April 11, 2024

TITANIC TREASURE HUNTING

by Don Logay

This Monday, April 15th , is the 112year anniversary of the most famous shipwreck in history.

The much-heralded new flagship of the prestigious White Star Line had taken three-years to build and was widely-publicized as state-of-the-art in luxury travel and virtually “unsinkable.” As such, just two weeks after completion and with great fanfare, the RMS Titanic left port on April 10th with 2,200 jubilant passengers and crew aboard on its maiden voyage from the docks of Southampton,

England destined for New York and Pier 59.

Just four days later, what began at 20minutes before midnight – when the massive 46,000 ton hull of the 883foot RMS Titanic grazed a huge iceberg in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic – slowly escalated over the next 2-hours and 40-minutes, ultimately evolving into an unimaginable disaster of epic proportions.

On that fateful night, only 700 would survive… and among the 1,500 that perished, were the crème de la crème of American business, finance and

high society. Famous names like Benjamin Guggenheim and John Jacob Astor IV – and a long list of notable authors, star performers and popular personalities of the day, along with Thomas Andrews, designer of the Titanic – were but a few of the people and names that shocked the world.

While news of the sinking was widely reported, many factors remained unanswered… and a lingering mystery wrapped in a dark fascination for nearly three-quarters of a century… long recorded in the annals of history as the day unsinkable became unthinkable.

Turning Points

There were many milestones in the intriguing history of Titanic that eventually answered the haunting questions and mysteries of the famous ship that sank and disappeared.

First was the long-sought discovery on September 1, 1985 – by American Oceanographer, Robert Ballard, based out of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts –who, after numerous expeditions and attempts, using an unmanned submersible named Argo, finally found the wreck of the Titanic.

Titanic from page 1

After 73-years, the rusting hull was located 12,400 feet (2.35 miles) below the surface, split in two, with thousands of pieces of debris – of all types and size – scattered over a twosquare mile radius around the ship.

The second major milestone was in the numerous expeditions that subsequently explored the site, meticulously documenting and answering questions of what actually happened in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912.

Along with this factually-detailed, long sought-after information, came a renewed interest in all things Titanic that set into motion an event as big and captivating as the sinking itself.

The third major milestone began with filmmaker James Cameron’s great interest in shipwrecks of all types. He was totally intrigued with the discovery of Titanic, and after much study and a few actual dives down to the shipwreck site, he began writing a script and planning a production that, like the sinking itself, would make history.

Setting Sail 2.0

Cameron’s plan to recreate the epic tale of Titanic – now based on fac-

Give Us This Day Our Daily Chuckle

This week, a compendium of wit, wisdom and neat stuff you can tell at parties. Enjoy!

A few years ago, my wife and I moved into a retirement development on Florida’s southeast coast. We are living in the “Delray/ Boca/ Boynton Golf, Spa, Bath and Tennis Club on Lake Fake-a-Hachee”. There are 3,000 lakes in Florida; only three are real.

Our biggest retirement concern was time management. What were we going to do all day? No longer. Let me assure you, passing the time is not a problem.

Our days are eaten up by simple, daily activities. Just getting out of our car takes 15 minutes. Trying to find where we parked takes 20 minutes. It takes a half-hour in the check-out line in Wal-Mart, and 1 hour to return the item the next day.

tual information and accurate story telling – began in 1995 and, in short order, became a colossal undertaking that nearly overshadowed the event it was intended to relive.

With Paramount Pictures 20th Century Fox onboard, Cameron secured an initial budget of $125 million… that quickly grew to a whopping $200 million… a portion of which went into building a believable set on which the movie would be filmed.

The site selected was four-hours south of Los Angeles, in Baja Norte California, Mexico, where both a studio and movie set were built on a vacant lot facing the ocean, all near the sleepy little town of Rosarito.

Let me take you through a typical day: We get up at 5:00 am, have a quick breakfast and join the early morning Walk-and-Fart Club. There are about 30 of us, and rain or shine, we walk around the streets, all talking at once. Every development has some late risers who stay in bed until 6:00 am. After a nimble walk, avoiding irate drivers out to make us road kill, we go back home, shower and change for the next activity.

My wife goes directly to the pool for her underwater Pilates class, followed by gasping for breath and CPR. I put on my ‘Ask me about my Grandchildren’ T-shirt, my plaid mid-calf shorts, my white socks and sandals and go to the clubhouse lobby for a nice nap. Before we know it, it’s time for lunch.

We go to Costco to partake of the many tasty samples dispensed by ladies in white hair nets. All free! After a filling lunch, if we don’t have any doctor appointments, we might go to the flea market to see if any new white belts have come in or to buy a Rolex watch for $2.00.

We’re usually back home by 2:00 pm to get ready for dinner. People start lining up for the early bird about 3:00 pm, but we get there by 3:45 because we’re late eaters.

The dinners are very popular be-

In the months that followed, with a $40 million budget, the Fox Baja Studios were built first and followed by a 90% scale replica of the mighty Titanic poised above the world’s largest water tank ever built… 17milion gallons that spanned twosquare miles.

The ship itself was only one-sided facing inland with the vast ocean behind. Multiple individual sets also faithfully recreated various locations aboard the Titanic, that included staterooms, the first-class dining room and smoking room and the famous grand staircase, to name but a few… along with the all the recreated furniture, artworks, thousands of

cause of the large portions they serve. We can take home enough food for the next day’s lunch and dinner, including extra bread, crackers, packets of mustard, relish, ketchup and Splenda, along with mints.

At 5:30 pm we’re home, ready to watch the 6 o’clock news. By 6:30 pm we’re fast asleep. Then we get up and make five or six trips to the bathroom during the night, and it’s time to get up and start a new day all over again.

Doctor-related activities eat up most of our retirement time. I enjoy reading old magazines in subzero temperatures in the waiting room, so I don’t mind.

Calling for test results also helps the days fly by. It takes at least a half-hour just getting through the doctor’s phone menu. Then there’s the hold time until we’re connected to the right party. Sometimes they forget we’re holding, and the whole office goes off to lunch.

Should we find we still have time on our hands, volunteering provides a rewarding opportunity to help the less fortunate.

Florida has the largest concentration of seniors under five feet tall and they need our help. I myself am a volunteer for ‘The Vertical-

props and period costumes required to faithfully recreate the “picture.”

When all was said and done, the movie’s $200 million budget woundup costing more in today’s dollars than the real Titanic did when built back in 1912.

Hitting the Iceberg (and Theaters)

Cameron’s attention to detail – and the enormous cost of building the set and filming – paid-off big time for everyone involved with Titanic.

Released in December 1997, the hit movie became the number one grossing movie of all time… and was the first film ever to gross over $1 Billion worldwide.

The 3:15 hour epic feature film also smashed records in video and DVD form, with the Titanic soundtrack recording becoming the number one Album of the Year.

Theater-goers were not the only ones heaping praise upon the movie made in Baja. Titanic also picked up 11 Oscars at the 70th annual Academy Awards in 1998 which, at the time, was a record for the most wins ever.

However, as the praise and accolades

continued on page 3

ly Challenged Over 80.’ I coach their basketball team, The Arthritic Avengers. The hoop is only 4-1/2 feet from the floor. You should see the look of confidence on their faces when they make a slam dunk.

Food shopping is a problem for short seniors, or ‘bottom feeders’ as we call them, because they can’t reach the items on the upper shelves. There are many foods they’ve never tasted. After shopping, most seniors can’t remember where they parked their cars and wander the parking lot for hours while their food defrosts.

Lastly, it’s important to choose a development with an impressive name. Italian names are very popular in Florida. They convey world travelers, uppity sophistication and wealth. Where would you rather live: Murray’s Condos or the Lakes of Venice? There’s no difference -- they’re both owned by Murray, who happens to be a cheap bastard.

I hope this material has been of help to you future retirees. If I can be of any further assistance, please look me up when you’re in Florida. I live in the Leaning Condos of Pisa in Boynton Beach.

Titanic

Chuckles

The rusting bow of the Titanic, 2.35 miles below the surface of the ocean.

continued to mount, another lesserknown fourth milestone was taking place. One that would span the next 27-years and extend well into the foreseeable future… with Titanic’s story, legacy and popularity not fading, but rather, continuing as a surprising new phenomenon.

To Have and to Hold

Once Titanic’s filming was completed, Baja Studios looked to making more movies and had to dispose of the remnants of the set. The now water-logged plywood and fiberglass ship was falling apart and many of the individual rooms and settings were destroyed during the filming.

In short order, Mexico’s Titanic was unceremoniously demolished with pieces and parts big-and-small heading out in every direction. Initially, many valuable items and smaller props were gathered and auctioned off by 20th Century Fox. Some elements did however survive intact – like recognizable staterooms and settings – and those components were successfully salvaged and preserved and are now on display in numerous museums and exhibitions worldwide.

As the choice elements of the set slowly evaporated, those who worked building the ship also got into the act… carrying off everything imaginable as cherished souvenirs of their days “aboard” Titanic.

In the waning days, a contactor was hired to complete the removal… and all that remained was broken down and left as an unrecognizable pile in a nearby vacant lot.

While one would think the saga of Titanic’s long-awaited discovery

and popular revival would certainly end there… it was not to be. In reality, another milestone was just beginning.

Discovering Titanic… Again!

About the same time as when the Titanic movie was released in 1997, a young collector/dealer specializing in baseball cards and sports memorabilia attended the semi-annual Hollywood Collectors Show held in a local hotel ballroom near Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

Always on the lookout for good deals, 30-year-old David Condon walked the ballroom aisles filled with folding tables and vendors hawking all sorts of collectibles. Many also featured retired celebrities and the aging stars of film and TV’s bygone era… selling autographs and taking photos with adoring fans, who were reliving and remembering their professional glory days.

A particular item at one table caught his eye that seemed oddly out of place in this celebrity-centric environment. A simple piece of wood mounted on a plaque carried an amazing price tag of $2,500. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a dresser drawer front without a pull or handle. Below was an engraved plaque that read: “Titanic Movie Prop, Dresser Drawer, Rose Dewitt Stateroom, Parlor Suite B-56” supported with an impressive signed Certificate of Authenticity noting “as seen in the movie Titanic.”

Moving on, he mulled this over while continuing to wander the aisles. While David had not seen the just released movie, he’d heard about

Titanic continued on page 5

The Paper goes to print on Tuesday morning. You are more likely to get published if you:

• Submit your press release by the previous Friday.

• Keep It Simple: who, what, where, when, why.

• Send us something we can copy/paste. Please no brochures or flyers.

“Habitats of Daley Ranch”

April 14 • 11 am

The Friends of Daley Ranch is sponsoring a free presentation on the Habitats of Daley Ranch, and everyone is invited. Come join us at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 14 at the Ranch House, where Rick Halsey of the California Chaparral Institute will discuss the habitat regimes found at Daley Ranch: oak woodland, grasslands, riparian and chaparral. This is the debut of Daley Ranch Discussions With Friends, what we hope will be a quarterly offering to our members and the public. Each event will feature a topic of general interest related to Daley Ranch.

If interested in attending, please RSVP with your name, the total number of guests, and how many will ride the shuttle to info@daleyranch.org. For more information phone 760-214-7587.

Escondido Library Events

2nd Saturday Concert:

The Peter Sprague Trio

April 13 • 3:00 - 4:30 pm

Turrentine Room • All Ages

Virtuoso guitarist Peter Sprague, singer and percussionist Leonard Patton, and accomplished saxophone player Tripp Sprague combine a deep love of Brazilian music with American pop and jazz to create a unique and unforgettable style.

Artsy Adults: Dots on Rocks

April 24 • 6:30–7:30 pm

Turrentine Room • Adults

Join us for the next quarterly craft time for adults where you can choose your favorite colors to paint lovely dot patterns on rocks! Take them home to use as paperweights or as lovely

additions to your yard. Supplies will be provided and are limited.

Beta Sigma Phi Int. 93rd Founder’s Day

Sisters Bloom

April 27 • 10:30am

The Hidden Valley Vista City Council of Beta Sigma Phi International will celebrate its 93rd Founder’s Day, “SISTERS BLOOM”, on Saturday, April 27, beginning at 10:30am Shadow Ridge Golf Club, 1980 Gateway Drive. Vista, CA.

All Beta Sigma Phis – active, inactive, on leave, transferees and guests are invited to make a reservation by calling Susie 760-8893552 by April 17, 2024.

Cost is $34.50 per person. Menu Choices: Classic Cobb Salad, Turkey Club Sandwich, or Vegetarian Cobb Salad.

HVVC Chapters will be honoring and celebrating the recipient for the Golden Circle Ritual, Women of the Yearand the installation of the 2024-2025 HVVC officers will be conferred.

Beta Sigma Phi is a social, cultural, and philanthropic International Sorority, headquartered in Kansa City, Missouri, with chapters throughout the world. If you are interested in belonging to a special organization and make many new friends, call Patty at 707-315-9209.

***

“Hearts Full of Song”

May 5 • 3:15 p.m.

Pacific Coast Harmony will present “Hearts Full of Song,” a show of modern four-part acappella har-

• Send photos as attachments, not embeded in the document. Oodles continued on page 14 HOME INSURANCE NON-RENEWED?

The truck loaded with props.

Palomar Health is among the top 10% in the nation for patient safety

Palomar Health, California’s largest healthcare district, has been recognized again as a 2024 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient by Healthgrades, the leading resource consumers use to find a hospital or doctor. This achievement, along with recently earning Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospital for the sixth consecutive year, a 2023 Leapfrog Top Hospital Award recipient for quality and safety, reflects the healthcare system’s commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care to each and every patient.

“Winning this accolade from Healthgrades is a testament to our fundamentals here at Palomar Health,” says Diane Hansen, President and CEO of Palomar Health. “Our patients are our primary focus, so we ensure that their safety and care are in the best possible hands. Our mission is to do everything we can to provide each patient with comfort, support and heal everyone we serve.”

Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted complication and mortality rates for approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to determine this year’s top-performing hospitals for patient safety. During the 20202022 study period, nearly 170,000

Man About Town

I haven’t had a bath in 50 years!

Whoa! It’s not all that bad.

I was lying in bed last night thinking how nice it would be to submerge this magnificent Greek Godlike body into a nice, hot bath and just soak it all up.

Then it was I realized I had not had a bath in 50 years!

You see, our home does not have a bathtub. We have two showers, one in each of our bathrooms.

Showers are also relaxing but just

potentially preventable safety events occurred among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals, with four patient safety indicators accounting for close to 75% of these incidents.

* Healthgrades’ analysis revealed that patients treated in hospitals receiving the 2024 Patient Safety Excellence Award have a significantly lower chance of experiencing one of the four leading safety indicators than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals:

• In-hospital falls resulting in fracture (approximately 52% less likely)

• Collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest (approximately 56% less likely)

• Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital (approximately 67% less likely)

• Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital (approximately 71% less likely)

These awards collectively highlight Palomar Health as a healthcare organization that consistently goes above and beyond in delivering outstanding medical care to its community, setting a benchmark for excellence in the healthcare industry.

the idea of a nice, hot bath seemed attractive to me at the moment.

Bubble bath not necessary. I don’t think bubbles get me any cleaner than regular hot water, soap and a good scrubbing. I believe bubble baths are mainly cosmetic.

This morning I had to content myself with a nice, hot shower and shampoo. No bath. 50 years and counting.

Epilogue: Correction. While living with Evelyn, back when we were still officially a couple, I decided to surprise her one day. I bought a dozen vases, 100+ roses, and a bottle of champagne.

I arranged for her to be gone for an hour or two and for her to call me just before arriving back home.

When she called, in a matter of minutes I placed the vases about 10’ apart, leading from the garage to the bedroom and the master bath; into each vase I put about a dozen roses. The trail of roses led to the master bath where a nice, hot, bubble bath awaited her and, close by, a chilled bottle of champagne.

She seemed pleased and, as I recall, placed a gentle kiss on my cheek.

Kudos to Friedrich Gomez for his informative, insightful article about bullying. Having experienced my formative years in the 40s and 50s, I completely agree about the steep decline of civility today. It is opined that, adding to the problem, much of the in-yourface bullying is a result of those in government leadership positions acquiescing to, or permitting, acts of intimidation, i.e., the failure to condemn mean-spirited, badly behaved peers and leaders. Such failures amount to tacit approval for all thoughtless bullies.

Sincerely,

Lew Parker

We then shook hands.

As I recall, I think I did take a bath that day.

So one bath in 50 years. My record is (almost) intact.

Duelling

Ever got into an argument with someone? Be glad you don’t live in the 18th century as you could have been unlucky enough to settle matters in a duel!

During the 1700s, duelling was used only in extreme circumstances and always as a last resource during feuds. At the time of Culloden, (a famous Scottish battleground) duels were most often settled with swords and first to draw blood was the winner. Pistol duels did also take place, but these were more common towards the end of the 18th century after Culloden. Perhaps the most famous pistol duel of all time was between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton in New Jersey, the latter of which being fatally wounded.

Although we are unaware of Jacobites in Scotland taking part in such

Lyle, your laddie Friedrich Gomez’ riveting cover story on childhood bullying was a masterpiece! In his cover story “China Rewrites the Bible & Portrays Jesus as a Murderer” (10/5/23 issue), you mentioned in your “Man About Town” column that you were seriously planning on adopting Friedrich but he only wished to be adopted by the spirit only. Well there are a lot of us out here that would love to also adopt him. He’s still your son Lyle, and you must be damned proud of him! My coworkers said they’d adopt him in a heartbeat, but they’d have to stand in a long line behind a lot of other folks.

duels they most likely did happen. There is however an account of a Jacobite in America who was involved in one. Lachlan McIntosh was brigadier general of the Continental army during the American Revolution, but in 1745 he had made plans to travel to Scotland to serve in the Jacobite army. He was eventually persuaded against going, and remained in Georgia.

In 1776/77, McIntosh found himself in a bitter feud with Button Gwinnett, signer of the Declaration of Independence. The two finally came to a head and a duel was set for May 16th 1777, wherein McIntosh shot and killed Gwinnett from a distance of 12 paces. McIntosh was charged with murder, but later acquitted and spent that winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and away from Gwinnett’s allies in Georgia. •••

A Cruisin’ Grand Memory:

So we were in downtown Escondido for Cruisn’ Grand a few years ago and I spy Sharon Ponce, Nick’s wife. I come up behind her, put my arm around her and playfully say

Patrick Flannigan & his big Irish clan, San Marcos, Vista, and Oceanside.

Titanic from page 3

it… and he was intrigued. After 20minutes or so, curiosity finally got the better of him… and he returned to talk further with the movie prop vendor… and to his amazement, the pricey drawer front was no more. It had been sold.

With collector’s adrenaline kicking in, he felt he may be on to something… something new, something big and something potentially profitable. But what was it?

Go South, Young Man

The seller was quite friendly and very forthcoming with details of the prized dresser drawer front. He had obtained it through another collector who got it from a guy that just returned from Mexico.

Okay, so…? The “guy” said he picked it up from a Mexican local that had salvaged a couple of items when the Titanic movie set was recently trashed. As the story went, the “guy” told the vendor there were countless items to be had… piled in a vacant lot… just waiting for those seeking a bit of Hollywood and shipwreck history.

With growing interest, David probed for as many details as the vendor was willing to provide. In bits and pieces, he learned the movie was shot at Baja Studios and the set debris was dumped in a lot somewhere near Rosarito.

That was at 4:00 in the afternoon. Within minutes, David left the show and did some quick research. The Fox Baja Studio, where Titanic was filmed, was located on the coast in

Man About Town

Popolta, Mexico – only 161 miles away and less than a 4-hour drive.

In short order, David went home, grabbed his passport and was in his pickup truck headed South of the border… not knowing that he had set in motion an adventurous quest that would last for decades.

No Hablo Español

Following limited information and sketchy instructions, he arrived on the highway in front of Fox Baja Studios around 9:00pm. Unfortunately, it was also pouring rain.

Through the darkness and wet windshield, he could make out a big white building about a quarter-mile down a side road overlooking the coastline and stormy Pacific Ocean. He turned in and stopped at an adjacent open area that was piled high with pieces of wood. Could this be the remnants of the Titanic movie set?

Turning up his collar, he climbed a small knee-wall in the dark and excitedly began sorting through pieces of rain-soaked wood… looking for anything of interest. Suddenly all hell broke loose. Glaring search lights flooded the field and 10 ferocious security guards came at him with barking dogs and guns drawn. Within moments, six Federales joined the fray… and no one spoke English. This was not going well.

Surrounded with danger and scared silly, he tried to explain that he lived nearby and was just collecting firewood. “Fuego and Casa nearby” finally got through and he was allowed to leave. Thankful for the remembered fragments of high school Spanish… he narrowly avoided the possibility of spending time in a Mexican jail. Even worse, the wood

wasn’t from the Titanic set. Just broken pallets.

Titanic Treasure Hunting

Soaking wet and unsure of what to do next, he drove a few miles further South where he spotted a roadside food stand that was closed for the night. It had a weathered sign that read “Titanic Tacos.” Was this a sign? Of course, it was obviously just a “sign”… but it also said “Titanic” and it was exactly the encouragement he needed.

Pulling in and turning off the lights, that night he slept in the truck. Daybreak brought a sunny day and he began wondering what to do next.

Driving aimlessly while considering turning back, a few miles down the road he spotted a small hand-painted sign that read: “Titanic Props.” Just that and nothing more.

He immediately pulled over. Was this a telltale “sign” that he was on the right track? Of course, it was obviously just another “sign”… but it also had his collector radar beeping away as he headed for the small ramshackle house just off the road.

Forgetting that it was 6:00 am and not noticing that the house was dark – once again – unexpected commotion broke out as he approached… first with a barking dog, then an angry woman, followed by a surly man pointing a shotgun.

Again, bits of high school Spanish and the mention of “Titanic” helped explain what he was after. They then motioned him to the rear of the house where he found a treasure trove of items rescued from the Titanic movie set – both big and small – and for only a few hundred dollars, he filled his truck with incredible memorabilia that far exceeded the simple dress-

er drawer front he originally saw at the Hollywood Collectors Show.

More, More, More…

Indicating that he would soon be back, he headed home both excited and already planning his next foray into the secret world of hidden Titanic artifacts.

In the days, weeks and months that followed, he made many more trips to the little house near Baja Studios… and soon exhausted their complete inventory of Titanic props and pieces of the set.

Along the way, he also befriended the owner and his wife, and soon his new amigo Pablo – with broken English – indicated he knew others that also had many items ofinterest… and soon was bringing even more treasures for him to purchase.

The days of countless trips back and forth between Los Angeles and the little town of Rosarito eventually turned into years… and he had finally exhausted all that amigo Pablo could find.

So, what to do next? Was the treasure hunt nearing an end? David was not about to give up.

Discovering Titanic Town

He began by driving the streets of Rosarito and other nearby smaller towns, again looking for a “sign.” As a popular beachfront tourist town of over 65,000, Rosarito held many surprises in almost every location he visited.

While having breakfast one morn-

from page 4 Titanic continued on page 12

“Saaaay, you’re really beautiful.”

All well and good.

Except,it wasn’t Sharon Ponce. She was a good sport and laughed about it, as did her husband. I quickly explained who Sharon was and who Nick was . . . they laughed and said, “no problem.” And I drifted off into the night . . . with my face only slightly red from embarrassment. (And I don’t embarrass all that easily).

(For those not aware, Nick Ponce is a retired Escondido Police Sergeant and longtime friend and member of Kiwanis)

••••

Okay I was challenged by my

friend to play along ... here goes:

Three names I go by:

lyle 2. jon (professional name in broadcasting, Jon MacGregor

Three places I’ve lived:

Three places I have worked:

Three things I love to watch:

Three places I have been:

Three things I love to eat:

Three things I am looking forward to:

Three things I love to do:

Three places I’d like to visit:

Three of my favorite things:

3. My pals

Three incredible sights I’ve seen:

3. Green Lake, Spicer, Minnesota

Here is what you’re supposed to do: Copy and paste this in your status and exchange it with your friends. You’ll learn all kinds of interesting things!

List ten famous people you’ve met/encountered/interacted with, but ONE is a lie. Leave a reply of who you think is the lie. Here’s mine, let’s play. 1.

Answer in next week’s Man About Town column.

Tribal Health

Last week Assembly Bill 1965 (AB 1965), introduced by Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D – Baldwin Park), passed the Assembly Health Committee, where I serve as Vice Chair. Once implemented, AB 1965 will take aim at the public healthcare crisis impacting tribal communities throughout California.

Health disparities impacting American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities include opioid overdose death rates, which are higher among the AIAN population than any other group. Diabetes prevalence and mortality are two times higher than the nonHispanic white population, and AIAN women have higher rates of syphilis. AIAN babies are up to 8 times more likely to have newborn syphilis than babies born to white mothers, and AIAN mothers are two times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes. Sudden Infant Death rates are highest among AIANs, the AIAN population has disproportionate rates of Hepatitis C, and is consistently the most at-risk minority group for suicides.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are 631,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives living in California who claim no other race,

and 1.4 million AIAN persons of mixed race. Since San Diego County’s 18 tribal governments are all located within the 75th Assembly District, the health and well-being of these communities is something I take very seriously.

Congress established the California Tribal Epidemiology Center (CTEC) in 2005, an organization dedicated to disease surveillance in AIAN communities. However, there has been a lack of collaboration between CTEC and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), which AB 1965 will help resolve. AB 1965 establishes the Office of Tribal Affairs (OTA) within CDPH to set up a dedicated tribal liaison that will be responsible for tackling these healthcare challenges and disparities head-on. It is my hope that AB 1965 will greatly improve the health and well-being of the AIAN community in California, including tribal communities/individuals right here in San Diego County.

Assemblymember Marie Waldron, R- Valley Center, represents the 75th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the cities of Poway, Santee, portions of the City of San Diego, and most of rural eastern and northern San Diego County.

Problem Solved by Christopher Elliott

Best Buy promised me a $150 refund. Now it won’t pay!

After the price of Francis Clark’s dishwasher falls, Best Buy agrees to refund him $150. But now it won’t pay. What’s going on?

Q: I bought a Bosch dishwasher for $1,100 from Best Buy recently. A week later, Best Buy lowered the price of the dishwasher by $100 and a week later by another $50.

I contacted Best Buy by chat and asked for a price match. It agreed to issue a refund during a chat session. Best Buy said it could take up to two credit card billing cycles, but after my second billing cycle, I still didn’t see the refund.

I contacted Best Buy again, and this time, a representative said they would not issue a refund because it was outside the return and exchange window. But the reason it was outside the window was be-

cause of Best Buy’s delay. Can you help me get the $150 that Best Buy promised me?

~ Francis Clark, Hudson, Mass.

A: If Best Buy promised you a refund, it should have followed through. Normally, businesses will price-match a product at the time you buy it, but not afterward. But at the time you had already purchased your appliance, Best Buy’s policy was to price match before your purchase and during your return window.

It’s not clear why Best Buy didn’t honor its agreement. You had the promise in writing. You did a nice job of keeping a paper trail. (You should always keep a record of your correspondence with a company, especially when it comes to a refund.)

You asked for a refund twice -- the first time when the price fell by

5th District Supervisor

Jim Desmond

Implementing a Pilot Program to Enhance Support for People with Serious Mental Illness at Affordable Housing Developments

The issue of homelessness is not just about lacking shelter; it’s about individuals grappling with mental illness. In our pursuit of solutions, it is crucial to recognize that a significant portion of the homeless population is affected by Serious Mental Illness (SMI), with estimates suggesting that 21% fall into this category. Placing individuals with SMI in environments ill-equipped to meet their needs not only undermines their potential for success but also poses risks to both their wellbeing and the broader community.

I am proposing a board letter aimed at securing additional behavioral health services for formerly homeless people with serious mental illness. The focus is not only on providing support to those in need but also on ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities. We must strike a balance between compassion and pragmatism, understanding that effective solutions must address the multifaceted nature of homelessness, particularly concerning mental health.

The No Place Like Home (NPLH) program, an initiative by the State, provides funding for the development of permanent supportive housing for the homeless who suffer from mental health issues. Our County has 19 affordable housing developments incorporating NPLH units. However, more than providing housing is needed; we must ensure that these developments are equipped to meet the unique needs of residents with SMI.

Implementing policies prioritizing comprehensive support for residents with SMI is imperative. My

$100 and then again when it fell by another $50. That may have confused Best Buy’s system, which had already authorized one refund. It looks like they may have canceled each other out.

But that wasn’t the problem. Best Buy then treated your case as if it was brand new. You waited patiently for your two credit card cycles to end and then asked again, and that’s when Best Buy told you it was too late.

This seems like a case of one hand not knowing what the other is doing, which happens often at big companies. An email to one of the executive contacts at Best Buy might have cleared things up. I list the names,

proposal advocates for trained personnel on-site, 24/7, at affordable housing developments with NPLH units in North County. These personnel will be equipped with Mental Health First Aid training and have direct access to the County’s 24/7 behavioral health crisis services. Furthermore, new residents moving into these developments will have access to enhanced clinical support on an ongoing basis from the onset of their residency.

This approach is about meeting immediate needs and fostering longterm stability and well-being. By providing consistent access to clinical support, counseling, crisis intervention, and medication management, we can significantly contribute to stabilizing individuals with SMI and reducing the severity of their symptoms. Moreover, these measures are crucial in preventing mental health crises and reducing the likelihood of interactions with law enforcement, thus promoting public safety and community cohesion.

Critically, this proposal is about more than just helping those in need; it’s about recognizing the interconnectedness of social issues and adopting proactive strategies to address them. By investing in comprehensive support systems for individuals with SMI, we are fulfilling our moral obligation to our most vulnerable citizens and creating safer, more cohesive communities for all residents.

San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond, 1600 Pacific Highway, #335, San Diego, CA 92101, United States http:// www.supervisorjimdesmond.com/

numbers and emails of the customer service managers on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

You reached out to my consumer advocacy organization, and I contacted Best Buy on your behalf. Best Buy responded to you the next day. A representative contacted you and promised to fix the problem. “Today, I see the correct credit on my card,” you reported. “Thank you!”

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/

By Tom Morrow

Back in 1985 when I was in charge of publicity and historical archives at the venerable Hotel del Coronado, I had a somewhat unplanned event occur that had historic impact and importance.

I had invited San Diego television newsman Jack White to review the posh dinner menu at the hotel’s high-end Prince of Wales Grill where a steak cost more than twenty-five bucks an entre -- a lot of money at that time. Now, for those who don’t know it, the late Channel 10 news anchor not only was a class-act as a news reporter, but he was a master magician as well. Over the years I watched him mesmerize audiences with his sleight of hand card and coin tricks as well as other awe-inspiring stage maneuvers.

Jack was one-of-a-kind news-

Being in the reverse mortgage industry for so long, I’ve seen the loan program evolve into what it is today. The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) which is the FHA insured loan program, is the most popular loan program. It’s available for homeowners 62 and older, can be used to pay off an existing mortgage, establish a line of credit and/or be used for monthly advances. In ideal situations, all three can be used to improve the financial life of the borrower.

Along the way, proprietary (jumbo) loan programs were developed. They are used for high value properties and certain specialized loan scenarios. Some of the benefits that lenders

Historically Speaking

The Night One Magic Master Met Another

man and entertainer. He mostly was self-taught with much of his grounding growing up in Oceanside and beginning his career as a newsman with Armed Forces Radio Network while serving in the U.S. Army. He was with Channel 10 for more than 34 years.

That evening as Jack was in the middle of his prime-rib steak and lobster dinner, an entourage of six men walked in and sat around a huge table over in the corner of the room across from where Jack and I sat. In the middle of the group was former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammed Ali. And, for those who don’t know it, Ali also was a master sleight of hand expert in his own right.

I pointed out the recent arrival to Jack. And he responded as I knew he would. After completing his meal and skipping dessert, Jack walked over to The Champ’s entourage and introduced himself. After a few minutes of pleasantries, the subject of magic entered the conversation. Ali smiled and began playing with a coin. After making it disappear and reappear, Jack countered by taking out a deck of playing cards, which he often carried in his coat jacket pocket just in case such

an opportunity presented itself. Jack began shuffling and doing a variety of card tricks. Ali asked to borrow the deck, responding to Jack’s maneuvers with some of his own. The evening was a classic presentation of one magic master-meeting another. While this was going on, Jack’s Channel 10 cameraman was shooting the action with his video camera.

The next day, Jack’s restaurant review of the Prince of Wales Grill on Channel 10 included the meeting with the Champ trading tricks of the trade with San Diego’s resident magician.

Jack was widely recognized once

serving on the board of directors for the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He grew up in San Diego’s North County and was a 1957 graduate of Oceanside High School. We lost him in 2020 at the age of 81 after a long illness that confined him to a wheelchair for the last several years of his life. Jack White was a character of local history not soon forgotten. Hopefully, the news archivist down at KGTV, Channel 10 has preserved Jack’s 1985 evening at the Hotel Del Coronado as a bit of “magic” for our future genera-

Historically Speaking continued on page 12

Stay Informed About Reverse Mortgages

have created to enhance the reverse mortgage loan programs are:

*Loans for borrowers as young as 55

*Loan amounts up to $4,000,000

*No upfront mortgage insurance premium at closing

*Potential lump sum cash out on day one

*Opportunity to continue to make lower monthly payments for 10 years, then no required payments

*Reverse mortgage second allowing first mortgage to remain in place and provide additional funds

*Loans on non-FHA approved condominium projects

I think you can see that the reverse mortgage industry continues to innovate and provide solutions for homeowners on every level and in every situation. There are many reasons to stay informed about how this type of loan could improve your life.

Now is the time to think about the equity you have built in your home and how you could benefit from using that now while values are high. Here are some examples of how a

reverse mortgage was utilized in different scenarios.

Call me today to discuss how one of these programs could be the solution for your financial concerns. It costs nothing to investigate! Laura

Laura Strickler

Jack White Ronald Reagan & Muhammed Ali

Flying cars are coming! Here’s how they could change the way you travel

If you’d told me a few weeks ago that flying cars will change the way we travel, I probably would have laughed at you.

But when Elon Musk hinted there might be a flying Tesla soon, the internet started buzzing with flying car news. And now people are talking.

“There’s absolutely a sense that the time has come,” says aviation industry investment banker Joey Smith at Cassel Salpeter & Co. “Numerous well-funded companies are racing to build a viable production vehicle, and they could take to the skies as early as next year.”

What’s more, attitudes toward Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) -that’s a fancy term for flying cars and other personal flying vehicles -- have shifted. A new study suggests Americans, and particularly younger urban consumers, are warming to the idea of flying to their next destination. Even so, the definition of a flying car is a little hard to pin down. I’ll explain in a minute.

Don’t expect to open your apartment window and see a scene out of a sci-fi movie like Minority Report anytime soon. (You know, lanes of flying vehicles lining the sky.) It’ll be a slow rollout, but it has the potential to change the way we travel like we haven’t seen since the introduction of the jet engine.

What kind of flying vehicles are out there?

Personal flying vehicles defy simple classification, which may be part of their allure. There are STOLs and VTOLs, quadcopters, octocopters and hexacopters. Some are electric, some are gaspowered.

Don’t be confused by all the acronyms. I think it’s OK to just call them flying cars.

Right now, the ones generating the most noise are electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs). These aircraft take off and land like a helicopter. For example, Joby’s air taxi service in Manhattan plans to use its eVTOL, which looks like an oversized drone, to shuttle passengers from New York to JFK Airport next year.

My categorization is a little unconventional, but here’s how I see it: There are really just two types of flying cars. The first are cars that can drive on the road and fly, just like the ones in Back to the Future.

One of the most high-profile of these is the Model A being devel-

oped by Alef Aeronautics. It’s an eVTOL that looks like a sports car. But once it takes off, the passenger cabin pivots and the vehicle flies sideways, which looks a little jarring but very cool.

The second type of flying vehicle doesn’t even bother with the road. For example, the Lilium Jet is both a fixed-wing aircraft and an eVTOL. But you won’t see it on the highway unless it’s making an emergency landing -- so technically, it’s not a flying car.

Like I said, these flying vehicles aren’t easy to categorize. And it hasn’t really mattered until now, because you could only find them in aviation magazines and science fiction movies. But now there are serious discussions about flying cars, and developers have started taking orders. The future is almost here.

Flying Cars Aren’t

Cleared For Takeoff - Yet

Don’t get too excited. A few things still have to be worked out, say experts. For example, eVTOL manufacturers have struggled with several challenges. It’s not just how to design lightweight aircraft made from the right composite materials and with adequate battery life. It’s also piloting the flying car. Issues such as autonomous flight capability and pilot training have proven to be big barriers.

There are also regulatory roadblocks. The Federal Aviation Administration, which has oversight of these new vehicles, has adopted a “crawl-walk-run” approach. And it’s still in “crawl” mode. Last year, it laid down some rules for flying cars. Among them: They have to use existing heliports and they must have a human pilot. But there are no special traffic lanes in the sky for these vehicles yet.

The UK is also preparing for fly-

ing cars. In March, the government said it envisioned eVTOLs taking to the skies within four years.

Observers are skeptical of the proposed timeline. Charles Leocha, president of the consumer group Travelers United, has worked on regulations for low-level unmanned aerial vehicles for the last decade. He says the wheels are turning slowly.

“The FAA is at least a decade away from allowing or approving any kind of flying car,” he adds.

All of that has made people reluctant to order a flying car -- if they can afford one. Most vehicles range from $150,000 to as much as $10 million.

“Prospective buyers are likely to hold off until regulatory barriers are dismantled,” says Francesco Cerroni, a mobility expert at the design firm Buro Happold.

Where To Find Personal Flying Vehicles Now

If you want to see a flying vehicle for yourself, here’s where to find them (outside of the movie theater):

Lift Aircraft, which manufactures a single-seat eVTOL called Hexa, is offering test flights on its singleseat Hexas this spring. It’s scheduled to be in Lakeland Linder International Airport in Florida in April and Austin in May.

Early next year, you’ll be able to hail an air taxi from Abu Dhabi and Dubai on a four-passenger Midnight aircraft. The eVTOL, operated by UAE-based Falcon Aviation, will cover the 81-mile trip in just 30 minutes. By road, the drive can take a few hours in traffic.

There’s even a flying car driving

school. Netherlands auto manufacturer PAL-V will show you the ins and outs of flying a car. They even have a flying car showroom in Munich where you can buy your own gyroplane/car combination. (It’ll cost you about $550,000.)

Bottom line: Flying cars remain rare. But change is on the horizon.

How Flying cars Could Change The Way We Travel

High prices and continued doubts about the viability of zipping around town like George Jetson haven’t stopped people from thinking about the future. Experts seem to agree that safe VTOLs with FAA approval could change travel forever.

“It would reduce congestion by removing some traffic on the road and create a new aviation sector, with new jobs,” says Raj Rajkumar, professor of computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Flying cars could dramatically cut the drive time between destinations typically served by shorthaul commercial flights. So instead of catching a shuttle flight from Washington to New York, you’d just fly there in your own car in a fraction of the time it used to take to drive.

But that’s just the beginning. As these vehicles become faster and more affordable, they hold the promise of competing with commercial aviation. Imagine flying your family car from the suburbs of an East Coast city to Florida for your next vacation in less time than it would take you to go to the airport, get through security, wait for your departure, fly, land, collect your luggage and rent an earthbound car?

The thought of ditching airlines, with their awful customer service and addictive loyalty programs, may be the greatest promise of the AAV revolution.

If you’d asked me a few weeks ago if such a future was possible, I would have been very skeptical. Now, I’m just a little skeptical.

This is the second of a two-part series on the future of air travel.

Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can email him at chris@elliott.org.

Illustration by Aren Elliott

Chuckles from page 2

At dawn the telephone rang.

“Hello, Senor Kent? This is Ernesto, the caretaker at your country house.”

“Ah yes, Ernesto. What can I do for you? Is there a problem?”

“Um, I am just calling to advise you, Senor Kent, that your parrot, he is dead.”

“My parrot? Dead? The one that won the International competition?”

“Si, Senor, that’s the one.”

“Damn! That’s a pity! I spent a small fortune on that bird. What did he die from?”

“From eating the rotten meat, Senor Kent.”

“Rotten meat? Who the hell fed him rotten meat?”

“Nobody, Senor . He ate the meat of the dead horse.”

“Dead horse? What dead horse?”

“The thoroughbred, Senor Kent.”

“My prize thoroughbred is dead?”

“Yes, Senor Kent, he died from all that work pulling the water cart.”

“Are you insane? What water cart?”

“The one we used to put out the fire, Senor.”

“Good Lord! What fire are you talking about, man?”

“The one at your house, Senor Kent! A candle fell and the curtains caught on fire.”

“What the hell? Are you saying that my mansion is destroyed because of a candle?!”

“Yes, Senor Kent.”

“But there’s electricity at the house! What was the candle for?”

“For the funeral, Senor Kent.”

“WHAT BLOODY FUNERAL?!”

“Your wife’s, Senor Kent. She showed up very late one night and I thought she was a thief, so I shot her with your new Kreighoff Limited Edition

Custom Gold Engraved Sporting Clays Special with the custom Wangi Exhibition Grade Stock with the ISIS Recoil Reduction System.:”

SILENCE... LONG SILENCE... VERY LONG SILENCE.

“Ernesto, if you scratched that shotgun, you’re in deep doo-doo.”

The Pastor Says . . .

Where We Are

A friend and I discussed where we live and where we might like to live. He commented that many people were leaving California and moving to Arizona, Florida, Tennessee, Idaho, and other countries. They had had enough of California and its high gas prices, taxes, state regulations, and liberal government. Like the ancient Israelites, they want to leave the Egyptian land of slavery and go to the promised land of milk and honey. Interestingly, this old biblical story of the Hebrews in Exodus is that once they left Egypt and were on their way across the desert, they grumbled, complained, and found fault with Moses, their deliverer. They kept looking back at their time in Egypt, where there was plenty of water, garlic, meat, and onions. Then, to have the land of milk and honey, they had to wage war, conquer their fears, defeat their enemies, and then take possession of their new place to live.

The old Biblical story reminds me of what is important in where we live. Is where we are from worse or better than where we are? Yes, it is true that here in our immediate area of San Diego County, we have had rainfall, cold weather, and even wind. I heard several people complain about the weather and the gas prices. And our State Government. Of course, the world we live in is not perfect. Our state and local governments make laws and change things that can be disturbing. Moses was doing this constantly with the Hebrews. And like those Hebrews, there are times when we want the good old days, go back to the way things were, and not accept the challenges of the present journey of life or face the future, with its uncertainties and unknowns.

If we live with a longing for the past, like the Hebrews for garlic and onions, tho enslaved people, we miss the wonder and excitement of what God has for us in the now and future. Our state might not be perfect, but the blessings of sunshine, desert flowers, fresh fruit, and abundance, the smell of orange blossoms, the ocean, mountains, and desert all within a half day’s drive, few bugs and mosquitoes, give us the confidence that we live in a place that is about as close to the promised land that we can find. We can apply an old adage to where we are- Bloom where you are planted.

Pastor Huls

Pet Parade

Kingston is Rancho Coastal Humane Society’s pet of the week. He’s a 3-year-old, 13pound, male, Domestic Short Hair cat with a Blue Cream and White Tabby coat.

Kingston and another cat were abandoned in a crate outside a shelter in Riverside County. He was transferred to Rancho Coastal Humane Society through Friends of County Animal Shelters (FOCAS.) He’s a calm and independent cat.

The $100 adoption fee for Kingston includes medical exam, neuter, up to date vaccinations, and registered microchip.

Visit Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas or log on to www. SDpets.org. Open 11 to 4, Friday through Monday, and by appointment Wednesday and Thursday.

San Diego Humane Society is supporting families and their pets who need a little extra help.

Through the Community Pet Pantry, anyone can visit our campuses to pick up a bag of dog or cat food, and other supplies, as available.

No appointment is needed for this service. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

Pet of the Week Praline

Once you gaze into 12week-old puppy Praline’s eyes, we can’t be held accountable for the extreme feelings of love and adoration you develop! This adorable husky pup is ready to take on the world with a new family by her side. If you can help her grow and learn how to be the best dog possible, she’ll give you her devotion and constant companionship. If you’re ready for the adventure and love of a lifetime, look no further! Darling Praline (799066) is available for adoption at San Diego Humane Society’s Escondido Campus at 3500 Burnet Dr. If you have questions about the adoption process, you can visit sdhumane.org/adopt or call 619-299-7012. All San Diego Humane Society locations will be open for adoptions from 12-8 p.m. on Friday, April 5, and adoption fees will be 50% off for ANY pet!

Online profile: https://www.sdhumane.org/adopt/available-pets/ animal-single.html?petId=899066

Pastor Huls

The Computer Factory

845 W. San Marcos Blvd.

760-744-4315

thecomputerfactory.net

Since our ancestors climbed down from the trees, we humans have used our ever expanding intelligence to invent machines that made life easier for us. From wheels on chariots to airplanes, we invented machines to replace our physical labor. In recent years we also invented gadgets to enhance our cognitive abilities. Among these gadgets were maps so we didn’t have to memorize geography, written language to give us a way to store and pass on our knowledge and calculators to free us from having to memorize mathematic formulae. As the 20 th century unfolded we built systems capable of sensing changes and taking appropriate action. Thermostats, burglar alarms, motion sensors and self driving vehicles are some examples. In 1997 computers “Deep Blue” and “Alpha Go” beat

Will the IW (Intelligent Web) replace human cognition? Part 1 of 2

“Chess” champion Gary Kasparov and “Go” champion Ke Jei in their respective games. The significance of these two events did not go unnoticed. Until that point, most folks reasoned that man could not create a machine that was smarter than himself. Then the two foremost experts in these highly cerebral games were beaten by machines and algorithms created by humans that wouldn’t stand a chance against them in a face to face competition. It had long been evident that humans were capable of creating machines that were superior to themselves in physicality. It now appears likely that we are also capable of creating machines that are smarter than us too!

Deep Blue cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and its programming algorithms had only to consider the number of possible move options in the game of chess. While well beyond the capabilities of a human, that number is finite and well within the capabilities of a super-computer. While this technology was available, the expense of the processing power and size of data storage confined AI (artificial intelligence) to data bases that could be stored and processed on stand-alone processing devices (computers). Then, in 2001 “broad band Internet” changed everything.

Late 2001 marked the beginning of the linkage of high speed (broad band) communications, the human knowledge data base and virtually unlimited processing power. This enabled powerful Internet servers to apply AI algorithms across the

entirety of recorded human knowledge. Over the last twenty three years the infant IW’s data base has continued to expand, Internet servers continue to grow more powerful and AI continues to improve and find new applications. The three million year reign of the human mind as the dominant intelligence on the planet is today being challenged by the IW of our own creation.

The majority of men and women under the age of thirty five, (DNs or digital natives), spend half their waking hours connected to the IW. The dominance of IW in school, business and social activities is having a measurable impact on certain aspects of the DN’s intelligence and socialization. Reliance on the Internet for problem solving and socialization has resulted in recent lower IQ test

scores and measurable declines in social skills. These are predictable “use it or lose it” results from using Internet “solutions” and reduced “face to face” socialization.

That the ascent of IW use among the DN generations has caused a measurable reduction of social and cognitive skills may be of concern to older generation DIs (digital Immigrants), but it does not seem to bother the DNs. As technology reduced the survival imperatives for physicality we modern humans created a physical fitness culture. As the IW reduces the survival imperative for cognition, memory retention and “face to face” social skills will the younger generations find ways to maintain these skills? What will their future look like? Let’s have fun with that next week.

Before you give up on your “old” PC, check out the cost of an upgrade.

Solid State Drive (SSD) - windows 10/11 - more memory (RAM) - Faster Internet - Bluetooth/Wifi, better/biger monnitor - external speakers - external CD/RW - wireless keyboard and mouse - etc.

John Van Zante’s Critter Corner

What Kind of Person Abandons a Dog or Cat?

This week in the Pet Parade we’re spotlighting a cat named Kingston.

Kingston was abandoned at a shelter just across the border in Riverside County. When their animal care attendants got to work one morning, they found a crate by the front gate. At first, they thought the crate was a donation. But no. Inside this crate they found Kingston and another cat. No note. No explanation. No nothing. Just a crate with two cats.

They took them into the shelter, gave them medical exams, then set up Kingston and his buddy in with food, water, and blankets.

When nobody showed up to reclaim them, they were moved into a group room with several other male cats. As usual, that shelter is packed, so they asked if they could transfer Kingston to Rancho Coastal Humane Society through Friends of County Animal Shelters (FOCAS). We had an open spot, so we said yes.

He’s a terrific cat. Kingston is soft and relaxed. He can be a little timid while adjusting to new situations. Other than that, he gets along fine with every person and cat he meets.

Back to the headline. Who drives to a shelter in the middle of the night and abandons two cats in a crate?

My judgements have softened during the past 25 years.

• A person who loves their pet, but can no longer afford to feed it, and their pride won’t allow them to ask for help.

• A victim of domestic violence who needs to escape, but they know their pet will be the new target if they leave it behind.

• Someone so overwhelmed with life that they need to take just one thing off their plate.

• A member of the military being deployed.

• Someone who is being hospitalized and thinks they have

no other option.

• A person who can no longer provide for their pet, but they want it to have a chance, even if it’s not with them.

There are options other than abandoning your pet (which, by the way, is illegal and punishable with a fine and jail time.)

It’s not my job to judge. My job is to tell the stories that bring new lives for these pets. Lives they could have missed.

Titanic from page 5

Historically Speaking from page 7

A few days later, he passed a big Paint Ball Park where tourists shoot each other with balls of multi-colored paint. Looking at the parking lot, he noticed it was surrounded with hundreds of feet of metal railing and stanchions that looked oddly familiar. Upon closer inspection, it was the actual railing that surrounded the deck of the Titanic set. Score! He went inside and after a lengthy broken English/Spanish negotiation made a deal to purchase the entire set-up. But there was even more to be found inside. Sections of the hull provided hiding places for the paint ball warriors… and big props, like deck air vents and part of a lifeboat were scattered around the site as well. Things were looking up.

“Hello…Titanic Dave?”

Now in his fifth year of Titanic treasure hunting, David’s popularity as a widely recognized collector/dealer of authentic movie props was not only growing… demand for items of any-and-all types and sizes often surpassed his ability to find and fill the increasing requests of fans and repeat customers.

So, what to do? It was obviously time to gear-up his efforts and quest for new props. Driving the streets of Rosarito later that day, he got a flat tire. “Just what I need,” he thought as he sat in the lobby of a local tire shop. He struck up a conversation with the owner, who was pretty fluent in English. “So, what brings you to Rosarito?” Juan asked. Bored and just passing the time, David responded, “I look for all kinds of stuff from the Titanic movie.”

Suddenly the conversation took on a whole new tone. “Oh yeah?” the owner noted, “I got somethin’ you might wanna see,” motioning David to follow him into his office. He was not prepared for what he saw. Two walls of the office, floor-to-ceiling and corner-to-corner, were from “Unsinkable” Molly Brown’s stateroom… with ornate filigreed fabric inserts surrounded with intricate wood molding and an inside cabin door that bore the number E-23… Molly’s much-verified suite on EDeck.

Desperately trying to tamp down his excitement, David said “Nice.” Later he casually asked if he was interested in selling it? “Naw,” Juan responded, “It wasn’t easy getting it outa the junk pile… and I’m kinda used to lookin’ at it.” Too bad, but…

While it wasn’t easy… and ultimately took two-years of repeat visits, further negotiations and a few lunches … he finally made a deal. In short order, the walls were removed and, in turn, Juan’s office received some beautiful new wood paneling… while Molly’s stateroom walls went to two different collectors – one in New York and one in England.

Gringo con Dinero

In the years that followed, David’s Titanic treasure hunting took many new twists and turns. He had already exhausted all the proverbial “low hanging fruit,” and new finds required even greater creative thinking and some super-sleuth detective work.

He started by first expanding his search, from inner-city Rosarito to the outskirts of town, filled with smaller homes and vacant properties.

On one such excursion, he passed a small house with a familiar-looking window. Putting the truck in reverse, he backed up for a second look. Yep, it was a glass window from the Titanic’s Promenade Deck. After some negotiation, he was back a few hours later with a helper and a brand-new replacement window.

Word was also spreading among locals there was a gringo con dinero in town… i.e. “a guy with money” and, if you had any Titanic movie

tions. It was, indeed, a piece of classic video history.

***

WHAT, ME WORRY? California has an overwhelming percentage of students not graduating from high school and many of those who do graduate college are being tutored in questionable socialistic principles … who could turn down “free stuff?”

When our basic civics and history are glazed over or not taught at all, can we be surprised if we end up with a generation of an ignorant populace? The average adult under 50 years of age doesn’t know about the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, or who won World War II, or worse yet, what are our three bodies of government in Washington D.C., and what are their functions. We have a problem – a big problem.

stuff, “El es tu chico!”… translation: “He’s your guy!”

While this was good business-wise, it also had a downside. In Mexico, it’s not always a good idea to advertise that you’re going around town with a pocket full of cash… and from that point forward, a careful watch was in order for anyone following him –on foot or driving.

Amigo con Dinero

On the positive side, the challenge of digging deeper to locate more props also resulted in making many new friends over the years. Soon, his growing network of locals… that included actors, extras, contractors and security guards (all of which had either appeared in the Titanic movie or worked on the set) also provided endless leads to even more props, both big and small… and his reputation as gringo con dinero gradually shifted to amigo con dinero, resulting in a steady flow of new leads and more movie prop finds for eager customers.

Still, David ‘s quest was centering more and more on self-reliance and ingenuity. He was determined to continue on… and every time he felt the trove of Titanic treasures may be exhausted, and coming to an end – like a miner digging for gold – if one just keeps on digging, they just

Titanic continued on page 13 ing, he casually inquired about Titanic props and the cook at the diner surprisingly said he had a neighbor that has some movie stuff… which David eventually tracked down and successfully purchased everything he had.

Inquiring Minds – While studying Roman Empire history or watching an old Hollywood flick you might be among the many wanting to know what “SPQR” stands for. It’s the abbreviation for “Senatus PopulusQue Romanus,” the Senate and the Roman People.” It is an emblematic phrase referring to the government of the Roman Republic. It appears on documents made public to this day by an inscription in stone or metal, in dedications of monuments and public works, and on some Roman currency

SIGNS ONCE SEEN

In a Restaurant window: “Don’t stand there and be hungry; come on in and get fed up.”

In the front yard of a funeral home: “Drive carefully. We’ll wait.”

At a Propane Filling Station: “Thank Heaven for little grills.”

In a Chicago Radiator Shop: “Best place in town to take a leak.”

And the best one for last … on the back of a septic tank truck: “Caution - This truck is full of Political Promises.”

***

TRUISM SPOKEN HERE

“Beauty never lasts, but stupid does!”

~ U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-LA.

David with an extremely rare recovered deck chair.

Titanic from page 12

might discover the next new precious “vein.” As Napoleon Hill wrote in his famous book, Think and Grow Rich – “You never know when you’re three feet from gold.”

Later that day, seeking inspiration, he returned to the vacant lot that originally held the massive pile of Titanic movie set remnants. Long pickedover and devoid of anything Titanic, he kicked at a rock as he walked the property. It turned out to be a rivet… a rivet from the movie set, long overlooked and ignored.

He picked it up and took it home. That was in 2007 and 10-years well into his quest. Today that rivet sits on his desk as a reminder to never give up… and that there is always more to find. Like the famous line in Bogart’s movie, The Maltese Falcon, “It’s the stuff dreams are made of.”

100 Year Anniversary

I met David Condon by chance in 2012, when a friend of mine – who owned a restaurant called Bernard’s Bistro – called me and asked if I wanted to meet a guy who sold Titanic items.

Background: Chef Bernard was a Titanic nut. His Great Grandparent actually sold provisions to the real Titanic… and both his Grandfather and Father, who relocated to Paris, were known for recreating authentic dinners from Titanic’s first class menus.

With Chef Bernard, everything was

Titanic, Titanic, Titanic… ad nauseam. As such, the 100th Anniversary of Titanic’s Sinking was fast approaching and he was planning a big formal event. It included an authentic dinner from the ship’s firstclass menu, for over 300 in a nearby hotel ballroom, an orchestra playing 1912 music and a woman singing “My Heart will Go On,” followed by a late-night cruise on a huge yacht, where a wreath would be dropped in the water at precisely 11:40 pm… the actual moment when Titanic hit the iceberg.

I had previously agreed to help him with this event and he was now interested in obtaining some real Titanic items – both for the Anniversary dinner and for his restaurant thereafter.

Again, would I be interested in meeting the Titanic guy?

Welcome Aboard

I met David Condon at Bernard’s Bistro later that afternoon. After a brief conversation with Chef Bernard and myself, he went out to his vehicle and returned with an armful of interesting items – some Titanic dishes with a White Star Line logo, a numbered plaque from one of the life boats and an oar were among the movie props he brought in. This was getting interesting.

Jumping ahead, Chef Bernard’s 100-year Anniversary event was a smashing success and the props were relocated to prized locations in his restaurant. But the most interesting and lasting event that came out of this was a later conversation with Chef Bernard and David that result-

ed in a neat project that eventually launched an ongoing lifetime friendship with “the Titanic guy.”

The project? It was decided that David and I would build an authentic miniature Titanic movie set right beside the entrance to the restaurant in which, customers and tourists could stand and take pictures.

Within days, we created a “set” that included Titanic decking, rails and stanchions, large sections of the hull and a porthole in which we put a color photo of Rose and Jack.

It was a popular feature for thousands of photos that lasted for more than a year, until the restaurant was sold and re-themed. I often wondered where Rose, Jack and the set eventually wound up.

It was an interesting project… and for those many customers and tourists who were thrilled to be photographed standing on the authentic Titanic movie set… we were most happy to say “Welcome aboard.”

Unsinkable and Determined

As of this day, I have known David Condon for 12-years… and I continue to marvel at his perseverance, ingenuity and resourcefulness in continuing to find and recover a never-ending inventory of Titanic movie props.

In round numbers and over 27-years, he has made more than 1,000 trips to Rosarito and the surrounding area, and brought back over 10,000 artifacts from James Cameron’s original Titanic movie set… from small

pieces of Railing and Decking to big items like 25 Portholes, 20 Windows, Deck Chairs, a 10’x15’ piece of the hull, and a pristine 8’ Stained Glass Window from the Smoking Room, to name but a few.

Recent finds in just the last few weeks include finding a home that used 10’ lengths of rich mahogany deck railing to support a ceiling –which he happily replaced with 2x4s and a bit of cash – and a home that used over 1,200-feet of Titanic wood deck as flooring… that received a like-amount of new wood-grained laminated flooring in exchange.

The search goes on – with interesting finds fewer and farther between – still, he amazingly continues to locate and recover new items. One, for example, was a large bollard (the short thick metal post on a dock that big ships tie up to) that was half-buried in dirt on a hillside in a remote area many miles outside of town.

Today and Tomorrow

People’s fascination with all things Titanic never ceases to amaze me. Thousands of customers worldwide continue to peruse online auction sites in search of artifacts – both from the movie and authentic anything’s from the real shipwreck… and David continues to provide much of that which they seek.

David’s decades of Titanic treasure hunting has not only brought him a bit of fame within that community, it has also put him in contact with a

Oodles from page 3

mony music on Sunday May 5, at 2:30 p.m. at the Rancho Santa Fe Community Center, 5967 La Sendita, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067.

The music spans the Great American Songbook, Broadway theater and film, popular songs, and beyond.

A highlight of the show will be a special appearance by Frequency, a tenor-bass acappella group at UC San Diego, founded in 2008 and completely student-run. Several other PCH members’ quartets will also perform.

The show will follow a reception from 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. with beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction. Food and beverages are included in the ticket price.

Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door and can be purchased by emailing PacificCoastHarmonyInfo@gmail.com or by calling (619) HARMONY /427-6669.

Pacific Coast Harmony is an acappella ensemble based in La Jolla, California, under the direction of Bonnie McKibben, an award-winning director, quartet champion, and recording artist. The chorus will be competing at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s International Convention in Cleveland, Ohio in early July.

For more information, visit PacificCoastharmony.org or call (619) 427-6669.

LIFE at MiraCosta College

1831 Mission Ave., Oceanside

In The Board Room Trailer T200

A Lifelong Learning Group

Meetings will be held in person at the Mira Costa College Oceanside Campus at 1:00 pm in the Board Room Trailer T200 by the Police Station and by the Internet Application ZOOM.

April 12: 1:00 MCC Theater Production, “Anon(ymous)” Eric Bishop & Students

We will learn about the final theatrical production of the school year. Anon, a young refugee, journeys through the United States meeting a wide variety of people in this powerful retelling of Homer’s epic Odyssey, which explores themes of identity, coming-of-age, and the shifting nature of home.

April 12: 2:30 183.9 mph Bicycle

Guinness Record Denise Mueller

Learn how Denise set goals and trained to bicycle into the history books by breaking the men’s world record, becoming the fastest non-motorized human in the world at 183.9 mph.

April 19: 1:00 The Art Institute of Chicago’s Collection of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Paintings. Robin Douglas, O’side Museum of Art

The Art Institute of Chicago would not have the world-renowned collection without brilliant and brave female art collectors. See who they were and what they collected to inspire generations past, present and future.

April 19: 2:30 RAD: Women’s Self Defense Elaine Armstrong, LIFE Member

Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) enhances the options for self-defense so these options become viable for a woman who is attacked. Included will be sexual assault prevention, awareness, and senior safety. Elaine will demonstrate a few simple self-defense techniques that anyone can do.

April 26: 1:00 El Corazon, The Heart of the City John Daley VP Oceanside Historical Society Oceanside historian John Daley returns to give us a look at El Corazon’s history from ranch land to mine and to the Park it is today.

April 26: 2:30 Celebrate Arbor Day

Megan Shaw, Urban Forestry Coordinator, What is an urban forest? Learn about the history of Arbor Day, tree introduction to San Diego and current urban forestry missions.

To join a Zoom meeting, LIFE must have your email address in order for you to receive the invite link. Meetings will start at 12:45 pm (you can join 15 minutes earlier) and the speaker will start at 1:00 pm.

Email: life.miracosta@gmail.com

To Donate to the LIFE Scholarship Fund: Write a check to MiraCosta College Foundation; Mail it to: 1 Barnard Dr., MS 7; Oceanside, CA 92056. In the memo area put: LIFE Scholarship Fund. Or go to: https://foundation.miracosta.edu/ donatenow and you can donate online. There is a “drop down” box to indicate the donation will be credited to the LIFE Scholarship Fund. * Speaker has books or CDs for sale.

Zumba Fitness Sundays 9 am

Beginning Sunday, May 4th

The City of Escondido Recreation Dept. will begin offering a dance fitness class on Sundays at 9 am at East Valley Community Center. This class, using easy-to-follow movements and a variety of music, welcomes all fitness levels.

Registration opens April 16th 8am

Titanic from page 13

handful of elite collectors who have obtained real artifacts recovered both from the actual wreck site – found floating in the water shortly after the sinking – or from the ocean floor decades later.

He was recently invited to the home of Kevin Saucier – renown for having one of the world’s largest and best private authentic Titanic collections – where he saw an extremely rare recovered deck chair that is today worth over $500,000.

Such items, are not for sale, but rather, they are heavily insured and only leased out to various museums and exhibits for limited periods of time. Should you visit one and see an authentic Titanic artifact on display, chances are it may be on loan from one such collection.

Kevin Saucier recently provided David with a single sheet of the band’s music found floating in the water just a few days after Titanic’s sinking… value $10,000.

And So It Goes…

Last night, David returned from his latest trip to Mexico with another truckload of nearly impossible-tofind Titanic movie props.

I inquired as to what he was able to find this trip. With a sigh, he stated, “It wasn’t easy,” noting that some items had been in the works for years. I asked what he had. Sounding exhausted, he said “I’ll send you a picture.”

Moments later my computer beeped and a photo appeared in my inbox. It was the back of his pickup truck, in the dark of night, loaded with props. From what I could see, there were a couple of windows, some heavy rope and a large white object that turned out to be one of the big air vents from the Titanic deck.

This morning, I learned that the windows were a very cool find and a purchase he had been working on

for over a year. They were large ornate leaded glass windows, seen in the first-class dining room when a mother was educating her daughter on proper etiquette, while Titanic’s designer, Thomas Andrews, stood watching nearby.

Moments later another email arrived with actual scenes from the movie… showing the mother, daughter and Thomas Andrews with the same leaded-glass windows in the background. Dang. Pretty cool.

“My Heart Will Go On”

Just as I was congratulating David on these latest finds, my computer beeped one more time. It was an online ad… from a company specializing in snooty high-end “gotta have” stuff… and today’s offer, believe it or not, was for expensive wrist watches that featured an outer case crafted from authentic “sea-etched metal” recovered from the real Titanic wreck… each at a greatly reduced price… $14,950 marked down to a bargain $3,799.Honest. (I saved the ad should anyone question.)

I was floored. After all I had learned about the lure and legacy and enduring fascination with all things Titanic, here was living proof… on this very day… and at this very moment, 112-years later… and I’m sure that devoted fans and dedicated collectors somewhere someday will purchase these watches… price be damned.

Much like the award-winning “My Heart Will Go On” song from the movie, the dark fascination and desire to have and hold something tangible from Titanic – whether from the movie or the actual wreck – continues and does go on to this day, 112-years later.

Titanic… unsinkable, unthinkable and unforgettable.

Don Logay is an award-winning journalist and former Editor-inChief of three national magazines. Today he writes luxury lifestyle articles for numerous publications. He can be reached at (949) 240-4444 or press@donlogay.com.

Titanic Treasure Hunter and Collector/Dealer David Condon can be reached by email at dccollectibles@ twc.com.

Don Logay

A single sheet of the band’s music found floating in the water.

in the will or estate or both, of ROBERT KEGLEY SCHNORLEITZ. A Petition for Probate has been filed by GUADALUPE HERRERA in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, 1100 Union St., San Diego, Ca., 92101, Central Probate Division. Petitioner requests that Guadalupe Herrera be appointed as executor with full authority granted to administer under the Independent Administration of Estates Act and bond not be required for the reasons stated in item 3(a).

Decedent died on 8/22/23 at Solaris Senior Living (Hospice) at 14536 Garden Rd., Poway, Ca. 92064.

Street address, city and county of decedent’s residence at time of death:

Palomar East Estates 650 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd. #31 San Marcos, Ca. 92078

Date of hearing: April 18, 2024 at 1:30pm, Department 503, Judge Olga Alvarez, presiding

Decedent has no spouse, was divorced or never married, only one daughter, who is, and has been, estranged for years.

Decedent was not survived by a step child or foster child or children who would have been adopted by decedent but for a legal barrier.

Decedent had no acknowledged predeceased spouse.

Net value of real property: $6000

Will waives bond.

Proposed executor is named as executor in the will and consents to act.

Proposed representative is a resident of California

Name and relationship to decedent:

Guadalupe Herrera, age 36, 932 N. Fig

of ROBERT KEGLEY SCHNORLEITZ. A Petition for Probate has been filed by GUADALUPE HERRERA in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, 1100 Union St., San Diego, Ca., 92101, Central Probate Division. Petitioner requests that Guadalupe Herrera be appointed as executor with full authority granted to administer under the Independent Administration of Estates Act and bond not be required for the reasons stated in item 3(a).

Decedent died on 8/22/23 at Solaris Senior Living (Hospice) at 14536 Garden Rd., Poway, Ca. 92064.

Street address, city and county of decedent’s residence at time of death:

Palomar East Estates 650 S. Rancho Santa Fe Rd. #31 San Marcos, Ca. 92078 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11/2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME 37-2024-00012153-CU-PT-NC TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Gerry Pamela Wesson filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: Gerry Pamela Wesson to Proposed name Gerry Pamela Jentick. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objections that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: 4/26/2024, 8:30 am, in Dept. 25

The address of the court is: 325 S. Melrose, Vista, CA. 92081. A copy of the Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2024-9005550

The name of

Sycamore Ave., Sp. 124 Family friend/independent contractor Vista, Ca. 92083

Date: 11-2/23

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.

Date: 11/2/23

Guadalupe Herrera /s/ Guadalupe Herrera 2/22, 2/29, 3/7, 3/14/2024

and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate or both,