August 21, 2025

August 21, 2025

Volume 55 - No. 34

HOUDINI

A Trail of Controversy & Puzzlement from Cradle to Grave

by Friedrich Gomez Despite the passing of Harry Houdini over a century ago, he remains the most powerful and most recognized name in the world of magic, today. No other magician -- short of Merlin himself -- even laps his historic legacy. There is no one remotely close enough to even stand in his long shadow.

Houdini certainly has no shortage of detractors among magicians.

Some guilty of hidden professional jealousy, no doubt. Others carp that he had great faults. All human beings have great faults. Those who attest otherwise are relegated to the humorous line: “Those people who think they are perfect really upset those us who are!”

air. This does not sit well with some people, especially some magicians.

So, the question remains – whereupon does Houdini’s immortality rest? Because, like it or not, he remains unchallenged as the most famous magician that ever breathed

Harry Houdini. The mere mention of his name conjures up a kaleidoscope of images and meanings that seem as boundless as the man, himself.

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Yet, his name remains immovable as the most recognized, the most celebrated, in all magical history (which extends over 7,000 years, possibly longer).

In the entire sweep of human history, and especially entertainment, Houdini occupies a secure place in the consciousness of the general populace, on a worldwide level. His magical career is a classic example of what many of today’s entertainers refer to as a ‘cross-over hit.’ He was the world’s first, true superstar, whose celebrity cut across most cultural boundaries, unlike opera singers, music composers, or literary icons whose prose were not always well received internationally.

Houdini

See Page 2

The Paper • Page 2 • August 21, 2025

U.S. President!

Houdini from page 1 Will Rogers, America’s beloved satirical genius, sized him up as, “The greatest showman of our time – by far!”

Ireland’s Nobel laureate, playwright, and social commentator, George Bernard Shaw, went even further when he evaluated Houdini as one of the three most renowned individuals in the world!

At his zenith, he was a pioneer aviator (one of the first to conquer flight over Australian skies on a controlled aircraft), inventor, author, and the Grand Inquisitor to the world of Spiritualism. He virtually lived on the front pages of cosmopolitan newspapers.

Unless one lived during his age, it is difficult for contemporaries to feel the true pulse and vibrancy of his influence, as when he walked the earth.

During his day he was the number one box office draw as a live performer on the vaudeville stage.

In 1920, he set an unprecedented record as the highest-paid solo entertainer when he earned the staggering sum of $3,750 a week at the London Palladium! Houdini’s weekly salary of $3,750 a week at the London Palladium back in 1920 would be the equivalent of earning $60,274 a week today!

In his heyday, his annual income was more than double that of the

Give Us This Day Our Daily Chuckle

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

Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a rest. *** I just sold my homing pigeon on E-Bay for the 22nd time.

Ever the quipster, Houdini once said about all this fanfare: “With due modesty, I recognize no one as my peer.” Humor reminiscent of Oscar Wilde.

As a movie star he not only acted in several Hollywood feature films, such as “The Grim Game” for Paramount Aircraft Pictures (1919), but he eventually wrote, produced, and created his own Houdini Picture Corporation.

Born Erik Weisz, in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, on March 24, 1874, the scion of a Jewish rabbi, his early beginnings lost no time in becoming shrouded in mystery. As a young child, he was brought to Appleton, Wisconsin. After their arrival, ironically, it was Houdini’s mother, Cecilia Weisz (formerly, Miss Steiner), who began the Man of Mystery’s enigmatic life. After their Wisconsin settlement, she arbitrarily claimed Appleton as his place of birth, and April 6 as his birthday. It has been asserted that she wanted to jettison her son’s Hungarian birth so that young Erik would assimilate quicker, thinking he was American, not an immigrant’s son.

birthday, and Appleton as his place of origin. This devotion to his mother’s wishes began the first of many mysteries of Harry Houdini’s life. In subsequent interviews, as an adult, this misled many newspapers, and other publications, to print both his birthplace and birthday, erroneously.

The man of mystery left a trail of controversy and puzzlement from cradle to grave. Like the consummate illusionist, his life became difficult to separate fantasy from reality.

Sir Winston Churchill once made a celebrated remark about Russia on a radio broadcast in 1939 that could very easily apply to Harry Houdini’s life: “A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”

There have been legions of books and several films on the life of this great showman, so the intent of this article is to delve into those aspects which are less well-known to the casual observer. However, some prominent points of reference must be made to give a somewhat clear overview of the man’s life.

Diary recordings reveal that Harry was particularly close to his mother, as her motive for his acclimation into the New World was never applied to his siblings.

Specifics regarding Houdini continue to be as elusive as his escapes. For instance, several esteemed scholars disagree on such rudiments as his height, etc. Some biographers give his height as 5’ 2.” Other sources estimate him as 5’ 7” tall.

In a letter to his brother, Theo, Houdini vowed to continue his mother’s observance of his April 6

Referencing photographs where Houdini is standing next to famous individuals is of no help as Hou-

*** You can’t give away a used mattress but somehow we wind up paying $300 a night to sleep on one at a hotel.

(about William Faulkner) 6. “Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I’ll waste no time reading it.” – Moses Hadas

***

7. “I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” – Mark Twain

These insults are from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words.

8. “He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.” – Oscar Wilde

1. “He had delusions of adequacy.”

– Walter Kerr

9. “I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend, if you have one.” – George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

2. “He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.” – Winston Churchill 3. “I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.” – Clarence Darrow 4. “He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.” – William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway) 5. “Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?” – Ernest Hemingway

10. “Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one.” – Winston Churchill, in response 11. “I feel so miserable without you; it’s almost like having you here.” – Stephen Bishop 12. “He is a self-made man and worships his creator.” – John Bright 13. “I’ve just learned about his ill-

dini would use various tricks to appear taller, such as standing on his toes or using a variety of lifts in his shoes.

Credence tends to favor his physical stature as 5’ 5” – and that remains the most authoritative estimate. Why are such details of importance?

Primarily because accurate minutiae is a vital barometer in the overall accuracy of any pursuit. And secondly – and perhaps as importantly – the genral populace wishes to be so informed. It is highly democratic to give the people what they wish to know. Worldwide interest in Harry Houdini – even to this day – seems to substantiate this ‘craving for detail.’

As so often happens when the early immigrants came to America, immigration officials sometimes officiated their names phonetically, i.e. as it sounds, rather than how it should be properly spelled.

Houdini’s birth name, Erik Weisz, was recorded at his port of entry as Ehrich Weiss.

Young Ehrich was often called by a pet name, Ehrie. To the indiscriminate ear, Ehrie sounds like “Harry,” and so the evolution was a subtle one: Harry Weiss. But even this name transformation was only temporary.

The young Ehrich Weiss soon Houdini continued on page 3

ness. Let’s hope it’s nothing trivial.” – Irvin S. Cobb 14. “He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others.”

– Samuel Johnson 15. “He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up.” – Paul Keating 16. “He loves nature in spite of what it did to him.” – Forrest Tucker 17. “Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?” – Mark Twain 18. “His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.” – Mae West 19. “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” – Oscar Wilde 20. “He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support Chuckles continued on page 12

The Paper • Page 3 • August 21, 2025

Houdini from page 2 became enamored with the great French illusionist, Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, after reading the great magician’s autobiography. So entranced was Harry that he wanted to become like Houdin, himself.

A close friend (erroneously) told the smitten Ehrich that if he only added the letter “i” to Houdin, it would signify “like,” in the French language.

Wanting to be like his idol, Houdin, Harry quickly added the ‘i” and subsequently became: “Houdini.”

Later in life, much of the fabrication that surrounded him was of his own making.

Houdini’s friends were names out of a Who’s Who book. One of his closest admirers was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, distinguished author of the Sherlock Holmes books.

The British writer was forever convinced that Houdini possessed supernatural powers; a claim that Houdini, himself, denounced as totally untrue. It was Sir Conan Doyle’s wife, Lady Doyle, that caused Houdini to become even more derisive about so called spiritualists – mediums who claimed to make contact with the dead. This, despite the fact that a young Harry Houdini performed as a spiritualist, earlier in his career.

Regarding Lady Doyle, a rather uncomfortable episode transpired for the now-established escape artist, when she showed Houdini a demonstration of “spirit writing,” wherein she claimed to be an intermediary between Houdini and his deceased mother, Cecilia Weisz. When Lady Doyle wrote a message that she said came from his beloved mother, from the spirit world, Houdini became perturbed. The alleged message from the Great Beyond was ‘written’ in English, stating that Mrs. Weisz was happy, and for her son not to be despondent. The message was accompanied by a Christian cross, which further caused Houdini discomfort.

Mrs. Weisz was obviously of the Jewish faith, the wife of a rabbi, and would never have included any Christian symbol. Neither would she have written anything in English.

German was her first language and she both spoke and wrote German to him, having very little knowledge of the English language, as did her husband, Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weisz, who was from the German Reform Judaism faith.

Rabbi Weisz was fluent in three languages: German, Hebrew, and Hungarian. English was never mastered.

Little did Lady Doyle realize that her escapade as a spiritualist-medium – who claimed to have made contact with Mrs. Weisz – would help set into motion a crusade against Spiritualism, spearheaded

by Harry Houdini, himself. The profane involvement of his mother’s name on such fraudulent terms vexed him to the point that he became relentless in exposing fake spiritualists from coast to coast.

Houdini viewed such undertakings as insidious, causing many a grieving widow (and widower) to be misled, exploited, and often fleeced of their fortunes.

Like Don Quixote, Houdini tilted his lance, not at windmills, but at the charlatans who paraded as genuine mediums. Spiritualism was all the rage in 1920s America and Europe.

So much so that even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle supplanted his Catholicism for Spiritualism, which had its genesis in the 1840s. Doyle and Houdini soon became estranged.

Houdini’s attachment to his mother was towering. Her name would not be allowed to be desecrated in the name of Spiritualism. This was the woman who some say even occupied a tier above Houdini’s own wife, Bess (Wilhelmina Beatrice Rahner). When his mother died, at age 72, when Houdini was away from her, performing in Copenhagen, Denmark, he physically collapsed, unconscious, upon reading the cablegram telling of her passing in the States.

Prior to this sailing, his mother kissed him and told him in German: “Ehrich, vielleicht bin ich nicht da wenn du zuruck kommst.”

(Translation: “Ehrich, perhaps I won’t be here when you return.”)

She had uttered this before, but this time it came to fruition.

Houdini’s diary reveals the agony he endured. Long afterward, he would routinely visit her burial place, lying face-down upon her gravesite, speaking gently to her in revered tones.

That Houdini was, in street vernacular, a “Mama’s Boy,” is something he readily admits to in his own diary entries. There is no shame in it.

Barmitzvahed at age 13, Houdini kept the Torah’s law of honoring one’s parents, and so he did, Old World style.

Houdini’s death is often confused with that portrayed in Hollywood’s fictionalized movie version, “Houdini,” starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh (Paramount Pictures,

Houdini continued on page 5

Oodles!

Looking for things to do? Places to go?

Check out Oodles every week for listing of civic and service club meetings, and more!

Have an event you need publicized?

Email it to: Lisa.ThePaper@gmail.com 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. Send a press release.

• Send photos as attachments, not embeded in the document.

Beta Sigma Phi’s Beginning Day August 23rd • 11am The Hidden Valley Vista City Council of Beta Sigma Phi International will be celebrating Beginning Day - “Sisters and Happiness Grow from Seeds of Kindness” on August 23rd, starting at 11:00 am at J&M Family Restaurant 1215 East Valley Parkway, Escondido.

Menu Choices: Club Sandwich with Fries, or Chicken Fettuccine and Roll, or Cobb Salad with Ranch Dressing and Roll. Includes water or Iced Tea and Cookie. Cost is $22.00.

All HVVC Chapter members of Beta Sigma Phi – active, inactive, on leave, transferees and their guests are invited to make a reservation by calling Suzie at 760-8893552 by August 15th.

Beta Sigma Phi is a social, cultural and philanthropic International Sorority, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, with chapters throughout the world. If you are interested in belonging to a special organization and make many new friends, call Sue at 858-484-8752. *** Free Grant Writing Workshop August 26th • 6-7pm Are you looking to secure funding for your project, nonprofit, or small business? Join us for our Grant Writing Workshop, designed exclusively for first-time applicants interested in applying for Community Enhancement and/ or Neighborhood Reinvestment Grants. Tuesday, August 26th from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. VANC (Veterans Association of North County) 1617 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, CA 92058 What You’ll Learn • How to write a strong and competitive grant application.

• The key elements and strategies to secure funding.

• Step-by-step guidance for first-

time applicants.

Who Should Attend Individuals and Nonprofit organizations This workshop will give you the tools, insights, and confidence to submit a successful grant application.

Event Contact: Candyce Yee candyce.yee@sdcounty.ca.gov *** McClellan Senior Center August Events August highlights at McClellan Senior Center include weekday congregate lunches at noon, Movie Monday on August 25th at 1:15 pm. featuring Spectre, and the OUT & ABOUT transportation program for weekly shopping trips.

Shuttle service runs Mondays and Wednesdays with pickup at your home starting at 9 a.m. and dropoff after shopping. www.vista.gov *** Fall Prevention Awareness Week September 22nd - 26th September 22-26 is Falls Prevention Awareness Week, a nationwide observance to raise awareness on preventing falls, reducing fall risk, and helping older adults live without fear of falling. This year, the San Diego Fall Prevention Task Force and its partners are hosting a week of outreach events and activities at various locations countywide and online.

Visit www.SanDiegoFallPrevention.org for a complete list of events, locations, and registration details. If you have questions, please contact HealthierLiving.

HHSA@sdcounty.ca.govor call (858) 495-5500.

Oodles continued on page 12

The Paper • Page 4 • August 21, 2025

Local

Carlsbad Police Arrest Parolee After Carjacking and Pursuit On August 13th, at approximately 7:46 am, the Carlsbad Police Department received a “Be-On-theLookout” alert from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office for a silver Toyota RAV4 taken in a carjacking.

The suspect reportedly approached the driver, demanded she exit and stole the vehicle through fear and intimidation.

Carlsbad officers monitored updates as the stolen vehicle was detected by License Plate Readers in the city. At approximately 8:38 am, officers located the vehicle near La Costa Avenue and the Interstate 5 overpass.

When officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver initially pulled over but then fled at a high rate of speed, reaching more than 100 miles per hour and committing multiple traffic violations.

At approximately 8:49 am, the pursuit was terminated due to public safety concerns. A San Diego County Sheriff’s Office deputy later deployed spike strips at approximately 9:05 am, deflating a tire and enabling Carlsbad officers to re-initiate the pursuit.

At approximately 9:10 am, the suspect continued northbound on El Camino Real before sideswiping an-

other occupied vehicle losing control and crashing into a bus stop structure and a tree near Faraday Avenue.

The suspect exited the vehicle and ignored officers’ commands, walking toward nearby occupied vehicles that were stopped in traffic. A Carlsbad police K9 was deployed and apprehended the suspect, who continued to resist arrest. While officers attempted to secure him in a WRAP restraint device, one Carlsbad Police officer sustained a minor injury. No members of the public or police K9s were injured.

The suspect, 30-year-old Kenneth Ash of Oceanside, was on parole at the time of his arrest. He was treated at a local hospital before being booked into the Vista Detention Facility on multiple charges, including: Carjacking Felony evading Assault on a peace officer Resisting arrest Hit and run Violation of parole The case remains under investigation, and the Carlsbad Police Department will continue to work with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office as the investigation moves forward.

is a prodigious amount of work.

There are those who read The Paper and think . . “this newspaper business must be a pretty easy job.

You only have to write one column a week. How hard can that be?”

Man About Town On Writing a Column . . . by lyle e davis There’s this guy . . let’s call him Sean . . . ‘cause that’s his name.

Sean. Sean Dietrich.

He writes a column seven days a week. We occasionally publish his work. We love his writing.

But writing a column, seven days a week? Anyone who is a writer, professional or amateur, knows this

Sometimes it’s very difficult. The ideas take forever to come . . . other times the ideas flow and so do the words. But it does get frustrating when you’re on deadline and the ideas just don’t come. What to write about? A piece of whimsy?

An essay on the local political scene? A criticism of local officials or events? The costs of water?

Scratch that last idea. Boring.

But Sean Dietrich does it seven days a week. Amazing! He is also a musician, a humorist, a lecturer . . . a showman. And he still manages to write seven columns every week.

Most of them are brilliant. Occasionally a klinker finds its way to the editor . . but most times they’re mighty good reading. He is able to write and capture the dialects of the Southern folks. Indeed, he is billed as Sean of the South and most of his pieces deal with southern culture . . hospitality . . . music . . . and dogs.

If you want to know how easy or difficult it is to write a column, pop in some day at The Computer

Arrest Made In Fatal Stabbing On August 16th, at about 8:02 am, Escondido Police Dispatch received a call of a man down and bleeding at the Escondido Transit Center located at 700 West Valley Pkwy. Escondido.

Officers arrived on the scene in less than five minutes and began immediate first aid on the adult male victim. Escondido Fire Paramedics arrived and transported the victim to Palomar Medical Center, where he was later pronounced deceased.

Later that morning, Escondido police officers contacted and detained a woman in relation to the stabbing at the transit center.

After further investigation, Detectives placed Kandilaria Freeman, a 33-year-old resident of San Diego, under arrest for the murder.

Freeman was later booked at the Vista Detention Facility for 187 PC (Murder) and placed on a “No Bail” hold for a Probation Violation.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Escondido Police Department at (760) 839-4722 or Detective Greg Clark at (760) 839-4450, referencing case 25007498.

Factory in San Marcos. Paul Van Middlesworth, he who has one of the most beautiful red heads in the world, Nome, as his wife, writes a weekly column in The Paper. Has done so for the past 25 years. Ask him how easy it is to come up with a column every week. He’ll tell you how desperate he is at times . . . searching for just the right idea to write about. He always seems to come up with timely observations . . .be they on computers, the local political scene, of life in general.

The legendary Tom Morrow, now retired, has written columns for at least 100 years (give or take a few).

He can tell you tales about how he, too, a seasoned professional, had to sometime fight to come up with ideas to make for an interesting column. He’s done it successfully for many years. Today, he’s earned a rest . . . after many years of laboring over a keyboard. Still, he has the occasional urge to write and will submit pieces to The Paper which, more often than not, we publish. We love his work.

Visit Jim Ellis at Escondido Coin and Currency in downtown Escondido. Jim writes a weekly column and he gives a lot of very helpful information on coins, currency, and the state of the precious metal markets. He writes as though he is

To submit a letter to the editor, please email thepaper@cox. net. Please be respectful, limit your letter to a maximum of 300 words and include your full name, e-mail address, town, and a valid phone number where you can be reached. Letters will not be published anonymously. Letters are subject to editing.

Please no hand written letters.

sitting across the table from you, while you both enjoy a cup of coffee. He explains the sometimes complex world of coin, currency and precious metals in ordinary language . . . which is so easy for you and me to understand. Still, with all his knowledge, he often fights to come up with fresh ideas for his column.

We who write weekly columns have both a duty and a privilege to deal with. We are able to present our thoughts, ideas, and recommendations to you, our reader. Sometimes we make you laugh, other times we make you cry, and sometimes we make you angry . . . . but we try hard to meet our weekly task.

But easy work? Nope. Not by a long shot.

Try it yourself. Sit down and write a 500 to 750 word essay. Send it to a family member, a friend, a neighbor . . . then do it again next week.

Betcha you find out quickly it’s not as easy as you thought.

Now . . .get busy! Go write something! And make sure it’s Pulitzer Prize material!

Good luck. lyle

The Paper • Page 5 • August 21, 2025

Tricked Into a Palladium Membership ~ My Honeymoon Nightmare

by Christopher Elliott

“We have done the math and decided the savings are minimal if any from this package we were sold under false pretenses.”

Angela Reiffer and her husband thought they were getting a free couples massage after they checked into a Palladium resort in the Dominican Republic for their honeymoon.

Reiffer claims the promises made by the sale representatives didn’t align with the travel club benefits.

Instead, they ended up spending seven hours in a high-pressure sales pitch, surrounded by multiple salespeople and plied with drinks, they say. By the end of the day, they’d shelled out $6,999 and committed to three additional monthly payments of $2,000 for a Palladium Travel Club membership.

When they got home, they realized the membership wasn’t what they’d been promised.

“It ended up being just as expensive as booking online -- with no flights included,” Reiffer says.

“This package is not what we were promised,” she added. “Please do the right thing and proceed with a full refund and cancel our contract.”

Illustration by Christopher Elliott But before we go there, let’s take a closer look at this honeymoon travel club nightmare.

“It sounded like a great deal”

Reiffer tried to cancel the membership, but Palladium offered only a 15 percent refund, citing “closing costs.” Frustrated and out $10,699 they’d already spent, she reached out to our advocacy team for help.

Reiffer and her husband arrived at the Grand Palladium Punta Cana Resort & Spa, ready to start their honeymoon. Within 30 minutes of checking in, they received a call inviting them to a free couples massage.

This case raises several important questions:

“I thought it was a honeymoon perk,” Reiffer says.

Can you get out of a high-pressure travel club contract?

What should you do if a company misrepresents its product?

How can you protect yourself from aggressive sales tactics?

It wasn’t.

Houdini from page 3 1953). To this day, many people are confused as to how he actually died.

Another slice of mystery added to his legend and lore.

The beginning of his demise was at the Princess Theatre in Canada on October 22, 1926, where he was performing.

Earlier, Houdini had presented a lecture on physical fitness at McGill University. Ever the fitness fanatic – he never drank alcohol nor smoked – he espoused the virtues of clean living. Throughout his life, Houdini prided himself as a Spartan, for his agility, strength, and endurance. Early in his youth he excelled in sports, such as track, boxing, and swimming. He was such a formidable swimmer that he had once planned to compete in the Olympics in that event.

It is the apogee of irony that his physicality would, inadvertently, lead to his undoing. While reclin-

Instead, Palladium took them to an off-site sales presentation. For seven hours, they were surrounded by salespeople, served drinks, and ing on his backstage couch, reading his fan mail, two McGill University students visited him. One was an artist who was busying sketching a portrait of the great showman, when a third visitor arrived, by the name of J. Gordon Whitehead. It has been said that Whitehead was an amateur pugilist who was curious as to Houdini’s ability to withstand solid punches to his midsection.

Houdini had demonstrated this on previous occasions while lecturing on the importance of maintaining one’s physical fitness.

Whitehead inquired if the great magician would demonstrate to him how his abdominal muscles could withstand such a punch. Houdini acquiesced. Putting aside his fan mail, the great showman began his ascent from a reclining position on the couch. Not fully erect, and still not prepared on bracing his midsection, Whitehead unleashed a barrage of vicious punches! So ferocious were the punches that the other students thought Whitehead to have lost his senses! They were about to intervene when Houdini called them off.

Sadly, the damage had already

pressured to sign up for a Palladium Travel Club membership.

Palladium operates a resort chain in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Spain, offering a travel club for frequent guests with benefits such as discounts on vacation packages, potential room upgrades, preferential check-in/out, exclusive events, and a points system redeemable for future perks.

“It sounded like a great deal,” Reiffer recalls.

But once they sobered up and had returned home, they took a closer look at their club benefits and started to have buyer’s remorse.

Palladium responded by offering to cancel the Reiffers’ contract and refund 15 percent of their purchase.

Reiffer wants all of her money back. But can she get that?

Can you get out of a high-pressure travel club contract?

Yes, but it’s not easy.

Travel clubs often use high-pressure sales tactics to lure customers into signing up, and their contracts are designed to make cancellation difficult. Fortunately, many countries have cooling-off periods that allow consumers to cancel contracts within a certain time period -- usually three to five days.

Unfortunately, the Dominican Re-

“My husband and I talked it over,” she said in an email to Palladium.

Tricked continued on page 7

been done, but Houdini – by sheer physical fortitude – refused to let on.

When told the house was full, Houdini said he would not disappoint those who came to see him.

He had a show to commit to, and his stubbornness stayed on. By curtain time, the pain to his stomach worsened. Somehow, he preserved through the entire show.

Finally, the searing burn of internal damage had risen to the point where he confessed all to his wife, Bess. Incredibly, he traveled under his own power to Detroit for the next engagement – but barely. A doctor had been wired ahead to attend to him. Stubbornly, Houdini went directly to the Garrick Theatre where he was booked to perform, overseeing and helping set up his magic props. He had to lie on the floor of his dressing room, as his strength and constitution evaporated.

Like a game cock that knows not when to quit, the renowned escape artist limped to the floodlights to welcome the assemblage. Sheer willpower, alone, carried him through his paces and when intermission came, he staggered and fell to the floor, out of view of the audience.

A Dr. Leo Drezka was waiting at the Statler Hotel in vain, and finally found Houdini at the theatre.

Dr. Drezka, upon examining him, urged him to be hospitalized immediately!

He refused.

Perspiration rolled off his face and his fever rose to 104. He was getting worse fast, and he fought the inexorable advancement of internal poisoning.

What transpired next has puzzled the medical profession, as well as biographers: Houdini somehow returned to the stage to complete the second half of the show – though at times his assistants had to take over as the debilitating pain prevented him from raising his arms! His stubbornness Houdini continued on page 6

The Paper • Page 6 • August 21, 2025

5th District Supervisor • Jim Desmond What Happened to Prop 36?

From the beginning, Newsom opposed this measure. Now, rather than respect the outcome of a democratic vote, he’s using the budget process to gut the law before it ever has a chance to work. He’s leaving counties, law enforcement, and prosecutors without the resources they need to enforce it.

The consequences of this are real. Without proper funding, Prop 36 becomes an empty promise.

Law enforcement agencies are already stretched thin. Prosecutors can’t do more with less. The legislature offered just $110 million in one-time funds—a mere fraction of what experts say is needed to make this law effective. Estimates range from $250 million to $400 million annually.

Anything less ensures we go right back to the same failed policies that led to a surge in smash-and-grab robberies, organized retail crime, and drug-related street chaos.

This isn’t just negligence—it’s political retribution. Governor Newsom is thumbing his nose at Less than a year ago, California voters sent a loud the people of California simply because they dared and unmistakable message: they’re fed up with to disagree with him. It’s a cynical move that puts rampant retail theft, drug-fueled crime, and a jus- politics ahead of public safety. tice system that looks the other way. With nearly 70% support, voters approved Proposition 36—a We can’t let Sacramento ignore the will of the peobipartisan measure to close the loopholes cre- ple. I’m fighting to hold the Governor accountable ated by Prop 47, which allowed repeat offenders and ensure that Prop 36 is fully funded and impleto skate by with little to no consequence. Prop 36 mented as voters intended—because public safety restores accountability by strengthening penalties is not optional. Californians demanded change, for serial thieves and drug offenders while giving and it’s time the Governor listened. courts more tools to get addicts into treatment.

San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim DesBut Governor Gavin Newsom is actively work- mond, 1600 Pacific Highway, #335, San Diego, ing against the will of the people. Despite the clear CA 92101, United States http://www.supervisormandate from voters, he’s refusing to fund Prop 36. jimdesmond.com/

Houdini from page 5 was his undoing. He was finally taken to the hospital. Dr. Charles S. Kennedy performed emergency surgery, extricating his badly ruptured appendix on October 25.

Seventy two hours of poisoning had already started its lethal work prior to the surgery. Streptococcus peritonitis set-in during post op.

A frantic second surgery was performed on October 29, but the toll was too much for even Houdini to endure.

In everything Houdini did, he did in unprecedented style: his funeral was in New York at the Elk’s Lodge Ballroom, a stone’s throw from Broadway, the Great White Way, where all aspiring entertainers yearn to be. And he was supremely proud of his dexterity in manipulating a deck of cards; he was once billed as “The King of Cards,” a title he took great pride in. He died at age 52, the exact number of playing cards in a deck, the quintessential prop of all magicians.

It did.

Even his exit from this world was in typical Houdini style: he passed away on the most magical and supernatural day on the calendar, Halloween! And his funeral drew a standing-room only crowd of over two thousand people – even unto death, he was a showman to the end.

At precisely 1:26 p.m., on Sunday, October 31, 1926, at Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, the greatest escape artist the world has ever known failed to escape his final challenge.

From today’s perspective, we often lose sight of how much he challenged the standards of his time. He was photographed almost totally in the nude with only shackles adorning him. It was a

Sadly, he whispered to his wife, Bess, that he was tired of fighting, and that he felt his worsening condition would finally get the better of him.

sly way for Houdini to sell the ‘forbidden fruit’ of nudity to early 1900s America, in an age where full-body bathing suits were the order of the day, for both women and men.

Houdini had no equal in self-promotion and he made world headlines doing it. His mystique was so extraordinary that legendary French actress, Sarah Bernhardt, once pleaded with him to restore her amputated leg! Despite his denials of such powers, her persistence brought tears to Houdini’s eyes. Though it is true that the great magician created much of his own myth, he stopped short of ever claiming supernatural powers.

Despite these denials, there were others who swore to their grave, that they had witnessed Houdini’s otherworldly powers. J. Hewat McKenzie, president of the College of Psychic Science in Britain, claimed to have witnessed Houdini’s supernatural prowess when escaping from a confinement.

McKenzie swore that while standing at the wings, backstage, at one of Houdini’s performances, he saw the mystical showman ooze out of a huge canister that he was confined in (curtained off from the viewing audience), and then he reshaped himself back into human form! To his death, McKenzie never recanted his story.

Such pronouncements were scoffed at by Houdini, but, they nevertheless prevailed with large segments of society. Such was his impact on the consciousness of the world. A century after his death, he is still the paramount name in magic.

There is only one archival audiosource that exists of Harry Houdini’s voice. It was duly recorded in Flatbush, New York, on October 29, 1914, on what is called a Edison wax cylinder. Six cylinders in all comprise his voice recordings. His beloved sister, Gladys, is heard on one recording, in a poem recitation. Houdini repeats the poem in German.

That Houdini was ego-driven is axiomatic. Most Type-A personalities are. Like all mortals, he had both a good side and a bad one. To report his faults is fine; to ‘exploit’ them would be to rob him of his humanity on unrealistic terms. All in life is imperfect.

Houdini cuts a wide swath. His life tugs at the heartstrings. This little Jewish boy, born in Budapest, Hungary, brought to America in his mother’s arms – only to suffer extreme early poverty – grew up to become so dominant in his chosen profession that his name was entered into the 1920 edition of Funk and Wagnall’s popular dictionary as a verb: “hou’di-niz,” defined as: “to release or extricate oneself from confinement, bonds, or the like . . .”

He was, and is now, the very personification of mystery, and magic, and the elusive dream we all chase after in life. He lived the American dream.

Friedrich Gomez

The Paper • Page 7 • August 21, 2025

Follow District Attorney Summer Stephan’s Office on Social Media “Our partnership with the community is strengthened through direct and transparent communication using our social media. It is critical to our mission of pursuing justice and protecting victims,” said DA Stephan. “The DA’s social media shares groundbreaking crime stories and jury trial outcomes, new laws that impact public safety, the latest consumer fraud and scams, victim resources and latest tips to keep you and your family safe. We believe knowledge is power and we want our community to be informed and empowered to live with dignity and safety. Join us.”

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan is reminding the public they can follow the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office on multiple social media platforms, reinforcing the DA’s commitment to transparency, public safety, education, and to building strong partnerships with the communities it serves.

Tricked from page 5 public doesn’t have a law that specifically addresses clubs or timeshares, and there is no provision for a rescission period.

In Reiffer’s case, her contract had a cooling-off period, but it had passed by the time she realized the travel club wasn’t what she thought it was. So legally, Palladium could have kept her money and charged her the balance under the contract she’d signed.

The public can follow the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office on all its social media platforms for updates on criminal justice initiatives, victim services, high-profile prosecutions, public safety warnings, crime prevention campaigns, and community events.

Users can scan a QR code at https:// www.sdcda.org to get all the social

she says. “It was clear they’d misrepresented the membership.”

This documentation strengthened her case, but not enough to nudge Palladium into a full refund.

“Palladium has not failed to fulfill any terms and conditions of the contract,” a representative told her in denying her request for a full refund.

But she still had options. Consumers can dispute a charge with their credit card company or seek help from a consumer advocate. Reiffer chose the latter, reaching out to Elliott Advocacy for assistance.

But Reiffer’s story brings up another useful strategy. You can let this case play out on social media.

A company like Palladium is particularly sensitive to any online criticism and may agree to a refund if you remove a damaging social media post. This is universally true in the travel club business. No one wants a negative word written.

What should you do if a travel club misrepresents its product?

How can you protect yourself from aggressive sales tactics?

Travel clubs are notorious for exaggerating the value of their product, as I explain in my ultimate guide to joining and leaving a travel club. (Reader’s Digest version: Don’t join.)

The best way to protect yourself is to avoid high-pressure sales situations altogether. If you’re offered a “free” perk, be skeptical. Free gifts like dinner, event tickets or a couples massage are often a way to bait you into a sales trap.

If a travel club misrepresents its product, it is time to find your inner accountant. Document everything. Keep copies of contracts, emails, and any other communication. Take notes, and if possible, record the conversations.

Reiffer did this, providing detailed records of her interactions with Palladium.

“I had emails, phone records, and notes from the sales presentation,”

If you decide to attend a presentation, set a time limit and stick to it. Don’t sign anything on the spot, and take the contract home to review it carefully. A sales team member may claim that you can’t remove a contract and that this is a “one-time only” offer, but that’s just another high-pressure sales tactic. Just say no.

Bottom line: Take your time and

media links directly.

The District Attorney’s Office uses social media to keep the public informed about: • Major criminal case announcements • Consumer alerts and warnings • Crime prevention tips • Resources for victims of crime • Community outreach events • Legislative efforts impacting criminal justice reform The DA’s Office is active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, BlueSky, and X (formerly Twitter), with tens of thousands of followers staying connected through updates and stories from our multiple office locations across San Diego County. The office also has a presence on LinkedIn, sharing professional milestones and job opportunities.

The public can follow the San Di-

read the fine print.

Reiffer wishes she’d done that.

“They took an entire day of our honeymoon,” she says. “I’ll never fall for something like this again.”

Were they tricked into this travel club membership?

Reiffer says she was tricked into signing up for Palladium’s travel club.

She says the initial offer -- made during a seven-hour presentation -was impossible to say “no” to. The club membership, a representative assured them, meant they had 140 days of free hotels at any Palladium property. All they had to do was pay for the airfare.

But when she tried to use her membership, Palladium said it would cost her $2,624 for the week. That’s still a 40 percent discount, according to Palladium, but it turns out the offer wasn’t quite what it was supposed to be. Palladium charged extra for each person, according to Reiffer.

“I just looked at Cheap Caribbean online and the exact same vacation with airfare came to $2,900,” she says.

“We are very frustrated because we feel like we have been scammed,” she added.

If the Reiffers had taken the time to review their contract carefully, they might have avoided all of this.

But they were on their honeymoon

ego County District Attorney’s Office on: • Facebook: @SanDiegoCountyDistrictAttorney / @DASummerStephan • Instagram: @SDDistAtty / @ SummerStephan • YouTube: https://www.youtube. com/@sandiegoda • LinkedIn: San Diego County District Attorney’s Office • X (Twitter): @SDDistAtty / @ SummerStephan • BlueSky: @SDDistAtty.bsky. social / @SummerStephan. bsky.social For more information about the District Attorney’s Office and the resources it provides, visit: www.SanDiegoDA.com. News videos about the DA’s Office can be found on DAnewsCenter. com and residents can get DA news updates directly via email by signing up to receive the DA’s weekly updates.

and they were being plied with cocktails and it probably felt right.

But it was still wrong.

A company can’t make promises -- even verbal promises -- that are then contradicted by a dense legal document and not ruffle a few feathers. As I reviewed Reiffer’s case, my feathers were ruffled. The Reiffers thought they were getting a couples massage, and instead ended up with a $10,699 club membership they felt they couldn’t use.

Come on.

I reached out to Palladium on their behalf. I was curious about the company’s perspective. Had they really made these promises? And why only refund 15 percent if the Reiffers had never used their membership?

Palladium acknowledged my request, and despite its prior stance it never disputed the facts claimed by the Reiffers. In the end, there was good news.

“They have canceled the contract and refunded my money,” Reiffer told me. “I appreciate you!”

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.

The Paper • Page 8 • August 21, 2025

The One Drink That Can Ruin Your Next Trip At the halfway point, I got thirsty and saw a trough with running spring water. And I thought the exact same thing that Chadwick’s friend did: “This looks good enough to drink.”

So I did.

I began to feel unwell on our way back. And by the time we reached our cabin, I was in gastric agony.

I’ll spare you the details, except to say that I discovered projectile vomit doesn’t just happen in horror movies.

After that, I never drank “spring” water again.

Illustration by Dustin Elliott

by Christopher Elliott The water in Slovenia’s Lake Bled looked so crystal-clear that you could drink it. Which is exactly what one of Alyson Chadwick’s travel companions did. It was the drink that ruined her trip.

“She was sick as a dog for days,” Chadwick recalls.

Chadwick, who works for a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., says she’ll never forget the lesson: “Never drink from a natural water source like a lake.”

From contaminated water to sketchy street smoothies, the wrong drink can derail your vacation. And with more people vacationing this summer than perhaps ever, you can expect more incidents like Chadwick’s.

“Be careful about what liquids you consume while traveling,” says Cai Glushak, chief medical officer of AXA Partners North America.

“That’s especially true in developing and resource-challenged environments, where hygiene practices may be hard to guarantee.”

Here’s what you need to know about what to drink, what to avoid, and what to do if you sip something you shouldn’t. And I’ll also share my story of a drink I’ll always regret.

So what are you drinking on vacation?

Let’s start with the basics. When you’re traveling, and especially when you’re abroad, your drink options can range from safe to seriously risky.

“When you’re traveling interna-

tionally, one of the most important considerations is the quality of tap water,” says Bill McIntyre, a spokesman for Global Rescue.

“While some countries ensure safe drinking water for residents and visitors, others pose significant health risks.”

The World Health Organization publishes a helpful map with countries that have safe water. But it’s not just water. Ice, fresh juices, and even cocktails can lead to trouble.

Annika Kariniemi, a registered nurse from Phoenix, learned this the hard way on a recent visit to Mexico.

“I grabbed a fresh fruit juice from a street cart on a hot day,” she says. “It tasted amazing -- until I realized the ice was probably made with tap water. Twelve hours later, I was curled up in my hotel room, battling chills and stomach cramps.”

But the one drink that will almost always get you into trouble is alcohol. In a hot climate, alcoholic beverages can dehydrate you.

“It can also exacerbate your symptoms and cause serious issues like pancreatitis, especially when combined with eating a lot of really rich foods,” says John Gobbels, the chief operating officer of Medjet. “My advice is to use it in moderation.”

Or not at all. Alcohol can also seriously impair your judgment, and you could end up getting scammed or robbed, or even worse--wake up in a prison cell.

What to do if you drink something you shouldn’t.

So, you ignored the warnings (or

didn’t see them), and now you’re paying the price. What now?

First, don’t panic. “Most cases of traveler’s diarrhea resolve on their own within a few days,” says AXA’s Glushak. But there are steps you can take to ease your symptoms and prevent complications.

Stay hydrated: Dehydration is the biggest risk. Sip bottled water, electrolyte drinks, or clear broths.

Take over-the-counter meds: Antidiarrheals like Imodium can help, but use them sparingly. “They can prolong the illness if the cause is bacterial or parasitic,” says nurse Kariniemi.

Call a doctor: If symptoms are severe -- think high fever, bloody stool, or dehydration -- see a doctor. “Don’t wait until you’re too weak to travel,” says Gobbels of Medjet.

Pro tip: Don’t wait for trouble.

Pack a travel health kit with antidiarrheals, rehydration salts, and any prescription meds you might need.

But the most important thing to pack is -- you’ve probably already guessed it -- a large dose of common sense.

I’ll explain.

Lessons Learned About Drinking So what about my own Lake Bled story? Well, mine happened not far from there, near Lake Grenoble.

I was there for a few weeks with a friend. We were helping build a chalet in the French Alps as part of a summer mission. One Saturday, we decided to hike up an old Roman road leading to the top of the mountain.

But that wasn’t the most dangerous thing that happened to me. Looking back, I could have gotten into so much more trouble in my younger days when I went bar-hopping in various places around the world.

As a consumer advocate, too many of my readers’ cases begin with a cocktail -- especially the ones involving an impulsive timeshare purchase.

My solution: I stopped drinking alcohol -- entirely. I’m sure it’s kept me out of a world of trouble.

I’ll drink to that.

Whether it’s Slovenia’s deceptively pristine lakes or my own Alpine trough fiasco, where spring water turned my stomach into a horror movie audition, the lesson is clear - If it’s not bottled, don’t drink it.

But let’s not scapegoat water. That margarita-slash-regret-smoothie you grabbed in Cancún? It’s basically a piñata of poor choices, hiding tap-water ice and existential dread. Alcohol, while great for toasting sunsets, moonlights as a chaos agent, dehydrating you faster than a desert wind and inviting questionable decisions like buying timeshares and getting a tattoos.

You’re better off packing electrolytes, side-eyeing anything uncapped, and remembering that your vacation isn’t a dare. When in doubt, hydrate like a paranoid camel and save the adventurous spirit for the postcards. After all, the best travel stories shouldn’t start with “So there I was, clutching a toilet…”

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.

The Paper • Page 9 • August 21, 2025

Where Has All The Silver Gone?

by Jim Ellis Escondido Coin & Loan Silver has special physical and chemical properties that rivals any other metal.

Conductivity Silver is the most conductive metal available. Electricity flows through silver more easily than any other metal. Copper is the second most conductive metal. Copper is much cheaper than silver, but if you have a high performance application you’re going to need silver. Silver is the benchmark and the gold standard when it comes to conductivity.

Let’s examine how critical silver is in our world of growing electrification and smart technology.

Auto Industry Silver is used in the production of automobiles from electronics, battery systems and charging components. In the regular internal combustion engine vehicle, there is 15 to 28 grams of silver per vehicle.

In a battery powered EV, there are about 25 to 50 grams of silver per vehicle. EV technology is rapidly advancing and Next Generation solid state batteries are coming soon.

EVs with these new batteries will have a 600 plus mile range and a

full charge in nine minutes.These batteries will be safer because of a reduced fire risk. They will weigh less and have a lifespan of 20 years.

Now solid state batteries will require 1000 grams (35oz) of silver per vehicle; that’s 20 times more silver than your current electric vehicle and 40 times more silver than a non EV. At today’s current silver price that’s about $1300 per vehicle.

Samsung expects commercial production of their solid state batteries to begin in 2026 with mass production in 2027. Lexus and Toyota are beginning production of these EVs in 2027. It’s not just Toyota and Lexus, but other EV makers from BYD, a Chinese auto company, to Dodge; all are going to be going the way of solid state batteries.

Solar and Energy Production Solar cells produce electric currents when sunlight hits them. Silver conducts these currents more efficiently than any other metal, minimizing energy loss because of higher efficiency. They use 1.2 grams per solar panel. Let’s examine the growth of solar energy worldwide. The US Energy Information Administration expects solar installations in the US to grow by 26% in 2025. Worldwide, solar installations are expected to grow by 10% in 2025. More solar panels means more silver demand.

The Paper

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AI and High Performance Computing

and are going to pay the premium for silver.

There is an upsurge in Artificial intelligence and high performance computing. AI data centers require advanced circuit boards. All of this infrastructure requires silver as well.

In conclusion, silver production comes from 75% as a by product of mining other metals and only 25% from actual silver mining.

Above ground supply is at a deficit and will continue to decrease due to the increased demand and low production. Taking all of this into consideration, silver is truly a precious metal and might even become a rare metal. Got Silver?

Military and Computing Drones, missiles and targeting systems require cutting edge technology and high performance electronics. When it comes to military applications they are going to use the very best materials like silver

Purchase 10 ounces of silver and receive a 1/2 oz silver round on us.

The Paper • Page 10 • August 21, 2025

The Pastor Says . . .

What If? I am going to begin this column with a question. In fact, there will be a series of questions with some commentary.

What if you had never been born? Would the world be a different place, or would those in your life be different? Has your presence made a difference? What if you were born in another country in a different time?

Have you ever wished you had other parents and siblings? What if you were born with a disability? We could even ask, what if you were born a different sex, a boy or a girl?

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

We live with many desires for something different today. People don’t like where they live, so they move to a different State. Not only are there young people who desire sex changes, but many adults don’t like what they are. There are those who don’t like being born in the U.S. and move elsewhere. In one way or another, there seems to be a lot of dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. I suppose we could enjoy the challenge of changing the what-ifs. Perhaps it is true that most people just accept what-if for themselves. It seems that accepting whatever is would be more peaceful. While some change is possible and even desirable, it is certainly less stressful than trying to be somewhere else and somebody else. There is a passage in the Bible that helps us out of this quagmire found in Philippians 4: 12 “Learn to be content.” It is obvious that in a world and time of many choices, one can apply some discipline to accept what life has given us.

We can and must learn to be content just as the Apostle Paul did for his own peace of mind.

Pastor Huls

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.

We do ask this question: WHAT IF? In a bigger way. A Jewish friend and I were discussing the Holocaust and what it meant for the world. In a minimal way, what if the Nazis had killed Einstein before his contribution to the world of science, or what was lost in the arts, science, music, or any of the other disciplines that disappeared in the gas chambers? What could so many minds have contributed to our world? We are poorer because so much was destroyed. We have but to look at the achievements of Jewish culture to see what we lost.

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We need not limit our thinking to this racial loss. One of the most amazing acts of creation is human conception. When a child is conceived, an entire universe of potential, creativity, and imagination is brought into being for the benefit of humanity, and indeed the world. Yet, so many see it only as an obstacle to human pleasure and a limitation of personal ambition. In 2020, there were Pastor Says approximately one million abortions in the U.S. Since then, the count continued on page 12 is higher. We take into consideration the medical issues such as abnor-

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Pet Parade

Pet of the Week

Polly Pocket

Siff

Polly Pocket is pet of the week at Rancho Coastal Humane Society.

She’s a 5-1/2-year-old, 62-pound, female, Siberian Husky mix.

She was transferred to Rancho Coastal Humane Society from a crowded shelter partner through Friends of County Animal Shelters (FOCAS). She’s social and polite.

Her $145 adoption fee includes medical exam, spay, vaccinations, microchip, and a one-year license if her new home is in the jurisdiction of San Diego Humane Society.

Siff is a young, sweet boy who’s sure to melt your heart — especially if you have whipped cream! He walks beautifully on leash and loves spending time with his people.

Whether it’s a stroll around the block or a whipped cream treat break, Siff is just happy to be by your side. Siff loves his human friends SO much, that he would do best as the only animal in the home. Come meet your new best friend!

Visit Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas or log on to www.SDpets.org. Open 11 to 4 every day but Tuesday. Open until 6:00 PM Thursdays.

Siff (912938) is available for adoption at San Diego Humane Society’s Escondido Campus at 3500 Burnet Drive.

If you have questions about the adoption process, you can visit sdhumane.org/adopt or call 619299-7012.

Adopt any adult cat or dog 6 months or older at RCHS by August 31st and the fee will be waived.

Online profile: https://www.sdhumane.org/adopt/available-pets/animal-single.html?petId=912938

The Paper • Page 11 • August 21, 2025

How is the IW changing us? Part 1 of ? and leave the future solely in the hands of the DNs. The vast majority of The Paper readers (including Nome and I) are DIs (45 or older). Most of us have young kinfolk of the DN generation ranging from children to greatgrandchildren. We notice something a bit different about them but we love them just the same. So what is this difference between DIs and DNs?

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In the high tech world of 21st century computing, you’re either a DI (digital immigrant), a tweener or DN (digital native). A DI is an individual who was born in or before 1980 and achieved adulthood prior to the birth of the IW (intelligent web). A DN is a person who was born after Jan 1st 1995 and spent their formative years under the ubiquitous influence of the IW. The tweener (AKA Millenial) was born between 1981 and 1995. Depending on their early exposure to the IW, they are evenly divided between DIs and DNs. The DI generations the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X and half of the Millenials, add up to around 188 million or a bit over half of today’s US population. We DIs will comprise the majority of American adults for perhaps another decade or so as we glide toward our inevitable extinction near the end of the 21st century

There is no difference between DNs and DIs from birth through the very early years. Like other mammals, humans spend the early part of our lives being protected by the adults and acquiring the basic knowledge and skills needed to survive. We DIs, who grew to adulthood before the IW, developed these assets from traditional 20th century sources.

We developed our cognition from parents, friends, teachers, books, TV, movies and other contact with the world around us. The DNs have all of these information sources too, and one more, the DNs have the IW. The IW contains the bulk of human knowledge and represents an alternative to the traditional sources of information as listed above. The IW also has AI which competes with internal human intellectual resources.

The IW offers instant access to the sum of human knowledge along with an intelligence capable of analyzing it.

The answers and solutions provided

by the AI abetted IW are faster and more reliable than those provided by the internal cognitive resources of any single individual. Answers and solutions from the IW are not only faster and better than those from any single individuals internal cognition, they also required little human energy expenditure. Instead of utilizing internal memory and cognitive resources, DNs accept the IW is an internal resource and its AI as a substitute for internal cognition.

Incorporating the IW as a substitute for internal cognitive resources is a rational decision. Access to the sum of man’s knowledge and high speed AI to process provides fast reliable information with minimal human energy expenditure.

On the downside, the DNs integration of the IW is having a measurable impact on some of their internal cognitive assets. The DNs internal adoption of the IWs external data

base and AI has caused some declines in IQ test and social skill scores. Easy access to answers and solutions through the AI enhanced IW may cause lower IQ scores in the same way that man’s physicallity and muscle mass needs have been diminished by using machines that do our physical work for us.

The lower social skills among DNs is likely a result of social isolation and loss of “face time” caused by DNs increased internet connection time, (DIs average 7-8 hrs /day).

We DIs have expressed concern that the IWs ability to store and analyze information may be replacing the cognitive resources that mankind developed over the last 300,000 years.

That reliance on the IWs vast store of information and ever improving AI could replace the need our hard won intellectual resources and make us slaves of own inventions. Is that possible? Tune in next week.

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John Van Zante’s Critter Corner

It’s B-O-R-I-N-G For Pets When The Kids Go Back To School periods of time.

pet them, smooch them, or rub their tummies. If we go away, they get a ride in the car. They love it and so do we.

Every fall my mom mentioned how things changed when my sister, brother and I went back to school.

Dad went to work, leaving Mom alone with our dog, Rusty.

They got into their routine. Mom said Rusty knew when it was time for me to come home. She sat by the window and watched for me to come up the sidewalk.

During the summer our pets get lots of attention and love for basically doing nothing. All they need to do is be within arm’s length and we’ll

• Don’t make a big deal of it when you get home. Don’t acknowledge the dog until you’re settled in. After your dog calms down, it’s time for greeting and pets.

The back-to-school transition can be difficult for us and even difficulter for our pets. (Yes. I know that difficulter isn’t a real word.)

It’s harder for dogs than it is for cats. Some researchers say dogs are more likely to desire time with their people.

Others say it has to do with “pack mentality.” Dogs don’t understand why, all of a sudden, some pack members leave them. They can suffer separation anxiety.

Here are some ways to ease the transition during back-to-school season.

• Many trainers say to make your dog work for attention.

While you have its full attention it’s a great time to teach your dog a new trick.

• Get your pet used to spending time alone. Even if you’re just running to the store to pick up a couple things you can leave the dog at home. As you go for some longer periods to buy school clothes or supplies, leave the dog home.

Ease it into being alone for longer

• Mental stimulation is as important as physical activity. After the kids go to school, take your dog for a walk, practice tricks and training, or go to the dog park to socialize with other dogs. It’ll be good for both of you. And your dog will take a nap when you get back, so it’s ready to play when the kids get home.

The Paper • Page 12 • August 21, 2025

Chuckles from page 2

Power Tools And How To Use Them

rather than illumination.” – Andrew Lang (1844-1912) 21. “He has Van Gogh’s ear for music.” – Billy Wilder 22. “I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But I’m afraid this wasn’t it.” – Groucho Marx 23. The exchange between Winston Churchill & Lady Astor: She said, “If you were my husband I’d give you poison.” He said, “If you were my wife, I’d drink it.”

24. “He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.” – Abraham Lincoln 25. “There’s nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won’t cure.”

– Jack E. Leonard 26. “They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge.” – Thomas Brackett Reed 27. “He inherited some good instincts from his Quaker forebears, but by diligent hard work, he overcame them.” – James Reston (about Richard Nixon) *** If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea.... does that mean that one out of five enjoys it? *** If you’re surprised at Jeff Epstein committing suicide, think how surprised he must have been.

SKIL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make boards too short.

Senior Service Council of Escondido Needs Volunteers

BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

There is an urgent need for reception volunteers. Responsibilities include handling phone and email inquiries, appointment scheduling, and personally greeting and directing visitors. Please call, email and/ or complete an application at the SSCE website shown below. Shifts are 9-noon Monday & Friday, and 9-noon and noon-3 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 760480-0611 info@sscescondido.org, https://escondido-senior-services. org/volunteer

WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, ‘Oh shit’.

Will easily wind a tee shirt off your back.

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

CHANNEL LOCKS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

***

OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for igniting various flammable objects in your shop and creating a fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.

Some people are like slinkies.

They’re really good for nothing.

But they do bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity. Very effective for digit removal!

***

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

*** Trump negotiates Russian Ceasefire by giving Putin California.

Light travels faster than sound.

That’s why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. *** One out of four people in this country is mentally unbalanced. Think of three of your closest friends. If they are okay . . . then you are the one. ***

Oodles from page 3

BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut large pieces into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash after you cut on the Chuckles continued on page 13

*** Chess at Park Avenue Community Center Wednesdays & Fridays Home of Escondido Senior Center, 210 Park Avenue, Escondido, 760-839-4688.

Chess players of all skill levels are welcome every Wednesday AND NOW EVERY FRIDAY in the shuffleboard building from Noon – 3 p.m. Friendly games with large boards and pieces provided. No fees or reservations.

Follow the signs or ask at the front desk for directions. *** Music Men Always Looking For Guys Who Love To Sing Are you a guy, high school age or older, who loves to sing? Have you always wanted to be in a performing group, but thought you weren’t talented enough or didn’t have the musical background? The Music Men Chorus may be able to help...

The Music Men Chorus is an a cappella (no accompaniment) chorus that performs 4-part, close-harmony songs arranged Barbershop-style, with ringing chords. We are affiliated with the non-profit Barbershop Harmony Society. The chorus performs at public and private events in North San Diego County.

We have open rehearsals on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm at San Marcos Lutheran Church, 3419 Grand Avenue. Male singers interested in learning more about barbershopstyle singing are always welcome to attend. There are no formal auditions, just a voice check to see which voice part (Tenor, Lead, Bass, or Baritone) best suits you.

We encourage visitors to sing with us. Prior musical experience is helpful but not a necessity. We will seat you between 2 veteran singers to help you along. And we can provide you audio learning tracks to help you learn the music.

Currently, we are offering an opportunity for interested male singers to perform with us at Holiday concerts in December if they: A) attend weekly rehearsals on a fairly regular basis from now through December; and B) become proficient at singing our Christmas repertoire (memorize a short list of songs and be able to sing the others with music). This is a great chance to try a cappella singing in the Barbershop style with a dedicated, fun group of guys!

To hear a sample of our singing, go to our website, musicmenchorus. org, and click on the photo on the homepage, which will take you to a video of the Music Men singing at a competition earlier this year.

For more information about the Music Men, contact Bill at (760) 5856315 or wolszanicky@yahoo.com.

Pastor Says from page 10 malities and some extreme cases.

The main problem is the loss of so much potential for humanity. We have but to look at a generation of youth and all that it brings to our world of creativity, ingenuity, and even joy. WHAT IF all those aborted children had lived to make our world a more fulfilling place?

It is not only in these areas that we humans have done ourselves an injustice by shortchanging ourselves.

I think of some of the great artists in music, art, and science who have escaped the prejudice and bigotry of the church and politics of the narrow-minded. What a loss without Tchaikovsky and Galileo.

What if so much that has happened and is happening destroys a world of talent and creativity because one is a homosexual or is out of the box of social acceptance? WHAT IF God creates such talent? Who has the right to deny it?

Pastor Huls

Advertise in The Paper call 760 747-7119

The Paper • Page 13 • August 21, 2025

MIGHTY MOJO APPLIANCE REPAIR

PRINTING

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ALOHA PRINTING

Kenmore • Whirlpool • Roper Estate • Maytag • Admiral

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HNL Appliance Repair Chuckles from page 12 inside of the line instead of the outside edge. Also excels at amputations.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of all the crap you forgot to disconnect.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening oldstyle paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

PVC PIPE CUTTER: A tool used to make plastic pipe too short.

HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent to the object you are trying to hit. Also very effective at fingernail removal.

UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door. Works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts.

Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

These can also be used to initiate a trip to the emergency room so a doctor can sew up the damage.

SON OF A BITCH TOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling ‘Son of a bitch’ at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

Read The Paper Online www.thecommunitypaper.com

SOLAR & ROOFING

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Sewer & Drains Cleaning Main Sewer Line • Hydro Jetting Camera Inspection • Clogged Toilet Kitchen Drain • Shower Drain and many more!

(760) 274-5595

The Paper • Page 14 • August 21, 2025

Do Your Homework – Check Your Receipts • Stores must display the price of an item, as you are buying it, before the transaction is complete. Watch the display screen as your items are scanned.

By Tracy DeFore, County of San Diego Communications Office It’s back-to-school time and that means shopping for school supplies. And that also means, a reminder to check your receipts!

• Take sales advertisements with you when shopping to verify prices.

In the school shopping flurry of new backpacks, notebooks, pencils, pens, and everything else on the teacher’s list, keep an eye on your receipt. Double-check it before you leave the store to make sure the school supplies you bought were sold to you for the advertised price.

• Know that stores cannot legally charge more than their lowest advertised, posted or quoted price.

Shop Smart • Plan ahead. Watch for store sales, flea markets, garage sales, clearance sales, etc.

The National Retail Federation reports the average K-12 shopper plans to spend $858.07 on school supplies, clothes, shoes and electronics this year. Plans for back-to-college spending are even higher at an average of $1,325.85.

devices every year to make sure they’re accurate. That includes scales that charge for items by weight, and other price-setting equipment.

average overcharge was $1.80.

Overall, the amount is a little less than last year, but for many of us, that’s still a lot of money.

But faulty cash registers and price scanners can accidentally overcharge you.

Here are some tips to make sure you’re getting what you pay for.

The County’s department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures inspects more than 1,620 local businesses and 23,900 price-scanning

In 2025, between January and August, 18.6% of every local business inspected—nearly one out of every five—had overcharge errors. The

That may not seem like a lot, but that amount can add up, especially when times are tight.

Protect Against Overcharging • Always verify receipts and immediately notify store management of any price discrepancies.

• Make a list of what you need.

• Comparison shop with at least five different sources for the best values.

• Don’t buy everything at once.

Buy what you need over several weeks or months to take full advantage of future sales and true bargains.

For more information visit sandiegocounty.gov

LEGALS SUPERIOR COURT OF CALLIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO 1100 Union Street San Diego, CA. 92101 Probate Case Number 25PMOO1503C SPOUSAL PROPERTY PETITION Petitioner Barbara Ellen Valenti requests determination of property passing to the surviving spouse or surviving registered domestic partner without administration (Fam Code :297.6 Prog. Code : 13500).

Petitioner is surviving spouse of the decedent.

Decedent died on 4/24/2025.

Decedent was a resident of the California County named above. Testate and a copy of the will and any codicil is affixed as attachment 4(C).

Decedent is not survived by a stepchild or foster child or children who would have been adopted by decedent but for a legal battle. (See Prob. Code :Sec 6454.)

Attachment 7b contains the legal description of the community or quasi-community property petitioner requests to be determined as having belonged under Probate Code sections 100 and 101 and Family Code section 297.5 to the surviving spouse or surviving registered domestic partner upon the deceased spouse’s or partner’s death, subject to any written agreement between the deceased spouse or partner and the suriviving spouse or partner providing for a non pro rata division of the aggregate value of the community property assets or quasi-community

assets, or both.

The names, relationship, ages, and residence or mailing addresses so far as known to or reasonably ascertinable bh petitioner of (1) all lpersons named in decedent’s wlll and codicils, whether living or deceased, and (2) all persons checked in items 5 and 6 are listed below: Name and relationship Age Residence or mailing address Ashleigh C. L. Valenti age 32 5603 Madrid Road, Ap. 6, Isla Vista, CA. 23117 Gregory V. Valenti age 62 23286 S. Moonlight Road, Spring Hills KS 66083 Liza M. Valenti age 53 500 Redland Court, No. 204, Owikngs Mills, MD 21117 Matthew C. Valenti age 55 929 Riverview Drive, Morgantown, WV 26502 Scott J. Valenti age 65 23286 S. Moonlight Road, Spring Hills KS 66083 The names and addresses of all persons named as executors in the decedent’s will and codicils or appointed as personal representatives of the decedent’s estate are listed below: Matthew C. Valenti, 929 Riverview Drive, Mograntown, WV 26502 Carver L. Pugh, 4667 Beechwood Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043 A petition for probate or for administration of the decedent’s estate has not been filed and is not being filed with this petition..

Date: 5/24/2025 /s/ Alan L. Geraci, Esq. SBN 108324 I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct. /s/ Barbara Ellen Valenti Date: 5/24/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9013955 The name of the business: Foxy Faces Esthetics, located at 1582 W. San Marcos Blvd., Suite 102, San Marcos, CA 92078. Registrant, Amber Layne Fox, 1582 W. San Marcos Blvd., Suite 102, San Marcos, CA 92078.

This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business: N/A /s/ Amber Fox with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 7/22/2025 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9014072 The name of the business: Set In Stone Concrete, located at 1990 Alessandro Trail, Vista, CA 92084. Registrant, Matthew Cody Stone, 1990 Alessandro Trail, Vista, CA 92084, Briea Nicole Stone, 1990 Alessandro Trail, Vista, CA 92084. This business is operated by a Married Couple.

First day of business: 7/1/2025 /s/ Matthew Cody Stone with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 7/22/2025 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21/2025

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME 25CU037082N TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Joshua K. Sims filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: Naomi Attiya Boyd-Miller to Proposed name Naomi Attiya Sims. 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: August 29, 2025, 8:30 am, in Dept. 25 No hearing will occur on above date. Please see attachment The address of the court is: 325 S. Melrose Dr., Vista, CA 92081. A copy of the Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Marcos News Reporter, dba, The Paper, 845 W. San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos, Ca. 92078. Dated July 15, 2025 /s/ Brad A. Weinreb, Judge of

the Superior Court 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9013470 The name of the business: Point A To Z, LLC, located at 311 Fireside St, Oceanside, CA 92058. Registrant, Point A To Z, 311 Fireside St, Oceanside, CA 92058. This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company.

First day of business: 10/4/2024 /s/ Karin D. Wright, President with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 7/15/2025 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9014542 The name of the business: Coastal Yokel, located at 2607 Joan Lane, Fallbrook, CA 92028. Registrant, Teresa Lynn Sargent, PO Box 1112, Fallbrook, CA 92028. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business: N/A /s/ Teresa Lynn Sargent with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 7/30/2025 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9014332 The name of the business: Magnum Laser Fab, located at 985 Poinsettia Ave., #B, Vista, CA 92081. Registrant, Magnum Offroad LLC, 985 Poinsettia Ave., #B, Vista, CA 92081. This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company.

First day of business: 1/1/2025 /s/ Michael Rosenzwerg, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 7/28/2025 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9014023 The name of the business: South Bay Auto Care, located at 428 Smith Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Registrant, Pablo Arturo Padilla Casillas, 428 Smith Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910, Arturo Padilla, 428 Smith Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910.

This business is operated by a General Partnership.

First day of business: N/A /s/ Pablo Arturo Padilla Casillas with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 7/22/2025 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9011245 The name of the business: Care Choice Home Care, located at 1152 S. Santa Fe Ave., Vista, CA 92083. Registrant, care Choice Health Systems Inc., 1151 S. Santa Fe Ave., Vista, CA 92083.

This business is operated by a Corporation.

First day of business: 7/29/2014 /s/ Kimberly Wilson, COO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 6/11/2025 7/24, 7/31, 8/7, 8/14/2025 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME 25CU040163N TO ALL INTERESTED PER-

The Paper • Page 15 • August 21, 2025

LEGALS

SONS: Petitioner Pargol Agha Mohialddin filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: Pargol Agna Mohialddin to Proposed name Pargol Mohi.

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: September 12, 2025, 8:30 am, in Dept. 25 No hearing will occur on above date. Please see attachment The address of the court is: 325 S Melrose Dr, Vista, 92081.

A copy of the Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Marcos News Reporter, dba, The Paper, 845 W. San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos, Ca. 92078. Dated July 31, 2025 /s/ Brad A. Weinreb, Judge of the Superior Court 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28/2025 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME 25CU039634N TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Kendall Naomi Hogan filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: Kendall Naomi Hogan to Proposed name Kendall Naomi Salinas. THE COURT ORDERS

NAME STATEMENT 2025-9015033 The name of the business: Dwell Studio, located at 2965 Roosevelt St., Carlsbad, CA 92008. Registrant, Julia Mozelle Sims, 1720 Calle Platico, Oceanside, CA 92056. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business: 7/5/2007 /s/ Julia Sims with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 8/6/2025 8/14, 8/21, 8/28, 9/4/2025

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: September 12, 2025, 8:30 am, in Dept. N-25 No hearing will occur on above date. Please see attachment The address of the court is: 325 S Melrose Dr, Vista, 92081.

A copy of the Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Marcos News Reporter, dba, The Paper, 845 W. San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos, Ca. 92078. Dated July 29, 2025 /s/ Brad A. Weinreb, Judge of the Superior Court 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28/2025

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9014539 The name of the business: Jane Day Services, located at 943 Sunset Dr., Vista, CA 92081.

Registrant, Jane Elizabeth Day, 943 Sunset Dr., Vista, CA 92081. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business: 5/1/2025 /s/ Jane E. Day with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 7/30/2025 8/14, 8/21, 8/28, 9/4/2025

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9014156 The name of the business: Treehouse Studios, located at 5670 Bounty Street, San Diego, CA 92120. Registrant, Robert D. B. Burns, 5670 Bounty Street, San Diego, CA 92120. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business: 7/18/2025 /s/ Robert D. B. Burns with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 7/23/2025 8/14, 8/21, 8/28, 9/4/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9015335 The name of the business: Royalty Touch, located at 17161 Alva Rd., San Diego, CA 92127. Registrant, Alex Shoeybi, 17161 Alva Rd., San Diego, CA 92127. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business: N/A /s/ Alex Shoeybi with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 8/11/2025 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9015394 The name of the business: The Deep Forest, located at 945 Lake Ridge Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078. Registrant, Christo-

pher Martin Kennedy, 945 Lake Ridge Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078. This business is operated by an Individual.

First day of business: N/A /s/ Christopher Martin Kennedy, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 8/12/2025 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11/2025 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2025-9014563 The name of the business: Painting Collective, located at 527 N. Highway 101 Ste E, Solana Beach, CA 92075. Registrant, The Wallpaper Collective, 527 N. Highway 101 Ste E, Solana Beach, CA 92075. This business is operated by a Corporation.

First day of business: N/A /s/ Nir Berkovich, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 7/30/2025 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11/2025 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME 25CU041151N TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Artemis Kefallinos filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: Artemis Kefallinos to Proposed name Artemios Kefallinos.

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.

First, I Discovered America, Then I Discovered

The Paper

Ever since I can remember I’ve had the burning desire to discover new places, new adventures. Because of this, I set out to discover a new country . . . and I was successful.

I even ventured inland a great many miles where I discovered a place I called Minnesota. “This,” I thought, “would be a great place for Scandinavians.” So I headed back to Norway to recruit settlers. While I was gone, some clown named Columbus claimed he discovered America.

Life ain’t fair. Except life also give us The Paper. I read it whenever and wherever I go exploring and only buy from those who advertise in The Paper. It’s a Viking thing.

Your friend, Eric the Red

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: September 19, 2025, 8:30 am, in Dept. N-25 No hearing will occur on above date. Please see attachment The address of the court is: 325 S. Melrose Dr., Vista, CA 92081. A copy of the Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Marcos News Reporter, dba, The Paper, 845 W. San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos, Ca. 92078. Dated August 6, 2025 /s/ Brad A. Weinreb, Judge of the Superior Court 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11/2025 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME 25CU042425N TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Farnaz Soltanabadi Shiralipour filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: Farnaz Soltanabadi Shiralipour to Proposed name Farrah Farnaz Shiralipour.

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: October 3, 2025, 8:30 am, in Dept. 25 No hearing will occur on above date. Please see attachment

The address of the court is: 325 S. Melrose Dr., Vista, CA 92081. A copy of the Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: San Marcos News Reporter, dba, The Paper, 845 W. San Marcos Blvd, San Marcos, Ca. 92078. Dated August 13, 2025 /s/ Brad A. Weinreb, Judge of the Superior Court 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11/2025

Advertise your Legal in The Paper 760 747-7119

The Paper • Page 16 • August 21, 2025