ADAMS AVENUE NEWS - KENSINGTON EDITION

ADAMS AVENUE NEWS K E N S I N G T O N

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E D I T I O N Vol. 25 No. 5 May 2016

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ADAMS AVENUE RESTAURATEURS VENTURE INTO SOUTH PARK

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Art Around Adams Again Art Around Adams, a two-mile-long festival dedicated to art, music and the community, will return Saturday, June 4, for a full day of live music.

Now in its 13th year, Art Around Adams will run the length of its namesake avenue from University Heights through Normal Heights and into Kensington. PAGE 4

Partners Lauren Passero and Kate Grimes open Del Sur Mexican Cantina Business partners Lauren Passero and Kate Grimes, owners of The Haven and Kensington Café, take pride in installing the first sit-down Mexican restaurant in South Park. By most measures, Del Sur Mexican Cantina has become a big hit.

“We’re not trying to be the coolest place in town,” says Passero. “We want it to be warm and welcoming with a nice neighborhood feel and sense of community. That’s how we’ve always structured things.” Read Jennifer Coburn’s story on PAGE 15

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Kate Grimes at work: the co-owner of Del Sur Mexican Cantina, hopes the new South Park restaurant will be as successful as The Haven and the Kensington Café, co-owned by she and her business partner Lauren Passero.

Traditional Beauty at Mingei Mingei International Museum focuses on everyday Japanese arts and crafts in its latest exhibit, “Mingei of Japan — Treasures New and Old from the Museum’s Collection.” Visitors to the exhibit will appreciate the designs and details in the museum’s textiles, paintings, and ceramics. PAGE 16

San Diego’s Top Baby Names Liam came close, but it did not quite make the top of the list of most popular baby male names in San Diego in 2015.

There were 272 Emmas born in the region in 2015, but another female name reigned supreme. Here’s a list of the top 10 baby names parents chose for their children in 2015. PAGE 19

CONTACT US EDITORIAL/LETTERS

Manny Cruz manny@sandiegometro.com ADVERTISING

Brad Weber ReachLocals@MidCityNewspaperGroup.com

The new attraction on 30th Street.

Saturday evening at Del Sur Mexican Cantina.

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Name: Rubeen Area: Normaal Heights N wspaper : Adams Ad Ne Avenue N News What I like best about the neighborhood: Easily walkkable, friendly neighbors, well behaaved petss fo or the most part,, the weather!

Why I Like Delivering the Papers: Residents enjoy getting a reaading the local Adams Avenue News, and I d don't trip over Adams Avenue News like I do the other papers that are thrown into in the gutters and drivewaays! y

MOVIES

WINNIE’S

PICKS! I’m suggesting a few older films you may have will take you on the journey to get to California in 1846. A nightmarish journey you will never forget. missed for May. This story is one of the most compelling to come JUDE - CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON AND out of the west. Make sure your children see this KATE WINSLET. This is a very fine film of a pow- with you. erful, seductive tale of love. His world only included her and the desire and lust for her. Kate Winslet, RICH MAN, POOR MAN - PETER STRAUSS, NICK NOLTE, SUSAN BLAKELY AND ED as usual, plays a strong part.

ASNER. This is a miniseries I highly suggest you WIDFLOWER - BEAU BRIDGES, REESE WITH- put on your viewing list. Even if you saw it a long ERSPOON AND PATRICIA ARQUETTE in a little time ago, it is worthy of another watching. film you probably have never watched. A good family film with Reese playing a part of a girl grow- PREFONTAINE - It is the true-life story of leging up in the country and very curious about every- endary track star, Steve Prefontaine. This movie thing. She hears a shrieking noise and discovers a will keep you on the edge of your seat and very young, wild girl locked up in a shed. She and her involved. A WINNER! brother try to find out what is going on. A story about trust, love and the true meaning of family. SISTERS OF WAR – A tale of strength, survival and forgiveness. January, 1942. A true story of SisTUSKEGEE AIRMEN- 1941 - a world at war. ters of War in a tiny Papuan mission station in The Tuskegee Airmen fought war against the Southeast Asia. Australian nurses took refuge with NAZIS abroad and another war at home against 84 Australian soldiers. A story untold until now.

RACISM! A select group of African Americans Abandoned by their commanding officers, they made their way to Tuskegee, Alabama. None could found they were in the path of the Japanese milihave foreseen the legends they would become. tary, who made them their prisoners. Excellent!

They were determined men to become Tuskegee Airmen, which they did. Please take time out to Rich and I will be celebrating our 70th wedding see this wonderful documentary. anniversary on May 21st at the video store all day.

See you there, Winnie!

DONNER PARTY - By Ric Burns. This video

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MAY 2016 |

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ART AROUND ADAMS RETURNS

FOR 13TH YEAR ’It’s the anti-street fair,’ says producer Adam Rosen

BY COLETTE MAUZERALLE

Performer from Circus Mafia.

(Photo courtesy of Circus Mafia)

ART Art Around Adams, a two-mile-long festival dedicated to art, music and the community, will return Saturday, June 4, for a full day of live music, impromptu art galleries, interactive art and more.

Now in its 13th year, Art Around Adams will run the length of its namesake avenue from University Heights through Normal Heights and into Kensington, and will be the largest to date with more than 100 local businesses transforming their spaces — though not the street itself — into pop-up art galleries.

“It is the anti-street fair,” said event producer Adam Rosen. “We put all the action on the sidewalks, in parking lots and in existing businesses on the avenue.”

More than 10 performance areas along the strip, including multiple family friendly activity zones, will feature performance and projection art, dance, theater and more than 20 local musical acts including Hills Like Elephants and Schizophonics. Upwards of 30,000 residents from across San Diego are expected to attend.

Art Around Adams is put on by Exodus Studios, an event production company based in San Diego and founded in 2009 by former North Park resident Adam Rosen, though he first launched Art Around Adams in 2004.

From its inception to today, Rosen has seen it all.

“When first started it was only a handful of businesses and it wasn’t spread out in any specific direction. It incorporated a few coffee shops and other businesses along the avenue, and it expanded from there, including the spectrum of what is considered art — not just paintings, but performance art and music too,” said Rosen.

This year’s Art Around Adams promises a fresh lineup of talent and artwork, courtesy of La Jolla’s Thumbprint Gallery as well as Aesthetigeist, a San Diego-based artist collective. Also new and notable this year will be

An image begins to appear as painter readies a mural for last year’s Art Around Adams.

Circus Mafia, an international circus performance and production company that will entertain the masses with specialty circus acts like tightrope walking, hooping and magic tricks.

“We’re hoping this year’s event will bring many new attendees to the avenue to discover art, local businesses and the event itself,” said Rosen. “Every year we hope to have the biggest and best event possible so we’re really pushing that this year, and of the 100 or so participants we have tons of new faces in the mix.”

Favorite acts are also returning to the scene, including the Super Awesome Showdown, best described as intergalactic performance art wrestling and now in its fourth year at Art Around Adams. Eventgoers will also be able to rest their feet as they have a laugh at the lineup of standup comedians on board either of two complimentary “Comedy Trolleys” transporting guests along the avenue and key side streets.

To maximize participation, guests can stop

by Art Around Adams’ info booth during the event and pick up a punch card, with more than 20 businesses along the avenue participating in the card program. Once a visitor’s card has been fully punched, they can return to the info booth to claim what Rosen describes as “thousands of prizes” including gift cards redeemable at businesses along the avenue and elsewhere within San Diego.

“The Adams Avenue District is continually evolving, now more than ever. More new restaurants, eclectic shops and friendly pubs are popping up everywhere,” said Rosen.

“Continue to expect the unexpected, from start to finish.”

Art Around Adams takes place from noon to 8 p.m. and is a free, all-ages event. For event details including a full list of performers and participating businesses visit ArtAroundAdams.org, call (619) 663-9278) or visit the day-of info booth at 3491 Adams Ave.

ART

Musical entertainment includes local bands, like this one from last year.

Vendors will offer a variety of products for shoppers. (2015 photo)

Super Awesome Showdown. (Photo courtesy of Super Awesome Showdown)

A display of art from last year. (Photo by Jesse Arroyo)

The Electric Giraffe will make another appearance at this year’s Art Around Adams.

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SOHO Announces People In Preservation Winners Save Our Heritage Organisation is celebrating National HistoricPreservation Month with its 34th annual People In Preservation Awards, which salute San Diego County residents who have excelled in outstanding preservation projects.

Thirteen awards will be bestowed on May 19 in the historic Marston House formal gardens on Seventh Avenue in Balboa Park. A catered champagne reception will be held from 5:30 to 6:30, followed by the awards ceremony.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is being shared by Charles Kaminski and Jeffrey Shorn, a married couple who have been leaders and activists in San Diego historic preservation since 1975. They moved into a beach cottage in the world renowned compound known as El Pueblo Ribera, designed in the 1920s by Rudolph Schindler, and proceeded to document the place and help save it. Both are architects with knowledge and passion for preserving significant buildings and communicating the importance of historic resources. In 2004, they were featured in the groundbreaking book, “A Passion to Preserve: Gay Men as Keepers of Culture.”

When Kaminski and Shorn are not united in protecting the same structure, such as the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, they complement each other. Shorn has focused on preserving some of our most important buildings by successfully nominating them for local and national landmark status. He served on the City of San Diego's Historical Resources Board for eight years and educated architecture students in San Diego’s first courses in historic preservation. Meanwhile, Kaminski has been at the forefront of preserving the historic character of and public access to the downtown waterfront and safeguarding LGBTQ historic sites, cultural artifacts and records.

“Jeffrey and Charles have honored the city through their long-standing efforts and perseverance toward preserving some of San Diego’s most treasured resources,” the jury said.

Madison Kirkman and Sandor Shapery

Two awards applaud projects that are bringing back innovative modes of transportation.

Winner of the “On the Right Track” award is Madison Kirkman, a 17-year-old high school junior from Ramona. His project is a daunting one, even for experienced adults, but he is a third-generation preservationist. Kirkman raised $15,000 through crowdfunding to have the 55-foot remains of a rare motor car moved by barge and flatbed truck from Anchorage, Alaska to his back yard. It is one of three remaining1908 McKeen Motor Cars, an advancedaerodynamic passenger car that originally glided along on the San Diego, Cuyamaca & Eastern Railway. His award is for moving the motor car; his ultimate goal is to restore it and see it ride the rails again.

The quaint, wicker Osborn Electriquettes that ferried 1915 Panama-California Exposition visitors through Balboa Park is remembered in historic photographs, but none of the motorized carts survived. Sandor Shapery wanted to reproduce the Electriquette in time for the exposition’s centennial. After Heritage Architecture & Planning created scale drawings, Shapery had the wicker body of a prototype woven in China. Next he turned to a friend and MIT graduate in Massachusetts, who recreated the battery-powered motor and steering bar.

The replica made its debut in 2014, with Shapery its first driver in the park. Since then, Shapery, who is a SOHO board member, had 25 more Electriquettes made for cruising Bal-

Awards gala May 19 in the Marston House

remaining example of Art Deco architecture in San Diego. The historic, second-floor ballroom was popular during the big band era. Plans call for a Chinese restaurant and other businesses at street level, at the corner of University and Euclid Avenues. The building’s restoration and reuse will be a boon to the community,” the jury said.

Richard Suda

This unit was part of a 12 unit beach complex of concrete and wood originally designed by famed architect Rudolph Schindler in 1923. Jeffrey D. Shorn + Associates Architects was commissioned to reconstruct the unit which had been ravaged by fire. (Photo: Jeffrey D. Shorn + Associates Architects)

boa Park just in time for spring. “Taking a ride is likely to become once again an endearing pastime for park patrons,” the jury said.

Tripp Bennett

Architect Tripp Bennett is being honored for the restoration and adaptive reuse of La Jolla’s 1937 Fire Station Engine Company 13 for the Shepherd YMCA Fire House. One of the few remaining historic buildings in the heart of La Jolla, this fire station with a distinctive parabolic archway is back to its original paint color and its steel windows and wood storefront doors have been restored. Interior features that Y members are enjoying include exposed wood trusses, an old jail cell and new access for the disabled.

Anna Wilcoxson, Kevin Kravits, Gen Leger and Chris Woods

The devoted and meticulous owners of five homes built between 1916 and 1961 in several San Diego neighborhoods have been selected for awards by the People in Preservation threeperson jury. Anna Wilcoxson restored her 1916 Prairie style home - removing the brick façade and returning it to the original stucco - in the Mission Hills Historic District, and Kevin Kravets restored the exterior of a “remuddled” home designed by master builder Martin V. Melhorn in Inspiration Heights. Gen Léger and Chris Woods restored a 1961 Midcentury Modern home that is the rare product of the brief partnership of Lloyd Ruocco and Homer Delawie, both titans of San Diego architecture.

In the process, the owners say they became avid preservationists.

Kyle and Tim Malone

In Kensington, Kyle and Tim Malone restored their 1925 Mission Revival bungalow by “unwrapping” the stucco finish, which they repaired and refinished. Nearby, Devin and DeLayne Harmon paid attention to every detail as they restored a grand Spanish Revival-style home inside and out. Like Léger and Woods, the Harmons became ardent preservationists during their extensive restoration project.

Richard Bundy and David Chau

Also lauded are the people behind two restored places for socializing. The striking Streamline Moderne Silverado Ballroom in City Heights, owned by David Chau and restored

by Bundy & Thompson Architects, is once again a gleaming landmark. This project is especially important because the building is a rare

At Camp Pendelton, the San Onofre Beach Club has come back to life for use by Marines and their families. It was designed in the Spanish Revival style in 1946 by Myron Hunt, also the architect of the Rose Bowl and the Huntington Library. Heritage Architecture & Planning managed to meet both the Secretary of the Interior’s restoration standards and the Department of Defense’s Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection building requirements. The jury praised the architects for “innovative solutions.”

Christine Jones

SOHO was part of the group responsible for saving the Aztec Brewing Company’s murals and furnishings before the historic Barrio Logan building was demolished in 1990. With special pleasure we present an award to the city of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture for conservation and restoration of the murals, paintings and painted artifacts. They are now back in the community, on display at the Logan Heights Library. The commission is also being honored for restoring historic artworks in Balboa Park, such as Donal Hord’s “La Tehuana” sculpture in the House of Hospitality’s courtyard and Anna Hyatt Huntington's equestrian bronze, “El Cid.” The jury commended the commission for prioritizing the preservation of artworks “at a time when funds for Balboa Park are hard to come by.”

Kevin Krumdieck and Paul Thometz

Architect Kevin Krumdeick and Cisterra Development’s project executive Paul Thometz are winners for preserving elements of two buildings in Downtown San Diego’s Warehouse District. The cast-in-place concrete, two-story Western Drug Company Building (1927) is now part of Sempra Energy’s high-rise headquarters.

Its two historic facades that turn the corner at Seventh Avenue and J Street were saved, as required by SOHO’s 1999 settlement agreement for a nine-block area anchored by J Street. The exterior of the five-story Bledsoe Company Furniture Building (1925) at Seventh and Island Avenue was restored for the Sempra project.

Both buildings, said the jury, “help to enhance the sense of place in the Warehouse District.”

Jury Members

This year’s People In Preservation jury members are longtime preservationists with a wide range of expertise. Allen Hazard is SOHO’s tours committee chair and a prominent Mission Hills preservationist and historian. He coauthored “Images of America: Mission Hills” (Arcadia Publishing, 2015) with Janet O’Dea. Diane Kane, a vice president of the California Preservation Foundation, has worked on preservation projects for the city of San Diego and Caltrans in Los Angeles. She has taught architecture history and planning at San Diego State University, UCLA, the NewSchool of Architecture and other colleges, and is a volunteer at the La Jolla Historical Society. David Swarens is a past SOHO board member who served as president for two terms twice. He sits on citizen planning boards for Golden Hill and Old Town neighborhoods, and on SOHO’s Preservation Action Committee, where he is part of the team that evaluates projects and proposals with community stakeholders.

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San Diego-Based Caterer Hired for the 2016 Summer Olympics

Table spread

Nine time’s the charm for Behind the Scenes Catering A San Diego-based company will head to the Olympics for the ninth time this summer.

Behind the Scenes Catering was hired to make all the meals for the international broadcast media, and will manage nine locations providing hospitality services to the athletes and sponsors.

John Crisafulli, owner of Behind the Scenes Catering, said he expects to feed up to 16,000 people daily. Over the course of the entire Summer Olympics, his company will serve more than 950,000 meals.

Crisafulli, a native San Diegan, said he scored the paramount deal after meeting someone who was connected to NBC, the television company that broadcasts the games. The first Olympics his company catered was the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

But the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this summer presents its own set of challenges, Crisafulli said.

Crisafulli said his company, which is 26 years old, began preparing for the Summer Olympics about 14 months ago.

“We started about 14 months ago by going down and identifying which vendors we’re going to work with,” Crisafulli said. “We do a lot of background checks with the vendors. Rio is probably the biggest challenge because there is a lot of bureaucracy. It’s hard to get people to agree with contracts.”

Despite the challenges, Crisafulli said the most “spectacular” aspect of working at the Olympics is seeing so many people come together.

“We hire travelers, as well as, locals,” Crisafulli said. “It’s such an eclectic mix of people from all different countries, backgrounds and socioeconomic levels. It’s what the Olympics is all about -- bringing people together for a common purpose.”

So what will the Olympians and all the behind-the-scenes participants eat?

Crisafulli said they’ll serve staples like hamburgers, pizza, salad and baked goods. But they’ll also serve meals typically found in Brazil such as shrimp bobo, farofa and feijoada. He said Brazilian dishes are typically served with rice and beans.

“We always introduce the local cuisines,” Crisafulli said. “It will all eventually come together.”

– Times of San Diego

Bread display

John Crisafulli is pictured in 2013 after receiving the caterer’s contract for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. (File photo)

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By Bart Mendoza May 25 The Lounge Singer Resurrected Resurrected lounge singer Jose Sinatra performs at Java Joe’s on May 25. With a set full of rockin’ parodies of classic songs, Sinatra puts on a great show, high in comedy and decidedly un-PC fun. Expect adult language, but anyone with a sense of humor will find Sinatra’s tuxedo and medallion-wearing over the top persona appealing. Lost among the humor is the fact that Sinatra actually has an excellent voice, with good range, giving his versions of songs, originally by the likes of Petula Clark or John Lennon —appeal beyond the comedy aspect. www.javajoessd.com 1 Jose Sinatra 5 Diana Death of the Gory Details

May 28 Missing Persons in House of Blues It’s almost impossible to believe, but despite having a catalog full of well-known songs, ’80s new wave favorites Missing Persons has never had a Top 40 hit. Appearing at the House of Blues on May 28, topping a bill that also includes Bow Wow Wow, it’s a testament to the power of a good song that in the years since Missing Person’s mid-80s heyday their quirky sync-backed songs, such as “Destination Unknown” and “Walking In LA,” have become standards. These days front woman Dale Bozzio is the only original member, but she’s always been the band’s focus anyway and her current backing group is tight and focused, doing the songs justice. www.houseofblues.com/sandiego

June 6 Diana Death’s Musical Resurgence On June 6, creep rock trio the Gory Details reunites at the Casbah for their first show since 1999. Featuring guitarist Diana Death and bassist “Hellbound” Heather Dobson, the show is part of Death’s musical resurgence over the past few years, which has seen her perform with SDMA-nominated indie rock favorites Flaggs and more recently recording and touring Europe with The Little Richards. In the Gory Details the focus is on her originals, with titles such as “I Love You Death” and “Slasher Drive,” showcasing great reverb and riff-driven garage rockers that will appeal to fans of such storied combos as Deadbolt. www.casbahmusic.com

2 Missing Persons Dale Bozzio

June 3 Keeping The Ramones’ Flame Burning There is no doubt that the Ramones are one of the most important groups to ever take the stage, in the process opening the door for legions of musicians to follow in their wake. While all four original members of the band have now passed away, there are still three of the band’s later members on the road keeping the Ramones flame burning, including Richie Ramone, who will be making a rare appearance at the Salty Frog in Imperial Beach on June 3. Ramone played on three albums with the band between 1984 and 1987, including the classic “Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La).” But Ramone live performs music from throughout the band’s career, making this show a must for any fan. www.thesaltyfrog.com 3 Richie Ramone x 6 Chuck & Mary Perrin circa 1968

June 3

June 18

Saying Goodbye to Danielle and Alicia

Chuck Perrin’s 70th Birthday Performance

June 3 will a sad day in San Diego as the local music community says goodbye to Danielle Lo Presti and Alicia Champion with a special concert at the Music Box. The pair are relocating to the Bay Area next month, and it’s a major loss to the area as they were behind such local staples as the Durga Sound recording studios and Say It Records, all geared to help the greater arts community at large. They also promoted numerous music showcases and staged nine editions of the outdoor Indie Music Fest in various locations around town, giving much needed exposure to both local and international artists. While the occasion may be sad, the concert promises to be a celebration of Lo Presti and Champion’s time in San Diego. They will be missed. www.musicboxsd.com 4 Danielle Lo Presti

There have been several people who can be said to have influenced San Diego’s jazz scene, but none in the new millennium have had the impact of Chuck Perrin, musician and owner of Dizzy’s music venue. On June 18, the room will host Perrin’s 70th Birthday Performance, with cake and presents for all attendees. Perrin has had an amazing life in music, starting with the release in 1968 of a self titled duo album with his sister, Mary, continuing through numerous solo albums and the founding of Dizzy’s in 2000. With the latter he gave San Diego’s jazz musicians a home. This is a great opportunity for local music fans to say “thanks” for one of the best spot to hear music in San Diego. www.dizzysjazz.com

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Fresh and Local! Subway franchisers connect with the community Adams Avenue News Bay Park Connection Clairemont Community News Hillcrest News • IB Connection Ken-TAL News • The Boulevard News North Park News • South Park 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 Editor Manny Cruz Manny@sandiegometro.com Art Director Chris Baker cbaker@sandiegometro.com Marketing/Advertising Brad Weber ReachLocals@ MidCityNewspaperGroup.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.

BY JENNIFER COBURN

Everyone likes a restaurant where they’re a regular, a place where the staff knows their order before they even walk in the door. We expect this from local Mom and Pop eateries, but Subway sandwiches?

Subway is indeed a national chain, but each store is independently owned and operated by local entrepreneurs who are often quite active in their communities.

Such is the case for Laila and Raul Said, who own and operate four Subway shops in the area, including a store on Adams Avenue at 35th street.

“We are local, not a big corporation,” says Laila Said. “It means a lot to us that we have regular customers we know by name” — and by sandwich, she says, recalling a couple who comes in regularly for turkey subs. They’re on Weight Watchers, Said says, so they like to build up their sandwiches with lots of vegetables (though he sometimes likes a little mayo). “They’ve lost so much weight,” she says.

Both Raul and Laila say they like being active in the community, which is why they support school

fundraisers, sports teams, and local events. “We have had partnerships with Franklin and Adams Elementary Schools, Kensington Preschool, and Hoover High,” where the store provides free sandwiches for students who meet academic goals.

They also provide gift certificates students can sell and use funds raised to benefit their school. “It’s great when we see the children come in with their parents and thank us, and tell us about the field trip they were able to take because of our fundraiser,” she says.

They also donate thousands of sandwiches to the Heart Association and Juvenile Diabetes walk. That’s one of the reasons both owners regularly work in the stores. “We really enjoy connecting with the community, plus each store has its own personality,” she says. In order to best serve the community, one has to be active and engaged in it, the couple says.

The Saids were originally drawn to Subway because the brand is committed to providing healthy food. Most of the meats used for sandwiches are hormone- and antibiotic-free. “There are no dyes, or colorings used either, which is

not easy, but it is important,” says Laila Said. “And everyone we asked seemed to love Subway.”

This is not the couple’s first foray into the food business. Raul managed restaurants in Acapulco and Mexico City, and the pair owned a hotel mini-market together for years. “I loved helping international tourists,” Laila says. “It’s such fun to connect with travelers.”

After returning home to San

Diego, the couple decided to devote their time and energy into a local restaurant. After nearly a decade of owning and operating Subway shops in San Diego, they say they couldn’t be happier. They have won both loyal customers and franchise awards from Subway. Clearly, they’re doing a lot right!

Ben Kelly named 2016 San Diego County Mock Trial Outstanding Prosecutor Kensington resident Benjamin Kelly, a sophomore at Patrick Henry High School, was recently named one of 3 Outstanding Prosecutors in the 2016 edition of the prestigious San Diego County Mock Trial Competition. Sponsored by the San Diego County Bar Association as part of a state-wide program, this year’s mock trial competition drew over 500 students from 27 schools across the county.

The competition involves a simulation of a criminal case trial, in which high school students play the roles of principal courtroom participants, including lawyers, wit-

nesses, court clerks, and bailiffs.

The student teams study a hypothetical criminal case, engage in legal analysis, and learn courtroom procedures, as well as substantive law. They receive guidance from volunteer attorney coaches but present the case entirely by themselves.

The mock trial competition aims to teach young citizens about the criminal justice system, to develop their analytical and communication skills, and to increase their self-confidence, especially in the realm of public speech. This year’s case featured a defendant on trial for murder.

Prosecuting attorney Kelly was instrumental in organizing and leading the Patrick Henry team. His courtroom performances led one attorney evaluator to remark, “Mr. Kelly, as I watched you present this case, I had to remind myself that you were only a high-school student and not a district attorney.” At a time of rampant cynicism about the future, Ben – and the hundreds upon hundreds of other student participants – inspired adults and gave them reason to hope.

Ben Kelly

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Adams Avenue Restaurateurs Realize Longtime Dream Del Sur Mexican Cantina is a big hit in South Park It’s early evening on a Saturday night and Del Sur Mexican Cantina is hopping with nearly every seat inside filled, and a sidewalk patio that’s packed. Couples with dogs. First dates. Families with kids. Del Sur has broad appeal.

The restaurant has only been open for a few weeks, but already it has regulars, says South Park resident Lauren Passero, who owns Del Sur with her business partner, Kate Grimes.

The two aren’t new to the restaurant business with two successful ventures close by: The Haven, and the Kensington Café, both on Adams Avenue. But this is their first Mexican restaurant, the realization of a longtime dream for the duo.

They say South Park has wonderful restaurants, but didn’t have a sit-down Mexican place, so when a space that looks like an old mission bell tower became available on 30th Street, the pair seized the opportunity.

Inside, the earth tones of the building exterior mix with colorful tiles, bright zig-zags of glossy wood, and succulent plants, creating a playful, understated vibe. “We’re not trying to be the coolest place in town,” says Passero. “We want it to be warm and welcoming with a nice neighborhood feel and sense of community. That’s how we’ve always structured things.” But most importantly, they want the food and beverages to be top notch.

Executive chef Sergio Garcia has created a menu he calls “Mexican soul food” because the dishes are his interpretation of his grandmother’s traditional Mexican offerings. “He is very dedicated to the culture” while adding updated elements like vegan options, and lighter fare, says Passero. “We incorporate plantains, Mexican squash,” and other ingredients not always found at local Mexican restaurants.

In addition to its regular menu, Del Sur offers brunch on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The restaurant also prides itself on having a wide selection of craft beers from San Diego and Mexico, as well as a variety of tequila and mescal-

The interior is warm and inviting.

BY JENNIFER COBURN

based cocktails.

Grimes is working double duty this evening, managing the floor and serving food, but manages to stop at every table and chat with diners.

Passero says one of the benefits of being actively involved with customers is that they can offer feedback on what they like and what they’d like to see more of.

So far, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. “South Park has a real neighborhood feel and we know we have to build the space to the neighborhood and what it wants,” says Passero. “We’ve gotten a good response at the walkabout and in these first weeks.”

Del Sur Mexican Cantina, 2310 30th St. Jennifer’s Critique At our table, my husband has to stop himself from filling up on tortilla chips and says the salsa is among the best he’s ever had — high praise from a man who spent many years of his childhood in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Cantina Salad

Kate Grimes invites you to the new cantina.

Pooch enjoys the patio.

He’s grateful that he leaves room for the Chicken Tortilla Soup, which is bursting with flavor from the fresh, local ingredients. It is so thick, he eats it with a fork. He is a carnitas lover so he orders the taco plate, which he says he will definitely return for.

I come to the table with some trepidation because I am on Weight Watchers and am not sure what I’ll be able to have on this insanely tempting menu. For those of us clinging to dear life to our New Year’s Resolutions, there is a delicious chicken cantina salad, which costs me half of my daily points, but is worth every bite. (Seriously, it is beyond!)

Wine shelves

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| MAY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

The museum focuses on everyday Japanese arts and crafts B S T

Traditonal Beauty at Mingei

Y USAN AYLOR

Unknown Artist, Wrapping Cloth (Furoshiki), 19th century, Meiji period, Japan, banana fiber (bashofu), indigo and natural dyes. Gift of Barb Rich. (Photo

by Katie Gardner)

Mingei International Museum focuses on everyday Japanese arts and crafts in its latest exhibit, “Mingei of Japan —Treasures New and Old from the Museum’s Collection,”which opened April 2.

The beauty in the “everyday” stems from the handcrafting of objects, reflecting a respect for tradition and culture which can be lost when mass-produced products become the standard for daily use.

Visitors to the exhibit will appreciate the designs and details in the museum’s textiles, paintings, and ceramics, many from Mingei’s past Japanese collection. Several new acquisitions complement the experience.

“Mingei,” meaning art of the people, was recognized by Soetsu Yanagi almost 100 years ago as valuable because of the care and attention each individual piece is given by its crafter. Celebratory for fine workmanship and quality, the collection blends practicality and art, as seen in tea and sake cups, fans, brooms, banners, futon covers, and sleeping garments.

The cultural and religious practice of painting wood plaques with images of deities and animals inform us about Shinto and Buddhist traditions.

Significant artists such as Keisuke Serizawa, Shoji Hamada and Tatsuzo Shimaoka are represented in the exhibit, displayed on the upper level of the museum. In conjunction with the “Treasures New and Old” exhibit, many toys and dolls, puppets, and kites are on view in the Doll and Toy gallery.

Balboa Park’s museums are just a short drive or walk away from North and South Park neighborhoods. Fine and contemporary art, photography, and history are just some of the attractions, and Mingei International Museum, open for free to San Diego County residents on every third Thursday of the month, brings a global perspective on folk art which appeals to people of all ages.

The museum was founded in 1978 by Professor Martha Longenecker of San Diego State University. She was inspired to share her studies of Japanese pottery and oversee what would be become a well-respected collection of timeless and iconic artworks and crafts. The 41,000-square-foot museum is found on the southwest corner of the Plaza de Panama and includes a coffee bar and gift shop.

Continuing to showcase objects from Japan, the museum will open a unique exhibit in October called “Layers of Brilliance — The Journey of Japanese Lacquer Tools.”

Kendall Brown, professor of Asian Art at California State University Long Beach, curated this upcoming event, bringing together small tables and tools used in the lacquering process.

Not only will privately owned lacquer items be shown, but also evidence of the craft — surfaces covered with drops of residue resulting from the work done by crafts artists over the years. Still, in April of next year, more Japanese art will be in Mingei galleries with its premier of “KANBAN,” — Traditional shop signs from Japan.

Meanwhile, contemporary Japanese pottery on loan from San Diegan Gordon Brodfuehrer, exhibited three years ago, will go on tour. These works are popular because of the connection we have with ordinary objects and the appeal of seeing objects from a different country and culture.

While the recent “American Icons” exhibit drew many visitors to the museum, visitors to Mingei may also admire the foreign, “exotic” crafts outside of our national identity.

Rob Sidner, director of Mingei, has long appreciated the “quiet beauty” of Japanese folkart. He sees a commitment to preserving tradition and unwavering quality as crafters create beautiful, utilitarian art for the people. For the people within reach of Balboa Park, it is an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of “mingei.”

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MAY 2016 |

Shirt

Unknown Artist, Sakiori-obi, early-20th century, Japan, silk, cotton.

Gift of Barb Rich. (Photo by Feeney+Bryant Photography)

Shoji Hamada, Cup, late-19th century, Japan, glazed stoneware.

Gift of Betty Bass. (Photo by Feeney+Bryant Photography)

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| MAY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

NEWS

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MAY 2016 |

19

Forum Public Relations Opens in Hillcrest

San Diego’s Top Baby Names Liam came close, but it did not quite make the top of the list of most popular baby male names in San Diego in 2015.

There were 272 Emmas born in the region in 2015, but another female name reigned supreme.

According to the County Health and

Human Services Agency, which records all births and deaths in the region, more than 45,000 babies were born in San Diego County last year, and the most popular boy and girl names were just a few babies apart.

Here is the list of top 10 baby names parents chose for their children in 2015.

Forum Public Relations has officially launched in San Diego.

The firm is a woman owned, full-service public relations and communications agency centered on science and the arts.

Led by Allyson Markey and Monte Ward - whom both started their careers in the sciences -- the company is dedicated to helping scientists, artists, innovators, entrepreneurs and explorers promote their work and inspire their communities.

“It is not enough in 2016 to simply do good work and put out an excellent product,” said CEO Allyson Greazel. “Every market is flooded with competition, and you are only going to get your efforts noticed by aggressively pursuing visibility and actively managing your attention. It can be extraordinar-

Three Earth-Sized Planets Found Orbiting a Tiny Star An international team of astronomers, including UC San Diego astrophysicists, has discovered three Earth-sized planets orbiting near the “habitable zone” of an ultracool dwarf star, the first planets ever discovered around such a tiny and dim star.

The discovery is detailed in a paper published this week in the journal Nature. The planets are so close to Earth — only 40 light years away — that astronomers should eventually be able to study in greater detail the composition of each of the planets and their atmospheres as well as look for chemical signals of life.

“The kind of planets we've found are very exciting from the perspective of searching for life in the universe beyond Earth,” said Adam Burgasser, a professor of physics at UC San Diego’s Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences and a key participant of the international team.

Using a telescope called TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope) at the La Silla Observatory in Chile, the astronomers traced the star’s light moment-to-moment over the course of 62 nights last September through December.

When the international team, led by Michaël Gillon of the University of Liège, Belgium, analyzed changes in brightness of the starlight, they saw periodic dips as three planets traverse its face casting shadows.

The TRAPPIST telescope of the University of Liege, located at the La Silla European Southern Observatory in Chile, was used to

Ask Dr. Z Break a Rib, Save a Life The first time I did CPR, I didn’t do it right. I was too afraid I was hurting the patient beneath my hands, too afraid I’d damage his heart.

And then I was shoved aside and a

burly ICU nurse started using his entire body like a piston to do compressions. I heard a crack —“there goes the first rib!” he said with a smile.

I was horrified, and then was told, “that’s the way to do it right!”

It seems strange to cheer the breaking of a rib, so brutal, but in reality it is what is needed to save a life.

Recently I was reminded of that again

ily challenging, but it is the world we live in, and there is no going back.”

Based in Hillcrest, Forum Public Relations cites over a decade of experience working in and with the sciences, journalism, the defense industry, the technology industry, and the arts. The company offers the following services: Contact marketing, publicity, website design, branding press and media relations and social media.

“We have a range of experience on both ends of the media world,” said Greazel. “This situates us well for showing our clients the most effective and efficient ways to get their message and their brand out in the public marketplace and having it generate significant returns.”

as I felt a rib give way with a crunch while performing CPR on a colleague. He’ll forgive me, I thought.

At some time in your life, you may be next to someone who collapses. I want you to be prepared in case you are called upon to help save a life. My first advice is always — take your own pulse. Calm down, and make sure you are in the moment. Don’t panic.

Second, call for help. Then begin the ABC’s. Airway (open, or choking?), Breathing (any? None? Wheezy?) and Circulation (heartbeat?).

Once help is on the way, you can assess and see if you feel a pulse or see them breathing. The weirdest thing is that a pulse can be hard to find — use the neck if you can, or put your head on the chest and listen.

Artist’s impression of the system as seen from the surface of the outer planet. (UCSD)

make the discovery.

Follow-up observations with larger telescopes indicated that the planets have sizes very similar to that of Earth. Two of the planets have orbital periods of about 1.5 days and 2.4 days respectively, and the third planet has a less well determined period in the range 4.5 to 73 days.

“With such short orbital periods, the planets are between 20 and 100 times closer to their star than the Earth to the Sun,” said Gillon. “The structure of this planetary system is much more similar in scale to the system of Jupiter’s moons than to that of the Solar System.”

Not sure if you feel a pulse? Then there probably isn’t one. Trust that, and start compressions. You should use your whole body, arms mainly straight, using shoulders and back in a back and forth rhythm. The patient’s belly should push up every time you push down. Hands over the sternum (breast bone) about three fingers width above the lower edge of the sternum.

Remember, you are trying to squeeze the heart between the ground/spine and your hands in order to push the blood forward and to the brain. So the compressions have to be strong and deep — not wimpy. No stomach movement? Push harder. The rhythm is fast but not frantic — think of the song “staying alive” and you’ll have

it. 30 compressions and then give a breath.

Nowadays the compressions are considered the lifesavers, and the breathing less so. I recommend a CPR class to solidify what I’ve said. But now you are ready to get to some bonebreaking, lifesaving CPR in case it’s needed. And yes, my friend thanked me later after his ambulance ride and heart bypass.

Dr. Tara Zandvliet welcomes your questions. Send them to questions@ southparkdoctor.com. She practices at 2991 Kalmia St. Phone: (619) 9290032.

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| MAY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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21

Engineers and Visual Artists Transform Education

Visual arts student Jessica Buie holds up an open source hardware logo that she 3-D printed in the EnVision maker studio. (Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego)

Students in an electrical engineering class in the EnVision maker studio. Their final project: building linefollowing robots. (Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications)

BY DANIEL KANE AND CYNTHIA DILLON

shoulder-to-shoulder during the winter 2016 quarter. Together they created “whole objects” that merged sculptures with engineered support structures. Lelli Van Den Einde taught the structural engineering class while Brett Stalbaum taught the visual arts course.

“We had lectures, homework and labs, but this project was the slam dunk that I needed,” said structural engineering freshman William Jablonski. After struggling on the midterm, he found himself deeply engaged in his team’s interdisciplinary final project. The team had to figure out the conditions under which the sea dragon sculpture their visual arts teammate designed and 3D-printed would—and would not—damage or destroy the building the engineers designed and built.

“Going into the final, I had an understanding of what the theory actually means,” said Jablonski.

Visual arts student Jeszica McPeak is part of a team that created a physical representation of a collection of pixels. She liked working with her engineering team in part because interdisciplinary teams are everywhere in the professional world and in part because the collaboration allowed her to expand and realize her artistic vision.

“The maker studio is our saving grace,” said McPeak, referring to both the access to 3D printers and other building tools as well as technical expertise from her engineering team, the teaching assistants and EnVision staff director Jesse DeWald.

While the engineering students on the teams gave oral presentations and wrote lab reports, the visual arts students got real-world curation experience by preparing, launching and running an exhibit showcasing the sculp-

Engineers and visual artists at UC San Diego are collaborating on final projects, even though they are in different classes.

This is just one of the many projects happening in the EnVision Arts and Engineering Maker Studio at UC San Diego. The new 3,000-square-foot studio on the third floor of the Structural and Materials Engineering building provides a wide range of design, fabrication and prototyping tools from 3D printers and welding stations to a sophisticated laser cutter. It’s a creative, hands-on, experiential space where visual arts and engineering communities converge; where students are empowered to think, design, “UC San Diego is one of the few places where this kind of integration between visual arts and engineering cannot only happen, but can be sustained and expanded,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla at the EnVision dedication event Friday.

In its first quarter of operation, more than 400 students in engineering and visual arts worked in the maker studio through handson classes and labs as well as a few creative, independent projects.

“The spirit of collaboration and innovation, plus the skills that students gain through these unique courses are transferable to their careers well beyond their university years,” said Cristina Della Coletta, Dean of the UC San Diego Division of Arts and Humanities. “The cutting-edge curriculum aligns with our division's intellectual priorities and the intersection of perspective, skills, tools, creativity and rigorous interdisciplinary research supported by the university.”

“Our engineering and visual arts faculty

are creating fantastic hands-on courses that take advantage of the maker studio’s powerful mix of design and prototyping facilities,” said Albert P. Pisano, Dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering. “We are giving students new opportunities to gain the confidence and motivation they will need to succeed in classes, internships, faculty research projects and, ultimately, their careers.”

Transforming Education

The EnVision maker studio is a key component of the Jacobs School of Engineering’s Experience Engineering Initiative, a schoolwide project that aims to give every engineering and computer science undergraduate student a hands-on or experiential engineering course or lab each year— starting freshman year. In recent Experience Engineering classes, students have built robots, 3D-printed knee cartilage, and designed fuel-cell-powered cars.

Every project is tied to a concept or theory they will learn later in more advanced classes.

In the spring quarter, visual arts students interested in the new speculative design major will take classes in the new maker studio. Speculative design uses several different design technologies and methods, combining them in innovative ways. Visual arts graduate students in a working critique class will also be in the maker studio during the spring quarter.

A listing of recent and upcoming classes running in the maker studio can be found on the EnVision maker studio website.

A Slam Dunk In the case of the artists and engineers with the same final project, students in Structural Engineering 1 and Visual Arts 40 worked

Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla inspects the sculpture and support building created and tested in the EnVision maker studio by an arts-and-engineering team. Structural engineering undergraduate William Jablonski (pictured) is one of the team members. (Photo by Farshid Bazmandegan)

tures. The exhibit’s final day is today. It is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in galleries 201 and 202 on the second floor of the Structural and Materials Engineering building.

Unleashing Creativity

The EnVision maker studio is not just for hands-on classes. It will be a space where student-organization teams and artists create; where student entrepreneurs build, prototype and innovate.

Details on the tools in the maker space as well as information on scheduling time and upcoming workshops is on the EnVision website. The goal is to open the space to as many student groups and entrepreneurial students as possible, though first priority during the school year will go to the classes running in the maker studio.

Winter 2016 classes in the maker studio included the structural engineering and visual arts classes with the combined final project, a making, breaking and hacking electrical engineering class, an experience nanoengineering class and an introduction to bioengineering.

The EnVision maker studio is part of a campus wide strategy, borne out of the UC San Diego Strategic Plan, to integrate design with innovation and better support “making” on campus.

“Our work to strengthen design at UC San Diego and our investment in the maker studio are both part of a larger move to build and support the innovation capabilities of all our students, which includes giving freshmen opportunities to unleash their creativity,” said Chancellor Khosla.

Students connect theory and practice through hands-on projects in the EnVision maker studio. Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications)

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An Alternative Approach to Depression and Anxiety New business aims to help people heal naturally Almost 17 percent of the population will experience major depression in their lifetime, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. In a developing trend, a growing number of people are seeking out solutions that go beyond medication and talk therapy.

A new business on Adams Avenue is catering to people looking to explore natural alternatives for their mood disorders. San Diego native Judy Meyer, is a holistic depression coach and is seeing this trend firsthand.

“A lot of my clients are reluctant to start on pharmaceuticals because they’re afraid of possible side effects,” she said. “Others are already on medication but are looking to taper down and wean themselves off of it. They don’t want to be on medication for the rest of their lives.”

In addition to helping people transition off of medication, Meyer works with clients to identify the root cause of their depression and anxiety. She cites such issues as B12 deficiency, elevated copper, infections, gut health, heavy metal toxicity, and amino acid imbalances as possible culprits. She takes an orthomolecular approach to healing, which is a term coined by the late Linus Pauling that roughly translates as “correct molecule.” This method uses vitamins, minerals and amino acids to correct imbalances and restore neurotransmitter activity.

Meyer says she is passionate about her work because she suffered for many years from severe depression that began in her late teens. She found traditional treatments to be ineffective for her long-term.

“When I was in the depths of my depression and trying to get better, I tried everything I could think of — exercise, eliminating sugar and alcohol, and eating vegan, but nothing really helped,” she said. “I got frustrated because I was trying everything I could think of and I still wasn’t feeling good. I knew there was something missing.”

She revealed she has a family history of suicide and addictions and because traditional treatments were not proving effective, she began to suspect a genetic component. This led her to take a genetic test and she discovered specific mutations that may have been contributing to her depression. She began using amino acids, vitamins and minerals and started to notice a sustained improvement in mood and energy.

Meyer says it’s now her mission to help people recover from depression, and she says this is possible without using pharmaceuticals. She hopes to prevent people from suffering for years as she did. Meyer explains that there are a number of different holistic tools that can be effective in bringing quick relief to those suffering with depression and anxiety.

“I’ve found that one of the best ways to help people feel better quickly is amino acids and nutrients. I’ve had clients who were suicidal tell me they felt 80 percent better within a day or two of starting the protocols. To me, that is extremely powerful.”

After receiving a degree from the UC San Diego, Meyer worked for many years in the medical book publishing industry. This allowed her to get a “behind-the-scenes” look at the

A new business on Adams Avenue is catering to people looking to explore natural alternatives for their mood disorders. San Diego native Judy Meyer is a holistic depression coach and is seeing this trend firsthand. (Photo by Manny Cruz)

practices of medical research and pharmaceutical companies. Several years ago, she felt called to switch careers in order to help others. She studied for three years with a Tibetan Buddhist monk and learned energy healing and meditation. She then completed training as a holistic health practitioner.

Meyer sees clients at the Acu-Care building located at 2852 Adams Ave. The office is a converted Craftsman home that also houses several other holistic practitioners including acupuncturists Kimberly Hoover, Henry Fusco and Julie

Laffen, massage therapist Ruth Dorn, intuitive counselor Rosa Medina-Fassett, holistic esthetician Donna Sly, bilingual yoga teacher Yawi Griffini and energy healer Joseph Taylor.

As well as holistic depression coaching, Meyer also offers Reiki and Tibetan energy healing.

On Sundays, she facilitates a free support group via meetup.com under the group name “Natural Solutions for Depression and Anxiety.”

Judy Meyer, can be contacted through her website: www.holisticdepressioncoach.com or via e-mail at holistichp@gmail.com.

San Diego Faces Shortage of Long-Term Foster Care Angels Foster Family Network Celebrates Foster Care Month May is National Foster Care Month, but for 3,500 children in San Diego County, life in the foster care system is a daily reality. One of the greatest challenges is a dire shortage of families that are willing to provide long-term loving care for children.

“When the County Department of Child Welfare calls, we can only meet one of every three requests for placement of young children,” says Jeff Wiemann, executive director of Angels Foster Family Network in San Diego. “That is tragic and we aim to change it.”

Wiemann’s plan starts at Angels’ annual gala on May 20 where 300 supporters will gather at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa to raise funds to expand outreach and education programs that help identify and support qualified families.

The nonprofit agency is the only organization in San Diego that supports families in providing long-term care for children under 5 years old in San Diego County. “We believe young children are best served when they are placed in one foster home rather than being bounced from home to home without the ability to form attachments to caregivers,” he says. “Angels is also unique because families provide care for one foster child — or sibling sets — at a time.

This way, children receive the high level of care they deserve.”

Founded in 1999, Angels was the first in the United States to specialize in long-term care of

single (or sibling) young children. It has been used as a model for other organizations in California and Oklahoma.

Weimann says part of the problem is that there aren’t enough families who have accurate information about fostering. “I tell people to disregard what they see on Lifetime or the Hallmark Channel because those horror stories are the rare exception,” he says. “There’s a misperception that foster children are juvenile delinquents, but the reality is that these are great kids whose parents are often struggling with problems like drug addiction. Angels creates a community of foster parents who step up and help see children through what could otherwise be a very tough time in life.

“When children are raised in stable, loving homes, they are far more likely to graduate high school and positively contribute to the community. Conversely, many children under-served by the foster care system are at greater risk for gang involvement, alcohol and substance abuse, and teen pregnancy. We should all pull together to ensure children receive the care they need to grow up to be emotionally healthy and economically productive adults.”

Lani Barnes: From Foster Mother to Tireless Advocate

When Lani Barnes first laid eyes on her foster child, she knew she was up to the tough road ahead. She and her husband Matt arrived at

Lani Barnes with child.

Rady Children’s Hospital and were introduced to a 3-month-old boy who was severely underweight, the size of a newborn. Doctors told the couple the child was failing to thrive and would need to be fed every two hours. Her first thought: “It’s a good thing I’m Filipino,” she recalls. “Feeding people is innate, it’s what we do.”

Since then, Barnes and her husband have opened their Talmadge home to three young foster children, the most recent placement ending with the adoption of Jaxon, a toddler who had been in their care since he was 2 months old. She says that each child came to her from different biological family circumstances, but they shared one thing in common — they thrived in the loving care of a stable family.

Barnes has no shortage of family love to give the children she has fostered. She has 50 first cousins as both of her parents come from sibling sets of nine. At family reunions, her foster chil-

BY JENNIFER COBURN

dren receive both lumpia and hugs in generous portions.

Her family rallied behind her when she was experiencing difficulty becoming pregnant. “I had this longing to be a mother,” Barnes says.

“We tried for many years and even tried a round of fertility treatments, but the effects on my body were negative. It seemed like every other person I knew was pregnant and my ache grew.”

Barnes wanted to do something positive with that ache, so she started quietly visiting the Angels Foster Family website and wondered if she and Matt should foster a young child. Even though Barnes’ husband expressed concerns about the unknowns of fostering, on their ninth wedding anniversary, the couple decided to attend one of the monthly orientation at Angels.

The meeting was geared toward helping people decide whether or not fostering is right for them.

“After the meeting, we thought, this is doable, let’s make a difference in a child’s life,” she recounts.

There are several reasons Barnes and her husband chose to be foster families through Angels.

They wanted to help a child under five years old. The couple also liked the philosophy that children should be with one foster family until they are reunified with their biological families or find a “forever family” through adoption. The agency also asks families to foster one child – or sibling set – at a time so the children get the focused attention they deserve. And the couple saw that there was great support for families. “I SEE FOSTER, Page 24

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| MAY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

FOSTER CONTINUED FROM Page 23

couldn’t have gotten through it without my caseworker.”

In 2015, after completing her last foster placement, Barnes started a full-time career with Angels. She not only helps to recruit wonderful new families, but provides additional support to foster families in the form of informal and formal support groups, connecting new foster families with experienced foster families and providing that extra support along with their case manager.

“I’ve walked through this process and now want to help other families do the same,” she says. “If a family makes the decision to care for a young foster child, Angels is going to do their best to take care of them.”

The Hands-On Approach to Fostering

Martha and Lisa Schattmans

When the time came for Martha and Lisa Schattman to reunify their first foster child with his biological mother, they thought it would be more dramatic. “I was expecting this Hollywood moment,” says Martha with a laugh. The baby boy was 5 months old and had lived with the couple for most of his life. On the day of his return, “I lifted him over my head Lion King style and I expected our eyes to meet, but he saw his mother and only had eyes for her,” says Martha. “I realized that the fact that he had bonded with us and still maintained a very strong connection with his mother meant we had done our job well.”

Knowing this relieved some of the pain of saying goodbye for Martha and Lisa. It also reminded them that in the real world, helping people is often quiet, unglamorous work that happens without an audience. With the foster care of little ones, there are diaper changes, bedtime stories, and kissing knee scrapes. And, as Martha recalls, endless rides on the carousel at the Wild Animal Park.

The Schattmans are now caring for a toddler girl, their third placement through Angels Foster

Family Network. Martha says that she and her wife decided to foster because they both have a strong desire to be parents, but neither wanted to bear children. They are also deeply committed to community service and social justice and liked the hands-on approach of fostering. “I can’t fix poverty, I can’t fix substance abuse, but I can hold a baby,” Martha says.

The Schattmans, a same-sex couple, have been pleasantly surprised that they have not experienced any discrimination from biological families.

“When you think about it, most biological parents are under 40 and to that generation, for the most part, it is far less of a problem,” says Martha.

One biological mother came to their defense when a friend questioned the wisdom of placing a child with a lesbian couple. “She told her friend to worry about her own life,” says Martha.

Some families in the Angels Foster Family Network have biological children at home, while others are childless couples and empty nesters. Some parents are single. “There are health and safety requirements people must meet before they bring a young child into their lives, but Angels is looking for kind and loving people who reflect the diversity of the community.

Martha says she wishes more people would consider fostering. “Most people were so supportive of us, but said they could never do it because they were afraid they would get too attached,” she says. “I understand their concerns because it is painful, but it’s not the feeling that something is wrong. Of course you miss them, but you also have the satisfaction of knowing that you stepped in and helped keep a family together.”

16 Babies and Counting

Diego families devote their full attention to one young child (or sibling set) at a time.

This philosophy makes sense to the Griffins, and not only because there is no washing machine that could handle such a heavy load.

Babies need a great deal of focused attention, says Ana, a stay-at-home foster mother in her late 50s.

Many of the babies she and her husband have fostered over the last decade have had a rocky start in life, like drugs or alcohol in their systems.

“It’s heartbreaking, but also heartwarming because they are so resilient,” she says. “It’s an incredible journey, an emotional journey where you will find out just how strong you are.”

Foster parents need strength, but they are never alone. “The support we get at Angels is great,” Ana says. Dale, an accountant with the sheriff’s department, adds that the couple not only received extensive screening and training before their first placement, but have access to ongoing education and support. Through the network, foster parents receive practical guidance on managing relationships with biological parents, scheduling visits with doctors and specialists, and dealing with the feeling of loss after children have been reunified with their families. “Saying goodbye the first time was so hard and I was in such a funk afterward that I didn’t think I could do it again,” Ana recalls. It took a a few weeks to get past the sadness, but they found the benefits of fostering outweighed the costs, and signed up for another placement.

The Griffins do not have biological children, but they adopted their 13th foster child when it became clear that reunification with his biological family was not possible. Other families include foster children into a home filled with their biological children. Some are single people; some are same-sex couples.

South Bay Family Encourages Fostering Children

Martha and Lisa Schattmans

Not everyone has the energy to care for 16 babies, but Ana and Dale Griffin say they are up to the task. The Spring Valley couple has a secret weapon — pacing. They serve as foster parents for one baby at a time through Angels Foster Family Network, a nonprofit that requires San

Lighting & Metal Arts Styles from Syracuse to Pasadena A look at light fixtures, art lamps and glass, hardware and metalwork of the Arts & Crafts Revival.

From the beginning, Arts & Crafts-era lighting was designed for electricity. That led to an explosion of forms, both traditional (based on candlestick or gaslight) and brand new.

Choosing lighting may be the most fun you can have when you are decorating a house. Combining utility with beauty like nothing else, lamps and fixtures express style in such beautiful materials as brass, nickel, mica, and stained glass. Lighting may be the most visible and affordable way to add period ambiance and even art to a room.

As for hardware and metal accessories: everything is available, whether in iron, brass, copper, bronze, ceramic, or glass. As with furniture, design influences range from Mackintosh to Stickley, with medieval and Hispanic designs in the mix.

Assorted glass door and cabinet knobs from Antique Hardware & Home.

A burnished brass double pendant fixture from Rejuvenation lights the island in a kitchen designed for a 1912 house.

(Photo: Bill Lusk)

Ivonne and Junior Garcia

Being Latino and living in the South Bay doesn’t automatically make a family ideal for fostering young children. But it’s a heck of a head start,

says Ivonne Garcia, a Chula Vista native. “Latinos are very loving and affectionate people; it’s in our blood and in our nature to be expressive and caring,” she says. And regarding life in the South Bay: “It’s so diverse. I like living in a community that has many different people,” she says.

This is especially important to her now that she has a foster son who is of a different race. “No one looks at us like he’s not mine, because seeing an African-American child with a Latino mom is not all that unusual,” she says.

Yet there is a dire shortage of Latinos in the South Bay fostering children. Jeff Wiemann, executive director of Angels Foster Family Network, says the shortage is countywide, but there is an even greater need in the South Bay among Latinos. The issue is at crisis levels. “The unfortunate reality is that we can only accommodate one of every three requests for placement we receive,” he says.

The Garcias have joined Angels’ National Foster Care Month campaign to raise awareness about the rewards and challenges of fostering young children. Their hope is to close the gap between young children who need loving homes and qualified people who can provide them. Currently, there are 3,500 children in the San Diego County foster care system, 1,400 of whom are younger than five years old.

Ivonne and her husband Junior have fostered a toddler for seven months now and say they wish everyone would consider it. “Good things happen to these kids and good things happen to you,” says Ivonne, who is an administrative assistant at a local radiology center. “I feel like we were meant to do this and that I’m a better person for it.

“It’s not that common to bring a stranger into your home. There’s a stigma that these children are going to be bad, but through our training at Angels, we saw that even with trauma, if you just provide children with love, they do well.” And love is in no short supply in the Garcia family. “I knew that these children would walk away feeling loved by my family, and that has definitely happened.”

Fostering a young child is a big job, but families at Angels are never alone in their journey.

The Garcias say they appreciate the level of training and support they get from the staff – and from other foster families in the network..

“We are hopeful that our South Bay friends and neighbors will consider fostering a young child and attend an Angels information session,” says Garcia. “It’s an opportunity to give and to grow and we’ve never looked back.”