SUMMER 2013
DOWNTOWN
CONNECTION
50 hand-scooped milk shakes in one hour doesn’t phase the 101 Cafe traffic along the roadway, called Hill Street and now Coast Highway within Oceanside. With the arrival of Camp Pendleton and the workmen needed to build it came also the need to house them. The property became the 101 Cafe and Drive-In and Trailer Park. In the 1940s, it became Graham’s Drive-In, with curbside service.
Iconic is a pretty overused word these days, but it applies to the 101 Cafe. Built in 1928 as a 20-seat diner, the cafe has undergone several remodels and name changes before returning to its original moniker. The north dining room was added in the mid1930s. Highway 101 was the main thoroughfare between Los Angeles and San Diego. The cafe was well-situated to catch all that interurban
Then it was a coffee shop named Jimmy’s and in the 1980s the name was changed again - to Randy’s Coffee Shop this time and so it was a quarter-century ago when the business was purchased by Oceanside natives John Daley and David Ranson. And they renamed it 101 Cafe. “We’re sitting in the 1954 (last) remodeling,” Daley said over breakfast recently. The cafe is pretty much the same, except for some color changes, since then, he said. Historic pictures, including one of Daley and Ranson in their Little League uniforms, are displayed throughout. And memorabilia, from T-shirts to mugs to hats to pins and stickers displaying the old Route 101 logo are available. And so is a very complete menu of breakfast and lunch items. (Dinner service was stopped a while back when it proved less profitable. ) Breakfast is served all day from 7 a.m. opening to 2 p.m. closing. Daley said the most-popular breakfast item is the standard bacon and eggs, but the restaurant offers a variety from the biscuits and country gravy of the Deep South to the South of the Border machaca served with tortillas. The most-popular lunch offering, Daley said, is a good-old cheeseburger. “It’s kind-of the quintessential thing to order in a diner,” he said. One of his specialties, Daley said, is a burger that’s half Kobe beef and half bacon. “As far as I know,” he said, 101 Cafe is the only place in town to get such a sandwich. He also serves a different kind of breakfast sausage – made of ground bacon.
Daley “learned to cook as a kid” and actually cooked in the restaurant for six years although he doesn’t do so anymore. The cafe’s hand-scooped milk shakes are legendary, and Daley’s even posted a YouTube instruction on how to make them. One of his hardest feats, Daley said, was making 53 shakes in an hour for a large family celebrating its annual reunion in beach rentals. “That’s a lot of scooping,” he said. “We pride ourselves on having really good food,” Daley said. He’s especially proud that “unlike most places, we serve real turkey. We cook it here. You know you’re eating turkey. We serve a lot of turkey.” But as good as the comfort food is, Daley said, it isn’t the only thing on the menu. As the public has gotten more health conscious, the menu has changed to offer special healthful bread choices such as “flax soy” and “vegetable protein” from Oceanside’s own Mahler’s Bakery, vegetarian omelets and a half-dozen salads. Daley learned the restaurant business fast after an early career in land sales, mostly in the San Luis Rey Valley where the family farm was located. When he and Ranson looked for a business and found the cafe, they also found that owner Paul Beck, publisher of the BladeTribune newspaper, didn’t want to sell. But he was willing to sign a long-term lease, still held by the Beck family estate. Story and photos by Lola Sherman.
Preserving and Promoting Downtown Oceanside Since 2000 STAFF
Rick Wright Executive Director Kim Heim Director, Special Projects Gumaro Escarcega Main Street Program Manager Kathy Hamman Office Manager Cathy Nykiel Sunset Market Manager Marni Rigger Vendor Liaison Beecher Young Crew Chief
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Roseanne Kiss, Chair North County Printers Sylvia Spiva Pier View Market Kirk Harrison Harney Sushi Tom LeBus Seaside Financial Services Max Disposti North County LGBTQ Resource Center Forrest Heyden Asylum Surf and Skate
ADVISORS
Howard LaGrange Visit Oceanside Tracey Bohlen City of Oceanside David Nydegger Oceanside Chamber of Commerce
MainStreet Oceanside 701 Mission Avenue Oceanside, California 92054 (760) 754-4512 info@mainstreetoceanside.com www.mainstreetoceanside.com
MainStreet Oceanside Sunset Market Oceanside
RESTAURANT Spotlight Hawaiian native serves healthy fare at Maui Wowi are available. Everything she serves, Badiola said, “has got to fit in with nutritional value. The way I say it is that we are the healthy alternative,” Good health, she said, “is a reflection of what you put in your body.” Some of the decor at Badiola’s Maui Wowi is franchise-dictated, but much of it, like the comfortable bamboo armchairs, is of her own choosing. And there are surfboards hanging from the ceiling, and a surfboard table.
Lanie Badiola knows all about Hawaiian. She was born in the 50th state. So it’s not surprising that she would chose a Maui Wowi Hawaiian enterprise for her first entrepreneurial adventure, and she has stuck it out through the difficult times when her business, opened in 2008 when the Oceanside Terraces building on Cleveland Street was completed, stood virtually alone as a retail establishment for a while. Badiola sold her husband’s “dream house,” a second home, in order to keep Maui Wowi’s doors open. “It was tough,” she said. However, she can see new construction under way in the next block oceanward and knows that even more new development is planned in the area bisected by the railroad tracks . It’s a project still known by a former name, CityMark. Maui Wowi is a Colorado-based chain specializing in Kona coffee from Hawaii and freshfruit smoothies, like piña colada and mango-orange, sandwiches and allnatural oatmeal also
Local surfers come in to point out their donations. “They really take entitlement,” she said.
She determined she didn’t have the experience to start from scratch so she chose to go with a franchise where she had help getting her business going.
And new entrepreneurs starting Maui Wowi businesses of their own come to her place to check out the interior design and take some of her ideas back to their own shops.
Maui Wowi was a good choice, she said. because “I am 100 percent Islander.”
Badiola was a pre-medical student in Philippines, where her heritage lies, but when she had to quit for financial reasons, she went into the corporate world before she and her best friend, Edie Casanova, decided to partner in a new business
And because “I love coffee”, she said. And Maui Wowi serves blends from all over the islands, sometimes even from Maui. Plus, she said, “I love the beach,” so her location only a couple of blocks from the Pacific is ideal. Besides, she said, the local beach reminds her a bit of Honolulu. “I call it my wannabe Honolulu. This is as close as I can get to the Islands.” Badiola is insistent on recycling everything possible. “I do not believe in waste,” she said. so she even saves the coffee grounds for a garden. Maui Wowi is open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays and from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There are about 600 Maui Wowis, mostly in the United States, according to the company Web site, and Badiola said the firm “is going global now” with a new store in Saudi Arabia, for instance. Story and photos by Lola Sherman.
Mother-to-Mother Outreach Mother-to-Mother Outreach is a Branch of Cameron Fitness that was founded in 2004. Originally, this free Stroller Class was created to help support Military wives whose families were stationed here in Oceanside, California away from their family and friends. It was designed to welcome these women and their children to our City through exercise and Friendship! Today, Mother-to-Mother Outreach is all of that and more. It’s a place where everyone from our community is welcome. We’ve experienced a lot together through the years. We’ve watched each others families grow and have shared laughter and life experience along the way.
Design Committee members: Jarrot Stanford – J Fly Studios Roseanne Kiss – North County Printers & Signs Sylvia – Pier View Market & Spirit Marty Goren – Dad’s Hot Dogs Dian Fencl – Dian Austin Couture Home Promotions Committee update:
MainStreet Oceanside is collaborating with the Oceanside Police Department effort to conduct trainings for business owners/managers to become a certified Crime Free Business Member. We encourage all local businesses to contact Crime Prevention Specialist Dulci Fish at 760-435-4543 or email her at dfish@ci.oceanside.ca.us to schedule training at the MainStreet Oceanside office.
The Promotion Committee meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, at 10:00am. The Promotion Committee works to promote downtown district by doing co-op marketing advertising with small businesses. The Promotion Committee also will be working on producing events that will help downtown businesses directly. We are currently working on our goals for 2013-2014 fiscal year. Please note: The Promotion Committee members are planning our first MainStreet Sunset mixer on July 16, 2013, at 1010 Oceanside from 5:00am – 7:00pm. We are inviting anyone interested in downtown Oceanside. Promotion Committee Members: Kim Millwood – That Boy Good Heather Manley – Work Partners Occupational Health Specialty Sherry Sheltore – Seaside Flowers Dinah Poellnitz – The Hill Side Country Club Christopher Messenger – Foodie volunteer Christine Loyola – Petite Madeline Bakery Jarrot Stanford – E O Snap by J Fly Studios
Downtown Oceanside Kiosks Directory
Organization Committee Update:
If you’re visiting our pier, beaches or strolling our downtown streets, don’t forget to look at our downtown kiosks directory sponsored by our downtown businesses. You can scan a QR code at the kiosk to download the directory to your smart phone or deviceto guide you to visit our downtown businesses. Support your local shops, eateries, museums and more. We have something for everyone in downtown Oceanside.
MainStreet Oceanside is looking for volunteers to be part of the Organization Committee. The Organization establishes consensus and cooperation by building partnerships among the various groups that have a stake in the commercial district. By getting everyone working toward the same goal, your Main Street program can provide effective, ongoing management and advocacy for the your downtown or neighborhood business district. Through volunteer recruitment and collaboration with partners representing a broad cross section of the community, your program can incorporate a wide range of perspectives into its efforts.
Cameron Fitness welcomes you and your family to join them! Thursdays from 9:30 - 10:30 am Oceanside Pier Cost: Free Oceanside Police Dept. Crime Free Program
MSO Committees Updates Economic Restructuring Committee update: The Economic Restructuring Committee meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 2:00pm. Recently the Committee evaluated a report conducted by CSUSM Senior Experience Team that contained a Market Research Analysis of our downtown district and results of a sample survey. The report highlighted some key issues that the Economic Restructuring Committee will evaluate and determine the best solution to resolve these matters. Further, we are working on collecting more data to do a strategic plan to improve our downtown community. Please visit our website and sign up for our E-newsletter. Economic Restructuring Committee members: Dick Bartlett – Downtown Resident Madeleine Lavelle – Real Living Lifestyle Melissa Betz – Frontline Tattoo Kim Fontes – Real Living Lifestyle Barry Bussiere – Pacific Strand Real Estate Sylvia – Pier View Market & Spirit Roxanne Rapske – Franchise & Distributor Recruitment
For information about getting involved with one of the Committees, please contact Gumaro Escarcega at 760-754-4512 x 102.
Design Committee update:
Hair By Nika 413 Wisconsin Avenue Suite H
The Design Committee meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, at 10:00am. The Design Committee job is to promote and improve the image of our downtown. The Committee will be working on their goals for next fiscal year to improve the district aesthetics to make our local residents and tourism feel safer and fun in our district.
New businesses open in Downtown Seaside Flowers Moved to 212-C N. Coast Hwy Succulent Café 322 N. Cleveland Street Coast Urgent Care & Family Medicine 616 S. Coast Highway
Cameron Fitness/Pier View Yoga 302 Pier View Way
Pizzeria Venti Wine Bar & Grill 215 N. Coast Highway National Student Loan Relief Inc. 115 N. Ditmar Street Passport Cruise and Travel 740 N. Tremont Street Urban Wave Company 410 Mission Avenue Source: City of Oceanside Business License Division
MERCHANT Spotlight Take a trip back to the 70’s at Vintage Sanctuary like a white Panama hat. Sometimes, they need a tie for a formal event – she carries more than a dozen bow ties. Her best advertising, she said, comes when someone compliments a customer wearing some of her clothes and asks where they were obtained. “I just love my customers and the compliments they get,” Meek said. “I work with many local stylists, fashion designers and playhouses in the area, and Hearst Castle has even shopped here for their evening daily production at the castle,” she said. Meek finds many of her goods at estate sales, a few at rummage sales. “My mother has been the backbone of this business,” Meek said, explaining that she drops off clothes for her mom, Anna Prochnickyj of Vista, to launder, mend and press. Noting her mom’s difficult early years in wartime Germany, Meek said “she’s my inspiration, a remarkable woman.”
Stephanie Meek figures she’s crammed 1,500 square feet of merchandise into 500 square feet of space at Vintage Sanctuary, 625 S. Coast Blvd. Every inch of space is utilized, and some items hang from the rafters. Despite the chock-full surroundings, Meek has everything categorized by color and size - long sleeved shirts, short sleeves, solid colors, prints – silver shoes, gold shoes, etc. so any special request is easy to find. “I know everything in here,” she said. Meek also is proud of the quality of her goods – from jewelry to accessories to clothes – primarily from the 1970s, although she goes backwards and forwards in dates just a bit. “Everyone likes to remember those times,” she said, citing the popularity of Princess Diana and the Beatles and Barbie dolls, and Elvis and her personal favorite, Cher, for instance. “I like to decorate where it brings people to a better place, a better time,” she said. It startles her to admit that products of the ‘80s are now being called vintage as well. Despite its cramped size, her shop even offers a small dressing room with every inch of wall space covered as well. “I really like to decorate with the things I love,” she said. “Why should I have blank walls?” As she spoke, a customer, Victor Ruvalcaba, two pairs of vintage pants in hand, headed for the dressing room. He likes vintage clothing, Ruvalcaba said, because it allows him a distinct look. “A lot of people are tired of paying high mall prices,” Meek said. Besides, she said, “wearing vintage is recycling fashions,” and many customers come in for a specific thing, she said,
“I never sit,” Meek said. “People see clothes,“ she said, “but they don’t see the work – the washing, mending, tagging, hanging.” She also employs the services of seamstress Gloria Formica. She often alters an item, turning pants into shorts, for instance, or splitting a pants leg to give it a flair of different material or adding a bright swath to a lapel or cutting a longer skirt to make it into a mini. “I built this store basically by myself,” Meek said. “It’s been a challenge over the years,” Her long, slender building’s previous business, according to landlord John Daley, combined dog-grooming (Tails A’Waggin’) and immigration advice and before that it was part of Graham’s, a drive-in restaurant. Daley’s 101 Cafe sits across the parking lot from Vintage Sanctuary. Meek found a 1956 sign stating “you’re welcome at Graham’s.” She has had murals painted on the windows, and there are costumed mannequins to draw the eye to the type of business inside. There are peace symbols and slogans as well, and Meek said she was afraid they might deter military patronage, but it has been understanding of her deeply felt convictions. “I had an epiphany that I wanted to open a vintage clothing store,” Meek said, so she started by offering her personal collection of memorabilia involving singeractress Cher and then added other remembrances of the ‘70s. “I planned the store for three years,” for instance, acquiring used racks for clothing, Meek said, before she actually opened it. The store she chose was too small, Meek said, but “I thought it was going to be a stepping stone for a bigger store” She’s been there 14 years last February. “I’ve had a really good experience here,” Meek said.
When she first opened, Meek said, she had a lot of teen-age customers, and now they are bringing in their own children. “I have a pretty good selection” of vintage children’s clothing, like the Disneyland dresses from the 1970s that she just sold for $150 each “but no place to display it.” Customers must ask for specific items. Meek came to California from Ohio 22 years ago as a single mother of two teenage daughters. Being a housewife and mother had been “my only business venture, she said. Her interest in vintage clothing began when her daughter Erica needed it for her modeling. Her other daughter, Jessica, also helped with setting up the store, and now Meek often brings her 4-year-old granddaughter, Luna Fairchild, to work with her. “This is my little dream come true,” Meek said.
Vintage Sanctuary is open daily, except Tuesdays, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Story and photos by Lola Sherman.
Saturday, June 29th
Tri City Medical Center presents Oceanside’s Independence Day Parade Please join us for the annual Independence Day Parade as it makes it way north on Coast Highway from Wisconsin Avenue to Civic Center Drive (just past City Hall). Come see floats, bands, walking groups, cool cars and much more. Our theme this year is “Celebrate Oceanside! Past - Present - Future”. The parade starts in front of the 101 Cafe (Coast Highway at Wisconsin Avenue) at 10:00 a.m. and works its way north with the first unit of the parade reaching City Hall around 10:15 a.m. Running time from beginning to end is about two hours. Viewing of the parade is available from the sidewalks along the entire route. Spectators are encouraged to bring folding chairs. The highest concentration of viewers will be on the north end of the route past Seagaze Avenue. For more information, please visit www.OceansideParade.com.
North County Cobras vs. San Diego Thunder Kick-off 2:00 p.m. The North County Cobras are North San Diego County‘s very own minor league semi-professional football team. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the Western Conference in the LCFL. In 2009, the Cobras won the Western Conference Championship and the National LCFL Championship. The Cobras will be playing the San Diego Thunder at Oceanside High School’s beautiful new athletic field. Kick-off at 2:00 p.m. Presented by the Oceanside High School Boys and Girls Track and Field Team. More information at NCCobras.com.
Wednesday, July 3rd
Oceanside’s 125th Anniversary Celebration Ceremony 11:00 a.m. This will be the official ceremony recognizing the 125th Anniversary of Oceanside’s cityhood. Gather at the Civic Center Complex at 300 North Coast Highway for presentation of the colors, proclamations and presentations, plus entertainment and refreshments.
125th Anniversary Fireworks 9:00 p.m. Look toward the center of the city at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3rd to watch a special fireworks show to celebrate Oceanside’s 125th Anniversary. More details will be made available on the City website as the date approaches. www.ci.oceanside.ca.us
Thursday, July 4th
STAR SPANGLED
Concert and Movie at the Amphitheater 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The First Division Marine Band will kick-off Independence Week with a free concert at the Junior Seau Amphitheater.
Star Spangled Sunset Market 2:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Then, as the sun sets over the bandshell, the movie Bring It On will be screened. Released in 2000, many of this movie’s climactic cheerleading competition scenes were filmed right in the very spot where the movie is being shown. www.OceansideRec.com
By popular demand, MainStreet Oceanside’s popular weekly Sunset Market will fill the downtown streets on July 4th with the sounds of live music and delicious hot food from around the world. Over 140 vendors will be selling unique items from around the world. Dorothy’s KidZone will feature a variety of activities for the little ones. More information at www.SunsetMarket.com.
JULY 13
AUGUST 3
Celebrate Oceanside at 125 Gala Formal dinner and dancing. 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm Oceanside Civic Center Plaza www.OceansideChamber.com
Beach Clean Up All are invited to attend a beach cleanup at the Oceanside Pier. Meet at the south side of the Pier. Volunteers are encouraged to bring your own reuseable bags, buckets, bottle and gloves. 9:00 am to 11:00 am Oceanside Pier Sponsored by San Diego Coast Keeper www.sdcoastkeeper.org
JULY 14
JULY 3 Oceanside’s 125th Anniversary Celebration Ceremony Official ceremony recognizing the 125th Anniversary of Oceanside’s cityhood. Gather at the Civic Center Complex at 300 North Coast Highway for presentation of the colors, proclamations and presentations, plus entertainment and refreshments. 11:00 am Oceanside Civic Center 300 N. Coast Hwy 125th Anniversary Fireworks Display Look toward the center of the city at 9:00 pm on Wednesday, July 3rd to watch a special fireworks show to celebrate Oceanside’s 125th Anniversary. More details will be made available on the City website as the date approaches. www.ci.oceanside.ca.us
JULY 4 Star Spangled Sunset Market By popular demand, MainStreet Oceanside’s popular weekly Sunset Market will fill the downtown streets on July 4th with the sounds of live music and delicious hot food from around the world. Over 140 vendors will be selling unique items from around the world. Dorothy’s KidZone will feature a variety of activities for the little ones. Extended Hours 2:00 pm to 9:30 pm Corner of Pier View Way and Coast Hwy 760-754-4512 www.SunsetMarket.com
JULY 13 Oceanside History Walk The Oceanside Historical Society features Downtown History Walks on the second Saturday of each month beginning at 9:00am during the summer. Your tour guide will be Oceanside native and 101 historian John Daley. The walks begin at the Oceanside Civic Center Fountain at Coast Highway and Pier View Way. Walks are free and open to everyone and are pleasantly paced so folks of all ages can participate. The tour takes about 2 hours. 9:00 am - 11:00 am Oceanside Civic Center Fountain 300 N. Coast Hwy 760-439-1319
Course of the Force Just in time for the 2013 San Diego Comic Con International convention, Course of the Force will host its second annual “Conival” in Oceanside at the Junior Seau Pier Amphitheater on July 14th. The festival is where fans can celebrate their love of the Saga with live entertainment, expo booths, giveaways and more! Noon - 6:00 pm Junior Seau Amphitheater www.courseoftheforce.starwars.com
JULY 19 Concert in Rancho Del Oro Park The Mar Dels will play on Friday, July 19th at Rancho Del Oro Park (Mesa Drive/ College Blvd) starting at 6:00 pm. PreShow entertainment starts at 5:00 pm. Food vendors will be on site. Bring a blanket or a beach chair and enjoy this popular San Diego County Dance Band – hits from the decades!!! Enjoy time with family and neighbors at this popular event! This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of Oceanside Parks! 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Rancho Del Oro Park 4701 Mesa Drive 760-435-5041 www.ci.oceanside.ca.us
JULY 19 - 28 The Star Theatre Company presents HAIRSPRAY This smash-hit musical, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical is piled bouffant-high with laughter and romance– and enough deliriously tuneful songs to fill a nonstop platter party. It’s Hairspray! Live on the STAR stage, in living color! Matinee and Evening Shows Full schedule and tickets available at www.StarTheatre.biz 402 N. Coast Hwy 760-721-9983
JULY 27 The Museum Ball Returning to the Oceanside Civic Center Plaza, the 2013 Museum Ball will be an elegant black-tie dinner dance under the stars. Guests will enjoy a spectacular evening of dining and dancing complete with a silent and live auction. 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm Oceanside Civic Center 300 N. Coast Hwy 760-435-3721 www.oma-online.org
AUGUST 10 Oceanside History Walk The Oceanside Historical Society features Downtown History Walks on the second Saturday of each month beginning at 9:00am during the summer. Your tour guide will be Oceanside native and 101 historian John Daley. The walks begin at the Oceanside Civic Center Fountain at Coast Highway and Pier View Way. Walks are free and open to everyone and are pleasantly paced so folks of all ages can participate. The tour takes about 2 hours. 9:00 am - 11:00 am Oceanside Civic Center Fountain 300 N. Coast Hwy 760-439-1319
AUGUST 17 - 18 World Bodysurfing Championships The 37th Annual World Bodysurfing Championships will be held adjacent to the Oceanside Pier. Approximately 350 - 400 bodysurfers from around the world compete in their respective age divisions for trophies and prizes. Vendors will be featured with product booths on the strand. Schedule to be announced Oceanside Pier www.beachsport.org
SEPTEMBER 2 84th Annual Labor Day Pier Swim This is an annual fundraising event held by the Oceanside Swim Club, a non-profit organization. The event consists of a pne mile swim around the Oceanside Pier. 7:30 am - 11:30 am Oceanside Pier 760-458-4101 www.oceansideswimclub.com
THURSDAYS ALL YEAR ROUND Oceanside Farmers Market Pier View Way east of Coast Highway 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Oceanside Sunset Market Pier View Way west of Coast Highway 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm 760-754-4512 www.SunsetMarket.com
Downtown neighborhood looks forward to hosting annual parade “send off” Nykiel said residents are reminded a week in advance of the parade’s approach. “It’s always the Saturday before the parade, everyone knows,” she said. The neighborhood is referred to as Seaside now.
Once a year, the residents of four streets east of Coast Highway wake up in the morning to the scenes of a parade being organized. They may not be able to leave their driveways. But the organized chaos will be over by noonish. The City will sweep their streets, MainStreet Oceanside will clean their streets, and they’ll do whatever leftover pickup is necessary themselves. MainStreet sponsors the annual Independence Day parade, scheduled this year for June 29. The parade starts at Wisconsin Street and Coast Highway at 10 a.m. but the staging can begin as early as 6:30 a.m. and last until 12:30. Some of the pre-parade staging is done on Coast, according to Cathy Nykiel, coordinator of the event for MainStreet, but some of the units will spill over onto one block of Leonard, West, Stanley and Eucalyptus streets between Coast and Ditmar Street.
But Kristi Hawthorne, president of the Oceanside Historical Society, said it was developed in the mid 1920s to early 1930s as “Plumosa Heights” and still contains the concrete streets and old-fashioned light fixtures. Hawthorne said Leonard Street was named for the son of the developer, B. C. Beers. Resident Robyn Goodkind describes it as “a unique haven of quaint and historic homes dating from the early 20th Century. There is a rich diversity of architecture -- ranging from Craftsman to Spanish Revival to MidCentury-Modern to California Ranch and beyond. “Similarly, the Seaside neighborhood enjoys a diversity amongst the residents who live here. My neighbors and I cherish this human and architectural melting pot. ”On any given morning, you’ll see Seaside residents walking their dogs along the wide tree-lined streets, enjoying the ocean air and various gardens. One of the most desirable traits of this neighborhood is that each home and garden is distinct from the other. And in the evening, you’ll find us lingering on porches enjoying sunset and ocean views.” As for any inconveniences wrought by the parade, Goodkind said. “Seaside residents are happy to be home to the parade launch. “It’s a joyous and patriotic event in which neighbors take much community pride. “If there is a bit of inconvenience or the
need for post-parade clean-up, residents assist quietly and without complaint -- for we appreciate the joys of living so close to downtown. The best part of parade day for us -- we don’t have to drive anywhere to enjoy it!” Another longtime Seaside resident, Anne-Marie Maxe, said “everyone in the neighborhood is happy” to help out with the parade. “We feel good. “It’s a time to celebrate our nation, our freedoms. It’s a great thing.” “I just think it’s cool,” Maxe said. “It’s a time to be very festive and take part in that.” Story by Lola Sherman. Photos by Dave Thomas.
MERCHANT Spotlight California’s widest shell collection on display at “Beach Central” L & M Gifts He’s originally from Arkansas and she from the Philippines. They met when she was working with the Philippine Air Force doing x-ray security checks on baggage at the international airport in Manila, He offered her a gold-cross pin he had if she would have dinner with him. She remembers the steak. Neither has had any previous retail experience. Their store most recently was what Graham Webb calls a traditional gift shop with items like “Precious Moments” figurines and Norman Rockwell prints. Children sometimes are so awed by the careful labeling of the seashells and coral offered for sale at L & M Gifts, 307 N. Coast Highway that they liken the place to a museum, says owner Minda Webb. She’s the M in the store’s name. The L is for her sister Louie Angeles. Minda’s helped in the store by her husband, Graham, who’s had a varied career that includes service in the Marines during the Vietnam conflict, ownership of three bars in Orange County and 28 years in the boat (yacht) business.
Before that, it was a florist and before that a hardware store, Webb said. The Webbs opened their shop Oct. 15, 2011, and he and Minda have hung a sign calling their business “Beach Central.” They have changed the inventory to offer beach-oriented collectibles and souvenirs, like the seashells and, except for some traditional “Old Guys Rule” t-shirts, Webb said, he stocks only t-shirts advertising Oceanside – nothing that says San Diego. “We have achieved what we started out to do” by offering the widest selection of sealife items such as shells and coral, according to his three distributors in California, Webb said. He also buys some products from Florida and New Jersey and some directly from overseas. Webb figures the store offers more than 1,000 magnets and “probably 5,000 at least” total items. A specialty is retro or nostalgic metal signs with humorous sayings or advertising everything from Coke to Dodge, and they are a best-seller, Webb said. Also popular are wooden tikis and fashion jewelry, mostly from Cebu in the Philippines. “We sell a ton of clothing and souvenirs” as well, Webb said. And he figures “our prices are probably the mostreasonable in town.”
“We update the inventory four or five times a year,” he said. “We strive to keep the inventory fresh and unique with new items as they come out.” Webb plays “oldies but goodies” like the Beatles throughout the day and finds that young people as well as more-mature adults enjoy the music. People like the music of the ‘60s, he said, “because it does not offend anyone.” L & M Gifts is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a week and until 5 p.m. on Sundays. Story and photos by Lola Sherman.
MainStreet Morning Mtg MainStreet Morning Meeting Notes: June 4, 2013 Most people responding to a MainStreet poll supported a proposed city law to ban smoking on restaurant patios. It was the subject of discussion at the June 4th Monthly Morning Meeting of MainStreet attended by about 40 people. (The ordinance was heard by the City Council Wednesday night, June 5 and passed in a revised form on a 3-1 vote, with Esther Sanchez opposing.) Results of the poll were distributed to each table. They showed that 22 downtown business owners/managers favored the ordinance while seven were opposed. Non-downtown Oceanside business owners responding to the poll were split 3-3. Downtown residents backed the ban by a vote of 20 to 6. Of residents who don’t live downtown, 75 said they support the ordinance, 17 were opposed. At the meeting, Councilman Jerry Kern said he is opposed, saying golf clubs at least should be exempted and noting he enjoys an occasional cigar in a lounge. “I do not think that government should come in and regulate,“ Kern said. Smoking already is prohibited inside eating establishments.
A cover letter with MainStreet’s poll results noted “that this is an unscientific survey and certainly does not represent a consensus of downtown businesses and residents.” It received 121 answers via e-mail. MainStreet also collected 24 comments from a Facebook posting. The MainStreet board of directors, at its May 21 meeting, declined to take a position. Gumaro Escarcega, Program Manager for MainStreet, said the poll results have been posted online. Escarcega conducted the meeting in the absence of vacationing Executive Director Rick Wright. The good news announced at the meeting was that, contingent upon approval of state Department of Finance, plans for improvements to Mission Avenue from Horne Street to Coast Highway can proceed, with construction expected to begin in the fall. “We’re confident we’re going to get the money,” John Helmer, Downtown Manager, said. Helmer said plans also should go forward for new beach restrooms at Breakwater Way, Sportfisher Drive and Tyson Street, taking the total number of fixtures from 14 to 22.
Councilman Gary Felien noted that Oceanside attracts a lot of military from other parts of the country “where smoking is more prevalent.”
Those plans are subject to appeal to the state Coastal Commission, Helmer said, but he would not expect any objections since they actually take 100 square feet less of the sandy beach than the current ones.
Graham Webb, co-proprietor of L & M Gifts, said the problem is that smokers banned from the restaurant next door move just a few feet away and throw cigarette butts on the sidewalk in front of his place.
Other restrooms - on the pier and at Wisconsin Street - will be improved, but with no additional fixtures, Helmer said.
Anyway, he said, the law is no good if not enforced and right now rules against skateboards and bicycles on the sidewalk are not being enforced.
In other matters, Dulce Fish, Crime Prevention Specialist for the Oceanside Police Department, said local merchants could take advantage of a “crime-free business program” that includes two hours of training to help them and their employees know what to do to thwart criminals.
Several speakers and several respondents to the poll expressed the same sentiment - it’s the litter that could be made worse by the restaurant smoking ban that concerns them. David Nydegger, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce, said its own poll showed not much objection to the ban itself but a desire not to have to post signs about the smoking ban. John Daley, owner of the 101 Cafe, agreed, saying he did not want to post such signs on his historic (1928) building. Felien said he would offer an amendment to that effect.
For one thing, she said, windows should not be so cluttered with posters that police and passersby don’t have a clear view of what is going on inside. And, she said, there should be careful cash handling with only about $200 kept in the till and other money put in a safe with a notation that employees can not open it. The training, Fish said, could be offered at MainStreet headquarters as soon as five businesses sign up. It’s important to report all crimes, Fish said. Cathy Nykiel, Sunset Market Manager and also coordinator for the Independence Day parade
on June 29th, asked businesses to put posters in their windows to publicize the event. Nykiel said Mission Montessori School will enter a float, eight veterans’ groups will participate along with Scout troops, churches, bands including one from Minnesota - and vintage cars. Also, Nykiel said, on Fourth of July, hours at the Sunset Market will be extended - from 2:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. And there will be children’s activities, like facepainting, slides and balloonanimal making all day. Nydegger said 1,250 cupcakes will be available at the city’s 125th birthday celebration at the Civic Center July 3 and he is looking for a like number of carnations, once the city flower. Kim Heim, Director of Special Projects, outlined street closings July 4. Maureen Sullivan, Director of Events and Marketing at Mission San Luis Rey, told of plans for a Founders Day open house at the 215-year-old mission from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 15. Eileen Turk, City Parks and Recreation Director, announced several upcoming events: the 12th Annual Filipino Cultural Celebration this Saturday, June 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Civic Center; a “Daddy-Daughter” dinner and dance from 5 to 8 p.m. June 14 in the El Corazon Senior Center; a series of nine free Sunday concerts in Heritage Park beginning June 23; a free concert and movie June 29 beginning with the 1st Marine Division band at 5:30 p.m., followed by the movie “Bring It On, filmed in Oceanside, at 8 p.m. at the Junior Seau Pier Amphitheater. And she told of plans for the anniversary fireworks show July 3 at El Corazon. The Oceanside and El Camino high school bands will perform at 8 p.m. followed by fireworks at 9. Part of Rancho del Oro Drive will be closed. For those not wanting to venture out, Turk said, “you should be able to see the fireworks from almost anywhere in Oceanside.” Tracey Bohlen, City Economic Development Manager, said there will be a topping-off ceremony for the SpringHill Suites hotel project downtown from 4 to 6 p.m. on June 13. Escarcega announced there will be no monthly meeting in July, but a mixer is planned July 16. NOTE: Due to the July 4th holiday, the next monthly meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. on August 6th at the MainStreet office. Meeting notes by Lola Sherman
RESTAURANT Spotlight Breakwater Brewing brews up good food and fun...and beer The Sagers and Gillmans stepped into that void five years ago. The first year scared him, until they learned how to handle transients who weren’t into craft beers and just got drunk, Shannon Sager, chief executive officer, president and general manager of the operation, said. But now, he said, a lot of local families come in, the atmosphere is mellow, and they like to watch sports on the televisions. And, he said, “I’ve hired people I like as friends.” “I go home every day with a smile on my face” Sager said. “Everyone here is so relaxed and nice.” “The Oceanside business community, including other restaurants, “welcomed us with open arms,” Sager said. “Everyone has been really friendly.” Born and raised in Carlsbad, Sager is no stranger to the area, surfing at Oceanside harbor. He previously was district manager for Pizza Port restaurants in Carlsbad, Solana Beach and San Clemente, but said he hasn’t copied that popular eatery’s recipes, instead combining things he has learned from all the pizza places he’s worked.
Shannon Sager, his wife Alicia and their major partners, Sonya and Lars Gillman, all have something different they bring to Breakwater Brewing Company, 625 S. Coast Highway. Alicia Sager tends bar and the payroll, Sonya Gillman keeps books, and Lars Gillman brews beer. Breakwater serves pizza, sandwiches and salads as well as a full lineup of craft beers. The space, on the southeast corner of the Regal Cinemas complex, had been empty since construction of the theater project known as OceanPlace, and townspeople were anxious for a long-promised restaurant.
“I just wanted to do something different – completely opposite,” he said. Sonya Gillman said her husband began home brewing 14-15 years ago and studied in Chicago before working for Stone Brewery and then opening their own business, Hydrobrew on South Coast Highway, where they sell equipment for hobbyist brewers and give classes. They started brewing at Breakwater three years ago. “We have the inside track,” Sager said, and Lars Gillman will provide free brewing demonstration at Hydrobrew the first Sunday of every month. Also brewing at Breakwater is Robbie Ingham, a Breakwater partner as well. “He grew up here” and knows local customers, Sager and Sonya Gillman said as they conducted a tour of the room with the huge vats for the brewing of the beers. Sager said Breakwater keeps 40 beers available any day, on an average 13 to 16 of them “our own” brew.
But they aren’t only for drinking and are used in six different food items as well. Sager said that the beef tips – one of the newest menu items - are soaked in stout and then slow cooked. And the bratwurst is cooked in beer. The bread is fresh daily, Sager said, and leftovers are used for salad croutons. And, he said, the potato salad is made from scratch. “Why do it any other way?”, he asked Breakwater is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. During football season, it will open at 10 a.m. for brunch.
Story and photos by Lola Sherman.
VENDOR Spotlight Oceanside couple sells tamales at the Sunset Market and burgers at the beach He added that churros are “a perfect walking-around food for a street fair, and we sell out more nights than not.” Tamales sell for $3 each, churros for $2.50. The Bergs are so enthusiastic about their business here that they’ve moved from Murrieta in Riverside County to Oceanside. Looking around the Sunset Market recently, Cindy Berg said, “We love it. It’s so much fun. They’re great people.” Story and photos by Lola Sherman
CALLING ALL BOOTH VENDORS! Do you offer quality products delivered with excellent customer service? The thing about churros and tamales, say Darryl and Cindy Berg , is that they’re both easy-to-make and delicious. And they should know because they’ve been selling them in Oceanside for five years now. “Duke’s Hot Sandwiches” takes its business name from Darryl Berg’s nickname, and it offers a variety of foods at the beach but only the aforementioned churros and tamales at the Sunset Market every Thursday evening in downtown Oceanside. The couple sells a half-dozen hot products – bratwurst and Italian sausage and pizza sometimes - at the beach in a 10-foot-by 15-foot tent, which Cindy Berg referred to as “very professional.”
They have lots of meat.” Darryl Berg, who formerly worked in the heating and air-conditioning industry said he tried retirement for half a year and “couldn’t stand it.” “Let’s get us a (food) cart,” he said the couple decided, even though “we had never done this before in our lives.” MainStreet Oceanside was just beginning its beach services contracts, he said, and Kim Heim, MainStreet’s director of special projects, was a big help with the application. Duke’s has been five years at the beach, four at the market.
Darryl Berg says they are special-ordered and “ours are better” than the store’s regular fare.
Cindy Berg said they were doing churros a the beach and asked themselves what goes with churros, and the answer was tamales. They invested in a churro baker that turns out the pastry hot and crispy and a double-decker tamale steamer that keeps the cornmealcovered filling hot and fresh.
“They’re great,” Cindy Berg said as she helped man their booth in front of the Tremont Street Bar and Grill “They’re moist.
Darryl Berg said he can bake 20 churros in five minutes.
“We’re always updating the tent,” Cindy Berg said. “We’re trying to keep it clean.” And, she said, “we have lots of repeat customers.” For the Sunset Market, the Bergs buy both items – the churros come frozen, and the tamales come from La Perla Tapatia store and market just east of downtown.
MainStreet Oceanside may have a place for you at the Sunset Market. Visit the information booth at the Sunset Market for more details, or visit the website at:
OceansideMarketVendor.com
Third time’s a charm for Oceanside International Film Festival such a contract, however. About 40 films will be screened, according to Dmitriy Demidov, event chairperson. What’s changed this year, Demidov said, “is the fact that we have very heavy participation of local filmmakers – from North County San Diego and San Diego” but he said “there’s still a good mix” of those from around the country and abroad. All the action won’t be on the beach this summer as folks who’ve had enough sea and sand can turn to downtown and the Oceanside International Film Festival August 22nd through 25th.
Local films include one by Project Reach, a teen program at the Libby Lake Community Center in Oceanside, about the violence that has taken four young lives in the neighborhood park.
This the third year for the event, which began in 2009 and was revived last year.
Another, against marijuana, is by the Boys & Girls Club at Martin Luther King Middle School.
It includes narrative features, documentaries, shorts, animation and student work from filmmakers who have not signed a distribution deal yet. Presentation at the festival is believed to elevate the chances of landing
International entries include “A Beautiful Impurity” from the United Kingdom, a thriller about coping with racial differences in modern Europe, and “Sonata” from Bilbao, Spain., a film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s “Kreutzer Sonata.”
includes such films as “The Sting” “The Way We Were and “A Star is Born”. Her television credits include the popular “Days of Our Lives.” And the other award goes of Jon St. John, a voice actor, whose work runs the gamut from Roger Rabbit to giving voice to the rides at Legoland. The film festival is sponsored by the Oceanside Cultural Arts Foundation, which also has presented the Oceanside Days of Art for the past two decades and the Oceanside Music Fest for the past dozen years.
About 22 hours of screening time is scheduled during the festival, Demidov said.
Most of the film festival will be held in the Star Theatre at Coast Highway and Civic Center Drive, but the MediaTech Institute, 302 Oceanside Blvd. also is a host.
One showing is “Finnigan’s War,” which tells of the bravery of several men during the Korean conflict, including a Native American, Cpl. Mitchell Red Cloud Jr. and the first minority regular officer in the Marines, Maj. Kurt ChewEen Lee., a Chinese-American.
Prices range from $15 for a one-day admission to $25 for the opening reception to $50 for a festival pass, which includes opening-night festivities. Discounts are available for seniors, military and students.
The director, Connor Timmis, is the grandson of the soldier named in the title, Sgt. John Finnigan. The book was written in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the Korean conflict. Actor Mark Hamill (“Star Wars”) narrates some of the film. Red-carpet treatment opens the program, and prizes will be given for best in category, best of festival and audience-choice award at the end. Two Lifetime Achievement Awards also will be conferred. One recipient is Sally Kirkland, winner of a Golden Globe Award and nominated for an Academy Award for the film “Anna” in 1987. Her career spans 120 appearances and
www.OCAF.info Story by Lola Sherman. Photos courtesy OIFF.
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