Umbrella Local Connections – 4S RANCH Edition MAR 2022

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March 2022 | VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3

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Sitting on the Fence?

OPINION BY RAY SHAY

I wish I knew how to play the guitar instead of struggling to juggle. You can see Randy Koch is looking cool on the second floor while to his left Tina Wu is reading our 92127 Community Hub Paper®, Tu Nguyen is fishing and my oldest son Troy is demonstrating his yoga magic. The Shay team is illustrating what is happening in today’s housing market where people are sitting on the fence as they are not sure what to do.

That is our Client Care Manager Theresa Whitty and her husband Ed. They got off the fence. They made a decision and are all packed up and preparing to move closer to cool San Diego ocean breezes and salt scented sunsets.

See Sitting on the Fence page 2

Call Ray Shay!

Direct : 858-449-4970

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*All information in this publication is believed to be accurate but not guaranteed, if your home is currently listed with another REALTOR this is not a solicitation

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2022 | VOLUME |March, VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 7 | ISSUE 3

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RAY SHAY BROKER I OWNER DRE 01946504

Sitting on the Fence

Many of you likely recognized our Client Care Manager Theresa Whitty and her husband Ed carrying the moving box on the cover of our 92127 Community Hub Paper.

They deserve congratulations on getting off that fence and selling their 92127 home. They are now preparing to move Ed and Theresa Whitty west to enjoy beautiful salt scented sunsets and watch the sun disappear over the crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

I understand completely why people are on the fence and are reluctant to sell their homes. Many of them do not know where they are going to go or if they will be priced out of the market if they take a break on the sidelines. There are a variety of strategies to use, including listing your property with a seller’s contingency that allows you to find a replacement property before your home closes escrow.

This hesitation to sell your home is also understandable as the local housing market jumped up an astonishing 14% since January 1st of this year and the City of San Diego has been identified by the New York Post as the least affordable US city to purchase a home. We have officially passed San Francisco.

I am hopeful that by providing additional information including some highlights of the current market and proposition 19, it can provide you with additional information to make sure you are well-informed of options to help you make the right decision.

The below image provided by the San Diego Association of Realtors shows the median sales price increase of homes in 92127 for the last three years.

To people who are leaving the City of San Diego it is really a “no-brainer” to cash in your chips and get your $250,000 or $500,000 tax-free of capital gains, (consult with your financial advisor for details). I have encouraged some sellers to rent and not to sell their homes until they are sure they love their new homes in Tennessee, Texas, Montana or anywhere else they are moving too.

Keep in mind, the current rule for capturing these taxfree capital gains mentioned above is that you lived in your primary home for two out of the last five years.

That can give a potential seller additional time to make sure selling is the right decision. By renting, you may also qualify for a 1031 exchange to reduce your tax base when you do sell.

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 | March 2022

Another consideration to keep in mind is that under Proposition 19 you can sell your home and transfer the tax rate if you are 55 years old or disabled. There are other exceptions as well. I encourage you to thoroughly investigate the impact of these tax law changes that can greatly benefit you and your family.

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INCREASED HOME INVENTORY IS COMING?

When I started writing this article a few days ago, there were less than five homes for sale in all, 92127. In sixteen years In a recent home sale, our sellers used Prop 19 to avoid in real estate, I have paying about $18,000 a year in future taxes despite never witnessed such a moving up to an about 3 million dollar home. shortage of homes for sale. I also know that I have included the below image to highlight some positive “runs” do not details of Prop 19. It is not complete and just highlights last forever. To explain some information you may find helpful. Please visit the why I think more homes website below the image for complete details, and do will be hitting the marnot do anything until you get professional advice from ket shortly, let me recap your financial advisor or an attorney. two local homes we recently put into escrow.

We recently listed a very nice tract home on the south side of 4S Ranch for about 2.2 million dollars. We had to change the price to 2.6 million dollars as it entered into escrow.

A similar occurrence happened with a Del Sur home when the listing price jumped from about 2.4 million to $2,675,000.

The first home I am referring to was purchased about 12 years ago for under 900K. The news quickly spread about the approximate 1.6 million dollar windfall the sellers will be receiving. This gain has resulted in three additional homes in the area preparing their homes for market.

It will take time for the housing market to react, but more inventory historically reduces the prices of homes or will hopefully at least stabilize the market.

I know I covered a lot of information in this month’s paper, and I hope you find it helpful. Please seek professional guidance from a REALTOR ® you trust, as well as other financial consultants before making a decision.

It really is OK to sit on the fence because sometimes doing nothing is the right thing to do. I wish you the best and I think I am going to sign up for guitar lessons because I have found I certainly can not juggle!

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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3

The crew eating lunch.

The crew gathers in their lounge area (l to r): Steve Asaro, Captain Scott Fuller, Tim Troncone, and Lauren Thiel.

Captain Scott Fuller boarding the station’s fire truck.

Fire Station 18 serves both Normal Heights and Kensington.

Lauren Thiel stocking the kitchen pantry.

LUNCH AT FIRE STATION 18

Creativity and Careful Planning Go Into Crew Meals

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

It was a quiet, late morning at Fire Station 18 in Normal Heights, where two crew members had just returned with groceries from a nearby Vons.

One of them, firefighter Lauren Thiel, enjoyed a quick workout on gym equipment situated within the station’s roomy garage amid the presence of an imposing shiny-red fire truck. She would soon join firefighter and paramedic Tim Troncone inside the firehouse’s well-equipped kitchen to help prepare lunch for their four-member team.

On the menu was a veggie-loaded salad augmented with pollo asada. Thiel did the slicing and dicing while Troncone cooked the Mexican-seasoned chicken thighs on a new outdoor smoker-grill he recently secured from Dansons in Arizona.

Valued at around $1,000, he exclaimed, “It was a huge, awesome gift for the station that came after I had emailed them from their online donation page.”

As lunch came together amid a wide choice of commercial salad dressings, Captain Scott Fuller and guest engineer Steve Asaro credited Thiel and Troncone for often taking the culinary reins within this particular crew.

“They do most of the shopping and always have a plan,” said Fuller while pointing out that meal budgets at any fire station are always out-of-pocket. City employers do not foot the bills.

“We each pay $12 per shift, so we’re operating on a $48 budget every day based on lunch and dinner,” he said. “For breakfast we’re on our own.”

The station employs three divisions, with each crew working 24-hour shifts spanning up to four days at times.

Fuller further explained that $4 from their daily “chow fund” is earmarked for condiments and pantry items. The perishable ones are kept in a designated refrigerator known as “the condo fridge,” which takes in a host of spreads, dressings, pickles and jams purchased by other rotating divisions as well.

Food shopping occurs daily, and always with bargains in mind and coupon apps in hand.

“I go right to the sales in the stores,” said Asaro, who normally works at Fire Station 9 in La Jolla. “If we’ve been thrifty with our budget and have extra money to spend, I might look for sales on seafood and rib eye steaks—or chuck roast, which I’ll turn into a big batch of shredded beef for tacos or Mexican lasagna.”

Thiel says, “I’m more of a Sprouts person because of the better produce prices.” Although places such as Costco in Mission Valley and Panchos Villa’s Market in North Park are never ruled out.

As I lunched with the crew at a large, rectangular table in a dining area just off the kitchen, Thiel and Troncone had already planned the day’s dinner. It would be chicken stir-fry in coconut and sesame oils, and cooked in a wok with fresh ginger and veggies.

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Lauren Thiel gives the salad a final tossing.

bers. Thiel says she knew a little bit about cooking before becoming a firefighter, but that she learned a lot about timing techniques and food textures over the seven years she has worked at stations throughout the city.

Asado, too, learned mostly from experience on the job, although he absorbed some of the recipes made by his Sicilian grandmother when growing up. In addition, the workplace made him a fan of cast-iron cookware, which can be found in nearly every fire-station kitchen in San Diego, he said.

“I like using cast iron for making smash burgers and big breakfast scrambles,” he added while sorting through the station’s sizable collection of skillets.

Troncone, the youngest member of this team, learned his way around the kitchen from senior members on the job. And since the arrival of the new smoker, he’s been eagerly exploring its capabilities for making everything from kalua pork roast with pineapple to garlic bread and eggs.

As for the captain, Fuller joked that he’ll jump into the ring out of guilt when he sees his crew always doing the cooking. His specialty dish is Ecuadorian “seco,” which was taught to him by his mother-in-law.

It’s a chicken-based stew that incorporates cilantro, bell peppers, garlic and tomatoes.

“It’s phenomenal. The aromas permeate the entire station when I cook it,” he said while noting that his recipe also calls for a full can of beer.

The team’s culinary virtues and budget climb up a few notches during holidays and special occasions, when family members are invited to dine at the station.

“We go big for the holidays with prime roast, turkey or leg of lamb,” said Troncone.

Or for last year’s Superbowl, Thiel orchestrated a big spread consisting of chicken wings, jalapeno poppers, spring rolls, and nachos. Although for birthdays, the honoree is responsible for bringing in a cake or dessert, either store-bought or homemade.

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Steve Asaro shows off one of the station’s cast-iron skillets.

Tim Troncone tends to pollo asada at the station’s new grill.

in jalapeno-ranch dressing, the crew was called out for an emergency. I don’t know whether it was fire or medical-related since there was no time to ask.

Within seconds, we sprinted from the table to the garage. There, the team hopped into their overalls as Asaro took to the wheel of the fire rig. Then off they went, with lights flashing and siren activated.

Prior to our sudden departure, I asked specifically what happens in these scenarios when pasta is boiling on the stove, or if there is a roast cooking is in the oven? And what about when crew members are in the middle of grocery shopping?

“Everything in the kitchen gets turned off. We don’t leave anything on,” Fuller emphasized. As for meals that are barely consumed when emergencies arise, those plates are naturally abandoned with never any time for putting them in the fridge. “We have to write off that food as a loss,” he added.

Even while food shopping, Thiel says “We are always on duty. So I like to find someone who works at the grocery store to store away whatever we already picked out as we run out the door.”

Despite the abrupt ending to what was a relaxing lunch—and over a game of “firehouse cribbage” a few members played—these were among the most welcoming and skilled meal hosts anyone could ask for.

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 |

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ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY CARE Shedding Some Light on the Subject

Assisted Living Homes and Communities Assisted living as an alternative to living at home is a relatively new phenomenon. It began in the early 1980s when neighborhood residents began helping their elderly neighbors with anything from cooking and cleaning to showering and grooming as a way to help them avoid placement in the nursing home setting. Some neighbors started opening their homes to those elderly people living near them, offering to help them with all their activities of daily living, including showering, grooming, cooking, cleaning, and transportation to doctor’s visits and the grocery store, again to avoid these beloved aging neighbors being placed in nursing homes to live out their “golden years”.

Assisted living is now a heavily regulated industry in California through the Health and Human Services Agency and the Department Social Services. To operate an assisted living home or community, one must attend 80 hours of training and pass a stringent three-hour exam to gain their Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) Administrator license. Continuing education units must be maintained yearly to keep this certification current.

People enter assisted living homes and communities for a variety of reasons, the biggest of them being that they can no longer care for themselves in a safe and healthy manner at home (or alone) any longer. A typical scenario is one where an aging adult has suffered an illness or injury and has been taken to the hospital for treatment. From the hospital, they are usually discharged to a skilled nursing facility where they continue rehabilitation until they have attained their care plan goal or they reach a plateau (additional progress is unlikely), at which point they are discharged into the care of an assisted living home or community. Assisted or supportive living comes in all shapes and sizes – from the small 6-bed residential homes to the 200+ apartment style living in the larger communities. So how do you choose an assisted living home or community for yourself, or an aging loved one?

The best way to search for assisted living homes and communities is by working with a credential placement person or agency – specifically, look for Certified Senior Advisor (CSA). Local placement specialists are far more likely to have firsthand experience with the various homes and communities they may refer to you. They will speak with you about any care needs you or your loved one may have, budgetary constraints that must be adhered to and any geographic preferences that may be voiced. Once your placement specialist has gathered this necessary information, he or she will go about narrowing down the

over 600 RCFE options in San Diego County to a manageable 3-5 places. Often, a placement specialist will schedule the tours for you with these homes and communities and accompany you as you look at each of the suggested homes and/or communities selected. Your placement specialist is there to answer your questions and advocate for your best interests. If you choose to use online agencies, be advised that the person you are speaking to may not even live in the area you are interested in. They may not have firsthand knowledge nor experience with any of these homes and communities and you will be on your own when scheduling and going on tours of each place. One final note about working with an online agency when it comes to finding the right care setting for you or an aging loved one: once you or a family member has started down the path of working online, you may be hard pressed to find a local placement specialist who can then help you if you run into challenges or issues.

Memory Care When searching for memory care for a loved one, you want to be especially careful about who you are going to work with to find the right place for your loved one.

The type and severity of dementia is crucial to the placement process, which is why a thorough care discovery should be done by your placement specialist before any potential home or community is discussed. Some residential care homes will take residents with

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dementia while others may not have adequately trained staff nor an ideal living space to care for someone with dementia. Some communities may be unwilling to care for certain kinds of dementia due to the behaviors that typically accompany that kind of dementia. Therefore, it is imperative your placement specialist know the various RCFE providers – what they can care for, what they cannot care for, who they prefer as residents and who they will likely decline as a resident. This knowledge of memory care providers can mean the difference between a less stressful situation for you, the person searching for care, or a time consuming and often times disappointing series of rejections by the providers.

Whether you are looking into the independent living/assisted living communities for yourself, or an aging loved one, this journey of finding the right place is as unique as the individual looking for it. This is a “one size fits one” type of industry and don’t let anyone tell you differently. What may have worked for your neighbor, who went looking for independent living and assisted living community because she got tired of trying to keep up a 4-bedroom/3 bath/3200 square foot house, may not work for you. Furthermore, many of the larger communities offer their current residents a cash bonus or reduction in rent for referring a friend who ends up moving into the community. Just remember that there are many options when it comes to independent living, assisted living and memory care homes and communities from which to choose here in San Diego @LocalUmbrellaMedia

County. Allow an experienced, credentialed, and knowledgeable placement specialist work on your behalf to find exactly what you are looking for. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, most placement specialists are free of charge to you, the client. They are paid by the RCFE providers; utilize their knowledge and expertise to help you find that needle in the haystack that is the best fit for you or a loved one.

Resources https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/58/4/e260/5037052?login=false https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2019/07/26/despite-theirimportance-many-nursing-homes-lack-social-workers/?sh=b4a1ab12e5e9 https://www.alz.org/news/2021/new-alzheimers-association-reportexamines-racial

Aging Well Partners empower aging adults in finding vetted and trusted resources and services that meet their specific needs.

Local partners Certified Senior Advisors™ FREE SERVICE (619) 789-1839 agingwellpartners.com

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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3

DESSERT PARADISE

When Your Sweet Tooth Strikes, San Diego Renders the Goods Supreme carrot cake

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

From traditional to flamboyant, dessert options throughout San Diego offer a wide spectrum of flavors and textures that even restrained eaters can’t resist. Whether you are the type who enjoys an occasional sweet moment after dinner, or who savors confections before, after and in-between meals, save your guilt for later. Because we’ve summoned our sugar angles to steer us to some of the area’s most joyous desserts.

Twiggs Bakery & Coffeehouse, North Park (additional location in University Heights) 2804 Adams Ave.; twiggs.org

Dark chocolate marquis Parc Bistro-Brasserie, Bankers Hill 2760 Fifth Ave.; parcbb.com

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A tall-standing carrot cake and a strawberry-cream cake at Twiggs.

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Dark chocolate marquis at Parc Bistro-Brasserie.

Even if you’re indifferent to chocolate, this decadent puck of creamy chocolate mousse enrobed in dark chocolate will send your eyeballs rolling backwards. The endorphin rush occurs upon first bite, when the mousse and its delicate shell melts rapidly on the tongue. The experience intensifies when your fork hits the dark Oreo-like crust. As far as French restaurants go, this happy ending takes the cake.

Twiggs is a coffeehouse in the front, and a serious bakery in the back. The shop has been belting out retail and custom-made cakes since the early 1990s. Customers ever since consistently rate their carrot cake as the best in San Diego.

Available whole or by the slice, the cake stands tall and balances layers of tangy cream cheese frosting with a tamely sweet-tasting crumb. Walnuts in the batter give the cake a nice, toasted flavor. And if you’re a fan of strawberry-anything, you won’t go wrong with Twiggs’ strawberries-and-cream chiffon cake.

Oh My Cake’s apricot-yuzu macarons.

Puffles Boba Bar and Desserts, Kearny Mesa (additional locations in Kearny Mesa and National City) 4619 Convoy St.,

Spindrift cappuccino cobblestone pie The Marine Room, La Jolla 2000 Spindrift Drive; marineroom.com

Hand pies Pop Pie Co, University Heights (additional locations in Point Loma and Costa Mesa) 4404 Park Blvd.; poppieco.com

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A matcha puffle at Boba Bar and Desserts.

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Spindrift cobblestone pie at The Marine Room.

Crank up the decadence of Mississippi mud pie and you end up with the Marine Room’s version—and with close-up views of the ocean to boot. The dessert has been on the menu for a long time. It features a melange of hazelnuts, chocolate nuggets, and Maker’s Mark bourbon sauce. The restaurant’s newest executive chef, Mike Minor, has added his own touch to the dessert with tableside pour-overs of hot caramel.

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Several dessert pies share the menu with the savory ones at Pop Pie Co.

Sure, we love the round mini pies as well as the nine-inch whole ones at this popular eatery. But the “hand pies” are as wonderfully utilitarian as sliced bread. Shaped like half moons, their all-butter crusts are filled with either guava and cream cheese, or lemon curd and mixed berries. We’re partial to the latter, which offers a tangy bouquet of citrus, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. They are the perfect portable desserts when you’re on the go.

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These bubbled-surfaced egg waffles are a staple on the streets of Hong Kong. Here, they serve as partial cones to a plethora of sweet ingredients such as vanilla or chocolate custard, cheesecake bites, graham crackers, marshmallows, tropical fruits and more. In the case of “The Perfect Matcha,” the puffle contains green tea and it’s complemented by matcha-vanilla custard, red bean, and condensed milk drizzle. It’s a toothsome Far-East iteration of an American sundae.

Blood orange cupcakes Babycakes, Hillcrest (additional location in Imperial Beach) 3795 Fourth Ave., babycakessandiego.com

Stuffed macarons Oh My Cake, Hillcrest 3650 Fifth Ave.; ohmycakecalifornia.com A single display case inside Pappalecco’s in Hillcrest shows off an inventory of fine desserts created by Ukrainian pastry chef Daria Nadar.

The lineup includes double-stuffed macarons capturing such ingredients as fresh fruit purees, cream, yuzu, and toffee. Understandably, they are big sellers. As of early March, Nadar has committed to donating 25 percent of all sales to organizations providing aid to Ukrainian refugees. /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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Babycakes offers the best blood orange cupcakes in town.

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 | Amid a plethora of fabulous cupcake flavors that include tres leches, chocoholic, lemon Bavarian, and pistachio is the unbeatable blood orange creation. It has been a hands-down favorite over the years thanks to how tastefully the citrus infuses the white cake. The raspberry center is a surprise bonus. And cream cheese frosting with an orange slice on top seals the deal. The shop also makes custom and signature cakes for all occasions.

Banana cream pie Urban Plates, La Jolla (additional locations in Del Mar and Carlsbad) 8707 Villa La Jolla Drive; urbanplates.com

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This gluten-free treasure is a well-engineered layering of vanilla cake, mascarpone mousse, and bright-tasting raspberry mousse. There’s a unified play of flavors in every bite: sweet, tangy, and fruity. A plethora of other fine desserts can be found here as well, such as chocolate domes, espresso-buttercream opera cake, and classic crème brulee.

Princess Kaiulani cheesecake Extraordinary Desserts, Little Italy (additional location in Bankers Hill) 1430 Union St.; extraordinarydesserts.com

By Frank Sabatini Jr.)

Toran Grays shows off his latest pudding flavors.

The ultimate cinnamon roll Cardellino, Mission Hills 4033 Goldfinch St.; cardellinosd.com

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Irresisitable banana-cream pies from Urban Plates.

This modern-casual eatery cranks out individual-size banana cream pies deserving of a blue ribbon. Their graham cracker crusts are vessels for ripe bananas, scratch-made caramel sauce, vanilla-bean pastry cream, and fresh whipped cream. Chocolate shavings serve as a poetic garnish.

Red Berry mascarpone Figaro Dessert Cafe, North Park 3011 University Ave.; figarodesserts.com

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Red berry mascarpone.

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Luscious Princess Kaiulani cheesecake at Extraordinary Desserts.

If you’re lucky enough to sink your choppers into this masterpiece, you’ll end up with mouthfuls of mildly sweetened cream cheese, caramelized pineapple, and coconut cream held together by a gluten-free cookie crust. Pop down one of the tropical blooms garnishing the top to add a floral note to the flavor profile. The cake rotates sporadically through the cafe’s vast repertoire based on the availability of ingredients.

When it comes around, it can be ordered whole or purchased by the slice.

Banana pudding

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Extraordinary Banana Pudding, La Mesa 8257 El Paso St.; extraordinarybananapudding. com In what is considered the only shop in the U.S. that exclusively sells pudding to go, we find entrepreneur Toran Grays giving us a taste of his late great-grandmother’s recipes. Yes, the banana pudding made with whole milk, light cream, and wafer cookies is dreamy. But so are all of his other flavors, which include lemon, butterscotch, pistachio, coconut, chocolate, and more. The puddings are sold in 8 and 12-ounce containers, as well as 12-x-12-inch trays.

Cardellino’s ultimate cinnamon roll.

If you want to go straight to the sweet stuff during brunch at Cardellino (9 AM to 2:30 PM Saturdays and Sundays), then look no further than this sinful cinnamon roll. It’s a far cry above what you’ll find at malls and airports, thanks to the additions of pecan ice cream, bean glaze, and currants. The menu changes monthly, so there’s no guarantee this gem will stick around past the end of March. (We vote that it does.)

| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 1

HOMEMADE ENGLISH MUFFINS FOR EASTER BRUNCH

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Homemade English muffins can elevate your Easter breakfast, or brunch, and they are not difficult to make. And making the homemade version can be a family affair that can include multiple generations.

If there are any left after your Easter brunch, they can be used to make homemade egg sandwiches. Easter is April 17, but these muffins can add to any weekend breakfast or saved for a workday on-the-go sandwich.

While labelled as English the history of the muffin, or toaster crumpet, is credited to a British ex-pat, Samuel Bath Thomas. According to a story by Anna Goldfarb in kitchn, published Sept. 26, 2019, Thomas invented the “English muffin” in his bakery in the New York City neighborhood of Chelsea in 1874.

Thomas’ muffins differed from the traditional crumpet---his were drier and flatter and produced the “nooks and crannies” that most consumers like for holding runny egg yolks, jams such as Jackie’s Jams, or jellies.

In Southern California some might prefer a “hot” jelly such as jalapeno. Or, for adventurous cooks making their own champagne jelly to add a fancy touch to their menu.

The recipe can be adapted to a vegan version by using a milk substitute and coconut oil.

Ingredients: 1 cup of milk (or a vegan substitute), 2 tablespoons of white sugar, 1 cup of warm water, 1 pack of active dry yeast, ¼ cup of melted shortening (or preferred vegan substitute), 6 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon

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Photos by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

salt, and ¼ cup of cornmeal.

Directions: warm the milk, add sugar, and let cool. Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a bowl. Let stand for about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the milk, yeast mixture, shortening and 3 cups of flour. Beat until smooth.

Add the rest of the flour and salt. Knead, Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place, covered by a small kitchen towel, until it doubles in size for about an hour.

Punch down the dough. Roll out to about ½ inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter, glass, or

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round cookie cutter—cut out the rounds.

Sprinkle waxed paper with cornmeal and let rise for about ½ hour. Dust both sides with cornmeal.

Heat greased griddle, transfer the muffins from the wax paper to the griddle, and cook for about 10 minutes on each side at medium heat.

Either serve warm or cool and store for future use.

Some prefer whole wheat flour, others like the Portuguese version which use eggs in the recipe, and some cooks like to bake theirs in the oven at 325 degrees monitoring for preferred golden or light brown tone.

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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3

BUYER AND SELLER BEWARE: DON’T FALL FOR FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE SCAMS

Neighborhood Publications Reaching Over 125,000 San Diego Area Mailboxes Every Month!

Facebook is a platform where you can seemingly get it all: updates about your friends, cute baby pics, news stories or romantic dates. But its marketplace, where people go to quickly buy and sell merchandise, is also a place fraught with scams.

One billion users buy and sell goods on Facebook Marketplace each month. Unfortunately, like with most things in life, there are bad actors ready to take advantage of a technology for their own financial gain. Scams are an unfortunate reality on any selling platform.

Oftentimes the scam is one we’ve seen before but made new using this new service.

Here are Facebook Marketplace scams to be aware of:

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Fake vehicle listings • Same type of scam as phone apartment listings in which the bad actor asks for a deposit or payment up front.

• In this scam the scammer does not own the car and does not intend to provide it.

• They may claim the vehicle has eBay purchase protection, but this only applies to vehicles bought on eBay.

Shipping insurance scam • This scam occurs where the buyer agrees to buy an item and pay for the shipping if seller pays for the insurance.

• The phony buyer then generates a fake shipping invoice from UPS/USPS/FedEx and often quotes $50-100 shipping insurance.

• Once the seller pays the buyer the insurance, they never hear from the buyer again.

Fake home and apartment listings

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• Scammers pose as property agents, owners or landlords to post properties they have no right to sell or rent.

• They then use high pressure tactics to get the victim to send money, such as “this is a hot market,” “I have tons of bidders,” “If you send the deposit or down payment now, I can reserve you the apartment.”

• Sometimes they use properties they know are unoccupied and invite the buyer to view the property without them. Use caution if you cannot get into a property.

• To protect yourself, use

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CONTRIBUTORS JEN COBURN | MANNY CRUZ JENNY WERTH | KINSEE MORLAN AMANDA PETERSON MARLISE KAST-MYERS RON DONOHO CAROL HOLLAND LIFSCHITZ J.C. GROSS | MOLLY GALLIHER LULU ACOSTA PHOTOGRAPHY DAWN SEBAUGH NICKY INCANDELA FARIMA TABRIZI SOCIAL MEDIA FARIMA TABRIZI

Connection – Creativity – Community

Stealing your information scam • Once a seller or buyer agrees on a purchase, the other party claims they want to verify your ID to protect themselves.

• They will ask for your personal identifying information, which can be used to create fake

S UMMER 2 0 2 1

MIND BODY SOUL Revival Issue

©2021 COPYRIGHT BY INSPIRED MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Wild Wish Living MI ND B ODY SO UL S UMME R 2021

Local Umbrella Media Newspaper Publications are printed monthly and distributed freely throughout San Diego County. Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher.

Local Umbrella Media is not responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented in the newspaper. Local Umbrella Media Newspaper Publications are produces and published by Local Umbrella Media, and no part of this publication bay be reproduced or transmitted without permission of the publisher.

Elevating you to your highest potentialherein by DISCLAIMER: Paid advertisements contained are not endorsed or nurturing your mind, body, soul connection. recommended by publisher; therefore, publisher shall not be held liable for business practices of advertisers. Publisher not liable for images accepted in good faith.

verified real estate services.

• Use Google reverse image search to see if the property is posted elsewhere.

• Do not pay without signing paperwork.

By District Attorney Summer Stephan

A Unique Urban Community On Olive

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Get Your Summer Glow Listen to Your Heart

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accounts, to obtain credit in your name or to answer questions if they try to hack into your online accounts.

• The fraudster may tell you that you’ll receive a text code to your phone number and ask for the code to verify who you are.

The scammer then uses your number as verification or set up a Google Voice number connected to your phone number.

It may be a scam if • If you are asked to switch to a different platform, such as text or WhatsApp, it may be a scam.

• If the deal is too good to be true, the goods may very well be fake, broken, stolen or non-existent.

• Being asked to pay via gift card or cryptocurrency is a red flag.

Facebook Marketplace is convenient and useful platform, but make sure you are aware of common scams, so you don’t get defrauded. Remember, when meeting in person to exchange goods and payment, be sure it is in a lighted, public and safe space. Also, consider using Facebook Messenger’s “checkout” feature, which keeps a record of all transactions.

As your District Attorney, I’m committed to increasing communication and accessibility between the DA’s Office and the public. I hope these consumer and public safety tips have been helpful.

COMING T0 SAN DIEGO SPRING 2022!!

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 |

9

MY JOURNEY TO WELLNESS

By Karen Lustman

On April 2011 I missed a 2” step and fell like a ton of bricks. I landed on the hard concrete, hitting my head, my elbows, and my knees.

I was stunned. I couldn’t move. I thought I was paralyzed. For years the pain remained, but oddly it moved from place to place although it was always most prevalent in my knees. The sensations were never ending but took various forms. A hammer pounding on my knees, worms running over my kneecaps. Hot flashes in my legs. Ice cold blue knees. Pain in my feet so bad it was nearly impossible to walk. Cramps that felt like vices turning every muscle in my legs. Electrical shocks from my feet to my thighs.

Tree trunk legs, so heavy I dragged them when I walked. A touch of a hand or a skirt on my knees would send a shock wave through my entire body.

For seven years I saw doctor after doctor. Pain management, acupuncture, physical therapy, epidurals many pills, and even the insertion of a spinal cord stimulator that was supposed to mask the pain. And more prescription medicines. Last count, I was up to six 800 mg Gabapentin a day. The closest I came to fully understanding what was going on with me was through a neurologist who conducted 6 MRIs. I was diagnosed with Heredity Spastic Paraplegia Syndrome which affects my ability to walk, maintain balance, vision and communications.

I struggle with words. Shadows, patterns, and uneven pavement trips me up and I use a cane when necessary…but I do rock it.

On one particularly bad day, my husband and I were visiting our daughter and sonin-law in San Diego. Knowing me as the fun loving, always active, lady he’d known for decades, my son-in-law could tell my pain level was too much to bear. Bob was a passionate pot aficionado and invited me to join him in the garage where he kept the same bong he had had since high school.

I had never smoked marijuana as a teenager, and I felt that doing so would lead to no good.

However, I was in so much pain I was willing to try anything.

Not knowing what to do, I put my entire mouth over the nasty bong and breathed in the smoke. I coughed and spewed and took in too much, however within a minute my pain was gone. It was a miracle. And I was higher than a kite. After many hours of the euphoric feeling, my high wore off and I was once again mired in the pain and anger of missing my life.

This experience was an epiphany. But how could I enjoy the relief from pain without being high? I had to go to work, I had to be responsible, so I had to find my own medicine because no other option worked for me.

I started talking to anyone who knew anything about cannabis. I attended workshops, I studied products, I followed physicians and CEOs of cannabis companies to constantly keep myself informed.

I spent time with budtenders and thought of the dispensary as my pharmacy.

I took certification classes though UCI’s Physician’s Council on Cannabis and Healer.Com. I used numerous products and ruled out many but finally found the products that fit my needs. Five years later, I still maintain that same regimen to control my pain.

During this time, I became a true advocate for other seniors, advising them as to my findings and how cannabis as medicine could be right for them.

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Senior-High was founded, and five years later I still maintain that cannabis should be legalized and should be available for all who are in need of medications without harm. As cannabis becomes legal throughout the United States and the rest of the world, and as the population of seniors continues to increase, it’s time an educational resource that promotes the medicinal values of cannabis products that address the ailments that come with aging.

And we welcome them all to Senior-High, which offers seminars, one-on-one consultations, a store that carries CBD products we have personally found helpful for ailments ranging from aches and pains to insomnia, factual articles, blogs, videos, podcasts and other resources to provide the information so many seniors desire.

It’s my heartfelt ambition to share my journey to wellness so seniors seeking a healthy alternative to prescription medications that may deliver dangerous side effects can make an educated choice. I, like a growing number of seniors throughout America, are discovering cannabis products may offer a safe, effective, and enjoyable path to once again feeling good.

/LocalUmbrellaMedia

@LocalUmbrellaMedia

Senior-High was created

by Karen Lustman to gather information about cannabis products and how they can help active adults alleviate specific health issues, disseminate factual information about these products to seniors, and help our communities in which medical cannabis is legal enjoy safe, effective medicinal alternatives to expensive and occasionally dangerous pharmaceuticals.

Frustrated with the lack of information available to consumers who use legal products to help with disease, chronic pain, and inflammation, Karen decided to partner with the people she trusts…the medical community that studies cannabis, the health care providers that prescribe it to their patients, and the seniors who know what really works for them.

Armed with a laptop, an AARP membership and a Medical Marijuana card, Karen and her team are determined to gather and share the latest developments and experiences from people like you who have found relief of pain and discomfort by using cannabis

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10

| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 7 | ISSUE 3 March, 2022 | VOLUME

e n i G r a r t o c ve e N TINA AFTER DARK

Spring is around the corner! During this time of year, something in the air always seems to inspire me to start eating healthier.

When I used to live in Leucadia, I loved visiting Nectarine Grove.

When I mention that name the first thing that comes to mind for many locals is the café’s popular gluten-free cinnamon roll. They are giant swirls of sweet and gooey cinnamon topped with frosting. But besides the delicious baked goods, Nectarine Grove is focused on food created with a lot of love and catering to health enthusiasts and those following a paleo, vegan or keto diet. The café is organic and 100% gluten-free.

Nectarine Grove doesn’t mess around when it comes to the ingredients– everything is sourced from local farms near San Diego or LA. The produce is fresh, the portions are very filling, the price is right.

I was overjoyed when I learned the cafe opened up a second location in Del Mar’s Flower Hill Promenade. With a simpler menu than the original location, the new café will specialize in just the gluten-free baked goods, coffee and tea as well as select all-day breakfast dishes such as chilaquiles and the Morning Glory Bowl with vegan bacon, Japanese sweet potatoes, garnet yams, portobello mushrooms, avocado and sautéed spinach and leeks in a chipotle cashew sauce. That’s my current favorite bowl because the weather now is just not quite warm enough for me to chow down a big serving of salad just yet. Best part of

all is they recently launched their new and long-awaited gluten-free croissant, topped with a chocolate drizzle.

If you visit the Del Mar location, you can plan to have a late Sunday brunch and stroll the Flower Hill Promenade. However, the Leucadia location has a slightly bigger menu with incredible chicken with fries, and you can enjoy a long afternoon walk on the famous Beacon’s beach after. Check out both locations, they are both worth the visit!

For more information visit nectarinegrove.com

Tina Wu

Realtor® CalDRE #02070656

Direct: (760) 473-8649

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 | March 2022

DID YOU KNOW É

WE GRANTED OVER $300,000 TO YOUTH PROGRAMS AND SCHOOLS IN OUR COMMUNITY

JOIN IN ON THE FUN É BECOME A MEMBER CALL THERESA @ 858.776.1670 FOR MORE INFO

Hey Boss, Guido and I have been getting all the 92127 community updates ready for you. First off, there are a few new store openings coming soon in the 4S Commons, some of the names include the Mayweather Boxing+Fitness by Panera as well as the famous boba shop called TeaSpoon near Jamba Juice. Coastal Medical Aesthetics is another store coming soon in the Del Sur Town Center where they focus on botox, laser, and fillers. So exciting to see businesses doing well. Guido and I are rooting for you!

Yesterday Guido was laughing when he saw that we were doing a spoof on Yellowstone for the Ralph shopping carts. Can’t wait to see it on my next grocery run.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainian people.

Da Mole is out!

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11 11

12

| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3

YOUR 92127 COMMUNITY EXPERTS

TM

SOLD DEL SUR DAYS ON MARKET

PRICE PER SQ FT

1,858

5

$597.42

$1,110,000 2/9/22

2

1,692

3

$916.08

$1,550,000 2/28/22

3

3

1,796

31

$807.35

$1,450,000 2/15/22

15775 Kristen Glen

5

5

3,824

14

$706.07

$2,700,000

TWNHSE 8491 Christopher Ridge Terrace

3

3

1,878

5

$591.05

$1,110,000 2/17/22

NEIGHBORHOODS

STYLE

VERIDAN

ATT

16485 Veridian Circle

4

4

AUBERGE

ATT

8171 Auberge Circle

3

AUBERGE

DET

7954 Lusardi Creek Lane

PRESIDIO

DET

MONDOLIN

ADDRESS

BEDS BATHS EST SF

SOLD PRICE

CLOSE DATE

2/7/22

BRIDGEWALK

DET

8425 Kern Crescent

4

3

1,961

1

$701.17

$1,375,000

3/7/22

VALENCIA

DET

8479 Mathis Place

4

3

3,137

0

$473.38

$1,485,000

2/2/22

3

3

1,711

2

$731.15

$1,251,000 2/16/22

5

3

2,829

5

$742.31

$2,100,000

3

3

1,855

6

$673.85

$1,250,000 2/23/22

DAYS ON MARKET

PRICE PER SQ FT

BRIDGEWALK DET 8325 Katherine Claire Lane SOLD 4S RANCH KENSINGTON DET 16053 Paseo Montenero SUR 33

ATT

16755 Coyote Bush Drive 12

2/7/22

SOLD 4S RANCH ADDRESS

BEDS BATHS EST SF

SOLD PRICE

CLOSE DATE

NEIGHBORHOODS

STYLE

AMANTE

DET

10516 Hollingsworth Way

3

3

1455

0

$721.65

$1,050,000 2/1/22

SUMMERWOOD

DET

9914 Fieldthorn Street

3

3

1410

13

$766.31

$1,080,500 2/28/22

MAYBECK

DET

17312 Eagel Canyon Way

4

5

3438

0

$647.18

$2,225,000 3/8/22

LOCAL MARKET SNAPSHOT - 92127 FEB 2021

New Listings Pending Sales Closed Sales Median Sales Price Days on Market

FEB 2022

40 37 31 $1,750,000 25

% CHANGE

27 29 18 $2,220,750 29

-32.5% -21.6% -41.9% +26.9% +16.0%

Current as of FEB 2022.

All data from the San Diego MLS. Report © 2022 ShowingTime. Percent changes are calculated using rounded figures.

Call Today For your FREE Home Market Valuation

Ray Shay REALTOR®

BROKER ASSOCIATE CALDRE#01354548 Ray@ShayRealtors.com Ray.ShayRealtors.com

DIRECT 858.449.4970 LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

OFFICE 858.449.7355 /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 |

YOUR 92127 COMMUNITY EXPERTS

TM

SOLD GATED COMMUNITIES DAYS ON MARKET

PRICE PER SQ FT

7700

9

$681.82

$5,250,000 3/7/22

6

5361

0

$606.23

$3,250,000 2/28/22

3

4

3034

0

$758.08

$2,300,000 2/9/22

8167 Lazy River Road

3

4

2926

51

$783.15

$2,291,500 2/10/22

8127 Entrada De Luz East

4

5

5448

50

$807.64

$4,400,000 2/23/22

NEIGHBORHOODS

STYLE

ADDRESS

BEDS BATHS EST SF

SANTALUZ

DET

7995 Entrada De Luz W

7

7

IVY GATE

DET

16356 Winecreek Road

5

THE CROSBY

DET

17008 Blue Shadows Lane

THE CROSBY

DET

SANTALUZ

DET

SOLD PRICE

CLOSE DATE

92127 ETC. ADDRESS

DAYS ON MARKET

PRICE PER SQ FT

1,638

11

$616.61

$1,010,000 2/14/22

3

2,275

0

$439.56

$1,00,001 2/14/22

2

1,230

8

$691.06

$850,000 2/23/22

NEIGHBORHOODS

STYLE

BEDS BATHS EST SF

HIGH COUNTRY WEST

DET

15797 Lofty Trail Drive

3

3

WESTVIEW

DET

11467 Aliento Court

5

HIGH COUNTRY WEST

DET

15804 Windrose Way

2

SOLD PRICE

CLOSE DATE

Sold properties taken from Sandicor from 1/1/22 and may represent listings from other brokerages. Information accurate but not guaranteed.

CAMINO BERNARDO

DET

15808 Camino Crisalida

Median Sales Price – Single Family Rolling 12-Month Calculation

All MLS — 92127 —

$1,800,000

4

3

1,931

7

Median Sales Price – Townhouse-Condo Rolling 12-Month Calculation

$725.01

$1,400,000

3/2/22

All MLS — 92127 —

$700,000

$1,600,000 $600,000 $1,400,000 $500,000

$1,200,000 $1,000,000

Current as of FEB 2022.

All data from the San Diego MLS. Report © 2022 ShowingTime. Percent changes are calculated using rounded figures.

$400,000

$800,000 $300,000 $600,000 $400,000 5-2013 4-2014 3-2015 2-2016 1-2017 12-201711-201810-2019 9-2020 8-2021

$200,000 5-2013 4-2014 3-2015 2-2016 1-2017 12-2017 11-2018 10-2019 9-2020 8-2021

Call Today For your FREE Home Market Valuation Ray Shay REALTOR®

BROKER ASSOCIATE CALDRE#01354548 Ray@ShayRealtors.com Ray.ShayRealtors.com

DIRECT 858.449.4970 LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

OFFICE 858.449.7355 /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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13

14

March, 2022 VOLUME | VOLUME 7 | |ISSUE 3 7 | ISSUE 3

Courtesy photos - Airbnb

Who is ready for summer?! Ok, I might be getting a little ahead of myself as it’s only the middle of March but if I have learned one thing, it is to book early and that goes for everything. Not only do you usually get a better price but more importantly you get the priceless feeling called peace of mind and who doesn’t want that.

Nothing says summer like Europe and especially in the South of France. You get that food that doesn’t make you feel bloated but you still manage to eat much more than you anticipated, breathtaking historical sites that transport you back in time, and my favorite, the refreshing ocean to go for an easy swim.

However, I’m going to throw a little curveball at you and introduce an alternative route that might not include the bustling cities of Nice or the dazzling Medeterrian sea but it will have green mountain ranges, a magnificent wine countryside, and the unique opportunity to take in what it was like to live in a castle.

Yes, you heard me right you can stay in an entire castle, or should I say chateau. The best part is you can get an entire chateau starting at a few hundred US dollars and they go up from there. I mean you can search castles in France and there will quite literally be hundreds of listings to choose from. I suggest checking out VRBO, Airbnb, and any independent websites where they promote their own chateaux to rent through them which is a great option as well.

Since this is a paper newspaper I will highlight below what to type in Google:

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• 12 Castle You Can Rent With Your Friends For Less Than $50 a Night • Top 50 France Castles Rentals • 11 Castles You Can Actually Rent on Airbnb Maybe you are not a South of France type of person, there are ample amount of options to choose from whether you like places like Scotland, Ireland or even Italy. It is still a well-hidden secret within the travel community so make sure to go online and start booking your next Cinderella vacation, where you will feel like a real-life prince or princess.

I truly mean it, if you need some travel inspiration, hotel recommendations, or just a general question I am here to help you. You can call me at (858) 449-0335 or email me at Troy@ShayRealtors. com

Troy Shay

Realtor® CalDRE #02081818

Direct: (858) 449-0335

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 | March 2022

9124 Bernardo Lakes 4bdr/4.5ba; 4,105sqft

Price at $3,088,888

15695 Kristen Gln 5bd/4.5ba + loft; 3748sqft

Listed at $2,398,888 Pending at $2,675,000

9853 Falcon Bluff St. 6bdr/4.5ba; 4,285sqft

Listed at $2,198,888 Pending at $2,600,000

?

ME O H A G N I R SELL

-7355 9 4 4 FINDING O 8 5 8 LTORS AT

.

A E R RTUNITIES O Y P P A O E H M S RKET HO CONTACT UT OFF MA O B A K S A ND A

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15

16

| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3

MIND BODY SOUL MAGAZINE SET TO EXPAND DISTRIBUTION IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY Connection – Creativity – Community

Connection – Creativity – Community

FA L L 2 0 2 1

MIND BODY SOUL

MIND BODY SOUL

s!

Revival Issue

Get Your Summer Glow

Wild Wish Living MIND B ODY S OUL

MIN D B O DY S O U L

S UMMER 2021

FA LL 2021

Nature

Elevating you to your highest potential by nurturing your mind, body, soul connection.

The

SU MMER 2 0 2 1

Listen to Your Heart

A Unique Urban Community On Olive

Issue

“Nature has endless resources to heal.”

— Lori Halliday, WiseHorseWoman

HYBRID FITNESS

EXPLORE OUTDOORS

GO DEEPER JOURNALING

CLEAN SKINCARE

Stacy Oliver, Publisher of MIND BODY SOUL Magazine which distributed debut editions is distributed in St. Louis, Aspen, and select areas Diego 2021, uary 29, 2022 — of 10San a.m. to 4in p.m. announced partnership with Local rontenac, St. Louis, Missouri Umbrella Media to increase distribution in San Diego County and other West Coast markets beginning this Spring. This partnership means distribution in San Diego County will be much wider and more extensive, including select areas which will receive the magazines via direct mail distribution.

MIND BODY SOUL Magazine will be seeking for Affiliate Publishers for additional territories throughout the US to further expand distribution.

“I can help anyone launch a magazine in 12 weeks,” says Stacy 50Oliver.

Vendors “I have a deep passion to help others live healthier lives, iring Health Wellness and I’ve&been publishing since 2004.

I recognize Speakers – 10 a.m. that we all have a tangible need to approach a into society with inspiShow re-entry & Giveaways – 1 p.m. ration, creativity, and holistic o’s / Eileen Fisher / J. Jill / lululemon athletica resources. I am excited for this partnership to help people move o forward with their lives and to support our advertisers and sponsors by providing a means for their stories. There’s a power to the print that allows us to unplug, stop-drop, ored by Magazine and pause to heal.”

“I am excited about this partnership,” says Brad Weber. “I’ve shared copies of the current editions with both readers and businesses and the feedback is extremely positive. I see the demand for this product

our Power! Expo

BODY SOUL Magazine and grow the magazine here to make it a true valuable real resource for the locals. There are more people who want this product to and there are certainly local businesses who want to reach this market.”

MIND BODY SOUL print magazine currently reaches 30,000 affluent females per issue 4 times per year. MIND BODY SOUL gives advertisers 130,000 touches of a very specific target reader and follower: affluent females, 35–65 years old, who are interested in health, wellness, inner and outer beauty. In addition to the printed magazine, advertisers also benefit from: Feature articles posted on the Mind Body Soul website blog – 30,000 reach, monthly Facebook and social The media platform postings – 30,000 reach, Monthly Exclusive Email Blast – 30,000 reach, and Quarterly Podcast Videos.

Local Umbrella Media serves communities, kids, and causes throughout Southern Issue California with thousands of hyper-locally targeted Direct Mailed publications mailed to SHAKE OFF WELLNESS MINDFUL EXPLORATION local residents, and continues STRESS TRENDS TOUCH OF SELF to expand to new communities inside and outside of San Diego County. has here in San Diego, and we are determined For advertising opportunities contact to put more issues out for readers, as well as Publisher Stacy Oliver at: include more local San Diego content in MIND StacyOliver@MindBodySoul.Media Connection – Creativity – Community

WI N TER 2022

MIND BODY SOUL

M IND BO DY SOU L WINTER 2 02 2

Empower You!

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Feel You be You

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 |

17

SHADOW DANCING: HOW TO HANDLE DEPRESSION

By Olivia Fellus, L.A.c, Dipl.OM

Perched on the cliff ’s edge, the girl dances.

Waves thunder in the distance. She seems oblivious to the elements. A few people stop to watch, mesmerized by her flowing movements.

They wonder at her serenity, stamina, and confidence. What they do not realize is the girl is actually not alone. She sways along freely, clasping the hands of her shadow.

Depression is often described as a shadow, a dark looming figure, separate from us. A presence meant to combat, destroy, or suppress. From my own personal experience, I have learned otherwise. Rather than be ashamed and run, what if we curiously leaned into the all the unpleasant emotions, the fear, the despair, the anxiety, the pain, and moved through it?

Rather than wrestle the shadow we could learn to dance with it. Face, accept, and embrace all the aspects of the self that we had once fractured and hid from others, and most of all from ourselves. In this radical acceptance we can channel the intensity into growth and self empowerment.

It’s a delicate balance, veer too far towards the edge and we become consumed with it, and run in the opposite direction we become fragmented and disembodied, only half a version of ourselves. The key is in the merging of both light and dark; an awareness of the shadow without reacting to or acting upon it. It is not a conquest, nor a race towards a magical destination, but rather a journey that invites yielding. It is the ultimate dance.

Some days we may stumble, forget the moves, feel self conscious, or less precise with our footing, which is all normal. The important thing is to stand back up, and continue on moving, and to never forsake ourselves.

In the Metamorphasis a short novel written

by Franz Kaf ka, the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, who awakens to find himself transformed into a giant insect, expresses his embarrassment and distress, “I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.”

Many suffering with depression, especially without any external cause, tend to feel this way. Guilt and confusion plague those feeling such voracious emotions without tangible reason; emotions that return seemingly at random. Sometimes these feelings are triggered by external circumstances, but they often remain erratic and unexplainable.

Chinese Medicine appealed to me most because it embraced all aspects of the being, every organ and meridian is intertwined in a constant homeostatic dance. No emotion is left unaccounted for.

There is an explanation and a cohesion between the physiology, the mind and the spirit.

Sadness is associated with the lungs and large intestine, whose functions remind us of the natural process of letting go, the remedy such surrender brings during times of grief, and the physical repercussions and manifestations of such grief should it become overwhelming to one’s system. Often times patients entering my office suffering from sudden acute bronchitis or pneumonia have recently suffered a loss in their lives as well.

The Chinese sages understood the concept of sadness and its physical markers thousands of years ago and made sense of it through the development of the five phase theory. This theory utilizes the five elements observed in nature- earth, metal, water, wood, fire- to explain how each organ is connected to, and balances out another through various cycles.

The core emotions of depression: sadness/ surrender and will/fear, are each deeply interconnected through the actions of their associated organs, the lungs and kidneys. The lungs LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

take in oxygen, which is pulled in deeper, and “anchored” into the body by the kidneys. The kidneys, located in the lower back, represent our metaphorical trunk, the foundation of our Jing, or life essence.

Weak kidney qi commonly manifests as difficulty with inhalation. Many suffering from depression experience a lack of will to engage in reality, and tend to breathe more shallowly.

As respiration represents a constant reaffirming of life, this lung- kidney disharmony that is present in such individuals becomes quite symbolic.

The kidneys’ role in depression is highlighted through concept of Jing. Each of us are born with the precise amount of material substance or Jing available to use during our lifetime.

The quality of Jing we receive is determined by the DNA from both of our parents. The kidneys contain our Jing, which is why this organ is considered the source of our vitality.

Perhaps some people are born with weaker kidney Jing, which accounts for a predisposition towards depression from birth. In Western medicine this would be classified as a chemical imbalance within the brain, an assertion that coincides with Chinese medical philosophy, which correlates the kidneys with the brain and spinal cord.

Granted, congenital depression does not excuse one to take a victim’s stance. Instead, those who find themselves experiencing baseless melancholy must work all the harder at self care and at managing the episodes when they arrive.

Laying face up on the treatment table during my first acupuncture treatment at age sixteen, with ultra fine needles gently inserted into various points in my body, I watched the fragrant plumes of smoke rise up lazily from the burning moxa near my abdomen. Tears of relief slipped down my cheeks. For the first time since childhood I felt a sudden deep sense of tranquility suffuse my muscles, and in turn a calm acceptance for my entire being as it was in that very moment.

Regular and consistent acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal therapy treatment help treat depression by restoring resonance between all of the organs, sometimes with a stronger focus on boosting the kidney and lung qi (this will differ depending on the patient). Of course, ensuring people receive adjunctive care from a trained and licensed psychologist may be necessary. I have found that acupuncture and Chinese medicine help ground the concepts learned in talk therapy, and together, these two healing modalities are extremely affective at alleviating the severity as well as lessening the duration of depressive episodes. Here are also a few suggestions to help guide you or a loved one through a depressive episode: 1. Consciously deepen your breath. Reaffirm life by taking deep breaths through your nose, allowing your diaphragm, and then your belly to expand. Hold your breath for 3 seconds, and the release it with an open mouth exhale. Do this at least 3 to 4 times, and repeat throughout the day.

2. Detach from thoughts, and allow yourself to feel whatever emotion arises fully, without resistance. Focus on the physical sensations in your body. Where do you feel the emotions?

Fully feel whatever arises, and then let it go.

3. Remove labels - remind yourself that you are a vessel through which emotions travel.

You are not your emotions, nor are you your thoughts. You are the observer of them. Know that all emotions are temporary and are in constant motion. Like ocean storms that tussle a ship, even the most intense depressive episodes eventually pass on.

4. Constantly remain aware of your energy and how it affects others. Treat your loved ones with kindness. You may be experiencing /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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inner turmoil but this does not give you a free pass to unload negative energy onto someone else. Be gracious if your friends inquire after you and be gentle with those who may be less understanding. You are responsible for your own actions.

5. Anchor your day with nourishment, even if you do not feel like it. Poor eating habits are common when experiencing depression, whether under or overeating. Release any self judgement first of all, and then make sure you begin the day with a healthy, satisfying and delicious breakfast, and end your day with a grounding dinner. Repeat daily. This ritual will help keep you anchored. Try to limit overly processed foods if possible. Treat your body as kindly as you would a small child.

6. Spend time outside. Make sure to spend at least 15-20 minutes in natural sunlight. Mindful sun exposure stimulates the body to produce Vitamin D, which is essential in alleviating depression.

7. Do something kind for another. Depression by nature can make one self absorbed and insular. If you lack the energy to either visit someone ill or cook for someone, perform the following loving energy mediation: Visualize a bubble of light surrounding you, and any depressive energy as dark smoke sealed within the confines of this boundary.

Eventually envision this dark smoke transforming into emerald green light, that grows more vibrant. Then feel that light penetrating your heart, filling it with love. Once you truly feel the love infuse your heart and overflow into your whole being, send that vibrant energy outside of yourself to anyone else who needs it.

Most of all, please remember: your shadow can be your greatest strength. And you are not alone. * If you think you or a loved one is in danger of hurting themselves, please contact the suicide prevention hotline 1 800-273-8255.

Olivia Fellus is a double board certified licensed acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine herbalist. She owns and operates a private practice in the North Park, and University Heights neighborhood of San Diego.

Please visit www.ascendhealing.com to find out more about Olivia and to book a complimentary consultation where you can have any questions answered and find out how she can help you achieve your ultimate physical emotional and mental wellness.

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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3

EXTC / This Is Pop!

BY BART MENDOZA © MUSICSCENESD // MUSICSCENESD.COM

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English quartet XTC were one of the best groups to emerge from late 1970’s England, with a long string of classic singles over the next two decades, including “Senses Working Overtime,” “Earn Enough For Us,” “Making Plans For Nigel” and “Mayor of Simpleton.” The songs, which ranged in tone from punk to pastoral, were a great mix of hooks, melodies and inspired performances from the players, Andy Partridge (guitar), Colin Moulding (bass), Dave Gregory (guitar) and Terry Chambers (drums).

The band has long since split, but on March 25, fans will have the opportunity to hear these great songs once more, when EXTC performs at the House of Blues. Featuring original member Chambers, alongside Steve Tilling (guitar), Steve Hampton (guitar) and Matt Hughes (bass), the band does an amazing job of playing these songs.

For aficionados of the band, the March 25 date holds special significance. “This will be my first visit to San Diego since 1982 which makes it almost a 40th anniversary of the last live appearance of XTC,” noted Chambers. It was nearly four decades ago that the band gave what would be their final concert, on April 3, 1982, just a few blocks from the House of Blues, at the California Theatre. “I recall the show went very well,” Chambers said. “In those days, we never saw much of the cities we were playing in. All LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

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we saw was the inside of hotels and venues. I would have loved to explore San Diego but never had that opportunity.

Hopefully I will this time.”

After 40 years, what inspired Chambers to play these songs again? “(Guitarist) Steve Tilling and I put in a lot of work to get a whole bunch of these songs together for a project called TC&I, with Colin Moulding from XTC,” he recalled. “But we only played eight gigs. Steve and I felt there was sufficient interest to continue, which is why we put the EXTC thing together.”

The band’s eventual lineup came through personal connections. “Steve and I found each other during the TC&I project. Steve Hampton was recommended to us by a friend in London, Simon Parrish; and Matt Hughes, the bass player, had played with Steve Hampton before. They fit very well,” Chambers said.

Interestingly, it was Andy Partridge that came up with the EXTC name. “I met Andy Partridge socially and we discussed my plans to move forward with a live band,” Chambers said. “Several names cropped up but in light of the material we’re playing, Andy concluded it couldn’t be called anything other than EXTC.” Did he consider it important to have Partridge’s approval for the band? “I would have continued this project whether it met with band approval or not and, as it turns out, they don’t disapprove.”

The current tour includes songs from throughout XTC’s @LocalUmbrellaMedia

extensive discography. “Steve and I already knew 50% of the songs through the TC&I project,” Chambers said. “So we felt it best to start there and add what we thought were some of Andy’s strongest songs that we could do justice to live.”

Being on the road after such a long gap, has he noticed many differences between touring now and back in the day? “Touring is certainly on a smaller scale regarding venues and equipment, but the distances between gigs remain the same,” Chambers said. “Right now, the biggest difficulties for touring involve Covid-related issues.”

Looking back, how does he feel about the impact XTC’s music has made and how inf luential his playing is? “I don’t see XTC’s music as being particularly inf luential as we were inf luenced by many bands before us,” Chambers replied modestly. “Any musical impact we’ve had has just filtered through. I think it’s for others to decide.”

For his part Chambers is happy to once again be making music, with EXTC. “Performing with EXTC is a joy because we don’t have the pressure of a record company or manager pushing us, we decide where we go, what we play, and how much we play. These are extremely talented musicians,” he said. “They’re great fun to be around and old enough to know how to get the job done while having a good time. www.extc.co.uk

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 |

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Tamar Berk / Start at the End There is no question that musician Tamar Berk made an impact in 2021. A veteran of numerous bands, her debut solo album, The Restless Dreams of Youth, showed up on numerous music critic / DJ / blog Top Ten lists around the world. Meanwhile, on April 19 Berk will be a performer at the 2022 San Diego Music Awards, where she scored two nominations, for “Best Pop Album” and “Album of the Year.”

It’s just the latest chapter for this gifted performer. With the buzz still strong on her first album, new music is already on the way. Berk recently released a terrific keyboard based pop single, “Your Permission,” in advance of her sophomore album, Start at the End, due out on April 22. In the meantime, she will be issuing a second single from it, “Tragic Ending,” on March 29.

It’s all a boon for fans of hook filled pop rock, though how to describe Tamar’s music can be hard to pin down. “My music has been described by others as indie pop, pop, powerpop, indie rock, singersongwriter…literally everything!

Except metal,” she said good naturedly.

Berk’s music is basically pages in the story of her life. “My songs have

always been personal,” she said. “The stories I tell are my own. It’s really the only way I’ve ever written. I’ve always been prolific. There was just a span of years in which I was sort of a lost soul with my music. Those years were rough.”

Start at the End is perhaps Berk’s most introspective collection of songs. “I had started writing casually in the spring working on the song “Your Permission” and writing lyrics and recording little riffs into my phone,” she said. “I worked out a couple of song sketches but in June, my father became sick and did not seem to be getting better.

I dropped everything and took a red-eye to Florida because I had a

terrible feeling. I felt uneasy and really anxious. When I landed in Florida, he had already been admitted to the hospital and a week later, he was gone. My life just kind of stopped. I was crying all the time and couldn’t really understand what had happened. I felt like everything was so meaningless. I was literally exhausted from crying all the time, so I just started writing more and more until I noticed a theme emerging.” She soon realized a new album would be possible from the pieces. “I started to feel the songs coming together. Looking at them now, I think some of the songs on the “Start at the End” album are my most favorite songs I have ever written, but also, the most personal

and most difficult to have written.

Completing this album took a lot out of me.”

While Berk may tour a little and there are plans for a livestream show, what she loves most “is making little mini-movies and videos. I love creating, so my favorite thing to do is the artistic side of promoting, through photos, videos or more,” she said. “Videos are very important…especially when you are trying to enhance the meaning of the song. It can be daunting to come up with just the right concept! But I do enjoy editing. So far, I’ve made my own videos.” Plans are for there to be four videos from the new album.

How does Berk feel about the success her first album has had ?

“I am overwhelmed. For real,” she said. “I loved this album and every song. I just had no idea that others would feel the same. It’s have spent many nights crying happy tears!”

She’s particularly happy with her SDMA nominations. “I’ve lived in many cities, played in many bands, and I work so hard at my songwriting,” she said. “It’s an incredible feeling to be actually recognized for it!” www.tamarberk.bandcamp.com

San Diego Music Awards / April 19 at Humphrey’s

San Diego musicians party of the year, the 31st Annual San Diego Music Awards, take place on April 19 at Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay. Beginning at 7 p.m., in addition to the handing out of trophies, a cross section of San Diego’s best musicians will perform, including R&B combo Thee Sacred Souls, rock band Mrs. Henry, soul rockers The Sully Band, Ira B. Liss’s Big Band Jazz Machine, powerpop rocker Tamar Berk, Hawaii inspired Slack Key Ohana and rapper / actor Riston Diggs. Meanwhile the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient will be soul music legend Jesse Davis, best known for his classic 1967 single “Gonna Hang On In There Girl.”

The event is open to the public, with an edited twohour version of the show set to be televised on Fox 5 KSWB-TV on May 14 at 6 p.m.

Appearing at the awards ceremony, Hawaii inspired combo, Slack Key Ohana, is up for Best World Music Album and Best New Artist. The band features the core duo of Kamaka Mullen and Brian Witkin (also Pacific Records CEO). “Being nominated as an artist is a first for me even though I’ve been attending the SDMAs for years as a music producer and on behalf of the label,” Witkin said. “So, it’s sort of a full circle moment I’m experiencing.” For this show he will be joined by a member of rock ‘n’ roll royalty, his father, keyboardist Joe Witkin. The elder LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

Witkin was a founding member of iconic 1950’s revivalists, Sha-Na-Na, famously performing at Woodstock on Jimi Hendrix’s recommendation and right before his famous set. “Having him there onstage with me, as well my mom, Carol Witkin, who will be playing uke, just adds more significance to an already special night for me,” Witkin remarked.

Guitarist Patrick Yandall is nominated for both Best Jazz or Blues Album and Album of the Year, for his album, Chasing the Light. “I am always honored to be recognized for my work,” he said. “I have been nominated numerous times in different categories over the years and have not won, but it feels great to be recognized with your peers. With all the incredible musicians in San Diego, it really gives you a sense of pride to be recognized with them, and know your hard work has been appreciated.”

Sande Lollis has the rare distinction of being nominated twice this year, but with different projects, including with her band, Enter the Blue Sky (Best Americana Artist) and for her solo album, Being Human (Best Americana Album) How does it feel to be nominated this year? “We stayed busy through the shut down with sporadic gigs, but especially our driveway concerts, I think that kept us visible. It was a labor of love, both for being able to share our music and perform, and for it to be received. There’s that lovely give and take relationship with our fans, in /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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only the best ways. For the SDMAs to see that, to feel it, that means the world,” Lollis said.

Meanwhile, nominations are once again a family affair for the Raney family, with Jerry Raney nominated for Best Rock Artist alongside his band, The Farmers and his son Nathan Raney nominated for his album, Season of Serenity (Best Rock Album).

He concurs with Lollis assessment. “It always feels good to be nominated, it makes me feel that people appreciate what I do and want to let me know that,” the elder Raney said. “What I look forward to the most is seeing the performances of the nominees, it’s nice to see how they present themselves on stage,” he continued. “Since there are so many genres, I usually haven’t seen a lot of them play. It’s also always fun to hang out with friends that you don’t get to see that often since we’re usually all out gigging in different areas of town.”

Nominated for his album, Tehachapi Line in the category of Best Folk or Acoustic Album, Dave Preston is succinct in his thoughts on the SDMA’s. “Man, being nominated by the San Diego Music Awards is such a special thing,” he said. “We work so hard putting a record together, then getting out there on stage and putting that work in front of a live audience, and then to be noticed and honored for it by your peers and fellow brothers and sisters, it’s really motivating and inspires you to work even harder.” For Preston, as well as many others in attendance, the camaraderie on the night amongst the musicians, fans, producers, DJ’s, TV personalities and others in attendance is what makes the San Diego Music Awards the years biggest event. “What I’m looking forward to most on the night of the awards itself is to feel that love and inspiration as a musical family coming together in unity to celebrate each other’s creativity and success,” he said. www.sandiegomusicawards.com ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

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SDMA 2022 Showcases In addition to the main event there will be six showcase concerts featuring nominated artists. All performers and venues are donating their services, with funds raised going to the San Diego Music Foundation and Guitars for Schools Programs. These shows are a great way to take in a lot of great talent, and through your ticket purchase, also do a good deed.

The dates and venues are: April 8: Navajo Live / Machine Politik, Jon Campos & The Incurables, Evening’s Empire, A Lens To The Sun, The Nathan Raney Band April 9: Pour House Oceanside /

San Diablo All Stars, Shane Hall, Nathan Hubbard Trio April 10: Humphreys Backstage Live / SDMA presents a live music tribute to our 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, soul music legend, Jesse Davis April 8: Navajo Live / Astra Kelly, Ron Houston & The Berry Pickers, Lauren Leigh, Jeff Berkley & The Banned April 13: The Casbah / Main Stage: Authentic Sellout, Signal for Pilot, Avenue Army. And in the Razzmatazz Room: Bloodstone, Crhymes

April 14: Humphreys Backstage Live / San Diego Blues Buffet Featuring Chickenbone Slim and The Biscuits, with appearances from Sue Palmer, Liz Ajuizie, Mercedes Moore, Whitney Shay April 15: The Holding Company / Suede Radio, Chunky Hustle Brass Band, Casey Hensley, Euphoria Brass Band, Imagery Machine April 16: 710 Beach Club / Lords of the Satellite, Dewey Defeats Truman, Nights Like Thieves, Subsurfer, King Whisker

Beatles Fair / Fab Four Fun! Chris Montez / Let’s Dance!

The 19th Annual San Diego Beatles Fair takes place at Queen Bee’s on March 26. A full day of fab four fun, attendees will be treated to music on indoor and outdoor stages, a pop culture shopping area with clothes, records and more, as well as an acoustic sing-a-long stage.

With the recent excitement of over The Beatles Get Back Disney+ documentary series, the timing couldn’t be better. This year’s event will be headlined by iconic Mexican-American hitmaker, Chris Montez, best known for classic hits such as “Let’s Dance,” “Call Me” and “Some Kinda Fun,” the events performers are varied by design.

“We try to give audiences a wide ranging musical experience,” said Beatles Fair organizer (and Queen Bee owner) Alma Rodriguez. “It’s a mix. We have an original rock legend in Chris Montez. He toured with the Beatles in 1963 and has wonderful stories to tell. Then for the people who like tribute artists, we have John Leo, who does a great solo era John Lennon and the Revolution Band, from Tijuana, who wear the suits. Something a little different might be The Young Lion’s Jazz Conservatory under the direction of award winning bassist Ron Thorsen. It’s super talented kids playing Beatles jazz, so you know it’s going to be amazing. And that’s just for starters, it really is a full day of music.”

Other performers set to take part include Laurie Beebe Lewis (Mamas & Papas / The Buckinghams), The 63eatles, Falling Doves, True Stories,

Courtney McKenna and Funhouse, a new duo featuring ex Four Eyes rockers, Mark DeCerbo and John Chatfield.

Why does Beatles music still resonate with music fans more than 50 years since the band split? “That’s a good question, there might be more than one answer to that,” said Leo good naturedly. “But ultimately, the answer is simple: It is very good music. Why do I say so? Just research what fellow musicians say about The Beatles, most bands list The Beatles as one of their influences, even other rock legends like David Gilmour, Brian May or Ozzy Osbourn have declared themselves Beatlefans.” McKenna also considers the key to the bands popularity to be the quality of the music. “The Beatles wrote such a variety of music. It feels like each record they put out was a new evolved version of themselves and personally I relate to that,” she said. “I think the music still resonates with people because it continues to be used today in modern culture.”

Leo has plans for a special show for Beatles Fair “It’s always a great experience to play for fellow Beatles fans because we get to do songs that we normally don’t play,” he said. “When we play to a general audience, we have to focus on the “greatest hits”, but when we play for fans, we get to do other songs that weren’t as popular but are loved by us.”

Rodriguez is looking forward to putting another memorable Fab Fest in the history books. “We’re doing our best to give San Diego a great day of music,” Rodriguez said. “The Beatles continue to be inspiring.

There is such a range to the music they’ve made, but there is also their inspirational, positive message. If you are a fan of the Beatles you’ll have a lot of fun on March 19, but then any rock ‘n’ roll fan is going to enjoy themselves at Beatles Fair!” www.sandiegobeatlesfair.com

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It’s likely that few rock fans aren’t familiar with Chris Montez’s 1962 classic “Let’s Dance.”

Alongside “Twist & Shout,” “Wipe Out” and a few others, the song perfectly encapsulates the era of it’s release, decades later still retaining both it’s cool and fun status. It’s likely the reason “Let’s Dance” has shown up in numerous places, ranging from period films, such as “Animal House,” to more recent TV productions such as “Riverdale.”

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Montez, who headlines Beatles Fair on March 26.

He scored a number of additional hits, including “Call Me,” “The More I See You” and “Some Kinda Fun,” appearing on TV programs from American Bandstand to Top of the Pops. Amongst the highlights of a career now in its sixth decade, is a 1963 tour of England with Tommy Roe, featuring opening act, The Beatles. “It’s been a wild ride,” Montez said good naturedly. “I was just a kid who really loved music. I’d come home and watch the Dick Clark show. I never thought I’d be a singer, but I made a demo for $25. It was the producer that sent it to the label. The next thing I know my mom says, you’ve had a phone call. Before I knew it I was on the Dick Clark show.” What’s @LocalUmbrellaMedia

his favorite place he’s heard his music? “The radio,” he says without hesitation. “There’s nothing like the first time you hear your song played.”

Interestingly, despite being a Southern California resident, Montez’s appearance at Beatles Fair, is the first time San Diego audiences have a chance to catch a full set from the legendary artist. In 2019 he played a few songs before a pair of performances of the jukebox musical, 33 1/3 House of Dreams, but fans at Beatles Fair will get a terrific set that takes in all the hits and influences, plus a few newer favorites, plus a Q & A and autograph session. “I did a lot of tours with different performers on a bus, just part of a group” he said. “But I don’t think we ever made it to San Diego.”

Montez has over a dozen albums to his credit, but unfortunately for fans, little from that era remains unreleased. “In those days you would use a tape once and then erase it, so there’s no alternate takes or things of that sort,” he said.

However, there may yet be more music ahead from Montez. “I’ve got songs I’d like to record, but I haven’t been able to find the right studio,” he remarked.

After all this time, for Montez, it’s still about the live performance. “It’s great to be able to play again after too long a break, but I’m keeping busy, with shows in Florida right before I head to San Diego.” Indeed, there is talk of a tour with other rock legends in the near future. In the meantime, he’s looking forward to Beatles Fair. “Live shows like this are when people can really see what you can do,” he said. “When they come to the shows, that’s my ‘thanks’, that’s what makes me happy. I’m really honored to perform at this year’s event.” www.chrismontez.com

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 3 |

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San Diego Music News • The Rolando Street Fair has had a change of lineup, with the B-Side Players now headlining in place of Buck-ONine. It’s a terrific bill with Whitney Shay, The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, Boostive and James Sutton. A free fun day of music.

All ages.

• On Sunday March 20, Navajo Live will host a special tribute night for Dan Sartain on the anniversary if his death.

The free event kicks off at 7 p.m. with Jeremy Mercers (drums) and Bobbi Baur (bass) backing a host of local musicians including Tara Reis, Maggie Esquivel, Nicholas Rey and more.

“This Tribute is dedicated to keeping his music and memory alive in the hearts and minds of fans old and new.”

• Powerpop-centric music gathering, The International Pop Overthrow Festival, returns to San Diego for the first time since 2016, on July 8 and 9, at the Black Cat Bar. Performers tba.

• The Album Leaf is releasing a special album for Record Store Day, Past and Future Tense (June 18, 2022) via Nettwerk Records. The release collects three long out-of-print EPs, packaged together with an EP of brand new material. Limited to 950 copies, the album will be pressed on opaque galaxy vinyl with four album-sized art cards by Alex Deamon.

• Angels and Airwaves scifi feature film, LOVE, has been released in an extended anniversary digital edition. It now features deleted music video sequences.

• Jazz trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos is in the studio finishing up the long awaited follow up to his 2013 album, the Federal Jazz Project.

Recorded at Rarefied Recording in North Park, the album is engineered, mixed and mastered

by Chris Hobson of HOBSound and co-produced/arranged by Joshua White. Castellanos is backed by White on piano, Christopher Holliday on alto sax, Tyler Kreutel on drums and bassist John Murray.

• Mark DeCerbo and John Chatfield, exFour Eyes and Rockola members, have teamed up once again for a new band, Funhouse. The reason behind the new team up is an old friendship. “It was just John and I getting together to play for a backyard party that started it off. We practiced some songs, we played, had some libation, we had fun and it rocked like the old days,” DeCerbo said. The combo specializes in classic Beatles, Elvis, Band and Buddy Holly songs, as well as some Four Eyes favorites. “I’d say we have a pub rock sound where we sing and play our own versions of songs and we use a thing called Digitech Trio Plus looper pedal for our rhythm section, which John programs, and it gives us the sound of a full band with only two guys.

Playing with the programmed rhythm keeps us on our toes and if there are any mistakes, it’s always on us,” he joked. Being that Funhouse is the title of one of the best known albums / songs

by Iggy Pop’s Stooges, is there any chance of an Iggy cover? “That’s funny, but, no, at least not yet. We do Four Eyes covers, though. And when you come to see Funhouse, you might catch a few 3 Stooges moments, as well. Ha!” • Pacific Records signed rockers, Falling Doves 2022 world tour kicks off March 25 in Tarzana, California, with upcoming shows set in England, Scotland, Germany, Italy and Puerto Rico. The band, featuring Chris Leyva (guitar, vocals) and Greg Smith (drums) will play several U.S. dates in between legs of the tour, with the road trip set to wrap in December, in Australia • Jewel’s first album in seven years, Freewheelin’ Woman, is due out on April 15th via her own label, Words Matter Music. The album’s first single “Dancing Slow,” features Train, who she’ll be touring with this summer, including LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

July 26 at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre. Other guests on the new album include Darius Rucker on the song “No More Tears” • The King Taylor Project have released thier debut single, “High Road,” with a follow up, “Devil in the White City,” due March 25. Meanwhile the band’s Joshua Taylor will release a new single, “Cars Don’t Run Forever” in April, from his forthcoming album, Unscene.

• King Whisker has added Francisco Ramirez-Arzeta to their lineup on bass, “mean-

ing we’ll be touring our debut DIY album, Relaxing With Aunt Janine soon,” said the bands lead singer Charlie Rohlfs. The album was nominated for Best Indie/Alt album at this years San Diego Music Awards.

• Darlene Love has a new compilation of her classic session work, The Many Sides of Love: The Complete Reprise Recordings Plus!, out via Real Gone Music / The Second Disc, for Record Store Day. Of particular note is the inclusion of the great 1963 Barney Kessel single, “TV Commercials.”

• The Nephews and a Niece, featuring Tim Ellison has a new EP, John’s Fishing Village, recorded at Singing Serpent in Kensington with Ben Moore producing • Acclaimed violinist Alicia Previn has a new single, “Le Brusc,” out now. Previn can be heard on numerous classic 80’s and 90’s tracks. “It is always kinda nerve wracking for a pop singer to work with a classically trained musician,” said Dave Wakeling (English Beat / General Public) of Previn. “They have the science, you are learning as you go! So it is a blessed relief when you get to work with someone like Alicia, who speaks both languages! The solo on General Public’s “Come again” was instant ear candy, whist also adding a soaring solemnity.

A pleasure to record, and a still a pleasure to listen to.” Previn has a number of residencies in town, including Jacked Up Brewery every Wednesday, Partake Gastro Pub every third Friday and regular shows at Ebullition Gastro Pub • Ratt’s first album appearance, on the 1982 Metal Massacre Volume I compilation, is being reissued in a 40th Anniversary edition by Metal Blade Records. Other bands include Metalli-

ca, Black & Blue and Cirith Ungul. There will be two vinyl versions; ruby red (5000 copies) and clear vinyl (2,000 copies). The first 250 US pre-orders at the label website will receive an exclusive patch.

• Guitarist Drew Shirley has parted ways with Switchfoot. “He joined us shortly after the release of our 4th album and we’ve shared an incredible journey, full of countless highs and lows together. We love Drew dearly, and we are so thankful for the time and memories we have had,” said the band in a statement.

• Surf combo extraordinaire, The Tourmaliners are back in the studio recording a third

album, tentatively called Surfidia, with producer Miles Clowminzer.

• Zachary Goode, formerly of numerous area bands including Geezer, Divided by Zero, Secret Seven and Ghoulspoon, is the new lead singer of Smash Mouth. His first recording with the band is out now, a version of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Let You Go.” New Albums Include: Durell Anthony, heard on TV’s The Voice, releases a new single, “Be With U,” on March 25, …classic rockers Daring Greatly - Gird Valley,… Americana based Ron Houston -The Streets of West Monroe (July 4).

The first single will be “Just An Empty Bottle,”…

Marcelo Radulovich’s new album Merry Go Down: Flashbacks consists of re-recordings of songs by his 90’s era band, Merry Go Down… rock trio Rotten Cabal, featuring guitarist Mike Ruggirello are working on their debut (summer),… Sister Speak has a new album, Love For All, out April 1. The First single is “Run Away.”

New Singles Include: Nick Harvey featuring Audrey Callahan - “No More Heartache,” has singer songwriter Callahan branching out into

dance / EDM territory,… Chloe Lou & The Liddells – “Wrong” is a soulful gem, highlighted by terrific vocals and a great band that includes Chris Davies, David Fleminger and Richard Larson, … Howlin Rain, featuring Dan Cervantes, has teamed up with Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) for a limited edition 7-inch single, “Sucker” (a Mott the Hoople cover) b/w “Death May Be Your Santa Claus.” It’s available as a blacklight screen-printed version, autographed test pressings, or a Record Store Day edition due out April 23. /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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Local 4S Ranch ~ Del Sur Resident Spotlight

By Tu Nguyen

In this month’s article, I would like to highlight one of our very first 4S Ranch residents, Joe Erpelding, and his family.

As pictured in the article, Joe, his wife, Kimy, and their two sons, 18-year-old Tristen and 21-year-old Christopher. Kimy is currently a second-grade teacher at Turtleback Elementary (a BIG shoutout to “Mrs. E” at Turtleback), Tristen is a senior at Saint Augustine High School, and Christopher is in his third year at UCSD. In 2002, Joe was a teacher for the Poway Unified School District when he first discovered what he thought at the time was called “Forest Ranch.” When Joe and Kimy first drove out to “Forest Ranch,” it was nothing but dirt lots and barricades. The builders were still in the early stages of putting in the infrastructures and plowing lots for homes to be built on.

That was when they first found out the correct name for the masterplan community was called “4S Ranch.”

What caught Joe and Kimy’s attention was the marketing material the builders had about “welcome home,” a masterplan focusing on schools, parks, restaurants, and making everything within walking distance. Joe and his family turned out to be the first family to get keys in 4S Ranch, and he was on the original board for the 4S Ranch HOA.

did that by leveraging support from parents, whom they called “Collaboratives,” commonly known as PTA. In November of 2020, Joe left Design-39 when he was given an opportunity to head up a startup company as Head of Education for an educational platform, a company called “Thrively.” It’s a strength base platform, meaning they look for the strength in kids, not their weaknesses. It’s a learners’ platform to let kids take a strength assessment about themselves and provide resources to help kids develop their identity around their strengths, interests, and career pathways.

Joe and his family are doing well and they’re still here in 4S Ranch. If you see them around the neighborhood, be sure to say hello and tell them you read about them in the 92127 Community Hub newspaper.

If you, or someone you know, want to be recognized (or spotlighted), please reach out to me, Tu Nguyen, at 619-8895777.

Tu Nguyen

Realtor® CalDRE #01358370

Direct: (619) 889-5777

Joe is a former principal at Design-39 (from 2015 to 2020).

Design-39 is a “choice” school; it’s not a traditional school such as Del Sur, Monterey Ridge, or Del Norte HS. All the surrounding neighborhoods and schools came together as one community while Design-39 was trying to create its own community. One of their goals was to make sure students at Design-39 have high quality instructional programs. They

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