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» FROM THE EDITORS
New year, new magazine C
oronado is a community where people know their neighbors, run into friends at the post office and help during times of need. It’s a place of ideas and lots and lots of talent. And it’s a place people from diverse backgrounds and diverse corners of the world call home. These are some of the things that make Coronado special. Starting 130 years ago with a few men who dreamed big, Coronado has become a place that is part beach town, resort town and Navy town — all with a small-town atmosphere. People here still dream big, from the small-shop owners to artists, students and sailors. These are the people we want to meet. Some you might know; others you won’t. They are all part of the fabric of this small city. Our tagline is “What everyone is talking about.” We believe people will talk about Coronado 365 magazine, appreciating the stories we bring to you. This will be a voyage of discovery, for us and for you. We know we are not the only magazine in town. We spent countless hours asking ourselves “Why?” Why do we want to start a third magazine covering Coronado? Why do we think we can make it work? Why won’t this idea go away? The answer: We believe there are so many good stories to tell. And as editors and publishers, we want to inform, find the facts — and make a difference. We want to give readers a deeper look into Coronado with thoughtful reports and a fresh perspective. New year, new start. Let us know what you think. Happy New Year!
IN BLOOM THIS MONTH:
Lemon tree
Leslie & Martina
JANUARY 2022 » CORONADO 365
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Contents JANUARY 2022
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COVER STORY
4 RAINMAKER
Jacques Spitzer’s marketing and branding firm takes off during pandemic.
FEATURES
14 TASTEFUL BALANCE
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Manufacturer produces flavors for food and drinks by combining natural chemical elements.
22 ‘UPROOTED’
Coronado Historical Association exhibition examines the Japanese American experience.
DEPARTMENTS
20 BEACH AND BAY
Squishy eelgrass helping to save planet.
30 MADE IN CORONADO
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Painter Christie Curran changes course.
36 LOOKING BACK
This month in Coronado history.
40 FROM THE GROUND UP
Canary Island date palms under attack.
44 MILITARY
Navy SEALs turn 60.
46 BEACHCOMBER
Examining the bat star.
ON THE COVER Jacques Spitzer
PHOTO COURTESY OF RAINDROP BRANDING AND ADVERTISING
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CORONADO
365
WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT JANUARY 2022 » VOLUME 1 » ISSUE 1
PUBLISHER Now and Then Publishing LLC
CONTACT editor@coronado365.com or (619) 435-0334
EDITOR Leslie Crawford
ADVERTISING To advertise, contact us at advertising@Coronado365.com or (619) 435-0334
CREATIVE DIRECTOR/MANAGING EDITOR Martina Schimitschek COPY EDITOR Rose Wojnar
CORONADO 365 is a division of Now and Then Publishing LLC 830 Orange Ave., Suite B, Coronado, CA 92118
CONTRIBUTORS Don Crawford, Nicole Sours Larson, Nancy Nygard, Amy Steward, @coronadobeachcomber
Copyright ©2021 Now and Then Publishing LLC
Visit us online at Coronado365.com
All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
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SAL E S AN D P R O P E RT Y MANAG E M E NT
Specializing in the Coronado Shores JANUARY 2022 » CORONADO 365
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Jacques Spitzer was recently named one of the 500 most influential people in San Diego for 2021 by the San Diego Business Journal.
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Showered With success Jacques Spitzer turns Raindrop into marketing powerhouse
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RAINDROP BRANDING AND ADVERTISING PHOTOS
The team members at Raindrop Branding and Advertising are known as Raindroppers.
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By NICOLE SOURS LARSON
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toryteller. Relationship builder. Visionary entrepreneur. Inveterate optimist. Mental health advocate. Creator of humorous ads. Longtime Coronado resident Jacques Spitzer is all of these and more, based on conversations with him and the observations of business associates and mentors. “Openness, curiosity, lifelong learning — that’s what Jacques provides to his clients. He wants personally to understand how to make things better. He’s a very honest, authentic person, humble, who lives by his values. He treats his clients with that respect,” said former San Diego Symphony Vice President Joan Cumming, who praised Spitzer’s perceptive work for the symphony. The San Diego Business Journal named him one of the 500 most influential people in San Diego for 2021. You may have encountered Spitzer, hanging out in his hometown with his family and friends, when he’s taking a break from his high-achieving business, Raindrop Branding and Advertising. A Crown City enthusiast, he loves living here with his wife, Tiffany, and 6-year-old son Deacon. “My family and I appreciate our relationship with the people in Coronado.
Jacques Spitzer describes his Raindrop business parter Adam Wagner (left) as a “strategic genius.”
Spitzer has won two Emmys for his work at Raindrop Branding and Advertising.
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In a world where relationships matter so much, Coronado is one of those special places where people know each other. You sense from Coronado that it’s a community where people tend to support you and cheer for you. It’s a rare thing,” he said. Born in Northern California, Spitzer, now 36, came to Coronado during middle school, when his parents, local Realtors Frank and Connie Spitzer — heeding the call of fresh ocean breezes and walkable neighborhoods — moved their family from Poway. He graduated from Coronado High School in 2004, with former Mayor Casey Tanaka serving both as history teacher and early mentor. Spitzer remained close to home for college, completing a degree in communications with an emphasis on video and visual storytelling at University of California San Diego in 2008 before hitting the job market during the Great Recession. But, demonstrating his ability and agility, he landed a coveted position as a broadcast news writer and digital reporter at KNSD, the San Diego NBC affiliate. While he remained only a year, it changed his life. He met Tiffany, a multiple Emmy-winning NBC executive producer, and discovered his true passion and talents
are in marketing rather than in news. That awakening set him on the path to founding his own business, partly on a whim and a wish, at an inauspicious time for a new business in early 2009. He began as a part-time, one-man operation, building websites and managing social media, gaining clients through wordof-mouth, building connections. He reconnected with a UC San Diego friend, Adam Wagner, whom he describes as a “strategic genius” and who became his agency partner. Spitzer named the company Raindrop, referencing the C.S. Lewis quote about friendships merging like raindrops on a window. Staffer are known as Raindroppers. “I liked the idea of having a working relationship, of raindrops coming together as the missing link of relationships,” Spitzer said. He found himself growing increasingly passionate about branding. “Branding to me simply means being able to communicate accurately not only who you are today, but who you want to become. … Branding makes people feel something,” creating an emotional attachment to a product.
Rafael Payare, the San Diego Symphony’s music director, poses during a photo shoot. RAINDROP BRANDING AND ADVERTISING
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The purpose of advertising, in contrast, is “to get a direct response and have (people) take action,” or make a purchase, he explained. “Branding and advertising are in our name for a reason — they go hand in hand,” Spitzer added. Thanks to his innovative storytelling and relationship-building with clients and their audiences — plus adroit hiring of other creative talents — Spitzer rapidly built his company into a branding dynamo helping clients soar. “I’m able to make connections where I can see how people might connect in a unique way, putting people together to be successful,” he said.
Meanwhile Raindrop’s offices, originally in an 80-square-foot Coronado cubbyhole, have expanded to 17,000 square feet with an office in Little Italy and a 12,000-square-foot Kearny Mesa film production studio. Spitzer and Raindrop weathered a wild 2020 that started out strong, with 20 new hires to meet their burgeoning demand. By March, the pandemic’s closures caused the loss of about 40 percent of Raindrop’s business. Spitzer had to lay off 30 of his 55 employees, which caused him to confront his darkest fears of business oblivion as well as revisit the depression and anxiety he experienced in his late 20s. That had led him to become a staunch advocate for mental health treatment. Yet within a month, as reconfigured pandemic business models came into focus, his business rebounded, driven by his existing and new direct-toconsumer clients. Gradually Spitzer rehired most of his previous staff and, through 2021, expanded to a new high of 100 Raindroppers. “You can rebuild and come back stronger,” he said.
Coda sparkling wine from Italy is one of Jacques Spitzer’s latest projects — a partnership with fellow Coronado resident Jeff Shapiro of Quigley Fine Wines. RAINDROP BRANDING AND ADVERTISING
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SARAH WILLIAMS
Jacques Spitzer with his wife, Tiffany, and 6-year-old son Deacon.
This turbulent interval also brought Spitzer and his company new achievements and accolades, including a second Emmy for an advertisement for Soapy Joe’s (the first was in 2019 for the San Diego Symphony), the 2020 top-performing ad on YouTube and Raindrop’s first Super Bowl ad. Both the YouTube and Super Bowl ads feature Dr. Squatch, maker of men’s soap, whose sales exploded from $3 million to $150 million over 3½ years. (Check out the whimsical YouTube video “Save Your Skin with Dr. Squatch Soap.”) “We’ve helped six or seven companies grow (their revenue) by millions in a few months,” he said. Those include William Painter (sunglasses), Sugar Me Smooth (body hair removal), Crossrope (jump ropes for exercising), Omigo (specialized toilet seats), Lume (deodorant) and Worx (lawn and garden equipment). Raindrop’s work has garnered widespread acclaim, attracting approaches from major international companies. “Now, we have to turn away about 90 percent of potential clients. We only take on products and brands where we feel they’re poised to be successful,” Spitzer said. After such a roller-coaster period, what’s next for Spitzer?
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A video shoot is underway at a rented studio space. Raindrop now has a 12,000-square-foot production studio in Kearny Mesa. RAINDROP BRANDING AND ADVERTISING 12 Coronado365.com
The wine lover wants to have a little fun and has partnered with fellow Coronado resident and longtime friend and mentor Jeff Shapiro of Quigley Fine Wines to launch a wine venture, which debuted in June 2021, importing high-quality prosecco at an affordable $19.95 retail price. After researching the potential for importing a $12 sparkling wine, they determined it couldn’t be done without cutting corners. Instead, they chose a higher quality product and price point. Shapiro sources the wine from small family producers in Valdobbiadene in northern Italy and handles all importation aspects. Spitzer employs his marketing skills to promote the wine, named Coda and the limited production Coda Gold, now sold online at drinkcoda.com. (Check the website for future restaurant and retail sales locations.) While Spitzer imbues the brand with lively fun, he also wants it to be successful. “We’ve made billions for others, why not try it for ourselves?” he said with a laugh. Spitzer’s other new project involves partnering with another longtime friend and mentor, former corporate CEO Jeff Campbell, now director of San Diego State University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Master’s Program. They’ve collaborated on a new book, “Think Better,” launched Dec. 8 and described as “a business book about life” and “a life book about business,” designed to help readers “tune up...their thought processes.” The book draws on tools Campbell
“I liked the idea of having a working relationship, of raindrops coming together as the missing link of relationships.” JACQUES SPITZER
developed as a CEO and professor, combined with Spitzer’s favorite “bitesized parables.” “Jacques is a very soulful person. There’s a gravity about him. His storytelling ability and authenticity are important now in marketing,” Campbell said. Still curious about Jacques Spitzer? Read his insightful articles on his website, jacquesspitzer.com. Or just say hi when you see him around Coronado, he said. ■ Nicole Sours Larson is a freelance writer.
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LESLIE CRAWFORD
Christophe Dugas is president of Metarom USA, a flavor manufacturer based in El Cajon.
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Harmony of flavors Manufacturer produces tastes with natural chemical elements By MARTINA SCHIMITSCHEK
P
umpkin spice lattes. Mango margaritas. Cinnamon roll protein shakes. We have all had fanciful flavored drinks, but have you ever wondered how the taste is added? If you think about it, it seems unlikely that pumpkin pulp is in that latte or a cinnamon roll has been crumbled into the protein shake. The secret to many of our favorite flavored foods and drinks lies in food science, specifically flavor chemistry. “It’s a stealth industry. No one knows about it,” said Christophe Dugas, president of Metarom USA, a flavor manufacturer based in El Cajon. “It’s a secret component with a big impact.” At Metarom, which was established in 2017, natural ingredients are distilled to their essential chemical elements. Those elements are then recombined to create an unlimited variety of taste combinations. “The flavor industry is like a symphony,” Dugas said. “The pieces have to work together. We create a harmony of flavor.” Dugas, a native of Provence, France, studied biochemistry and business. Working in Grasse, a town in the hills above the French Riviera known as the fragrance capital of the world, he got interested in food science and learned the industry working in a flavor lab.
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Dugas relocated to California after marrying his wife, Dawn, who hails from Long Beach. The plan was to move to San Francisco for a few years, but, Dugas said, the weather was too cold there compared with the south of France. They settled in Coronado, their home now for more than 25 years. Dugas worked with a number of local startups in the food-science industry before landing as the head of Metarom USA, one of 10 global subsidiaries of the Metarom Group, a family flavor business started in France by Maurice Métayer in 1953. The advantage of using flavor chemistry in food and drinks is consistency in taste and a longer shelf life for a product, Dugas said.
“For example, if you want to create a new soda, you are not going to add strawberry, coconut and mint, you rebuild to create a natural flavor,” Dugas said. “We’re cleaning up a natural product, so it stays the same and doesn’t go rancid.” His company concentrates in sweet flavors, such as fruits, chocolate, caramel, pumpkin spice and a variety of cookies and cakes tastes. With the proliferation of canned cocktails, Metarom is also putting together alcohol flavors. “The cocktail market has really exploded,” Dugas said. Last year, Metarom helped launch the San Diego-made Seaborn margaritas, which come
Melissa Bermeo and Marvin Pasqual taste mixtures for a new product. LESLIE CRAWFORD
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in passion fruit-guava, coconut-lime, strawberry-hibiscus and pineapple-mint flavors. “We were referred to Christophe at Metarom,” said Colin MacLaggan, vice president of operations at Seaborn and a well-known local chef. “Quite simply, word on the street was they were the best. … In my opinion, the French hold amazing passion and spot-on pallets in terms of flavor. So to find out that the majority of the Metarom team is French, call me biased, but I had a strong feeling they would deliver an excellent product. “We knew what we wanted and were cleareyed on expectations, and communication with his team was open and appreciated. We were also very open to their advice based on their knowledge and history in beverage development,” MacLaggan said. Dugas has filled a number of requests for flavoring margaritas, including creating the tequila taste for the drink. The company also has recently created the flavor for a peanut butter and chocolate whiskey. Alcoholic drinks are now second only to nutraceutical products, which make up 60 percent of the company’s business. Creating flavorful nutritional drinks is difficult because plant-based proteins often don’t taste good, Dugas said. Metarom has also created agents that mask certain tastes, enhance sweetness to lower a product’s sugar levels or create the rich feel of fat. The company helped create flavors for Nick’s Ice Cream, which offers no-sugar,
Vanilla beans
low-fat, keto-friendly and vegan selections. Flavor profiles require anywhere from 20 to 200 chemicals, and it takes about six months to two years to develop a product, Dugas said. Metarom’s chemical elements are created from natural, often organic, ingredients and are vegan and kosher. Vanilla is the most popular flavor in the world, and because vanilla plants outside of Mexico need to be hand pollinated, 100 percent pure vanilla extract is very expensive. The flavor can be replicated using chemical elements from other natural ingredients. Two of the company’s 55 employees have advanced degrees in flavor chemistry, which is only available from a few specialized schools in France. The two, Melissa Bermeo and Marvin Pasqual, taste and adjust mixtures, working with about 1,200 chemicals out of more than 3,500 approved by the Food and Drug Administration as food additives. Creating a flavor starts by analyzing the original source. MacLaggan said his team has experimented with numerous different flavors.
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“The flavor industry is like
a symphony. The pieces have to work together.” CHRISTOPHE DUGAS
“We bounced ideas and made many drinks; some great, others not so great. We grilled and roasted some fruit, infused different syrups with herbs, spices and botanicals, and as soon as we got our four that we wanted to start with, that’s when we served drinks to team Metarom. “From there, they worked their magic by taking our one-of-a-kind craft muddled cocktail and were able to replicate it into an RTD [ready to drink] using organic and all natural ingredients with minimal sugar and low calories. It has just the right amount of viscosity and color you would expect from a muddled craft cocktail that you would get from your local watering hole, and as you try your first sip, you can immediately tell by the nose that this RTD is special.” Breaking down flavors takes some training. “Like a pianist, you have all these notes. What is the top note, the first impression?
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Then describe the middle note and the end note, the taste that lingers. It takes about one or two seconds,” Dugas said. “There’s no taste in the mouth. The mouth works like an oven; it separates the chemicals so the nose can detect them. The heat of the mouth releases the flavor.” “We need to know what each of these tastes like,” said Bermeo, director of research and development. Once the taste has been dissected, Bermeo and Pasqual re-create the flavor from their knowledge of the available chemicals. Metarom, which has grown into a $10 million business, is the only flavor manufacturer in San Diego County. Shipped in gallons, the flavors usually account for less than 1 percent of a product’s ingredients, seen on the nutritional labels simply as “natural flavors.” “We are a small part of a product, but have the biggest impact,” Dugas said. ■
Christophe Dugas examines one of Metrarom’s 1,200 flavors.
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» BEACH AND BAY
Aquatic superhero EELGRASS INSTRUMENTAL IN REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS
Stingrays prefer habitats with sandy or muddy bottoms and eelgrass. This round ray was photographed in Glorietta Bay. NEIL MATTHEWS
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A
BY AMY STEWARD
nyone who has launched a paddle craft around Coronado has come across the icky squishiness of eelgrass seeping between the toes. Yuck! While it may seem nasty to wade through, eelgrass is one of the most important plants in the ocean. Eelgrass is a perennial seagrass that is extremely valuable to the San Diego Bay’s ecosystem. Not only does it produce oxygen, but eelgrass also improves water quality by acting as a filter for pollution. And it provides food for marine life such as turtles and waterfowl as well as shelters for juvenile fish and invertebrates. The grass also stabilizes the water’s substrate, which is the dirt, rock and sand at the bottom of the ocean or bay, and reduces wave energy that causes coastal erosion. Its extensive root system is key to keeping shoreline sediments from eroding away, and it’s a natural buffer against coastal storms. And that’s just the beginning. The often-bemoaned plant is a superhero when it comes to climate change. Eelgrass is a “carbon sink,” meaning it sequesters and stores gases such as carbon and methane that contribute to climate change in its root system and soil. According to researchers, an acre of eelgrass can absorb 30 to 50 times more carbon than an acre of forest. Research also suggests that the sequestration of carbon by eelgrass helps curb the effects
of ocean acidification, which is damaging to crabs, oysters and other shellfish. Many are unaware of the importance of eelgrass, which has led to the degradation of plant beds due to dredging, pollution, urban development and runoff. Globally, we lose the equivalent of two football fields of eelgrass an hour. According to the Pew Charitable Trust, approximately 30 percent of the world’s seagrass have vanished since the 1870s. However, eelgrass is now protected by federal law. In 1996, the U.S. government designated eelgrass an essential fish habitat and a Habitat of Particular Concern. The state of California is working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries to mitigate unavoidable impacts and develop strategies to replace eelgrass habitat. In 2020, the San Diego Unified Port District surveyed San Diego Bay and found 26,000 acres of eelgrass. This represents half of all eelgrass in Southern California. This past summer, the Port District received $150,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration to study carbon sequestration in San Diego Bay and its impact on air quality. So the next time eelgrass squishes between your toes, remember it is key in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. ■ Amy Steward is president of Emerald Keepers.
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Digging deep JANUARY 2022 » CORONADO 365
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MARTINA SCHIMITSCHEK
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‘Uprooted’ looks at Japanese American life and culture in Coronado
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By MARTINA SCHIMITSCHEK
n fall 1941, Akira Takeshita was just a teenager attending Coronado High School. By February 1942, he was considered a threat to national security. He and all Coronado residents of Japanese descent were rounded up and incarcerated in Poston, Arizona, as part of executive order 9066 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which interned Japanese residents on the West Coast in remote camps for the duration of the war. Yet despite that, Takeshita enlisted in the U.S. Army, joining the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated division that became one of the most decorated units of World War II. Takeshita’s story is part of “Uprooted: The Story of Japanese Americans in Coronado,” the Coronado Historical Association’s recently installed exhibition of the history of Japanese Americans on the island. The idea for the exhibition was sparked in part by the many archived photos of the long-removed Japanese tea gardens in Coronado, said Christine Stokes, executive director of the Coronado Historical Association. “My first big surprise when I moved here was that there was a tea garden here,” Stokes said. “Uprooted” is the result of extensive research into the Japanese families that settled in Coronado. It was created in collaboration with the Japanese American Historical Society
Left: A kimono is on display at the entrance of “Uprooted,” the Coronado Historical Association’s exhibition on Japanese Americans on the island. Previous pages: An undated photo of the Japanese Tea Garden on the corner of Ynez Place and Adella Avenue. CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION COLLECTION
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CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION COLLECTION
George Marsh’s second Japanese Garden was in operation until 1936. The Coronado Historical Assocation exhibition includes photos, a blueprint of the grounds and an inventory list when it was dismantled.
“It puts everything into context. That’s so special. Stuff like this gets lost sometimes.” CHRISTINE STOKES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
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of San Diego and the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park. “We can’t tell the story of the gardens without telling the Japanese American story. We wanted to give context, highlight people in the community,” she said. “Many years ago, we did oral histories in conjunction with the Japanese American Historical Society.” Takeshita, who died in 2019, is among the people interviewed for those oral histories. “Uprooted,” which opened in November, focuses on the gardens, the Japanese community before World War II and the Army’s 442nd but also touches on what happened after the war, including the 1980 Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, which investigated the incarceration of Japanese Americans. In the mid-1800s, Japan, which had been largely isolated for centuries, opened its ports to the United States. The trade of goods introduced Japan to Western culture and sparked a rapid modernization of the country. The resulting upheaval caused some to seek work elsewhere, and by 1868, Hawaii recorded the first known Japanese sugar plantation workers. In 1887, Kohei Tanaka came to Coronado to manufacture charcoal for the plant that powered the Hotel Del Coronado and the surrounding community. He was the town’s first Japanese immigrant. For wealthy Westerners, the opening of Japanese trade launched a fascination with the country’s culture and arts. Soon tea gardens were part of world fairs and
expositions. George Marsh, an importer of Japanese goods, started to build gardens to help market his wares. At the turn of the 20th century, he was commissioned by John Spreckels, owner of the Hotel Del Coronado, to establish a Japanese tea garden in Coronado to attract visitors to the hotel and the Coronado Beach Co. The garden was built at the end of Ocean Boulevard, in the vicinity of today’s Sunset Park. Materials were imported from San Francisco and Japan, and Japanese laborers constructed the site. The garden, which officially opened Sept. 15, 1902, included tea service, a gift shop and imported plants, including a cherry tree, as well as animals, such as the mandarin duck. But less than three years after it opened, the garden was hit with a series of severe storms in early 1905, which washed out Ocean Boulevard. The infrastructure that remained of the tea garden was relocated closer to the Hotel Del on land by Ynez Place and Adella Avenue, and a new garden was erected. It included a small Inari shrine
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CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION COLLECTION.
A Japanese family stands in front of the wisteria trellis at the second Japanese tea garden in this undated photo.
with a torii gate, tea arbors, bridges, a lake and a main house. The exhibition includes photos, a blueprint of the grounds and an inventory list when it was dismantled in 1936. “It puts everything into context,” Stokes said of the display. “That’s so special. Stuff like this gets lost sometimes.” By the time the second garden closed, both Spreckels and Marsh had died, and the land was owned by Ira Copley, a wealthy publisher and politician. The garden was no longer well maintained and anti-Japanese sentiment was growing. By then, Coronado had an ingrained Japanese population, many working as gardeners and in the laundry business. The Japanese men who had first arrived arranged marriages from their homeland and families soon sprung up. Coronado
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High School had 30 graduates of Japanese descent before World War II, said Vickie Stone, the historical association’s curator of collections. “This is very much a time when you were Japanese and American,” Stokes said. Children attended local schools, played baseball and joined the Scouts. But Japanese families also had community gatherings — beach picnics were a favorite — with traditional food and sports. “There were so many families here, they really developed their own community,” Stone said. When the Japanese were released from internment camps in 1945, the adults of Poston were given a bus ticket and $25. Most had lost their homes and had nothing to return to. Some families moved to Los Angeles; others returned to Japan.
CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION COLLECTION.
Japanese workers in the garden included attendants, who helped maintain the garden and served tea. This photo was taken in 1912.
Only two families are known to have resettled in Coronado. Anti-Japanese sentiment was still strong and redress for lost property was a mere $2,500 through the Japanese American Evacuation Claims Act of 1948. But life for Japanese American children in Coronado had some semblance of normalcy. Photos taken in the late 1940s and 1950s show kids riding bikes, playing baseball and taking part in a marble tournament. But, Stokes said, “The story doesn’t just end here.” Programming with “Uprooted” will include conversations with current Japanese American community members, talks about Japanese-style gardens and a showing of the 1919 film “The Dragon Painter,” starring Sessue Hayakawa, which was shot in the Coronado tea garden. ■
What: ‘Uprooted: The Story of Japanese Americans in Coronado’ Where: Coronado Historical Association, 1100 Orange Ave. When: through May 2022 Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday through Thursday Admission: free Information: (619) 435-7242 or coronadohistory.org
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» MADE IN CORONADO
Christie Curran is both a fine and commercial artist who works for theaters.
DOUGLAS CURRAN
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Setting the stage Pandemic gives theater painter time for new direction in art By LESLIE CRAWFORD
C
hristie Curran is a Coronado artist specializing in residential and commercial commissions. Classically trained and a graduate with honors from Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, she relocated to San Diego in 1992 to work at The Old Globe theater in Balboa Park. During that time, she spent weekends in Coronado and also swam with the Coronado Masters Swim Team. Curran met commercial artist Hampton Hall and moved to Los Angeles in 2001 to work in the decorative art trade, painting commissions in high-end hotels. Hall mentored Curran for many years. She considers him a great inspiration. While in Los Angeles, Christie met her husband,
Douglas. After Hall moved to the East Coast and the couple lost their parents, they were ready for a fresh start, moving to Coronado in 2016. In 2020, Curran began plein-air oil painting with art mentor and friend Kat Ring. We asked Curran about her art and life in Coronado.
Q. When did you know you wanted to become an artist? A. When I was a child, I always had a big talent for art. In high school, we had an art program that was a little bigger than other schools. I took oil painting and watercolor and silk screen and photography. The teacher was a very motivated person, and
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he really guided people. I went to Moore College of Art, which is a private college for women in Philadelphia. I met people that did shows like TV shows, rock and roll shows and stage stuff. And it got me thinking that that is the way to make money as an artist. I started working for American Music Theater Festival (in Philadelphia), and it just kind of went from there. I found out about The Old Globe, and I relocated from Philadelphia to specifically work at The Globe. Q. Did you start plein-air painting during the pandemic? A. I had done some small plein-air watercolors. When I would travel, I’d always take a watercolor set with me. But I wanted to take the time to do plein-air oil painting. And then with COVID, it just worked because I had the time. I met Kat, and I went out to paint with her. So that really worked. And it’s just so nice here on the island to do that. Q. How would you describe your art? A. I’ve done some abstract pieces, but typically I do pastoral landscapes or still lifes. Just nonconfrontational art.
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Q. Are you still focusing on historical homes in Coronado with your plein-air art? A. I enjoy historical homes and historic preservation. That’s the style I’m attracted to, especially Spanish revival. There are some beautiful homes here. I got fixated on the architect Cliff May. I was doing paintings of his homes. And then some owners purchased those paintings. Q. What is your process? A. I’m very process oriented. And I really like the discovery of how to do different things, especially with the theatrical work. You have to think about how you’re going to do something, you have to lay it out, you have to understand how to do the math, geometry. You’re just always thinking, and I really like that — the math and the discovery and knowing how to use the different tools and the inventiveness with different materials. You have to do that process of what tools can I work with? And do I make a tool? Or do I use something that you normally wouldn’t use? That’s what I really like. Q. Describe your work locations. A. The environments all are different, depending on the job. It’s never the same. I really like the theatrical stuff and people’s homes. To me, the challenge is when people want something in their home. You think about the flow. Do they come down the stairs and see it? Or do they see it when they come in the front door? How
DOUGLAS CURRAN PHOTOS
Christie Curran took up on plein-air oil painting during the pandemic in 2020, focusing on places in Coronado, especially historical homes.
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DOUGLAS CURRAN PHOTOS
Christie Curran has created commercial art, including pieces for hotels.
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do they want it to be seen? It’s not just something that’s on the wall. It’s in a home. That’s kind of a kinetic thing. At the Diversionary Theatre, I do everything in the theater. I’m painting right there on the stage. I loved working at The Globe, because we used to work in the park just behind The Globe. Q. What has your art taught you about yourself? A. It’s very important to not be precious about things. When you start something and you just know that it’s not right, then it’s going be a fight to get it to look right. So you just need to start over. You just erase all the stuff you’ve done and go back. At the Diversionary, their back theater wall is just their wall; it’s 30 feet long. I painted that beautiful Christmas mural, but then there was the next thing. So I went in and painted the wall all white. Q. What do you love about Coronado? A. I like the variety of the people here. My ideal day is going to the pool in the morning, then go for coffee and doing a plein-air painting of a beautiful garden or home. At the end of the day, I’d go look at the bay. The bay is interesting to me because there’s always something: a military boat, a guy on a stand-up paddleboard. It’s gorgeous. Q. Your Instagram page is fun. Tell me about your car. A. I’m a car person. I grew up with cars because my dad always had vintage cars: Jaguars and Lincolns and Mercedes. My husband and I are very passionate about vintage cars. I had MGs, then I had a Studebaker, then I had a 1966 Mercedes and then I got this car, which is a 1971 BMW. For more information on Christie Curran, visit coronadoarts.com/directories/christie-curran. ■
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» LOOKING BACK
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PICRYL
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BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY / PICRYL
CRAWFORD COLLECTION
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CRAWFORD COLLECTION
WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
THIS MONTH IN CORONADO HISTORY 1. January 1890 Coronado had 450 residents. A street railway ran down the center of Orange Avenue, and the community included a racetrack, museum, an ostrich farm and horseback riding with hunting on North Island. 2. Jan. 4, 1918 A boundary compromise agreement was reached between the Army and the Navy, establishing a division to delineate the borders of the Army’s Rockwell Field and Navy’s Naval Air Station San Diego on North Island. 3. Jan. 5, 1891 The Board of Trustees enacted new ordinances for Coronado including a speed limit of 6 mph for city streets, no unlawful discharging of weapons and fireworks only on specific holidays. 4. Jan. 8, 1942 Ensign John Roosevelt, son of President Franklin Roosevelt, and his wife, Anne, entertained at the tea hour in their charming home at 631 A Ave. About 30 guests were invited. 5. Jan. 15, 1944 The Naval Amphibious Training Base, the only amphibious base on the West Coast, was commissioned. Created in six months atop dredge material, the base provided a shore locale for amphibious units. The land was originally
owned by the City of Coronado. After lengthy legal negotiations, the Navy bought the land for $850,000 in 1954.
6. Jan. 17, 1911
Glenn Curtiss arrived in San Diego to open the first military aviation school on North Island, inviting the Army and Navy to send officers for free flying instructions. The school started with one Navy and three Army students.
7. Jan. 19, 1920
Lillie Spreckels Holbrook married Dr. Paul Wegeforth, brother of San Diego Zoo founder Dr. Harry Wegeforth, in a small ceremony in the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John D. Spreckels.
8. Jan. 24, 1902
Caddies at the Coronado golf links went on strike, partly over wages and partly because newer caddies had been given preference over the older caddies to follow players.
9. Jan. 24, 1910
Charles Hamilton flew from the Coronado Country Club grounds to Tijuana, Mexico, and back — the first pilot to fly across the international border.
10. Jan. 28, 1937
The first nonstop flight was flown from North Island to Hawaii. The plane, a PBY “Catalina Airboat,” completed the trip in 27 hours, 58 minutes.
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» LOOKING BACK
Did you know? CORONADO’S OLDEST LANDMARK, the Hotel Del Coronado’s boathouse, shown here in 1926, played a key role in guest activities for the hotel and Tent City visitors, especially during the 1920s. Built before The Del in the same Victorian style, it was completed in July 1887. It offered a variety of recreational pursuits — from canoes acquired from Old Town to sailboats and rowboats for hire. Cruises on San Diego Bay offered fishing or aquaplaning parties with close-up views of submarine tenders and pelicans beyond the breakwaters. The boathouse also served as the headquarters for Scripps Institute of Oceanography for two years in 1903 and was the site of San Diego Yacht Club for a few years. Courtesy of Hotel del Coronado
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COURTESY OF HOTEL DEL CORONADO
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» FROM THE GROUND UP
LESLIE CRAWFORD 40 Coronado365.com
Weevil woes Destructive beetle killing region’s Canary Island date palms By NANCY NYGARD
T
he palm tree is an iconic silhouette in San Diego County. Though not native to our region, palms have become a symbol of Southern California, adding a tropical feel to our decidedly nontropical Mediterranean climate. The Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis) has a strong presence in Coronado and throughout San Diego County, especially in the yards of older homes. Once considered virtually impervious to pests, this stout-trunked palm has a new enemy: the South American palm weevil (Rhynchophorus palmarum), also known as SAPW. This voracious insect was first discovered ravaging palms in the Tijuana area in 2010. Since then, the South American palm weevil has been eating its way north, creating a “palmageddon,” killing thousands of San Diego County palms in its ever-growing path. The South American palm weevil is a large black beetle, approximately 1.5 inches
in length, with a large, distinctive snout. Female weevils use the snout to bore into the base of fronds and lay their eggs inside the tubular holes. When the eggs hatch, the larvae gnaw their way into the heart of the palm, then spin a protective cocoon made from palm fiber. These destructive actions cause the palm heart to rot. If not promptly treated, the tree will eventually die. After the larvae morph into adult weevils, they fly from the host tree in search of a new palm to begin the infestation cycle again. “Up to 233 larvae have been documented inside collapsing Canary Island date palms, with an estimated average of 24 weevil larvae being capable of killing a Canary Island date palm,” said Dr. Mark Hoddle, director of the Center for Invasive Species Research at the University of California Riverside. Those findings were researched in Florida on Rhynchophorus cruentatus, a related palm weevil. “It may be reasonable to think that these data may be somewhat applicable to SAPW attacks on Canary
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The South American palm weevil measures approximately 1.5 inches in length. Female weevils use their large snout to bore into the base of fronds and lay eggs inside the tubular holes.
CENTER FOR INVASIVE SPECIES RESEARCH, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE
Island date palms in California.” It’s easy to spot SAPW casualties. Dead palms with brown fronds droop from flattened crowns. According to the University of California Cooperative Extension San Diego, these are the signs of palm weevil infestation: » Yellowing of the foliage. » Flattening of the crown. » Holes and tunnels near the base of fronds. » Pupal cases on the ground near the palm. Victims of the weevil can be seen in many areas of Balboa Park and along Barnett Avenue at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Here in Coronado, the first identified SAPW casualty is the Canary Island palm in the 100 block of Orange Avenue near the Coronado Veterinary Hospital. Others have been
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discovered. The city of Coronado’s Public Services department is actively treating the palms. How can you prevent a “palmageddon” on your property? Currently, the best option is preemptive twice yearly spraying of the fronds and crown with a contact insecticide. But if, despite your best efforts, SAPWs find their way to your palm, Hoddle recommends treating it with a systemic pesticide, which can be injected or applied to the truck or injected into the surrounding soil. Another option is applying a contact insecticide to the foliage. Consult with a trusted tree service for the best treatment for your palm. If a palm tree cannot be saved, Hoddle advises removal by a professional arborist. To prevent further spread of these destructive insects, the fronds and remains of the heart should be chipped
The Canary Island date palm in the 100 block of Orange Avenue is the first identified South American palm weevil victim in Coronado.
LESLIE CRAWFORD
on site to kill the larvae, pupae and adult weevils. The rest of the tree should then be wrapped in a tarp and transported immediately to a landfill. Palm tree removal can be expensive, but leaving a palm killed by a weevil is dangerous — the heavy, rotted palm crown could topple and severely injure someone or damage property. Even if you don’t have a Canary Island palm, don’t let your guard down. These ravenous bugs have broadened their palate. Though the weevils originally only attacked the area’s Canary Island palm population, other palm varieties including
Bismarckia, Mexican fan palms (Washingtonia robusta), Chilean wine palms (Jubaea chilensis) and Bermuda palmettos (Sabal bermudana) have been targeted by the hungry weevil. The UC Riverside Center for Invasive Species Research is requesting the public’s help in tracking the South American palm weevil in San Diego County. To report palms which may be infested with SAPW, complete the online form at cisr.ucr.edu/ invasive-species/palmarum-survey. ■ Nancy Nygard is a UCCE Master Gardener.
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» MILITARY
Symbol of readiness
Navy SEAL special operations force turns 60 By DON CRAWFORD
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avy SEALs, the special operations force known for direct raids, reconnaissance missions and strikes against terrorists, are marking their 60th anniversary this month. The elite unit was established on Jan. 1, 1962, and SEAL Team ONE was formed with men from the West Coast Underwater Demolition Teams based in Coronado. The history of SEALs can be traced to World War II, particularly the naval combat demolition units and the underwater demolition teams. The first Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) originated on Oahu’s windward coast at Waimanalo. Known as “frogmen,” team members were assigned to conduct hydrographic reconnaissance and destroy obstacles on enemy beaches ahead of amphibious landings. Those missions continued during the Korean War, but teams were also deployed inland for demolition raids to disrupt
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transportation lines and clear mines in harbors. When the SEALs formed in 1962, they were named after the surroundings they operated in: sea, air, and land. For the past 60 years, the elite SEAL team members have operated mostly in obscurity. Only recently have they come under the national spotlight, especially after killing Osama bin Laden during the raid at Abbottabad, Pakistan in May 2011. The idea for SEALs took shape in September 1960 with the insurgency of the Viet Cong in South Vietnam. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Arleigh A. Burke directed Vice Adm. Wallace M. Beakley, the deputy chief of Naval Operations (Fleet Operations and Readiness), to study the Navy’s options with respect to unconventional warfare. An Unconventional Activities Working Group was formally established on Sept. 13, 1960, and directed to investigate
“naval unconventional activity methods, techniques and concepts, which may be employed effectively against Sino-Soviet interests under conditions of cold war.” The committee recommended “additional unconventional warfare capabilities within, or as an extension of our amphibious forces” and emphasized operations conducted in “restricted waters.” A memorandum to Beakley on May 13, 1961, “proposed formation of special operations teams to suppress enemy guerrilla activities and resupply in riverine environments. These teams would be equipped and trained to conduct clandestine missions in support of Naval operations.” At the same time, President John Kennedy stressed the necessity for increasing guerrilla warfare training of foreign as well as U.S. forces. Kennedy was pushing the services hard to develop an unconventional warfare capability. By November 1961, a team of UDT and Fleet officers produced the final plan approved by the Chief of Naval Operations for the establishment of SEAL teams. On Dec. 11, 1961, two SEAL teams, effective January 1962, were authorized. On Jan. 1, 1962, Lt. David Del Giudice, the first Commanding Officer of SEAL Team ONE, released a message reporting SEAL Team ONE ready for duty. Don Crawford is a retired Navy SEAL.
U.S. NAVY NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NAVAL AVIATION /WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Navy SEALs rappel down ropes from a U.S. Army Bell UH-1B Iroquois helicopter to set an ambush in South Vietnam on March 13, 1967.
NATIONAL NAVY UDT-SEAL MUSEUM
SEAL Team One at Nha Be, Vietnam, in 1966. Radarman Billy Machen (third from left, front row) was the first SEAL killed in action in Vietnam.
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» BEACHCOMBER
BAT STARS are invertebrates, named for the webbing that connects their legs like bat wings. They live in the subtidal zone ranging from Alaska to Baja California, Mexico, among rocks, seagrass and algae, and they can be seen at the lower tides. These sea stars (which used to be called starfish) are omnivores who eat by covering their prey, spreading a digestive enzyme to break down the intended meal and then pulling it into their body. Bat stars clean dead algae and sea life from the ocean floor, which is an important role in the ecosystem. Their exterior looks very hard but is flexible with an endoskeleton made up of hard plates called ossicles that protect the organs. Bat stars — which can grow up to 8 inches in diameter — vary in color from purple, red and orange to green and yellow. Most have five legs, but they can grow as many as eight or nine. Class: Asteroidea Order: Valvatida Family: Asterinidae Genus: Patiria Species: P. miniate
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Bat star
CORONADOBEACHCOMBER
Coronado’s shoreline changes with the weather, tides and time of year. Coronadobeachcomber explores our shores daily on the beach or at the bay, paying attention to the interesting animals, shells and sea life. Follow @coronadobeachcomber on Instagram.
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CORONADO
365
EXPERIENCE COUNTS, DETAILS MATTER Coronado’s long history is filled with interesting characters, visionary thinking and creative innovations. We believe these qualities continue to make Coronado the inspiring place it is today. It’s time to discover our community in a new way. Our print and online publications will connect you with the heart of Coronado. Subscriptions available nationwide. For details go to coronado365.com or email subscriptions@coronado365.com Join us. Be part of the story. Email advertising@coronado365com.
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For an Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Coronado Emerald Keepers’ mission is to educate the community for the health of our oceans, ensure Coronado’s sustainability for generations to come, and serve as a model for other cities.
THIS MONTH! Isabella Avenue Dentistry will donate all proceeds from teeth whitening to Emerald Keepers. Gift certificates must be purchased before January 31, 2022. Stop by their office at 1012 Isabella Avenue or call 619.435.0147 and be sure to mention Emerald Keepers. In-office Zoom Whitening: $500 Custom Whitening Trays Home Kit: $399
EMERALDKEEPERS. ORG Emerald Keepers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
Photo by Brian Lippe
WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT
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