Coronado Lifestyle Magazine - Spring 2010 by Coronado Lifestyle Magazine

Coronado Spring 2010

L I F E S T Y L E

Well, Bowl Me Over! Coronado’s lawn bowling green is ready to roll.

VOTE for the Best of Coronado 2010! Ballot -center spread!

CORONADO HISTORIC ASSOCIATION HOME TOUR | SOROPTIMIST LEGENDS

Inside

Departments

L I F E S T Y L E

8 Calendar

photo by George Green

Coronadan Jim Schneider is at the helm of one of San Diego’s most vibrant business districts.

22 The homes that Winchester built. by Ann Jarmusch Developer F.C. Winchester left a legacy of Craftsman homes dotting the city. This spring, Coronado Historical Association opens the doors to a few of them on its annual home tour.

Advertising Art Directors Teri Andre, Martina Schimitschek Webmaster Meghan Kennedy

52 Destinations:

Up the Amazon by Patty Jepson

Best of Coronado 2010 Ballot

PAGE

The river that conjures up images of monkeys, parrots and pythons is visited by a cadre of Coronadans.

58 Veno, Vidi, Vino! by Samantha Metzger California’s grapevines are sending tendrils in all directions, with some amazing results.

36 Soroptimist Legends. by Doug St. Denis

A passion for books, learning and passing it on to future generations fuels these women’s spirits.

48 Bowling for Coronado. by Kris Grant

Today’s cataract surgery can bust through the fog, and finetune your vision like never before.

B Hiscock, right, is joined in his enthusiasm for Bill lawn bowling by Rob Crenshaw (left) and Coronado la Councilmember Mike Woiwode; the bowlers are C ccheered on by members of the “Island Beer Club.”

4 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2009

Contributors Ann Jarmusch, Patty Jepson, Samantha Metzger, Doug St. Denis

CORONADO LIFESTYLE 941 Orange Avenue, Suite 306 Coronado, CA 92118 (619) 522-0900 [phone] (619) 906-4106 [fax] www.lifestylemags.com

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Coronado Lifestyle is mailed free of charge to all Coronado residents and businesses. The magazine is also available by subscription ($12 annually, 4 issues) to people interested in the Coronado lifestyle who live off the island (in the U.S.). To subscribe, call (619) 522-0900.

The publisher assumes no responsibiity for unsolicited materials and cannot guarantee the return of original art or photos. Reproduction of any material in this publication without the publisher’s written consent is expressly prohibited.

About The Cover A

CCover photo by Kris Grant

Photography Lori Brookes, Donal Hill, George Green, Patty Jepson

ADVERTISING: For advertising information, please call Kris Grant, (619) 522-0900

A new lawn bowling green gives the Coronado Lawn Bowling Club a lot to celebrate in its 75th anniversary year.

50 Drat! A cataract. by Kris Grant

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Kris Grant kgrant@lifestylemags.com Art Director Lu Wolford Smith

Photo: Werner Zotz, courtesy Embratur’s Image Bank

20 Along Adams Avenue. by Kris Grant

VOTE !

Spring 2010 • Vol. 9, No. 1

18 Scene in the City

Features

Coronado

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 5

Inside

Departments

L I F E S T Y L E

8 Calendar

photo by George Green

Coronadan Jim Schneider is at the helm of one of San Diego’s most vibrant business districts.

Advertising Art Directors Teri Andre, Martina Schimitschek Webmaster Meghan Kennedy

52 Destinations:

Up the Amazon by Patty Jepson

Best of Coronado 2010 Ballot

PAGE

The river that conjures up images of monkeys, parrots and pythons is visited by a cadre of Coronadans.

58 Veno, Vidi, Vino! by Samantha Metzger California’s grapevines are sending tendrils in all directions, with some amazing results.

36 Soroptimist Legends. by Doug St. Denis

A passion for books, learning and passing it on to future generations fuels these women’s spirits.

48 Bowling for Coronado. by Kris Grant

Today’s cataract surgery can bust through the fog, and finetune your vision like never before.

4 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2009

Contributors Ann Jarmusch, Patty Jepson, Samantha Metzger, Doug St. Denis

CORONADO LIFESTYLE 941 Orange Avenue, Suite 306 Coronado, CA 92118 (619) 522-0900 [phone] (619) 906-4106 [fax] www.lifestylemags.com

About The Cover A

CCover photo by Kris Grant

Photography Lori Brookes, Donal Hill, George Green, Patty Jepson

ADVERTISING: For advertising information, please call Kris Grant, (619) 522-0900

A new lawn bowling green gives the Coronado Lawn Bowling Club a lot to celebrate in its 75th anniversary year.

50 Drat! A cataract. by Kris Grant

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Kris Grant kgrant@lifestylemags.com Art Director Lu Wolford Smith

Photo: Werner Zotz, courtesy Embratur’s Image Bank

20 Along Adams Avenue. by Kris Grant

VOTE !

Spring 2010 • Vol. 9, No. 1

18 Scene in the City

Features

Coronado

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 5

LE T TER FROM THE EDITOR

Helloooooo springtime! Glad you’re here. It’s always fun to do a springtime issue of the magazine (especially when you’re writing about it in February and it’s pouring buckets outside). Stories about gardening and home-front judging and bowling greens tend to shake those cobwebs loose. We’re welcoming a new writer to this issue: Ann Jarmusch, the former architectural critic of The San Diego Union-Tribune, will be a regular contributor to Coronado Lifestyle. Ann’s an old friend. She loves our community and relishes the opportunity to meet some of our local architects and explore “Coronado style.” In this issue, she introduces us to several Craftsman-style homes built a century ago by F.C. Winchester. Several Winchester homes will be on this year’s home tour presented by the Coronado Historical Association. Ann’s story begins on page 22. I drove up to San Francisco a few months ago, taking Highway 101 and it’s changed dramatically from the years I traveled the road in the early ’70s. From Santa Barbara to San Jose the rolling hillsides are covered with vineyards. Our wine columnist, Samantha Metzger (who also is an English teacher at Coronado High School) takes us on a statewide tour of the wine country…Napa Valley has some competition these days! Samantha’s story begins on page 58. The Soroptimists have a way of choosing three women each year in our community who are heroes, and who we either haven’t gotten to know personally or who have been there for us for generations and we’ve tended to take for granted. Get to know this year’s Legends a bit better, Doug St. Denis’s story begins on page 36. Now, I know your gardens will be yielding some of their most bountiful blooms this year. Do consider sharing them at thee April Flower Show. (See page 11.) Just pick up a garden show “Schedule” — that’s what the official brochure of Standard Garden Shows is called — at the library or your local florist to show you all the possible categories. Or, heck, just cut off a stem and head down to the show on n Saturday morning. The friendly folks will point you and your posy in the right direction. Happy gardening!

Kris Grant 6 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

LE T TER FROM THE EDITOR

Kris Grant 6 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

C ALENDAR

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electrifies that stage with a close-up portrait of the two larger-than-life personalities, as well as the behind-thescenes drama between Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas and Douglas’s witty and feisty wife Adele. The Rivalry is a theatrical marvel, revealing the astounding fact that some of the greatest American theatre ever performed came from two men who were not actors. Lamb’s Players Theatre’s Resident Stage in Coronado. (619) 437-0600 or www.lambsplayers.org.

Mar. 30–Apr. 4 Legally Blonde The Musical at Broadway San Diego

Lamb’s Players Theatre presents: Apr. 6–May 23 The Rivalry 150 years before another Illinois Senator rose to national prominence, the Lincoln-Douglas debates electrified crowds with a series of groundbreaking confrontations that still have no equal in American statesmanship. Norman Corwin’s riveting play 8 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Here’s where you can eat and get gas! It’s toe-tapping salute to friendship, family work and life’s simple pleasures. Drive a ways outta town and you’ll come to a fill’ station run by Jim and L.M. Across the blacktop is the Double Cupp Diner, operated by Rhetta and Prudie Cupp. To look at it, you wouldn’t know that this little stop on Highway 57 is where all the action is. But once the boys get that guitar and fiddle revved up, you won’t want to be anywhere else. At the Gaslamp’s Horton Grand Theatre, 444 Fourth St., San Diego. (619) 437-0600 or www.lambsplayers.org.

Apr. 23–May 30 Coronado Playhouse presents: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” The timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale is reborn

Apr. 17 Artist Nancy Medina Paints on the Patio with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance. Originally presented on television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella was the mostly widely viewed program in the history of the medium. As adapted for the stage, with great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity, the hearts of children and adults alike still soar when the slipper fits. (619) 435-4856 or www.coronadoplayhouse.com.

Coronado School of the Arts presents: Wednesday, Mar. 24 CoSA’s “Bernstein in Concert” Bernstein in Concert will be a celebration of American music, presenting the works of Leonard Bernstein. This special collaboration between CoSA and Envision-the-Arts at Canyon Crest Academy will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral (2728 Sixth St. in San Diego) and will feature Bernstein’s great works and some of his contemporaries as well. CoSA

photo by Ken Jacques

photo by Joan Marcus

Extended through Apr. 25 Pump Boys and Dinettes

Through Apr. 25 Pump Boys and Dinettes presented by Lamb’s Players Theatre

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 9

C ALENDAR

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Mar. 30–Apr. 4 Legally Blonde The Musical at Broadway San Diego

Apr. 23–May 30 Coronado Playhouse presents: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” The timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale is reborn

photo by Ken Jacques

photo by Joan Marcus

Extended through Apr. 25 Pump Boys and Dinettes

Through Apr. 25 Pump Boys and Dinettes presented by Lamb’s Players Theatre

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 9

21 and 22, 7 p.m.; May 23, 2 p.m. Coronado High School’s Performing Arts Center. Tickets: $7-$15.

May 27, 28 CoSA Art Exhibit

Apr. 5, 6 and 7 HomeFront Judging

View a variety of amazing student’s paintings, drawings and mixed media artwork. Opening music and hors d’oeuvres, 5 p.m. May 27. Coronado High School’s Black Box Theatre. FREE. For all CoSA events: (619) 522-4050 or www.cosafoundation.org

More than 400 volunteer judges in teams of two will soon be out and about, inspecting every home front, business, church and school in Coronado. Be sure you’re ready for them by sprucing up well in advance. Judging criteria is 40% for overall first impression; design, 45%; and execution, 15%. Artificial turf is fine and dandy; but the only artificial flowers allowed are on wreaths. The judges will also be looking for the best 10 home fronts on the island; a new rule this year states that previous year’s top homes are no longer out of the running for five years, but no one can win two years in a row.

Friday, Mar. 26 EDCO/Jim Laslavic Charity Golf Tournament

Mar. 26 EDCO/Jim Laslavic Charity Golf Tournament at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course

will be joined by special guests, The Westwind Brass. Tickets, $8, students and $15, adults.

Apr 30, May 1, 2, 7, 8 CoSA’s “Hello Dolly!” Dolly Levi, the famous matchmaker, not only pairs others but also tries her best to get the match she wants in this classic with memorable music. Apr. 30 and May 1, 7 and 8 at 7 p.m.; May 2 at 2 p.m. Coronado High School Performing Arts Center. Tickets: $7-$15.

Tuesday May 18, 7 p.m. CoSA’s Instrumental Music Concert Features solo performers, jazz ensembles and chamber groups mixing classical repertoire with jazz. 7 p.m. Coronado High School’s Black Box theatre, Tickets: $5.

May 21, 22, 23 CoSA’s “Art in Motion” CoSA dancers bring alive the works of painters Picasso, Miro, Degas, Matisse and other masters through creative, contemporary choreography by faculty, students and guest artists. May 10 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Presented by Rotary Club of Coronado, the annual fundraiser takes place at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course and includes buffet lunch, dinner, awards program. Funds generated benefit Rotary projects within the Coronado community. (619) 435-8334

Saturday, Mar. 27 25th Anniversary “Salute to the Military” Ball

Apr. 17 and 18 The 85th annual Coronado Flower Show: “Petals ‘n Prose” Local gardeners and floral designers share their finest creations and homegrown flowers and

Presented by the Coronado Chamber of Commerce, this year’s black-tie event will feature keynote speaker Congressman Duncan Hunter. A special tribute will be made to local POWs. Highlighting the evening will be presentation of the Harry T. Jenkins Memorial Award recognizing individuals who represent the principles of courage, sacrifice, discipline and faith, and the VADM James and Sybil Stockdale award recognizing a military couple who exemplify service and dedication to the community, military and country. Tickets begin at $450 a couple, which also pays for a military couple to attend at no charge. (619) 435-9260

Saturday, Apr. 3 Tee Off for Art Golf Tournament A four-man scramble tournament with lunch, prime rib dinner, raffle and prizes will raise funds to commission two mosaic murals by CHS graduate Kirstin Green to be mounted at the entrance of the golf club house. Green’s work can also be seen at Spreckels Park, Coronado High School and the high school pool. $150 per player or $50 for dinner only. Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 11

21 and 22, 7 p.m.; May 23, 2 p.m. Coronado High School’s Performing Arts Center. Tickets: $7-$15.

May 27, 28 CoSA Art Exhibit

Apr. 5, 6 and 7 HomeFront Judging

Friday, Mar. 26 EDCO/Jim Laslavic Charity Golf Tournament

Mar. 26 EDCO/Jim Laslavic Charity Golf Tournament at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course

will be joined by special guests, The Westwind Brass. Tickets, $8, students and $15, adults.

Saturday, Mar. 27 25th Anniversary “Salute to the Military” Ball

Apr. 17 and 18 The 85th annual Coronado Flower Show: “Petals ‘n Prose” Local gardeners and floral designers share their finest creations and homegrown flowers and

plants with the public at Spreckels Park. Using the show’s “Petals ‘n Prose” theme as a jumping off point, the “Miniatures” section includes categories from children’s literature: A Child’s Garden of Prose; Mr. McGregor’s Garden, The Five Little Peppers, Green Eggs and Ham. And Table Designs borrow titles from the classics: The Great Gatsby, Gone with the Wind, Moby Dick, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Christmas Carol and Sense and Sensibility. How fun is that?

Flower sales, live entertainment, food and a trophy ceremony at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Hours: Saturday, 1-5 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $3, adults; children under 12, free. FREE to enter. Complete entry guidelines in the Flower Show Schedule brochure can be picked up at local florists, the library, city hall and the community center or at the event website, www.coronadoflowershow.com.

Apr. 17 and 18 (Friends’ preview on Apr. 16) Coronado Friends of the Library Book Fair Welcome to the best book deals in Southern California and where you can buy best selling hardbacks at $5 or less and paperbacks for 50 cents. Cookbooks, rare books, travel books, a huge children’s section. Book dealers come from all over the county to this sale. Don’t miss Sunday afternoon, when all book prices are cut in half. Be generous — all proceeds are pumped back into the Coronado Public Library.

Apr. 17 Artist Nancy Medina Paints on the Patio Presented by Art & Frames by Wood Gallery, Nancy Medina once again visits Coronado and demonstrates her floral painting techniques on “Flower Show” Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. For additional information, (619) 435-5212

Apr. 18 20th Annual MotorCars on MainStreet Featuring over 400 pre-1973 restored classic, rod and custom cars and trucks. The event will

This year’s Flower Show co-chairs were high hig gh school buds. Meet the co-chairs of the 85th annual Coronado Flower Show — Rob and Laura Crenshaw, — who want to plant a seed with every Coronadan: Don’t just attend, enter, the Flower Show! Cut a stem from your roses, zinnias or gladiolas, they beg. Bring down your favorite fuchsia, cart down your succulents, they urge. “It’s free to enter and there’s always room for more gardeners and designers,” said Laura. “We don’t want it to be the same people all the time.” Rob and Laura Crenshaw today and Laura Crenshaw is a native at the CHS Football Coronadan, whose father, H.L. Prom 1958 Rose, was a Coronado attorney and past president of Coronado Rotary, and mother, Mary Edna Rose, was involved in the flower shows of the1940s. “She had to be with that last name!” Laura quips. Rob’s family arrived in Coronado in 1948; his dad and brother were both navy captains and Rob was a naval aviator for 32 years. The two were high school sweethearts, meeting in Laura’s junior year in 1957 (guess who was her date for the prom?). But then, with Rob joining the navy and seeing the world, they lost contact… for over 40 years. In 2001, Rob, on a trip back to Coronado from the East Coast, found Laura on the website, Classmates.com, and the two met to “catch up” over a cup of coffee at Clayton’s. In 2004, they married. “I loved Laura’s energy, personality and involvement in life,” said Rob, who soon joined Laura on the Flower Show circuit, serving as co-chair of the HomeFront Judging three years ago. Speaking of home front judging, Rob wants all residents to know there are no quotas for ribbons (last year a record 2,856 were distributed) and he urges the judges to lean toward the higher-level ribbon whenever they’re undecided. “With all the rain we’ve had this year, it’s going to be one of our most beautiful flower show ever,” Laura predicts.

12 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 13

Apr. 18 20th Annual MotorCars on MainStreet Featuring over 400 pre-1973 restored classic, rod and custom cars and trucks. The event will

12 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 13

be held in downtown Coronado at Isabella and Orange avenues. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Live music, awards and drawings throughout the day. Presented by Coronado MainStreet, Ltd.

Apr. 18 Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast How many pancakes can one kid eat? Put ’em to the test at the Rotary Club of Coronado’s annual Pancake Breakfast at Village School (Sixth and H). There’s also sausage, OJ, coffee and lots of friendly chatter. 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

Sunday, May 2 Coronado Historical Association Home Tour, “The Winchester Legacy,” 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (See page 28 for ticket information)

Saturday, May 15 Soroptimist Legends Luncheon at the Coronado Island Marriott. Tickets: (619) 437-8708 (See story, page 36)

Monday, May 25 Memorial Day Ceremony The annual tribute to our nation’s veterans will be conducted at 10 a.m., Star Park Circle. A complimentary light lunch will be offered following the ceremony at the Coronado VFW Post, 2422 at 557 Orange Ave.

Saturday, May 29 Coronado Hospital Ball — 2010 Space Odyssey The annual hospital gala is the one and only

14 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

annual fundraiser for the Coronado Hospital Foundation, which funds Coronado “Island’s” one and only hospital — Sharp Coronado Hospital. Enjoy a pre-event cocktail reception, a scrumptious dinner, live auction and dancing in Grand Ballroom of the Hotel del Coronado. Tickets, beginning at $250 per person, can be purchased by calling the Foundation at (619) 522-3703. A bonus: all monies raised will be matched by the city of Coronado.

June 13 Rotary Club of Coronado’s Low Tide Ride & Stride Ride a bike, run or walk the scenie 8-mile course on hard sand at low tide. The event begins at 8 a.m. with a cannon start for bikers and another for walkers at YMCA Camp Surf and finishes at Coronado’s North Beach. Entry fees: $25, adults; $15, youth (18 and under). Registration includes a commemorative race bib and T-shirt, refreshments and shuttle transportation. Wide-tire bikes are recommended; Rotarians will wash sand and sea water off the bikes at race end. (619) 435-8334.

Across the Bay Broadway San Diego presents: Mar. 30–Apr. 4 Legally Blonde The Musical The hilarious MGM film is now a smash hit! Underestimated blonde sorority star Elle Woods doesn’t take “no” for an answers. So when her boyfriend dumps her for someone “serious,” Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the

way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.

Apr. 13–18 Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy Journey with fascination into the depths of a city that ignites when Cirque Dreams’ imagination, suspense and innovation turns everyday ordinary into bright and extraordinary! Audiences of all ages will marvel as city dwellers in a magic metropolis reinvent familiar objects, balance on wires, leap tall buildings and redefine the risks of flight in a story filled with astounding occurrences.

June 1–6 101 Dalmatians The beloved classic novel comes to life on the stage in this brand new musical sure to delight the whole family, directed by Broadway Legend Jerry Zaks. Pongo and Mrs. Pongo are loving the good life in London with their “pets” Roger and Anita. When their 15 puppies go missing, the canines learn they have been dognapped by villainous Cruella de Vil–and so, with the help of the dog network, they set off to rescue their pups. For tickets: www.broadwaysd.com or (619) 564-3000

Now through May 10 The Flower Fields of Carlsbad Stroll through a vibrant sea of giant ranunculus in ribbons of brilliant color, a miniature rose garden, fragrant sweet pea maze and a garden featuring more than 50 All American Rose selection winners. There’s also a display or red, white and blue flowers in the shape of an

American Flag. Master Gardeners will be at the fields to answer all your gardening questions on Apr. 10, 17, 24 and May 8; a FREE Canon Macro photography workshop will be held Apr. 18, 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Tickets are $5, children, 3-10; $10 adults and $9 seniors, 60 and up.

Apr. 18 EarthWorks 2010 in Balboa Park Billed as the world’s largest environmental fair and Earth Day celebration, the event celebrates its 20th year and the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day. More than 350 exhibitors, food pavilion, kid’s activities and a “cleaner car concourse.” www.earthdayweb.org.

Apr. 24–25 Mission Federal (Little Italy) ArtWalk 2010 Take a self-guided tour into the working studios, galleries and outdoor venues of artists and performers in Downtown San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood. The free event showcases a wide range of visual and performing arts including painting, photography, architecture, dance and sculpture. www.missionfederalartwork.org

Apr. 24–25 36th Annual Adams Avenue Roots Festival Enjoy vintage blues, folk, Appalachian, country, bluegrass and Celtic music performed on seven outdoor stages held on Adams Avenue in University Heights. The free event includes food, crafts and a beer garden. www.adamsaveonline.com.

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 15

be held in downtown Coronado at Isabella and Orange avenues. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Live music, awards and drawings throughout the day. Presented by Coronado MainStreet, Ltd.

Sunday, May 2 Coronado Historical Association Home Tour, “The Winchester Legacy,” 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (See page 28 for ticket information)

Saturday, May 15 Soroptimist Legends Luncheon at the Coronado Island Marriott. Tickets: (619) 437-8708 (See story, page 36)

Saturday, May 29 Coronado Hospital Ball — 2010 Space Odyssey The annual hospital gala is the one and only

14 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 15

At the Coronado Public Library ADULT PROGRAMS Book Signing with Leeana Tankersley, author of Found Art: Discovering Beauty in Foreign Places, a memoir of a military wife living a year in the Middle East during the Iraq War. Tuesday, Apr.13, 7 pm, Winn Room. Senior Expo: Protect Yourself and Your Wallet. A two-part program with speakers from the District Attorney’s Office and Adult Protective Services will focus on avoiding scams and fraud while a senior black-belt instructor will teach basic self-defense moves (dress comfortably). Friday, Apr. 16, 11 am–1:30 pm, Winn Room, Light lunch will be served. Presented by San Diego County Aging and Independent Services and the Coronado Library. Landscape designer Doug Kalal presents “30 Great Drought Tolerant Plants for Your Garden,” a 50-minute lecture featuring gorgeous photos, flowers, foliage and fun tales from the field, Saturday, May 1, 10;30 am, Winn Room. Exhibit: The Forgotten Soldiers of Fort Rosecrans. Apr. 5–May 29

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS Mar. 23 Kite craft for kids. 3 p.m., Ruby Room Apr. 20 Spring Craft for kids 3 p.m., Ruby Room Apr. 29 The Junior Volunteers present the play, “The Prince and His Sisters Or Royalty Gone Wild.” 3:30 and 7 p.m., Winn Room May 11 Children’s Craft, 3 p.m. Ruby Room May 22 Annual Mother Daughter Silver Tea Party 2 p.m., Winn Room, (Free tickets available starting Apr. 22) May 25 Children’s Craft 3 p.m., Ruby Room June 12 Father and Son Huck Finn Day 11 a.m. in the park by the children’s library. Miniature golf, relays, obstacle course and lunch (hot dogs and s’mores).

Once upon a time there was a princess...

.... and a pea

Get all your pet bedding needs and more at Wag ‘n Tails 16 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

945 Orange Avenue (619) 435-3513 Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 17

Once upon a time there was a princess...

.... and a pea

Get all your pet bedding needs and more at Wag ‘n Tails 16 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

945 Orange Avenue (619) 435-3513 Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 17

SCENE IN THE CIT Y

Coronado Historic Association’s Arts Ball Movie legend Jane Russell (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Outlaw) accompanied by “the voice of Donald Duck” Tony Anselmo were special guest celebrities at the Coronado Arts Ball, held Jan. 30 at the Coronado Community Center’s Nautilus Room. This year’s event, themed “Hollywood’s Technicolor era” honored Floyd Ross and the late Mary Carlin King Ross, who have produced the Coronado Summer Concerts series to appreciative audiences for 25 years in Spreckels Park.

Nancy and Charles Helsper

Coronado Floral Association’s Mardi Gras Mardi Gras colors and spirit filled the Coronado Golf Course clubhouse at the Coronado Floral Association’s spring fundraiser. The Association was formed to encourage and foster knowledge of horticulture, promote the love and use of flowers and encourage the beautification of Coronado’s homes, schools and public grounds. And to do so, the association produces the annual Coronado Flower Show.

Connie McDowell, Viriginia and Frank Osgood

Jane Russell , Tony Anselmo

Bruno and Anna Paul

Event chairs, from left, Louise McCoy, Mona Kelly and Anita Halpern were the jazzy trio who orchestrated the Mardi Gras.

Susan and Charlie Ahern not only celebrated Mardi Gras, but the Chinese New Year as well.

Edie Denney and Patty Jepson, who purchased her hat on her recent trip to Brazil (and almost couldn’t fit it in her suitcase.)

Floyd Ross with Courtenay McGowen

“2010 Space Odyssey the Future is Now” is the theme of this year’s Coronado Hospital Foundation Ball, to be held Saturday, May 29 at the Hotel del Coronado. Gala committee members are, back row from left: Nancy Helsper, Harriett Sangrey and Katie Moore second row, Sandy Gross, Nancy Shirey, Mary Sandermann. Front row, event Co-chairs, Sharon Considine and Kathy Kennelly. Not pictured are Kris Grant, Lesley Huffaker and Anna Paul. Ticket information can be called by calling (619) 522-3766. Marjorie and Jim Logan of “Scottish Treasures 18 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Doug and Dale St. Denis

Sara and Lionel Rowe Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 19

SCENE IN THE CIT Y

Nancy and Charles Helsper

Connie McDowell, Viriginia and Frank Osgood

Jane Russell , Tony Anselmo

Bruno and Anna Paul

Event chairs, from left, Louise McCoy, Mona Kelly and Anita Halpern were the jazzy trio who orchestrated the Mardi Gras.

Susan and Charlie Ahern not only celebrated Mardi Gras, but the Chinese New Year as well.

Edie Denney and Patty Jepson, who purchased her hat on her recent trip to Brazil (and almost couldn’t fit it in her suitcase.)

Floyd Ross with Courtenay McGowen

Doug and Dale St. Denis

Sara and Lionel Rowe Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 19

Adams Avenue Rising Jim Schneider hits the mark with marketing By Kris Grant

photo courtesy Lori Brookes Photography

At the end of his business day, Jim Schneider is in an upbeat mood at Coronado’s WineStyles. The executive director of the Adams Avenue Business Association has just gotten final approval from CalTrans to allow a Farmer’s Market on a cul-de-sac property just off Adams Avenue near the I-15. Over the past three years, even as the recession has grabbed hold of the economy, Adams Avenue, running from

20 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Kensington to Normal Heights to North Park has been blossoming into a thriving, eclectic business district. Schneider is the man behind the marketing engine of the Adams Avenue Business Association, one of 17 business improvement districts in the city of San Diego. Each year Schneider and his troops — both staff and volunteers — produce three signature events: the Adams Avenue Roots Festival in April, A Taste of Adams Avenue in June and the Adams Avenue Street Faire in September, the latter which is attended by 100,000 people over two days. “And that’s just who comes to the festival,” Schneider says. “It’s not figuring all the people who see the advertising for the events who might come later, telling themselves ‘I gotta see what’s going on there.’” About $400,000 is raised from the events, providing the lion’s share of the association’s marketing budget, far outpacing about $45,000 raised from business assessments and a $17,000 grant from the city of San Diego. A self-confessed workaholic, Schneider keeps a running list on paper and in the back of his mind at all times on potential new businesses to the district and ways to move existing businesses into larger or more congruent spaces. In the past year, Schneider and his team have placed 25 new businesses along the 2½ mile-long avenue, which runs east and west; the district also encompasses a half block to the north and south of the avenue. Schneider has been at his post for three years since moving west to

“warmer weather” from Pennsylvania. As a business consultant in Pittsburgh, Schneider worked with a nonprofit association formed to transform one of that city’s blighted areas into a thriving business district. “Fortunately, the entry cost in Pittsburgh was pretty minimal,” Schneider said. “I’d work to bring in a restaurant and a boutique that would complement each other. We had a lot of businesses working out of their home, like a Jamaican fellow who was well known for his catering. I worked with him in creating a business plan, finding the right location and putting financing together. He’s in business today and doing very well. Today Whole Foods and Trader Joes are there and a Marriott just signed a deal for a 200 room hotel.” Schneider first visited Coronado in 1996, which beat out Bermuda and Aruba as potential vacation spots, and stayed 10 days at the Hotel del Coronado. The town registered with him as a potential new home someday. Someday came in 2006 and shortly thereafter Schneider accepted the post with Adams Avenue, choosing that BID over two others in the city. Now, as Coronado’s Tourism Improvement District (TID) begins to take shape with a self-assessment tax to the city’s four largest hotels to fund the tourism promotion effort, Schneider, who also moonlights as a private business consultant, has ideas to share on marketing the city. “I think the business district doesn’t realize it, but it’s in a transition phase right now,” he observes. “Some key properties are vacant… the former Petco space, the theatre. Once they open, it will transform the district in ways never imagined. With the right foresight, planning and execution, Coronado can attract more San Diegans — Oceanside, Del Mar, San Diego, Rancho Bernardo, Eastlake residents. We’ve got to get them

to cross the bridge to see all the wonderful things the business district has to offer.” Schneider believes that Coronado’s competition is The Gaslamp Quarter. “We need to make sure that everyone who comes to San Diego realizes they need to come to Coronado. That should be our benchmark. If we could do what the Gaslamp Quarter does, think what that would do for our businesses here.” The Gaslamp Quarter, he says, does superb marketing, and puts on excellent events. “They make money to support other projects and programs that support their businesses and programs. It’s a cycle.” Adams Avenue will welcome its new Farmer’s Market this spring. “It’s the same market that operates in Little Italy and brings in upwards of 75,000 people to that area annually,” he says. Schneider believes Coronado’s Farmer’s Market should be bigger and far more visible than its current “hidden away” site at the south end of the Ferry Landing. “I’d like to see it right in Spreckels Park and held on a weekend day, “he said. “That would be a better fit with the community’s demographics — so many people work fulltime during the week. Plus, it would be a weekend tourism draw and a boon to the business community.” The key, he says, is getting the businesses to tie in their marketing with the Farmer’s Market. And how do you do that, Jim? He smiles. “I can’t give away all my secrets,” he says. Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 21

Adams Avenue Rising Jim Schneider hits the mark with marketing By Kris Grant

photo courtesy Lori Brookes Photography

20 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

By Ann Jarmusch, Photos by George Green Gr

This rambling Craftsman-style house, built by F.C. Winchester in 1911, has been restored by Drs. Scott Helmers and Robin Wood, who love its welcoming character and spacious, sunny rooms. A Japanese garden bell (opposite) adorns the back yard. 22 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

When Dr. Scott Helmers was looking for a Coronado house to buy in 2004, an architect threw out a red flag to warn Helmers and his wife about a rambling, two-story Craftsman-style home that was approaching its 100th birthday. They liked it, but it was in pretty sad condition. A heavy, oak front door with eight square windows had worn out its once welcoming glow. No two sunroom windows were alike; in fact, they were a hodgepodge, probably accumulated over time from salvage yards. The kitchen and bathrooms were so small they were bound to create morning rush hours for the Helmers family of three. Someone had taken the authenticity out of the living room’s most uplifting feature — four big windows solidly framed in wood — with flimsy vinyl window frames. The garage, though quaint and cottage-like, was rotting and close to falling down. So the architect told Helmers and his wife, Dr. Robin Wood, they could save themselves a lot of money and aggravation if they simply called in a demolition crew and built a new dream house of their own making. “But that’s not what we wanted,” Helmers recently told a visitor. “The house was old, but it had a lot of charm, a lot of character. We could see the potential in it.” Now 99 years old, the house beams with an exact oak replica of its original front door. Matching new sunroom windows harmonize with the house’s original windows. A large, up-to-date kitchen is open to the spacious dining room and back yard. Historically inspired bathrooms upstairs combine contemporary convenience with one original bathtub standing on cast-metal feet. And a new garage is still quaint and cottage-like, thanks in large part to the extensive rehabilitation of its double wooden doors. This cozy, shingled house with a charming front porch on one corner and broad, welcoming eaves also has acquired a bronzecolored plaque beside the front door, announcing its status as a Coronado Historic Landmark. Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 23

CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

By Ann Jarmusch, Photos by George Green Gr

Helmers’ house is one of several historic homes built by real estate developer Frederick Churchill Winchester that will open their doors on May 2 from 11a.m. to 4 p.m. during the Coronado Historical Association’s annual, self-guided home tour. Called The Winchester Legacy, the tour also includes the recently restored 1906 Lodge, a posh bed & breakfast inn that F.C. Winchester and his wife, Mary, owned when it was a boarding house called the Bay View Lodge. A guest room bearing their name features

An original tub stands in a new upstairs bathroom, which steals space from under the eaves at the Helmers house.

24 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

historic photographs, memorabilia and the old lodge sign. “It’s quite a legacy. He built some fabulous cottages,” said Ky Roberts, Winchester’s granddaughter, who still lives in Coronado. “He’d be honored and absolutely thrilled to know people still value his homes and are designating them as historic landmarks.”

Dr. Scott Helmers built this Victorian playhouse – a vertical variation on the main house --for his daughter, Claire.

The new Helmers kitchen opens onto the renovated dining room and a backyard deck. Leadedglass cabinet doors were salvaged from the original kitchen and reused in the dining room.

Hebbard & Gill designed the 1906 Lodge, which is also on the tour, in the Arts & Crafts style, including a beamed ceiling, symmetrical windows and a fireplace as the heart of the living room.

A fifth house on the tour pre-dates Winchester’s arrival on Coronado. This circa 1896, folk-Victorian cottage — adorned with railings like those of the Hotel Del Coronado — is furnished beneath soaring ceilings with family antiques, dolls and portraits. One of the island’s oldest homes, it also harbors a surprise behind an old, paneled door: A contemporary addition housing a large kitchen and intimate living quarters. F.C. Winchester, as he was known, is responsible for more than 17 homes built between 1908 and 1911 on the 700 blocks of B and C Avenues. There are a couple more on E Avenue, Roberts said. So many of these Craftsman-style cottages survive intact that there’s been talk among some of their owners and the Coronado Historic Resource Commission about creating a Winchester Historic District. To form a historic district, according to city of Coronado senior planner

Ann McCaull, 75 percent of the buildings within the district boundaries must be designated city landmarks and 75 percent of the owners of those buildings must agree to a district. The advantages include possible tax savings, through the Mills Act, and ongoing protection of neighborhood character, scale and history. Winchester’s business benefited from a real estate partnership with U.S. Congressman William Kettner, among others, and the construction skills and craftsmanship of R.H. Reed, Reed and Kafner and Smith & Reed. In 1922, Winchester built Coronado’s first reinforced masonry building at the corner of Orange and Loma Avenues. Originally called the Greystone Building, it has been renamed for the developer. It bears the Winchester name at the top and is still owned by the family, Roberts said. In contrast to Helmers’ fixer-upper, Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 25

An original tub stands in a new upstairs bathroom, which steals space from under the eaves at the Helmers house.

24 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Dr. Scott Helmers built this Victorian playhouse – a vertical variation on the main house --for his daughter, Claire.

The new Helmers kitchen opens onto the renovated dining room and a backyard deck. Leadedglass cabinet doors were salvaged from the original kitchen and reused in the dining room.

Hebbard & Gill designed the 1906 Lodge, which is also on the tour, in the Arts & Crafts style, including a beamed ceiling, symmetrical windows and a fireplace as the heart of the living room.

garden views beyond. A year ago, the Jays built a two-story structure to replace their garage: a guest house above a two-car garage. The new building frames the back yard and complements the historic house with its steep, wood-shingled roof, lattice windows and half-timbering. Windows generous in size and number are a Winchester hallmark that heightens the appeal of his houses and takes advantage of the magical coastal light. Architect Chris Ackerman, who

bought his house from Winchester’s descendents, Roberts and her half brother, boasts that it is “really defined by the windows. Mine has way more windows than any of the others.” Although Ackerman’s house is not on the tour, it is a standout on C Avenue with its river-run rock pillars and front porch. Still in the process of remodeling the interior of this former home of F.C. and Mary Winchester and their descendants, including Roberts, he added a rock veneer fireplace. His 20-foot-square architecture

Martha and Fred Jay recently remodeled their kitchen, but kept the original lattice windows, hardwood floor and the spirit of the historic house. Natural light enters the enclosed staircase (left) through a pair of openings.

another two-story Winchester home on the tour has changed little over the years. Designed in the spirit of an English cottage, this 1911 home charms the eye with white lattice windows and doors and decorative half-timbering on the exterior walls. Owners since 1986, Martha and Fred Jay successfully nominated their house to become a Coronado historic landmark several years ago. “I’m really interested in preserving the older, smaller houses,” said Martha 26 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Jay, whose green thumb is responsible for the tall red and white camellia hedges that can be seen waving in the breeze from the cottage’s many windows. A new addition on the back of the house includes copies of the lattice windows and even a wide window seat, just like the one built into the living room, beneath a bank of four windows. A two-tiered mantle above the original brick fireplace, now painted sandstone-beige, towers above the original, honey-colored maple floor. And the living room and adjacent dining room are arranged so that both have glass doors leading to an inviting front porch and Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 27

The Jay’s dining room includes original box beams, hardwood floors and French doors that lead to a corner porch. With its half-timbering and lattice windows, this house (right), built by Winchester in 1911, recalls English Arts & Crafts cottages.

studio in the house is surrounded by glass walls, which the Winchesters are thought to have added when members of the family contracted tuberculosis. “I know every corner, every heartbeat of that house. It was very, very difficult to part with it, but Chris was renting it from us and promised he’d keep it” out of developers’ hands, Roberts said. “The Winchester ghosts would be very disturbed if anything happened to it. “It was a very lived-in, loved house. Chris has given me free rein to touch the (river) rocks any time, visit my mother’s roses, pick a lemon. I haven’t done that in a while and I still miss it.” Roberts and Ackerman aren’t alone in loving a Winchester house. Like

Ackerman and the Jays, Scott Helmers is proud of the enduring craftsmanship and character of his historic home, which he chose to rehabilitate and enhance so Coronado’s past lives on. “This was a great house for 100 — or 99 years,” he said, correcting himself, anticipating next year’s centennial. “We’ve got to get it ready for another 100.” Ann Jarmusch, former architecture critic for The San Diego Union-Tribune, is a writer on architecture and historic preservation who treasures the Craftsman cottage where she lives and works.

The Coronado Historical Association’s 2010 Home Tour: The Winchester Legacy will be held May 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets purchased by April 20 are $25 for CHA members, $30 for nonmembers. Tickets will cost $5 more on the day of the tour. Tickets purchased in advance may be picked up at the 1906 Lodge, 1060 Adella Avenue, until 1:30 p.m. May 2, when the Lodge will close to tour guests. Tickets are also available in advance and from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on May 2 from the Coronado Museum of History & Art, 1100 Orange Ave., or by logging on to www.coronadohistory.org. For more information, call (619) 435-7242. Tour proceeds benefit the educational mission of CHA.

28 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 29

28 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 29

• Voted Best Pizza 8 years running! • Teams and Large Parties always welcome in our Pizza Garden • Hot Slices Served All Day • Try our new Cheesy-Pesto Stix

849 Orange Avenue (across from Vons)

619-435-5745

www.alexanderspizza.com

Caesar Salad with purchase of any Large FREE or Giant Pizza at Regular Price

Here’s to the businesses of Coronado! They’ve managed to stay the course over the past three difficult years. In our opinion, every single business that is still providing services to our community is indeed a winner. Let’s show them some appreciaiation! We can do so by patronizing them whenever possible, referring friends to them, and simply saying, “Thank you for being here.” And we can take the time to fill out the names of our favorites in the annual Best of Coronado competition! Yes, it’s time once again to cast your votes for your favorite restaurants, stores and people. You know the drill, Coronado: fill out your ballot and vote for at least 10 categories in order for your vote to count. Then mail or drop off your ballot to 941 Orange Ave., #306 no later than 5 p.m. April 30th (or postmarked the same day) for your ballot to count. Once again YOU may be a winner! We’ll draw 10 ballots to win Coronado Currency…use it just like cash at your favorite Coronado businesses. And to start things off, please share with us your favorite “Coronado Commerce” moment…something that stirred your heart, gave you a chuckle or saved you a lot of money! My favorite “Coronado Commerce” moment was ____________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ (Note: if you need more space, please attach a piece of paper to your ballot)

Only ONE entry per envelope. YOUR NAME (optional, but necessary to enter the contest) __________________________________ ADDRESS________________________________________________________________ Phone (optional) ____________________________________________________________

30 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 31

• Voted Best Pizza 8 years running! • Teams and Large Parties always welcome in our Pizza Garden • Hot Slices Served All Day • Try our new Cheesy-Pesto Stix

849 Orange Avenue (across from Vons)

619-435-5745

www.alexanderspizza.com

Caesar Salad with purchase of any Large FREE or Giant Pizza at Regular Price

30 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 31

V Best Fare V Venues

Breakfast __________________________ Lunch ____________________________ Dinner ____________________________ Overall Value _______________________ Hotel Restaurant: Check just one:

Mexican ___________________________

S Mistral (Loews Coronado Bay Resort)

Muffins ___________________________

S Current (Coronado Marriott Resort) S Sheerwater (Hotel del Coronado) S Crown Bistro (Crown City Inn) S 1500 Ocean (Hotel del Coronado)

Bagels ____________________________ Barbecue __________________________ Bistro/Cafe ________________________ Caterer ___________________________ Coffee ____________________________ Deli ______________________________ Greek ____________________________ Hamburgers ________________________

Bar Scene__________________________

Romance __________________________

Entertainment ______________________

Sports Bar _________________________

Hide-away _________________________

Theatre ___________________________

Kid’s Birthday Party ___________________

View _____________________________

People Watching _____________________

Wine Bar ____________________________

Pastries ___________________________ Pizza _____________________________ Salad _____________________________ Seafood ___________________________ Soup _____________________________ Steak _____________________________ Sushi _____________________________ Tea ______________________________ Take-out __________________________ Thai______________________________ Yogurt ____________________________

Home-cooking ______________________

V Shopping Art Gallery ________________________________________________________________ Bargains _________________________________________________________________ Clothes (women) ___________________________________________________________ Clothes (men) _____________________________________________________________ Coronado merchandise _______________________________________________________ Friendliest merchant _________________________________________________________ Flooring/carpeting __________________________________________________________ Florist ___________________________________________________________________ Gift _____________________________________________________________________ Hardware _________________________________________________________________

Health Food ________________________

V The Welcome Mat

Jewelry __________________________________________________________________

Ice Cream _________________________

Hotel (over 100 rooms) ________________

Pet Store _________________________________________________________________

Italian ____________________________

Boutique hotel (up to 100 rooms)_________

Window coverings _____________________________________

Hotel value_________________________

32 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 33

V Best Fare V Venues

Breakfast __________________________ Lunch ____________________________ Dinner ____________________________ Overall Value _______________________ Hotel Restaurant: Check just one:

Mexican ___________________________

S Mistral (Loews Coronado Bay Resort)

Muffins ___________________________

S Current (Coronado Marriott Resort) S Sheerwater (Hotel del Coronado) S Crown Bistro (Crown City Inn) S 1500 Ocean (Hotel del Coronado)

Bar Scene__________________________

Romance __________________________

Entertainment ______________________

Sports Bar _________________________

Hide-away _________________________

Theatre ___________________________

Kid’s Birthday Party ___________________

View _____________________________

People Watching _____________________

Wine Bar ____________________________

Home-cooking ______________________

Health Food ________________________

V The Welcome Mat

Jewelry __________________________________________________________________

Ice Cream _________________________

Hotel (over 100 rooms) ________________

Pet Store _________________________________________________________________

Italian ____________________________

Boutique hotel (up to 100 rooms)_________

Window coverings _____________________________________

Hotel value_________________________

32 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 33

V Working Out Exercise instructor____________________ Gym _____________________________ Personal Trainer _____________________ Pilates teacher ______________________ Yoga Instructor ______________________

V When You Need a Proâ&#x20AC;Ś Accountant_________________________ Architect __________________________ Attorney __________________________ Cleaners __________________________ Financial Institution ___________________ Financial Planner ____________________ General Contractor ___________________ Insurance Broker_____________________ Interior Designer_____________________ Investment Advisor ___________________

V Looking & Feeling Good Acupuncturist _______________________ Barber ____________________________ Beauty Salon _______________________ Chiropractor ________________________ Foot Reflexologist ____________________ Esthetician _________________________ Hairdresser ________________________ Hair Colorist ________________________ Hotel Spa __________________________ Spa (outside a hotel) __________________ Manicurist _________________________ Massage Therapist ___________________

34 Coronado Lifestyle â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2010

Mortgage Broker _____________________ Pet Sitter __________________________ Photographer _______________________ Plumber___________________________ Real Estate Agent ____________________ Tailor _____________________________ Travel Agent ________________________

34 Coronado Lifestyle â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2010

clockwise from top: Dr. Jean Roesch, Ellenjoy Weber and Jane New

Educating with

eart H BBy Doug St. Denis

These Legends share a passion for books and lifelong learning

Yes, spring is in the air, which means that Coronado Soroptimists are hard at work on their one big annual fundraiser, the Legends Luncheon, this year honoring Coronado residents Jane New, Ellenjoy Weber and Dr. Jean Roesch. The increasingly popular event is set for Saturday, May 15 at the Coronado Island Marriott and will feature an elaborate silent auction, a seated luncheon and a lively program. Every year the club selects three “Legends” — women who have given their time,

36 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

energy and talent to touch, inspire and change lives, especially the lives of women and children. That goal has been a driving force behind Soroptimist International since it was founded in 1922 and this year’s honorees shine like the sun. Their life paths have been quite diverse, yet a shared belief in the power and importance of education for every child, be it college and advanced degrees or basic skills and vocational training, has kept them headed in more or less the same direction. They seem to have lived their lives as if

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 37

clockwise from top: Dr. Jean Roesch, Ellenjoy Weber and Jane New

Educating with

eart H BBy Doug St. Denis

These Legends share a passion for books and lifelong learning

36 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 37

on a Learning and Listening tour, eyes and hearts wide open to new needs, new expectations and new ideas. Educational institutions (especially libraries!) have attracted these women like magnets. Wherever they have been and whatever they have done, a deepdown love of books and learning has more than likely been somewhere at the heart of it.

Jane New

Jane New has led a life rich with big challenges, unwavering faith in God, a keen sense of humor and a great spirit of adventure. She held SI Coronado spellbound as a program speaker last year with tales of her month-long odyssey to Monrovia, Liberia as a volunteer on the 2008 Mercy Ship. The Mercy Ship is a stationary, fully equipped hospital ship, manned by over four hundred volunteer doctors, nurses, teachers and other services. It visits thirty countries, staying in each place for about 10 months to perform surgeries and offer medical aid as needed. With a master’s degree in library science, Jane was disappointed to learn that the one librarian position had already been filled, but she was “welcome to come as a housekeeper.” She grabbed it! Luck was on her side, she says, because once there, she only “cleaned toilets” for a day and a half before she was told that the librarian had been transferred and the position was hers if she wanted it. Like all the volunteers, she paid her own way there and received no compensation for her work. She shared a room with five nurses, one from Norway, one from Great Britain, and three from the U.S. (two from San Diego as it turned out). Monrovia had long been a country of great unrest until the United Nations came in and began a fragile peace process in the early 2000s. The people there are extremely poor, malnourished and in dire need of medical care. Many children suffer from cataracts. Some had walked around for years with broken limbs, simply because they had no choice. Education is rare for Monrovian children. Jane “adopted” a family while there, and has been sending them monthly installments to help finance the building of their house. She is in contact with them weekly. Born in Texas to a salesman father and a teacher mother, the family moved to Oklahoma when Jane was young. After graduation from Oklahoma State, she taught school for three years while her husband Steve attended law school. She stopped working after the birth of their first child, a son, who was born with severe brain damage. Caring for their son was a fulltime job, and exhausting. The hardest she ever worked in her life, she says, was the year she was trying to potty train their son, age six, and their daughter, age two-and-a-half, while at the same time attempting to nurse a newborn baby son, all with no help. She says without apology that caring for a disabled child 38 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 39

Jane New

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 39

puts a tremendous strain on a marriage. She’ll never forget the day years later when she and Steve were out in the yard with the children and Steve said to her, “Jane, why don’t you get your California teaching credential and go back to work so we can afford to get a divorce?” She laughs at the irony of it; she did get that credential at San Diego State University and went back to work, but they didn’t get divorced, at least not right away. Jane landed a job as the Coronado Central School librarian, which she discovered she loved, especially after Village School was built and she helped set up its new library. She returned to school to earn her master’s degree in Library Science in 1996, making her overqualified for the Coronado job. She was hired as Youth Librarian at a huge new complex opening in City Heights. “I think I just love opening libraries.” Eventually Jane and Steve did divorce. (“He really loved his job as a Treasury Department Judge much more than he loved me.”) But in 2000 her ex-husband was diagnosed with incurable colon cancer and Jane and her former mother-inlaw spent the next three years caring for Steve until his death in 2003. It was during Steve’s illness that Jane and eleven other women started Coronado Coffee, the women’s ministry and lecture series. With Jane as director of the non-profit organization, Coronado Coffee offers exciting, relevant speakers and serves coffee, dessert, and a special brand of spiritual fellowship to the women of our town, all for a nominal fee. Jane believes that if you reach the hand that rocks the cradle, you can change the world. The only surprise, she says, is that men keep coming too. Jane has three grown children and four grandchildren. Her disabled son 40 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

David, now 39, lives in a small special home in Valley Center. She is already making plans for another tour on the Mercy Ship, this time to Togo, West Africa. Unfortunately, the Library position has already been filled, but the housekeeping position is available...

Jean Roesch

Every now and then Soroptimist International Coronado selects one of its own as a Legend (“All of our members are Legends!” reminds club president Paula Couture). This year they have singled out Dr. Jean Roesch, distinguished educator and political activist and a past SI Coronado president herself. Like all three Legends, Jean has lived an interesting life. After her grandmother lost her husband she decided to become an Evangelical Christian minister, immediately hiring her very gifted daughter (Jean’s future mother) as her music director. Mother and daughter traveled the southern states, preaching and singing from one revival camp to the next. It was at one of these camp revivals in Texas that Jean’s parents met each other and eventually married. When Jean was a baby the family moved to Fresno to start a new church, which is where she spent her childhood. She realized early on the importance of education in a girl’s life, and, being a natural athlete herself, learned first-hand how empowering sports and participating with athletic teams could be for a young female. She gloried in the health, strength and confidence that sports could add to a girl’s self image. For that reason she decided to major in physical education in college, imagining herself as a future teacher and mentor. (Jean still plays tennis regularly, which may explain her enviable

“I think I just love opening libraries.” Jane New

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 41

Jean Roesch

“I think I just love opening libraries.” Jane New

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 41

trim figure.) She received her bachelors degree in Elementary/Secondary Education from Point Loma Nazarene University in 1962. It was during a teaching stint in a low-income area of Los Angeles that Jean became aware of the greater needs of some of her students. Many of these young girls came from dysfunctional family situations and were seriously involved with drugs and alcohol. She could see they needed someone to talk to, someone to give them the hope and power they would need to take control of their own lives. She returned to school to work on a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, which she received from Point Loma Nazarene in 1965. She accepted a position as Dean of Girls and then Vice Principal at another L.A. high school, where she remained for fifteen years. Once back in San Diego, she continued her quest for higher learning, earning a doctorate in education administration from United States International University in 1986. Jean’s own life has not been without adversity. She and her first husband’s only son, Robert, was born with cerebral palsy. Shortly thereafter her husband became gravely ill and died, leaving Jean a widow at age 27 with a three-year-old son to raise. Her experience as a single working mother with a disabled child helped her understand first-hand some of the difficulties parents and children face. She says her strong belief that God was with her every step of the way helped her survive. She considers meeting and marrying Gil Roesch (and inheriting four more wonderful young children) the beginning of a blessed chapter in her life, although that, too, has not been without its challenges. They have lost three of their five beloved children to 42 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

cancer, an unfathomable heartbreak for any parent. Gil and Jean have been married forty-four years and have lived in Coronado for thirty-three. In 1988 Jean ran for the Coronado Unified School Board, was elected and remained for ten years. So began her very impressive resume of community service and political involvement, She was elected to the Republican Central Committee in 1998, representing both the 79th and 52nd Congressional Districts. In 2000 she was elected to the Southwestern College Board of Trustees, where she is immediate past president. In addition to Soroptimist, the list of her volunteer organizations runs long. Husband Gil likes to say she’s been president of every nonprofit organization in town. She calls herself “a bridge builder, not a bridge burner.” The strength of her gentle brand of leadership is in knowing how to bring people together regardless of political party or conflicting ideas, and get the best out of everyone. And she makes it look easy.

Guiding You Safely Through Every Transaction

Meridith Metzger Fine Homes Specialist Prudential California Realty Coronado and San Diego Properties

www.ThereIsNoPlaceLikeYourHome.com

619.850.8285

Ellenjoy Weber

Imagine a woman who plans whole vacation trips around visits to the museum homes of classic children’s book authors and you’d probably think you’d found the perfect Children’s Librarian. That would be Ellenjoy Weber, and as luck would have it, the Coronado Library hired her to be exactly that nearly twenty years ago. (Her next trip will be to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home in Minnesota.) Like Oz, the Coronado Children’s Library is a world all its own. You enter from the main lobby through nine enormous glass panels suspended from the ceiling on steel cables, each depicting images of characters from Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz, masterfully Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 43

Guiding You Safely Through Every Transaction

Meridith Metzger Fine Homes Specialist Prudential California Realty Coronado and San Diego Properties

www.ThereIsNoPlaceLikeYourHome.com

619.850.8285

Ellenjoy Weber

executed by artist Brenda Smith. You just know something magical awaits you on the other side. It’s a sight to see every day after school: kids of all ages stream in with their backpacks, anxious to get their homework done, work on the computers, or participate in one of the library’s programs. It’s the Coronado equivalent of River City’s proverbial pool hall. Ellenjoy has seen to it that there’s something there for everyone. Tuesday

it’s the reading club for children up to fifth grade; Wednesday is for grades 6, 7 and 8 in the teen library, and Thursday is Ellenjoy’s trusty band of junior volunteers, about twenty in all, whom she says she absolutely couldn’t live without. There are morning story hours Tuesdays and Thursdays, divided into groups either under or over age twoand-a-half. Each story hour consists of four books read aloud as the children sit on rugs provided by the library. Summer

Jean Roesch

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Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 45

Jean Roesch

Jean realized early on the importance of education in a girl’s life 4 Co 44 CCoronado Cor rona onado do Lif do Lifestyle fest esttyylee • Sp SSpring rin ring inng 2009 2009 0009

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 45

I want to stay here, loving it all, until it’s time to retire. Ellenjoy Weber

46 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

programs abound, with reading clubs available and oral book reports given by the youngsters and judged by the junior volunteers. One summer the prize for reading all 10 books was a trip to the San Diego Zoo. Under Ellenjoy’s direction, the junior volunteers put on two theatrical productions each year. Many of these students go on to Coronado’s CoSA program. Boy Scouts help out every year on the library’s Fourth of July parade float. Eagle Scouts are involved too, building special projects to help them earn that badge. Ellenjoy was born in Vallejo, California and moved shortly thereafter to Lodi, California, where her mother taught nursery school and her father owned the local cabinet shop, “Weber’s Cabinets.” She still has family in Lodi. Ellenjoy attended college in Portland, Oregon, transferring to Anderson University in Indiana, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in history with minors in drama and education. Finding teaching jobs scarce after graduation, she returned to Lodi and took a job as a substitute teacher, also working at a fruit stand and as a security guard to make ends meet. This glum situation inspired her to enroll at San Jose State for her masters degree in library science. Ellenjoy’s first job was as a children’s librarian in

Elko, Nevada, where she worked for four years. She says their best customers were the cowboys, who read voraciously, coming in on horseback to check out every book available. After that she moved on to oversee several branch libraries in North Carolina, and then on to Houston to open the huge new Children’s Library there in Harris County. Growing homesick for California and her family, she decided it was time to come back. That’s when the position in Coronado opened up, which seems to have been a match made in heaven. “I never want to work anywhere else,” she says. “I want to stay here, loving it all, until it’s time to retire.” As a member of the Christ Church choir, Ellenjoy often appears in their musical productions; her favorite role so far being the Reverend Mother in “The Sound of Music.” She says that being a Soroptimist Legend is a huge honor for her. “My dad died two years ago this June, and I lost my mom last October. I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to tell my mother before she died that I’d been chosen. She was so proud and happy for me.” For more information about Soroptimist International Coronado or the Legends Luncheon, please contact Paula Couture, (619) 437-8708, or Meridith Metzger, (619) 435-4422.

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 47

I want to stay here, loving it all, until it’s time to retire. Ellenjoy Weber

46 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 47

Definitely not your grandfather’s bowling green By Kris Grant Just in time for spring and the 75th anniversary of lawn bowling’s 1935 debut in the Crown City, Coronado’s lawn bowling green is ready for action. And it’s in better form than ever before. The new green, set for a dedication on March 17, features a specialized artificial turf manufactured in Australia. The turf utilizes a non-directional yarn pattern that allows a lawn bowl (that’s bowl, not ball, for the uninitiated lawn bowler) to follow its own natural course. The half-inch deep turf is infilled with more than 20 tons of special silicon sand, and underneath that is four inches of very small aggregate. Just before bowlers take to the green, water sprinklers are turned on for about five minutes, which packs down the sand under the turf, resulting in a firm surface with a bit of “give” — much like walking along wet sand at the ocean’s edge. Lawn bowling is a sport in which the goal is to roll slightly asymmetric balls, called “bowls,” closest to a smaller, usually white, bowl called the “jack.” It’s a fairly old game, traced back to 13th century London. Today the game is popular throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Denmark, Hong Kong and parts of the United States. It is also gaining popularity in Japan. 48 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Although city records are a bit vague, lawn bowling enthusiast Bill Hiscock believes the first Coronado green may have been at the corner of Sixth and D, where a city tennis court is now situated. Shortly thereafter it was moved to its present location of Seventh and D, opposite what is now the Senior Center. Earlier the building was the City’s Recreation Department and may have been constructed as the Lawn Bowling Clubhouse. Hiscock led the campaign for the resurrection of the lawn bowling green, which had fallen into disrepair in the 1990s and was then used as staging area for the library construction project from 2003 through 2005. He looks back to a long history of the Lawn Bowling Club in the city. “The club was closed down during World War II because the war so impacted Coronado,” Hiscock said. “But it reopened after the war. In the 1950s, travel was harder and club members didn’t travel all around the nation and the world like we do today. But I found a photo showing that the club was in a national tournament in Washington State and they won a tournament in Santa Ana.” Hiscock first discovered lawn bowling when he came to California in 1951. “I rented an apartment a block south of Wilshire in Los Angeles, and the Santa

Monica Lawn Bowling Club was right there. Donald Douglas, the guy who founded the Douglas Aircraft Company in Santa Monica in 1921 (remember those DC-3s), gave that block to the city for a park and a lawn bowling club was put in there.” Hiscock has competed in tournaments all over the world, including New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia, the latter country boasting 800,000 lawn bowlers out of a population of 23 million. There are four lawn bowling clubs in San Diego County — Coronado, Joslin Lake Hodges, San Diego (in Balboa Park) and Oaks North (in Rancho Bernardo). At the conclusion of the library construction, Hiscock was surprised to hear that a meeting was scheduled with the city to discuss possibly eliminating the green. He sprung into action and within a few days had 300 signatures on an informal petition to support lawn bowling. Today, there are 77 dues-paying members of the Coronado Lawn Bowling Club “and we have a long list of people who want to try a lesson,” said Hiscock, who will be offering “Introduction to Lawn Bowling” classes this spring through Coronado’s adult education. There are two reasons he loves the sport. “First, it’s very competitive,” he explains. “In golf, you are really playing against yourself. No matter where you hit your ball, you’re not going to affect the other fellow and where he hits his ball. In lawn bowling, you can come up and hit the other guy’s bowl away from the jack. So the game changes, the lead changes and it’s exciting. “It’s also very genteel and social. You never ‘boo!’ You always praise your opponents. Inside, you might hope he doesn’t make it, but outside you’re always a lady or gentleman.”

In tournament play, those ladies and gentlemen always wear “whites,” meaning white shirts and pants; players usually follow through with white hats and shoes, too. Typical teams are “triples,” and are usually mixed. There’s no distinction between men and women with teams

from left: Rob Crenshaw, Mike Woiwode and Bill Hiscock are ready to roll on Coronado’s new green.

selected by lots. “Draw games are the heart and soul of local bowling clubs,” Hiscock said. “One day you’ll pick a champion as a partner and you’ll think you’re really good.” A tentative schedule at the green offers game play on Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 10 a.m.; Thursday, 3 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. and Sunday, 2 p.m. Whites are required on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Recently, the Island Beer Club — an informal group of guys who graduated from Coronado High School in bygone years — came down to the club to try out the sport. “The beer guys caught on incredibly well,” Hiscock said approvingly. “They actually played a game and had fun.” Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 49

from left: Rob Crenshaw, Mike Woiwode and Bill Hiscock are ready to roll on Coronado’s new green.

Another something to look forward to in your old age! by Kris Grant After experiencing the miracle of Lasik surgery in 2005, I must admit I had been remiss in not scheduling annual eye exams. Why should I, I reasoned, since I now had near perfect distance and up-close vision; although I did need to get reading glasses in 2007 as my vision changed a bit. Then last October, those reading glasses broke plumb in two, the result of my wearing them draped around my neck and yanking them up to my face once too often.

checked before we ordered new frames, and luckily, Dr. Jim Owen, an optometrist who works with Dr. Cook, was available. Soon I was in the exam room, covering one eye and proudly rattling off the letters of the eye chart like a champ. Then we covered my left eye and Dr. Owen again asked me to read the smallest line on the chart that I could. “I can’t see the chart,” said I, chagrined at my fall from grace. And that’s when the good doc’s jaw dropped and in a snap we were nose to

So, after wearing one of the lenses as a monocle as I worked through my deadline editing, I made an appointment with George Grant, the optician who works in ophthalmologist Dr. Glenn Cook’s office, to order new frames. Good old George was none too pleased with my eyeglass “necklace,” and it wasn’t just that he didn’t care for my fashion statement. He said the foul things should be outlawed, as they caused more damage to glasses than just about anything, causing them to be cast hither and yon, so that adjustments were soon thrown out of kilter. He wisely suggested I get my eyes

nose in the exam chair. “Wo!” he whistled, quite impressed. “You’ve got a big cataract in that eye.” Couldn’t be, I protested. This wasn’t some old lady he was dealing with; I was a mere 57 years. “It happens,” he said. “While the norm tends to be older, we see quite a few people who have cataracts at your age. Sometimes it’s heredity.” Come to think of it, both my parents had had cataract surgery. A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s natural lens and symptoms can include blurry or clouded vision, poor night vision and sometimes halos around

50 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

lights. Cataracts are the leading cause of loss of vision in adults 55 and older; by age 65 years, more than 50 percent of humans worldwide have cataracts, and by age 75 nearly everyone has a cataract. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. I had noticed in recent weeks how blurry my vision was in my right eye. As I was driving, I’d sometimes cover my left eye for a second or two and be amazed that I couldn’t see the cars on the road ahead. (Don’t tell the CHP). But vision changes tend to build day by day so you don’t really notice them. I convinced myself that my distance vision had always been that bad in that eye, and that I hadn’t noticed it because the Lasik surgery in my left eye did all the distance work. (Funny how the brain works – it just flips over to whatever eye has the better vision and ignores the other guy.) Okay, so I’ve got myself a cataract. Now what? Fortunately, cataracts are highly treatable with surgery and with today’s intraocular lenses, vision can be nearly fully restored. Dr. Owen then referred me to Dr. Cook for surgical consultation. In my pre-operative meeting, Dr. Cook explained that cataract surgery would be an outpatient procedure, taking only a few minutes for the surgery, and that I’d have no pain whatsoever. Dr. Cook, who performs about 700 cataract surgeries a year, explained that after he removed the cataract, he could insert a lens to correct my nearsightedness in that eye. Did I want that? Well, yeah! Once again, my vision would be 20-20 and those reading glasses would be history. Cataract surgery runs about $3,300, although some of the cost will be covered by insurance, the amount varying by the insurance policy you have in effect.

So, fast forward to surgery day. I arrived at 6:20 a.m. at Grossmont Surgical Center. (Dr. Cook also does a lot of cataract surgery right at Sharp Coronado Hospital.) By 7 a.m. I was lying down in the operating room, wearing a delightful gown and booties.

I took a pill for relaxation, had a few drops put in my eyes and said hello to Dr. Cook. Then, the next thing I knew, it was 8 a.m., and I’m awake and a bit groggy, with a bandage over the eye and wearing some charming wrap-around sunglasses. My friend and morning chauffeur, Trish, and I were soon on our way to breakfast at nearby D. Z. Akin’s. (Did I mention that there was no food or water the night before?) And despite the three cups of coffee I downed, the remainder of the day found me sawing logs. The next day, I removed the bandage, saw that my vision was back to normal and I dutifully began the regimen of applying eye drops (antibacterial, anti-inflammatory) two and three times a day. It constantly amazes me to realize the advances that have been made in eye care, dental care and overall health care. I’m quite glad I was born in the middle of the 20th century. Hmmm…wonder what they’ll be saying about today’s medical procedures a hundred years from now? Be sure to email me… Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 51

50 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Up the

Amazon! By Patty Jepson

Last November my husband Bill and I embarked with a small group of Coronadans — Charlotte and Wes Harris, Sara and Lionel Rowe, Sherry and Ed Martin, Carolyn and Glenn Ayres — on an Oceania Cruise, one of my favorite cruise companies. Organized by Coronado travel agent Pat Flynn, the cruise began and ended in Miami and included travels throughout the Caribbean. But for ten days we cruised the Amazon River, the longest river in the world.

52 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Oceania’s ships are thankfully and luxuriously smaller than the mega-cruise ships that carry up to 3,000 passengers. Our ship maxed out at 600 passengers, almost all of them adults. Oceania’s ships don’t have the water slides and rock climbing walls that cater to young kids. But for us older kids, there were plenty of fun events — costume parties and a big celebration for those “pollywogs” crossing the equator for the first time, complete with King Neptune and his trident commanding the seas and issuing certificates to the novitiates.

Photo: Werner Zotz, courtesy Embratur’s Image Bank

Cruising the Amazon River

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Up the

Amazon! By Patty Jepson

52 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Photo: Werner Zotz, courtesy Embratur’s Image Bank

Cruising the Amazon River

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 53

The ship featured four restaurants, the Terrace buffet and a large formal dining room offering breakfast, lunch and dinner; Toscana, offering fine Italian fare and the Polo Grill, offering steaks and chops. Casual dress was the norm, although there was one “dressy” night, which translates to a nice shirt and no blue jeans. Makes packing pretty easy! We enjoyed classes in computers, advanced computer, bridge and bridge lessons, a wonderful Canyon Ranch spa, a workout gym with lessons in Pilates and yoga, a full service beauty salon, onboard shopping and a Las Vegas-style casino. Going up the Amazon has always seemed so dark and mysterious to me… something one reads about in adventure fiction novels. I never dreamed that it would be accessible by a large cruise ship! But aboard the Regatta, we cruised

the Amazon for 10 days. The entrance to this famous river resembles more of a lake than a river, as there is no land in sight. I kept saying impatiently, “When are we going to get to it?” and discovered we had been cruising on the river for most of the day. With the Southern Hemisphere’s seasons reversed from ours, we were there in the height of the summer, although I don’t believe the temperatures change all that much year-round. After one day of cruising, we arrived in Santarem, the customary stop for cruise ships entering the river. It’s a fairly large city with a sprinkling of farms on the outskirts. The harbor bustles with dockworkers, many are doing container type commerce. In the city of Santarem, there seems to be a standard dress for the young set:

Photo: Werner Zotz, courtesy Embratur’s Image Bank

Traveling the Amazon

54 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

girls wear tight jeans and high heels. There must be a special talent to be able to walk just a few steps in some of these styles, much less the blocks of shopping on the main avenues. Men are dressed in styles we see in Coronado — baggy shorts, Nike tennis shoes and brandname tops. We could have been in downtown Los Angeles. Further down the river as we stopped into a small port, several of us signed on for a “zipline” tour where we toured the rainforest from a height of 90 feet — right above and in some places “in” the tree canopy — an ideal vantage point to survey monkeys, parrots and all the flora of the area. Attached to a harness, I soared over the rainforest’s treetops from one platform to the next. The foliage was so dense below that I’m sure I saw places where human beings have never stepped. Traveling deeper into Brazil is easiest done by small boats and we left the Regatta for a small riverboat. The river we traveled on was the Tapajo, a major

tributary to the Amazon. We learned about Brazil, the Amazon and its people from our onboard tour guide, a professor of English and South American history, who brought a special understanding and appreciation to everything we saw. He introduced us to the “Riberinhos,” or river people here who are a mixture of Tapajos Indian, Portuguese and Spanish. We began to notice extreme changes as we left port cities behind. Little rural dwellings are built on stilts, necessary to make way for the mighty river, which swells to enormous heights during the rainy season. The rickety wood

top: The Meeting of the Waters is a phenomenon where the waters of two rivers run side by side without mixing for a length of over 6 km “Mama” and her husband were pleased to welcome us to their humble home.

above: Santarém with its white sandy beaches lapped by crystal clear waters of the Tapajos Photos: Werner Zotz, courtesy Embratur’s Image Bank

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 55

Photo: Werner Zotz, courtesy Embratur’s Image Bank

Traveling the Amazon

54 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

above: Santarém with its white sandy beaches lapped by crystal clear waters of the Tapajos Photos: Werner Zotz, courtesy Embratur’s Image Bank

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 55

Be it ever so humble...Mama’s family of 12 sleep inside this little house on hammocks suspended from the walls. The family homestead is perched above the Tapajo River; the rainforest looms largely in the background

shacks are usually no bigger than our two-car garages. Cows, goats and chickens roam freely, not to mention some of the largest black pigs I have ever seen: I say, “Throw a saddle on them and you’ll have your ground transportation!” Here, though, there really isn’t much in the way of ground transportation, except for a few horses. As we mosey down the river, fishing off the side of our boat — for piranha! — I notice a small boy washing his horse in the river. (What could his parents be thinking?) Our guide assures us that piranha only attack humans if there is an open wound. (But still!) A canoe is usually tied up next to the river dwellings and we come to learn that river travel is the main highway of this area; even children go to school by canoe. It was low tide as we tied up just below one of the river homes. Our director, who spoke fluent Portuguese, inquired of one 56 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

of the families if the American travelers could visit their home to better understand life in Brazil. With big smiles and waves, they invited us to come ashore. Only a handful of us, myself included once again, were willing to walk the gangplank up the embankment. It turned out that we were visiting on a very important holiday in Brazil — “Fiesta of the Immaculate Conception” is a bigger celebration than our Fourth of July. People were picnicking all along the river. So up the bank we went, greeted by an entire family of broad smiling faces. Inside the shack there is no electricity and no furniture. There is a front door, back door and one window, all without screens. “Mama” explains that the family of 12 all sleeps in hammocks and she shows us the hooks on the walls where the hammocks are suspended. The one small cupboard contains some storebought food, mostly rice and seasonings.

In the corner are very large bags of whole beans. A wood-fired stove is outside, where river water is boiled. Mama raises vegetables in a garden, elevated high so that the chickens won’t eat the veggies. An enclosed pen holds a half-dozen cows, all mooing loudly. There’s a basin of some beautiful fish and a horse tied to a stake. And there are millions of flies everywhere. Nearby I see the young boy who I had seen earlier washing his horse in the river. He has a big smile on his face and is swelling with pride. The home’s interior and exterior are all very neat and clean — even the shack’s dirt floor seems clean. Upon leaving, I notice the clothesline: shorts, bathing suits and lots of thong underwear. (Oh, those Brazilians!) The diet of the Riberinhos consists mainly of fish, manioc (a tapioca), flour, eggs, fresh fish, vegetables and fruit. One of the national dishes is called Feijoada, a stew made of chunks of beef, salted or

Cooking is done outdoors on a wood-fired stove.

smoked pork ribs, two varieties of sausage, bacon, beans, garlic and onions. Asking what sports they like, the kids respond: volleyball. Through our guide, I ask, “Well how about soccer,” and the translation comes back to me: “That’s a religion!” All to quickly, our daytrip has ended and it’s back to the “big boat.” I found the Riberinhos a very happy and healthy people, living in an extremely beautiful country. I look forward to visiting this part of the world again. Mama’s cows are confined within a nearby fenced pen; the constant mooing

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 57

Cooking is done outdoors on a wood-fired stove.

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 57

V ENI, VIDI, VINO !

Goodbye orange groves, hello grape vines California’s vineyards shoot out in all directions.

By Samantha Metzger

58 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

California: Home to Steinbeck, the “Governator,” lots of sunshine, and the crown jewel city itself. Add on to the Golden State’s myriad of unique qualities the fact that it accounts for 90% of the country’s wine production. And, if California was its own separate country (many would argue we may as well be!), it would be the world’s fourth largest wine producer. California first started producing wines in the 18th century when the Spanish missionaries began planting vineyards to make wine for religious Mass. When, a century later, the California Gold Rush brought waves of new settlers, the demand for wine increased. Chinese immigrants were largely responsible for the development of these regions, planting and harvesting vineyards and digging the underground cellars, until the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1890, which encouraged “white labor” instead. The budding industry took root in the northern California region, including Napa and Sonoma counties. Some of the country’s oldest vineyards reside in these areas. By the early 1900s, California boasted nearly 800 wineries and was growing almost 300 grape varieties. However, with the passing of the 18th amendment (a dark day for wine lovers) and Prohibition, the majority of the wineries were forced to uproot their vines and destroy their cellars. Some wineries were able to stay in business by switching production to grape juice, while others avoided the Prohibition laws by providing sacramental wines to churches. By the time 1933 rolled around (after suffering through the Great Depression sans wine…) and Prohibition was repealed, only about 140 wineries remained. Over time, however, the California wine industry bounced back stronger than ever. In 1976 California landed itself on the map for wine internationally. After being invited by the British, we entered the Judgment of Paris Wine Competition and, much to their shock and chagrin, beat out the French wines in both the white and red categories. Tres Magnifique! Today, our special state has become one of the premier wine regions in the world. Besides the rich history of California’s wine production, the weather we brag about to all those out-of-staters is responsible for making the state a perfect place to grow wine.

Caalilifo California forn rnia ia fir ffirst irst st started sta start rted ed producing wines in the 18th century

Above: Napa Valley — the state’s most famous wine producer left: Ripe clusters of Chardonnay grapes on a mature vine. Climate conditions in Sonoma and Carneros counties are ideal for creating superb Chardonnays. Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 59

V ENI, VIDI, VINO !

Goodbye orange groves, hello grape vines California’s vineyards shoot out in all directions.

By Samantha Metzger

58 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Caalilifo California forn rnia ia fir ffirst irst st started sta start rted ed producing wines in the 18th century

60 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

IMAGEARIUM/Curt H. Bentzinger

conditions that are perfect for creating superb Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. The cooler coastal region of Santa Cruz allows it to boast wonderful Pinot Noirs, and even some original wines from Marsanne, Rousanne, Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre vines. Another cool climate region is Monterey, which produces some great Pinot Noir, Reisling, and Chenin Blanc. The Santa Clara wine region puts forth luscious Cabernets and some award-winning Zinfandels as well. Paso Robles Wine Country is California’s fastest growing wine region. In 24 square miles, there are nearly 200 wineries and over 26,000 vineyard acres. Several wines from this region have gained national and international acclaim and awards, and wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr. wrote in Food & Wine magazine, “I believe the region

Dunning Vineyard in Paso Robles, California’s fastest growing wine region. IMAGEARIUM/Curt H. Bentzinger

Viticultural Areas (AVAs), which designate wine growing regions based on geographical conditions. (There are 172 designated AVAs in America — California has around 100 of them!) Areas closer to the Pacific that are not obstructed by mountain ranges have consistently cooler climates. The north coast, for example, has cool winds and fog that balance out heat and sun. Other areas near mountain ranges (such as some areas near Sonoma and Napa) have warmer climates without the cooling ocean breezes. These varying climates allow us to successfully grow an array of grapes. Drought can be a threat, but we generally receive enough rain throughout the wine growing regions to avoid any damage to vines. And, because our winters are so mild (75 degrees in February!?) we don’t risk frost damage either. We love the weather here and so do our grapes!

Tank room at Robert Hall Winery, Hwy 46 East, Paso Robles.

Santa Barara County produces sauvignons, reislings and Chardonnays.

Read on to see which delectable California wines you should enjoy based on the wide array of regions and climates: Because of its rich history and long-standing tradition, Napa Valley is definitely the state’s most famous and perhaps best wine producer. Some of the very best Chardonnays and Merlots come from this region, but its famed grape is Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa’s close neighbors, Sonoma and Carneros counties, have climate and soil

IMAGEARIUM/Curt H. Bentzinger

Curved vines grace the landscape in Santa Barbara county

photos this page courtesy Santa Barabare Conference and Visitors Bureau

Because we are such a geographically diverse state, we have a wide range of climates and soil quality that allows us to produce many varieties — and produce them well! California is separated into four wineproducing regions: southern, central, northern coastal, and the central valley. The state’s climate can generally be described as Mediterranean, but each region has specific climate and soil qualities that create optimal wine growing conditions. These are called American

Moonrise over Summerwood Winery, Paso Robles.

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 61

60 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

IMAGEARIUM/Curt H. Bentzinger

Dunning Vineyard in Paso Robles, California’s fastest growing wine region. IMAGEARIUM/Curt H. Bentzinger

Tank room at Robert Hall Winery, Hwy 46 East, Paso Robles.

Santa Barara County produces sauvignons, reislings and Chardonnays.

IMAGEARIUM/Curt H. Bentzinger

Curved vines grace the landscape in Santa Barbara county

photos this page courtesy Santa Barabare Conference and Visitors Bureau

Moonrise over Summerwood Winery, Paso Robles.

Spring 2010 • Coronado Lifestyle 61

IMAGEARIUM/Curt H. Bentzinger

already shows some of the most striking potential in all of California.” Another large producer of the central California Coast is San Luis Obispo County, home to 110 wineries and 26,400 acres of wine grapes — 8,600 of which are the region’s specialty, Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot is the runner up in terms of production, occupying 4,000 acres.

Edna Valley Vineyard, San Luis Obispo

The Santa Barbara County winegrowing region has almost 90 wineries and predominantly grows Chardonnay, which occupies about 8,000 acres. The delicious fruity, jammy Pinot Noirs that come from this region are planted across roughly 2,900 acres in the county. The region also produces some excellently crispy sauvignons and reislings. And, you need not even venture out of San Diego to experience some great California wines. We may be California’s smallest wine growing region, but we boast multiple microclimates and rich soils that put forth some delicious Chardonnays, Cabernets, and Zinfandels. With all these varieties and succulent wines to choose from right here in our own state, (over 60,000 California wine labels, to be exact), it’s no wonder that California ranks first in wine consumption in the United States. Keep up the good work!

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62 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Overlooking beautiful La Jolla, California

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IMAGEARIUM/Curt H. Bentzinger

Edna Valley Vineyard, San Luis Obispo

62 Coronado Lifestyle • Spring 2010

Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Overlooking beautiful La Jolla, California

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