces a portion of a policyholder’s salary for a short period, usually between three to six months, following a disability. • Long-term disability insurance coverage generally kicks in after you are unable to work for at least six months. How long this coverage lasts, and how much of your income is replaced will depend on the features of the policy you have chosen. In thinking about what kind of disability coverage you might need, you’ll want to think about the following factors: • How much money will you need to

cover critical non-discretionary expenses and the number of years you’ll need your coverage. Keep in mind that disability insurance typically covers at most about 60 percent of your pre-disability income. • Pre-existing health conditions, your age and your occupation will all impact the cost and availability of long-term disability insurance. • Long-term disability insurance often includes a waiting period of up to a year before benefits are paid. The longer the waiting period, the lower you premium will be. • If possible, look for a “noncancelable” policy, which guarantees that your coverage can’t be cancelled or your premiums increased. Disability insurance considerations change with your age and stage of life. • Young single people without dependents may still need disability coverage because if they become disabled and can’t work, they could become a burden on their parents or siblings. • Young families today often rely on two incomes to make ends meet. The loss, even temporarily, of one income could be devastating. Even established families paying (or saving) for college could be significantly affected by the interruption of a breadwinner’s income. • For seniors or empty nesters, the choice is more difficult. Premiums are higher and the benefit periods are shorter (age 65 or 67). Disability coverage is often replaced with long-term care insurance or life insurance at this stage, but still may be appropriate. Disability insurance is an expensive, long-term commitment, so it is important to do your homework before you buy it. It’s equally important to get an objective opinion about how a disability policy fits into your risk management strategy, and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (who is not also selling you the insurance) can be a great place to start. In next month’s article, I’ll discuss some of the features to look for in disability insurance policies.

Business News

This column is prepared by Rick Brooks, CFA, CFP®. Rick is Vice President for Investment Management with Blankinship & Foster, LLC, a wealth advisory firm specializing in comprehensive financial planning and investment management. Rick can be reached at (858) 755-5166, or by email at brooks@bfadvisers.com. Rick and his family live in Mission Hills.

Industry Veteran Joins Union Bank Union Bank, N.A. recently announced that Terri Caffery of San Diego has joined its residential wholesale team as an account executive for the bank’s Consumer Lending group. Caffery is responsible for building and managing mortgage broker relationships in the greater San Diego area. Union Bank’s Consumer Lending group originates and services the bank’s loans to consumers, which includes residential mortgages. In a newly created position, Caffery reports to Senior Vice President and Wholesale Division Manager Daniel Dawson. “Terri has 26 years of experience in the mortgage industry and her depth of knowledge will be a tremendous asset as we grow the wholesale channel of our Consumer Lending group,” said Dawson. Prior to joining Union Bank, Caffery served as a wholesale account executive for America Home Key. She also served as a wholesale account executive for American Mortgage Express, Staten Island Bank Mortgage, and SCME Mortgage.

Terri Caffery volunteers for the National Charity League as well as Meals on Wheels.

Senior Ramblings Farewell Chat As we age, it’s inevitable that we lose some of our family and friends. Over the past few months I’ve lost three friends. They were younger than I am, in their 70s. The first was Pete D., a loving and caring man, who was one of eight children and of Greek ancestry. He had family in Greece and visited them several times. He was an excellent florist, and I’ll miss him. My second friend was Richard D. who owned a pet shop. He used to bring his pet parrot, Amiga, to visit. He was a very kind man who loved to travel, and just returned from a trip to Africa. Richard D. was also a volunteer at Mercy Hospital. My third friend who recently left us was Roger M. Also a kind and caring man, he collected vintage vehicles (50 years and older), and attended car shows throughout the country. Though he had a hearing problem, he was always kind and had a smile on his face. I shall dearly miss these fine gentlemen. Pet Chat I have a wonderful calico, female cat named Samantha. I adopted her a few years ago from the San Diego Humane Society on Gaines Street. She’s now about 11 years old. Here are some cat facts: • Cats purr as a sign of contentment. However, they only do this in the

By C. David Kulman presence of another cat or person. • Cats hiss as a sign of defensive aggression. Cats that hiss are frightened, and they may attack if they feel cornered. Friendship Sayings My friend is not perfect, nor am I, and so we suit each other admirable… Alexander Pope. It is better to be in chains with friends than in a garden with strangers…Persian proverb. The language of friendship is not words, but meanings. It is an intelligence above language…Thoreau. There is no desert like being friendless… Baltasar Gracian. Irish Humor Chat If it was raining soup, the Irish would go out with forks…Brendon Behan. This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever… Sigmund Freud. And now, whatever you think of the Irish (I love them!), go on out and hold someone’s hand! (C. David Kulman can be reached at Presidio Sentinel, 325 W. Washington Street, Suite 2-181, San Diego, CA 92103.) www.PresidioSentinel.com

Business News

April 2012 | © A Publication of Presidio Communications

San Diego Business Owners Call for Legal Reform Bank VP Receives Citizen of the Year Award California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA), a nonpartisan grassroots movement fighting against lawsuit abuse in California, recently continued its “Create Jobs, Not Lawsuits” tour in San Diego at a luncheon with citizens concerned about the economic cost of lawsuit abuse. Numerous small businesses in the San Diego area, as well as the city itself, have been the target of abusive lawsuits, which hurt job growth, drain public resources and damage the economy. The event brought together elected officials, community leaders, business owners, and concerned citizens to share thoughts and personal stories about the negative effect of lawsuit abuse on job growth and California’s economy and what can be done to stop it. “Lawsuit abuse strains small businesses and communities across the country, and we’re feeling the pain here in California,” said Southern California CALA Regional Director Maryann Marino. “With the upcoming election, we expect to hear a lot about how to get our economy back on track. Legal reform needs to be a part of that conversation. This is something our lawmakers can do now at little or no cost to Californians that will immediately help create jobs.” “Business owners in California spend far too much time and money defending themselves from lawyers hoping to extort a windfall from them,” said Assemblyman Brian Jones, who represents the 77th Assembly District. “But these aren’t problems specific to San Diego or even California. Lawsuit abuse is a national problem, and our leaders at all levels need recognize that lawsuit abuse costs jobs.”

Marino says the rally in San Diego is one of many “stops” on the “Create Jobs, Not Lawsuits” tour, which will make stops around the country in states feeling the strains of lawsuit abuse. She noted that while specific stories on lawsuit abuse may vary from state to state, each comes back to a common theme: the nation’s legal climate is hindering economic growth and hurting job creation, and citizens are fed up with lawmakers’ continued inability to pass meaningful reforms. For additional information about “Create Jobs, Not Lawsuits Tour,” please visit http://www.sickoflawsuits. com/news/cjnl/index.cfm

Odie Goward, left, receives award for her work in the community. California Bank & Trust (CB&T) announced that Odie Goward was nominated and selected as the El Cajon Citizen of the Year for 2011. A luncheon was recently held to commemorate her outstanding work in the local community. Goward is a commercial banker with California Bank & Trust, a long-time resident and former business owner in the East County. She has strong ties to the community and serves as a board member

for Stoney’s Kids as well as the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce. Having been in banking in East County for over 20 years and having owned her own business Goward has gained significant insight into what it takes to start and run a successful company in the area. “I’ve seen first-hand how many organizations have needed to restructure their entire operation to keep the doors open these days,” said Goward.

BUSINESS OWNER?

Expand Your Business with an SBA Guaranteed Loan • Buy the building you currently rent • Refinance your current location Over 2500 Loans Funded! • Expand to a new location Assemblyman Brian Jones spoke at the recent CALA event.

Call Craig G. Francis, SBA Loan Broker CraigGFrancis.com 888-666-9722

New Hillcrest/Mission Hills Vons Is Open for Business

Grand Opening with Fundraiser Benefitting Mama’s Kitchen After 11 months of construction, the new Hillcrest/Mission Hills Vons at 515 West Washington Street is open for business, following a 3 p.m. ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, March 29, 2012. Safeway, the parent company of Vons, has owned and operated a 12,000 square foot store at this location since 1960, but the store’s size and layout prohibited them from carrying more products and expanding services. “This new Vons has been an exciting opportunity to work in cooperation with our Mission Hills and Hillcrest neighbors to build the state-of-theart store that will serve their community for many years,” said Lori Raya, president of Safeway’s Vons Division. “The new facility, which is nearly 58,000 square feet, will meet every customer need and convenience.” The store includes larger, fullservice floral, deli, bakery, meat and seafood departments, as well as the “Farmer’s Market,” an expanded produce section with organic selections. www.PresidioSentinel.com

Expanded beer, wine and liquor areas have also been added. The location features a Starbucks with interior seating and WiFi, as well as a pharmacy with an enclosed waiting area. Customers will also enjoy expanded check-stand areas, self-checkout stations, a new outside seating area, as well as garage parking with multiple access points, elevators, escalators and cart movers. In terms of jobs, the store will have a team of around 120 employees, including 70 new hires. “We are excited to have several returning employees who worked at the store prior to closure,” said Raya. “Seeing those familiar faces again will spark fun reunions with our longtime customers.” To celebrate its grand opening, Vons hosted a wine tasting on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 to benefit Mama’s Kitchen. The reception featured a variety of high-end wines, hors d’oeuvres, artisan cheeses, a dessert bar, and live jazz entertainment by the K8 Stewart Experience.

Arnaldo Cordero (left) is returning to the Vons Mission Hills/Hillcrest Store. He is pictured with Lori Ray, Vons president, and Gilbert Gonzales, director of public relations and government affairs.

Life Styles

Creating a Visual Impression of a Garden By Barb Strona

Helen Shafer Garcia captured the Mission Hills Garden Club members’ attention at the February 29 meeting. She is an artist, illustrator, teacher, gardener, and public speaker. Shafer Garcia’s diverse activities have included translating professional landscapers’ rough diagrams into a visual impression of what the garden will be when complete. In addition to helping clients visualize, she has used this technique to illustrate brochures, and magazines advertising many resorts. When she works with clients, she deliberately distorts the perspective to convey which plants lie behind plants that hide them. She paints her watercolor garden-scheme illustrations as if she stood simultaneously on the ground and on a perch several feet above the garden. Shafer Garcia created illustrations for San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles Magazines for nine years. On a whim, in 1987 she entered her own garden in one of the magazine’s contests and won. Shafer Garcia’s garden features succulents, perennials, one fruit tree, numerous full-grown oaks and a host of vegetables, and it provides inspiration for her paintings. Shafer Garcia often begins with a light lead pencil sketch. She sometimes defines edges with a colored pencil, and occasionally she even uses pen and ink. Shafer Garcia explained that while color, line, and texture are important, so is negative space. Greys can be difficult. She continued by explaining what she uses for her paper. Arches 140 IB paper is a good choice because it absorbs the paint well. Shafer Garcia gave us some good advice: Buy synthetic brushes; they are hardier. Use

lots of water. Do NOT eat cookies when painting! The oil from even one crumb leaves a stain on the paper, which you either must camouflage by turning it into an object (even if it should not be there). Collages can sometimes cover big mistakes. When she paints, she goes from warm colors to cool. Beginning with dry paper, she paints the edge of the shape with a warm color and plenty of water. The paint will run, and she watches it. She does not believe in blotting the paper, and she paints on a horizontal surface to prevent water and paint from dripping down the page. The combination of the paper and the horizontal surface help keep the paint where it should be. When Shafer Garcia adds a second color to the shape, she allows it to flow into the first color, blurring the demarcation of the two colors. Being aware of the light source is important for creating depth. Adding a third color creates the illusion of depth. To grey the shaded area she may use the exact opposite color* along the shaded side of the object, again allowing the paint to bleed into the previous color. The lightest color you can use is none. Shafer Garcia saves the paper’s whiteness for highlights, where the light hits the object directly. You can always add more paint, but you cannot add more blank paper. Flooding an area is another technique she uses. This causes the pigments to run to the edges of the shapes. How much water and how much paint to use is a matter of experience. Shafer Garcia has done enough painting that I suspect she is rarely surprised by what happens on her paper. She often uses drops of water on a color to create blooms or round pale centers spreading darker pigment outward, giving added texture to an object. Each pigment has its own “spreading rate.” Again, experience will teach you which dry

The arts and crafts movement encouraged creating a design concept.

quickly and which will flood more easily or remain damp enough to continue working. We had a chance to handle and examine her work closely. She told us about several of the paintings. Having created numerous vegetable and fruit illustrations, she told us that chiles “nearly did me in.” Garlic was another “tough one,” she confessed. “All that white.” “How long does it take to do a painting?” an audience member asked. Shafer Garcia says a painting can take six to eight hours. However, her studio is at home, and since she uses “tons of water,” she can unload the dishwasher, do a load of laundry, go out and weed, or do something to allow her to move about and to wait for the paint to settle into the paper.

Shafer Garcia made me want to tackle watercolor again. I had never enjoyed it because either the paper was soggy or streaks kept running down the page. After narrowly missing a D in my watercolor class, I happily switched to oils and acrylics, neither of which is drippy. Helen’s way seems to control the paint’s running amok. Now all I need is time. Scott Northcote is the featured speaker of the April 25, 2012 meeting to be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at Botanica, 2355 India Street. If you become lost, call 619 294-3100. Members are free; guests pay $10.00. *A color wheel will show you the opposite color: purple is across from yellow, for example; orange is opposite blue; red’s opposite is green.

Gloria Steinem & Women at Risk

movement, you responded superbly. Have you occasioned resentment and jealously among other women leaders? No doubt. Have they thought it unfair media celebrating you and ignoring them? Same answer, no doubt. But you cannot be blamed for that. Others may not understand this, but it is important you understand it – and stop holding yourself accountable for it, because, seriously, it’s ridiculous. “As Machiavelli wrote in the 8th Institute: For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, and are more often influenced by the things that seem than those that are. “And there is this: Your voice is needed now more than ever. The assault upon women poses new dangers. At its core is Christian fundamentalism. Coming out that background I understand it and I know it does not yield to modernity; it is a belief in a literal Bible and when scripture says women should be submissive to men (see Ephesians 5:22), it is accepted as a commandment from God. Our liberal friends don’t get it; media doesn’t understand it, but it is real and it is dangerous. “When some future historian comes to write the story of our time, yours and mine, they will write you were a transformational figure in American history. And they will write it because it is true. And for that a great cloud of witnesses shall be eternally grateful, because you changed our world. “You have my admiration and love.”

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or an all-white speaking group, or if older women always invite a young one along – and vice versa. “Thank you for your good will – and my jacket!” (We had presented her with a Red Sox jacket, which she wore through her speech at Fenway.) Her response touched me. I understood the Times article had pained her, because to know Gloria Steinem is to know her profound humility. I was moved to write back: “As it relates to you and the women’s movement: There are many reasons why you became the face of feminism; it’s not a mystery, given the nature of our society. You are beautiful, graceful, and intelligent. (Would Madame de Staël, who was not particularly attractive but no less intelligent, be as celebrated in today’s France as she was Napoleon’s time? In a word, no, as modern media would have conspired against her.) But that same media made you an iconic figure. “I know you are uncomfortable with this, but, as you noted in your response, ‘It is what it is.’ You can protest, and have, but you can’t change it. The real test is not media having made you the ‘Superwoman of Women’s Liberation,’ that was not your doing, but how you responded. And, from my knowledge of you and the women’s

www.PresidioSentinel.com

Fashion News

April 2012 | © A Publication of Presidio Communications

San Diego Designer Releases Inaugural Line of “Superbright” Clothing Californians with bold style and an inspired fashion-sense need look no further than Volga Verdi: a rising clothing brand with unbridled color and character. The newly-launched brand is the brainchild of twenty-six-year-old designer Peter Green, a San Diego resident who has left the realm of graphic and interactive design and brought his art to the fashion market. Volga Verdi’s first line is comprised of ten contemporary t-shirts with design statements ranging from abstractpop images to geometric minimalism and pure color experiments. Green finds inspiration for his designs in a wide array of places, but produces a truly unique product. “I get inspired by different things, including cinema, combination of video and music, astronomy and space, physics, light, human visual perception, contrasts, excessiveness, architecture, paintings, materials and texture, abstract thoughts. You know, pretty much everything,” Green explains. Before creating the designs for his first collection, Green analyzed thousands of graphic t-shirts and fashion prints on the market. “I have full confidence that Volga Verdi is in a truly unique niche,” he says. Volga Verdi shirts are designed and printed in San Diego. The euro-fit shirts are produced in Los Angeles from a custom pattern designed by Green. “Unexpected. Eclectic. Rule-breaking,” Green describes his clothing, “My designs are based on human visual per-

ception. When seen on a person, the graphic, together with the clothes, is intended to invoke emotion. Art, abstract, geometric shapes, absurdity are all united by brightness to create the effect.” Green sees Volga Verdi as more than just selling clothing and making money – he seeks to embody human attributes through the brand he’s building. “It must be a social entity that will promote qualities worthy of my own admiration. It has a human face, it’s powerful but kind, it’s great and modest, it possesses the best moral qualities – it never lets a customer down, it will never put profit before reputation. It should be noble, lustrous and beautiful. But just pure good is always boring; there’s got to be a little evil”, he explains. A true entrepreneur, Green has worked in film, advertising, magazine journalism, and is currently part of an internet start-up developing a new type of social network. “I have always done graphic design on computers, but want to make tangible objects and improve the real world. So Volga Verdi is my entrance into the ‘things’ design world,” Green says. “Volga Verdi is that crazy swarm of ideas I’ve always been collecting, but I had nothing to apply them to. I needed a

Volga Verdi shirts are designed and printed in San Diego. standalone entity, that would be a vehicle for all those experiments in art and life; that would get all the credit. That is what Volga Verdi is here for.” Green currently sells most of his clothing online, but will be expanding to boutique stores throughout the San Diego area by early 2012. Shirts are only the tip of the iceberg for

Volga Verdi. Future lines will include a female-oriented line and other accessories, such as jewelry, backpacks, and belt buckles. Green continues to experiment with alternative printing methods to increase the brightness of his prints, saying “they will burn eyes.” Visit www.volgaverdi.com for more information.

Art Rocks Heavy Metal Stylishly Aubree Lynn

Heavy metal is usually a term we hear in the musical field however when it comes to San Diego’s own hidden gem of jewelry, Artemisa Rivas or ‘Art’ as she goes by. Rivas hits an epic note all her own. I had the opportunity to interview Rivas as she grooves through the concepts incorporating heavy metals and the inspiration of San Diego waves into her pieces. What inspires you to create the pieces you do? Everything! I could be out surfing the waves and see the shapes the water makes....to team meetings with all my fashion design friends....to my day at work with children and their fun drawings and artwork...I have an really big imagination and I use this to turn my thoughts on life into jewelry. When was your first encounter with metals and making them into wearable art? Since I was born, I have had metal as part of my life. My dad is a welder and a very creative thinker. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make metal jewelry and finally about a year ago I took a class. From then on I’ve been a metal fiend. I started making beaded jewelry 11 years ago and now using metal as the focal point just took it to a completely new level. I wish my hands could go as fast as my mind thinks of new ideas. Where do you showcase your items and how much do they run for? www.PresidioSentinel.com

As of now, I am solely online at www.ArtemisaRivas.com and on Etsy www.Surfjewel. Etsy.com and doing some craft fair events here and there. Online my jewelry sells from $10.00 to $400.00, and if you catch me at a craft fair, I usually have earrings starting at $5.00. When and where will you be next? I have two shows that will be occurring in April and May 2012. The first event is Poway High School’s Spring Craft and Business Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 14. The second event is the Las Vegas Jimicto Fashion Art & Music Festival on Saturday, May 12. How often do you create new pieces? I try to create a couple of new pieces a week. I have

tons of ideas and I just can’t go fast enough. Ha! There’s a lot of thought going into it and the process could be long... sketching, making the template model, making changes, picking material, filing, sanding, polishing...I do everything by hand. It’s more meaningful. Is this a hobby for you? Where do you in-vision your creations? At first it started off as a hobby...now I envision my jewelry going down runways and possibly in a major department stores and high end boutiques. Living in San Diego, we can identify with Riva’s relation to this beach town. Tap into her sites and browse her creations. There is something for everyone through her jewelry. I will end on this note, “art rocks, heavy metal.”

Wearable art made from heavy metals can be stylish and attractive.

Local News

Mark Christopher Lawrence (3rd from right) is surrounded by guests of the comedy show.

Mark Christopher Lawrence and Friends Rock the House of Blues

When Mark Christopher Lawrence, probably most familiar to audiences as Big Mike on the NBC hit series “Chuck,” promises to “Bring da funny,” you can take that to the bank. On Wednesday, March 14, Mark and his friends brought plenty of funny to the House of Blues in downtown San Diego. With talented young singer/songwriter Jessica Lerner opening the show for comics Zoltan, Robert Lariviere and Frances DiLorinzo, it was a night of fun for the intimate crowd. Prior to the show stars and supporters were treated to a Red Carpet opening, courtesy of AMB Publicity. MCL, as he is known to friends and many fans, posed with guests and supporters during the half hour session. Jessica Lerner is quickly making a name for herself locally and nationally. Since she first wowed the crowd with her rendition of the National Anthem at a San Diego Padres home game, Jessica has gone on to win a 2007 National Youth Theater “Billie” Award for her portrayal of Ariel in “Footloose.” Jessica has released her own self-titled EP and her music video “Miracle” plays regularly on the Westfield Horton Plaza video screen. Lerner played a mix of ballad and up-tempo songs, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar and occasionally using recorded percussion to punctuate her songs. Her music is a combination of styles, with elements all blending together in an eclectic and entertaining mix. Lerner admits that many of her songs are her way of dealing with personal experiences. Opening comic Zoltan led off his set with a series of jokes on his own name and a couple rounds of the “name game” – which he claims to be undefeated at. The game basically consists of him picking out people in the audience, asking them their name, and then telling them, “I win again.” The long-haired comic immediately connected with the audience with a series of jokes on airline travel, particularly flying with a crying baby. Headliner Frances Dilorinzo, who started her standup career after an experience in a required college speech class, pulled out all the stops to close out the evening. Focusing on family and relationships, Dilorinzo discussed such

topics as motherhood, sexual relations with her outdoor-loving husband, and Catholic weddings. Easily connecting with the audience, Dilorinzo engaged in repartee with several patrons. A frequent collaborator with MCL, the self-proclaimed “Happy Hour Mom” was thrilled to be headlining the Comedy Night show. “It’s such a pleasure to be working with him,” said Dilorinzo. “Whenever he puts a show together it’s top-notch. I’m just flattered he thinks so much of me to put me in his shows and have me close his shows. Not to mention he’s funny as heck.”

Davy Jones [continued from Cover]

Here’s a few other things you may not know about my friend Davy Jones. He didn’t start out to be an actor, he always wanted to be a jockey. He owns a race horse farm in Florida and came to Del Mar a few times to race his horses. He was making plans to come to Del Mar again this season. Davy came to America as part of the Broadway musical “Oliver.” He played the artful dodger. Here’s something else you might not know. Davy and the cast made appearances on the “Ed Sullivan Show.” The reason you don’t remember it because they were on the same night as new rock group making their first appearance in America, The Beatles. After “Oliver,” Hollywood wanted Davy for a TV series. He was picked to play Robin in the new ABC show “Batman.” He turned it down when he found “the Monkee’s.” One of the things that will always stick with me, is that Davy always said “follow your dreams, follow your heart.” He learned that from his father. His father taught him, “there is only one person like you, so go after your dream.” Davy did just that. He also taught me to always follow your dream and be happy. That was his philosophy of life. I guess when you think about it, Davy Jones really was a “daydream believer,” and someone I will solely miss.

How Does Your Garden Grow? Cara Wilson-Granat, author and inspirational speaker, will be at Mission Hills Nursery, 1525 Fort Stockton Drive, 11:30 a.m., Sunday, April 15, 2012. Wilson-Granat covers the themes of power of hope and making positive life choices. She will also introduce her newest book, “It Takes A Lot Of Sh*t” to make a garden grow. Her newest title focuses on using life’s challenges as seeds for personal growth. It features testimonials of individuals who share their challenges, many ongoing, describing the empowering perspectives they’ve gained through adversity. “While writing this book I’ve encountered extremely brave individuals who have faced unbelievable challenges,” said Wilson-Granat. “A gay man speaks about the brutal beating that left him blind. His self-discovering about love, relationships and living in a sightless world is awe-inspiring. Another interviewee tells her riches-to-rags story that will touch anyone hit by foreclosures, job loss, or drastic changes due to dire economic conditions. Everyone has a story—one talks about loss of love, another living with a disease death-sentence, another about a life of chronic pain. They’ve all managed to transform their garbage into gardens of growth. None of them are victims of their circumstances.” She has published two other pub-

lished works: Dear Cara-Letters from Otto Frank and Nature Teachers— Simple Lessons of Life Taught by the Most Unlikely Masters. All three books are available on Amazon and on Cara’s website: www.wordsfromcara.com. The book’s illustrations are drawn by artist Jesse Wilson. Following Wilson-Granat’s presentation, Liz the Chef will prepare a tasty spring dish using fresh from the garden ingredients, plus a few surprise elements. Cost is $5.00 per guest. Payment is due prior to class. Sign up on line or at the nursery. For information, call (619) 295-2808. www.PresidioSentinel.com

Life Style

April 2012 | © A Publication of Presidio Communications

Mission Hills Garden Club’s Annual

‘Garden Walk,’ May 12

Beautiful garden and patio settings will be enjoyed by guests of Garden Walk. The Mission Hills Garden Club, a non-profit organization that promotes good gardening practices and beautifying San Diego’s neighborhoods, invites horticulturalists-at-heart to the 2012 Garden Walk, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 12 for a self-guided tour of a dozen gardens in one of the city’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Gardens at each home were selected their unique designs by a jury panel. With a mix of historical architecture and sensational gardens, the Walk offers plenty for garden enthusiasts to admire. The walk begins at the Mission Hills Nursery, which Kate Sessions, “Mother of Balboa Park,” created. A trolley from the nursery is available to ferry Garden Walk goers to the starting point as well as pick up and return goers to the nursery for a wine reception. If Garden

www.PresidioSentinel.com

Walk goers wish to avoid the crowd, however, they can take the trolley to the end of the line and walk the route backwards. The Mission Hills Garden Club is a group of neighbors and friends with an interest in gardening and community aesthetics. Besides monthly meetings, they hold events throughout the year, such as Coffee in the Garden, Wine in the Garden, field trips and workshops. The Mission Hills Garden Club welcomes all garden enthusiasts to participate in meetings and events. Tickets for the event are $25 in advance and $30 the day of, and can be bought at Mission Hills Nursery or Walter Andersons Nursery. For information about the Garden Walk or the Mission Hills Garden club, visit www.missionhillsgardenclub.. org or call (619) 923-3624.

How to get the “most bang for your buck” Today, consumers are looking for ways to eat healthy and to incorporate more authentic, natural and wholesome foods into their diets – the less processed the better. But with quality, wholesome foods also comes the misconception that eating healthy can be expensive. That’s why the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), the creator of GOT MILK?, has partnered with Dairy Council of California to inform consumers throughout the Golden State on ways to stretch their dollars, to get “the most bang for their buck” at the grocery store, without sacrificing nutrition in celebration of National Nutrition Month. Basic staples such as milk, sweet potatoes, beans, oatmeal and fruits like oranges, tangerines, apples and bananas can be easily purchased for less than $1 per serving and are considered nutrient-rich Super Foods. They are foods that offer multiple nutrients while providing myriad of health benefits with minimal calories. For example, a can of soda could cost up to a dollar and has no nutritional value. However, if families really look into

stretching their dollar, they can get four, eight-ounce cups of skim milk for that same dollar, while also getting nine essential nutrients including Vitamin D and calcium for strong bones, muscles, teeth, hair and nails. The USDA’s My Plate nutrition guide released last year recommends that families’ meals consist of at least half fruits and vegetables, a small portion of whole grains and lean proteins and topped off with dairy, such as a glass of low fat or nonfat milk. Other foods that yield multiple servings to stretch the dollar at the grocery store for a family include: “In today’s tough economic climate, it’s important to know that healthy eating is readily accessible to everyone,” says Steve James, executive director of the CMPB. “We’re proud to partner with Dairy Council of California for National Nutrition Month to debunk misconceptions about nutrient-rich foods. It’s all boils down to making smart choices for each and every dollar.” For more information on National Nutrition Month and the GOT MILK? campaign, visit www.gotmilk.com.

A healthy meal can be inexpensive.

Life Style

ASID’s ‘Spring Spruce Up’ Has Arrived The American Society of Interior Designers’ annual “Spring Spruce Up” event is underway now through the end of May. For a discounted rate of $85 per hour, the public can arrange for a professional designer to come to their home or business to consult on their remodel or design project and obtain advice, direction, and details.

“Skillful planning to update your home or undergo an efficient remodel is more critical than ever in today’s economy,” says Lynn Morris, Allied ASID, and director of communications for the chapter. “Experience plays a tremendous role in the design and selection process. Using an interior designer for your project

will save you time and avoiding mistakes will save you money. This is an ideal opportunity for the public to experience the benefits of working with an interior designer,” she added. The public can sign up to receive a one- or two-hour block of time to consult with an interior designer regarding projects as wide ranging as selecting color for their homes, deciding how to remodel a kitchen, or determining furniture arrangement. Designers from throughout San Diego County participate in this chapter fundraiser. The designers have expertise in a wide range of specialties, including lighting and universal design, creating spaces that apply agingin-place, space planning, and historic renovation. Participants may request a designer with specific expertise or located in their geographical area. To sign up for Spring Spruce Up, contact the ASID office at (858) 274-3345 or email admin@asidsandiego.org. Additional information is available at www.ASIDSanDiego. org and on the ASID hotline at (858) 646-9896.

Interior designer Suzanne Ward, Allied ASID, (left) of Design Support Service discusses color and fabric selection with Sharon Worman during an ASID “Spring Spruce Up” consultation.

GOING THROUGH A DIVORCE OR SEPARATION? The Third Saturday workshop provides essential information to men and women who are considering or in the middle of divorce or separation. Experienced professionals will cover the following topics: Legal Issues

When:

Third Saturday of each month

Time:

9:00am - 1:00pm Registration 8:30 - 9:00am

Financial Issues

Location: Command Center 2640 Historic Decatur Rd Family/Personal Issues San Diego, CA 92106

Mediation as an Cost: Alternative to Litigation

$35.00 preregistration $45.00 at the door

To register or for more information contact Robin Duboe Seigle (619) 238-2400 ext. 220 or rseigle@ncrconline.com

Divorce Mediation Services

www.ncrconline.com www.PresidioSentinel.com

School News

April 2012 | ÂŠ A Publication of Presidio Communications

Jump into Easter Wed. April 4th at the Mission Hills Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market! Sponsored by Mission Hills Business Improvement District Bringing you fresh produce from farm to fridge in 48 hours. Specialty prepared organic and minimaly processed food items:

Perform at Humphreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s by the Bay

To purchase tickets for the event or to be an event sponsor, go to www.Rhapsodyonthepoint.com.

Snigdha Nandipati is the winner of the 43nd annual Countywide Spelling Bee.

www.PresidioSentinel.com

Visit us at OurMissionHills.com

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Brianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

kets.com

through ticket sales, sponsorships and from money raised by the sale of fabulous auction items offered the evening of the event. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; oeuvres, cocktails and a silent auction. The concert begins at 7:00 p.m.. General Admission and premium Cabaret table seating is available on the website, www. rhapsodyonthepoint.com ($45 General Admission; $80 for two; cabaret tables from $250 - $1000). The program will continue a tradition of performing â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rhapsody in Blueâ&#x20AC;? every five years. This year, San Diego pianist Diane Snodgrass will do the honors and also perform a solo piece. Dr. Snodgrass has served as pianist for the San Diego Master Chorale and presently as accompanist for the San Diego Masterwork Chorale.

On May 18, the public is invited to the Point Loma High School (PLHS) Instrumental Music program by attending Rhapsody on the Point at Humphreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s by the Bay. The students hope to raise $20,000 at the concert and fundraiser, which is also a celebration of the opening of the new Music Center at PLHS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the culmination of six years of fundraising, advocacy, and endless patience. The San Diego Unified School District provides funding only for director James Sepulvadoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s salary, while the program must cover expenses for music, instruments, instruction, uniforms, transportation, and competition fees at an annual cost of $70,000 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the program is growing. Rhapsody on the Point will help to bridge the funding gap

All Proceeds Reinvested in Mission Hills.

w w. B r i a n

Point Loma High School Students

Farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Markets

Rhapsody at the Point.

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Parker Student Is

Repeat Spelling Bee Champion Francis Parker School 8th-grader and Rancho Penasquitos resident Snigdha Nandipati is the winner of the 43nd annual San Diego Union Tribune Countywide Spelling Bee that took place in March at the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. For her efforts, Nandipati wins an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. at the end of May to compete in the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee. This will be NandipatiĂs secondstraight year competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. In 2011 she would

advance on to the 5th-round before being knocked out on the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;kerysticâ&#x20AC;? which left her in a tie for 27th place out of the nearly 11 million that started in the competitions at the local level. At the San Diego County Spelling Bee this year, Nandipati beat out 99 other 7th and 8th graders to win the competition, which took nearly five hours to complete. She finished off her victory by spelling the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;gobemoucheâ&#x20AC;? which, according to dictionary.com, means â&#x20AC;&#x153;literally, a fly swallower; hence, one who keeps his mouth open; a boor; a silly and credulous person.â&#x20AC;?

Local News

April Go See at Glimpse

Allow your inner child to experience joy and nourishment this month at Glimpse! April’s GoSee exhibition, Delving into Imagination and the Inner Self, presents the concept of enlightenment brought forth by the deep exploration of one’s own imagination. This show breaks with GoSee tradition to feature three fantastic artists. The work of Martin Nasim bursts off the walls with vivid, whimsical vignettes. His images whirl with a style of mark-making that recalls Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” - if it were painted in an electric fantasy land and with cartoon-bright colors. Using the untraditional media of art marker on Plexiglas, Nasim’s work is both novel and apt. Deborah Wiley’s three-dimensional wall sculptures, titled “Zivas,” are strange and facinating mixed-media doll figures. They represent feminine divas, upholding such universal concepts as ancient knowledge, the lineage of the sacred feminine, and rebirth. Nicole Danna exhibits her Yantra art. A Yantra, similar in its naissance to the Mandala, is based on ancient Sanskrit geometric symbols which represents various mantras. Danna chants a principle mantra, such as uniqueness, spirituality, or intellect, as she hand paints each one of a kind piece to evoke inner awareness. Glimpse, a boutique/gallery owned and operated by Lynle Ellis, interior designer, is a space that inspires creativity and the five senses. The space at Glimpse provides the opportunity to hold tea, workshops,

APRIL 21st - MAY 16th Martin Nasim’s It’s She, is marker on Plexiglas. and talks on such topics as: creating a home sanctuary; the use of color in one’s environment; sustainable urban gardening; nurturing your artistic profession, and much more. Glimpse is located at 3813 Ray Street in North Park. For more information, visit www.glimpseliving.com.

www.PresidioSentinel.com

April Events

March Events

April 2012 | ÂŠ A Publication of Presidio Communications

Ashley Judd Keynote Speaker for YWCA Luncheon

MONDAY, APRIL 16th Ashley Judd

Uptown Plannersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; New Board Member This past month, the Uptown Planners held its annual election of board members. One of the individuals elected is Mission

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s In the Company of Women luncheon will feature Ashley Judd as the keynote speaker on April 16th at the Marriott Marquis and Marina. The YWCA of San Diego County is taking the best features of its two signature fundraising events and creating one spectacular affair. The luncheon will be held Monday, April 16 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis and Marina located downtown on 333 West Harbor Drive in the Marina Ballroom. In addition to raising awareness about domestic violence, homelessness, and the YWCA programs, the event will feature an awards presentation, honoring three outstanding female professionals with three Tribute to Women & Industry (TWIN) awards - The TWIN Mentor Award, The TWIN HumanitarHillsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; resident, Joe Naskar, who was also recently elected to the Mission Hills Town Council and is serving as secretary. Naskar and I spoke briefly about his newest roles in the community and what it means to him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have always been active in the community, however, not formally,â&#x20AC;? Naskar offered He said that it is something that he believes in, getting involved for the betterment of the community and to represent a voice for Mission Hills and surrounding communities. Naskar and his partner have been residents since 2003 and value being a part of a community that is â&#x20AC;&#x153;connected.â&#x20AC;? He also refers to his neighborhood, which he adores, as â&#x20AC;&#x153;progressive urbanism.â&#x20AC;? Naskar commented on the new school in Old Town, Old Town Academy, that has brought new energy to his neighborhood, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We see parents and kids walking to school together; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s refreshing.â&#x20AC;? When asked what he hopes to accomplish as a Town Council trustee and Urban Plannersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; board member, Naskar said he

ian Award and The TWIN Visionary Award. Keynote speaker Ashley Judd is a celebrated and acclaimed actor, a dedicated humanitarian, and a woman who has devoted much of her life to carrying the message of empowerment and equality. Articulate, passionate, but not without humor, Juddâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiences regarding the human condition are universal principles, applicable to all, whatever their personal creed. Seats and tables must be purchased in advance through the YWCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at www.ywcasandiego.org. The event is open to the public. All proceeds go directly to fund YWCA programs and services for survivors of domestic violence and homelessness, including Beckyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HouseÂŽ, Passages and the Cortez Hill Family Center. plans to start by reaching out to the community for input and quality discussion. He also stated the benefits of his efforts. Naskar commented, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You get to know people when you get involved in causes.â&#x20AC;? One of the first activities he will be involved with for Mission Hills Town Council is a canyon clean up that will occur from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 28, behind the tennis courts on Washington Street, across from Pioneer Park. In terms of his four year commitment with Uptown Planners, he is looking forward to working on the Community Plan, which is a critical piece to all the communities involved, including Bankers Hill, Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Middletown, the Medical Complex, Park West and University Heights neighborhoods. Naskar offered, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The community has put its faith in me, to provide good judgment and I will do my best to respond effectively.â&#x20AC;? Professionally, Naskar is an interior designer working on condominium in-

Easter Treats Award-winning Chuao Chocolatier is offering decadent delights perfect for indulging to this Easter. Hopping Popping Bunnies combine Chuaoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature chocolate with popping candy to deliver an unexpected and delicious sensation in your mouth. This pair of creamy milk chocolate bunnies filled with popping candy is sure to sweeten up your day. Chuao also is offering traditional Easter chocolate, including spice and nut chocolates, ChocoPods and premium dark and milk chocolate. All Chuao Chocolatier confections are available now at Chuao stores and online at http://chuaochocolatier.com/. terior renovations in Coronado, and hotel and hospitality interiors for national brands across the country. He is also a jewelry artist who has been identified in two books to be released this year. Naskar is also am a member of the Western Slopes Mission Hills neighborhood watch and a member of the Five Points Middletown CDC. He said he invites residents and business owners to share their thoughts and is soliciting comments by email at jhn-sd@cox.net.

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Women and Popular Music, through which she analyzed all Top-40 female song lyrics since 1900. The show includes hits like “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend,” “Where The Boys Are,” “I Am Woman,” “At Seventeen,” and dozens more, right up to the present day. The show will play at the Lyceum Theater, 79 Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego from April 18-June 24, 2012. For information, call 619-544-1000 or visit www.lyceumevents.org.

Old Globe

- Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre - Conrad Prebys Theatre Center

The Old Globe’s acclaimed “Classics Up Close” series continues with “Anna Christie,” Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece about the knotty relationship between an old sailor and the daughter he hasn’t seen in almost 20 years. Their new bond becomesstrained when she falls in love with a young man whose seafaring life isn’t what her father-

San Diego Civic Theater

Lyceum Theatre From George Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me” to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” and from Aretha Franklin’s “R.E.S.P.E.C.T” to Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” the international hit musical“Respect: A Musical Journey of Women” recounts the exciting story of women in the 20th century-through Top 40 songs. “Respect: A Musical Journey of Women” was created by Columbia University professor Dr. Dorothy Marcic based on her book, RESPECT:

Theatre News

wants for her. When Anna reveals to both men the shameful secret she has been harboring, they come to understand the harsh reality of her past and show her compassion, love and forgiveness. Directed by Daniel Goldstein, it closes April 15. The Old Globe is located in San Diego’s Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. For information, call (619) 23-GLOBE [234-5623].

After her critically-acclaimed debut as Roxie Hart on Broadway and in London’s West End, Christie Brinkley, one of the world’s most successful supermodels, will make her highly-anticipated Broadway tour debut this spring as she reprises her killer role in the six-time Tony Award-winning musical smash hit “Chicago.” Also joining the cast is star of “Seinfeld” and “Family Feud,” John O’Hurley as Billy Flynn. Directed by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie and choreographed by

Tony Award winner Ann Reinking, “Chicago” features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Tony Award winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award winner Ken Billington and sound design by Scott Lehrer. This show will play at the San Diego Civic Theatre May 8-13, 2012. Tickets are available now. San Diego Civic Theatre is located at 3rd and B Street in downtown San Diego. For information, visit www.BroadwaySD.com.

LANDMARK THEATRES

(from left) Jessica Love stars as Anna Christopherson, Bill Buell as Chris Christopherson and Austin Durant as Mat Burke in Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie, directed by Daniel Goldstein, March 2 - April 8, 2012 at The Old Globe. Photo by Henry DiRocco.

Looking Glass Theatre “Once Upon a Mattress,” the musical comedy based on the story of the Princess and the Pea, will be performed on the campus of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego at 4190 Front Street in Hillcrest, at 8 p.m., April 13, 14 and 20, 21. In this hilarious retelling of the fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea,” Queen Aggravain has ruled that none may marry until her son, Prince Dauntles, is married. However, she has managed to sabotage ev-

ery princess that comes along. When Sir Harry and Lady Larken learn that they are going to be parents, wed or not, he goes off to the swamps and brings back Princess Winnifred. The queen is horrified and immediately begins to scheme. But Winnifred, with some help from Sir Harry, the King, and the Jester, isn’t going to be quite so easy to get rid of. Tickets are available at the door or through http://www.LookingGlassSD. org. For information, call (619) 2989978 x 8003.

Damsels in Distress A trio of beautiful girls set out to revolutionize life at a grungy East Coast College – the dynamic leader Violet Wister (Greta Gerwig), principled Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and sexy Heather (Carrie MacLemore). They welcome transfer student Lily (Analeigh Tipton) into their group which seeks to help severely depressed students with a program of good hygiene and musical dance numbers. The girls become romantically entangled with a

series of men -- including slick Charlie (Adam Brody), dreamboat Xavier (Hugo Becker) and the mad frat pack of Frank (Ryan Metcalf) who threaten the girls’ friendship and sanity. “Damsels in Distress” is 99 minutes long, Rated PG-13, and opens April 13, 2012 at Landmark’s Hillcrest Cinemas. For information and times, call 619.819.0236, or visit www.landmarkTheatres.com. Film times and dates are subject to change. www.PresidioSentinel.com

Local News

April 2012 | © A Publication of Presidio Communications

Hundreds Sign Up To Remove Graffiti from Pacific Beach Local Company Donates Graffiti Remover Products

A mother and daughter share a joyful experience during the music class.

Mission Hills Native Shares Gift of Music by Denise Montgomery

Anna Robitaille gestures with a seahorse puppet while singing an oceanthemed song. Enthusiastic toddlers follow her lead, singing and waving seahorse finger puppets while sitting in parents’ and nannies’ laps. She tells the kids they will get to dance under a large blue parachute, which they will pretend is the ocean, and the children jump and cheer with excitement. It’s a typical scene at an infant and toddler music class at Mission Hills Music. Robitaille, who grew up in Mission Hills, opened Mission Hills Music in 2009 to fill a need she saw in the community. “Dance was being offered, but not music classes. I also had greater appreciation than ever for the importance of music for young children, since my daughter was one year old at the time,” says Robitaille. “Music supports language development and has a huge number of other benefits from cognitive development to socializing with other kids and mastering instruments.” The energetic Robitaille is attuned to her small students throughout the class, continuing an activity if they are particularly engaged, and introducing new instruments, songs and movement at a pace in sync with the kids’ interest level. A floor-to-ceiling closet hold hundreds of musical instruments used in class, from gongs to ukuleles to guiros, a Latin-American percussion instrument. The large African drums are a favorite among students. Robitaille teaches everything from classical music to world music and children’s music. “The goal is to expose the children to a wide range of styles and help them discover what they enjoy,” she says. Cinthia Buccigross of Mission Hills has been bringing her daughter to the toddler class for two years. “I really appreciate the thought Anna puts into planning the classes, and that she always gives us suggestions of things to do at home,” says Buccigross. In addition to the Tuesday and Wednesday morning infant and toddler classes, Robitaille teaches private and group piano and keyboard lessons. The www.PresidioSentinel.com

school also offers guitar, flute, clarinet, and voice lessons with other music professionals. Robitaille, who is classically trained and holds a BA in Music, believes in a strong foundation of music fundamentals. Her piano and keyboard students learn to read music as well as music theory. Originally a math major in college, she sees a link between the mathematical nature of music and music theory, which she incorporates into each class, at all ages. “For the youngest children, I demonstrate rhythm and teach basic terms such as ‘forte’ and ‘piano.’ The older students learn about the form and structure of compositions,” she says. Recitals held twice a year give instrument and voice students a goal to work toward, help build their confidence through public performance, and often help them learn resiliency. Robitialle teaches her students to recover and keep playing if they make an error during a performance, an experience that can be as meaningful as the opportunity to showcase their abilities. Students also get to hear each other and their teachers play. Often a student will be motivated by hearing a new piece of music and say “I want to learn to play that!” Music festivals and competitions are optional for everyone from beginning to advanced students. During the Sonata Competition at San Diego State University in December 2011, a sevenyear-old who has been studying with Robitaille for a year-and-a-half was a finalist, much to his delight. At the end of the day Robitaille packs a crate full of musical instruments for activities she will lead at a birthday party in Pioneer Park over the weekend. There, the kids will decorate and play maracas. “I love what I do, and I love being in this neighborhood,” she says, smiling. For information, call (619) 293-3232 or visit missionhillsmusic@ymail.com. Mission Hills Music is located at 930 W. Washington Street, Suite 9.

Pacific Beach Town Council held its Fifth Annual Neighborhood Clean-Up Event that attracted hundreds of dedicated volunteers on Saturday, March 24, 2012. A training session occured prior to the clean up that took place at Pacific Beach Presbyterian Church, located at 1675 Garnet Avenue. Teams of volunteers were assigned to eliminate graffiti and pick up trash along city streets, which resulted in eliminating over two thousand graffiti tags in the community. Motsenbocker’s Lift Off, a family business that is headquartered in San Diego, provided graffiti removal products for the clean up efforts. Also participating in the event were members of the National Coalition for Graffiti Removal (NCGR). The NCGR has been collaborating with Motsenbocker’s Lift Off on local and national graffiti removal efforts.

Councilmember Kevin Faulconer is pictured with Mike Wille of the National Coalition for Graffiti Removal, removing graffiti from Pacific Beach property.

NCEA Honor Recognizes

Excellence in Catholic Education Cheryl Mitchell Guess, seventh- and eighth-grade language arts, social studies and literature teacher at St. Vincent de Paul School in Mission Hills, has earned the 2012 Distinguished Teacher Award from the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). Guess will be honored at an awards ceremony during the association’s annual convention April 11–13 in Boston, Mass. “I believe that positive thinking and respect for diversity are essential for reaffirming one’s faith in God and self,” Guess said in describing her philosophy of Catholic education. “Cheryl is a very enthusiastic Catholic school educator whose first priority is the welfare of her students,” said Sister Kathleen Walsh, St. Vincent de Paul principal. “Under her guidance, Cheryl Mitchell Guess was nominated students achieve spectacular by a parent of a student at St. Vincent skills in literature and in the de Paul School. writing process.” tian Brother Robert Bimonte, execuA parent who endorsed Guess’ nomination for the award said, “I tive director of the NCEA Departhave always found Cheryl to be a ment of Elementary Schools. “They teacher that embraced her class as also have earned the high regard of her own children. She took the time the peers, students and parents they to get to know each of her students work with every day.” NCEA, founded in 1904, is a as individuals and was excellent at professional membership organigiving each student individual attenzation that provides leadership, tion whenever it was necessary.” Guess is one of 12 teachers who direction and service to fulfill will receive NCEA’s top award for the evangelizing, catechizing and teaching mission of the church. teachers this year. “Our Distinguished Teacher Award NCEA’s members include elwinners have demonstrated excep- ementary schools, high schools, tional ability, dedication and results parish religious education proas Catholic educators,” said Chris- grams and seminaries.

Life Style

Rev Your Engines for a

Hot Rod Fundraiser

Guests can don their leather or poodle skirts at the Silver Gate Elementary School’s 17th annual Hot Rods and Hogs fundraiser. The hot rod and motorcycle-themed silent auction, dinner and dance takes place Friday, April 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the Liberty Station Conference Center, located at 2600 Laning Avenue in Point Loma. The fun-filled evening, complete with music provided by the local 70’s cover band The Weener Pigs, upscale dinner menu in a biker bar setting, and original classroom artwork with wheel themes, benefits Silver Gate Elementary and is the school’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Guests are encouraged to dress in their leather and lace or favorite hot rod movie attire (think ‘Grease’). From muscle cars to choppers, the entire event will feature motorcycles and classic cars with photo opportunities to let your wild side out on Harley Davidson Motorcycles.After the dinner and the silent and live auctions, guests can burn rubber on the dance floor. Babysitting will be available. Contact Jammie Ritchey at jammieritchey@yahoo.com or 619-701-9649 for event tickets, sponsorship, advertising and 50/50 tickets.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20th

Human Tune Up by Cath Lower Thy Standards

Cath DeStefano,

Speaker, Performer, Author and Artist

Kathryn Averkamp, who teaches 3rd Grade at Silver Gate, is dressed for the occasion.

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We can treat cancer in: Brain Liver Breast Skin Sinuses Gastrointestinal

Spine Pancreas Cervical Lymphoma Neck

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Perfectionism can lead to stress. If your body started going numb down one side, and your heartbeat was becoming more and more irregular, wouldn’t that get your attention? It finally did get the attention of a woman at one of my TuneUp sessions. She described exactly those symptoms. She then went on to say that the doctor she was seeing, after finding nothing organically wrong, told her “My advice is lighten up. You don’t need to be so perfect.” Wanting to reinforce the doctor’s message to her, I suggested she might try lowering her standards, “Just do some things imperfectly.” The look of minor terror in her eyes didn’t stop me; I went right ahead. Try this I said. Leave some dirty dishes in the sink and then invite some friends over. Notice how they will still be your friends even after they see the dirty dishes. Immediately following my last word,she pulled back, and blurted out “Oh no, I couldn’t do that!”

It was as if some standard, some rule, some ‘have-to’ was dictating to her. She seemed powerless to consider another way. She, and we, need to understandthat perfectionism is a pattern. Patterns can be altered, to a degree, if the desire to change is strong enough. Want less stress? Think of one thing you can do less than perfectly. For example, get more comfortable with dust. As one woman said, “Think of dust as a protective coating for the furniture.” Another? Begin to care less what others think of you (which may be at the root of perfectionism). Design your life more on what you want rather than being driven by others’ ideas for you. Remember this great quote by author Alice Walker: “To the old ones of my childhood who taught me the most important lesson of all: that I did not need to be perfect to be loved. That no one does.” Lighten up. There’s no need to be so perfect. For more information, visit www. HumanTuneUp.com

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Life Style

April 2012 | ÂŠ A Publication of Presidio Communications

What Now? Old Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leather Leader By Laura Walcher

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something about Dennis Toler â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he just looks like a leather guy. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rugged, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brawny; heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got good humor and a big smile. And, for 40 years, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s had a super niche in Tolerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leather Depot in Old Town State Historic Park - the â&#x20AC;&#x153;go-toâ&#x20AC;? place for authentic leather goods. While he was born in Norfolk Va., Denny (his friends call him that) has been a San Diegan since he was two. He has a son, Orean, and he has been married to Heidi for 35 years. He was in the Marine Corps for three years, and after being wounded in Viet Nam, he majored in technical illustrating in Jr. College. Today, In Old Town, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s added to his enterprises; Tolerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Boot & Shoe, and The Johnson House. And, the man knows his leather: LW: Not only is leather itself â&#x20AC;&#x153;history,â&#x20AC;? but Tolerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Old Town is â&#x20AC;&#x153;history,â&#x20AC;? too! How, why did you get into this business? DT: Blue grass music and my friends brought me to Old Town. We used to play in Squibob Square in a shop called â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Blue Guitar,â&#x20AC;? owned by Ed Douglas. As part of his business, Ed did leather work making guitar straps, belts and purses. When Ed left Old Town in 1970, I had an opportunity to take over a part of his store â&#x20AC;&#x201C; approximately 2000 sq. ft. I began doing my own leather work, calling the business â&#x20AC;&#x153;Latigo, Ltd.â&#x20AC;? LW: Are you artistic yourself? When we think of custom, or high quality leather goods, I envision unique, maybe exquisite craftsmanship? DT: I created all my own patterns and designs for the purses and belts I made - - one of a kind, one at a time. But that was not enough to make a successful business; I needed to stock more products, offer more

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choices. LW: Would you like to name a few of your leather artists, the brands you carry? DT: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m always looking for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Made in Americaâ&#x20AC;? products. Some that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pleased to carry are, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Head on Home Hats,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Victoria Leather, â&#x20AC;&#x153; Stonehead Leather,â&#x20AC;? and others. LW: How has the business changed over the years? What did your shoppers want then, that they want less of today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and vice versa? DT: Shoppers today want less of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;one of a kindâ&#x20AC;? hand-crafted items. Today, the trend is for quality commercial items at reasonable prices. LW: What are your perennial best sellers? DT: Handbags and belts! Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been my mainstays. LW: What does one have to know to shop for leather wisely? DT: Always look at labels on products â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and find a knowledgeable, salesperson who can talk intelligently about the merits of your choices. if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for â&#x20AC;&#x153; Made in USA,â&#x20AC;? check your labels! Most all American products are stamped on the back. LW: Can you give us a brief history of leather artistry? DT: Leather artistry has always been a practical necessity. In ancient times it was for survival â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it kept the feet safe and bodies warm. In 1830, the tack store was like todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hardware store, or the gas station. It had everything you needed to keep you mobile â&#x20AC;&#x201C; harnesses for horses, buggy-whips and seats, holsters, boots â&#x20AC;&#x201C; leather items were all over, and were essentials. LW: How many leather products do you yourself use and/or wear? DT: I wear leather belts, shoes, vest, a wristband â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and of course, I have heated leather seats in my truck! LW: Forth year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some credit to you. What ARE you doing right â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially in this recent economic turndown, when so many businesses have closed their doors? DT: Location plays a big part in the success of any business; The environment of a State Historic Park fits my kind of specialty store very well - Also, a little longevity doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt! Add a good reputation and repeat customers. LW: Are you (still) passionate about leather-

goods? By now, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve â&#x20AC;&#x153;ownedâ&#x20AC;? the category, What do you do in your spare time? DT: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m still passionate about leather; however, stronger passions now are music and classic cars! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m the bass man in two bands. In one, we play swing from the 1940â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s; the other is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Java Jazzâ&#x20AC;? in which we play contemporary musicâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re for hire! Also, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve recently finished restoring a 1964 Austin Healy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taken me seven years.

Dennis Toler at work.

La Jolla Concours dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Elegance Announces Call for Entrees The 8th Annual La Jolla Concours dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Elegance will be held at La Jolla Cove from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm., Sunday, April 1, 2012. Keith Martin returns as the emcee and will present awards recognizing winners in a variety of categories, including cars on the Saturday Motor Tour, Concours specialty classes and special awards such as the Keith Martin Award and Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice. A full list of categories are listed on the website LaJollaConcours.com. Tickets to the Sunday Show are $35 in advance and $40 at the entrance. The car exhibitor registration fee is $100. Proceeds benefit the La Jolla Historical Society, a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization that is dedicated to the discovery, collection and preservation of La Jollaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage as well as the Monarch School for homeless children. For information visit LaJollaConcours.com, to obtain a registration form or to buy tickets, call 619-233-5008.

THURSDAY, APRIL 1st

Vehicle enthusiasts view classic and expensive models at La Jolla Concours dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Elegance.

Life Style

Ylang Ylang: A fragrant parting gift By Charlotte Tenney, MA Integrative Health

Room is scarce to put more specimens into the Trees for Health arboretum and limited even more by the available irrigation system. One of the last of the new trees will be going added this month. It is a tropical tree called Ylang Ylang, a native of Indonesia and the Philippine Islands. In addition to its many wonderful and elegant qualities, it is the last gift from our master gardener, Fern Wilson. Wilson and I had just picked up a load of agave cactus to plant along the side of the path and made arrangements to have the Ylang Ylang tree delivered for installation. It had been a tough decision since there were so many worthy options that could merit the last watering spigot and spot in the sun. This one seduced us with its heavenly fragrance. It was to be Wilson’s last decision for the master plan of the project. The next day, March 1, Wilson suffered a massive stroke. She died on March 19, 2012, leaving the project’s “treekeeper” team that much smaller and diminished in every way. She was our plant propagation specialist, our key watering person who came three times a week, and the creator of

bright flowering ground cover focus points. She was a friend to every dog being walked on the paths and their owners. She knew all the park staff and how to ask them for support in improving the project where she had invested 15 years of vision, effort and sheer love of nature. The Ylang Ylang tree will make a powerful legacy for Fern, growing eventually to a hundred feet tall. It will shower our paths with yellow starshaped flowers of such astoundingly beautiful aroma that it is referred to as “the flower of flowers.” Wilson was the “gardener of gardeners” in our view. The essence oil that is distilled from these flowers is famous in perfume circles and in aroma therapy. In Victorian and Edwardian times this Ylang Ylang scent was added to coconut oil to create “Makassar Hair Oil” for men. This resulted in the creation of the “antimacassar,” a cloth used to protect upholstery on stuffed chairs and sofas from being soiled by the hair oil. Later, Coco Chanel chose Ylang Ylang as the main top note in the signature fragrance Chanel Number Five. In aroma therapy, this oil is inhaled to treat motion sickness and is the main ingredient in a product called MotionEaze. It is mixed with massage oil and used for therapeutic massage to reduce blood pressure. Ylang Ylang is included in soaps and salves to treat skin conditions, especially

Fern Wilson, left, with author, Charlotte Tenney.

ones aggravated by excess sebum. It is considered to be an aphrodisiac and is included in many “love potions.” In its native land the flowers have been traditionally used to cover the bed of a newlywed couple. Wilson’s Ylang Ylang tree will be placed close to the sidewalk, on the eastern side of Balboa Drive just north of Quince Street. She wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the heady scent and be inundated with the lovely yellow blossoms as they walk by. She

thought of it as a welcoming invitation for you to explore the gardens. On Friday, April 13, friends and family of Wilson will gather at the Trees for Health project to honor her contributions and her vision. We chose to come at the same time that she was always on duty, tending the plants, at 8:30 am. We will see that her last addition to the arboretum, the Ylang Ylang, receives all the attention that she would have lavished upon it. Thanks for such a thoughtful parting gift.

Foot Washing Ceremony Ocean Beach’s first Interfaith Community Foot Washing will be hosted by the Episcopal Church Center at 2083 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard on Thursday, April 5th, 2012 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Christians commemorate the Thursday before Easter as the night of Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and instructed them to do likewise. In preparation for this event, some 200 people have registered to receive new hiking boots, work boots, sneakers or sandals. In addition to foot washing and free shoes, guests will get breakfast, lunch, two new pairs of socks, hygiene kits, haircuts, and access to free medical, dental and legal services as well as social service providers, drug and alcohol counselors, housing, and mental health outreach workers. Healing services and Holy Communion will be available in the chapel. It promises to be a joyous event with strolling musicians as well as some 50 volunteers working to make sure our homeless population knows they are not invisible, but loved. It will also raise awareness about the issue of homelessness, which is everyone’s problem, and it will connect those in need with services to move them into healthier, more productive states. For more information contact Nancy Holland at 619.823.8998 or nholland@ edsd.org.

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Music Scene

Jimmie Dale Gilmore at AMSDConcerts By Richard Cone The incomparable Jimmie Dale Gilmore appears in a rare San Diego appearance at AMSDConcerts, (formerly Acoustic Music San Diego), at 4650 Mansfield Avenue in the old church venue, a perfect acoustic venue for Gilmore and his signature booming guitar. The show is 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 19. You can also take part in a signature feature of AMSDConcert shows – a chance to meet Gilmore at the break or after his set, and, in the words of Loudon Wainwright III, “After the show, folks say ‘thanks’ and ‘hello…. They proffer something to sign, or deliver a glib line……..for a night, or just an hour, for a bite or some kind of shower, they’ve got a plan; you understand.” Gilmore is a Texas native, born in Amarillo and raised in Lubbock. His earliest musical influence was Hank Williams and the honky tonk brand of country music that his own father played in a bar band. In the 1950s, Gilmore immersed himself in the burgeoning rock and roll of other Texans such as Roy Orbison and Lubbock native Buddy Holly, as well as Johnny Cash. He was profoundly influenced in the 1960s by the Beatles and Bob Dylan and the folk music and blues revival in that decade. With Joe Ely and Butch Hancock,

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Gilmore founded The Flatlanders. The group has been performing on and off since 1972. The band’s first recording project, from the early 1970s, was a milestone of progressive, alternative country. The three friends continue to reunite for occasional Flatlanders performances. In the 1980s, Gilmore moved to Austin and his fi rst solo album, “Fair and Square,” was released in 1988. Gilmore’s fans admire his fi ne, piercing tenor voice, which delivers expressive, pure, country singing in a fashion known as “shape note singing.” Instead of the normal “do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do” seven-note system, shape-singing uses the old four-note English system: “fa-sol-la-fa-sol-la-mi-fa.” You’ll hear it immediately when Gilmore starts singing. Gilmore appeared in a brief but memorable role in the movie “The Big Lebowski,” and he’s also been a guest on Jay Leno, David Letterman, A Prairie Home Companion, and NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross. In 2005 Gilmore released “Come on Back,” an album of songs his father loved. Gilmore said of the album, “This new album is a compilation of recordings of some old songs that my dad loved. I love them too, and it is a project very dear to me.” You’ll hear cuts from that album at the AMSD show and a mix of songs from his past CD’s. Hope for “I’m So

THURSDAY, APRIL 19th Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Photo courtesy of JimmieGilmore.com Lonesome I Could Cry,” the old Hank Tickets for the Jimmie Dale GilmWilliams tear-jerker from Gilmore’s ore show are $25 for rows 8 and “Spinning Around the Sun” CD from up, and $52 for the dinner package, 1993. Gilmore can hold those notes a full three-course meal at nearlike no one I’ve ever heard and his by DeMille’s on Adams Avenue, phrasing and breaks are so pure and and seating in the first seven rows. clean and downright sad it will bring For ticket reservations go to http:// tears to your eyes. amsdconcerts.com/April.html.

Martha and the Vandellas at Anthology Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, one of the most successful girl groups (or ANY groups for that matter) on the Motown roster from 1963-1967 appear in concert at Anthology on Friday, April 6 for two shows, at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. For the range of seating, minimums and dinner options, go to www.anthology.com The Vandellas have a hard, edgy R&B sound, and their songs, “Jimmy Mack,”,“Dancing in the Street”, and “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave” became the signatures of their career. From 1963 to 1972, the group charted over twenty-five hits, including two R&B Billboard number ones. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the group 96th on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. In 1972, Martha Reeves left Motown and worked to establish herself as a solo singer/songwriter. She branched out from her R&B roots and sang jazz, country, gospel, blues, and classical music. She sang with such notables as Bruce Springsteen, James Brown, and Rance Allen, who began singing the gospel at age five. In 1974, Reeves signed to MCA and released her critically acclaimed self-titled debut, “Martha Reeves.” She went on to record and perform for the next 30 years. In 2004, she released her self-produced CD, “Home

FRIDAY, APRIL 6th Martha Reeves to You,” and it was named one of the year’s best by the Asbury Park Press. Reeves just completed a four-year run as a member of the Detroit City Council, and now she’s back in the studio, and on tour and bringing audiences the music they missed in her absence.

Dining Scene

Top Chef Cooking Up Success by David Rottenberg

Brian Malarkey is no malarkey. He is totally serious and focused about growing his restaurant concepts of social dining into a large and important chain of restaurants. He and his partner Jim Brennan, who was involved for a long time with nightspots in San Diego, including the popular Stingaree, have stated a goal of 15 restaurants in five years. They are well under way to achieving it. Malarkey is a highly regarded chef who has won wide local and even national attention. He was the executive chef locally at The Oceanaire where

he had a strong following. He won over 50 industry awards, including “chef of the year.” He also was finalist in the TOP CHEF network reality show competition and has also hosted television culinary shows. He teamed up with Jim Brennan, whom he met as a customer at The Oceanaire, to open Searsucker Restaurant in the Gaslamp. This was his first “fabric themed” operation. It was wildly successful, both as a place to dine as well as a place to socialize, meet people, just spend time. Gingham, in La Mesa, has a “meat – cowboy” concept. The community just celebrated its 100th anniversary of incorporating as a city, reflecting its established solidity as a good

Malarkey and Studebaker

place to live and work. There is a lot of civic pride in La Mesa, which is shown by its enthusiastic annual events like Oktoberfest Festival and “Back To The 50’s Car Show,” Another reason – “Jim Brennan went out to see the place, which was available, and fell in love with the building,” Malarkey added. The building is long, narrow and has a large outdoor fenced-in seating area that will undoubtedly be full of diners during warm summer evenings. The dining room is on one side of the entrance and a large bar/dining area is to the other side. I was told that the upstairs holds a large meeting/private dining area. The décor is woodsy, with lots of wood tables and high-tops, reinforcing the “cowboy” theme. The lighting at the bar resembles the kind depicted in those famous Edward Hopper paintings. The chef, Ryan Studebaker, is a graduate of the “school of hard knocks.” He learned to cook by doing it, starting with working for his father in the family’s restaurant. Prior to joining Gingham, he worked for Prep Kitchen in La Jolla. Malarkey describes Gingham as the “urban cowboy diner offering meat market cuisine” with slow roast meats. The bar features “whiskey,” local craft beers and “snake oil” cocktails which can probably cure anything if you drink enough. The wine list has a nice selection of “whites” and “reds” such as a tasty Anglim Viognier and Moshin Pinot Noir. Many wines are available by the glass and are fairly priced.

The short menu has a number of appetizers (“Bites”) that strong appealed to me. Turkey wings are a great way to begin. Baked brie is another great starter. But my favorite “Bite” was the Kobe marrow bones. The bones were opened – cut in half – full of delicious marrow, which could be spread on the accompanying toast corners. There is a selection of salads as well. Smoked salmon salad includes avocado and grapefruit. Romaine comes with bacon, turkey, egg and avocado with blue cheese. Meats, though, dominate the menu. The Pork phop “Porterhouse” was a nice portion of the meat, well grilled, served with “potato hash.” Baby back ribs and delicious Kobe beef ribs are smoked. Sides include butter potatoes, baked beans and cold slawz. For desserts, don’t pass up the candy bar cake, with its peanut butter center or the lemon meringue cake, with its berry jam center. Both are delicious, sweet ways to end. Gingham is open for lunch and dinner as well as for Sunday brunch, with a special menu. The ambiance is casual and comfortable. Service is excellent, efficient and very friendly. Price points are moderate. It is a good place to relax, meet friends and dine --“social dining,” as Malarkey terms it. And, in the summertime, the outdoor fenced-in seating area will definitely be the place to enjoy. Gingham is located at 8384 La Mesa Boulevard. The best freeway exit off Highway 8 is Spring Street. Reservations are suggested. Call 619- 7971922 for information or directions.

Enjoy Spring Dining!

Malarkey and Studebaker

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Calendar

Thru Apr.

Pet Loss Support Group - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA. Open to those ages 10 + including pet parents who are considering or preparing for euthanasia. Please call 619-299-7012, extension 2311, to make a reservation. For dates and locations, visit www.sdhumane.org.

The Big Read: Shades of Poe can be experienced throughout San Diego County culminating on May 1 with a reading of The Cask of the Amontillado at the San Pasqual Winery tasting room in La Mesa. For information on events happening in your neighborhood, visit www. writeoutloudsd.com or www.neabigread.org.

Thru Apr. 18

IMAX® Film: Coral Reef Adventure. From Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, to a coral reef-sustained village in Fiji, diving expeditions show a range of coral reefs, from a dazzling underwater world filled with unusual and exotic inhabitants, to vast stretches of bleached coral decline. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. For more information, visit www.rhfleet.org/site/imax/coral_reef.cfm.

Thru Apr. 20

2012 Fall Youth Media & Tech Camp - Our media camps teach campers, age 9-14, how to collaborate with each other using media and technology arts, while engaging with others in an increasingly connected world. Media Arts Center San Diego, 2921 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. For more information, call 619-230-1938 or visit www. mediaartscenter.org.

Apr. 1

The Combined Choirs of Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala and St. Michael’s of Poway Present: A Lenten concert 3:00 p.m., California’s First Mission, Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala’, 10818 San Diego Mission Road. For information call 619-283-7319. Project KEPPT Day - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, 572 Airport Road, Oceanside, 1-3 p.m. Info on licensing, microchipping, behavior and training advice, companion animal friendly housing referrals, and veterinary financial aid referrals. Please contact ahoang@sdhumane.org or 619-299-7012 ext 2907 for program qualifications and details or visit www.sdhumane.org. Tire Rack Street Survival® Teen Driving School. 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Qualcomm Stadium, 9449 Friars Road, San Diego. Open to licensed and permitted drivers ages 15 – 21. Forms, schedules and more information can be found at www.streetsurvival.org. The 8th Annual La Jolla Concours d’Elegance - La Jolla Cove, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. For tickets and information, visit www.LaJollaConcours.com or call 619-233-5008.

Apr. 2

Ted Nash Quartet - “The Creep” CD Release Tour. Genre: Contemporary Jazz Saxophone. 7:30 p.m. Anthology, 1337 India Street, Little Italy. For more information, visit www.AnthologySD.com.

Apr. 2- 6

Animal Adventure Camp - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, 5500 Gaines Street, San Diego. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Games, crafts and hands-on animal activities all help children develop respect and a positive attitude toward all living beings. Children ages 5-13 may attend. Application is required! For more information and to submit an application, visit www.sdhumane.org/camp or call 619-243-3432.

Apr. 4

Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Shoot Out with Abbey Road & Jumping Jack Flash. Genre: Classic Rock. 7:30pm. Anthology, 1337 India Street, Little Italy. For more information, visit www.AnthologySD.com. Change the World, Give Clean Water Event! Come learn how you can impact lives. Hera Hub, 9710 Scranton Road #160, San Diego. To RSVP, call 6888-429-6741 X5 or Amanda@GiveCleanWater.org.

Apr. 5

Kyle Eastwood - Genre: Nu-Jazz/Funk, 7:30pm. Kyle, the son of Clint Eastwood has contributed music to eight of his father’s films. Anthology, 1337 India Street, Little Italy. For more information, visit www.AnthologySD.com.

Rob Paparozzi & Bernard Purdie Clinic - Harmonica and Drums and Beyon. A class that welcomes all instrumentalists and vocalists as well. 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., Rock and Roll San Diego School of Music and Performing Arts, 3360 Sports Arena Blvd., Ste A,. For more information, contact: Ric Lee at bayoubrothers@cox.net or call 619-691-1609.

Apr. 6

Jazz/Rock Fusion. 7:00 pm. Anthology, 1337 India Street, Little Italy. For more information, visit www. AnthologySD.com.

The class may be taken with or without certification test. Space is limited, call 619-299-7012 x2247 to register.

The Maritime Museum of San Diego presents: A Chocolate Festival. A special tasting and educational showcase featuring food, wine, and a variety of sweet chocolate treats. This delicious event corresponds with the opening of a new exhibit that traces the history of chocolate and how it came to America. 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., 1492 North Harbor Drive, San Diego. For tickets and information, visit www. sdmaritime.org or call 619-234-9153 ext. 101.

Scripps Ranch Friends of the Library presents: “Pleasure of Your Company,” the Volante Piano Quartet performing a concert of 20th century music of Russia and America. 2:30 p.m., Scripps Miramar Ranch Library Center, 10301 Scripps Lake Drive. Visit www.srfol.org or call 858-538-8158 for more info.

Apr. 9

Fresh Sound Music series: James Moore from NYC, Solo Guitar, Member of Dither Guitar Quartet. Music by Larry Polansky, Molly Thompson and selections from John Zorn’s Book of Heads. 8:00 p.m., Space 4 Art, 325 15th @ J St., San Diego. For information, visit www.bit.ly/zAh5Qv.

Apr. 9 -13

Animal Adventure Camp - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, 572 Airport Rd, Oceanside, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Games, crafts and hands-on animal activities all help children develop respect and a positive attitude toward all living beings. Children ages 7-9 may attend. Application is required. For information, call 619-243-3432, or e-mail edu@sdhumane.org.

Apr. 11

Using Flower Essences with Animals Lecture - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, 572 Airport Rd, Oceanside, 6:30 - 8 p.m. Animal Behavior Consultant, Meg Harrison will discuss ways to balance, maintain, and repair emotional and mental health. Please note classes are for people only - please leave your great pets at home. Register on-line or call 619-243-3424 for more information, www.sdhumane.org. Belly Up Tavern Presents: Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real headline performance. 8:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.bellyup.com.

Apr. 12

International Bipolar Foundation presents: Free mental health lecture series with guest speaker John McManamy. 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., SanfordChildren’s Research Center (Bldg. 12), 10905 Road to the Cure, San Diego. Please R.S.V.P. to areitzin@internationalbipolarfoundation.org. Event and parking are free

Apr. 13

Annual Performance of Bach’s “St. John Passion” for Easter. 7:30pm, St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, 743 Prospect Street, La Jolla. For tickets and information, visit www.bachcollegiumsd.org.

Apr. 13 & 20

Home-school Lessons at the San Diego Humane Society. Children ages 7-12 are invited to learn about animals at these programs just for home-schoolers. Reservations required. For times and locations, please call 619-299-7012 ext. 2320 for a reservation, or visit www.sdhumane.org.

Apr. 14

San Diego Middle School Students Catapult Into Engineering, 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Raytheon Company, 8680 Balboa Ave. (92123). Middle school students, their parents and educators will enjoy a fun-filled day ofhands-on engineering activities, including a catapult competition. Free. Contact: CatapultingIntoEngineering@raytheon.com. Registration: www.raytheon.cvent.com/survey/catapult. Geology for Archaeologists with Dr. Eleanora Robbins. 10am – Noon, San Diego Archaeological Center, 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido. For more information, contact Annemarie Cox at acox@sandiegoarchaeology.org call 760-291-0370 or visit www.sandiegoarchaeology.org.

Apr. 14 & 15

Healthy Living Festival at the Del Mar Fairgrounds’ Exhibit Hall. Learn more about eating healthier, finding a healthy weight, getting into healthy activities and keeping a healthier home. Listen to experts share new ideas about lifestyle changes that can help prevent disease and lower stress. Admission is free. 10:00 a.m. For more information, visit www.healthylivingfestival.com or call 805-461-6700.

Apr. 14 & 15, 28 & 29

The San Diego County Art Mart Association is presenting an art show in Balboa Park, on the grass at Presidents Way & Pan American Road East, behind the International Cottages. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Martha Reeves & the Vandellas – Genre: Soul. 7:30 and 9:30 pm. Anthology, 1337 India Street, Little Italy. For more information, visit www.AnthologySD.com.

For more information contact Walt Thomas at walt@ visible-concepts.com.

Southern California Plumeria Society at Casa del Prado, Room 101 in Balboa Park. Annual plumeria cutting sale featuring many colors and unusual varieties of plants. Related merchandise will be available, including shirts, jewelry, books, fertilizer, etc. Admission is free, 10:00am - 4:00pm. For more information, visit www.socalplumeriasociety.com.

Puppy Fun Class - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, 5500 Gaines Street, San Diego, 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Learn how to raise your puppy right through presentations on common puppy issues in dog-friendly training sessions to learn basic commands, greeting without jumping, leash walking and more. Registration required. Call (619) 299-7012 x2247 or visit www.sdhumane.org for more information.

The 29th Annual Easter Sunrise at Sprekel’s Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park will take place at 6:30 a.m. and is free to the public. Rev. Paul Cunningham of the La Jolla Presbyterian Church will preside over the service. The La Jolla Presbyterian Church choir will perform.

Head Start - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, 5500 Gaines Street, San Diego, 11:15 a.m. –12:30 p.m. This five-part introductory-level training class (for dogs and pups over four months old) will teach you the basics of positive reinforcement training techniques while your dogs learn good doggie behaviors. Pre-registration required. Please call 619-299-7012 x2247.

Apr. 7 – 8

Apr. 8

Easter Sunday Brunch Live with the Anthology House Band Trio – Genre: Jazz/R&B. 11:30 am. Anthology, 1337 India Street, Little Italy. For more information, visit www.AnthologySD.com. Jamie Shadowlight - Electric Ladyland. Genre:

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Apr. 14, 21 & 28

Canine Good Citizen - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, 5500 Gaines Street, San Diego, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. A seven-session intermediate-level obedience course geared towards passing the Canine Good Citizen certification test.

Apr. 15

Apr. 18

Free Health Care Conference for Seniors - The event includes presentations from health experts and community resources featuring health and senior service agencies. Topics include: The ABC’s of Healthcare, Making Your Wishes Known: The Importance of Health Care Planning and Estate Planning in a Time of Uncertainty. 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive. Complimentary continental breakfast and hosted lunch by Grossmont Gardens will be provided. Please register at 1-800-827-4277 or visit www.sharp.com/grossmont.

Apr. 19 Project KEPPT Pet Food Bank - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, 5500 Gaines Street, San Diego, 1-3 p.m. Please contact ahoang@sdhumane.org or call 619299-7012 ext 2907 for program qualifications and details or visit www.sdhumane.org. Clairemont Community of Schools Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Marston Middle School, 3799 Clairemont Drive (92117). Parents, students and community members are invited to attend this meeting, which discusses educational issues at the high school and its middle and elementary schools. Contact: Julee Jenkins, julee.jenkins@gmail.com. Open to the public. Salon Topic: What’s next for the Middle East? Panel Discussion: 2 Conflicting Perspectives, Iran, the IsraeliPalestinian issue, and prospects for peaceful resolution. Gain a deeper appreciation of complex events by sharing, engaging in dialogues, and discussing topics. San Diego Diplomacy Council, 3604 30th Street, San Diego, 6:00 p.m. Pre-Registration required as space is limited; visit www.cdcsd.org/event-registration.

Apr. 20 Silver Gate Elementary School Hot Rods & Hogs Fundraiser, 5:30 p.m., Liberty Station Conference Center, 2600 Laning Road (92106). Parents, students and community members are invited to attend Silver Gate Elementary School¹s largest fundraiser of the year. The event includes a dinner party and live and silent auctions. Contact: Heather Harris, heatherharris@cox.net or 619-928-4525. Open to the public. Taste of the Triangle 2012, 7 p.m., UCSD Faculty Club, 9500 Gilman Dr., #0121 (92093). Parents, students and community members are invited to attend this annual fundraising event to benefit the five San Diego Unified schools in University City. The event includes student and faculty performances, food prepared by some of San Diego¹s top chefs and a silent auction. Prices are $75 in advance or $85 at the door. Contact: Brian Barnhorst at taste@uc-educate. org or 858- 677-0989. Open to the public. IMAX® Film: To the Arctic - Follow a Polar Bear and her two seven-month-old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating, adventurous, and intimate footage brings moviegoers up close and personal with this family’s struggle to survive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls, and majestic snow-bound peaks. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Heikoff Dome Theater. For more information, visit www.rhfleet.org.

Apr. 21

Ocean Beach Elementary Celebrates the Arts at Spring Fling, 4-7 p.m., Ocean Beach Elementary School, 4741 Santa Monica Ave. (92107). Ocean Beach goes to Hollywood in this fundraiser event. Students, family and community members can walk the red carpet, participate in a celebrity-look-alike contest, enjoy games and entertainment, and bid in a silent auction. Contact: Ma rgaret Johnson, Principal, 619-223-1631. Open to the public. Cradle to Grave,” a docent-led walking tour that 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., will explore a core area of Mission Hills in its infancy 100 years ago. Anchored by four long-established community fixtures-- Grant Elementary School Pioneer Park, the Mission Hills Methodist Church and Mission Hills Nursery--the provocative theme promises amazing stories and a visit to hidden gems of the past. Refreshments will be served at the Methodist Church following each walking tour. For more information: contact info@ MissionHillsHeritage.org or call 619-497-1193. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Event – This event will highlight the range of support services, resources, programs, benefits, laws and policies available to help grandparents successfully fulfill their care giving role. Nongrandparent relatives who are raising a relative’s children are also invited. Jacobs Center, 404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. To register, call 855238-5978 or visit www.211sandiego.org/grandparents for satellite locations. Delving into Imagination and Inner Self Opening Reception – The concept of enlightenment brought forth by the deep exploration of one’s own imagination. This show breaks with GoSee tradition to feature three fantastic artists: Deborah Wiley, Martin Nasim & Nicole Danna. 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Glimpse, 3813 Ray Street, San Diego. For more information, visit www.glimpseliving.com. Annual NAMI 5K Walk in Balboa Park. To register, visit www.namisandiego.org/namiwalks or call 619-584-5564. Mission Hills Huge Community Garage Sale! 8:00

a.m. - Noon. Lots of houses with great stuff! On the day of, maps and addresses of homes participating and items for sale will be available at the Coldwell Banker office at 1621 West Lewis Street. For more information, call 619-574-5138. Parkinson’s Step By Step 5K Walk/Fun Run - Live entertainment, food and resources for Parkinson’s patients and their families, including a Medical Expo and a Pet Festival! For information and registration, visit www.ParkinsonsStepbyStep.org or call 858-273-6763. The Old Town Academy’s 1st Annual OTA Wine and Dine – Delight your pallet with some of the most exclusive wines available in N. America. Beer from two of the best breweries in the state, food from 12 of San Diego’s finest restaurants, olive oil tasting and dessert will make this evening of culinary excellence one that is not to be missed. The Old Town Academy Campus, 2120 San Diego Ave. 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. For tickets and information, visit www. OTAFoundatiion.org.

Apr. 22

Fourth Annual San Diego Breath of Hope Cancer Walk to raise the public’s awareness of lung cancer and help increase early diagnosis and research funding for this deadliest of cancers. 8 a.m. expo; 9 a.m. walk begins, Cancer Survivors Park on Spanish Landing, 4100 North Harbor Drive, San Diego. For more information or to register, visit www.sandiegobreathofhope.org .

Apr. 23

The San Diego Blood Bank bloodmobile will accept blood donations at Pat & Oscar’s, 8590 Rio San Diego Dr. Mission Valley. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Anyone at least 17 years old, in good health and weighs at least 110 pounds may be eligible to give blood. A good meal is recommended prior to donation. For donor requirements or to make an appointment, call 1-800-4MY-SDBB or visit www.sandiegobloodbank.org.

Apr. 26

Correia Middle School Welcomes Parents for School Tour, 2:15 p.m., Correia Middle School Library, 4302 Valeta St. (92107). Visitors will take a tour of the school grounds and learn about the instructional program at Correia Middle School. All families are welcome. Contact: Beverly Fitzpatrickat 619-222-0476. Open to the public. College Orientation with Lynn O’Shaughnessy, 6:30 p.m., La Jolla High School, 750 Nautilus St. (92037). An expert on the college admission process, O’Shaughnessy is the local author of the Amazon bestseller: The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price. Contact: Sharon Jones, sharonlj@san.rr.com. Open to the public. Marshall Crenshaw – 7:30 p.m., AMSD Concerts, 4650 Mansfield Street, Normal Heights. For more information, call 619-303-8176 or visit www.amsdconcerts.com.

Apr. 27

Center for Community Solutions presents: 13th Annual “Tea on the Town” with Keynote Speaker, Meredith Baxter. 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Marriott San Diego Mission Valley. For tickets and information, visit www.ccssd.org.

Camarada presents: “It’s so very TANGO...” - St. Paul’s Cathedral, Uptown. 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 619-231-3702 or visit www.camarada.org.

Apr. 28

Reading Literacy & Learning Sponsors Children¹s Book Party, 8:30-10:30 a.m., Spreckels Organ Pavilion, Balboa Park, 1549 El Prado (92101). All children attending the 28th-annual event will receive a free book and enjoy live entertainment. Refreshments will be served. Contact: Roosevelt Brown at 619-266-4118 or read4thefuture@aol.com. Open to the public. San Diego County Credit Union presents: 2012 Walk for Wishes San Diego. Help us grant wishes! Embarcadero Marina Park. For more information, visit www.walkforwhishessd.org. Camarada presents: “It’s so very TANGO...” - Private Residence. Cabernet evening begins with a tasting of vintage wines, followed by a gourmet bistro dinner, concert, and dessert reception with artists. Limited seating. 6:00 p.m. For more information please call 619-231-3702 or visit www.camarada.org.

Apr. 29

Robin Henkel Band with Horns! Blues, jazz, funk, slide and steel guitar music. 8:00 p.m., Lestat’s, 3343 Adams Ave., San Diego. $8, all ages. For more information, call 619-282-0437.

Camarada presents: “TAPAS and TANGO Festival” Tapas reception before concert. Neurosciences Institute, La Jolla. 6:00 p.m. For more information, call 619-2313702 or visit www.camarada.org.

Apr. 30

Curie Elementary School Stages Spring Sing, 6 p.m., Curie Elementary School Auditorium, 4080 Governor Drive (92122). Students in grades K-3 will perform music that celebrates cultural and social diversity in their Children of the World concert. Contact: Christopher Juarez at 858-453-4184. Open to the public. TVoices for Children 20th Annual Golf Tournament – The Farms Golf Club, 8500 St. Andrews Road, Rancho Santa Fe. Registration 11:00 a.m. For registration and information, visit ww.voices4children.ejoinme.org.

Apr. 30 - May 1

California State Science Fair, Grades 6-12, California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles (90037). Winners of the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair will compete for state-level prizes totaling $50,000. Contact: Nancy Taylor, 858-292-3854 or ntaylor@sdcoe.net. Registration required.

Needed: Personal assistant/ secretary one day a week. Mission Hills. Hours flexible. Must be very skilled on iMac computer. $15 hour. call: 619-299-5659

Classified

Mission Hills Branch Library March 2012 Events Pajama Storytime

4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24 (Every Tuesday) 6:30-7:00 p.m. Children are invited to an evening storytime with books and possibly singing and puppets.

LEGO Playtime

4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25 (Every Wednesday) 5:00-6:00 p.m. Kids can have fun and get creative while building with LEGOs.

Mission Hills Book Group (MHBG)

4/5, 10:00-11:00 a.m. The MHBG will discuss “Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer” by Novella Carpenter. Please read the book beforehand. Copies of the book are available at the Circulation Desk while supplies last.

Preschool Storytime

4/6, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27 (Every Friday) 10:30-11:00 a.m. Children are invited to a fun storytime with books and possibly singing and puppets.

Meet the Poets! Honoring Poetry in San Diego

•AD SALES POSITION•

4/12, 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. In celebration of National Poetry Month, the Friends of the Mission Hills-Hillcrest Branch Library present local poets whose poetry is included in the most recent San Diego Poetry Annual.

Commissioned sales position for print, video and website ads. Join an exciting team and rapidly growing company. Sales experience preferred.

Book Sale

4/21, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The Friends of the Mission Hills Branch Library will hold a book sale.

Call 619-481-9817

•CAREGIVER SERVICES•

Children’s Craft Time

4/21, 10:00 a.m. - noon Kids can enjoy a fun craft time.

Need a helping hand?

Seniors, Children, Pets, House Sitting & More

Mission Hills Mystery Book Group (MHBG)

4/25, 6:30-7:30 p.m. The MHBG will discuss a mystery novel. Please read the book beforehand. Copies of the book are available at the Circulation Desk while supplies last.

Great references and experience. Call Mr. Tom at 619-885-9605

Author Talk: “Jonestown Survivor: An Insider’s Look” 4/26, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Author Laura Johnston Kohl will discuss her experiences as a member of the Peoples Temple in Guyana, where 913 of her friends died in mass murders and suicides in 1978. Copies of her book will be available for purchase and signing.

El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros, Children’s Day/Book Day

4/27, 10:30-11:00 a.m. Children are invited to a bilingual (Spanish/English) storytime to celebrate El Día de los Niños.

Voices for Children is determined to help each and every child in San Diego’s foster care system.

Mission Hills Branch Library 925 West Washington Street San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 692-4910

Meeting this ambitious goal means a CASA volunteer for every foster child who needs one. It means we must have the community’s help.

It means we need you. Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and make a difference in the life of a foster child. Go to www.speakupnow.org or call 858-598-2235 for location.

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