Coronado 365 - November 2022

Giving thanks

November marks the beginning of the holiday season. It’s also a time to give thanks. This year will be especially joyous for some, as it will be the first time in three years they can join inside gatherings with friends and family. That’s a lot to be thankful for.

In November, we also observe Veterans Day, an important day of recognition for all who have served in the armed forces. Behind every veteran are stories of adventure, danger, loss, camaraderie, loyalty and pride. You see reminders around Coronado that their service to our country is appreciated and respected, whether it’s the American flag displayed on homes or a “welcome home” sign signaling the return of a deployment.

In this month’s issue, we introduce you to Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, the first female commanding officer of an aircraft carrier. That’s a milestone for the Navy but just a day in the life of Bauernschmidt, whose focus is on running a ship that is essentially a floating city, sup porting the well-being of the sailors who keep the ship battle-ready.

Just across San Diego Bay, on the USS Midway Mu seum, about 55 veteran volunteers from Coronado join more than 750 volunteers from around San Diego who keep the museum humming along. If you haven’t been to the Midway, get over there and spend half a day. The vol unteers bring the museum alive with their knowledge and personal stories. They are happy to share and love it when you take a moment to listen. It’s a great way to show your thanks for their service.

We at Coronado 365 also have a lot to be thankful for. We would like to thank the community for all the kind words about Coronado 365 Magazine. And we are thankful for our paid subscribers from all over the country and our advertisers for their leap of faith in Coronado’s newest publication.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Cheers, Leslie & Martina

IN BLOOM THIS MONTH: Datura

Contents

NOVEMBER 2022

COVER STORY

4 FOCUSED MISSION

For Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, the first woman to command a carrier, it’s about getting the job done.

FEATURES

LIVING HISTORY

Local veterans share their stories and find camaraderie volunteering at USS Midway Museum.

TEE TIME

Early golf courses drew national attention with star players and championship tournaments.

DEPARTMENTS

20 MADE IN CORONADO

The Knot finds permanent home at Promenade Park.

26 DID YOU KNOW?

The Village Theater opened to big crowds in 1947.

34 LOOKING BACK

This month in Coronado history.

36 FROM THE GROUND UP

Leucadendrons ideal for Coronado’s sandy soil

ON THE COVER Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt

PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. NAVY

RECIPE OF THE MONTH Jalapeño white sauce.

BEACHCOMBER Surf scoter.

MILITARY

The decommissioning of the USS Coronado.

WE APOLOGIZE

» Last month’s Beachcomber photo was a California brown sea hare, which is smaller than the black sea hare.

DIRECTOR/MANAGING

CONTRIBUTORS

Michelle Delaney, Catherine Gaugh, David Mackesey, Nancy Nygard, Vickie Stone - Coronado Historical Association, @coronadobeachcomber

editor@coronado365.com or (619) 435-0334

ADVERTISING

To advertise, contact Leslie Crawford at leslie@Coronado365.com or advertising@Coronado365.com

CORONADO 365 is a division of Now and Then Publishing LLC, 830 Orange Ave., Suite B, Coronado, CA 92118

Copyright ©2022 Now and Then Publishing LLC

All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Coronado 365 is available nationally. For subscriptions go to Coronado365.com or email subscriptions@coronado365.com

PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS JAVIER REYES / U.S. NAVY

Uncharted waters

First female aircraft carrier captain builds career by embracing every opportunity

By MARTINA SCHIMITSCHEK

For Amy Bauernschmidt, enrolling in the U.S. Naval Academy was a practical decision. With a love of the water and an affinity for math and science, she had decided on a degree in ocean engineering. The Annapolis, Maryland, acade my offered that — with tuition paid.

Little did she know that decision would take her on a journey to all corners of the Earth and forge an uncharted path for women.

Capt. Bauernschmidt, 51, has become the first woman to command an aircraft carrier, one of 11 captains of the Navy’s fleet of nuclear-powered carri ers, the largest in the world. She helms the USS Abra ham Lincoln, which returned from a seven-month deployment on Aug. 11.

« Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt answers questions from Republic of Korea media during a press conference aboard the Abraham Lincoln during Rim of the Pacific 2022 exercises this summer. At right: Bauernschmidt is piped ashore after the change of command ceremony on Aug. 19, 2021, which placed Bauernschmidt in command of the Lincoln.

PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS JEREMIAH BARTELT / U.S. NAVY

When the Milwaukee native entered the Naval Academy in 1990, her current career path wasn’t even an option. Women weren’t allowed to serve on combatant ships. That changed in November 1993, during her senior year, when Congress repealed the ban.

She decided to learn to fly, embarking on a sinuous Navy career that led to this position.

“It was a couple of weird twists of fate,” said Bauernschmidt of her journey to lead the Lincoln. “I do find irony in the fact that I ended up at the Naval Academy because I wanted to be an ocean engineer, and while I’ve used those principles in both flying and in my nuclear training, what got me to the Naval Academy, I’ve absolutely not done in my real life.”

In 1996, two years after graduating from the Naval Academy, Bauernschmidt became a naval aviator, flying helicopters. She deployed on sea tours, became a flight instructor at Naval Air Station North Is land and commander of a helicopter strike squadron.

During her career, Bauernschmidt has accumulated more than 3,000 flying hours

and a list of service awards, attended the Navy’s Nuclear Power School and earned a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.

From 2016 to 2019, Bauernschmidt served as the Lincoln’s executive officer — the second in command and the first woman in that position. She left the Lin coln to become the commanding officer of the USS San Diego, an amphibious trans port dock. On Aug. 19, 2021, she became captain of the Lincoln.

Bauernschmidt, who lives in San Diego, is now in charge of a small city of 5,000. She described her job with these words: “exceptionally rewarding; best team envi ronment ever; amazing sailors; challeng ing; and sometimes exhausting.”

She spoke to Coronado 365 from the Lincoln as it was docked at North Island. The following conversation has been edit ed for clarity and length.

Q: What does it mean to you to be the first woman to be a captain of an aircraft carrier?

A. It is incredibly humbling to know

“I really think a lot of times it’s more about the person and the leadership than it necessarily is about a certain gender or race.”

CAPT. AMY BAUERNSCHMIDT

that you’ve been entrusted with, at deploy ment, 5,000 sailors — more back here at the beach, 3,000 sailors — that have taken an oath to support and defend the Con stitution. Their average age is only about 21.8 years old, which is a little higher than five to 10 years ago.

They’re an incredibly junior group of sailors that has no quit in them They are incredibly dedicated to the mission. They own it day in and day out. Whatever I can do to support them, to make sure that they have all the training or resources they need to do their jobs effectively, that is really what’s important.

Q: Do you think the environment on the Lincoln is different with a woman leading?

A: I’ve heard from great sailors across the ship, both men and women, in all pay grades. I have a great story of a chief that I served with on a different ship. He ruptured his Achilles tendon, had to leave that ship and then ended up at this ship. I don’t think he’d been on board, but a week or two and he asked me to re-enlist him, which is one of the most awe-inspiring things for an officer to be asked to be part of for one of our enlisted sailors.

I really think a lot of times it’s more

Bauernschmidt pilots an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter during the USS Abraham Lincoln’s deployment this year in the Indo-Pacific region.

PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS MICHAEL SINGLEY / U.S. NAVY

Bauernschmidt gets ready to throw the first pitch at Petco Park at the start of a Padres game against the Washington Nationals in August 2021.

about the person and the leadership than it necessarily is about a certain gender or race.

Q: You decided to go into the Naval Academy because you wanted to go into ocean engineering. How did you decide to become a helicopter pilot?

A: Much of my time at the Naval Acad emy, it was debate about going through engineering core or other jobs, because that’s what was open to women. Then halfway through my senior year at the Naval Academy with the National Defense Authorization Act in 1994, we had a lot of different options open to us.

And to the Navy’s credit — it was a little painful and it was, I’m sure, challenging — in a short six weeks they were able to find destroyers, cruisers that they could put women on and opened up all the pipelines in the aviation community.

I figured the Navy was going to teach me how to fly. And I talked to some other people that wanted to go into aviation, and I thought that if they can do it, I should be able to.

There was just something about heli copters that attracted me. That first time you pick up into a hover and you know that you’re not touching the ground, and you’re looking through where your feet

PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS JAVIER REYES / U.S. NAVY

are and you can see the ground, but you’re not touching it, it’s just really awesome.

Q. You are serving as a role model to other women. What advice would you give young female sailors?

A. One of the things that helped me, my mom mentioned when I was in in high school. She said a lot of wise things, but one of the few, I truly, truly remember was to never pass up an opportunity.

There’s been many times that I ended up getting more out of something that I wasn’t sure I wanted to become involved in, whether it was a job, maybe a location or a class. I ended up growing more from those and learning more from those, which all helped turn me into the person that I am today.

It was really a wide range of jobs and wide range of experiences that I always embraced that I think helped me become the person that is able to take on these jobs. And then just knowing your job and doing your job.

I remember being given training officer at one point and legal officer at one point. Neither job I was particularly thrilled about. But I ended up learning an incred ible amount, and those jobs ended up be ing exceptionally rewarding and absolutely shaped who I was as I continued on in my career.

Your career started with your love of the ocean. Do you still find time to enjoy the sea?

It’s been tough. Between the de ployment and then it’s been a pretty busy

Deployment

LINCOLN

five weeks or so since we’ve been back from deployment, but I will definitely be around for next year’s Coronado Fourth of July swim.

I was looking at getting a new paddle board. I absolutely still enjoy the water and that’s one of the great things about living in San Diego.

Q: What’s your call sign?

A. Call signs come from one of two things, either you did something kind of silly or dumb, or they pick on your last name. Thankfully I didn’t do anything too silly or dumb. It’s not that exciting, I just ended up with B12. It’s really B+12, but even that’s too much to say, so everybody shortens it to B12. (Hint: it’s the number of letters in the last name.)

Q. What’s the coolest thing about your job?

A. The sailors. The sailors are amazing. They are from all 50 states, all of the terri tories, all ages, all experience levels.

They are so motivated to be here, and they work so hard. There’s just no quit in what they do. They want to accomplish the mission and work exceptionally hard each and every day to do so.

Q: What do you see in your future?

A. My focus is on the sailors. Other than knowing my job and doing my job every day and trying to support them, I don’t have a lot of control over my future.

The best thing I can do is my job every day and that’s what my sailors need me to do. ■

U.S. NAVY

After the USS Midway was was decommissioned in San Diego in April 1992, it went into storage in Bremerton, Washington, until 2003 when it was donated to the nonprofit San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum organization.

LESLIE CRAWFORD

In service

USS Midway Museum draws dedicated, loyal group of volunteers from Coronado

By LESLIE CRAWFORD

With more than 16 million visitors since it opened, the USS Midway Museum is the most visited histori cal naval ship museum in the world.

The carrier has an impressive history, and it’s easy to be captivated by its sheer size — but it’s the volunteers with their stories and perspectives that make a visit special.

The museum, which opened in June 2004, has more than 750 volunteers on the roster who donate about 275,000 hours annually. More than 55 of the vol unteers are Coronado residents.

If you ride the commuter ferry on any weekday morning to the Broadway Pier, you are likely to see volunteers headed to the Midway for their morning shift.

While most volunteers have a military background, it is not a requirement. The only requirement is a sense of mission and enthusiasm for the work. Each volun

USS MIDWAY MUSEUM

Former naval aviator and retired airline pilot Phil Swartz from Coronado has been volunteering at the Midway since 2010. His duties include overseeing a groups of docents, but he also has time to give young visitors a history lesson.

teer group wears a different colored cap to designate its role.

Docents, who wear yellow caps, have undergone extensive training and are stationed throughout the ship. The safety team in red caps takes care of first aid and helps guests enter and exit the ship. Other volunteer positions include guest services ambassador, education, airwing/aircraft restoration, ship restoration, exhibits team and World War II storytellers.

“The wealth of knowledge and experi ence within our volunteer corps inspires me every day. This dedicated group brings the ship to life for our guests, and all who

work here,” said Laurie Switzer, director of volunteer programs.

Coronado resident Phil Swartz, a former naval aviator and retired airline pilot, started volunteering in 2010 and has worked various jobs around ship. He became a docent of the watch — or in Navy lingo the DOW — six years ago. He oversees 25 to 30 volunteers during his morning watch on Thursdays.

Swartz starts his shift meeting with different groups that handle everything from safety and tickets to exhibits and private tours, getting information on the day’s events so he can brief his docents.

LESLIE CRAWFORD

Don Hubbard, a 96-year-old World War II veteran, shares his story with visitors on board the USS Midway Museum.

The USS Midway was commissioned in September 1945, a week after the end of World War II. The aircraft carrier was opened as a museum in June 2004.

“We have enlisted, officers and civil ians, and they all give their take on what’s going on. We follow our big book, but it’s 5 percent knowledge and the other 95 percent is entertainment,” he said.

The USS Midway was the longest-serv ing aircraft carrier of the 20th century. Named after the Battle of Midway in June 1942, the USS Midway was built in only 17 months. The ship was commissioned in Virginia on Sept. 10, 1945, a week after the end of World War II, and was decom missioned in San Diego on April 11, 1992.

Don Hubbard, at 96, is one of the oldest volunteers and one of a handful of World War II veterans remaining. (Full disclo sure: He is the writer’s father). With more than 1,200 hours of volunteer time, the Coronado resident spends one morning a week on the ship sharing his stories.

What: USS Midway Museum

Where: 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas Admission: $26; $18, veterans and children 6-12; free, active military, firefighters, law enforcement and children under 5 Information: (619) 544-9600 or midway.org

LESLIE CRAWFORD

The USS Midway’s bell is inscribed with the carrier’s designator, CV-41. The Midway was part of the Navy’s fleet for more than 46 years, the longest-serving ship of the 20th century.

Hubbard’s display is set up in front of an SNJ airplane, also known as a Texan. It’s the same model in which Hubbard had most of his training, qualified as a pilot and did his first carrier land ing. Another Coronado volunteer, Eric Kasarjian, assists Hubbard as a World War II storyteller.

Kasarjian, who is also an Honor Flight guardian, has no military background but volunteers out of respect for veter ans.

“I wanted to do it in honor of my great-uncle and grandfather who were kind of like surrogate parents, and they were both World War II veterans. They

DREAMSTIME PHOTO

were B-17 Flying Fortress guys during D-Day and the bombing of Germany out of England and then France later,” he said.

Kasarjian loves history and connect ing with people from around the world. He said he’s humbled by the caliber of people he volunteers with.

Tom Finley, Mark Pugh and Jon Ryan are all longtime volunteers from Coro nado. Pugh and Ryan each have accrued more than 10,000 hours. They both have

» USS Midway volunteer John Ryan gets ready to board the morning ferry from Coronado to head to the museum.

LESLIE CRAWFORD

earned Volunteer of the Year recogni tion and are members of the Midway’s President’s Circle, two of about 30 in the exclusive club.

Finley, who has been on the ship for 17 years, was encouraged to volunteer as payback for all that he had received from his country and the Navy during his career.

“I have enjoyed every minute,” Fin ley said. “We represent America and its military to people from all over the world. For the past 15 years, I have enjoyed being a new docent trainer and adviser, and as such, I stand watch in every docent station on Midway.”

Pugh has been the docent training manager since 2009, responsible for the eight-week docent certifying courses. He

is currently instructing his 51st class and has compiled an 800-page training man ual, the curriculum used for the course. The ex-Navy fighter pilot said one of the reasons he started volunteering was that his wife was tired of hearing his stories.

“Volunteering is great way to stay active and involved,” said Ryan, who also has given his time on various city of Coro nado commissions since 1999, presently serving as vice chair of the planning commission.

“You don’t have to look hard to see why the Midway is so successful,” said John “Mac” McLaughlin, president and CEO of the museum. “Our volunteers have built a wonderful experience for everyone that visits the ship, and they are the secret ingredient to Midway’s success.” ■

Volunteers in red caps are part of the safety team; many are retired veterans.

NINH NGUYEN / DREAMSTIME

Family ties

Daughter spearheads public installment of late father’s art piece The Knot

By CATHERINE GAUGH

It is called The Knot. The gleaming bronze sculpture, installed Sept. 7 at Promenade Park overlooking Glorietta Bay, weighs 265 pounds and is 3 feet high. Some of its 11-foot length is a path of rising twists and turns; it would be a terrifying roller coaster ride.

The Knot was created by the late artist James A. Wood and is one of his most in triguing works, according to his daughter,

Coronado resident Jody Esquer, a designer and owner/manager of the Night & Day Cafe. She was instrumental in donating the piece to Coronado through her work on the city’s Cultural Arts Commission. The location and positioning of the sculpture allow it to point to the nearby Naval Amphibious Base, where Wood was stationed when he discovered his talent for metal sculpting.

« The Knot, by James A. Wood, was installed at Promenade Park on Sept. 7. LESLIE CRAWFORD PHOTOS

“He was in charge of the welding de partment, teaching the Seabees construc tion skills, including welding,” Esquer recalled. “He was always bringing home scraps of all kinds of metals, like iron and steel. He used them to make small sculp tures of fish and birds. Later, he became more abstract and started doing large scale sculpture.”

Q: Tell us about your father’s military service and how he came to be stationed in Coronado.

A: At 17, he joined the Navy, he said, ‘to see the world.’ He was stationed in San Diego, had a great time and finished out his service. At 21, he joined the U.S. Army at the start of the Korean War. When he was out of the Army, he went to school at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and graduated with a degree in struc tural engineering in 1959. He married my mother, Ethel, in 1954, and they had three daughters together.

They lived the civilian life for a while, and Dad was very successful, but he missed the discipline of the military. At 42, he re-upped into the Navy as a lieu tenant commander in the Civil Engineer

Corps. He was stationed in Coronado for about five years.

Q: The military life took your family all over the country. Where did your parents finally settle?

A: They moved to Monterey, where Dad did his last year of Naval Postgrad uate School. Then he retired to work on art full time. They had a hilltop home in Carmel Valley with beautiful views. The property had a large chicken coop that he turned into his studio. I remember seeing The Knot outside in front of their house.

Q: How did your father make The Knot?

A: It is made of ¼-inch fabricated bronze, which you know is an alloy made of copper and tin. To make a curve, he welded in a steel beam every four inches. The sculpture has a coating which has shades of green, reds and yellows — all natural elements.

He was passionate about it and put in an incredible amount of time and energy into it. He has huge sculptures on display all over — in Berlin, Germany, in Pebble Beach, Big Sur, Monterey, in wineries, libraries, colleges and a hospital. He gave

“A knot can be many things. People tying the knot. The Navy system of knots. But when I look at it, I see the transitions of life, or everything we do. ”

JODY ESQUER

Clockwise from top: James and Ethel Wood, who were married in 1954, were both artists; Wood with daughter Jody Esquer at her wedding; Wood served in Korea with the Army, which he joined when he was 21, after getting out of the Navy.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JODY ESQUER

James Wood created sculptures that are displayed as far away as Berlin, Germany.

Among his many pieces on the Monterey Peninsula is this one in Pebble Beach.

most of it away. ‘You like it? Well, here you go!’ He just enjoyed the making of a piece; it did not seem important to be paid.

Q: What makes The Knot particularly suited to Coronado?

A: People ask me what does it mean? They want art to signal a meaning. I’ve been reading Dad’s journals, and he wrote that he doesn’t do anything to try to impress. He loved the process of creat ing something.

A knot can be many things. People tying the knot. The Navy system of knots.

But when I look at it, I see the tran sitions of life, or everything we do. We have smooth sailing, then we have to climb uphill and get looped around and around. But you keep going on.

It is so Dad. He had an incredible sense of humor and was always telling jokes. And he suffered periods of disabling depression, which he could work out of through his art. There were difficult peri ods, lots of hard work to be done.

Q: You have said that both of your par ents are artists. They passed the art gene to their children.

A: My mother was a wonderful oil painter. She lived in Dad’s shadow a lot but came into her own. He died in Febru ary 2015 at 87. Mom died on the first of June in 2016. My sisters and I are artists, too; we express it different ways.

Q: I understand it was a lengthy pro cess to get approval for the sculpture to be installed here.

A: I started this journey in 2011, when I was working with the Cultural Arts Commission. It was a process, to get everyone to approve and accept. Not to mention the complications of hauling a 265-pound sculpture. My sister, Terry, had The Knot moved to her property in the Sacramento area after my folks moved into a retirement community. She was sorry it took so long, but my feeling is, it’s here, it’s home.

I will be polishing it every few months and will apply wax to protect it. But all the instructions on caring for outdoor bronze art say to make sure to keep the bird poop off. There are a lot of seagulls around here, so I’m on the bird poop patrol. ■

Catherine Gaugh is a freelance writer.

COURTESY OF JODY ESQUER

Did you know?

A sizable crowd lined up opening night of the Village Theater on March 18, 1947. Although the studio previews that were screened that night didn’t receive much coverage in the newspapers, the modern, air-conditioned showplace was a hit. Over its 75-year history, the theater has hosted thousands of film screenings and special events. In 1961, the Village Theater, along with the Hotel Del Coronado, played host to Coronado’s first film festival, the Coronado International Film Festival. The festival was attended by several notable celebrities such as Van Heflin, Dennis Hopper, Barbara Eden, Michael Ansara and Jackie Cooper. While the festival was successful, it only ran for one more year before going defunct. The Village Theater continued to attract audiences for another four decades before owners Bob and John Siegel closed it in 2000 for retirement. A community group, spearheaded by the Chamber of Commerce, worked to save the theater despite the overdue maintenance needs. Village Theater remained closed for 10 years while a $3 million renovation and restoration project took place. It reopened on June 23, 2011, with three screens and is a favored venue of the current Coronado Island Film Festival, which runs Nov. 9 through 13 this year. ■

— Vickie Stone, curator of collections, Coronado Historical Association

GORDON SKINNER / CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Linked in

Early golf courses drew top players, championships to Coronado

By DAVID MACKESEY

“The growth of the game (of golf) is something marvelous in this country. It is as firmly intrenched as the national game itself. But it has not become fully accli mated, and players still look with awe on the people of merry England and canny Scotland who have the mysterious twist of the wrist that makes success.”

— San Diego Union, November 21, 1897

America in 1897 was a country on the rebound. The devastating financial crisis, coined The Panic of 1893, was a retreating mem ory, and by the late 1890s, a new, enthu siastic traveling class had emerged. Those travelers had also found a new infatuation — golf.

To keep with the times, the Hotel del Coronado decided to add a golf course; but finding a golf expert west of the Mississippi River was no easy task. But luck would have it that Coronado resident

Thomas Wilkerson Tetley, known as T. W., was raised with the game of golf.

Born in Cheshire, England, Tetley worked for The Del, welcoming important guests. He was educated at Oxford and had dabbled in everything from journal ism to public works to banking.

Beginning in May 1897, Tetley and E. S. Babcock, Jr., one of the founders of the Hotel Del, planned out the new course. A parcel of land in the southeast corner of Coronado known as the mud flats was se lected. Tetley used his playing experience to lay out nine holes covering 2,730 yards. The course included natural bunkers, road hazards and fences, and went through eucalyptus and pepper trees.

By November, the links were ready for the winter traveling season, which ranged from January to April each year. But to have a high-quality golf course, you needed someone experienced to care for it. The solution again was Tetley. Touting his choice to the press, Babcock said: “Mr.

The clubhouse, constructed in 1898, was moved to the new links in 1900 and expanded to a two-story structure.

What: Wine & Lecture: Coronado Golf & Its Champions (1897-1905) with speaker David Mackesey

Where: Coronado Historical Association, 1100 Orange Ave. When: 5:30 p.m., Nov. 17

Admission: $18; $15, CHA members

Information: (619) 435-7242 or coronadohistory.org

Tetley played golf on his native heath, and knows the ancient rules of the game, which, like the constitution of England, are not written.”

The links opened in early 1898, and what the local players lacked in skill they made up with enthusiasm. Plans for a proper clubhouse, designed by architect R. C. Reamer, were quickly approved, and construction started along what is now San Luis Rey Avenue. The completed clubhouse was featured in the May 1898 issue of Sunset magazine.

With the success of the 1898 season, Babcock wrote a contract to lease the clubhouse and grounds to the Coronado Golf Club, which was headed by his son, Graham Babcock. The lease, which ran to Jan. 1, 1904, was $1 per year.

Although Tetley had laid out and cared for the course, in championship golf terms, he was simply little more than a duffer. Coronado resident Walter Hamlin Dupee, the only son of the ultra-wealthy, highly successful businessman John Du pee, wanted to up the game.

Walter Dupee arrived for the 1899 season with a special guest named Alex Smith, a Scotland native who was among the top golfers in America. Smith, the 1898 U.S. Open runner-up, brought a new level of golf prowess and teaching to Coronado and was quickly embraced. That same year, he became Coronado’s official golf professional.

Smith didn’t take long to fulfill his promise to bring the best golfers in Amer ica to Coronado.

“Alex Smith of the Coronado Golf

COURTESY OF CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

In this photo from 1903, Alex Smith (white shirt) takes a shot on the golf course he designed in the Country Club area.

Club has made an arrangement with the crack golf professionals Horace Rawlins, Willie Anderson and James Melville, for an exhibition tournament to take place on the Coronado links … under the auspices of the local club,” a story in the San Diego Union on Jan. 22, 1900, announced.

Rawlins was the 1895 U.S. Open Cham pion and Anderson would become a future four-time winner. Anderson won earning $100 of the tournament’s $225 total purse, an impressive prize in 1900. At the time, the U.S. Open prizes only totaled $750.

With that success, Smith scheduled a rematch the following month with an even larger purse and viewing gallery. Coro nado golf now held a champion pedigree. The next step — create a true champion ships golf course.

“Prof. Alex Smith, golf instructor of the Coronado club, announces that he will be

unable to give lessons today, having most urgent and important business on hand — the laying out of a new 18-hole golf links. Think of it, dream of it, golfers, great and small!! This season has proven that the present Coronado links are not equal to the number of players. The crowded condition during the past few months has settled it — the location and size of the links must be changed. The coming links, 18 holes, that are to be without equal for beauty of location and excellence of course, are to occupy the space of ground from K Street to Spanish Bight, and from the ocean to the bay, with perhaps a little trespassing on the racetrack grounds. The present links have needed “fixing” for some time, and they are to be taken care of in the way Coronado folks do things generally.”

— The San Diego Union, March 22, 1900

COURTESY OF HOTEL DEL CORONADO

COURTESY OF HOTEL DEL CORONADO

Coronado’s first golf course, built by the Hotel Del, drew an enthusiastic crowd. The course, which opened in 1897, was closed a few years later.

The new 18-hole course was unveiled on Feb. 22, 1901, to great fanfare.

In mid-March, Alex Smith hosted more top American golfers on the new links. Smith, his brother, the 1899 U.S. Open champion Willie Smith, and David Bell, the top American finisher in the 1900 U.S. Open, played in the first professional ex hibition on the new course to a loud and supportive gallery.

The original golf course closed at the end of March, and the clubhouse was moved to the new links, remodeled and enlarged.

By the early 1900s, Coronado hosted some of the country’s top golf events. But after the 1903 season, Coronado golf’s two dominate forces, Smith and Babcock, both left Coronado to pursue other interests.

Smith returned for the 1905 season, bringing his brother-in-law, James Maid en, as his assistant. He moved the South ern California Open Championship from the Los Angeles Country Club to Corona do and won the event in front of his many admirers.

It was his final season at the Coronado course, but his friends continued to follow

and cheer his efforts. In 1906, Smith won his first U.S. Open. It was a family affair: his brother, Willie, finished second, and Maiden finished third. In 1910, Smith won his second U.S Open.

The course’s original design was partial ly rerouted before World War I to accom modate the relocation of the clubhouse as well as to expand the course to more than 5,800 yards. Just after the war, it was lengthened again, to over 6,200 yards.

In 1944, the course was again rerouted. This time it was shortened to nine holes to make way for the military expansion on North Island. By the early 1950s, the course and golf club closed.

The city of Coronado stepped in, com mitting funds to build a new course on acreage added by dredging San Diego Bay to accommodate Navy ships. The current par-72 Coronado Golf Course opened in December 1957 and was only slightly altered with the building of the San Di ego-Coronado Bridge.

The tradition of golf in Coronado con tinues. ■

David Mackesey is a freelance writer.

THIS MONTH IN CORONADO HISTORY

Nov. 6, 1915

F.C. Winchester sold the handsome A.P. Stephens residence at the corner of Seventh Street and A Avenue to Dr. M.O. Terry, a New York state ex-surgeon general from Mamaroneck, New York. The home was sold for $30,000 in cash.

Nov. 6, 1947

The U.S. government gave approval to lease Naval Amphibious Base land from the city of Coronado for $28,500 a year. Because World War II was over, the city believed it was entitled to col lect a reasonable amount for the land, which had been rented by the Navy for $1 a year. The federal government eventually purchased the acreage when it became evident that the base would be a permanent fixture.

Nov. 7, 1931

The USS Saratoga carefully came into San Diego Bay and carefully anchored. Aircraft carriers were usually anchored off the coast in an area west of the Silver Strand called Coronado Roads because they could not always safely navigate the shallow channel and bay.

Nov. 8, 1917

Lt. Earl Spencer reported for duty at North Island Naval Air Station as the first commanding officer. This date is considered the base’s official first day since there was no opening ceremo ny. Spencer was married to Wallis

Spencer, known for her later marriage to the Prince of Wales. The Spen cers temporarily lived at the Hotel del Coronado and then in homes on Alameda Boulevard and Flora Avenue, while the lieutenant worked with few resources to build a naval air station from scratch. By the time he left his command two years later, he had overseen the construction of multiple hangars and established a flight-train ing program.

Nov. 8, 1927

A huge, tri-motored Fokker mono plane arrived at North Island from the Fokker plant at Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. Equipped for use as a bomber, troop transport, cargo plane or an aerial ambulance, the plane was dissembled for shipment to Nicara gua by naval transport. The big mono plane was one of the largest planes used by the Marine Corps.

Nov. 15, 1960

Coronado City Council members voted to accept Sunset Park, a 2-acre area formerly known as “Parcel 2” at the end of Ocean Boulevard next to the North Island fence. Development of Sunset Park (a name suggested by Councilman Donald Spicer) fol lowed complaints from residents in the Country Club Estates, calling it a barren “dust bowl.” Sand blowing from the parcel, as well as from North

Beach and North Island, formed dunes on neighboring lawns.

Nov. 18, 1941

The California Highway Department reported that all paperwork had been filed with the Union Title Co., final izing the purchase of Tent City land from the Spreckels Co. The acquisition allowed for the completion of Silver Strand Highway (now state Route 75) all the way to Coronado.

Nov. 22, 1927

A bathing suit ordinance was adopt ed prohibiting any person over 12

years old from entering any place of business clad in a bathing suit unless it was covered by another garment reaching from the neck to the knees.

Nov. 29, 1924

The USS Langley (CV-1), the Navy’s first aircraft carrier, arrived at North Island, berthing at Naval Air Station San Diego. Crudely built by today’s standards, the Langley was convert ed from the collier cargo ship USS Jupiter 3. Within one year of its arrival, the first squadron completed training and the first carrier night landing was accomplished. ■

The Silver Strand Highway, San Diego Bay and the Naval Amphibious Base are shown in this 1941 aerial photograph.

LESLIE CRAWFORD COLLECTION

Perfect pairing

Easy-care, drought-tolerant leucadendron ideal plant for Coronado’s sandy soil

By NANCY NYGARD

Shrubs frequently get short shrift in residential landscapes. Though the backbone of most yards, shrubs are rarely thought of as exciting garden elements. They are usually relegat ed to the thankless role of lining foun dations and fences or as nondescript gap fillers in perennial beds.

A unique shrub gardeners can use to enliven their landscapes is the mighty leucadendron, a colorful South African native that checks every box on a garden er’s wish list: It’s low maintenance, low water and loves Coronado’s sandy soil. There’s no reason not to plant a leucaden

dron in your yard.

Leucadendrons comprise a genus of approximately 80 shrub species in the proteaceae family. Also known as cone flowers, mature varieties range from 3 to 10 feet tall, although the towering ‘Silver Tree’ variety can reach a height of 25 feet. The plant’s unique flowers are actually seed-bearing cones surrounded by col orful bracts. Waxy evergreen leaves grow beneath the bracts in a spiral, creating a striking visual impact.

These hardy, drought-tolerant evergreen shrubs are perfect for our Southern Cal ifornia Mediterranean climate and make

« The leucadendron’s flowers are actually seed-bearing cones surrounded by colorful bracts.

PHOTO

provide an abundant source of yearround, long-lasting cut flowers. They can last up to four weeks in a vase with regular water changes.

But to thrive near the coast, leuca dendrons require full sun. Don’t try to get away with partial shade or your plant will languish and suffer a slow, withering death. There’s no need for soil amendments or compost. And the local sandy soil provides excellent drainage. Like all Mediterranean plants, leucadendrons do not like wet feet.

If you Google leucadendron, one of the first autofill questions is “Why is my leucadendron dying.” Besides a lack of full sun, there are two main

1) Phosphate fertilizers: Phosphorous is coneflower kryptonite. Do not fertilize this plant with any fertilizer that includes phosphorous. Its specialized proteoid roots are extremely efficient at drawing trace amounts of phosphorous out of even the poorest soil, so a concentrated blast of phosphorous fertilizer will cause the roots to absorb a lethal dose. Avoid fertilizing any near by plants with a phosphate fertilizer — including grass — as watering could cause fertilizer to seep

Though they appear tropical, leu

KAROLINA GRABOWSKA / PEXELS

Leucadendrons also provide an abundant source of year-round,

Some leucadendron varieties make great hedges. Be sure to plant in full sun.

cadendrons thrive with little water once established. Like most plants, they need regular watering during their first year. After your leucadendron is established, resist the urge to show your love by water ing. Leucadendrons are not thirsty plants; use that water elsewhere in your garden.

November is an excellent time for plant ing shrubs in Coronado. Fall transplants will have time to settle in the warm soil and establish strong root systems, which will be nurtured by winter rains.

Here are some varieties to consider:

• Safari Sunset: One of the most

popular Leucadendron cultivars, these plants produce excellent, long-lasting cut flowers. A tall and vigorous grower that can easily reach 8 to 10 feet, Safari Sunset is known for its erect dense growth habit, dark green foliage and rich red bracts that look attractive year-round, but especially through autumn and winter. A massing of this fast-growing shrub would create a stunning hedge.

• Jester: This variegated garden gem sports bright pinks, yellows and greens. (Colors will vary depending on tempera ture and water.) This is a smaller variety,

DREAMSTIME PHOTO

reaching only 4 to 5 feet at maturity. Jester grows more slowly than other leucaden dron cultivars and is an excellent choice for smaller gardens or as a container plant.

• Golden Tips: A compact bushy shrub with bright red stems, Golden Tips’ growth habit is less upright than other leucadendrons. It normally grows 3 feet by 3 feet but can be kept smaller through occasional pruning. The shrub is another fine choice for smaller gardens because it’s dependable mixer plant featuring cheery yellow bracts, which become edged with crimson during winter.

• Ebony: This distinctively colored

compact shrub grows approximately 3 feet tall by 3 to 4 feet wide. The show-stopping blackish-purple foliage and burgundy red bracts of Ebony make it an unforgettable plant in the ground or a large container. Ebony is usually more costly than other leucadendron cultivars but well worth the investment.

Leucadendrons yield big rewards with little effort. What’s the most difficult thing about leucadendrons? Learning to spell their name.

Happy planting. ■

Nancy Nygard is a freelance writer and UCCE Master Gardener.

Jalapeño white sauce

NIGHT & DAY CAFE

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups heavy whipping cream or heavy cream

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon chicken base

1 whole jalapeño pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon jalapeño juice

2 ounces Jack or cheddar cheese

RECIPE

The secret to a great white sauce is in the consistency with constant stirring while it heats.

1. Combine milk and flour in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a pot, add heavy cream, sour cream, jalapeño juice, jalapeños, cheese and chicken base over medium heat. Stir until ingredients come to a boil.

3. Lower heat and add flour-milk mixture. Continue to stir until a thick sauce is formed. It’s important to not stop stirring until sauce is ready or it will develop clumps.

Night & Day Cafe is open daily from 7 a.m to 2 p.m., serving breakfast and lunch. Extended hours Fridays and Saturdays for dinner. 847 Orange Ave. | (619) 435-9776 | coronadondcafe.com

» For a complete list of local restaurants, visit coronado365.com/restaurants

COURTESY OF NIGHT & DAY CAFE

THE SURF SCOTER, a member of the duck family informally known as a sea duck, is sometimes called a “skunk head” because of the white spot on its head. Male surf scoters, like the one pictured, are black with a large white, orange and black bill that appears swollen, a feature that distinguishes it from other scoters. Female and juve nile scoters are less colorful with a more normal beak shape.

The surf scoter winters in our coastal waters. You might see them playing in the surf, quickly diving into waves as they break. They head north to Canada and Alaska in the warmer months to nest near fresh water sources. Their numbers have been decreasing due to loss of habitat through climate change. ■

Class: Aves

Order: Anseriformes

Family: Anatidae

Genus: Melanitta

Species: Melanitta perspicillata

Surf scoter

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.

CORONADOBEACHCOMBER

The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) returns to its homeport of Naval Base San Diego on June 30, 2022.

PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS VANCE HAND

Fond farewell

Recently decommissioned USS Coronado maintained strong ties to namesake city

By MICHELLE DELANEY

With crew members, friends, families, the ship’s sponsor and members of the public looking on, the USS Coro nado was recently decommissioned at a quiet, traditional ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island.

“Coronado did her job reliably and de pendably, and so she was decommissioned with dignity and respect by the crew that loved her,” said Susan Ring Keith, a longtime Coronado resident and the ship’s sponsor.

Nicknamed the “Crown of the Fleet,” the ship was part of the Navy’s surface fleet of ships and was the third Navy ship to be named after the city of Coronado. The first served as a patrol frigate during World War II and was decommissioned in

1945. The second one, built as an amphib ious transport dock, was commissioned in 1970 and served as the flagship for the U.S. 3rd Fleet. It was decommissioned in 2006 and sunk in 2012 as part of a Navy exercise.

This latest Coronado (LCS-4), decom missioned Sept. 14, was an Indepen dence-class littoral combat ship, designed to be a high-speed, multimission vessel capable of operating independently or with an associated strike group. These ships use advanced tactical networks to share information with aircraft, other ships, submarines and units at shore.

The Coronado was commissioned April 15, 2014, at North Island and was imme diately designated for a test-and-training role to determine what was efficient and

effective, and what wasn’t.

“Coronado’s performance was fabulous and exceeded all expectations,” said retired Capt. Matt McGonigle, who served as one of the ship’s commodores. Despite initial positive reviews, littoral combat ships have been hindered by problems. The Corona do is the third littoral combat ship to be decommissioned.

The Coronado’s operations included a “maiden voyage” in 2017, after its 2016 deployment was cut short. It was the first littoral combat ship in its class to take an over-17-month deployment, while utiliz ing two crews. The 3,000-ton aluminum ship was also the first to exercise the MQ8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter as well as the Harpoon anti-ship missile.

“Not only is she different because she was a research and development ship, she was still testing equipment through her last working days so new ships today can perform with greater lethality and greater efficiency,” McGonigle said.

In 2009, the secretary of the Navy invit ed Coronado resident Keith to serve as the sponsor for the Coronado. A ship’s spon sor supports the ship through its ceremo nial milestones, such as the christening,

commissioning and decommissioning. The sponsor also maintains a relationship with the crew.

Keith was an obvious choice as her fam ily shares a long history with the Navy and the USS Coronado. Keith’s father, both grandfathers and two uncles all served as naval officers. Her husband, two brothers (one retired as a rear admiral) and stepfa ther served in the Navy as well.

Keith’s history with the USS Coronado is equally distinguished. Her mother, Elea nor Ring, a Coronado resident since 1924, was the sponsor of the second Coronado while Keith served as the sponsor’s maid of honor, the person who helps carry out the duties of the sponsor.

When Keith became the Coronado’s sponsor in 2014, her daughter, Belle Drou in, served as the maid of honor.

Keith commends the ship for maintain ing its connection to the local community with details such as naming the main pas sageway after Orange Avenue. In return, residents supported the ship. One local couple on First Street would shoot off the canon in their yard when the Coronado passed by as a hail and farewell.

“Aside from attending Coronado’s chris tening, my favorite memory of her was the Dependents Cruise. The families of the crew would be invited to spend a whole day on the Coronado, with lunch and time out on the ocean, taking in all that hap pens in a day on the ship. It was an event my entire family will always cherish of our time with the Coronado,” Keith said. ■

Michelle Delaney is a freelance writer.

The USS Coronado’s decommissioning ceremony was on Sept. 14 at North Island.

PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS VANCE HAND / U.S. NAVY

WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT