Serving San Diego’s Premier Urban Communities for 21 Years sdnorthparknews.com
Vol. 21 No. 7 July 2013
WEDDED TO
HER JOB BALBOA PARK
CENTENNIAL
2015 Bethel Nathan officiates at the ceremony of Carrie Dunnagan and Alynn Silliman of North Park. (Photo by She Wanders Photography)
Bethel Nathan offers non-traditional wedding ceremonies that are fun, personal and meaningful BY DELLE WILLETT
Getting married? Looking for a new and different twist to an old and traditional ceremony? You’ll want to talk to Bethel Nathan. Within 10 seconds she’ll tell you, “I’m not your typical clergy by any stretch.” Though she emphasizes she is not religious clergy, Bethel, a North Park resident, was ordained online through the Church of Spiritual Humanism and the Universal Life Church, meeting the state of California requirements. There’s no Justice of the Peace in California. “I’m the closest you can get to one.” “Couples come to me when they want something about them, about their commitment to each other. They
want something that is fun, personal, meaningful and non-religious,” says Bethel. They want something celebrating who they are together, in front of people who mean the most to them. Bethel does as many commitment ceremonies for gay couples as possible. “The day it’s all legal again I will spend all day at the county offices signing licenses. That will be one of the happiest days of my life — being able to sign licenses for couples I couldn’t do so before.” No charge! She calls her business Ceremonies by Bethel. Bethel spends 15 to 20 hours on each ceremony. This doesn’t include any of
the planning; she leaves that up to the couple and the wedding planners. She does, however, make recommendations, if they would like. “By the time the ceremony comes around we’ve gotten to know each other so well it looks like they have a friend up there. Not a random minister.” Bethel starts the process by giving the couple individual homework assignments to prepare for the wedding ceremony. And if a couple doesn’t want to do it, she doesn’t accept them. Using what each has written, she pulls their stories together to create the personalized ceremony. Most couples are raised with some
sort of religion but don’t feel connected to it — they don’t have a traditional voice such as a pastor or a rabbi. Some couples prefer to say their vows and speak for themselves, others prefer for her to be their voice and they just answer questions. “That’s why I do what I do. I love being the voice for them in this entire process.” If couples want a little religion she’s OK with that; usually it’s to make the moms and grandmothers happy. Later, she loves hearing from the couples that the ceremony was their favorite part of the day, not the party afterwards. SEE WEDDINGS, Page 10
Celebration to focus on innovation, cultural heritage, outdoor lifestyle, entertainment A yearlong celebration of Balboa Park’s centennial in 2015 will focus on San Diego’s innovative contributions, cultural heritage, outdoor lifestyle and entertainment, according to a presentation delivered to the City Council’s Natural Resources and Culture Committee. The “Innovation Station” will underscore San Diego as a creative city through exhibitions, forums and interactive displays, said John DeBello, a principal with marketing consultant Loma Media. “Celebration Plaza” will be an international village that celebrates “the cultural fabric of today’s San Diego,” SEE CENTENNIAL, Page 12
NORTH PARK SCENE The Rise of the Downtown Partnership
Hillcrest Wind Ensemble Plays the Lafayette Hotel The Hillcrest Wind Ensemble celebrates “The Big Apple” at the Mississippi Room in the Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd., on Saturday July 27. Music from Broadway and of the Big Band era will fill the historic ballroom. Among the Broadway musicals featured, the 45-piece ensemble will perform music from “Les Misérables” and “Chicago.” The Mississippi Room will be transformed into a 1940s cabaret with food and drink available. Music of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and other greats will be featured in a salute to the big bands, some of which actually played this venue. The ballSEE SCENE, Page 5
BY ANDREW KEATTS | VOICE OF SAN DIEGO
When the Downtown San Diego Partnership finishes reinventing itself, it’ll look like a Chamber of Commerce with certain government powers. And that’s exactly what its chief has in mind. “Some of the things we’re getting involved in, 20 years ago I never would have said private organizations should be getting involved in,” said the organi-
zation’s president and CEO, Kris Michell. Until now, the organization has had two primary functions. One is economic development. It’s a nonprofit group with paying members that advocates for Downtown. It’s crafting a neighborhood brand and trying to attract businesses. The other is as the manager of the SEE PARTNERSHIP, Page 6
As president and CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, Kris Michell is overseeing the Downtown organization.