ADAMS AVENUE NEWS, DECEMBER 2015 by SD METRO

ADAMS AVENUE NEWS A Positive Community Newspaper Created by Locals, for Locals, Supporting Local Businesses Vol. 24 No. 12 Holiday Issue 2016

MidCityNewspaperGroup.com

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Local Flavor: Circa Comfort Soul Food Keep this charming eatery a secret. Read Jennifer Coburn's story on PAGE 15

Peevey Closing February Victor and Sylvia Vallejo, who have owned and operated Peevey Jewelers for close to 35 years, will close up shop for good in February and enjoy retirement, relaxation, world travel and their grandchildren. Meanwhile, jewelry prices are half off. PAGE 17

Holiday party a big success Thank you to all of the of the jolly neighbors who attended the Normal Heights Community Association’s “Holiday Home Decorating Contest and Tour. About 120 neighbors attended the party, with over 100 of these participating in the tour. PAGE 14

Winnie’s Christmas Picks Winnie is back with a great collection of films that are perfect for celebrating the holidays. PAGE 3

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Brad Weber ReachLocal@MidCityNewspaperGroup.com

Chef Mike Almos owns Circa with his neuroscientist wife, Terri.

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

MOVIES

WINNIE’S

PICKS! Christmas time is almost here and we are thinking about movies we want to be sure to see during this family time. I wish all of you happy holidays and enjoy the season. We are so fortunate, because we have a large family close to us to enjoy all the time. Here are some of the oldies you want to put on your list.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE - James Stewart and Donna Reed. This is a must see showing this regular guy how important he has been in the lives of his loved ones. We all love the angel, Clarence. You just can’t help but sit down and watch when you hear this movie coming on.

THE BISHOP’S WIFE - Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. The bishop is praying for a way to get money to build his church. Cary Grant comes down as an angel to help. They remade this with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston, but I still love the original best.

ELF - with Will Ferrell. I really do enjoy this movie and I think it is one that gives everyone a little smile on their face and hopefully gives you the eternal hope of the season.

JOYEUX NOEL - Christmas Eve during World War 1. A beautiful story when both sides fighting lay down their arms and “Silent WHITE CHRISTMAS - Bing Crosby, Night” was sung by a German soldier. A Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney (George’s beautiful, touching movie. aunt). Please enjoy this feel good movie. Make sure your young ones watch and enjoy the entire musical. They need to see these iconic actors and experience a feel good movie. Irving Berlin music is among the best.

HOME ALONE - Macaulay Culkin plays Kevin, who is accidentally left at home alone by his family. Culkin turns into a Rambo fighting off bumbling burgulars. This is a fun CHRISTMAS STORY - Talk about icon- series for all. ic. All of us remember Ralphie and his desire for the Red Ryder BB-gun for Christmas. This HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of you and see is such a fun movie for all. The story takes you at the reopening of Ken Video. Winnie many of us back to our childhood and the snowy times and joyous season.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

COMMUNITY

COMING&GOING

Madison Restaurant and Bar to Open in University Heights

The new Madison Restaurant and Bar will bring upscale dining, modern design, curated music, and creative cocktails to San Diego’s Park Boulevard this December. “We look forward to introducing Madison to the University Heights neighborhood,” said Madison Managing Partner Jeffrey Fink, also owner of M-Theory Music and managing partner of FLUXX nightclub. “Located right on Park Boulevard and offering a menu with options for any occasion, Madison will be the type of place you can enjoy a beer with a friend one night, and go on a dinner date the next.” Chef Mario Cassineri, partner and executive chef of BiCE Ristorante, will design Madison’s menu. Staying true to Chef Mario’s Northern Italian roots, the menu will feature several Mediterranean influenced dishes, with classic Southern California ingredients. Chef Tony “G” (Gutierrez), formerly of BiCE Ristorante, La Strada and Opera Café, will helm the Madison kitchen. Chef Tony trained under Chef Mario for four years at BiCE and looks forward to bringing his menu to life at Madison. The restaurant will also feature a full bar with cocktails designed by mixologist Dan Dufek,

local beers, and a tailored wine program. “Much like the Madison menu, the design seeks to integrate local with international design and materials, making the restaurant both a stimulating and comfortable place to dine,” says Anna Sindelar, of ARCHISECTS, the industrial design firm responsible for Madison’s design, and former Cre- able on a corn tortilla with onion, ative Director of FLUXX. Madison is cilantro, crema, cabbage and salsa for located at 4622 Park Blvd., San Diego. $3 or on a handmade flour tortilla with onion, cilantro, crema, cabbage, — Maria Desiderata Montana salsa, avocado and cotija cheese for $4. Royale with Cheese will continue to serve its grilled cheese and burger menu, plus weekend brunch, at Park & Rec Thursday through Monday. Park & Rec, 4612 Park Blvd., San Diego

yoga classes and more. It will also be available to rent for private events and function as an overflow seating area for the wine bar on busy weekends. Meanwhile, in front of The Rose’s original spot, a new sidewalk patio was installed that adds another 12 seats. The Rose Wine Pub, 2219 30th St., San Diego.

Put a Little Something Local in Your Glass Meet the new Grand Ole BBQ Y Asado

Meet Loqui. Cocktail playland Park & Rec, opened earlier this year by Waypoint Public owner John Pani, has welcomed a Bay Area-transplanted taco pop-up that operates in the bar’s snack shack on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 p.m. until closing. Loqui hails from San Francisco’s Mission District, where it ran as a weekend pop-up from a window adjacent to the famed Tartine Bakery. Owner/chef Cameron Wallace, who grew up in San Diego, worked as a baker at Tartine; at Park & Rec, he’ll be cooking up a menu of fried fish, shrimp or fried zucchini tacos, avail-

Rose Wine Bar Takeover

The Rose Wine Bar + Bottle Shop has taken over the 1,000-square-foot space where Stone Brewing Co.’s satellite tasting room used to be. Partner and executive chef Chelsea Coleman told Eater that the wine bar will be using the site as an event space for such things as movie nights, painting and wine sessions, pre-brunch

Hillcrest is the new headquarters of Vinavanti Urban Winery. Winemaker/owner Eric Van Drunen, who relocated his eight-year-old winery from its Sorrento Valley facility into a thoroughly-renovated 3,300-square-foot space on University Avenue that’s now open Monday through Friday from 4 to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Made with grapes sourced from San Diego County, the natural, unoaked and unfiltered wine under the Vinavanti label include San Diego’s first certified organic wine, “The Maverick, a 50/50 field plend of Petit Verdot and Malbec, plus a 2012 Mourvèdre, a 2014 Rosé of Grenache and Cinsault and its popular 2011 GSM (2011

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre). Van Drunen also produces wine for Los Pilares, and will feature Los Pilares’ “BPN,” a sparkling Cabernet Sauvignon made “pét-nat” style. There are also four wines on tap, available in refillable “litro” bottles, and a rotating assortment of guest wines; the opening list features local Vesper Vineyards. All wines are available by the glass, bottle or flight, which range from prix fixe selections to build-your-own flights of five wines. Other beverages include craft beer on tap and in bottles, plus house cocktails that include red vermouth with tonic and mint and applejack stirred with orange bitters and agave syrup. The wine-friendly food menu consists of toasts topped with everything from sea urchin with sherried onion and cilantro to sous vide pork tenderloin, yellowtail crudo, roasted beets and warm brie with pickled peppers and raw honey; each variation is available in sets of three or seven pieces. Vinavanti plans on holding cellar tours which will include guided tastings, as well as hosting movie nights and special events to benefit local charities; its official grand opening, scheduled for Saturday, December 5 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., will donate a portion of proceeds to support the non-profit San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project. — Candice Woo, Eater San Diego

DIGGIN' IT Construction is underway for St. Augustine High's new gym and performing arts center near 32nd & Nutmeg Sts. Completion is set for mid-2017. PHOTO: STEVE CHIPP

COMMUNITY

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

Architect/Developer Jonathan Segal Honored Architect and developer Jonathan Segal has been named recipient of the 2015 American Institute of Architects Housing Award and Builder Design Awards for his groundbreaking 27-unit The North Parker mixed-use, live/work and affordable housing development in North Park. Segal, co-chair of the Master of Real Estate Development Program at Woodbury University’s School of Architecture in Barrio Logan, was honored for designing and developing The North Parker at the corner of 30th and Upas streets. The development includes two restaurants, a beer-tasting bar and an architectural office in addition to the 27 units. “The national AIA awards jury hit it on the nose when they

referred to The North Parker as ‘clean, light and fun,’” Segal said. “From the outdoor gathering places and street-level commercial spaces to the open, airy residences accessible by sweeping stairways, the whole structure has an open feel and lots of room for people to move around. It was a fun project from start to finish.” Rather than rely on others to develop and finance the projects he designs, Segal relies on a vertically integrated business model, essentially managing the entire process (and the cost of the project) from start to finish. Today, the firm has been responsible for the design and development of more than 300 medium- to highdensity urban residential, mixeduse and live/work units totaling

more than 300,000 square feet of construction. “Woodbury’s School of Architecture is extremely fortunate to have access to the talents and business acumen of Jonathan Segal,” said Catherine Herbst, chair of architecture at the San Diego campus. “His unique approach to designing, developing and managing projects inspires his students to think beyond architecture. There’s no limit to the kinds of things an architect can do.” Over the last two decades, Segal has received more than two dozen local, state and national AIA awards for residential and urban design.

BY THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

The North Parker

A section of the North Park Maintenance Assessment District.

Court of Appeal Rejects Attempt to End Neighborhood Improvement Programs San Diego property owners can continue to assess themselves as a way to pay for neighborhood maintenance and improvement programs, California’s Fourth Appellate District Court of Appeal ruled on Nov. 23. The Court of Appeal dismissed a suit filed by San Diegans for Open Government and attorney Cory Briggs against the city and its 57 voluntary Maintenance Assessment Districts (MADs). In so doing, the appeals court affirmed an earlier San Diego Superior Court ruling that dismissed the case “for lack of standing and failure to state a cause of action.”

The city has approved ordinances since 1969 that form MADs and enable them to impose assessments on district property owners to pay for community improvements and maintenance programs beyond those provided by the city. Typical enhanced services provided by MADs include: parkway landscaping and maintenance; sidewalk cleaning and litter removal; landscape and hardscape medians; graffiti removal; public right-of-way improvements; tree trimming; decorative streetlights, and security services. SDFOG, in its lawsuit, claimed the council resolutions were flawed.

The Court of Appeal noted that SDFOG provided no “support in the record” to substantiate that claim. The Court of Appeal also affirmed the lower court ruling that SDFOG had no legal standing to bring a lawsuit -- saying that SDFOG’s “novel theories on standing” in the case were not legally supportable, as it had no “concrete and actual” interest in the MAD assess-

ments, only a “conjectural or hypothetical” one. Had SDFOG prevailed in the case, the 57 assessment districts would have been invalidated, and the City would have been required to issue refunds to their members, potentially involving tens of millions of dollars. “Maintenance Assessment Districts are legal and popular, and only property owners, who benefit from

the enhanced services, are assessed,” City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said. “By this ruling, 57 neighborhoods can continue to voluntarily assess their properties in a way that maintains and improves the community.” The case was argued for the city by Deputy City Attorney Carmen A. Brock.

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

NEWS

Crystallizing the Mysteries of the Cell

BY MICHAEL PRICE | SDSU NEWS CENTER

SDSU biologist Manal Swairjo sought out crystals for fun as a youngster, but now uses crystallography to better understand cells and improve medicine Growing up in the Hawally neighborhood of Kuwait City, Manal Swairjo was a bit of an outsider in two ways. She belonged to a refugee family that fled Gaza, Palestine, when she was a baby, and she, her parents and five siblings were sometimes treated like secondclass citizens. But she was also an outsider in that she spent much of her childhood outdoors, exploring the Arabian Desert. Her parents were both science teachers, and her geologist father would show her how to dig up fossils and petrified wood, how to determine the hardness of rocks and minerals. “In a way, I grew up without a country,” she said. “Instead, we had our education to count on.” Giant excavators used to build new freeways out into the desert would unearth geodes big enough for the young Swairjo to sit inside. She fell in love with exploring the natural world and, above all, with crystals. Today, Swairjo works on crystals of a much, much smaller nature. Earlier this year, she joined San Diego State University as an associate professor of biochemistry and brought with her a rich research program looking into the microscopic crystalline structure of a particular piece of cellular machinery called transfer RNA, or tRNA. Following her stars

At Kuwait University, Swairjo double-majored in math and physics and at first wanted to study astrophysics. She was accepted into a program at Boston University and in 1989, she moved there to start her life in the United States. “Cowboy movies and Star Trek were the extent of my exposure to American culture,” Swairjo said. “I was a huge Trekkie.” So Boston came as a bit of a shock to her. She experienced snow for the first time in her life during her first Halloween there, and caught some light teasing for her

ADAMS AVENUE NEWS northparknews.biz/digital MidCityNewspaperGroup.com Serving San Diego’s Premier Mid City Communities Chairman/CEO Bob Page BobPage@sandiegometro.com Publisher Rebeca Page RebecaPage@sandiegometro.com Associate Publisher Brad Weber ReachLocals@ MidCityNewspaperGroup.com

Katherine Faulconer in front of One San Diego’s office in Golden Hill. (Photo by Chris Jenenewein)

excitement about it. But with the help of a close group of other international students, she soon found her place. It was also during this first year that she decided to give up astrophysics and pursue biophysics instead. Swairjo hadn’t studied biology since high school, but she relished the idea of challenging herself and doing work with more terrestrial impact. “My personal motto is, if you can do physics, you can do anything,” she said. Within biophysics, she gravitated toward crystallography, using X-rays to explore the atomic architecture of parts of the cell. Looking back, she sees how her childhood spent digging up geodes with her father shaped her career, but she never realized it at the time. “My father had an immense influence on me, but I didn’t even realize that until after I had earned my Ph.D.,” she said. Working with “nonsense”

After earning her doctorate, Swairjo worked as a staff scientist at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, then as an assistant professor at Western University of

Health Sciences in Pomona. At the latter institution, she began researching tRNA, an adaptor molecule that links messenger RNA sequence with amino acid sequence during the creation of new proteins. She’s particularly interested in naturally-occurring modifications to the tRNA’s building blocks called nuncleosides. Without these modifications, the decoding of the genetic information can go wrong, resulting in “nonsense proteins” that are responsible for several neurodegenerative diseases, as well as mitochondrial disease. Interestingly, the series of chemical reactions that leads to these modifications is also similar to the enzyme pathway used by harmful, drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA and Neisseria gonorrhoeae to produce a vitamin called folate. If you can prevent the bacteria from making this vitamin, you can kill it in its tracks. With funding from both the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, Swairjo and her colleagues are using X-ray crystallography to learn more about the microscopic construction of tRNA in hopes of designing drugs that can target the folate pathway, offering new weapons in the fight against bacterial disease. It’s a bit like designing a dummy key to fit into a lock so the real key won’t fit.

“When you know the structure of the active site of the enzyme, you can try to put a small molecule in the active site to block it,” Swairjo explained. “It’s easier to design an effective inhibitor when you have some knowledge about the shape of the active site.” Dream big

Even though she’s relatively new to campus, Swairjo is already finding her groove. She has implemented a problem-based learning model into her classroom teaching and has seen students respond with enthusiasm to what might otherwise be yawn-inducing lectures. She is also an investigator with SDSU’s highly productive Viral Information Institute, helping to introduce structurebased drug design to antiviral research. In a few years’ time, Swairjo hopes she will have made her mark in several different ways. One way would be to develop an enzyme inhibitor that becomes a promising drug candidate. Another would be to discover a novel protein fold or some new chemical property in the ocean. And the last would be to continue the crystalline legacy she inherited from her father. “I would like to graduate a crystallography Ph.D. student,” she said. “That’s also been a dream.”

Editor Manny Cruz Manny@sandiegometro.com Art Director Chris Baker cbaker@sandiegometro.com Marketing/Advertising Kelly Pouliot kellysdnews@gmail.com -----------------------------Writers/Columnists Bart Mendoza Delle Willett Anna Lee Fleming Sara Wacker Media Consultant Tom Shess Social Media Ali Hunt Photography Manny Cruz Sande Lollis Jim Childers Letters/Opinion Pieces North Park News encourage letters to the editor and guest editorials. Please address correspondence to Manny@sandiegometro.com or mail to Manny Cruz. Please include a phone number, address and name for verification purposes; no anonymous letters will be printed. We reserve the right to edit letters and editorials for brevity and accuracy. Story ideas/Press Releases Do you have an idea for an article you would like to see covered in this newspaper? We welcome your ideas, calendar item listings and press releases. For breaking news, please call us at (619) 287-1865. For all other news items, please email Manny@sandiegometro.com.

ADDRESS PO Box 3679, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 PHONE (858) 461-4484 North Park News distributes copies monthly to residents and businesses of North Park, South Park, Golden Hill and Normal Heights. The entire contents of North Park News is copyrighted, 2015, by REP Publishing, Inc. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without prior written consent. All rights reserved.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

BUTTERFLYS & INSECTS

‘Nymph Katydid Spit Shining its Antenna’ — Michael Shane.

Twenty-four award-winning wildlife photographers come together to display works that celebrate the gift of flight and depict majestic creatures in their natural habitats in a new exhibition at the San Diego Natural History Museum. These 70 images in “Butterflies and Insects” capture the detail of the bilaterally-symmetrical butterfly, as well as other insects and their arthropod relatives. The exhibition opened Sept. 19 and closes Jan. 11, 2016. Butterflies are seen as a multicultural symbol of beauty. Insects, on the other hand, are often met with slight prejudice and annoyance, but most are harmless and actually beneficial. Insects make up one of the most diverse groups of animals on the planet, including more than 1 million described species and representing more than half of all known living organisms. These photographic works capture the beauty and splendor of nature’s smallest citizens. Enjoy what these talented photographers have done with nature’s genetic paintbrushes, truly works of art. Butterflies and Insects is presented in the Ordover Gallery on Level 4 of the San Diego Natural History Museum.

‘Spring Pile Up’ — Caroline Brown.

‘Black Swallowtail’ — Barbara Swanson

‘Winged Green Beauty’ — Michael Shane.

‘Floating’ — Abe Ordover.

‘The Resting Queen’ — Barbara Swanson.

‘Nectar for Lunch’ — Mark Whitbeck.

‘Butterfly Abstract’ — Rex Short.

Archival pigment print image — Will Gibson.

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Air & Space Museum Enshrines Aviation Leaders into Pavilion of Flight

Alan Mulally

Alan Mulally, former executive vice president of Boeing and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and Frank Pace of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, were among honorees enshrined in the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s Pavilion of Flight on Nov. 19. Since 1963 the International Air & Space Hall of Fame has honored more than 200 of the world’s most significant pilots, crew members, visionaries, inventors, aerospace engineers, business leaders, preservationists, designers and space pioneers. The Distinguished Class of 2015 includes: • Alan R. Mulally joined Boeing in 1969 and progressed through a number of significant engineering and

Frank Pace

program-management assignments, including contributions on every Boeing commercial airplane from the 727 through the 787. • William F. Chana was involved with many key aeronautical projects during his lifetime, including during World War II when he worked as a flight test engineer on numerous Convair aircraft. He later gained fame as the developer and test pilot of “the world’s smallest plane,” the Wee Bee. He was a flight test engineer for Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, which became Convair. Helped develop many kinds of aircraft like the Liberator and Dominator bombers and the Convair 340 airliner. Died in 2012. Tested exotic aircraft, like the Sea Dart, world’s only supersonic sea-

plane. • Rear Adm. Tom Cassidy, (USN Ret.) and Frank Pace. Under the leadership of Cassidy and Frank S. Pace, San Diego-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. took bold steps in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and is now in the top tier of a short list of contractors building defense industry remotely piloted vehicles. • Lt. Col. Bob Ferry (USAF Ret.) Although Robert Ferry began his career as a fighter pilot, he became an expert in helicopters, where he made profound contributions in 24 years of flight testing, including on the still widely used Apache AH-64 helicopter. • Vice Adm. Fred Trapnell, (USN

Ret.) Frederick Trapnell was the first U.S. Navy pilot to fly a jet aircraft. He was considered the best, most experienced naval test aviator of his generation and co-founded the Navy’s first test pilot school. • Experimental Aircraft Association and The EAA Young Eagles. Founded in 1953, the EAA has grown from a handful of home-built aviation enthusiasts to an international aviation organization. The Young Eagles program has provided first flights for more than 1.9 million children. • Kenneth Friedkin, founder of Pacific Southwest Airlines. Kenneth (Kenny) Giles Friedkin was an American aviator and businessman. He obtained his pilot license at the age of 17. As a pilot and instructor, Fried-

kin opened a flight school in 1945, called the Plosser-Friedkin School (later named the Friedkin School of Aeronautics). Pacific Southwest Airlines was created by Kenneth and his wife Jean in 1949. Their experience and background led to PSA’s success. • Texas Congressman Sam Johnson, (Col. USAF (Ret.). A decorated war hero and native Texan, Sam Johnson ranks among the few members of Congress to fight in combat. During his 29-year career in the U.S. Air Force, Johnson flew combat missions in both the Korea and Vietnam. He endured nearly seven years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi.

Kenneth Friedkin Frederick Trapnell

Bill Chana

Thomas Cassidy

PSA stewardesses during the early years of the airline.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

By Bart Mendoza December 20 San Diego Troubador’s Annual Holiday Fest Grassroots Oasis will be the site of local music journal the San Diego Troubadour’s annual Holiday Open House and Fundraiser on Dec. 20. The night will feature an open mic stage as well as an outdoor fire pit, acoustic jam session area. What makes the night special is the fact that the music journal is acclaimed for its coverage of roots, folk, jazz, bluegrass and other Americana, so it’s natural that the night will feature many well-known local all stars and surprise guests, with a three song limit keeping the turnover high. The open mic will be emceed by singer-songwriters Jimmie Lundsford and Alan Land. www.facebook.com/grassrootsoasis

January 4, 2016 The Gloomies — Masters of the Pen

December 26 Eve Selis — Catch Her Live Powerhouse singer Eve Selis performs at Croce’s Park West on Dec. 26. One of San Diego’s best vocalists, Selis can do it all, roadhouse blues to torch song, with emotion in every note. Now a well established veteran of the San Diego music scene, Selis has been making a big splash in the UK during recent tours supporting her latest album, “Family Tree,” scoring BBC Radio play in the process and performing on the festival circuit. As good as the disc is, Selis is definitely a performer you want to catch live, her stage presence a perfect match for her vocal talents. www.crocesparkwest.com

Pysch-pop band The Gloomies has a free Monday night residency at the Soda Bar kicking off on Jan. 4. Barely around for a year, the band has had major success already, with their debut single, “LSD” / “Groves,” just issued and The Gloomies being named “Buzz Band of the Week” by influential British music paper, NME. They are a terrific live act and as their new single demonstrates, they are also masters at penning catchy garage/surf-tinged tunes, full of melody and reverb. Easily one of the best and most unassuming bands to emerge from San Diego’s fertile music scene in recent memory, these free shows give everyone a chance to see and hear what the buzz is all about. www.sodabarmusic.com

December 24 A Christmas Gift from the Casbah Christmas Eve might seem like the least obvious of times for rock ‘n’ roll, but for the last several decades, savvy music aficionados have been heading to the Casbah for Exile on Kettner Blvd. Originally a gathering of musicians on what is generally a slow night for entertainment, the night has now become a beloved local institution. Fans can expect the night to feature a combo of local all stars performing an evening of Rolling Stones covers, with a focus as the name implies on songs from the Stones classic “Exile on Main Street” as well as incendiary live trio, Schizophonics performing a special R&B-driven “Stone Soul Christmas Show.” Best of all, the whole thing is free, a holiday gift from the Casbah. www.casbahmusic.com

December 26 Strangelove in a Class of Their Own There are some really good tribute bands out there, but few match their namesake as well as Strangelove, a tribute group to electronica dance favorites Depeche Mode. Appearing at the House of Blues on Dec. 26 as part of a night of tribute acts dubbed “The Holiday Hangover.” Also on hand will be the Cured, Planet Earth and Idolized — doppelgangers for The Cure, Duran Duran and Billy Idol, respectively. All are excellent, but Strangelove is in a class of their own, truly the next best thing to the real deal. It’s amazing just how much they look and sound like Depeche Mode, no wigs or prosthetics here. If you’re a fan of Depeche Mode, rest assured you’re going to love every second of Strangelove’s set. www.casbahmusic.com

January 13, 2016 Music Legend Dave Mason Comes Alive Legendary rocker Dave Mason performs at the Music Box on Jan. 13. He’s had a truly amazing career. As a musician he’s been a member of Traffic, Derek and the Dominoes and Fleetwood Mac. As a songwriter he’s scored with his own hit, “We Just Disagree,” also penning such classics as “Feeling Alright,” covered by everyone from Joe Cocker to Michael Jackson. Meanwhile, he’s been heard on recordings by a rock ‘n’ roll who’s who, including the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney. Sadly, as time marches on, true music legends such as Mason are leaving us. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear one of modern rock’s pioneers in person. www.musicboxsd.com

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

COMMUNITY

Tips for Better Holiday Photos of Your Pet Be patient, and keep it simple BY COLLEEN CARNEVALE

Taking photos of our animal friends can be challenging under any circumstances; add the distraction of festive headgear or other holiday props and capturing something “card worthy” has debacle written all over it. Here are a few tips to make the process less stressful for you and your pet. Be patient and take your time. It may require a number of attempts over several days, giving your pal a break after 10 minutes or so. Chances are he or she is eager to please you, but has no idea what you want. Confusion quickly becomes fear; you don’t want to impose that on your friend and you don’t want to send out photos of him or her looking miserable. If you’re aggravated, that’s only going to make it worse. Keep your demeanor upbeat and fun; if you can’t do that, you BOTH need a break. No surprises. If you’re going to put fuzzy antlers, a collar with bells, or a Santa hat on your buddy, get him used to it well before you try to take photos. Leave it on a few seconds the first time and build up slowly (it may take weeks) so that he’ll tolerate it for several minutes. Help him develop positive associations with the item — a treat or play time can turn the experience into something he likes. The “no surprises” rule applies not only to props, but to locations as well. If your pal has never or rarely been to the place in which you’re taking the photos, you can’t expect him to be relaxed and focused. Cats are even less tolerant of change than dogs; stay within their comfort zone. Create your “set” ahead of time. Have everything ready BEFORE you bring the star in for her glamour shot. She’s not going to sit around patiently wearing an elf costume while you get organized. No on-camera flash. If your camera has a built-in flash, turn it off. Using the red-eye reduction feature isn’t going to help; your fur-kid’s eyes will still show up as either a ghostly green or white. If you need more light in the room, open all the win-

dows for daylight or turn on every lamp in the room and use a white sheet behind and beneath your pet to reflect that light back toward the camera. Attention is fleeing. Whatever you use to get your pet to look your way will only last a few moments and probably will only work a few times. Be prepared with several options; dogs tend to respond to sound, cats are more likely to react to motion. If you’re trying to photograph your dog, don’t call her name and then duck behind your camera. Chances are she’ll try to come to you and then be confused when you say No!! Go back, stay!” and then call her name again. Instead, when you’re both in position, try making a gasping sound or let a soft squeak come out of your throat. If you have help in this process, have someone behind you knock softly on the wall or scrunch an empty plastic bottle. If a cat is your subject, having a All photos by Colleen’s Custom Pet Photography helper is even more valuable. Someone to dangle a ribbon or flit a feathered toy back and forth can do wonders. Failing that, pick a time of day when your feline is snoozy and relaxed — then place a prop next to him, step back, and snap away. Don’t bother trying to get any of them to look at you when they’re scratching an itch or suddenly need to investigate something. Let them finish that, then start over. Don't overwhelm your pal or yourself. Putting Spot into a full-on Santa costume and plopping him in a sleigh surrounded by presents and miniature decorated tree is probably not the way to go if this is your first time taking a holiday pet photo. Keep it simple — an over-sized ornament or a stuffed toy with a holiday theme tucked next to her while she cozies up in her favorite bed gets the message across just fine. Colleen Carnevale, a San Diegobased pet photographer and owner of Colleen's Custom Pet Photography, has been named one of the region’s best in the San Diego A-List rankings for the past five years. She can be reached at www.custompetphoto.com.

custompetphoto.com

AUTOS

NEW CAR REVIEW 2016 Buick Enclave GM still has two “near luxury” brands — Buick and GMC — which is double what other car companies have. They have the mass-market line (Toyota, for example) and then the luxury line (Lexus). Theres nothing in the middle. With GM, you can go incrementally up two steps from the mass-market brand (Chevy) before getting to the top-of-the-line brand (Cadillac). Or down a step. Or, sideways. As a case in point, consider GM’s full-size/three-row crossover SUV. It is sold three ways, with prices that are less…or more…and sometimes, overlap. There is the Chevy-branded Traverse - which starts at $31,205 and tops out at $44,145. Next up is the GMC Acadia, which actually starts lower than the Chevy at $30,975 but tops out much higher, at $49,890. From there, you can go down or up to a Buickized version of the same basic vehicle, the Enclave, subject of this write-up. It starts higher than either the Chevy or the GMC at $39,065 but tops out a few hundred bucks down from the GMC, at $49,515. Mechanically, these are all basically the same rig. They differ slightly in terms of styling and (nominally) the Buick and the GMC are positioned as the

“nicer” versions but as the pricing structure reveals, this can get confusing. A loaded Traverse is arguably “nicer” — and pricier — than a base Enclave. And is a loaded Enclave any less (or more?) “nice” than a loaded Acadia Denali? GM retorts that the Buick version is the softer/quieter version, a kind of seven-passenger ermine slipper, while the GMC is more “rugged” (though also “nicer” than the Chevy, which is also “rugged.”)

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

BY ERIC PETERS

above) is $39,065 for the Convenience trim, which is only offered in FWD form. Next up is the Leather trim, which is available in both FWD and AWD forms ($43,660 and $45,660, respectively). The top-ofthe-line Premium trim is likewise offered with either FWD ($47,515) or AWD ($49,515). All Enclaves come standard with the same 3.6 liter V6, six-speed automatic and three rows of seats. What’s New

What’s is it?

The Enclave is the Buick-badged version of GM’s full-size crossover SUV. Its big sell is that it has more interior space (especially cargo room) than an Acura MDX, a Lincoln MKT, an Infiniti QX60 or an Audi Q7 — but isn’t as huge on the outside as something like a Chevy Suburban (or Infiniti QX80). It shares mechanicals with its Chevy and GMC-badged siblings but, being a Buick, it comes with luxury features such as three-zone climate control, leather trim and 19inch wheels standard whereas these are available optionally in the Chevy and GMC. The Buick also has exterior styling that’s more “Buicky.” It’s rounder and softer-looking than its more “trucky” and squared-off looking siblings. Base price (as mentioned up

Like its Chevy/GMC siblings, the Enclave (all trims) gets 4GB in-car Wi-Fi and the latest version of GM’s On Star concierge system. Premium trims can be ordered with a Tuscan package that adds 20-inch chrome wheels with bronze trim accents. This will be the final year of the currentgeneration Enclave; an all-new model (three all-new models, actually) is on deck for the 2017 model year. What’s Good

Third row is more than just a jumpseat for kids, as in smaller rivals like the MDX and QX60. Super smooth, super quiet. Class-best cargo capacity behind third row and with first and second rows folded down. Get one for a couple thousand less than Acura asks for an MDX or Lincoln wants for an MKT. Final year of

this generation Enclave probably means you’ll be able to negotiate a sweet deal on one as dealers try to clear inventory to make room for the new/2017 Enclave. What’s Not So Good

If you want AWD, the price jumps by $4,595 (the difference between the base FWD-only Convenience and the base AWD Leather trim). It’s kinda slow for the money, very thirsty and doesn’t pull as much as most of the others in its class. Wide-load turning circle (about two feet more than MDX). Getting long in the tooth. Current model is about eight years old (first year, 2008) and the 2016 will look really old when the-all new 2017 Enclave comes out. Under The Hood

All trims come standard with GM’s 3.6 liter V6, an engine that is used in everything from Camaros to Cadillacs (as well as Traverses and Acadias). It is direct injected, has variable valve timing and, in the Buick, makes 288 hp. A six-speed automatic is standard and you have the option of FWD or (in all but the base Convenience trim) AWD. The six isn’t weak but the Buick is heavy: 4,724 lbs. for the FWD version and 4,992 lbs. for the AWDequipped version. Which explains why it’s kinda slow,and very thirsty.

Zero to 60 takes about 8.5 seconds, about two seconds slower than the slightly more powerful (290 hp) but much lighter (3,960 lbs. ) Acura MDX. This would probably be okay if the Buick were easier on gas, but it’s not. The FWD version only manages 17 city, 24 highway while the heavier AWD model’s mileage is just 16 city, 22 highway. On The Road

It has no kick. That’s what one of my country friends said after I floored it for her, to demonstrate the Buick’s passing prowess. Or lack thereof. This $53,000 ride (as tested) accelerated about as quickly as the Toyota Corolla I was also test-driving the week I had the Enclave. But the Corolla’s an economy car, with a base price just over $17k. People don’t expect much to happen when they firewall the gas pedal of a car like that ... but at least you get good gas mileage out of the thing (32.3 MPG, about twice what the Buick averaged). It’s kind of deflating, on the other hand, to be driving a $53k vehicle that cannot out-accelerate a justover-$17k vehicle. And which drinks about twice the gas, too. The V6 tries; it’s just not strong enough. The beefy Buick weighs a pavement crushing SEE BUICK, Page 12

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

BUICK

CONTINUED FROM Page 11

764 pounds more than an MDX (and 22 pounds more than Lincoln MKT — which has 77 more hp). Once you get up to speed, though, the Enclave recovers its poise, which is as good or better than that of its rivals, almost all of which are tuned for “sporty” handling. Which inevitably means firmer riding. The Enclave’s ride is super smooth and super quiet, even though the Buick rides on 19 (or 20) inch wheels, with the short/stiff sidewall tires that go with them. It's obvious much thought went into suspension tuning and sound deadening. The latter probably accounts for a good portion of the Enclave’s bulk. At The Curb

Let’s start with the Enclave’s objective charms. The thing is immensely roomy inside. Even with all three rows in place, there’s 23.3 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind the third row. Lower the second and third rows and the Enclave can house a mariachi band plus a few trays of margaritas: 115.2 cubic feet of open space. Getting to the seats requires manhandling the second row forward, then clawing and crawling your way back there. Many of these “three row” crossovers would do better

AUTOS

chucking the useless third row and opening up the space for more cargo room. The Buick is among the few that has third row seats adults can get to without pulling something - and sit on without sterilizing themselves. There is 33.2 inches of legroom - comparable to the second-row legroom in several mid-sized cars and enough to make them comfortable for even a six-footer like me. The Rest

If it had been my call to make, I’d have made it possible to order the Convenience trim with AWD for another $2,000 or so (what it costs to go from a FWD Leather trim to an AWD leather trim) instead of the $4,595 kick in the soft parts it takes to move from the FWD-only Convenience to the AWD Leather. The Enclave’s primary appeals are its space and its value. As the price goes up, its deficits, relative to newer rivals, become more apparent. Bottom Line

The old gal still has some life left in her. But you might want to wait and see what 2017 brings. Eric Peters is the author of “Automotive Atrocities” and “Road Hogs” and a former editorial writer/columnist for The Washington Times.

2016 Buick Enclave specifications: Base price: $39,065 as tested (Premium AWD) $53,515 Engine: 3.6 liter V6, 288 hp. Transmission: six speed automatic. Length: 201.9 inches. Width: 79 inches

Wheelbase: 118.9 inches Curb weight: 4,724 lbs. Luggage capacity: 23.3 cubic feet EPA fuel economy: 17 city/24 highway (FWD) Where assembled: Lansing, Mich.

POLITICS

Anthony Bernal speaks to the forum audience while Chris Ward (seated) watches. Forum moderator Thom Senzee is at the podium. (Photo/Manny Lopez)

City Council Candidates Forum Anthony Bernal and Chris Ward seek District 3 seat BY MANNY LOPEZ

Candidates vying for the San Diego City Council District 3 seat squared off at a forum organized by the San Diego Police Officers Association and held at the historic Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park on the evening of Dec. 7. Contenders Anthony Bernal and Chris Ward stated their cases about why they should be elected to succeed termed-out councilman Todd Gloria. The event was open to the public and drew a small crowd of around 100 to listen to the candidates answer questions regarding rising crime, crumbling infrastructure, police recruitment and retention problems and Proposition B, which eliminates pensions for new city hires. The candidates also answered question about the San Diego Convention Center and whether they supported a continuous or contiguous expansion, entertainment permit fees, raising the minimum wage to $15, homelessness, street and sidewalk repair, parking problems, and dividing resources between bikes, cars, walking and transit vehicles. Ward is drawing on his experience as chief of staff for state Sen. Marty Block (D-San Diego), while Bernal is drawing upon his experience working at City Hall as Gloria’s director of business and community projects. “I’ve been going door-to-door speaking directly to residents for the past 15 weeks and they sound very happy with the way things are operating at City Hall,” Bernal said. I’m feeling very confident about my candidacy. My experience working for Councilman Gloria for the past seven years is a really big strength that I have going into this election, as well as my track record of delivering results for the city on community projects since 2008.” Ward said that he’s excited about any opportunity to talk to voters about his background and ability to handle the job on day one. “A lot of the public don’t even know that there is an election coming up and others ask me why I would run against Todd Gloria,” Ward said.

“This is a very engaged community with a lot of history and neighborhoods that sometimes have competing needs. But as a councilmember, you need to be able to understand, respect, honor and promote improvements and meet the needs of members of all parts of the district.”

Chris Ward addresses the audience as Anthony Bernal takes a seat. (Photo/Manny Lopez)

Thom Senzee, an award-winning journalist, founder of the “LGBTs In The News” panel series and a recently elected board member to the San Diego Press Club, moderated the event. “I think that the discussion had a very strong San Diego ethic or style, which was civility, courtesy and there was plenty of substance to be found,” Senzee said. “I’m sorry that the public wasn’t able to ask questions, but that was the way that the organizers decided to do it.” As the discussion was ending, several audience members stood up and complained about the voting public not being able to pose questions to the candidates in public. After the meeting, Brian Marvel, president of the SDPOA said, “I get where they’re coming from, but our format has always been the same for other forums. Our goal was to be able to have the questions that we wanted brought up discussed, which were community issues and public safety.” The forum began with a two minute opening statement by each candidate. Each of the sponsoring groups had a chance to ask two questions. Candidates were given 90 sec-

onds to respond to each question. If one candidate attacked or criticized the other, the candidate that was attacked or criticized was given the opportunity to respond for 30 seconds. Additional sponsors included the LGBT Weekly, North Park Community Association, Hillcrest Town Council, Gaslamp Quarter Association, San Diego Downtown Partnership and San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Communities in District 3 include Balboa Park, Bankers Hill, Downtown, Golden Hill, Hillcrest, Little Italy, Mission Hills, Normal Heights, North Park, Old Town, South Park and University Heights. Christina Chadwick, vice president for the Downtown San Diego Partnership, a leading advocacy group for economic growth in Downtown San Diego, said that the event was a great opportunity for the community to come learn from the candidates where they stand on issues, and decide who is best qualified to represent their neighborhood. “The District 3 councilmember will be the representative for the Downtown area,” she said. “For the Downtown Partnership it’s critically important to have a leader that we share mutual interests and common visions with and that we’re able to work together to really move projects forward for the city, so we clearly have a vested stake in helping to get elected a candidate that is best suited.” Marvel said that he was happy with the results of the discussion and hopes to have more debates down the road. He pointed out that there is still 26 weeks left until the primary election. “Hopefully people that were here tonight will be able to talk to their friends and community members to discuss what they heard,” Marvel said. “They’ll be able to see how maybe the candidate’s positions will evolve over time or if they will stick to what they’ve said.” For more information on the San Diego Police Officers Association, go to www.sdpoa.org or call (858) 5731199.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

COMMUNITY

Normal Heights Community Association 3rd Annual Holiday Party a Big Success Thank you to all of the of the jolly neighbors who attended the Normal Heights Community Association’s “Holiday Home Decorating Contest and Tour.” There were many wonderful and beautiful houses and everyone is a winner. About 120 neighbors attended the party, with over 100 of these participating in the tour. We filled up all three trolley runs at 35 passengers per trolley. In addition, we had neighbors driving the tour on their own in cars and bicycles. That is a lot of holiday spirit! We would like to send out special thanks to the following: • First and foremost, all of you that attended and participated. You inspire us – and it was a delight to spend time with our neighbors on this fun evening, sharing treats, laughter and song. • Every participant in the Decorating Contest. Thank you for all of your hard work to make our neighborhood light up with Christmas cheer. We hope you enjoyed our singing and were inspired as we ooh’d and ahh’d at your spectacular displays. • Adams Avenue Business Association – AABA funds and donates the trolley services for the tour. We absolutely couldn’t do it without them. • Our prize donators: Hillcrest Ace Hardware, Sabuku Sushi, The Rabbit Hole, DiMille’s and Antique Row. We are so thankful for your generosity and your eagerness for local involvement.

First Place Winner – “First Christmas” by Beth Antons.

PHOTOS BY JON BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

• Councilman Todd Gloria and Council Representative Adriana Martinez for making a special appearance and presentation for us. We are so appreciative of all of their community support this year. • Jon Bradley — the photographer who so generously donated his time and services to capture the magic. • Mamma Mia’s pizza for their wonderful service and delicious pizza. No slice was left behind. • Everyone who brought donations for The Community Needs Closet sponsored by Normal Heights United Methodist Church —thank you so much for giving. Every donation is much appreciated.

Holly Jolly Holiday Trolley – sponsored by Adams Avenue Business Association.

Normal Heights Community Association Board Members – (left to right) Nancy Palmer & Jessica Pasela.

Normal Heights community residents review holiday decorated house list before they cast their votes.

City Councilmember Todd Gloria spreading holiday cheer.

• All of the NHCA board members who worked hard on putting this event together. Volunteering your time and energy made this all possible. Thank you! The Holiday Home Decorating Contest winners: 1st “First Christmas” Beth Antons Live Animals Prize: two folding lawn chairs and one Igloo Cooler Combo donated by Hillcrest ACE Hardware. 2nd “Peanuts” Mikey and Myra Figgins Even Santa made a special appearance. Prize: One gift certificate from Sabuku Sushi and one gift certificate from The Rabbit Hole. 3rd “Disco Icicles” Morales Family — modern holiday spirit at its best. Prize: one gift certificate frm DiMille’s. 4th “Red & White Delight” Duke Pham — classic beauty is never understated. Prize: two free breakfasts or lunches from Antique Row Café. Thank you all for making this night so wonderful. We look forward to many more years of to come. The New Year promises to bring many new and exciting events and opportunities. Happy Holidays, Normal Heights Community Association www.normalheights.ca www.facebook.com/NormalHeightsCA

2nd place winner – “Peanuts” - Mikey & Myra Figgins

FOOD & DRINK

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

LOCAL FLAVOR: Circa Comfort Soul Food Keep this charming eatery a secret Shhh … don’t tell Rick Steves about this place. If the travel guru known for spotting local gems found out about Circa, the new California soul food restaurant in University Heights would soon be packed with L.A. hipsters and Bay Area foodies clamoring for the restaurant’s farmto-table creations.

Salmon plate.

What an unfortunate irony it would be if locals were crowded out of a restaurant known for its locally sourced produce and meats prepared by a San Diego native. Chef Mike Almos, who owns Circa with his neuroscientist wife, Terri, says he’s not trying to impress anyone with fancy emulsions and

BY JENNIFER COBURN

reductions, but rather lets “Mother Nature drive.” During our afternoon phone conversation, he explains, “I made a Caesar salad with a trio of mustard greens grown three blocks away, but I didn’t have good anchovies to use. I did have some wonderful oysters, though, so I tried that and it came out great. We get a lot of good feedback about the salty minerality of the dressing.” The chef is quick to add that this doesn’t mean reinventing classic comfort food. “We take traditional favorites and add locally fresh-driven twists to them without fundamentally changing what it is.” Case in point: Circa’s Old School Meatloaf. “It’s 50/50 pork and beef but we use oats instead of breadcrumbs, red ale gravy, and molasses ketchup,” explains Almos. “It’s yummy and it’s heartwarming, but it’s meatloaf that’s not trying to be something else. Same with Mary’s fried chicken. It’s cooked with duck fat which makes people very happy, but we don’t pretend it’s something other than fried chicken.” He adds that he can also prepare

Ready for customers.

meals for vegetarians, vegans, and people with any number of dietary restrictions including gluten-free dishes for people with Celiac Disease. At this point in the interview with Mike, I text my husband William and ask if he’s willing to take me on an impromptu date night. William is a meatloaf connoisseur and, frankly, that oyster Caesar salad is calling to me. In a few hours we arrive at Circa. Wearing a long gray ponytail topped with a Fedora, Mike works behind the bar chatting with customers and offering local craft beer on tap. He

also pops back to the kitchen to prepare meals. Circa’s cozy space is designed with a homey feel with oversized round windows and earth tone bricks in the dining room. There are retro design elements like a classic Underwood typewriter, a small TV quietly playing a Mel Brooks movie, a lava lamp, and a turntable for vinyl records. Mike says he only plays vinyl records but he takes requests, even letting customers offer their own selections. “Every night is bringyour-own-vinyl here,” he says. “PeoSEE CIRCA, Page 16

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CIRCA

CONTINUED FROM Page 15

ple often have records but no turntable. One Saturday night a regular brought in albums by the Doobie Brothers, Jackson Browne, and Dave Mason and we played them all, and those sounds and voices contributed to the experience.” Mike tells a story about another evening when a customer brought in an album by jazz artist Barney Kessel. As the music began, an older patron turned around with a smile on her face. Barney was her late husband. William and I share the Caesar salad, which was the best I’ve ever eaten —

There are retro design elements, like the classic Underwood typewriter.

and I’m a fan of anchovies. We also try the green bean casserole, which looks like a something they call “hot dish” in Minnesota — a thick, creamy casserole topped with crisp onion chips. William and I each take our first bite, our eyes widen, and we realize that this appetizer is not of the Campbell’s-soupand-Funyuns variety. It is made with goat cheese cream and organic brown mushrooms. As if on cue, the Ella Fitzgerald song “At last (my love has come along)” pipes through the record player. I adore my husband of more than 20 years, but on this night, I love that casserole just a bit more. He feels likewise. William has the old school meatloaf

Wall decoration.

FOOD & DRINK which I sample. A hearty marriage of flavors, it makes me feel like putting on a flannel shirt and chopping wood. Instead I stay put and eat more. My entrée is a perfectly cooked salmon resting on a bed of vegetables and crispy cubes of bacon. We are stuffed, but not able to stop ourselves from polishing off every morsel. Our waiter shows us the dessert menu. Resistance is futile. After great deliberation between chocolate mousse with candied hazelnuts, caramel, chocolate ganache, and sea salt, or the cast iron skillet apple pie with spiced date vanilla bean ice cream, or the berries and cream, we settle on the pie. Warm, perfect dough cradles fresh, sliced apples and perfectly burnt crumbles, all topped with Circa’s homemade ice cream. We realize we have made a mistake. We should have ordered a second dessert. Or maybe a third. We have a spoon duel and it is not pretty. San Diegans should not miss out on this delicious find of a restaurant. Celebrate special occasions (like having taste buds!) at Circa. Even take your out-of-town guests there for a taste of local flavor. But keep your fingers crossed that it never winds up in travel guide books because this secret treasure really needs to remain a treat just for us locals. Circa is at 2121 Adams Ave. (619) 269-9152. Website: www.circasd.com.

Green bean casserole.

COMMUNITY

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

Exit Peevey Jewelers The popular Kensington shop will close for good in February Victor Vallejo pulls out a grainy photo of himself to show one of the visitors to Peevey Jewelers, the Adams Avenue shop that he and his wife, Sylvia, have operated for close to 35 years. The picture shows a much younger Victor sitting in front of a jeweler’s work bench crowded with tools of the trade — pliers and cutters, soldering equipment and other instruments that have been part of the jeweler’s trade for many years. With his long, curly black hair, bushy moustache and easy smile, Victor looks to be what he was at that time — a young man getting his start in the jewelry and gem business. Many years later — on the eve of their retirement — Victor and Sylvia can look at that picture and share memories of their years in business. Victor and Sylvia, married for 45 years, will close Peevey Jewelers in February — 35 years after taking over the store in 1980. Peevey Jewelers was launched by Joe and Clyde Peevey in 1946 in Downtown San Diego. Victor started working at the shop in 1971, getting the job through a veteran’s program which paid half of his salary. In the succeeding years, Victor became a certified gemologist. Victor and Sylvia first met when they both worked at Foodmaker Corp. They have two children and four grandchildren. Victor does business the old fashioned way. He has served many second and even third generation customers for weddings, engagements and other special occasions. Customers shower the Vallejo’s and Peevey Jewelers with high praise, as exemplified by these remarks from the store website:

“These are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. They are lovely, gracious people who lovingly care for their clients. If you need a piece of jewelry repaired? Go to Peevey. Ready to pop the question? Peevey will get you set up with an engagement ring that she’ll love. Need a custom piece created? No problem. They have beautiful jewelry that goes from sterling silver charms to stunning diamonds.” — Christine “I have had a few things appraised and repaired at Peevey,very nice people to deal with, fast service and more than fair prices, will be back again and again!” — Jennifer “Victor and Sylvia Vallejo take the time to make sure you get exactly what you want, not what they want to sell you. If they don’t have what you want they’ll either make it or refer you. Their prices and services are very reasonable with many free services.” — David “What a great place. This store has been in the same family for I believe Three generations. I came in to have a lovely stone put in a necklace and the owner personally worked with me to design it. He had excellent recommendations and I went with his suggestions.” — Robyn. The Vallejo’s say they are looking forward to retirement, relaxing, spending time with their grandchildren and traveling the world. Before then, though, customers can get 50 percent off any item in the store. We are so thankful to have such great and loyal customers and friends in the community who made coming to work every day a joy.

Peevey Jewelers has been a central Kensington business for more than three decades.

Undated photo shows young Victor Vallejo at a jewelers workbench at the beginning of a long career in the trade.

A younger couple at the same counter years ago.

Peevey Jewelers has been a central Kensington business for more than three decades.

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

SMALL BUSINESS

Workforce Needs of Small Businesses in San Diego Agency unveils major survey Small businesses significantly impact San Diego’s economy, as firms with fewer than 50 employees make up 95 percent of all establishments and account for nearly onehalf of the workforce. To better understand the workforce needs of small businesses, a study by the San Diego Workforce Partnership analyzed survey respons-

BY THE SAN DIEGO WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIP

es from 347 small businesses across San Diego County’s Priority Sectors — Advanced Manufacturing, Health Care, Advanced Transportation, Life Sciences/Biotechnology (Biotech) and Information and Communication Technologies. Small businesses are essential to the region’s economy and workforce because of their significant impact in

all industries. Within the five Priority Sectors, small businesses account for more than 90 percent of all businesses in each sector. On average, small businesses reported employing nine workers. Within the next 12 months, the average number of employees is expected to grow to 10. Employment growth is expected across all employment

size categories. In 2015, small businesses (including owner-operated firms) employed approximately 568,000 workers. By 2016, total employment in small businesses is expected to grow by 15 percent, or 87,800 positions. Challenges for Small Business

Small businesses in San Diego County face a number of regulatory, economic and workforce challenges. These challenges include legislative mandates, rules and regulations governing businesses, a lack of resources, the inability to find skilled workers and more. While San Diego is consistently chosen as a prime location for hightech startups, the region lacks in overall friendliness toward small business owners. An online hiring service, Thumbtack, conducted a survey in 2014 of 12,000 small business owners across the country and ranked San Diego at number 78 out of 82 – one of the nation’s least business-friendly cities. The 212 small businesses in San Diego that participated in the Thumbtack survey found that starting a business in San Diego was difficult and time-consuming, presenting an array of unfriendly licensing and regulatory requirements including zoning rules and tax code, labor law and environmental regulations. While many service professionals did value the ability of licensing and regulatory requirements to protect consumers and keep lower-quality

competitors off the market, problems navigating onerous requirements remained a top concern for small business owners. The decision of small businesses to operate in San Diego is significantly affected by their perception of government relations. Smaller firms (fewer than three employees) tend to be less optimistic about the future, and there is a perception that government is becoming less business friendly. Union Bank’s annual Small Business Economic Survey found that, despite an overall boost in confidence regarding the economic outlook, 26 percent of San Diego business owners plan to move out of state because of tax burdens. Governments that provide training and incentive programs, easy to navigate tax and regulatory systems, and pro-growth environments are most likely to attract small businesses to their cities. Based on analysis conducted by the San Francisco-based technology company Radius, the next generation of small business owners will be attracted to areas that provide strong community engagement and access to resources, as opposed to growing job rates and income levels. Small businesses typically lack the efficiency and resources that larger companies have. Financing is a major challenge leading to low survival rates for small businesses. Just 70 percent are estimated to survive the first two years and only 25 percent for 15 years or more. Knowing that businesses face these types of challenges and more, the small businesses surveyed for this study were asked about the challenges they expect to face in the next one to two years. The top challenges included ongoing/continuous improvement (51 percent), identifying growth opportunities (44 percent), and cost reduction strategies (28 percent). About one in four small businesses indicated employee recruitment and retentions was an important challenge as well. Workforce Needs

Accounting, IT and social media/marketing were most commonly ranked as useful for starting a business. Accounting was the skill that most business owners already possessed. Small businesses require workers, especially the owner, to have strong competencies across all fields to maintain business operations. Top Skills for New Hires

Small businesses placed the highest value on previous work experience and technical skills in the applicants SEE SURVEY, Page 21

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

SURVEY CONTINUED FROM Page 20

they hire. Interestingly, while businesses ranked soft skills as third in importance, further analysis shows that topics such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication and leadership ranked highest in terms of useful workshop topics. Recommendations:

• Build better awareness of resources available to small businesses to help them prepare solutions for upcoming difficulties. • Develop strategies to connect small businesses to employees who have the

skills needed, and provide training to business owners and managers on effective approaches to employee retention.

nity colleges to universities.

• Ensure that small business modules are incorporated into community colleges’ curricula so that graduates are prepared to enter the workforce in small business fields.

• Incorporate subject areas that small business owners found most necessary when they started their business, including accounting, social media/marketing, HR/recruiting and IT in entrepreneurship programs. • Customize college offerings to include soft skills training topics that benefit small businesses’ workforce, either through stackable certificate options, addition of modules to existing programs or a nationally-recognized work-readiness certificate.

• Teach entrepreneurship modules across various disciplines at higher education institutions from commu-

For this and other reports by the San Diego Workforce Partnership, visit www.workforce.org.

• Incorporate training that enhances skills such as social media marketing, IT and accounting for small business training programs.

PLEASE HELP DEANNE CERVANTES Beloved Member of the McKinley Community Deanne Cervantes has been a member of the McKinley community for the past 20-plus years. She served as a volunteer, involved parent with her daughters Rachael and Danielle, and librarian at McKinley Elementary. She has touched the lives of thousands of children and shared her love of books with them to create

Steve and Deanne Cervantes

life-long readers. Deanne currently is sharing her gifts at Adams Elementary. On Nov. 27, Deanne was celebrating Thanksgiving with her treasured family and friends and fell off a 20foot cliff, suffering a broken back and multiple injuries. She might be unable to walk again. Please share any donation to help

Deanne and her family cope with this terrible tragedy and make their home in North Park wheelchair accessible to help bring Deanne home where she belongs. Donations may be made on-line at: GoFundMe.com/deannerecoveryfund. Thank you for your generosity!

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

SPORTS

St. Augustine Prep Football Rises to Elite Status

BY TOM SHESS | PHOTOS BY BILL HILL

TOP PLAYERS —Saints Quarterback Rodney Thompson is trailed by #20 Elijah Preston on a rollout pass play. Preston is one of the CIF’s all-time leaders in yards gained for a career.

To use a well-worn phrase, the 2015 CIF Open Division championship played just last week between Helix and St. Augustine High Schools was a classic see-saw affair early on. Played before 10,000+ at Southwestern College stadium in Chula Vista, the San Diego Section title match between two 10-win teams ended 44-30 with Helix High rolling to a twotouchdown victory. To use another cliché, it was a David vs. Goliath game pitting Helix, a perennial La Mesa public school powerhouse, versus the Saints, a rising North Park private school team that was playing in its first ever Open Division championship. Both teams battled in a contest that saw the score knotted at 7-7, 14-14, 21-21 before the Scotties grabbed a 37-27 lead at the top of the fourth quarter. With six minutes to go in the game, Helix hung on to a 37-30 lead. Then something remarkable happened. Saints lost its only game of the year to a San Diego county team. In the final quarter, Helix distanced itself with two touchdowns late in the game. Helix High’s Nate Stinson’s five rushing touchdowns were too much for the Saints to overcome. Helix’s win over Saints puts the Scotties among the best high school football teams in the state. MaxPreps, a website that tracks high school game nationwide, places Helix eighth in California behind Concord de la Salle, Corona Centennial, Bellflower St. John Bosco, Folsom, Mission Viejo, Elk Grove and Santa Ana Mater Dei. But in its loss, Saints Varsity won the praise of a legion of new fans, who now know the Nutmeg Street college prep school is a legitimate

high school gridiron powerhouse. It belongs up there with the best teams in San Diego County. Coached by Richard Sanchez, Saints won last year’s CIF San Diego section division I football crown and this year cemented itself in the top three open division teams. The Open Division is considered the best of the best in high school football wars. Division I is the second-best. In fact, Saints 2015 run through the Open Division playoffs was more of a steamroller against a skateboard. Saints dominated bigtime high school football programs like Eastlake, Mira Mesa, Cathedral and Mission Hills. In fact, the 2015 season ended with Saints not losing a game in San Diego County until its last game vs. Helix. Saints’ only losses came at the hands of dominant L.A. (Loyola) and Orange County (Murrieta) high schools and those losses were only by one and three points. Saints’ season ends 10-3. The game ended brilliant three-year careers for Saints running back Elijah Preston, quarterback Rodney Thompson and defensive end Michael Alves. Preston’s career yardage gains as a running back is among the best in CIF San Diego Section history. Preston gained more than 7,000 yards, which earns him third place in the list of all time top runners. Thompson scored three TDs in the championship game. Alves will play football for UCLA next fall. Bottom line is Saints had never ever been in such rarified air of an Open Division in football. The team is loaded with underclassmen in key positions, which bodes well for the 2016 season.

PRO STYLE — Saints Varsity Football Coach Richard Sanchez has fine- tuned a NFL style run option attack that in the past three years produced championships in San Diego Section CIF’s elite I, II and Open divisions.

UCLA BOUND —Versatile Michael Alves #76, who will be playing football for UCLA in the fall, starred as a defensive end, offensive guard and blocking fullback in his four-year Saints career.

PERFORMING ARTS

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

Finest City Improv Bestows Spirit of Improv Awards Seven San Diegans honored Finest City Improv, a local improvisation company dedicated to laughing, performing and spreading joy, recognized seven San Diegans at its second-annual Spirit of Improv Award Celebration. All awardees were honored for remarkable dedication to empowering their communities with improv on and off the stage. “Each of our awardees really understand what it means to spread joy with improv, the power of laughter and how to live the principles well after the show is over,” said Finest City Founder and CEO Amy Lisewski. “Finest City Improv has become a family thanks to the contributions and spirits of these awardees.” 2016 Spirit of Improv winners include: Christine Fairfax:

Resident of South Park and professional actor, Fairfax develops and stars in the most shows at Finest City Improv, including 2014’s “Some Magnificent Thing” and “Thawed” and 2015 ‘s “President Hillary” and “Twistered!”

Danny Deuprey of North Park.

Danny Deuprey:

Resident of North Park and local actor, Deuprey has dedicated himself to more than 50 hours of teaching improv class to new students.

Amy Lisewski, Finest City Improv founder.

Erica Clermont:

City Heights resident and an improviser in life, Clermont cut back on her job in a search for lifelong happiness and today dedicates her time to teaching improv and advocating for living life with a “yes” attitude. Jewel Karinen:

Resident of Chula Vista and SDSU alumnus, Karinen recently brought her zeal and fervor to a starring role in Finest City Improv’s “Redneck Romeo and Juliet. Kasey Pearl Lee:

One of Finest City Improv’s newest members, Kasey complements her law degree with a passion for acting and comedy, bringing her talent and smarts to the stage. Full of fire and fun, she stars in several shows at Finest City Improv. Kevin Langdon:

An Apple computer specialist by day and improv performer by night, Langdon quickly fell in love with improv after attending a local show with his wife. His breakthrough performances include the first-ever holiday show, It’s “F**king Christmas.”

Erica Clemont of City Heights.

Simon Pond:

Finest City Improv’s most prolific sketch writer, Pond has been an integral part of the company’s success, including the “3 1/2 Star Musical,” which is a farce about finding love in the times of Yelp! To learn more about or get involved with Finest City Improv, visit www.finestcityimprov.com.

Christine Fairfax of South Park.

Jewel Karinen of Chula Vista.

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

BACK COUNTRY

The Armchair Hiker BY JEFF TOFF

With the holiday season upon us, we enjoy indulging ourselves with an abundance of tasty sweets and too much food in general. However, now is also a great time to get outdoors and hike some of those calories away. San Diego County is unique in that it exhibits several different life zones within a small area. The weather is always suited for hiking. Whether you are a serious hiker or merely a casual walker, get up off your chair, move away from your computer screen and enjoy the sights and sounds that nature has to offer. Winter is the time to explore the eastern reaches of San Diego County which are too hot to hike in the summer. The mountains of Cuyamaca and Laguna offer some great high-altitude hiking. When local trails are overly filled with an abundance of students on winter break, you can head east to the more remote parts of our county. Few people visit these beautiful spots Anza-Borrego despite the fact that the mountains are only 45-60 minutes from Downtown San Diego and the desert is only a little more than an hour away. An added benefit is the fact that I-8 is devoid of traffic eastbound in the morning so there is never a reason to delay heading out. At Cuyamaca you will find trails of all abilities with rolling hills, peaks to climb and an abundance of wildlife. Laguna will treat you to huge pine trees, oaks, meadows, desert views and lakes. Anza Borrego has almost 500 miles of 4X4 dirt roads, peaks, canyons and sandy trails to explore. Each location offers easy to difficult trails to suit all abilities. See you there! About the Author

Jeff Toff lives in Kensington but you’ll more easily find him on the trails throughout San Diego County and beyond. Jeff resided in the Lake Tahoe foothills in Nevada City, Calf., for over Pond in the Lagunas. 30 years. He retired from his practice of law and moved to San Diego in 2011 with his wife of 37 years. Jeff has been a long-term member of the National Oregon-California Trails Association and Trails West, which are responsible for mapping out and obtaining federal and state protection for the 19th century Emigrant Trails west including the Donner Trail. Jeff also volunteered with the Tahoe Forestry Department in helping to monitor historic Native American rock art sites. He has engaged in day hikes for most of my adult life. “The Armchair Hiker” will be a regular feature in this paper. Jeff’s blog: http://mountain-man60.blogspot.com/ With backpack and hiking boots, Logan is ready to hit the trail.

With backpack and hiking boots, Logan is ready to hit the trail.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

The Gingrich-Dean Road Show BY MARTIN KRUMING WITH PHOTOS BY BARRY CARLTON

The Newt Gingrich, Howard Dean “road show” came to San Diego in October, the unlikely pair appearing at an event at the University of San Diego. Gingrich, the former Republican Speaker of the House (1995-1999), and Dean, former presidential candidate (2004) and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, are the faces of the new public policy team of the Dentons law firm, which merged with McKenna Long & Aldridge in July. Dentons sponsored their USD appearance. A Dentons spokesman said in September that the firm was sending Gingrich and Dean on a “road show” from New York to Los Angeles and more cities where they will speak their views on the latest policy issues. Gingrich also used the San Diego visit to appear — along with his wife, the former Callista Bisek — at a book signing at Warwick’s Bookstore in La Jolla. Gingrich wrote “Duplicity” with Pete Earley, a former Washington Post journalist. It is a thriller that tells the story of a master terrorist hiding somewhere, controlling and coordinating radical Islamic groups around the globe. Callista also a writer, penned the “Christmas in America” book series, books for children.

Newt Gingrich and Howard Dean converse and share a laugh during an appearance at the University of San Diego.

Q&A With Newt Gingrich Q. Why do you like zoos?

A. I like animals. I like nature. I’m interested in the natural world. The more we understand about nature, the more you understand about yourself. (Gingrich has visited more than 100 zoos around the world, including one of his favorites, the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park where he enjoyed the “Roar and Snore” event.) Q. Do you still see former President Clinton?

A. No. (Gingrich talks to him very rarely on the phone.) Q. Which global leaders do you admire?

A. “Lee Kuan Yew (former prime minister of Singapore who was “extraordinary”). John Paul II and Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, “who communicated an aura of dignity that was astounding.” Q. How do we understand Russian President Vladimir Putin?

Cover of Newt Gingrich’s book.

A. KGB-trained Russian who maximizes opportunities. Q. Which authors do you admire?

A. Alan Drury (“Advise and Consent”), Michael Shaara (“The Killer Angels”) and Gore Vidal. Q. Do you have pets?

A.No. We travel too much. Q. Where do you go?

A.We both like historic sites such as Italy and Greece, and exotic sites such as Machu Pichu in Peru. I don’t see a lack of civility when I travel. Q. How do we end the standoff in Washington today?

A. There is a very, very deep gap between the two sides that could end with one side standing. Q. How significant is today’s migration into Europe?

A. These are population migrations and they are going to keep coming. Q. How many speeches do you give a year?

A. About 200, paid and unpaid. (Gingrich Productions — www.gingrich productions.com — is a “very successful for profit think tank” of 12 people, including Newt and Callista. “We like what we do.” Martin Kruming (martin@kruming.com) is an attorney in Switzer Highland who’s involved in neighborhood partnerships with Baku, Azerbaijan; Riga, Latvia, and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista at book signing event.

Cover of book by Callista Gingrich

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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TRAVEL

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

JOURNEY TO THE

END OF THE EARTH BY BILL KETTER | CNHI NEWS SERVICE

Perched atop Cape Horn Island, poking the salty air of earth’s edge, is the half silhouette of an albatross. Fierce winds toppled the other half of the 22-foot steel sculpture erected in 1992, sending it southward toward Antarctica. Still, the purpose of the giant seabird— a memorial to sailors who died attempting to round the horn— is not lost on visitors to the famous peak. Surviving the climb up and down the 1,400-foot pathway, where

gusts top 100 miles per hour, is sheer knowledge of the wild weather at the bottom of South America. “Get down,” commands a guide. “Stay low.” Or get blown into the 40-degree waters where the Pacific and Atlantic converge. Where Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan endured violent storms in 1520 during the first circumnavigation of the globe. Where Charles Darwin analyzed the plant life, the animal life and the indigenous people. Where chaotic

seas sank more than 1,000 ships over 400 years. It is March, the last days of summer in lower Patagonia, when our curious band of contemporary adventurers sails the uncertain seas aboard the Stella Australis and hikes the forests made famous by fearless pathfinders and buccaneers in search of trade routes and treasure. SEE TRAVEL, Page 28

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

TRAVEL CONTINUED FROM Page 27

What they also found were naked natives living in huts and fishing in bark canoes, surviving on giant crab, seal meat and sea bass. They protected themselves against the elements by slathering their bodies with seal oil. Once they began wearing clothes to conform with foreign custom, they were decimated by disease. Today, the Yamana Indians no longer exist. There remains, however, the spirit of the lost Yamana. You see it in the hardy souls who occupy Argentina's southernmost city of Ushuaia and Chile’s port city of Punta Arenas. Fishing remains a way of life, but ecotourism, sheep herding, and oil and gas exploration provide the economic fuel. An effort to introduce the Canadian beaver to stimulate commercial fur trading failed miserably. The ecology of Patagonia is so different from Canada’s that the beavers of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago hardly grow fur and what little they do lacks the luster needed for coats, hats and hand muffs. But they quickly populated the islands. Twenty-five pairs introduced in 1946 blossomed into more than 200,000 beavers, chewing up forests and damming streams and springs. Efforts to eradicate them proved fruitless. “Any idea on how to get rid of these pests?” asks our guide. One suggested solution: Put a bounty on them so trappers can trade hides for cash and trim the numbers. “We tried that approach,” replies the guide. “It didn’t work. Locals were breeding them to get rich.” Clearly visible is the consequence of the eager beavers during a hike through the Alberto De Agostini National Park, named after a welcoming 19th century Catholic missionary. Tree stubs with sharp tooth marks and despoiled landscape interrupt what otherwise is a paradise of wiry plant species and conifers, beech and evergreens framed against the backdrop of the towering Andes. Winter is over the horizon this time of year in the Southern Hemisphere. That's the season when nearly everything comes to a halt because of the cold and frequent snows. Skiing and sleigh rides replace sailing and hiking tours. Winter tides can be difficult, admits the night manager of the cozy Los Yamanas Hotel overlooking Beagle Channel. The rest of the year is special. People from all over come here for adventure and for the amazing scenery. Both are plentiful. Signs of winter are present no matter the season. Glaciers cascade from the mountain sides; icebergs float in the sea, stark-walled fjords separate icy waterways. Condors, cormorants and black-necked swans circle frigid lakes. A Zodiac trip to Magdalena Island at dawn reveals colonies of penguins strutting about with newborns, prepping for their winter migration north to warmer waters. They will return in the spring to mate again in underground burrows, male and female

remaining monogamous throughout their lifetime. They separate each other from the look-alike throngs by the distinctive shriek of their mate’s voice. The white stomach adult Magellanic penguins are 2-to 3-feet tall — and they bite if you agitate them. Two black bands between head and breast accent their features. They can live for 25 years, if the sea lions and elephant seals don't get them. Officially, they are classified as an endangered species. Witnessing their numbers, that seems unnecessary. There's little doubt, however, why the scruffy landscape of Ushuaia and its mountainous background housed a penal colony for dreadful criminals and political saboteurs from 1902 to 1947. Known then as Argentina's Siberia, the region’s main prison has been converted to a museum featuring lifesize statuary of famous prisoners — such as Mateo “The Mystic” Banks. He shot dead his three brothers, a sister-in-law, two nieces and two ranch workers in 1922. The motive: money, of course. A gambler and investment guerrilla, he was deeply in debt and stood to inherit the family estate absent other heirs. Banks insisted he was innocent, offering as evidence his superior education, spiritual connections and fervent daily prayers. Fellow prisoners considered him crazy, according to prison history. Surprisingly, he was freed on parole 20 years after his confinement, though he died shortly thereafter. Compassion, it seems, is not a contemporary Argentine trait. Or so protested veterans of the 1982 Falklands War seen during a two-day stop in Buenos Aires prior to flying to Ushuaia. They encamp daily on the main Plaza de Mayo, petitioning the government for pension benefits for their service in the fateful invasion of the British islands off the east coast of lower Patagonia. The war over the disputed islands, called the Malvinas by Argentines, lasted 10 weeks, ending with the invaders surrendering to the Brits. The veterans of the conflict contend Argentina’s political upheaval and economic turmoil that followed did not treat them kindly. Paradoxically, the country’s foremost military hero, General Jose de San Martin, resides in saintly setting across the plaza, entombed in an ornate marble mausoleum in the Metropolitan Cathedral, where Pope Francis presided as cardinal and archbishop before his elevation to the Vatican. San Martin is considered the George Washington of Argentina, having freed it from Spanish rule in the early 19th century. Two armed guards stand stiffly in front of the 10foot black sarcophagus holding his remains aloft. There are no guards, only concrete barricades, in front of Buenos Aires’ AMIA Jewish community center, the site of the 1994 suicide van bombing that killed 85 and injured hundreds. The names of the dead are scribbled in white on a black panel across the front of the building. Visitor entry is by appointment only. Strife over the terrorist attack still

TRAVEL dominates the news. In January, the chief prosecutor of the most recent investigation, Alberto Nisman, died at his home of a gunshot to the head on the eve of his appearance before the Argentine Congress. He was to explain his report suggesting President Cristina Fernandez de Kircher’s involvement in covering up Iranian participation in the bombing. Kircher denounced the report and accused Nisman of attempting to destabilize the government in full-page newspaper ads. The unanswered question: Did Nisman kill himself or was he murdered? 1,500 miles south of Buenos Aires, in Patagonia’s “Land of Fire,” local folk seemed to care little about national politics. They are survivalists who stand as the few thousand humans between earth and Antarctica 600 miles south. The only thing that appears to concern them is whether they are Argentine or Chilean citizens. Lower Patagonia is split nervously between the two countries. Naturalist Darwin found the region and its ecology so fascinating he spent several months here in the early 19th century while circling the world, gathering data that informed his theory of evolution. A museum documenting his time in the region provides an entry to mountain hiking trails. The pathways are narrow and rocky, lined with hip-high ropes and handrails at the steepest points. Rain and chilly temperatures greet our group. The reward is the descent, celebrated with hot chocolate spiked with Scotch whiskey. Darwin’s evidence included fossils of extinct sea and land mammals, and observations of the indigenous Fuegian Indians, and wild relatives of the llama known as guanacos. He sailed the strong winds and rough seas aboard the barque HMS Beagle. The history of the one-time British warship so impressed the Argentines they named a channel, a bay and a beer after it. The highest mountain in the range of snow-capped domes is known as Mount Darwin, with a 6,600-foot peak. But the explorer Ferdinand Magellan gets most of the historic credit for opening the world's eyes to South America’s southernmost swath. In the early 16th century, he became the first explorer to round Cape Horn and discover a key shipping route, the Strait of Magellan. It remained critical to sailors and cargo transport between Europe and the Far East until the Panama Canal created a shortcut in 1914. As a first time visitor to Patagonia, you are swallowed by the details of the sea, the mountains, the islands, the ice and the morning mist. The journey mixes extreme natural beauty with culture and history. It is a place I’ve yearned to visit since first learning of it during grammar school geography. The takeaway now that I’ve been there: Everyone should visit the end of the earth before leaving it. Bill Ketter is senior vice president of news for Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. Contact him at wketter@cnhi.com.

FUN & GAMES

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |

| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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STORE CLOSING SALE

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| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

More Businesses Can Now Qualify For Storefront Improvement Program The city of San Diego’s Storefront Improvement Program will soon be available to more small businesses, thanks to changes approved by the City Council. The program revitalizes building facades visible to customers, neighboring merchants and residents. The city provides design assistance and financial incentives to small business owners who wish to make a creative change to their storefronts. After celebrating several successful improvements achieved through the program in District 3, Councilman Todd Gloria proposed changes in April to ensure more businesses could take advantage of the opportunity. “Many businesses in my district have successfully utilized this program, which has not only added to the character of the streetscapes, but also brings new investment into the community,” said Gloria. “The changes approved today will help make ensure the Storefront

Improvement Program is more fully utilized.” One revision increases the eligibility threshold to enable small businesses with up to 25 employees to participate. Currently, the policy limits eligibility to businesses with 12 or fewer employees. Other changes are designed to reduce confusion about ineligible businesses and to eliminate the public art incentive category since it has been underutilized and the city has other mechanisms to encourage public art. The revisions include another incentive category to rebate a portion of project costs related to permitting, which should encourage more projects to follow through to completion. “I am grateful to the Economic Development Department staff for developing these sensible changes that will help fuel greater investment in neighborhoods throughout our city,” said Gloria. The Kensington Café benefited from the Storefront Improvement Program