Serving San Diego’s Premier Urban Communities for 20 Years sdnorthparknews.com
Vol. 20 No. 9 September 2012
MUSICAL MAYHEM ON ADAMS AVE .
Coco Montoya
Mojo Nixon
The Paladins
Adams Avenue Street Fair Brings 90 Acts To The Street About 70 of the 90 musical acts performing at this year’s Adams Avenue Street Fair are from the San Diego area, a tribute to the region’s growing reputation as a breeding ground for musical entertainers and bands — and places where they can perform. There is, for example, The Paladins, a San Diegobased trio formed in the 1980s by Dave Gonzalez. It’s best known for its high-energy rockabilly sound, but one built on country, early rock n’ roll, blues and jazz. Strawberry Alarm Clock
Sara Petite
South Park’s Resident Doctor Tara Zandvliet — ‘Dr. Z’— practices medicine the good old-fashioned way
Dr. Tara Zandvliet examines a patient.
San Diego also is home to Sara Petite, another stage performer at the street fair — Sara Petite and the Sugar Daddies. Her website bio says she learned to sing country music in her hometown of Summer, Wash., by listening to Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn. They join an eclectic mix of musicians at the 31s annual Adams Avenue Sept. 29 and 30 on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights. Performances on seven SEE MUSIC, Page 5
NORTH PARK SCENE
BY DELLE WILLETT
Dr. Tara Zandvliet sometimes feels rushed doing a 40-minute exam. “There’s so much to ask about, to talk about, and to learn about my patients,” she explained. Dr. Zandvliet, “the South Park Doctor,” is a refreshing change from the assembly-line model of larger medical practices. She gives a lot of time and personal attention to each of her patients and feels it’s the way of the future. Frustrated with medical-insurance paperwork piles, having to see patients in ridiculously short 7.5-minute appointments, and the cure-it-with-drugs mentality, Zandvliet set out on her own two years ago. She has a simple office, does not take insurance, has no employees, has flexible hours, gives minimum 20minute appointments, answers her own phone, and uses a 21year-old stethoscope. While Zandvliet (pronounced zand-fleet) does not take insurance, she does have patients with insurance; they fill out their own paperwork and she helps them with codes. Zandvliet, also known as “Dr. Z,” hung up her shingle in South Park with the intention of being known as the commuSEE DR Z, Page 6
Taste North Park Walk, sip, sample and shop. That’s what you do at the Taste of North Park, coming here again on Oct. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the general area of University Avenue and 30th Street. You can sample food from participating eateries, taste craft brews and shop at the galleries and boutiques along the way. More than 40 restaurants are participating. For a list of all the places taking part in the fourth annual event, visit tastenorthpark.com. Tickets cost $30 if purchased before the event, $35 day of. North Park Main Street is the sponsoring organization. SEE SCENE, Page 4
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SCENE CONTINUED FROM Page 1
Presidio Hills Home
Mission Hills Heritage Home Tour Mission Hills Heritage will host a tour of five privately owned residences in the Presidio Hills neighborhood on Sept. 22. The area is directly about Presidio Park and the Junipero Serra Museum. One of the last tracts to be developed in the centuryold community of Mission Hills, the homes were influenced by the Serra Museum’s Spanish-style architecture and many feature spectacular views of Old Town, Mission Bay and Mount Soledad. This is the eighth annual home tour sponsored by the organization. Trained docents in the homes on the tour will point out some of the unusual exterior and interior architectural features that make each residence unique. Tickets are $25 for Mission Hills Heritage members and $30 for nonmembers. Ticket sales will be open the day of the tour in the 2400 block of Presidio Drive. For more information, visit missionhillsheritage.org, or call (619) 497-1193. Bankers Hill Properties Acquired for Future Mixed-Use Development Three Bankers Hill properties, including the 125-year-old Britt Scripps Inn on Maple Street, have been sold for $5 million to Graham Downes and Blokhaus Development, who anticipate the development of a modern mixed-use project on the property. The three parcels total 35,000 square feet and include the historic Britt Scripps Inn, 406 Maple St., built in 1887, Mandarin House restaurant, 2604 Fifth Ave., and the 13-unit Evergreen Apartments, 2642 Fifth Ave. “Urban revitalization and mixed-use SEE SCENE, Page 5
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MUSIC CONTINUED FROM Page 1
stages will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. And it’s all free. Besides the musical line-up, there will be four beer gardens, a beer-tasting area, giant carnival rides and more than 300 food, arts and craft vendors selling their specialties throughout the street fair venue. The street fair is presented by the Adams Avenue Business Association, a nonprofit organization that promotes commercial activity in the Adams Avenue Business District. Some of the headliners this year include ’60’s psychedelic rockers the Strawberry Alarm Clock, which will include former Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek, the reunion of San Diego rockabilly trio the Paladins, the return of music provocateurs Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper, blues guitarist Coco Montoya, the Puerto Rican-based ensemble Plena Libre, singer/songwriter Jack Tempchin, indie band Cuckoo Chaos, Kofi Baker’s Cream Experience with special guests, country singer/songwriter Chuck Cannon, blues artist Junior Watson, and East L.A. R&B favorites Tierra. The full lineup is available on the association’s website: adamsavenuebusiness.com. Or call (619) 282-7329. Steve Kader, the booking agent for the fair, said musical acts were chosen for the event based on their passionate natures and their following in the San Diego area. “We also like to get new bands, those that are developing,” said Kader, who has been booking acts for the association for seven years. “I’d like people to come out to the fair, bring families, come and enjoy the day, the diverse music, the shops along Adams Avenue.”
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development in older neighborhoods like those surrounding Balboa Park constitute one of the hottest opportunities in the market for the creation of well-designed hospitality, housing, retail servicing, and new community gathering places,” said Danny Fitzgerald of Cassidy Turley, which represented the buyer. “This type of development is San Diego’s future and this project’s goal is to become a centerpiece for Bankers Hill and for the celebration of the Balboa Park Centennial in 2015.” The seller was represented in the transaction by Hattersley Group LLC.
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will help fund free breast cancer treatments and support services for San Diego’s uninsured women and their families. The eight blends represent the one in eight women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The names reflect a woman’s traditional strengths: Activist, Courage, Harmony, Pink Warrior, Athena, Goddess, Namaste, and Victory. “Coffee for the Cure is our way of stepping up what we can do to provide crucial funding for free services and treatment for San Diego’s own uninsured women,” said Arne Holt of Caffé Calabria. University Heights Resident Joins Cosmopolitan Hotel Jonathan Child of University Heights has joined the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant in Old Town as assistant inn keeper. Child has 21 years of hospitality experience, working at such venues as the Renaissance Esmeralda in Indian Wells, the Wyndham Hotel, the Parker, the Chase Hotel, TGI Friday’s, The Left Bank-Uptown Grill—all in Palm Springs; and the Sadaf Restaurant and Nightclub in San Diego.
Council Approves Charges to Property Owners in City Assessment Districts The San Diego City Council has approved annual charges to property owners in 56 assessment districts throughout the city. The districts pay for improvements to lighting, landscaping, maintenance of open space and other services. The city is required to levy assessments annually. The districts provide “phenomenal and important work” that might not otherwise get done, Councilman Todd Gloria said. The council has taken Caffé Calabria to Donate to Breast Cancer Cure a month off because of construction at City Hall. The next regSusan G. Komen for the Cure is partnering with North ularly scheduled meeting is Sept. 10. — City News Service Park’s Caffé Calabria to launch a line of coffee called Coffee for the Cure. Twenty-five percent of the revenue from eight coffees
1. Mojo Nixon, Skid Roper 2. Cuckoo Chao 3. Junior Watson 4. Tierra 5. Kofi Baker’s Cream Experience 6. Plena Libre 7. Jack Tempchin 8. Dave Gonzalez founder of The Paladins Photo: Scott Dudelson.
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DR Z
I think it’s adapting. It’s doing its best. Sometimes it just gets it wrong. And everybody is different. Every body is difCONTINUED FROM Page 1 ferent. You have to find the right fit for nity doctor. And what that looks like is each person.” her having a presence at community events such as the Bird Park concerts, Establishing a Solid Health Foundation So-No Fest or the Old House Fair with Zandvliet feels if she can help a perher medical bag on her bike, just in case son establish a solid foundation for somebody needs help. Or being at health, than most of the time the patient McKinley Elementary, her kids’ school, at won’t need her very often. Her acronym the jog-a-thon when the school nurse for that foundation is SANE: Sleep, couldn’t be there, or donating a gift basActivity, Nutrition and Environment. ket for a gala at Einstein Academy. “I want This is how she explains it: the community to know I’m here to visSleep is when your body recuperates ibly support and inspire them,” she said. and repairs itself. If you can’t sleep, your And visible she is, bicycling from body breaks down. Get eight to nine home on Felton Street to work on her hours sleep a night without the use of big black bike with her red medical bag sleep aids. “If I could get everybody on a rack in back. She even makes sleeping successfully I’d be out of a job.” house-calls on her bike — mostly when Do things you love to do. Be active. the patient is a child with a 104-degree Your body was meant to move, not sit temperature who needs to stay home in for 10 hours a day. his or her own bed. “I don’t make Food is medicine, information for house-calls on people I don’t know. our genes. Eat healthy food; get your That would worry my mother greatly!” necessary vitamins, minerals, and she chuckled. micro-nutrients. If you don’t give your body what it needs it will fail you. Looking Ahead to the Obama HealthRid your life of toxins: toxic habits, care Plan toxic work environments, toxic relationAbout to celebrate her two-year ships and more. anniversary as the South Park Doctor, Zandvliet is looking ahead to the Obama The Doctor’s Chart Healthcare Plan and how it might affect So how is Zandvliet doing on building her practice. “I’m still working my way her own health foundation? Being mothwith a highlighter through the Obaer to a 7 and 9 year old, she’s probably not macare plan that’s full of medi-speak, doing so well on the eight to nine hours and the Supreme Court justices’ deciof sleep a night, and with the exception of sion, which is fascinating and a little eascraving Hostess Cherry Pies, she’s doing ier to read — still not like Nora Roberts OK on the nutrition. And since she left a romances, which I love. toxic work environment and set up her “I may lose patients to doctors who own practice, she’s doing great on the take insurance, I may be getting a lot environment part. more patients, or I may have to adapt. She also scores really high on the But I have a feeling I’ll be getting busier, activity chart as an avid cyclist, who, as many will now have high-deductible over the last 15 years, has had a fly-andinsurance to meet the mandate. From die standard. “I go as fast as I can and my reading, it also seems as if patients hold on for dear life.” will find getting reimbursement for my services much easier, and possibly at a Checking Credentials higher rate. The most important thing Originally from Los Angeles, Zandvliout of all of this is that everyone ends up et holds an undergraduate degree from with decent health care.” Stanford, an MD from New York Medical College and had a double residency Practicing Preventative Medicine at the University of Texas Medical CenAnd what does decent health care ter. She was also on the faculty of UT mean to Zandvliet? “I would like to see Houston and the Baylor College of everyone in charge of their own health Medicine/University of Texas. decisions, both medically and financialNow on her own, she tries to keep up ly. I feel that as medical treatments and with new developments in her specialties hospitalizations become more expen(internal medicine, pediatrics and intesive, we will also need help paying for grative medicine) by attending two major them in some form or another. We conferences a year as well as keeping up should be focusing on preventative with journals. She also continues to work medicine in order to change our futures. part-time at La Maestra clinic, where she Doctors should have time to really listen has the opportunity to interact with to their patients and discuss with them other highly experienced doctors. the pros and cons of different treatSince arriving in San Diego 12 years ments. Medicine should be collaboraago, Zandvliet was at the Palomar Medtive, not dictatorial.” ical Center for two years as a hospitalist, In Zandvliet’s office, she asks her taking care of the sickest, most complex patients questions, tries to get a feel for patients, and eight years at Family the problem and repeat it back to them. Health Centers of San Diego, serving When she hears “Yes, you’ve got it!” then the underprivileged of San Diego. they can begin to figure out what to do Making an Appointment together. (And, by the way, ella habla Making an appointment with Zandespañol.) vliet is easy and can be done online at southparkdoctor.com, where all other Teaching Patients information is given on how to prepare Zandvliet, 44, believes a lot of for the appointment. The office is locatmedicine is education. Teaching patients ed at 2991 Kalmia St. (619) 929-0030. what is going on inside their body, why But wait. Where’s the waiting room? it isn’t working properly and how to “I don’t have one. I try very hard not to make adjustments to get back to good have my patients wait,” said Zandvliet. health. And teaching is what she loves to In inclement weather, patients have the do. Jargon-free. option of waiting at the psychiatry office “If a patient doesn’t understand what next door. Usually if her patients wait, I am saying, I’m not doing them any it’s because they come early. Once in a good. Medi-speak just wastes everyone’s while, every few weeks she’ll get 15 mintime,” she said. utes behind — usually with a newborn. “I don’t like the traditional ‘you’re“I love the personal touch; when it’s broken, let’s-fix-it’ attitude,” said Zandtime for your appointment, you open vliet. “I don’t think the body is broken. the door, and here I am!”
www.sdnorthparknews.com Serving San Diego’s Premier Bungalow Communities Chairman/CEO Bob Page BobPage@sandiegometro.com Publisher Rebeca Page RebecaPage@sandiegometro.com Editor Manny Cruz Manny@sandiegometro.com Art Director Chris Baker kurisub@gmail.com Advertising Sales Ada Laura Duff (858) 442-7766 adaduff@gmail.com ------------------------------
Zandvliet is an avid cyclist, who, over the last 15 years, has had a fly-and-die standard. ‘I go as fast as I can and hold on for dear life,’ she says.
Writers/Columnists Todd Gloria Ann Jarmusch Jennifer Kester Donna Marganella Bart Mendoza Katelyn O’Riordan Sandy Pasqua David Raines Delle Willett
Photography Manny Cruz Sande Lollis
Dr. Z bicycles to work from her home on Felton Street.
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.
The ‘waiting room’ is outside.
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, 2012, by REP Publishing, Inc. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without prior written consent. All rights reserved.
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Marish Castle as Alexi
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Artists Headline ArtOberfest 2012 ‘It’s a great time to see all the creativity and talent in our community’
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The 2012 ArtOberfest Walkabout on Saturday, October 6th, will feature the work of dozens of talented local artists on display in shops, galleries and eateries throughout the South Park neighborhood. “It’s a great time to see all the creativity and talent in our community, along with celebrating the fall festivals,” says Maureen Ceccarelli, whose Studio Maureen and The Next Door Gallery are located on Beech Street. On ArtOberfest Saturday, artist Susan E. Roden’s “A Tiny Toyland” will be among the featured displays. “Everyone knows there are talented artists working in San Diego and nearby,” says Ceccarelli. “But they might be
surprised at the volume of work available here, and that so many South Park businesses specialize in this work.” From Kalmia Street to Beech Street, neighborhood businesses stay open late during Walkabout Saturdays, and a free trolley circulates from 6 to 10 p.m. to make browsing even easier. Grant’s Marketplace celebrates its 10th anniversary on Oct. 6t with live music, plentiful refreshments and other surprises. Grant's is located on the corner of Beech and Dale streets. More information about South Park businesses and the upcoming events is available at southparkscene.com.
1 ‘Worldly antiques’ by Jennifer Price will be featured at Graffiti Beach for the Oct. 6 walkabout. 2 Plum Pottery will have a new assortment of fall-themed pots in addition to traditional selections of functional and decorative items by students and local ceramic artists. Shown here is work by Annie Lockee and Cia Barron. 3 The ‘Lizard Sheep’ sculpture by Susan E. Roden will be featured in the ‘Tiny Toyland’ gallery 4
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show at The Next Door Gallery on Beech Street. The show runs throughout the month, and the artist’s reception will be on ArtOberfest walkabout night Oct. 6.
4 Artist Monty Montgomery will be working on new pieces and displaying completed work at Graffiti Beach during the ArtOberfest Walkabout. 5 Among the local artists whose work will be featured at Make Good is 13-year-old Natalie Rosalinda. Shown here is one of her original creations. Also featured will be handcrafted ukeleles by Chris Flynn as well as Rochelle Dowd’s mixed media creations.
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Art Installation at Alchemy Salutes Adult Literacy Project incorporates the use of books as a design medium A new art installation is in process at Alchemy. The art installation is a collaboration of owners (Ron Troyano/Matt Thomas) and other local South Park artists (Will Lopeman and Marisa Holmes). The project incorporates the use of books as a design medium throughout the ceiling of the restaurant, giving an organic design to a completely symmetrical foundation (the ceiling). The installation is not just for design purposes; it is also a tool for bringing awareness to the READ/San Diego Adult Literacy Program. All books used in the art installation were given to Alchemy to salute its donation to READ/San Diego. READ/San Diego is a free adult literacy instruction service provided by the San Diego LIbrary for adults 18 years of age and older. It is one of more than 100 literacy programs offered by the public libraries throughout California. READ/San Diego
is supported by the city of San Diego with assistance from the Friends of READ/San Diego Literacy Programs and the state of California. It also relies on contributions from local businesses, civic and service organizations, and individuals. More information is available at readsandiego.org. The installation will be in process throughout September and will be completed and ready for display by the Oct. 6 South Park Walkabout.
Artists are working on installing the READ/San Diego salute at Alchemy Restaurant in South Park. The installation, on the ceiling of the restaurant, will be completed for display at the ArtOberfest Walkabout on Oct 6.
Tour de Fat Bike Parade Features South Park
School Supplies Donation Drive
The nationwide Tour de Fat — a festival for bike lovers — visits San Diego again this year on Saturday, Sept. 29t, at Golden Hill Park. Among the most popular events of the day will again be the costumed bike parade that starts at Golden Hill Park and tours through the tree-lined streets of South Park. Many of the cyclists and bikes will be colorfully outfitted with costumes and decoration celebrating the culture of fun, biking, and oldfashioned neighborhood fun. Proceeds from the event support the San Diego Mountain Biking Association. More information is available at sdmba.com.
Once again the Edward Jones Investments office in South Park is spearheading a drive to provide school supplies to children at underserved schools in San Diego. Through Sept. 7, the office will collect donations of supplies including back packs, book bags, lunch kits, paper, pencils, notebooks and other school needs.
Donors are asked to bring donations to the office, located at 2222 Fern St., during daytime hours. Cash and checks donated will be used to purchase additional supplies. Edward Jones’ South Park office has conducted this drive for the past three years.
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Improving Park Space and Adding Parking Spaces
BY COUNCILMAN TODD GLORIA
North Park Community Park sits near the center of the neighborhood but it is hardly a landmark reflecting the character of its namesake community. That is changing. On Aug. 3, I was pleased to join San Diego Unified School Board Member Richard Barrera and community leaders to break ground on a facelift to the North Park Community Park. The improvements are the third and final phase of changes for the block, which started with the closure of North Park Elementary School.
Breaking ground at North Park Community Park.
In 2009, the San Diego Unified School Board relocated the ALBA High School program to the site of the former North Park Elementary, which abuts the park. ALBA Middle School moved in the next winter, and now it’s time to implement the off-site, joint use improvements which will benefit the school and local neighbors alike. North Park Community Park has been challenged for many years by drug use and other criminal activity, making the large space unattractive to local neighbors and young families. I am confident that
the improvements under way will help reverse this trend and activate the park. Work, estimated to cost approximately $500,000, includes installing a new basketball court, removing and replacing 30-foot light poles at the joint use playing field, providing new matting at horizontal bars, re-surfacing joint-use playing field, repairing and replacing damaged concrete sidewalk areas, providing new fencing around joint-use playing field, and incorporating recommendations from the school police’s Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design analysis. The original plans also included installation of cameras in the park to further deter crime. While the current budget does not allow for their immediate installation, I remain focused on obtaining them, hopefully in the next year. While the improvements began, I worked with the city’s Park and Recreation Department and advocated a
change in parking restrictions alongside the park on Idaho Street. Parking was prohibited from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., creating a frustrating situation for people living and visiting this neighborhood, which is known for its parking shortage. Now, public parking is allowed 24 hours a day on the entire block; this is a net gain of 47 parking spaces. I am grateful to the San Diego Unified School Board, neighbors, and the North Park Community Association for their partnership in this project. Progress in our community takes all of us, and North Park Community Park will soon be an example of what we can do together. Councilmember Gloria can be reached at ToddGloria@sandiego.gov; (619) -236-6633; 202 C Street, MS 10A, San Diego, CA 92101; and on Facebook and Twitter. Visit his website at www.sandiego.gov/cd3.
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Community autism supporters during the Walk Now for Autism Speaks San Diego 2011. Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein.
Autism Speaks Annual Walk Raises Money for Autism As a kindergartner, Thomas was very slow with speech, threw tantrums longer than other kids and was not very social. He also played with his toys differently — lining up his race cars, instead of rolling them. When he had to be forcefully removed from the playground as a child, Thomas’ mother, Beth Selbe of Santee, wondered if he would grow up to be an independent, successful young man — if he would even make it out of kindergarten. The inability to face transitions is just one of the behavioral issues associated
with autism spectrum disorders, said Selbe, an Autism Speaks committee member. Changing classes or merely taking a different route home can cause a meltdown for someone with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Although experiences like the playground incident were difficult for Selbe, what troubled her most, when Thomas was diagnosed with autism at age 4, was the prospect of how public insensitivity may affect him. This concern has somewhat subsided for Selbe, since Thomas, now 19, has begun his second semester at
a local community college. “Don’t shortchange your child!” Selbe said. “Don’t tell them that they can’t achieve what they want to achieve.” One of every 88 children in the U.S. at 8 years of age has an ASD, according to the Center for Disease Control. Symptoms of the developmental disorders in the spectrum, including delays in speech and behavior, usually become apparent in the first few years of a child’s life and vary in degree. The three most popular development disorders in the spectrum include: autistic disorder; pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified; and Asperger syndrome. The disorders cannot be diagnosed with blood or other diagnostic tests and their exact cause has not been pinpointed, although studies suggest genetic and environmental factors are contributors. Autism Speaks, founded in 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism, is a national organization that raises funds to support research and to heighten the awareness of ASDs. The Wrights’ longtime friend, Bernie Marcus, donated $25 million to launch the organization. The charity will hold its eighth annual 5k walk — San Diego Walk Now for Autism Speaks — at Liberty Station on Oct. 6. Twenty-five hundred people walked the streets of San Diego during last year’s walk and raised nearly $130,000. This year’s event also promises to involve between 200 and 300 teams, totaling up to about 2,000 to 3,000 attendees, according to one of the charity’s co-chairs,
Steven Gorup. Although Autism Speaks does not have a San Diego storefront, resources and money raised by the organization flow into the city. Earlier this year, the charity held a free symposium in San Diego for teachers to educate them on the basics of ASDs and the needs of children affected by disorders in the spectrum.
BY CECILIA BUCKNER
Regional Centers are nonprofit organizations, contracted through the state, to provide a wide array of supportive services to the developmentally disabled, ranging from early intervention therapies to transportation and nutritional support. There are 21 Regional Centers in the state. While ASDs are among the most com-
San Diego Autism Walk committee members.
“It’s more than a walk to us,” said Gorup, who lives in Downtown’s East Village. “It’s giving back our knowledge and resources to the community.” Making use of available resources can lighten the load of families affected by these developmental disorders. “Some people aren’t able to get what they need — maybe because they don’t know what to ask for,” said Selbe, who received much of the services she needed from the school district and the San Diego Regional Center.
mon developmental disabilities, we know very little about them. “When people hear autism, they think ‘Rain Man’ and have a very narrow vision of what autisms is,” said Krystal Langford, an East County mother of a 7-yearold diagnosed with severe classic autism. “It’s important to me that my son is part of this community. I want the community to understand my son.” In addition to increasing cognitive, linguistic, social, and self-help skills, early intervention helps to minimize the potential for secondary behavioral and emotional problems (e.g., anxiety, depression). Organizations like Autism Speaks, through its research funding, available resources and education, could assist in making early detection of ASDs more likely. It is estimated that the U.S. is facing $90 billion annually in costs related to autism. Research suggests that costs can be reduced by 2/3 with early diagnosis and treatment/intervention. Walk Now for Autism Speaks starts at 2640 Historic Decatur Road, San Diego at 10 a.m. Registration is available at the event, beginning at 8 a.m. The event features vendors that provide ASD resources. For more information or to register online,visit walknowforautismspeaks.org/ sandiego or call (323)297-4771.
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Kensington Author Defends ‘Lost Girls’ Caitlin Rother addresses controversy surrounding publication of her latest nonfiction book Kensington author Caitlin Rother, whose most recent book, “Lost Girls,” generated controversy after its publication earlier this year, defended the work in a recent interview with KPBS. The book recounts the rape and mur-
enough with what they read in this book that maybe we will be able to mobilize and get some change.” “I feel that it’s important to know what the sexual predator is all about,” Rother added. “We don’t know very
Chelsea King was a popular high school senior. Amber Dubois was a bookworm who poured her heart into the animals she cared for. Both girls disappeared in the San Diego area, just eight miles and one year apart.
“I wrote this book knowing there would be some controversy — not to make boatloads of money but because I felt very strongly that this was an opportunity to educate people about sex offenders.” Photo by Shaun Boyte
der of teenagers Amber Dubois and much about sexual predators, we don’t want to know. It’s a repulChelsea King in 2009 and 2010 by sive idea. I felt this was an registered sex offender opportunity to really get John Gardner. The families into an issue like this that of King and Dubois really could do some opposed the publication of good so we can prevent the book and asked that she things like this from donate profits from its sale happening again.” to charity. She said the book also In an interview with describes the two vicKPBS, Rother said she was tims to honor them. “I very sorry the families were always like to pay a tribhurt by the book because that ute to victims,” she said. was not her intention. She “This is to honor the said she was hoping to do victims so there won’t something positive with the be any more of them.” book to prevent future crimes from happening. “I understand they don’t want to read the book, I wouldn’t want to if I were them either, but I do feel there really is a purpose to revealing the flaws in the system that we can fix, I hope,” she said. Rother said she also wants to take advantage of the emotion the community feels “so maybe people will be angry
With the cooperation from Gardner, his mother, several ex-girlfriends and other family members, Rother created a detailed portrait of the sexual predator through dozens of interviews and access to documents. The book gives provides a behind-the-scenes look at the criminal investigations of Gardner. Rother also suggests flaws in the system that failed Gardner. In the epilogue, Rother describes her five-hour conversation with Gardner at Corcoran State Prison, where he is serving three consecutive life terms in the same unit as mass murderer Charles Manson and Phillip Garrido, the kidnapper of Jaycee Dugard.
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Rother said she felt compelled to founder of San Diego Writing Women write this book, with the hope that “we, and teaches journalism and creative as a society, can find ways to deal with writing workshops at UCSD Extension. people like Gardner before they get to a breaking point, so we can protect ourOther Books by Rother: selves and prevent our families from Dead Reckoning falling to the same fate as Amber Dubois Poisoned Love and Chelsea King.” Naked Addiction Rother, a former reporter with the Body Parts San Diego Union-Tribune, is the author Twisted Triangle or co-author of eight books. She worked Deadly Devotion at daily newspapers for 19 years before My Life, Deleted becoming a full-time author. She is a
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Chocolate Cravings…Yum!
Bonbons covered in chocolate. Chocolate is mostly machine-made, not handmade. Converting cacao seeds into chocolate has now evolved into a complex and time-consuming mechanized process that includes several steps. (Lindt & Sprüngli, Switzerland).
Drying cacao seeds.While machines have made chocolate faster to produce and cheaper to buy, cacao farming itself remains basically unaltered. (Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate Inc.).
Get the complete story behind this crave-worthy treat in “Chocolate” at the Natural History Museum Oct. 12 through March 10, 2013. Discover the unique cacao tree whose seeds started it all. Unearth the origins of chocolate consumption, and discover how chocolate was transformed from a bitter drink of kings into the indulgence we love today. “Chocolate” will engage the senses and reveal facets of this sumptuous treat that you;ve probably never before considered. From seed to sweet, unwrap the story of chocolate. “Chocolate” and its national tour have been developed by The Field Museum, Chicago. This project was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.
Cacao was vital to the trade empire of the Aztec people—as a luxury drink, as money, and as an offering to the gods. (The Trustees of the British Museum.)
Ancient Maya. Before chocolate was a sweet candy, it was a spicy drink. Some of the earliest known chocolate drinkers were the ancient Maya of Central America. (Photo: Justin Kerr)
Chocolate as Food and Medicine It takes four cacao seeds to make one ounce of milk chocolate, and 12 seeds to make one ounce of dark chocolate. Although we tend to think of chocolate as a solid today, for 90 percent of its history it was consumed in liquid form. Some of the earliest European cocoa-makers were apothecaries seeking medicinal uses of the plant. Cacao seeds contain significant amounts of naturally occurring flavonoids, substances also found in red wine, green tea, and fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are connected with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. On the other hand, chocolate carries a heavy load of saturated fats and calories; there are much healthier ways to get the same benefits.
Chocolate laboratory. Most large-scale chocolate manufacturers run their factories like science laboratories. Precision instruments track temperature and moisture levels and regulate the timing of automated processes within the factory. (Lindt & Sprüngli, Switzerland).
After the Spanish introduced cacao to Europe, it wasn’t long before someone added sugar. Sweetened chocolate quickly spread throughout Europe as a drink of the wealthy classes.
Chocolate contains two stimulants also found in coffee — caffeine and theobromine — but in relatively small amounts. Fifty M&M’s, for example, have about as much caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee. Who Eats Chocolate? • Not Africans. A great deal of chocolate is grown in Africa, but mostly for export. • Not a lot of Asians. Although chocolate’s popularity is growing in China and Japan, there is still comparatively little chocolate culture in Asia. The Chinese, for example, eat only one bar of chocolate for every 1,000 eaten by the British. • Mexicans consume chocolate more as a traditional drink and a spice than as a candy. They use it to make the wonderful sauce called mole
and offer chocolate drinks at wedding ceremonies and birthday parties. • Americans for sure…an average of 12 pounds per person per year. In 2001, that came to a total of 3.3 billion pounds. (Americans spend $13 billion a year on chocolate.) • Definitely European. As far back as the late 1700s, the people of Madrid, Spain, consumed nearly 12 million pounds of chocolate a year. Today, 16 of the 20 leading per-capita chocolate-consuming countries are in Europe, with Switzerland leading the pack with an average of 22 pounds per person per year. (The U.S., as of 2001, was No. 11.)
Two New Grants Enable S.D. Air & Space Museum to Continue Digitization of its Research Material The San Diego Air & Space Museum, which houses the third largest collection of aviation-related research material in the United States, will use two recently awarded grants to continue its digitization of its extensive collection. The museum received $124,500 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and $25,000 from Goodrich Aerostructures.
The initial digitization project originated two years ago with the help of the Legler Benbough Foundation, whose funding enabled the museum to uploan more than 135,000 digitized images to Flickr.com, as well as more than 400 rare films to YouTube. The museum’s online image and film collection is thought to be the largest of its type in the world, and is
growing, but it represents less than 5 per- accelerated through handling, exposure to process can be mitigated so that archival cent of the museum’s total collection. light, and climate fluctuations. Through material is not lost. Both the IMLS and Goodrich Aerostruc- the museum’s digitization efforts, this tures grants will support the continuation of that effort, which the museum has titled “Great Explorations: Increasing Online Access.” Photographs, films, and rare books are fragile, and the deterioration process is
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Tribute to American Arts & Crafts Pasadena Heritage hosts 21st annual Craftsman Weekend
A tour and reception at the James Allen Freeman House will be Oct. 20 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Pasadena’s 21st annual Craftsman Weekend, a tribute to the American Arts & Crafts movement and the most comprehensive celebration of its type in the Western U.S., will be held Oct. 19-21 under sponsorship of the Pasadena Heritage organization. The weekend’s offerings will include a tour of significant Craftsman-era houses, a variety of bus and walking tours, evening receptions at historic sites, an exposition show and sale, lectures, presentations and workshops. The signature event of the Weekend is the Craftsman House Tour on Oct. 21 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). The in-depth drive- yourself tour provides the opportunity to experience the rich variety of Craftsman architecture that makes Pasadena a destination for Arts and Crafts enthusiasts. This year’s tour features five homes. One of the featured homes will be the Woodworth speculative house, designed in 1911 by the Foss Designing and Building Co. This two-story, Chalet-style home has many features of the traditional Craftsman home, including a wide, welcoming front door, and a large living room with interesting cove moldings and floating box beams. The den has beautiful pocket doors, and the dining room has wonderful built-ins with original colored glass and grass-cloth covered walls. Celebrating its centennial is the 1912 Lindley House. Designed by David M. Renton, and recently designated a city landmark, it is currently home to the nonprofit organization, the Journey House. Even through many changes and owners, it has amazingly retained its beautiful stained woodwork, board and baton wainscoting in the dining room, an original fireplace, and large pocket doors. Other homes on the tour will include a beautifully restored home in the Orange Heights neighborhood, and two other distinctive bungalows that represent Pasadena’s Arts & Crafts style. Docents will provide additional information about the homes. This is a drive-yourself tour so please allow at least four hours to view all of the houses. Price: $45 nonmembers; $40 members.
The Weekend at a Glance • Friday, Oct. 19 — Bus excursion to Historic Glendora. Historic Highlands Neighborhood Walking Tour. Madison Heights Neighborhood Walking Tour. Arts and Crafts Embroidery Workshop. Craftsman Restoration Workshop. Craftsman TileMaking Workshop. Research and Photography Workshop. Opening Reception at the Blinn House. • Saturday, Oct. 20 — Craftsman Exposition Show & Sale. Silent Auction. Exhibitor Spotlight Presentations. Building the Freeman House Tour. Great Architects Bus Tour. Landmark Districts Bus Tour. Orange Heights Neighborhood Walking Tour. Ford Place Neighborhood Walking Tour. Garden Presentation. Tour House Detectives Workshop. Stickley Lectures Reception. Tour at the Freeman House. • Sunday, Oct. 21 — Craftsman House Tour. Craftsman Exposition Show & Sale. Silent Auction. Exhibitor Spotlight Presentations. Excursion to Historic Glendora (Oct. 19, 9-11 a.m. or 10 a.m. to noon) The city of Glendora was incorporated in 1911 during the height of the Craftsman movement. Architects William Ellinger III and John Heller, specialists in historic preservation, will lead the docent-guided bus excursion through historic neighborhoods with a chance to see some of the city’s outstanding landmarks. Price: $60 for Pasadena Heritage members, $70 for nonmembers. Historic Highlands Walking Tour (Oct. 19, 1 to 3 p.m. or 2 to 4 p.m.) Historic Highlands, a Pasadena Landmark District, began to be SEE CRAFTSMAN, Page 16
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CRAFTSMAN CONTINUED FROM Page 15
developed at the turn of the century. By the time of its incorporation into the city of Pasadena in 1925, it had transformed from a remote country outpost to a thriving and varied neighborhood and the architectural styles represented this transformation. Locally grown oak and Douglas fir, Arroyo stone and art tile by local artisans are used throughout the homes. Price: $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Madison Heights Walking Tour (Oct. 19) The Madison Heights neighborhood is one of Pasadena’s most historically and architecturally significant. Greene & Greene, Frederick Louis Roehrig, Sylvanus Marston, Reginald Johnson, Heineman & Heineman, Hunt & Grey and Louis B. Easton all designed homes in Madison Heights. Many other homes were contractor-built so that the neighborhood became a showcase for the builders. As a result, many of the houses have rich detail for even a modest budget. Price: $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers. Workshops • Arts and crafts embroidery workshop Oct. 19, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the his-
toric Lincoln Clark III house. Ann Chaves, textile curator, collector and teacher, will lead the class for both beginners and experience embroiderers. Price: $95 for members, $120 for nonmembers.
John G. Ripley highlighting their new book, “Pasadena’s Bungalow Heaven,” will precede the bus tour, which will explore some of Pasadena’s 22 landmark districts. Interior stops will showcase homes that contribute to the neighborhoods’ landmark status. Price: $50 member, $55 for • Craftsman restoration workshop Oct. nonmembers. 19, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the historic Lincoln Clark III house. Tim Gregory, the Orange Heights Neighborhood building biographer, teams with Dennis Walking Tour Hill, architectural photographer, to teach (Oct. 20, 9 to 11 a.m. or 10 a.m. to noon) attendees how to research and photo- In the last 15 years, there has been a graph their own homes. Workshop is lim- resurgence of interest in Craftsman ited to 10 people. Price: $40 members, homes in Orange Heights, and new own$50 for nonmembers. ers are doing beautiful and sensitive restoration throughout the neighborThe Great Architects Tour hood, added to the National Register of (Oct. 20, 9 to 11:30 a.m.) Historic Places in 1995. Price: $25 nonFeaturing Arthur and Alfred Heineman. members; $20 members. During the period 1907 to 1923, the two brothers designed 10 grand residences Ford Place Neighborhood Walking Tour and over 250 smaller bungalows. The tour (Oct. 20, 1 to 3 p.m. or 2 to 4 p.m.) will afford guests the opportunity to take The Ford Place Historic District, was an in-depth look at their unique style in developed in 1902 by W.J. Pierce. It retains Pasadena. Price: $40 member, $45 for a sense of time and place as an early nonmembers. planned residential development in the City of Pasadena juxtaposed against nearLandmark Districts Bus Tour by commercial development. (Oct. 20, presentation noon to 1 p.m. and Price: $25 nonmembers; $20 members. bus tour 1:30 to 4 p.m.) A presentation by Julianna Delgado and
Tour and Reception — James Allen Freeman House (Oct. 20, 6 to 8:30 p.m.) The reception will be held at the restored James Allen Freeman House. Recently added to the National Register of Historic Places and a Pasadena Historic Monument, this home will be open for the first time to the public. One of the most striking features of this Arthur and Alfred Heineman-designed house is the restored Marketing and Advertising the Arts wave-patterned wood- shingle roof, which wraps over the eaves evoking the look of an and Crafts of Stickley Lecture English Cotswold cottage thatched roof. (Oct. 20, 10 to 11 a.m.) Mike Danial, Stickley’s corporate histori- Price: $145 nonmembers, $125 members. an and restoration specialist, will take a close look at the mechanism of retail fur- Craftsman Exposition, Antique Dealniture selling at the turn of the 20th cen- ers, Contemporary Artists and Trades tury as the Stickley brothers were facing a (Oct. 20 and 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) new competitor, “Grand Rapids.” Price: The Craftsman Exposition is the antique and contemporary furnishings and dec$25 nonmembers, $20 members. orative arts show and sale held at the Pasadena Convention Center. Pasadena House Detective Workshop Heritage will host more than 70 (Oct. 20, 1:30 to 4 p.m.) This hands-on, practical workshop, led exhibitors from across the U.S. to particby historic architect, William W. Ellinger ipate in the two-day show and sale, bringIII, along with David Gaines, a licensed ing a broad spectrum of Craftsman-era civil engineer specializing in structures, and period- inspired works: furniture, explores tracing the evolution of a house textiles, pottery and tiles, metal work, and restoring and reversing change using wallpapers and stencils, and books which architectural forensics and research. Price: will entice both the novice and collector. All exhibitors are juried. $60 nonmembers, $50 members. Garden Presentation and Tour (Oct. 20, 9 to 11:30 a.m.) This presentation will take place in a beautiful garden featured in the book “Outside the Bungalow,” followed by a drive- yourself tour to two additional gardens that exemplify important considerations when designing Craftsman gardens. Price: $45 nonmembers, $40 members.
Dancing at the Bird Park concerts. Photo by Lynn Elliott.
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A High-Speed Drive Through Balboa Park When highway planners have a road to build, they look at where they want it to start and where they want it to end. Then they try to draw a line, straight as possible. But what happens when that line goes through Balboa Park? When the Cabrillo Freeway first came up in the 1940s, lots of San Diegans cheered. Civic leader George Marston told the San Diego Union newspaper in 1941 that he considered the Cabrillo Freeway the answer to “the extreme necessity of another broad modern thoroughfare from north to south.” Such enthusiasm wouldn’t always endure for the highway through the park, especially as it threatened to grow in future decades. The city had taken its park, which began as 1,400 acres, and sliced off dozens of acres here, dozens more there. The park today features two freeways — the State Route 163 coursing through it and Interstate 5 slicing off the southwestern corner. “A freeway through the park? I mean, come on,” said Nancy Carol Carter, a law professor at the University of San Diego who has studied the history of Balboa Park. “There is not one place in the park where you can’t hear traffic.” But the idea wasn’t always controversial. We’ve been unraveling tales from the park’s history since it was set aside in the 1860s, tracing back controversies and big changes in the city’s crown jewel. The current reason for debate in the park is a plan, approved in July, to remake the park’s western entrance. The plan’s supporters describe a romantic central plaza, free of cars, in front of
Route 163 through Balboa Park.
many of the park’s iconic structures. Its detractors focus more on the new road that diverts the cars and a paid parking garage. “Although there have been many individual uses proposed and granted on park property, none stirs up more controversy than roads,” wrote San Diego Union reporter Michael O’Connor in 1963. “However, in most cases the park land has been turned over by a vote of the people.” Over the years, city leaders wanted to add roads and private buildings, but they needed at least two-thirds votes in a public election. Voters overwhelmingly agreed to let the city deed about 38 acres to the state Division of Highways for the freeway in 1941. The highway builders broke ground in 1946, replacing lily ponds and bridle paths under the iconic bridge leading across the Cabrillo Canyon. Cars could pass under the arches, and landscaped hillsides bore trees and plants, making the highway a beautiful route. Even JFK may’ve agreed when he traveled down it in 1963. It was the first freeway in San Diego County. Private uses and roads had eaten up 249 of the park’s original 1,400 acres, according to a 1963 estimate in the Union. Highway planners, however, weren’t done eyeing the park. San Diego’s population had boomed after the World Wars, and traffic built up on the freeway. By 1965, Caltrans revealed it planned to double the freeway’s width, to eight lanes. A civic group called Citizens Coordinate passionately opposed the widen-
ing. Referred to as “politically inexperienced urban conservationists” at the time by San Diego Magazine, the group published a report called “Highwayman Stop! This Is City Park” and went headto-head with the Chamber of Commerce and a pro-highway association. Clare Crane describes their strategy in her book, “Citizens Coordinate and The Battle for City Planning in San Diego.” The group organized a big “Explore Balboa Park Day” in 1967, and while people were listening to organ concerts, going on nature walks and watching puppet shows, Citizens Coordinate members fanned out throughout the park to educate people and ask them to sign a petition against the freeway. From the petition: “Economics as well as an emotional attachment to the Park reinforce our belief that addition-
al highway encroachment, by damaging one of this city’s major assets, would be a disservice to the general well-being of San Diego. We ask you not to sacrifice any more of the space, the clean air, the greenery of Balboa Park to expediency.” With thousands of signatures on their side, the Citizens Coordinate group caught the ear of the City Council. The state changed its widening proposal from eight lanes to six. By the end of 1968, the state highways chief said the department would abide by any city decision. The group reminded the council they didn’t want any widening at all, not even the revised plan. And then in 1969, the federal government gave the freeway a commemorative citation for its beauty. The council turned down any widen-
BY KELLY BENNETT | VOICE OF SAN DIEGO
ing and the whole event bolstered the group’s confidence that they could have a voice in planning issues. *** Another road-related controversy that has come up in the current debate over the new bridge and parking structure: Cars once could travel east and west through the park. You could enter the park on Laurel Street, drive all the way down El Prado and connect to Park Boulevard. When the city proposed closing the eastern end of El Prado to cars in the early 1970s, many people disagreed. The architect for the project, John Henderson, said people got used to the change. Kelly Bennett, Voice of San Diego, (619) 325-0531, kelly.bennett@voiceofsandiego.org.
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Mixing Art and Culinary Delights UH Arts Open/Taste of University Heights Set for Sept. 16 A creative and culinary arts celebration will take place on Sept. 16 with the seventh annual UH Arts Open/Taste of University Heights. The Taste of UH is a self-guided walking tour of more than 18 restaurants and eateries from noon to 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 the day of. Free shuttle service will escort guests along the route. The Arts Open features works and talks by painters, sculptors, potters, dancers, poets and musicians. Visitors
can visit studios, check out exhibitions, chat with the artists and watch performances. Venues during the Arts Open include: the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library/School of the Arts presenting an open house with student art exhibit and painting demonstration. Across the street (Music at Mueller) hosts live music. North Park Vaudeville presents “The Brady Bunch Gets Arrested” at 1 p.m. and “Unravelled” Improv Troupe at 2 p.m. and open rehearsals for
the “North Park Playwrights Festival.” Artist’s personal art studios are open throughout the neighborhood and Swedenborg Hall will feature art, belly dancing and flamenco performances, music, and theater in a historic setting. The UH Arts Open hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. To purchase advanced tickets: call the UHCDC office, (619) 297-3166, or purchased them at the Art/Food Fusion Reception on Sept. 14 from 7-9 p.m. at 3rd Space 4610 Park Blvd.
Artwork by Larry Caveney.
Paul Stolte artwork.
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By Bart Mendoza
Full Moon Fever Recreates Tom Petty Sound The key to having a successful tribute band is having enough well known material to fill a set. No problem then for Full Moon Fever, a Tom Petty cover project appearing at Eleven on Sept. 8, 10 p.m. While avoiding attempts to look like Petty and his band, the group does an admirable job of recreating Petty’s signature Rickenbacker-driven sound. While there will be few surprises at the show, Petty’s classic hits, from 1977’s “Breakdown” to 1999’s “The Last DJ” offer enough variety for a full night of excellent jangly rock ‘n’ roll. . Full Moon Fever: Saturday, Sept. 8 at Eleven, 3519 El Cajon Blvd. 9 p.m. 21 and up. $5. elevensandiego.com.
Don’t Miss San Diego Music Thing Music fans of any stripe won’t want to miss the annual San Diego Music Thing taking place on Sept. 14-15. While daytime activities will be centered on music seminars at the Lafayette Hotel, nighttime will see an explosion of music around San Diego, especially the venues in North Park, such as Bar Pink and Clare De Lune. While show listings weren’t available at press time, dozens of performers are scheduled to take part such as The Stone Foxes and Alejandro Escovedo, with guest speakers at the seminars set to include the likes of Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Public Image’s Martin Atkins. If you area music fan, there is no place else you should be on these two dates. San Diego Music Thing: Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15 at The Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., and throughout North Park. sandiegomusicthing.com.
Rendering of the USO building.
Overlook the Name, But Enjoy the Sound Sweet Harmonies With Dala Canadian duo Dala may not yet be household names, but they’re well on their way, at least in Canada. Appearing at AMSD Concerts on Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m., Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine first joined forces in 2002, subsequently releasing five albums and scoring a 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year. Their folk-inflected pop tunes will particularly please anyone who likes sweet harmonies, with vocals that seem perfectly matched and a strong knack for writing catchy song hooks. Indeed, their most recent single is a tune called “Lennon and McCartney.” While their songwriting hasn’t quite reached those lofty heights, anyone feeling jaded by the singer-songwriter genre should give this pair a listen. They’re a breath of fresh air.
Dala: Friday, Sept. 28 at AMSD Concerts, 4650 Mansfield St. 7: 30 p.m. All Ages. $20-$47. www.amsdconcerts.com.
Forget the silly name, fans of shoegaze, or dreamy pop will find much to admire in Ringo Deathstarr. Currently touring behind their first full-length album of all new music, “Colour Trip,” the trio appears at the Soda Bar on Sept. 17, 10 p.m. Anyone whose music collection includes groups such as Jesus and Mary Chain or Ride will love every second of this Ringo Deathstarr’s set, with songs equally heavy in droney guitar, bass and melody. It’s true the band wears their influences very obviously on their sleeves — indeed, every song they have sounds like it could have been a single from a favorite vintage band, but when music is done this well, that’s easy to overlook. . Ringo Deathstarr: Monday, Sept. 17, at The Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd. 8 p.m. 21 and up. $7. sodabarmusic.com.
Putting a Bloom on the Clare De Lune Stage Seattle-based Camille Bloom appears at Clare De Lune on Sept. 30, 8 p.m. Performing solo with just an acoustic guitar, Bloom’s music is engaging and well crafted, as currently heard on the soundtracks to programming on the MTV, Oxygen and E networks. Currently in the midst of a twomonth West Coast tour, Bloom will appeal to aficianados of Ani DiFranco and even early Heart in the more uptempo numbers. One of the premier venues for acoustic music, Clare de Lune has recently expanded its booking, of which Bloom is one of the first national acts to hit the coffeehouse’s stage. . Camille Bloom: Sunday September 30 at Claire de Lune, 2906 University Ave. 8 p.m. All ages. Free. clairedelune.com.
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