F E B R U A RY 2 0 2 2
JANE MITCHELL WRITES HER OWN STORY
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» FROM THE EDITORS
So far, so good Y
es, it was all worthwhile. The planning. The late nights. The fretting. With the wonderful feedback we have been getting from the inaugural January issue, we know we are producing a magazine that is making an impact by being informative and entertaining. Here’s what a few folks have told us: “Read every article! Congratulations! It’s a keeper — looking forward to the next issue.” “It looks stunning!” “LOVE, love, LOVE the magazine!” “Your new magazine is a winner. I look forward to more issues!” And although we love the rave reviews (who doesn’t?), we welcome any feedback. One reader, after seeing last month’s history timeline, wrote to say her father was chief pilot and navigator in one of the PBYs (Patrol Bomber’s made by Consolidated Aircraft) on that nonstop flight to Hawaii in January 1937. History often seems static and dry, but hearing from someone who has a direct line to a piece of the past brings it alive. It’s one of the many reasons why we wanted to publish this magazine. We’ve been asked by a lot of people, “How can I support you?” Obviously, advertisers play a key role, but we are excited that people are subscribing to the magazine. In fact, our first subscriber came in from Davis, the university town near Sacramento. If you are interested in sending the magazine to family or friends out of town, check out our subscription page on the inside back cover. The QR code will take you directly to the subscriber’s page on our website, Coronado365.com. A hearty thank you to those of you who have already subscribed. We appreciate the support! Happy February, Leslie & Martina
IN BLOOM THIS MONTH: Camelia
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Contents FEBRUARY 2022
COVER STORY
4
4
FAMILY MATTERS
Parents, daughter at heart of “One on One” broadcaster Jane Mitchell’s success story.
FEATURES
14 STREET SCENES
Photographer Major Morris captures inner-city poverty and hope in the 1960s.
MARK MROWKA
26 SHALL WE DANCE?
New social club picks up where long-standing Crown Club left off.
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DEPARTMENTS
20 MADE IN CORONADO
Moments in time with photographer Kel Casey.
MAJOR MORRIS
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MILITARY
School liaison helps ease transitions.
36 FROM THE GROUND UP
Hardy rose options that go beyond icebergs.
40 LOOKING BACK
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This month in Coronado history. North Island’s first permanent buildings.
44 BEACHCOMBER
Examining the giant Pacific cockle.
46 BEACH AND BAY
The future depends on sustainability now.
ON THE COVER Jane Mitchell PHOTO BY MICHELLE MATTOX PHOTOGRAPHY
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CORONADO
365
WHAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT FEBRUARY 2022 » VOLUME 1 » ISSUE 2
PUBLISHER Now and Then Publishing LLC
CONTACT editor@coronado365.com or (619) 435-0334
EDITOR Leslie Crawford
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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 Michelle Delaney, Catherine Gaugh, Nicole Sours Larson, Nancy Nygard, Amy Steward, @coronadobeachcomber
Copyright ©2022 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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Specializing in the Coronado Shores FEBRUARY 2022 » CORONADO 365
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF JANE MITCHELL
Jane Mitchell, seen here in the Chargers’ locker room, interviewed local sports figures during her 15-year run with Cox’s Channel 4 San Diego and her “One on One with Jane Mitchell” show.
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Second nature Broadcaster Jane Mitchell finds success while putting family first By NICOLE SOURS LARSON
W
hen one door closes, another one opens, as Coronado native and longtime resident Jane Mitchell can attest. By the time the trailblazing television broadcaster got word in summer 2011 that the San Diego Padres had sold their broadcast rights to Fox Sports for future seasons, she was already preparing for change. Mitchell had produced more than 100 shows over 15 seasons on Cox’s Channel 4 San Diego, conducting in-depth, personal interviews with prominent local sports figures including such baseball icons as Tony Gwynn, Ken Caminiti and Trevor Hoffman as well as football great Junior Seau. Cox Communications’ loss of the Padres broadcasts effectively ended her program, “One on One with Jane Mitchell.” That prompted the broadcaster to activate plans for her greatest life change yet. Mitchell always knew that she wanted to become a mother,
Jane Mitchell chats with Baseball Hall of Famer and Hoover High School graduate Ted Williams, who started his professional career as a Padre.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JANE MITCHELL
Jane Mitchell with her daughter, Lily, her mother, Ann, and her brother, Mitch.
even if marriage or the right relationship never materialized. With strong support from family and friends — especially her mother, Ann Mitchell, who died in April 2021 at 96 — she selected a prominent set of fertility doctors and embarked on her greatest adventure. She became pregnant in 2012. “I chose to follow my heart and go down that path to become a single mom by
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choice,” Mitchell explained. Simultaneously she launched One on One Productions. On May 10, 2013, Mitchell, then age 50, gave birth to Lily Ann. “I call her my best production and my best prize ever,” said the winner of 28 Emmys. “I always knew I would find great fulfillment being a mom but never realized how entertaining she would be. Lily is such a
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JANE MITCHELL
Clockwise from top left: Jane Mitchell with Trevor Hoffman, Randy Jones, Tony Gwynn and Jerry Coleman.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JANE MITCHELL
At the Emmy Awards with mom, Ann, in June 2009.
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joy,” Mitchell, 58, said. Ever the reporter, Mitchell documented every step of her journey to motherhood, interviewing and videotaping her physicians, with plans for an eventual documentary. Taking charge of her life’s trajectory and not leaving fulfillment of a cherished goal to the vagaries of romance is typical behavior for this goal-oriented go-getter. Raised in Coronado, Mitchell was the youngest of four children born into a career Navy family with a mustang officer father and elementary teacher mother. Wally and Ann Mitchell were nurturing, supportive, open-minded parents who encouraged their children to follow their dreams. The family explored the world, traveling on shoestring budgets, exposing the children to a diversity of people and lifestyles in foreign countries. By age 13, Mitchell knew she wanted to become a journalist, inspired by her parents’ love of storytelling and her mother’s encouragement to write about her travel experiences. Mitchell instinctively understood that her skills and personality were better suited to broadcast rather than print journalism. Watching a foreign correspondent’s television report on the Cairo peace talks cemented her ambition. “Wow, that man travels the world, tells stories, is on TV and gets paid for it. That’s what I’m going to do,” she remembered telling her dad. Even before college, Mitchell hosted local interview shows on the Coronado cable channel. Inspired by political
PHOTO COURTESY OF JANE MITCHELL
Jane Mitchell worked at KAUZ-TV in Wichita Falls, Texas, from 1986 to 1988, covering general assignment and military stories in the region.
science major and broadcaster Jane Pauley — whom she talked her way into meeting during a London visit coinciding with the 1981 royal wedding — she chose a similar study path. In 1985, Mitchell graduated from the University of California San Diego and went on to the master’s program at Northwestern University’s esteemed Medill School of Journalism in Chicago. She started her career trekking through the “smaller markets” of the South and Southwest, eventually landing a job as a general assignment reporter with the
CBS affiliate in Wichita Falls, Texas. From there, she moved on to cover hard news in Tulsa, Oklahoma, always following her father’s maxim “Don’t wait. Anticipate.” She was in Tulsa in 1991 when she received a call from her physician sister that their father was ill. A few months later, the 28-year-old Mitchell opted to interrupt her promising television career to return home to help care for her father, who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS. Mitchell has remained in Coronado ever since and is now raising Lily in her
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TONY AMAT
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childhood home, which her parents built in 1963. Finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis remains Mitchell’s passion. She helped form the Greater San Diego Chapter of the ALS Association, serving as its president for eight years. Now an advisory board member, she continues to advocate, support and raise awareness for the incurable disease. While helping to care for her dad, Mitchell joined KNSD-TV, the San Diego NBC affiliate. In 1996, Mitchell was offered a four-month gig with Cox Communications producing nonpartisan San Diego-centric programming for visitors to the Republican National Convention. Looking for a new challenge, she took the risk and accepted. As she relates in her 2010 book, “One on One: My Journey with Hall of Famers, Fan Favorites and Rising Stars,” Mitchell worked with a small staff and freelancers and acted as assignment editor, producer and reporter. That short-term gig opened the door to her next opportunity with Cox’s Channel 4 San Diego. Charles Steinberg, former executive vice president for public affairs for the San Diego Padres, was instrumental in creating the special Cox cable channel devoted to Padres and professional sports programming. Cox hired Mitchell, despite her lack
of sports background or knowledge, to help establish the channel and develop programming to connect the players and team with the community. “Jane’s role was to create a lot of the ‘shoulder’ programming that gave definition to the team,” Steinberg said. “She’s brilliant when it comes to the blend of storytelling, humanizing the players and front office [management] and high-level programming. She has an extraordinary work ethic with a passion for making the story comprehensive and is a marvelous producer and storyteller. She’s always prepared and is not going to compromise on quality or excellence. Jane Mitchell set the standard.” Mitchell is a “genuinely nice person, gentle on the outside, steely-strong on the inside,” Steinberg added. She worked with the Padres and the Chargers to select individuals who were positive role models and reflected well on their teams. “It was my responsibility to show the lessons they learned along with the depth of their character,” Mitchell explained. Kelly Morris-Buh, who worked as a “One on One” assistant producer, described her one-time boss’s skill in crafting stories: “The details are what set Jane apart. She uses the details to get to the heart of the story.”
« Jane MItchell with her daughter, Lily, surrounded by Mitchell’s 27 Emmys and four Golden Mike awards in March 2014. In 2019, Mitchell received her 28th Emmy and was inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Pacific-Southwest chapter’s Silver Circle.
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“She’s always prepared and is not going to
compromise on quality or excellence. Jane Mitchell set the standard.” CHARLES STEINBERG FORMER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS, SAN DIEGO PADRES
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JANE MITCHELL
Jane Mitchell as Miss Coronado with her mother in 1980 and with her father, Wally, at Northwestern University in 1986.
Now Mitchell shares her 30 years of storytelling expertise to help clients tell their own stories for their friends and descendants through her current venture, Your Story. Your Legacy (at janemitchelloneonone.com). She works with clients to gather photographs and organize their memories to document their personal history and provide a video biography for family and
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friends. “Telling people’s stories is a gift for others left behind,” Mitchell said, adding that she recorded and edited video legacies for both her parents before their deaths. “Everyone has a story, whether you share it with the world or just another person,” she said. ■ Nicole Sours Larson is a freelance writer.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANNE-GRETHE MORRIS
“Sunday, Go To Meetin’” is part of a series of photographs by Major Morris in the 1960s documenting impoverished neighborhoods in the Northeast.
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Depth of field Photographer’s images capture hope in the midst of poverty By MARTINA SCHIMITSCHEK
M
ajor Morris led a long and extraordinary life. He was among the last of the “buffalo soldiers” during World War II, a Harvard graduate who never completed high school and a self-taught photographer. With intellect, grace and an innate ability to choose the right path in life, he continually reshaped his circumstances. After earning a master’s degree in education, Morris trained teachers in diversity and became a mentor, championing the marginalized. Morris left a broad legacy when he died at age 95 in Escondido in 2016, including black-and-white photographs chronicling the 1968 Poor People’s March in Washington, D.C., as well as images of children, some from the poor, segregated Cincinnati, Ohio, neighborhood where he grew up, also taken in the 1960s. These pictures are the subject of “As His Eyes Saw It: Photographs by Major Morris, Educator/Photographer from the U.S. Northeast in the 1960s,” an exhibition at the Coronado Public Library, which runs through March 5. “The photographs are just amazing, capturing everyday life,” said Candice Hooper, the library’s archivist. While working as a lab technician at the Massa-
Major Morris spent his career as an educator, but always had an interest in photography. Before earning his master’s degree in education, he made a living taking pictures for a while.
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Major Morris captures a scene from the 1968 Poor People’s March in Washington, D.C. “Girls in the Pew” is one of many photos Morris took of children in everyday life.
chusetts Institute of Technology in the 1950s, Morris learned how to develop photographs. His eye for composition led to freelance assignments for The Boston Globe newspaper, trade publications and fashion magazines. He also produced portfolios for fashion models and eventually became the staff photographer for the Education Development Center in Newton, Massachusetts. While he was working, Morris was always learning and taking classes. In 1976, at the age of 55, he earned his master’s degree from Harvard University. “As a person without a [high school] diploma, he was very proud of that achievement. He always had to work at least twice as hard and was criticized twice as much,” said Anne-Grethe Morris, Major Morris’
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wife. “He made some really good decisions and wanted to continue his education. He was a very wide-spanning person. He dealt with so many different phases of his development.” Born in 1921, Morris grew up in extreme poverty in “Black Bottom,” a segregated neighborhood in Cincinnati. He credits his grandmother, Lillian Morris, who helped raise him, for instilling a strong work ethic and the importance of education, as well a sense of pride. Lillian, nicknamed Muh, never defined her family as poor and made ends meet however she could, including selling bootleg liquor for 15 cents a dip from her living room. “I was struck by the fact that, as children, we didn’t have a sense of good times and
“Gettin’ Along” by Major Morris was taken in Boston near MIT in the 1960s.
bad times. We just had a sense of being,” Morris wrote in “Escape from Black Bottom,” a memoir published posthumously in 2016. “There were times when we had plenty of food, a variety of food. And then there were times when we had literally or practically nothing, when we had to scrape. Muh did. We didn’t.” After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Morris tried to enlist in the Army, but was told the quota for Black recruits was already filled. Instead, he was drafted in 1942, joining the Army’s 2nd Cavalry Division and then 92nd Infantry Division, an all-Black unit known as the “Buffalo Division.” He tested for becoming a pilot, but even with his high scores, Morris was turned down. He was told it was because
What: ‘As His Eyes Saw It: Photographs by Major Morris, Educator/Photographer from the U.S. Northeast in the 1960s’ Where: Coronado Public Library, 640 Orange Ave. When: through March 5 Admission: free Information: (619) 522-7390 or coronado.ca.us/government/ departments_divisions/library_ services/exhibits_-_on_view___past
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“I was struck by the fact that, as
children, we didn’t have a sense of good times and bad times. We just had a sense of being.” MAJOR MORRIS, FROM “ESCAPE FROM BLACK BOTTOM”
of his lack of a high school diploma. Instead, he was sent to Northern Italy with his division, which was one of only two all-Black units to see combat during World War II. Settling in Boston after the war, the self-taught photographer became involved with education and his community. Many of his images focused on social justice, but his favorite subjects were children. “In my own photographic experience, I have always been drawn to capturing images reminiscent of what life was for me as I groped my way through an underprivileged youthful existence; circumstances that continue for so many young people living in today’s society. Capturing those images expresses what I feel about the strength and beauty of ‘unenfranchised’ children who refuse to become victims,” Morris wrote in his memoir. “I see the possibilities for growth, for the excitement of learning, for the formation of dreams that will take them up and out into productive, contributive lives. What I see is the need for the dreams to be nurtured. That’s what these photographs are about.”
After a career as an educator and lecturer championing minority rights at universities on both coasts, Morris and his wife settled in Escondido in 1989. During retirement, Morris renewed his interest in the arts. He became a member of the Spanish Village arts community and soon got invited to show his photographs. “One thing led to another,” Anne-Grethe said. His photographs began to be exhibited in numerous libraries and galleries around the county. “I think it’s the timelessness of the photographs,” she said. Since Morris’ death, Anne-Grethe has continued promoting his work. “I felt like I could be connected to him through his photography. We always enjoyed it together,” she said. The Coronado library’s exhibition is a mix of Morris’ black-and-white pictures hung in four cabinets and on the wall in the main hallway. “You see people’s expressions. That’s what Major saw,” Anne-Grete said. “I’m honored to have these images,” Hooper said. ■
» Major Morris on the Oceanside Pier in 2006. “He always had his camera with him,” Anne-Grethe Morris said.
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ANNE-GRETHE MORRIS
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» MADE IN CORONADO
Eye on the ball
Kel Casey’s photo business grows from local sports events By CATHERINE GAUGH
W
hile raising two children, Kel Casey worked various jobs including substitute teaching. But she has always been passionate about photography. Casey is now a sought-after photographer who has established herself as a shooter of local events, high school sports, youth ballet and senior portraits. Her image of beach lifeguard tower No. 5 was selected last spring for the Coronado Cultural Arts Commission’s Banners Series displayed along Orange Avenue. A native Midwesterner, Casey made Coronado her home for 16 years and now lives in Imperial Beach. “I married into a family that had roots here since the 1930s,” she said. “And I have loved Coronado from the first time driving across the bridge in 1996. We finally moved here in 2005.” Now a single mother of adult children, Casey is a parttime instructional assistant at Coronado High School for profoundly developmentally disabled students. But her
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The Coronado High School JV water polo team’s goalie is on the defense during a game in the 2021 season.
KEL CASEY
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main source of income is taking pictures. She took time out of her schedule to talk to us about her love of photography. Q. When did you discover photography? A. I have pictures of my father during World War II with a box camera around his neck. He shot photos all over Europe. And my storage space is almost completely filled with dozens and dozens of photo albums and boxes of photos of my mother’s. I also always had a camera, starting with a point and shoot. Q. Did you have a teacher or mentor? A. I am pretty much self-taught. I read every book I could find and follow photography websites. I bought my first professional camera, a Nikon, in 1989 and never looked back. I worked to become a better photographer. It was practice, practice, and hours and hours of shooting. Now my main camera is a Nikon D5. I also use a D700 and D4, and a series of lenses, wide angle and zoom. Q. Your online gallery at kelcasey.com features hundreds of game shots. A. I started out shooting water polo, and then covered all the other sports for The [Coronado] Eagle & Journal. I was a freelance photographer for the paper, and now I’m on staff. I am really into it, and I love it all: sports, theater, dance. I cover the Fourth of July Parade, all the special events. I have done work for the Coronado Schools Foundation, the Chamber of
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Kel Casey captures the action during a performance of the Civic Youth Ballet. Opposite page: An egret flies low in South Bay.
Commerce, Sharp HealthCare Foundation. Kelly Purvis [City of Coronado’s senior manager for arts and culture] is a big supporter. Q. How did the shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic affect your work? A. It was scary. All the schools were
“Capturing a moment doesn’t need
to be big. It could be a little thing, like the expression on someone’s face.” KEL CASEY
KEL CASEY PHOTOS
closed. I muddled through with my Front Porch series. I could photograph families on their porches from a distance. We documented the pandemic experience, including toilet paper, hand sanitizer and lots of alcohol. It was really fun. Q. What draws my eye in your gallery are the unique portraits of the high school seniors. Some are stunning, others greatly charming. How do you capture that essence? A. I love doing the senior portraits. It starts out a little tense, so I talk to them about their interests, and then they relax
Kel Casey is a self-taught photographer.
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A club beach volleyball game at Coronado’s Center Beach in fall 2021.
KEL CASEY PHOTOS
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and their personalities come through. Boys are harder; they don’t know how to pose or smile. We take them to Balboa Park or the beach. One senior wanted her portrait taken in the Gaslamp District, to be a little edgy. We had a blast! The sessions are up to two hours, because the kids get tired of smiling. Q. How do you get all those great sports shots? A. I get the feel of the game, and I always shoot at the ball or where the ball is going to be. You can get awesome photos. When you see the photo, and the faces, you can see exactly what the player is going to do. I have shot the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet for 11 years, all the performances. I love to shoot ballet — it’s athleticism, like sports, but on stage; the dancers look out at the audience and smile. It seems easy, but it is not. Q. How do you capture those special moments that are apparent in your work? A. Capturing a moment doesn’t need to be big. It could be a little thing, like the expression on someone’s face. And I always find the kids who don’t get a lot of play in the game or the dancers in the back row. I look for them because they deserve to be in photos just as much as the star quarterback or lead ballerina. My photos are literally a moment in time. I do it for the kids. When they look back at a photo 20 to 30 years from now, they will remember that moment. ■ Catherine Gaugh is a freelance writer.
“I love doing the senior portraits. It starts out a little tense, so I talk to them about their interests, and then they relax and their personalities come through.” KEL CASEY
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Back in the swing Revamped dine and dance club steps into social scene By LESLIE CRAWFORD
C
oronado has always had a thriving social life with high society gathering at the Hotel Del. After World War II, the military population grew, creating its own social scene with Officers’ Clubs, where parties were a regular occurrence. Coronado civilian residents were often not included in those events, so they started their own social group, forming the Crown Club at the end of 1946. Coronado resident Vince Flynn recalls his parents’ participation in the club, which was for married couples only. “My parents joined the Crown Club as charter members along with many others in 1947. My father had just retired from the Navy after 20 years. And like many just returned from fighting in World War II, they were all ready to have their own life, free of military influence. Even though many could attend the North Island social scene, they wanted their own.” Flynn and his wife, Pat, continued the tradition and became members in 1986 until the Crown Club closed in 2020. They are now among the founding couples of a new, revived version, Dine & Dance Coronado, which was formed in fall 2021.
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CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
“It is revised with a lot of interest. Coronado is such a geographically enclosed community and such a nice place to enjoy living. Why not enjoy living by dining and dancing?” said Jim Palecek, who with his wife, Glory, are Dine & Dance Coronado’s first presidents. Membership in the original Crown Club was limited to 60 civilian couples who lived, worked or had a business in Coronado. If couples no longer fit the membership criteria, they would be immediately dropped. The organization officially incorporated on Jan. 2, 1948. The original bylaws stated that “the purpose of this club shall be to provide its members with facilities for ballroom dancing, and in connection therewith to promote social good-fellowship and friendship among its members. The presence of cliques or groups is contrary to the spirit of the club.” The yearly dues were $7.50 per person, which covered the costs of nine dances per year (with a break from July through September). Each dance was organized by a different group of five couples who were known as the Dance Committee. They oversaw the theme, decorations and refreshments. Dances were held on the first Saturday of the month from 9 p.m. to midnight at different locations.
« The newly elected officers of the 1971-72 season of the Crown Club pose for a photo. Alan and Dorothy Laing’s membership cards to the Crown Club are now part of the Coronado Historical Association’s archives.
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CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
From left, Sam and Mary Ellen Woodhouse, Ed and Lorraine Campbell and Hal and Ruth Hoffman at a dance in 1956.
The first dance was on Nov. 2, 1946, at the Coronado Junior High School gymnasium. Because the dance was on school property, alcohol could not be served. It was rumored that people parked on the street by the gym and made periodic runs to their cars for refreshments. Over the years, the dances were held at the Coronado Yacht Club, the Woman’s Club on Glorietta Bay (where City Hall is now), Hotel del Coronado and Oakwood Apartments (now known as Broadstone Bayside). And party themes ran the gamut from the usual holiday parties to luaus,
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COURTESY OF DINE & DANCE CORONADO
The new Dine & Dance Coronado board members at the first dance in December are from left, Connie and Frank Spitzer, Suzanne and Dan Green, Gina and Eric Selgrath Josee and Jon Cox, Jim and Glory Palecek and Debra and Dennis Ramm.
from Gay Nineties to Rags to Riches (based on the stock market) and a garden hoedown. The events evolved to include sit-down dinners with catering and a bartender and grew from being very proper in the 1940s to a bit wilder and crazier into the 1960s and ’70s. Today’s Dine & Dance Coronado is still a club for couples. Board member positions are filled by couples, and events must be signed up as a couple, although they no longer need to be married. Annual membership is $250, plus $160 for each dance. The dances are now all held in the Nau-
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tilus Room at the Coronado Community Center, complete with catered dinner and live music themed for each event. With a band and dance floor, the room is limited to a maximum of 250 people, which restricts the membership numbers. Within weeks of launching Dine & Dance Coronado, membership was full, capped at 100 couples. Several couples, such as the Flynns, from the old club have rejoined. “It’s been a really fun organization and we’re hoping to get younger people. When we advertised and opened it [membership] up to the public, it did draw in some
younger people,” said Connie Spitzer, also a member from the old club. In December 2021, the new club held its first event. The holiday party featured a 16-piece big-band orchestra and a dance instructor to get the timid onto the dance floor and teach some new steps. Attendees ranged in age from the late 30s on up. “It was really spectacular. Everyone was dressed to the nines. The tables were beautiful, and there was a much more diverse age range than we expected,” said Ann Marie Bryan, who joined with her husband, Ken. “The dance instructor made it fun and low risk. It was a fun, energetic group to be with. It was a good opportunity to meet new people.” Dancing is not required. “There are people, especially the elderly group who can’t dance too much anymore, but they go to meet the people,” Jim Palecek said. “It’s the people who make this thing go, the people in Coronado. It’s a great thing for getting together and sharing a meal and seeing everybody, and even the older members who can’t dance enjoy watching others who do.” This month, the club will hold its second event celebrating Valentine’s Day with more big-band music. In April, the Dance Committee has chosen a Broadway theme. Visit dineanddancecoronado.com for more information. ■
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Operation Pals teams activeduty sailors with children of those currently deployed for an afternoon of fun.
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» MILITARY
Support network Navy’s school liaison aids newly transferred families By MICHELLE DELANEY
On a recent afternoon, a multitude of military children came running into a classroom at Village Elementary, full of excitement, eager to spend the afternoon playing games, eating snacks and spending time with active-duty sailors. One look around the room showed smiles and laughter coming from both the students and volunteers. Afterward, everyone rushed outside to play four square, kickball or basketball. The gathering was Operation Pals, part of Partnerships in Education, a direct service of the Navy’s Coronado school liaison’s office. The service pairs children of those currently deployed with active-duty military personnel. “It is a great way for the military child to step away a bit from the stress of having
their parent deployed; the child gets to just be a kid, play, laugh and run around,” said Mindy Hayes, Naval Base Coronado school liaison officer for the Coronado Unified School District as well as the San Ysidro and South Bay Union school districts. “It is a comfort to spend time with someone who often is dressed in a uniform similar to one their own parent wears.” The volunteers often have a vested interest in the success of local military youth, and they simply enjoy giving back in this way. Offering deployment support is a significant part of Hayes’ job as school liaison officer, who is one of four liaison officers in San Diego County. In addition to supporting military students directly,
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CATHERINE PRESTONISE
Playtime at Village Elementary School with Operation Pals, which is part of Partnerships in Education, a service of the Navy’s Coronado school liaison’s office.
Hayes connects Coronado educators with the Navy support system to inform them about the cycles of deployment. She also provides information about tools available to help teachers with military students. But Hayes’ work is even broader than deployment support. Her primary task is to work with military parents, educators and the command to help children successfully transfer between schools. Because military families tend to move every three years, their children can expect to attend as many as nine schools by high school graduation. Hayes’ job is to mitigate the stress that frequent changes of duty stations place on families by answering questions about enrollment options and providing informa-
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tion about Coronado’s schools and college options for upcoming graduates. She also helps navigate the special education process, assisting with the military’s Exceptional Family Member Program to access services and providing referrals to special education and medical professionals. Lt. Cmdr. David and Jacquee Anderson and their six children moved to Coronado in June 2021. The children had been home-schooled during the 2020-2021 school year, but the Andersons wanted to enroll them in Coronado schools in fall 2021. “We spent 15 weeks in a hotel while we searched and secured housing for our family. During that time, Mindy was able to talk to the district and get the children
enrolled in school so that they didn’t miss valuable learning time,” Jacquee Anderson said. “Without the school liaison, I would have had to home-school in the hotel and then try to integrate my children into school later in the year. Her connection to the school district has been invaluable.” According to Hayes, 35% to 40% of Coronado Unified’s student population is military. “It’s a significant portion of our population, and it is significant not only to the military families but also to our civilian population, because each demographic needs to learn about their neighbor. You never know when you could be a future
resource for your neighbor,” Hayes said. Hayes attends parent-teacher organization meetings at all public Coronado schools each month. She keeps a pulse on what is happening in Coronado and keeps the district apprised of what is happening within the military community. “Coronado is a special place,” Hayes said. “We are a small district, but there are so many different support entities for our military-connected students, and each of them is open to partnering together, and that makes all the difference to our military kids.” ■ Michelle Delaney is a freelance writer.
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» FROM THE GROUND UP
The Peggy Martin is a thornless climbing rose. LESLIE CRAWFORD
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Beyond icebergs Other hardy rose varieties can spice up the garden By NANCY NYGARD
S
troll down any residential street in Coronado and you’ll see gardens filled with white iceberg roses. Lining sidewalks, fronting walls or plopped in flower beds, white icebergs are the Toyota Camry of roses. They’re dependable and sturdy, but not particularly exciting. And dare I say? They’re a little boring. Like a beige cardigan. Or meatloaf. Perfectly fine, but boring. With peak spring blooming season and the 100th anniversary of the Coronado Flower Show fast approaching, how about rethinking your roses and replacing icebergs with another hardy rose variety? For those of you who are aghast at this
suggestion — “But I love my white iceberg roses!” — good for you. Stop reading and revel in your choice. But for others who are contemplating spicing up their gardens, I have some suggestions: Bolero rose. Consider the bolero, the
sleek, luxury sedan to the iceberg. The bolero rose resembles the iceberg — a white floribunda bush with bright green leaves that grows to approximately 3 feet. But the bolero is a more prolific bloomer with fuller roses on longer stems, a better option for cut flowers. (Iceberg roses bloom on short, thin stems that don’t hold up well in arrangements.) And bolero’s strong scent is positively swoon-worthy; iceberg’s
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The low-care mutabilis has single-petaled blossoms and is one of the few rose varieties that can tolerate some shade.
fragrance is so-so at best. Mutabilis rose. Why, oh why don’t
more people plant this unique, low-care rose bush? Also known as the butterfly rose, mutabilis is a multicolored old garden rose with single-petaled blossoms. (The term “old garden rose” refers to rose varieties in existence prior to 1867, the year the “La France” rose was introduced, considered to be the first hybrid rose variety.) Blooms range from lemony yellows and soft oranges to delicious pinks and crimsons that simultaneously dapple the bush.
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Mutabilis roses are one of the few varieties that can tolerate some shade, but they need at least a half day of sun to truly thrive. The mutabilis is an excellent rose to grow as a hedge. Its almost-thornless foliage provides a welcome sanctuary for small birds. Or consider planting the mutabilis in the rear of a perennial garden as a colorful backdrop. Keep in mind this variety can grow up to 6 feet, but don’t be afraid to trim it back to keep it in line. Mutabilis roses are usually available at Waterwise Botanicals, a North County nursery that’s worth the drive.
Peggy Martin climbing rose. This thornless queen of
the climbing roses is named after a Louisiana woman whose extensive gardens were inundated with 20 inches of saltwater after Hurricane Katrina. When the water finally receded, this previously unnamed pink climber was the only rose that survived. Treat the Peggy Martin rose as a vivid pink garden accent. The vigorous canes can easily be trained along an arch or trellis. Or let the plant scramble over a fence. You need this gorgeous, tough-as-nails rose in your yard, even if you’re a first-time gardener. If you can’t find it in local nurseries, order online from the Antique Rose Emporium or Chamblee’s Rose Nursery. Looking for more white iceberg replacement inspiration? Head to Balboa Park’s Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden, the home to more than 1,700 rose varieties. Early in the morning, you’ll be greeted with the enticing fragrance of roses permeating the cool, heavy air. Now quit reading and get planting — your spicy new rose garden awaits. ■
VIKTOR KINTOP
The bolero’s strong scent is positively swoon-worthy.
Nancy Nygard is a UCCE Master Gardener.
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» LOOKING BACK
THIS MONTH IN CORONADO HISTORY Feb. 3, 1913
After a unanimous vote of city trustees, Ordinance 292 was published in the legal notices of the Coronado Strand newspapers, officially designating the name and length of Ocean Boulevard. On the earliest maps of Coronado, the road was simply designated Boulevard.
trade between Spreckels Companies and the City of Coronado was finalized, effectively shutting down the Tent City, The Del’s popular campstyle destination, permanently and making it possible to bring a highway through Tent City land. The new road would connect to Orange Avenue and the Silver Strand Highway, bypassing and replacing “dead man’s curve,’ the 90-degree turn at the Hotel del Coronado.
Feb. 14, 1941
LESLIE CRAWFORD COLLECTION
Feb. 6, 1947
Sculptor Donal Hord’s panels, “The Legend of California,” were dedicated at Coronado High School Library at D Avenue and 7th Street. Seven relief panels, carved out of Indiana limestone, depict Hord’s vision of the founding of California. The murals are a lasting legacy of public art in Coronado, surviving two reconstructions of the high school.
The Coronado Yacht Club moved to its new home on Glorietta Bay. The club secured the former Wave Barracks mess hall for its facilities. The first section was transported by barge earlier in the week from First Street and the second was ready to go. The pieces were moved by water because they were too big for overland travel.
Feb. 13, 1941
After years of negotiations, the land
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LESLIE CRAWFORD
LESLIE CRAWFORD COLLECTION
“Dead man’s curve” is visible by the smokestack, just to the right of the Hotel Del Coronado. The road makes two 90-degree turns within a few hundred feet.
Feb. 18, 1905 A second devastating storm hit Coronado, resulting in heavy surf eroding Ocean Boulevard. Breakers splashed against the veranda windows of the Hotel del Coronado, alarming hotel guests. Thirty thousand sandbags were placed on Ocean Boulevard and in front of the hotel, but they proved useless when another strong storm hit in March, leaving extensive damage in the area. It was estimated that more than 100 feet of road was washed away.
Feb. 19, 1888 Eleven months after groundbreaking, the Hotel Del Coronado served its first meal; this date became the resort’s
official opening day.
Feb. 25, 1911 Glenn Curtiss successfully accomplished his first amphibian flight, taking off from water and flying around San Diego Bay twice before returning to the beach on North Island. Setting another record the next day, Curtiss flew his Triad over the beach next to Tent City after taking off from the Spanish Bight.
Feb. 26, 1996 A new Coronado Police Department building opened with a dedication ceremony. The agency had moved one block over from its old location.
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» LOOKING BACK
Did you know? THE FIRST PERMANENT BUILDINGS ON NORTH ISLAND were designed for the Navy by architect Bertram Goodhue, whose impressive resume includes the Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park. North Island’s centerpiece building is the Administration Building with its 110-foot-high tower, completed in 1920. This image dated from Feb. 28, 1923, shows the promenade and its surrounding buildings. The aerial shot reveals the promenade’s airplane wing fuselage shape, with the wing’s insignia designed in the flower beds. ■
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PACIFIC AND ATLANTIC
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» BEACHCOMBER
COCKLES are bivalve mollusks. A species of saltwater clams, cockles live in intertidal waters, burying themselves just under the surface in sandy mud. While cockles are found worldwide, this variety of cockle — also known as the spiny prickly cockle or forty ribbed cockle — is found from Monterey to halfway down Baja California, Mexico. Cockles are bilaterally symmetrical, and when closed, seal tightly all the way around the edges with no gaps. They filter-feed, siphoning water in across their gills and capturing phytoplankton (tiny plants) and other nutrients floating in seawater. Cockles mostly stay in one place and let the food come to them but move when necessary. When closed, the shells have a distinctive heart-shaped profile that can be seen from the side view. Their colors range from cream to brown to yellow. Cockles grow up to 6 inches in length, though this specimen, found in San Diego Bay, is about 2 inches long. Class: Bivalvia Order: Cardiida Family: Cardiidae Genus: Dallocardia Species: Dallocardia quadragenaria
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Giant Pacific cockle
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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» BEACH AND BAY
COMMENTARY
The future we choose By AMY STEWARD
The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes sustainable as “methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources.” Sustainability is key to our future. The following scenarios reflect what our future may hold depending on what actions we take today.
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A
young girl awakens and peers across San Diego Bay from her Coronado waterfront home on Second Street. The blackened San Diego skyscrapers are barely visible through the thick, yellow haze. Looking at her device, she sees the surf is good at 32nd Street Beach, the oceanfront spot where her friends will be meeting in 30 minutes. She throws on her swimsuit and sprays the all-important protective antibacterial gel on her skin before pulling on her wetsuit. With the surfboard secured on her bike, she makes her way to the Ferry Landing at Spanish Bight just before the boat steams across the water to the newly raised platform on the San Diego side. Once ashore, she jumps on the bike-mover path to 32nd
Street Beach. Although she rarely sees the sun these days, the morning is warm as she gazes out toward the ocean. Coronado is barely visible on this extra hazy morning. She remembers her grandmother’s stories of the early 2020s: seeing the Coronado Islands off the Mexican coast in the distance and a Silver Strand that once connected Coronado with the now semi-submerged city of Imperial Beach. The sets rolling ashore at 32nd Street are good this morning, and there seems to be less trash floating in the water, although a few plastic containers bump against her board in the swell. Do-over
A young girl awakens, peers up at the
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In Coronado, NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer predicts as much as an 8.27-foot increase by 2100. blue sky. The surf is good today at Stan’s Beach. Throwing on her swimsuit and wetsuit she takes several deep breaths of the fresh morning air. The sun illuminates the treetops as she bikes across town past homes with solar-paneled rooftops and electric vehicles charging in driveways. She recalls her grandmother’s stories of days with unhealthy air quality, sewage spills and trash on the beaches, the stench of jet fuel lingering in the air and the ceaseless roar of traffic. It is hard to imagine Coronado ever being so toxic. But her grandmother’s generation made the soul-searching decision to end fossil-fuel usage. Just last week, the girl’s teacher had explained how those efforts had reduced greenhouse gas emissions before the polar ice caps melted, preventing the Earth’s warming beyond a safe temperature and mitigating sea level rise. The image of a devastated Coronado subsided as she is greeted by her fellow surfers, shore birds by the hundreds and pods of dolphins paralleling the beach — a beautiful mosaic of timelessness, both of Coronado and the ocean. Looking left
to right, she surveys the Silver Strand, Coronado Islands and Point Loma. With a sense of satisfaction and the warmth of the sun on her back, she wades into the clear water. Conclusion
The first scenario is based on the predictions by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. According to NOAA, the global sea level in 2014 was 2.6 inches higher than in 1993. Sea levels continue to rise at a rate of about oneeighth inch annually, and as the polar ice caps melt, that number will likely increase. In Coronado, NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer predicts as much as an 8.27-foot increase by 2100 (coast.noaa.gov/slr). Sea level rise is the result of thermal expansion caused by warmer ocean temperatures and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets due to global warming. In reality, there are no do-overs. Sustainability begins with the individual. We must all proactively work to reduce our carbon footprint. In doing so, each of us can help make Coronado a model city of sustainability for our children’s children. ■ Amy Stewart is president of Emerald Keepers.
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