Community Hub: West of the Tracks July 2022

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July 2022 | VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 3

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OPINION BY RAY SHAY I have tried everything to get my three sons to wear sunscreen. When they were little boys, I would buy all three of them matching, long sleeve, sun-protective swim shirts, douse them with white SPF 50 waterproof sunscreen lotion, and watch them run into the ocean. I knew they were safe, and it made me happy.

These days, Troy, Raymond, and Ryan are still so young and beautiful that they can’t seem to see far enough ahead in time to realize the amazing skin covering their body is the only one they will ever get. Maybe someday they will read about Mr. H’s Dance Club and realize putting on a sun hat or a little sunscreen is really a pretty good idea.

Read Mr. H’s Dance Club on page 2

Call Ray Shay!

Direct : 858-449-4970

DRE 01946504

*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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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 16| ISSUE A Publication of Local Umbrella Media July, 2022 | VOLUME 3

BROKERS CORNER

Mr. H’s Dance Club

RAY SHAY BROKER I OWNER DRE 01946504

To tell the story of the grand opening of Mr. H’s Dance Club, I will need to go back quite a few years to when I was just a young boy sitting at my family’s yellow metal table in our cramped kitchen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My mom would bark out, “go outside and get some sun!” Looking back, she likely just wanted some peace and quiet as I don’t think she or any of us seven kids really thought about the fact we were a mile high closer than sea level to the largest and most powerful planet in our solar system.

As is my practice, I asked the doctor how long this one would take to remove, and he said, “I would say you will be out of here in about 45 minutes”. I thought to myself, “that’s great” as I had a full day of real estate stuff to do, and I could take my youngest son Ryan to lunch.

I am a frequent flyer in the world of skin cancer, and this visit with my Mohs surgeon and his nurse had been delayed due to COVID and me getting lazy. If I could somehow just get rebated on a portion of my medical expenses on my AMEX card, we would have a perfect relationship,

As he handed me a mirror, he said, “Oh yeah, sorry. We had to remove quite a bit of tissue”. Now imagine you are looking at a smooth cushion on your living room couch and someone just cut a circle out in the middle of it straight down to the springs. That was my forehead. I thought, “Oh my gosh”. How is he ever going to sew that up?

The minutes passed, and it soon added up to several hours with the standard loop of repeated trips to the lab to ensure the entire tumor had been removed. I finally asked the doctor how deep he had to go, and I noticed his cheerfulness had As a local beat cop in Logan Heights in the 1980s, we were not dissipated as he quickly replied with three simple words, “all allowed to wear baseball caps to protect us from the sun while the way”. on patrol, and wearing sunglasses was also frowned upon. In later years the City of San Diego provided some sunscreen, After about four hours of surgery, my doctor finally walked but it was simply gross. We felt getting sunburned was just back into the room and audibly exhaled when he said the lab another hazard of the job. doctor had approved us to close. He then added, “Mr. Shay, this did not look like much when we started, but it was a very Over the last eighteen months, the United States Federal aggressive tumor and If you had not gotten in here, it would Government has been pestering me both via snail mail and have led to your demise”. repeated phone calls to participate in a Federally funded study to determine how much radiation many of us were Ok, I did not graduate at the top of my class at SDSU, but I exposed to as young security guards at Sandia National put together that demise kind of means death. I stayed cool Laboratories. and did not say anything as I processed what he just told me.

He then said, “Let me grab my facial reconstruction book An amazing government laboratory where nuclear warfrom my office. I’ll be right back”. As the door quietly shut heads, stealth fighter technology, and many other cutbehind him, I continued looking at the ceiling wondering if I ting-edge types of technology were invented and improved had heard him right? Did he just say he had to get his, “facial upon behind their barb-wired topped fences in the footreconstruction book?” hills of the Sandia Mountains.

A few moments later he walked back in and his cheerful deAll the above meanor had returned as he began showing me photographs thoughts were of people who had portions of their faces removed due to skin circling around cancer and strategies on how to stitch them back together. in my brain as I lay on the fancy As he pointed at the pictures he said we could make an “H” or reclining surgimaybe an “A” to get me back together but then thinking out cal table in Sharp Hospital as my amazing doctor and his loud he said, “that may pull your eyebrows too close to each nurse cared for me. The three of us are not drinking budother”. I recall laughing in a way thinking he was joking and dies, and we have never been to a Padre game, but we do still wondering why he was showing me these pictures. I then meet regularly. asked him, “Hey doc, do you got a mirror by chance?”

When I walked into their office in May, my doctor turned on the high-intensity light to illuminate the very small pink blemish in the center of my forehead. It was light-colored and the edges appeared symmetrical. I noticed it about a year ago and stupidly thought it was caused by doing hot yoga and resting my forehead on the towel. It was such a small spot of “unhappy skin” I really did not think much about it.

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Over the next couple of hours, the reconstruction was very tedious. To pass the time I thought about my time as a rookie security inspector at Sandia National Laboratories. I got to do some really cool stuff like participating in highly classified training scenarios in both Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Rocky Flats Nuclear Processing Plant in Colorado.

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United States Navy Seal Team One for a few days. I will never forget them or when they all came to my parent’s home for a barbeque and a beer bash. The seals sure could drink and when the beer flowed the wrestling matches broke out and their camaraderie shined like diamonds. Heady stuff for me to witness at just nineteen years old.

As the doctor continued his work, I recalled attending one specific line-up at the labs where our supervisor said we had a “live pit” to guard in one of our countless cement and dirt-covered bunkers.

I whispered to another officer, “what’s a live pit?’ He whispered back, “a live nuclear warhead.” When the supervisor asked who wanted to be inside the bunker with the warhead versus outside on perimeter security duty, I was the first to volunteer. When would I ever get to see a real nuclear warhead again? I guess I forgot what my dad had said about volunteering.

I think I stared at the “live pit” which was attached by wires to countless machines surrounding it with more blinking lights than I could count for the entire twelve-hour shift. I was wearing my blue uniform, body armor, and had a bandolier full of 12 gauge double 00 buck shotgun rounds and another six rounds in the tube of my Remington 870 pump shotgun. No terrorists or saboteurs were going to steal this warhead.

During the extensive suturing, my doctor repeatedly thanked me for being so patient. I recall saying. “First of all Doc, you guys just saved my life, and you are actually sewing my face back together, so I am here as long as you need. I’m good”.

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I knew the question on his young mind, as well as the waiters and fellow diners. It only took a few minutes for the waitress with the nose ring to muster up the courage and approach our table where she asked, “Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question, did you, well, did you tattoo the letter “H” on your forehead?’ An “H” I responded? Damn it, it was supposed to be a “Z” just like Harry Potter’s. I then laughed and said, “it’s not a tattoo, it’s a scar. Just wear sunscreen”. She gave us a relieved smile as she took our order.

Our next stop was Ponces Mexican Restaurant in Del Sur where we met my oldest son Troy and two other close friends.

I knew my forehead looked messed up, but I felt such a sense of gratitude for my doctor and the medical care we have in America, that I really did not care.

I also have absolutely no animosity and only appreciation for our Federal Government and if staring at the nuclear warhead contributed to this medical condition or the City of San Diego not realizing the danger they placed us in, or even my mom for ordering us out into the sun. None of us really knew back then the dangers of radiation.

In my mind, being aware of my own mortality has been the ultimate calibrator. Seeing death so frequently as a cop made me aware at a very young age that there is a limit to our time on this beautiful planet, and it is a constant reminder to make the most of each day. My doctor and his nurse actually provided me with more time with my kids, and I feel I have a debt to repay to both of them by making the most of it.

Realizing how fortuAs predicted when the doc finished stitching me up, I had a nate I felt to be with pronounced Letter “H” on my forehead. I thought it kind of friends and family looked stylish, almost like a Hermes logo. Per his instructions, with a silly “H” on my I kept it covered for five days and on the sixth day, I removed forehead, I announced the bandages. at Ponce’s Restaurant that it was time to head to our home where we could open Mr. H’s Nightclub and like in Grey’s Anatomy just, “dance it out”. We really had a great time when we all listened to music very loud and danced to a wide variety of songs including Madonna, Bon Jovi, Billy Idol, Queen, and many others.

When my youngest son Ryan got home in the middle of the dance party, he hustled straight to his room where he likely wondered why we are all so happy dancing upstairs. I hope in the future he reads this story and better understands the struggle between appearance and longevity.

I thought he did a heck of a job, and I was overjoyed with his work. That is when a good friend of mine and I went to dinner at one of our favorite Thai restaurants. A little boy with very dark and beautiful skin and shining white eyes and a cute smile walked in with his parents and could not help but keep glancing at me as he partially hid behind his parent’s legs.

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I cannot give advice on dance moves, but I can tell you that if you or anyone you know have even a small patch of “unhappy skin” in any shape, color, or size, please do not delay in seeing your dermatologist. If you procrastinate like i did and you wait too long to see a doctor, you may only be a memory to your childern instead of having the opportunity to dance with the people you love most.

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VOLUME 77 || ISSUE ISSUE 66 AA Publication Publication of of Local Local Umbrella Umbrella Media Media || VOLUME

THE ART OF REINVENTION AND THE ART OF REINVENTION AND TRANSFORMATION FROM BEHIND THE LENS TRANSFORMATION FROM BEHIND THE LENS

all the posing, and it really draws out their inner essence. She loved her photo- graphs and can see ByAre LinDee draws out theirshe inner essence.

She” loved her photoyouRochelle a woman who hates having her picherself where stands today. graphs and can see herself where she photographed stands today.” ture taken? Our smartphone cameras don’t do us Brooke told of another woman Are you a woman who hates having her picture Brooke told of another woman photographed justice, especially if you’re “of a certain age.” And for the over forty spread and shared her moti-for the taken?

Our smartphone cameras don’t do us justice, over forty and shared her motivation and for joining though we periodically have a studio portrait takvation forspread joining Brooke’s photography especially if you’re “of a certain age. ” And though we Brooke’s photography and makeover project.

C. Chrisen with the fami- ly, we are but one face in several. makeover project. C. Chris- tie Craig experienced periodically have a studio portrait taken with the famitie Craig experienced a triple whammy in losing family How long has it been since you focused on you? a triple whammy in losing family members, going ly,Ifwe are but one face in several.

How long has it been members, going through divorce, and seeing her career you’re over forty and in need of a life-affirming through divorce, and seeing her career slide off its since you focused on you? slide off its tracks.

“It was time to reinvent myself with a experience, Brooke, of Brooke Preece Legacy Portraits, tracks. “It was time to reinvent myself with a whole If you’refor over forty need ofshe a life-affirming whole new brand, ” Christie said in interview her interview is looking you!

Byand latein August, plans to have new brand, ” Christie said in her forfor thethe experience, Brooke, of Brooke Preece Legacy Portraits, project.

“I was really good about packaging my clients, enough photographs of “40 Women Over 40” for a project. “I was really good about packaging my is lookingexhibition for you! By late August, shewomen plans tofrom have all clients, but I couldn’t do it for myself. ” myself.” first-ever featuring mature but I couldn’t do it for enough photographs of “40 Women Over 40” for a The morning of Christie’s photo shoot withwith Brooke, walks of life, who are experiencing a new beginning.

The morning of Christie’s photo shoot first-ever exhibition featuring mature women from all nothing went right.

“I couldn’t find my clothes, The gallery showing is slated for late September.

Brooke, nothing went right. “I couldn’t findmy my walks of life, who are experiencing a new beginning. curling iron, the keys iron, to mythe car and “I’m looking for a particular woman,” said clothes, my curling keysmy to dog my was car sick. and” The gallery showingwho is slated forthe lateother September.

But dog she was a mission andwas determined to make this Brooke, “someone is on side of my wason sick. ” But she on a mission and “I’m looking for a particular woman, ” said Brooke, step forward, in spite of everything.

She soon learned surviving some- thing difficult, looking to reinvent determined to make this step forward, in spite “someone whosuch is on heart the other surviving it was a great decision.

“Brooke has the innate ability herself.

I have for side this of project.

It’s someso of everything.

She soon learned it was a great thing difficult, looking to reinvent herself.

I have such to see through our pain and our fear and she helps much more than just taking pretty pictures. I really decision. “Brooke has the innate ability to see us heart them for thistoproject. so with muchthemselves more than just taking through to break through that fear andfear deliver want fall in It’s love again our pain and our andanyway!!! she helpsI have us pretty pictures.

I really want them to fall in love with some of the best photos of my career from Brooke. She and reconnect with who they are.” to break through that fear and deliver anyway!!! themselves again andportrait reconnectphotographer, with who theyBrooke are.” a total pro.”of the best photos of my career from An accomplished Iishave some An accomplished portrait photographer, Brooke loves Sometimes our trauma is ”simply the march of time. loves to quote Segovia Amil, her favorite poet, Brooke. She is a total pro. to quote Segovia Amil, her favorite poet, “True beauty Relates Brooke, “Abby was wonderful. She came in for “True beauty is not of the body or of the face, no, is not of the body or of the face, no, it is a thing of the her fiftieth birthday in 2021, this the graymarch hair, fuming, it is a thing of the soul—of fire and air, breath and Sometimes our trauma iswith simply of soul—of fire and air, breath and spirit, something brave ‘I earned this gray hair and women dying their spirit, something brave and unafraid.” time. Relates Brooke, “Abby was wonderful.hair She and unafraid.” gray make mad, ‘causebirthday they didn’t Brooke came in forme her fiftieth in earn 2021,it!” with this New beginnings make great photos. laughed at the memory. beautiful silver-gray hair, Abby joked saying ‘I New beginnings make great photos.

Brooke cited a couple of examples from those earned this gray hair and women dying their hair cited a photographed. couple of examples from those she Abby is no stranger to cameras at a loss forit!” beauty. sheBrooke has already “One woman was gray make me mad, ‘cause theyor didn’t earn has already photographed.

“One woman was on the She took top honors in January 2021 as the first “Silver on the other side of a horrific divorce” and was up- Brooke laughed at the memory.” other side of a horrific divorce” and was uprooted in a Mrs. California” for Crowned in Silver magazine’s rooted in a traumatic move from Texas to CaliforAbby is no stranger to cameras or at a loss fordebut traumatic move from Texas to California.

It compoundissue.

But Abby’s background in pageants nia. It compound- ed her losses. She decided to buy beauty.

She tookextensive top honors in January 2021 as the ed her losses.

She decided to buy a portrait session with doesn’t preclude a love-hate relationship withinaging. a portrait session with Brooke, who also provides a first “Silver Mrs. California” for Crowned SilverIn Brooke, who also provides a complete makeover in her fact, it can accentuate it.

So she was ready for a makecomplete makeover in her packages. “She was com- magazine’s debut issue. But Abby’s extensive backpackages.

“She was completely blown her imag- ground over. in pageants doesn’t preclude a love-hate pletely blown away by her images,away ” saidby Brooke, es, ” said Brooke, “and re-saw herself in this new light. ” One great advantage from days though,it. “and re-saw herself in this new light.” relationship with aging.

In her fact,pageant it can accentuate “Another had just finished her last treatment of a Brooke said is, “She brought in the most amazing “Another had just finished her last treatment of So she was ready for a make- over. worth of chemotherapy for breast cancer, and dresses, and we just had so much fun. ” So much, ayear’s year’s worth of chemotherapy for breast cancer, One great advantage from her pageant daysin fact, had lost her hair.

She was looking in the mirror with no that Abby has already been in for her fifty-first and had lost her hair. She was looking in the mirthough, Brooke said is, “She brought in the birthday most hair, and asking, ‘Who is this person?’

So I did what I do portrait session and plans return every ror with no hair, and asking, ‘Who is this person?’ amazing dresses, and weto just had to soBrooke much fun. ” So with hairwhat and makeup, alland the posing, andand it really year until she turns she turns sixty, says So I did I do withand hair makeup, much, in fact, that sixty.

Abby“When has already been in” for

By LinDee Rochelle

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her fifty-first birthday portrait session and plans to return to Brooke every year until she turns sixty.

Brooke, she “we’re going to ”make beautiful coffeegoing table to “When turns sixty, says aBrooke, “we’re book. ” make a beautiful coffee table book.”

Life before before Pinterest.

Life Pinterest.

Brooke’s love love for Brooke’s for portrait portrait photography photographywas wasaacomcoming-of-age fascination with fashion and beauty ing-of-age fascination with fashion and beautyininhigh high school.“I “I was was always always drawn school. drawn to tovisual visualimages. images.IIhad hadtoto get all all the the fashion fashion magazines, get magazines,ripped rippedout outthe thepages pages I liked and put them in a notebook.

You know ... it ...

I liked and put them in a notebook. You know was before Pinterest. ” It wasn’t simply the clothes and it was before Pinterest.” It wasn’t simply the clothes pretty models that attracted her though.

Her interest and pretty models that attracted her though. Her focused on the beauty of beauty the photography. interest focused on the of the photography.

She first received her bachelor’s degree in in advertising advertising She first received her bachelor’s degree at the art institute in a mix of graphic design and the the at the art institute in a mix of graphic design and visual arts, with business and marketing.

Although she visual arts, with business and marketing. Although she began in an ad agency internship, it wasn’t long before began in an ad agency internship, it wasn’t long before she realized realized where where her her passion passion truly truly lies. lies. she Portrait photography is a specialized area.

SheShe Portrait photography is a specialized area. pointed her camera initially, at weddings, until her pointed her camera initially, at weddings, until (now longtime) portrait mentor appeared.

Acclaimed her (now longtime) portrait mentor appeared. portraitist, Sue Bryce states her site, ouronvision is Acclaimed portraitist, Sueon Bryce states her site, to “... create a magazine/celebrity style photoshoot our vision is to “... create a magazine/celebrity style for everyday for women. ” Thatwomen. sentiment resonated with photoshoot everyday ” That sentiment Brooke.

“When I saw her work, I said, that’s what resonated with Brooke. “When I saw her work,I I wantthat’s to do.”what I want to do.” said, And doing it And doing it she she is! is!“I’m “I’maamaster masteratatposing posingand and knowing how the body looks [through knowing how the body looks [throughthe thecamera camera lens] and and it it doesn’t doesn’t matter lens] matterififyou’re you’recurvy curvyor orwide, wide,I’m I’m going to make you look beautiful.

I’m just a woman going to make you look beautiful. I’m just a woman on aa mission. mission. I’ve I’ve always on always been beenaagirl’s girl’sgirl. girl.””The The40 40 Women Over 40 exhibition is also fun for Brooke Women Over 40 exhibition is also fun for Brooketoto shoot, because because “The “The poses shoot, poses for forthis thisproject projectare areaalittle little sexier, with an eye toward beauty styling, ” surely sexier, with an eye toward beauty styling,” surelyremireminiscent of of those those high niscent high school schoolfashion fashionclippings. clippings.

The making The makingof ofaamakeover. makeover.

The camera camera does thethe insecurities we we The doesnot notcapture capture insecurities see in in the allall of of Brooke’s photo see the mirror. mirror.ItIthelps helpsthat that Brooke’s photo packages come makeover.

SheShe does a packages comewith witha acomplete complete makeover. style assessment over the over phone, does a style assessment theoffering phone,suggestions offering of what to bring in fortotheir session, them to suggestions of what bring in forthen theirasks session,

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show showup up upat atatthem the thestudio studio studio with with clean, clean, moisturized moisturized face, face, then asks toshow up at themoisturized studio withface, a show the with aaaclean, in in pajamas pajamas if if you’d you’d like, like, and and the the rest rest is is up up to to Brooke Brooke clean, moisturized face, in pajamas if you’d like, in pajamas if you’d like, and the rest is up to Brooke and andher her herstylists. stylists. stylists.

When When her herclient client client arrives, arrives, Brooke BrookeWhen takes takes and the rest is up to Brooke and her stylists. and When her arrives, Brooke takes complete complete control. control. her client arrives, Brooke takes complete control. complete control.

Shetells tells tellsthe the the women, women, “Make “Make ititaaitafull full full day dayday for forfor yourself yourself She tells thewomen, women, “Make a full yourShe “Make it day for yourself and and go go out out afterwards, afterwards, ‘cause ‘cause you’re you’re going going to to look look self and go out afterwards, ‘cause you’re going and go out afterwards, ‘cause you’re going to look to gorgeous!” gorgeous!”

Brooke’s Brooke’s favorite favoritefavorite moment moment during duringthe the the look gorgeous!”

Brooke’s moment during gorgeous!”

Brooke’s favorite moment during session session is is when when a a woman woman is is obviously obviously apprehensive, apprehensive, so the session is when a woman is obviously appresession is when a woman is obviously apprehensive, so so she she tells tells them, them, “‘Close “‘Close your your eyes, eyes, take take a a deep deep breath breath ... ... hensive, so she tells them, “‘Close your eyes, take a she tells them, “‘Close your eyes, take a deep breath ... now nowlook look look atatme. me. me. ’’Without Without Without fail, fail,me. their their expression expression will will be be deep breath ... ’now lookfail, at ’ Without fail,will their now at their expression be with with a a baby baby smile smile and and sparkly sparkly eyes, eyes, ” ” said said Brooke.

Brooke.

Click.

Click. expression will be with a baby smile and sparkly with a baby smile and sparkly eyes,” said Brooke. Click.

Captured.

Captured. eyes, ” said Brooke. Click. Captured.

Captured.

She’s She’s amazed amazedthat that that women women are are coming coming in infor for forfor her herher over over She’s amazed thatwomen women are coming in She’s amazed are coming in her over 40 40 portraits portraits who who plan plan to to remain remain clients clients for for life. life.

But But as over 40 portraits who plan to remain clients for 40 portraits who plan to remain clients for life. But as as Brooke Brooke says, says, “I’m “I’m a a big big fan fan of of printing printing and and living living with with life.

But as Brooke says, “I’m a big fan of printing Brooke says, “I’m a big fan of printing and living with your yourliving artwork, artwork, creating creating legacy. legacy.Once Once Once you youaget get get ititup up upon on and with your artwork, creating legacy. your artwork, creating aaalegacy. you it on the the wall, wall, you’ll you’ll be be like, like, ‘Wow. ‘Wow. That’s That’s what what I I really really look look Once you get it up on the wall, you’ll be like, ‘Wow. the wall, you’ll be like, ‘Wow. That’s what I really look like?’” like?’”what I really look like?’”

That’s like?’”

Brooke Brookeis isisalso also also looking looking forward forward to tothe the thethe women women in inthe the Brooke alsolooking looking forward to women in Brooke forward to women in the exhibition exhibition meeting meeting each each other other at at the the gallery gallery showing. showing. the exhibition meeting each other at the gallery exhibition meeting each other at the gallery showing.

“I“Iplan plan planto to to“I make make yearly yearly thing, thing, just justbecause because because it’s it’sso so so showing. plan makething, it a yearly thing, it’s just be“I make itititto aaayearly just powerful. powerful.

And And I I know know there there are are more more than than forty forty womwomcause it’s so powerful.

And I know there are more powerful. And I know there are more than forty women enout out out there, there, ready ready for for life-affirming life-affirming portrait. portrait.

You You than forty womenfor out there,” readyportrait. for a life-afen there, ”””ready aaalife-affirming You can can contact contact Brooke Brooke and and be be part part of of the the over over 40 40 transfortransforfirming portrait.

You can contact Brooke and be can contact Brooke and be part of the over 40 transformational mational experience! experience! part of the over 40 transformational experience! mational experience!

At AtaaaGlance: Glance: Glance: At Glance: At Brooke Brooke Preece Preece Legacy Legacy Portraits Portraits Brooke Preece Legacy Portraits Brooke Preece Legacy Portraits (760)399-6530 (760)399-6530 (760)399-6530 (760)399-6530 email: email:portraits@brookepreece.com portraits@brookepreece.com portraits@brookepreece.com email: portraits@brookepreece.com email: Apply Apply to to 40 4040 Women Women Over Over 40 40 40 Apply to Women Over Apply to 40 Women Over 40 https://www.brookepreece.com/40-over-40 https://www.brookepreece.com/40-over-40 https://www.brookepreece.com/40-over-40 https://www.brookepreece.com/40-over-40

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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 6

A Publication of Local Umbrella Media

SUMMER’S BIG COOL DOWN

The Delicious, Refreshing Virtues of Ice Cream Await All Around San Diego

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

San Diego County’s crop of ice cream makers and vendors keeps growing, leaving us with no choice but to dive into their vast selection of flavors and textures for offsetting our hot summer days.

It is no surprise that July is National Ice Cream Month, which was surprisingly proclaimed in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan. But considering that ice cream lovers consume an average of four gallons of the cold stuff each year (according to the International Dairy Foods Association), we are obviously not limiting ourselves to any particular month to lap it up.

Below are some of our favorite outlets to satisfy your ice cream hankerings year-round.

House-made waffle cones are the recommended vehicle for an array of unconventional ice cream flavors offered at this acclaimed Oregon-based company, which made its San Diego debut in 2017. We’re talking about options such as marionberry, goat cheese and habanero contained in a single scoop. Or how does pears with blue cheese in the form of high butterfat ice cream sound? Flavors change monthly. And the shop is generous with doling out samples.

An’s Dry Cleaning

Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream

(Courtesy photo)

Crafty gelatos at An’s Dry Cleaning (Facebook)

Dazzling tropical flavors at Hammond’s

3077 University Ave., North Park 3740 Sports Arena Blvd., Point Loma 619-567-7528; hammondsgourmet.com With a long list of accolades and awards under its belt, the Hawaiian-inspired Hammond’s is where you’ll find mouthwatering island flavors like lychee cream, kona coffee with caramel, pineapple, passionfruit and more. There are about 32 flavors available on any given day as they rotate throughout the week and season. Better yet, if you can’t decide on a particular flavor, you can order the ice creams in flights of up to six different types.

3017 Adams Ave., North Park 619-540-6166; adcgelato.com The star of the show here is icy gelato, which is close enough to creamy, dreamy ice cream. The play on “dry cleaning” is reflected in An’s ambitious choice of flavors—all named after fabrics. The “lingerie,” for example, uses 10 pounds of strawberries per batch. It harbors bits of dark chocolate within. If you like Irish whiskey, coffee and shortbread, then the “kilt” is your calling. From a focused list of about seven flavors a day, the gelato is sold in pints, scoops and cones.

Stella Jean’s Ice Cream

Salt & Straw

(Stella Jean’s Ice Cream) (Salt & Straw)

Peanut butter stout ice cream

4404 Park Blvd., University Heights 4195 Voltaire St., Point Loma 619-501-8252; stellajeans.com

1670 India St., Little Italy 619-542-9394; saltandstraw.com LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

A trifecta of double chocolate, brown butter pecan, and milk & cookies ice creams

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A Publication of Local Umbrella Media From the proprietors of neighboring Pop Pie Co. is Stella Jean’s, a quaint ice cream parlor where top-quality ingredients go into the hand-crafted small-batch selection. Among a few of our favorite “always f lavors” are brown butter pecan, double chocolate, and ube-pandesal. Specialty f lavors are posted on Stella’s web site every week or so. And the shop offers both waff le and sugar cones.

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 6 |

Founded in Ohio by Alice Handel in 1945, this national franchise uses its extra-creamy ice cream in everything from cones and waffle bowls to shakes, sundaes, hurricanes, pints, and quarts. Standout flavors include black walnut, cinnamon sticky bun, and key lime pie. There are usually around 45 flavors available per day. Check the web site for current offerings.

Moosie’s Ice Cream

Niederfranks Ice Cream

(Facebook)

Rich, chocolate-y ice cream at Moosie’s (Facebook)

A National City landmark

726 A Ave., National City 619-477-0828; niederfranks.com There are no short cuts or modern machinery used in the craft at Niederfrank’s, which reigns as San Diego County’s oldest ice cream maker. At nearly 75 years old, the company still serves as a magnet for those on the hunt for such flavors as apple strudel, blackberry twist, and rum raisin, not to mention a big selection of chocolate options.

4073 Adams Ave., Kensington 619-228-9745; icecreamshopsandiego.com It is in the heart of Kensington where you’ll find delectable handmade ice cream in f lavors such as burgundy-cherry, horchata, and pistachio. They land in shakes, malts, sundaes, cones, and cups. A variety of refreshing sorbets are also available, should your palate need a blast of watermelon, raspberry or tequila-lime.

Yesenia’s Mexican Food and Ice Cream

Eclipse Chocolate Bar & Bistro

(By Frank Sabatini Jr.)

Some fine scoops await inside this North Park taco shop.

2505 El Cajon Blvd., North Park 619-255-1602 (Courtesy photo)

Head to Eclipse for some ‘Sprinkle Magic.’

2145 Fern St., South Park 619-578-2984; eclipsechocolate.com It is the soft-serve sundae bar that snagged our attention, not to mention the kaleidoscopic array of sprinkles that Eclipse makes and sells. There’s also an after-school “sundae happy hour” from 2 to 4 p.m. on weekdays, held on the shop’s remodeled patio named Sprinkle Magic. It was designed with an old-fashion ice parlor in mind. From cones to waffle boats to sensational floats, this popular chocolatier has you covered.

Aside from flaunting some of the best queso birria tacos in town, this modest Mexican eatery also carries coveted La Michoacana Ice Cream, which can be typically found throughout the cities of Mexico. The taco shop carries 12 flavors a day. Contained in Styrofoam cups, they’re sold in three sizes. If you visit on a day when vanilla-tequila is available, count yourself lucky.

Mariposa Ice Cream

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream

(Instagram). )

A scoop from Mariposa vaguely resembling planet Earth

3450 Adams Ave., Normal Heights 619-284-5197; mariposaicecream.com (Handel’s Ice Cream)

A well-stacked cone at Handel’s

4475 Mission Blvd.,Pacific Beach 858-999-0075; handelsicecream.com LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

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No summer in San Diego is complete without ducking into Mariposa, which The New York Times cited as a “must visit.” At nearly 25 years old, the shop cranks out ice creams using old-fashion equipment and methods. The end results are premium products in dozens of daily flavors, including some vegan options. We’re particularly smitten with the banana-walnut, which is one of the regular flavors. @LocalUmbrellaMedia

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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 6

A Publication of Local Umbrella Media

DEL MAR RACETRACK IS BACK THIS SUMMER IN TRUE SAN DIEGO STYLE

The top West Coast destination gears up for an exhilarating season of world-class horse racing, the return of fan-favorite events and enthusiastic crowds in the grandstand

Keegan Orr wearing a custom-made Aimee Fuller asymmetrical crinoline fascinator at the 2022 Kentucky Derby

DEL MAR, Calif. - Following a milestone year in 2021 featuring the return of fans, record-breaking wagering and the hosting of the Breeders’ Cup, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club is poised for perhaps its greatest racing season.

The 2022 summer meet will see a return to full capacity in the grandstand for the first time since 2019 and the richest purses in California history with total payouts to participating horsemen and horsewomen averaging more than $800,000 per day. Del Mar and all its excitement bursts from the gate on Opening Day, Friday, July 22 and will run through Sunday, September 11.

Known as one of Southern California’s most beloved summer events, Opening Day at Del Mar attracts thousands of locals and travelers alike. The West Coast tradition features the best in racing, fashion, food and local culture.

Fans will have the opportunity to wager on ten exciting races including the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes and enter the Opening Day Hats Contest, one of the long-standing Opening Day highlights. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and the first post is at 2 p.m. Opening weekend will feature more high-end stakes racing on Saturday and Sunday with gates opening at noon. Del Mar will be limiting General Admission on Opening Day to enhance attendee experience – tickets are expected to sell out quickly, so guests are encouraged to purchase tickets early to guarantee attendance.

Del Mar is also bringing back fan favorite events to the track this year with highlights including: l August 6 – Equine Art Show: Witness many of Del Mar’s talented artists, painting demonstrations and art for purchase l Aug. 13 - Uncorked: Del Mar Wine Fest: Enjoy tastings of more than 150 wines from across the globe along with gourmet food from local San Diego food vendors l Aug. 20 - Del Mar Taco & Beer Festival: From 12-4 pm, the festival features local breweries as well as tacos prepared by local food vendors. (Admission price TBD) l Sept. 4 - Family Fun Day: Bring your family to the cabana to enjoy free attractions including face painting, kid-friendly games and more l Sept. 10 - College Day: Show your student ID for free racetrack admission and exclusive access to grandstand seating LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

Cindy Eckstein of New York and Karly Rice of Los Angeles attend the 2022 Kentucky Derby. The two friends happened to run into each other at the derby, and noticed they were both wearing Aimee Fuller headpieces!

In addition to special weekend events, Del Mar offers weekly attractions including: l Diamond Club Free & Easy Thursdays: Free admission + seats and food + beverage specials l Taste of the Turf Club (Sundays): An exciting opportunity for non-Turf Club members to reserve a table and enjoy a locally inspired menu with the best views of the track ($125 per person) l Happy Hour (Fridays): New in 2022, get half off signature drinks until 6 pm or upgrade your experience and enjoy happy hour drinks and appetizers in the Turf Club. (Turf Club admission price TBD) On Saturday, September 3, Del Mar will present the highlight of its summer season, the $1,000,000 TVG Pacific Classic. The highly anticipated event showcases the nation’s leading Thoroughbreds, trainers and jockeys at the famed seaside oval.

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club continues to lead the nation in horse racing safety and its highly successful protocols for equine and human athletes are considered the gold standard throughout the Thoroughbred racing industry.

Tickets for the summer season go on sale on Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at www.dmtc.com.

About the 2022 Summer Racing Season Del Mar will present its 83rd year of racing with its Summer 2022 racing season running from Friday, July 22 - Sunday, September 11.

First post daily is 2 p.m. until September 1 when first post moves to 1 p.m. First post on Fridays is at 4 p.m. (exceptions being August 26, September 2 and 9 when first post shifts to 3 p.m.).

For more information, call 858-755-1141 or visit www.dmtc.com. You can follow Del Mar on Instagram and Twitter at @delmarracing or on Facebook @DelMarRaces.

About Del Mar Thoroughbred Club Opened in 1937, San Diego’s iconic and the nation’s only seaside racetrack features the world’s top racehorses, the best in fashion and classic California culture where the “turf meets the surf.”

What began as a Hollywood hotspot in the era of the racetrack’s founder Bing Crosby is now one of today’s premier Southern California summer destinations and a leader in racetrack safety. /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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Award-winning Milliner Aimee Fuller

Aimee Fuller spent a career in TV, starting in local news and then eventually becoming host of a nationwide network talk show. While still hosting and chairing events for select charity organizations, she now prefers a life behind the scenes making her wearable art. Aimee creates everything from couture millinery to theatrical head-pieces. Around this time of year, you can spot her hats on race-goers at Del Mar, the Kentucky Derby, and even across the pond at Royal Ascot and the Melbourne Cup. In fact, Aimee, an award-winning milliner, now says almost half of her clients are European-based..

Aimee also has 20 years’ experience creating and maintaining her jewelry line. She is based in San Diego. Her pieces can be found at www. aimeefuller.com.

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 6 |

9

OPENING DAY AT DEL MAR 2022

Aimee Fuller will once again be a star of opening day.

Another Del Mar VIP moment on the paddock at a recent opening day.

MaryBeth Kellee, Coldwell Banker West realtor, wears an Aimee Fuller fascinator at opening day events

Nikki Blake of Nikki Blake Boutique wears an Aimee Fuller hat on a recent opening day at Del Mar.

Beata Pevny of Beata Pevny Photography wears Aimee’s “Garden Party” fascinator at a recent opening day at Del Mar.

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Ingrid Fiorini of Ingrid Fiorini Consulting Agency and Sonia Mahfouz, founder of The Perfect Part-Time (both standing), wear Aimee’s fascinators on opening day.

Aimee herself performs every year at Del Mar, leading the “Sing with Bing” tradition.

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July, 2022 | VOLUME 3 | VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 16| ISSUE A Publication of Local Umbrella Media

TINA AFTER DARK

F

or the past year, every time I went to Westfield UTC in La Jolla, there was a sign that caught my attention. It’s for the famous hot pot chain in China called Haidilao. After a full year of anticipation, it finally opened its doors in San Diego. Gathering around a hot pot with an abundant selection of different types of meats and vegetables is one of my favorite Chinese traditions. When I was growing up in Taiwan, my family would sit around our dining table on cold winter evenings to cook a variety of food and enjoy each other’s company after our busy days. Being able to sit and cook together always brings the warmth to my heart on the chilliest winter nights.

The chain, which originated in China’s Sichuan province, maintains more than 1,500 locations worldwide. However, the Westfield UTC restaurant is the company’s first in San Diego. Haidilao at Westfield UTC features a lobby area with a full cocktail bar, and the chain is known to offer snacks to guests as they wait for a table. Given its recent opening, you should prepare for a long line if you didn’t make the reservation ahead of time. Other amenities include plastic bags to store personal belongings such as masks or smartphones.

If you’re dining alone, Haidilao also offers a plush toy as a companion. Luckily, my two kids know my love for eating hot pot, so they made a reservation ahead of time so we can celebrate my birthday together.

The dining room is stacked with tables with built in hot pots. This is where the magic happens. You can fill those pots with various soup base flavors, including Sichuan-style spicy and mushroom broth. On this day we decided to go with the two soup bases, the pork bone broth and also the spicy Thai Tom Yum. Using a tablet, customers can order from the restaurant’s selections of meats, vegetables, seafood, and other ingredients to cook in the boiling hot pots. The number of options is vast — from vegetables like bamboo shoots and lotus roots to crab and frozen scallops. Along with the hot pot ingredients, Haidilao also has a full menu LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

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of snacks and other dishes. Those options include pumpkin pancakes, deep-fried pork crisps, hot and sour rice noodle soup, tempura, and deep-fried mini buns. There’s also a self-serve condiment table. Even though Haidilao is set up to be self-serve, the staff still go beyond their ways to make you feel extra welcomed and comfortable. We were looking forward to their most famous table-side dancing noodle service which involves an employee dancing with handmade noodles that stretch up to 10 feet long. However, the service wasn’t available on the day we were there. Overall, the quality of the meat and food is top notch and at the end of the satisfying meal, you can end it with their free soft serve ice cream!! However, the bill can add up easily and quickly with the different dishes you order on the iPad so I will definitely save this wonderful dining experience for the very special occasions!

For frequent visitors, the Haidilao also offers a membership program that allows customers to earn points that can be used toward prizes or other perks. As for me, my two kids have their lifetime membership at Wu’s hot pot at home anytime.

Be sure to make the reservation ahead of time to experience this interesting hot pot experience: : https://www.yelp. com/biz/haidilao-hot-pot-san-diego-san-diego

Tina Wu

Realtor® CalDRE #02070656

Direct: (760) 473-8649

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A Publication of Local Umbrella VOLUME Media VOLUME 6| 1 | ISSUE 73 || ISSUE July 2022

4SRanch-Del Sur Community Foundation would like to congratulate your 2022 Grant Recipients. PUSD RUNNING CLUB SPONSORSHIP, BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, GIVING NETWORK, & READING LEGACIES. Past 14 years Grantees.

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4S Ranch Youth Soccer Association Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego Burn Institute Del Sur Elementary School Del Norte High School Del Norte High School Music Boosters The Design 39C Collaborative Friends of the 4S Ranch Library Friends of Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve I Love a Clean San Diego, Inc. Junior Achievement of San Diego Loving Life Foundation Meals on Wheels of Greater San Diego Monterey Ridge Educational Foundation Monterey Ridge Elementary School Oak Valley Middle School Oak Valley Music Boosters Poway Unified School District PUSD Running Club Sponsorships Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District Solana Center for Environmental Innovation SOLE Effects Stone Ranch Elementary School Write Out Loud Zoological Society of San Diego (which brought educational opportunities to Oak Valley and Stone Ranch)

To Join your LOCAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION check us out online.

4SRANCHCOMMUNITYFOUNDATION.ORG

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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 16| ISSUE A Publication of Local Umbrella Media July, 2022 | VOLUME 3

YOUR COASTAL COMMUNITY EXPERTS DEL MAR NEIGHBORHOODS

STYLE

DEL MAR DEL MAR DEL MAR DEL MAR DEL MAR

DET DET DET DET DET

ADDRESS

DAYS ON PRICE/ SOLD PRICE MARKET SQ FT 4 $1,023.98 $3,075,000 3 $1,187.28 $3,100,000 9 $941.78 $2,200,000 22 $810.13 $2,240,000 22 $1,178.78 $1,800,000

CLOSE DATE 6/13/22 6/14/22 6/16/22 6/23/22 6/1/22

DAYS ON PRICE/ SOLD PRICE MARKET SQ FT 2,322 53 $1,507.32 $3,500,000 1,433 16 $990.93 $1,420,000 665 0 $4,511.28 $3,000,000 2,721 111 $1,378.17 $3,750,000

CLOSE DATE 6/14/22 6/15/22 6/27/22 7/8/22

BEDS BATHS EST SF

13934 Boquita Drive 12850 Via Grimoldi 14174 Mango Drive 13784 Boquita Drive l13404 Portofino

4 3 3 3 3

4 4 3 4 2

3,003 2,611 2,336 2,765 1,527

CARDIFF BY THE SEA NEIGHBORHOODS

STYLE

ADDRESS

BEDS BATHS EST SF

CARDIFF BY THE SEA CARDIFF BY THE SEA CARDIFF BY THE SEA CARDIFF BY THE SEA

DET DET DET DET

1545 San Elijo Avenue 1914 Playa Riviera Drive 2386 Newport Avenue 1541 San Elijo Avenue

5 3 1 4

5 2 1 4

HOMES ARE SELLING FAST AND FOR TOP DOLLAR! Sold properties taken from Sandicor from 4/1/22 and may represent listings from other brokerages. Information accurate but not guaranteed.

LOCAL MARKET SNAPSHOT - SAN DIEGO COUNTY JUNE 2021

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

2,920 2,427 2,569 $875,000 17

JUNE 2022

2,630 1,462 1,658 $987,225 20

% CHANGE

-9.9% -39.8% -35.5% +12.8% +17.6%

Current as of JUNE 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 LOCAL NEWS NEWS || LocalUmbrellaNews.com LocalUmbrellaNews.com

OFFICE 858.449.7355 /LocalUmbrellaMedia /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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A Publication of Local UmbrellaVOLUME Media VOLUME ISSUE 6| 1 | ISSUE 37 | July 2022

YOUR COASTAL COMMUNITY EXPERTS SOLANA BACH NEIGHBORHOODS

STYLE

SOLANA BEACH SOLANA BEACH SOLANA BEACH

ADDRESS

DAYS ON PRICE/ SOLD PRICE MARKET SQ FT 1,496 5 $1,620.99 $2,425,000 2,281 0 $931.61 $2,125,000 2,273 3 $1,583.81 $3,600,000

BEDS BATHS EST SF

DET 501 S. Rios DET 900 Highland Drive DET 626 Canyon

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CLOSE DATE 6/15/22 6/21/22 6/28/22

ENCINTAS/LEUCADIA NEIGHBORHOODS

STYLE

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BEDS BATHS EST SF

339 Hestia Way 441 Ocenaview Terrace 437 Fulvia Street 554 Arden Drive 485 Deer Path 766 Hymettus Avenue

4 4 4 3 3 4

3 7 3 2 2 3

3,086 4,825 3,865 1,501 1,876 4,000

AVEAGE SALES FOR THE WEST OF I-5

DAYS ON MARKET 29 36 65 25 7 33

1,797

PRICE/ SOLD PRICE SQ FT $938.11 $2,895,000 $913.11 $4,408,500 $1,047.87 $4,050,000 $1,898.73 $28,500,000 $1,385.93 $2,600,000 $1,000.00 $4,000,000 21

$1,094.88

CLOSE DATE 6/16/22 6/24/22 6/29/22 7/8/22 7/8/22 7/11/22

$4,371,583

Sold properties taken from Sandicor from 4/1/22 and may represent listings from other brokerages. Information accurate but not guaranteed.

June

CLOSED SALES - SAN DIEGO COUNTY Year to Date

12,338

2,569

10,368

9,742

2,053 1,658

7,189

1,375 1,039

920

2020

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2020

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2022

- 3.3%

+ 25.1%

- 35.5%

+ 0.6%

+ 32.3%

- 33.1%

- 12.5%

+ 26.6%

- 16.0%

Detached

5,812

5,029

Attached

Detached

2020

- 9.3%

2021

2022

+ 43.0%

- 19.2%

Attached

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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July, 2022 | VOLUME 3 | VOLUME 7 | ISSUE1 6| ISSUE A Publication of Local Umbrella Media

I

’m currently two weeks into my European getaway and it is busier than ever but I’m so happy to see people out and enjoying themselves. Since I planned this trip to be very spontaneous, I have looked high and low for the best hotels in the world because that was like my North Star so to speak. Naturally, my detailed research ended up all around the world and not necessarily just in Europe. However, it has inspired me to create my top list of hotels around the globe and maybe one of them will end up on your next international itinerary. They won’t disappoint and I don’t say that lightly!

When it comes to booking luxury stays, I look at every possible factor from the location, service, the room and so much more.

Number 1: Royal Mansour in Marrakech, Morocco You know when people say “the hotel treats you like royalty” well the Royal Mansour truly lives up to that expression. Not only was it designed by King Mohammed VI but it continues to welcome royalty from all around the world meaning they have some of the highest standards for their staff, facilities and rooms. I don’t think it’s fair to label them as rooms because they are massive, with a basic riad, a traditional Moroccan house, includes three levels. The first floor encompasses the bedroom, a spacious courtyard, sitting room, study, and kitchenette. Then head up stairs to the third level which has a private rooftop terrace with an elegant plunge pool.

For more information: www.royalmansour.com/en/

the thousands of dollars you spend it is essential to maximize both wildlife spotting and privacy.

With only 12 suites on a private 33,000-acre Olare Motorogi Conservancy, it is perfect for a quiet and intimate interaction with the wildlife. I rarely choose a hotel that has been #1 on major travel websites but there is a reason this safari lodge is the best in the world.

Your nightly rates are all inclusive and we’re talking alcoholic drinks as well which can be rare. In addition, you have access to daily game drives and game drives at night to spot the incredible and precious wildlife.

For more information: www.virginlimitededition.com/en/mahali-mzuri I managed to run out of space but don’t worry there will be more to come.

On a side note, I had a good reminder on this trip that your hotel status of any kind goes a long way when choosing your hotel. Getting upgraded to a suite or receiving complimentary breakfast makes the trip that much sweeter. In addition, if possible book directly with the hotel over third party sites as they will be much more gracious with upgrades and additional amenities.

Happy traveling everyone :)

Number 2: Mahali Mzuri in Masai Mara, Kenya A luxury safari is at the top of my list but it is a hike to get there so making sure your stay is above and beyond is imperative. That is why I have chosen Mahali Mazuri. One misconception I’ve had about safari lodges and tours themselves, is there are a ton of people you can run into. First world problems right? However when we’re talking about LOCAL LOCAL NEWS NEWS || LocalUmbrellaNews.com LocalUmbrellaNews.com

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VOLUMEVOLUME 1 | ISSUE73| |ISSUE July 2022 A Publication of Local Umbrella Media 6|

• Former model home • Owned solar • Right across from one of nine Del Sur community pools • Casita with separate entrance • Upstairs loft

15864 Kristen Glen

5 Beds, 4.5 Baths - 3,824 sqft - Price : $2,468,888

15100 Lincoln Loop

4 Beds, 4 Baths - 2,438sqft - Price : $1,328,888

14820 Caminito Lorren

4 Beds, 4.5 Baths - 3,526 sqft - Price : $3,488,888 LOCAL NEWS NEWS || LocalUmbrellaNews.com LocalUmbrellaNews.com LOCAL

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| VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 6 A Publication of Local Umbrella Media | VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 6 A Publication of Local Umbrella Media

MY BRAIN & MY BABY

San Diego Nonprofit Tackles Barriers to Mental Health Services for Pregnant Women While pregnant with her son, Lucy Vasquez was diagnosed with a high-risk pregnancy. She was hospitalized and on bedrest for months before her delivery due to growth restriction and premature rupture of membranes. Elijah was born at 30 weeks of gestation. Afterwards, he spent months in the neonatal intensive care unit before they could both go home together. Today, as a program coordinator with My Brain and My Baby, the mental health division of Miracle Babies, Lucy shares her story with moms-to-be, including the anxiety and fear she felt throughout her high-risk pregnancy. With the help of this new program in San Diego, she’s also connecting pregnant women with free mental health resources before they give birth, helping to improve outcomes for mothers and their babies.

In the U.S., one in five women will experience a maternal mental health condition during or after pregnancy. For women of color, the number goes up to three in five. That’s more than 800,000 women a year, and new research showed mental health conditions increased threefold for pregnant women during the pandemic. In response, San Diego nonprofit Miracle Babies is helping reduce barriers to accessing mental health care during pregnancy.

The new My Brain & My Baby program is free for women diagnosed with a high-risk pregnancy.

“Complicated pregnancies are on the rise, increasing by approximately 16% from 2014 to 2018 according to a national study,” said Dr. Daneshmand, medical director of Scripps Clinic’s maternal-fetal medicine program and the founder of Miracle Babies. “We have approximately 15-20% of women in the U.S. struggling with postpartum depression, and now on top of that, having more women going through complicated pregnancies increases the risk for depression and anxiety. The My Brain and My Baby program is helping increase access to the type of care patients who are struggling with this need.”

A recent study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics suggests that maternal depression and anxiety is associated with negative developmental outcomes in offspring through adolescence, including deficits in cognitive, language and motor development. With more than 15% of women worldwide experiencing anxiety during pregnancy, and in the U.S. one in eight women experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression, the impacts are far reaching. Unfortunately, a recent report from USAFacts showed 37% of Americans live in areas with a shortage of mental health professionals.

By focusing on mental health support early on, My Brain and My Baby delivers key preventative measures to reduce mental health conditions post-

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partum. By partnering with the Scripps Clinic, the My Brain and My Baby program connects mothers experiencing high-risk pregnancies with mental health services from a licensed therapist within 72-hours of diagnosis. Through group and individual telehealth therapy sessions, the program provides immediate mental health support and helps pregnant women gain access to long-term care.

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“There is a lack of mental health services and providers available in the U.S., particularly in maternal mental health,” says Shelia Kubota, clinical director of Miracle Babies, My Brain & My Baby. “Those who do focus specialize on in maternal mental health don’t always accept all types of insurance and co-pays can be high out there. Particularly there’s a real deficit in those who accept Medi-Cal or offer a low fee for service. This means it is only accessible to a select few and often accompanied by long waitlists. My Brain & My Baby is focused on providing expectant mothers with free mental health support throughout their pregnancy, and connecting all women with a high-risk pregnancy diagnosis to immediate support and long-term care hope that this encourages more parity for accessible mental health services in all healthcare systems.”

“We must find ways to improve care for complex pregnancies, and put in place specialized teams to surround and support these patients, ensuring mothers and mothers-to-be who need mental health services receive them in a timely fashion,” says Dr. Daneshmand.

“We have a responsibility to provide the care so desperately needed by these moms, babies, and families. Their very futures hang in the balance.”

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VOLUME 7 | ISSUE 6 |

17

OUCH!

By Lewis Lustman

We used to be invulnerable. We used to bounce when we fell. Mommie kissed our owies and they got better fast. We could run and jump and play all kinds of sports easily.

Now getting out of bed makes things creak and crack like someone’s making popcorn.

The slightest bump leaves bizarre bruises that we can’t even remember where they came from. The only activity that seems safe is getting into bed. The weather changes and we ache. We run a block and we really do “feel the burn.” Dancing anything more strenuous than the Box Step can require CPR and three days of bed rest.

We don’t know anyone who doesn’t suffer from aches and pains. In fact, comparing the pains we’re dealing with over tea or a cocktail has become a vital component of our social lives. Just last week, I overheard two ladies at lunch one-upping each other with their maladies: Lady 1: “I sprained my ankle and broke my wrist playing golf!”

Lady 2: “Ooh, that’s nothing, my dear. Last week during pickle ball, my head fell off!”

Our local drug store is usually almost sold out of Bayer aspirin, Motrin, Deep Heat, Ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve, and other over-the-counter pains pills.

Big pharma loves seniors.

But a lot of us are tired of the OTC pain meds.

And a growing number of us are very wary of prescription meds that have so many possible negative side effects that it takes more time to list them than describe the benefits of the product. That’s a bit scary.

Fortunately, there are many cannabis products that can dramatically alleviate pain.

There is a host of balms and creams we’ve found very effective One thing to remember is that some products for aches and pains contain varying amounts of THC. From our experience, since the product is applied topically, we have never felt even the slightest bit high. Nothing. Nil. Zilch.

But a lot of topicals are now incorporating CBG. Like CBD, CBG acts as an anti-inflammatory. It’s found in smaller quantities than other cannabinoids, so products that contain it may be a bit more expensive. But we think it’s worth it. Our experience is that balms and creams that contain CBG are more effective than CBD-only products. That said, your mileage may vary.

We’ve found “the entourage effect” can be the best Rx for a lot of folks. That means, a combination of balms and tinctures and edibles that address pain – taking together over time – can be far more effective than relying on only one delivery system. Combine them for your own “entourage effect!”

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Products containing THC can also provide significant relief from pain. We’ve tried vape pens that do produce psychoactive effects but also make us hurt less, and Pre-rolls (nicely rolled joints) have also been helpful to us. Get in touch with a local dispensary for these.

If you’re not accustomed to products that contain THC, you may want to consider starting off very slowly and conservatively; every body is dif-

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ferent and some can enjoy a moderate amount of THC while others may be more sensitive.

Again, start off slow!

There’s no reason you can’t still enjoy pickle ball, tennis, jogging, dancing, and other activities that promote good health and make life worth living. If you get an “owie”, the broad spectrum of cannabis products can take the sting out of your latest boo-boo.

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The Zombies / Live at the Belly Up July 24 It’s safe to say that few bands have had the impact of British quintet, The Zombies. One of rock’s leading lights emerging from the 1960’s, the group scored several hits, including much covered classics such as “She’s Not There,”“Tell Her No” and “Time of the Season,” becoming Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees in 2019, and inspiring countless musicians along the way. The Zombies still feature original singer Colin Blunstone and keyboardist / singer Rod Argent, alongside Steve Rodford on drums, guitarist Tom Toomey, and bassist Søren Koch, and notably, they aren’t resting on their laurels. Their 2015 album, Still Got That Hunger, put them back on the charts and drew much worldwide acclaim, with new recordings due later this year. The Zombies are currently in the midst of their Life Is A Merry-Go-Round tour, which stops in at The Belly Up Tavern on July 24.

Fans are excited about the pending new album, with several songs already rotating in the set list, including “You Could Be My Love,”“Different Game,” “Runaway (For All My Life)” and “Merry-Go-Round,” but according to Blunstone, details such as album title, artwork and release are all still to be determined.

It’s a ten-track release, with nine new songs, including eight by Argent and one by Blunstone, with an additional remake of Argent’s “I Want To Fly,” here recast with a string quintet. “The album was recorded in Rod’s studio over the last two years,” Blunstone said. “For the most part it was recorded almost like a live album, in a studio context, in that we were always all in the same room at the same time. Because often nowadays people record in their own studios and then just send it in to the master studio.

But we found on our last album that it really made a difference to have us all in the same room at the same time. There’s just a different energy in the recording if you can do it like that. It was made a little more challenging because of the pandemic, especially as our bass player lives in Denmark. So, it was quite trying to get hm over. But we managed to do it and we finished it just before we started our last American tour” While the Zombies released a series of great singles, one of their best-known songs is an album track,“This Will Be Our Year,” which in recent years has become a standard, especially for weddings. Blunstone is a little surprised but pleased at its discovery by new generations of fans.

“It intrigues me how a really good song can just find its way through,” he said.

“It hasn’t been promoted, it hasn’t been marketed. And yet people have found that song, or maybe that song has found people, just of its own volition. It excites me that that can happen today, when promotion and marketing is so sophisticated. A good song can still come through and find an audience and that’s what’s happened. We realize that it is an important song to a lot of people, particularly for weddings, but just in general it’s a song that resonates with a lot of people.”

It’s been six decades since Blunstone and the band started touring. Does he still get the same excitement for

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the road? “If you like playing, I don’t think you ever tire of that,” he said. “I think that we’re really lucky in that The Zombies catalog does have a timeless feel to it. It feels fresh every time we play it. I never tire of singing the songs, but I think the thing that does get more difficult is the traveling. It’s very draining to be traveling long distances every day, we can’t deny that, it is challenging. But the actual playing, I still love it and I still get the same thrill from performing that I’ve ever done,” Blunstone noted.

is a really good version,” he said. “All of these things are kind of validation for what you’ve been doing. Some people don’t like bands doing covers of their songs. I’ve never understood that. I think its fantastic that people want to cover Zombies songs, it helps get the songs to a wider audience to start with, and then there’s that fellow professionals feel the songs you’ve written are worth recording, I think it’s absolutely brilliant.”

There is much activity ahead for The Zombies, including more touring and

This year’s tour schedule is particularly busy, “I think we’re making up for lost time, we’ve had two and a half years off,” Blunstone said good naturedly. “I would think that next year we’ll probably play fewer dates, and that may be something for the future that we’ll just have to look at. Because, you know Rod and I aren’t getting any younger, and we both love playing, but to be able to play we have to stay healthy and to stay healthy we’ve got to be a little bit careful about our schedule.”

The Zombies music has been covered by hundreds of bands over the years, does Blunstone have a favorite cover?

“The first one that comes to mind is Santana’s “She’s Not There,” which I thought was really, really good. Also the Foo Fighters, “I Want You Back Again”

that upcoming new album, with Blunstone excited about the prospects. Looking back what has been his favorite thing about being a Zombie? “I like to think that we’ve brought some pleasure to people through the songs we’ve written and recorded,” he said. “I do meet people who will say things like, “you got us through a difficult time” or “we love hearing your music.” That really is why we write and record. It’s in the hope that people are going to get as much enjoyment out of listening to them as we got out of writing and recording them. So that’s the thrill to me, it’s to have people come up to us and say how much they’ve enjoyed the music over the years. That why we do it,” he said. “And that’s our reward.” www.thezombiesmusic.com

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Music’s Future Band / All-Star Fundraiser Bassist Sppike Mike Muellenberg, aka Hairy Scary Spice of the Spice Pistols, is moving into the role of producer with his latest project, The Music’s Future Band. Muellenberg doesn’t actually play on the group’s debut single, an updated version of cowbell classic “Don’t Fear The Reaper.” Instead, he’s gathered an all-star assemblage of musicians to form a group, specifically to record the track. It’s the first in a series of singles, each with a unique band lineup, that will be issued under the Music’s Future Band banner, as a fundraiser for the San Diego Music Foundation’s Guitars In School Program.

This new take on “Don’t Fear The Reaper,” has

been released by Pacific Records, with the musical lineup featuring includes Mike Watt (minutemen / firehose/ The Stooges), Mike Reiter (27 Various / The Dig), Doug Walker (The Dwarves / The Spice Pistols), Bart Mendoza (Manual Scan / The Shambles), Anna Zinova (Pinkeye), Nick Aguilar (Slaughterhouse), Robbie Allen and Will Lerner (Shake Before Us / Strawberry Moons), with studio production by Jeff Berkley.

How did he choose the initial lineup? “One of the rewards that I’ve gained as a musician networking to build my bands has been meeting some of my heroes in music,” Muellenberg said. “I’ve met quite a

few and developed friendships on many levels over the years and from a number of genres. Growing up, one of the things I benefited from was music lessons in school. I’ve learned that in recent years many schools have had to cut music programs due to the lack of funds. So when I learned about the San Diego Music Foundations Guitars For Schools program it gave me an idea. What if I invited some of my celebrity friends to play on a track and surround those celebrities with local musicians and record these tracks as part of an effort to raise funds for the Guitars For Schools Program?” The response was immediate and positive. “So, I set about creating the first of many tracks.” All the various singles will ultimately be collected as an album. “We currently have three songs finished and ready for release and are in various stages of completion with two more.

Once we reach twelve songs we’ll compile them.”

He notes a side benefit to mixing and matching musicians this way. “Part of my hope and the attraction for this project amongst well known musicians is an opportunity for lesser-known musicians to gain greater notoriety. But beyond that, it’s a great cause. Who doesn’t want to see a youngster pick up and instrument and learn to play?”

Mullenberg, considers curating the song selections to be as important as matching the musicians for this project. “The first song, Blue Oyster Cults’ Don’t Fear The Reaper, is one of my long time favorites,” he noted. “I really felt the BOC might have capitalized on the answer and call aspect of the male female characters in the story of the song. And it always seemed to me that the keys were too low in the mix. So I wanted to add these aspects.”

Although, “Don’t Fear The Reaper” is only just out, Muellenberg already has plans for the next release, a version of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” on which he takes lead vocals. This one has extra special significance for him. “We dedicated this track to my Mother who unfortunately passed three days before we could finish the mastering,” he said. “We were able to play the track at her funeral, which was wonderful.” This version of the Music’s Future Band includes Muellenberg, Jeff Berkley, Blake Dean (Mrs. Henry) on Bass and Bob Sale (Kings Road).

While there has been a lot of hard work involved in putting together the Music’s Future Band releases, Muellenberg is driven to try and help others. His favorite thing about this new project? “Honestly?

The spirit of unity in all who are involved,” he said.

“It’s been huge in helping my perspective of humanity after the last few years of my life. The enthusiasm from the players has been infectious. Music really does bring people together. And that’s a huge part of the message I hope this project can carry.” https://pacificrecords.com/musics-future-band-single-ft-mike-watt-and-more

Marissa Grace / Afterglow Anyone keeping an eye on rising talent in San Diego would surely have noticed singer-songwriter Marissa Grace over the past few years. Though still in her teens, La Mesa based Grace is a veteran of the Southern California music scene with a string of acclaimed live dates, from the House of Blues to Petco Park, to her credit, as well as appearances on the likes of FOX5, KUSI News, STAR 94.1, KYXY, KGB 101.5 many more.

On July 29, Grace will be promoting her latest EP, Afterglow, with an appearance at the Little Italy Food Hall from 7-10 p.m., “It’s definitely my favorite local venue,” Grace said good naturedly.

“The people there are incredible, the weather is always beautiful, and me and my bandmates always have the best time. Oh, and the food is amazing!”

Grace’s inspiration to be a musician comes directly from her family. “Both of my parents inspired me to become a singer / songwriter / musician,” Grace said. “Because of their love for music, I grew up in a musical household. My dad plays the guitar, self-taught when he was serving overseas during Desert Storm, and my mom has a musical theatre background, so I was curious about music from a very young age.”

Now a college student, Grace gave her first performance as an 11-year-old. “It was at the local mall in La Mesa and I performed an original song,” she recalled.

“It was received surprisingly well, like really well, and once I experienced that feeling of applause and support, I knew I wanted to take music more seriously.”

Anyone listening to Afterglow will find

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songs full of pop hooks, perhaps best exemplified by “Stupid Cupid,” which takes a 1950’s rock and roll foundation, adds girl group melody and top-notch production for an excellent piece of modern pop.“My musical influences range from so many diverse genres and eras of music,” Grace said. Depending on the song, she composes on the piano, guitar, and ukulele.“I am inspired by so many artists, but I would say that my sound consists of elements derived from The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Kacey Musgraves, Gracie Abrams, and Billie Eilish.”

Grace heads back to Loyola Marymount University this fall, but in the meantime she’ll continue performing shows in the area, writing songs and working on new recordings. She’s happy to continue making music. “One of my @LocalUmbrellaMedia

favorite things about being a musician is that it’s something I can take with me everywhere,” Grace said. “Even when I’m not performing in front of a ‘live’ audience or in a studio, I’m performing in my bedroom, or in my yard with my family and the dogs. I’m extremely lucky to have the opportunities to pursue what I’m passionate about and I’m very excited for what’s to come.” www.marissagracemusic.com

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Shelter Island Songbirds “Songbirds of Shelter Island” is a new series of monthly shows at Humphrey’s Backstage Live, featuring all female singer songwriters.

The event kicks off on July 21, with Ashley E Norton both headlining and coordinating future concerts. The bill will include Sara Petite and Gaby Aparicio.

“Why all female? Because less than 20% of the Billboard charts are women, year after year,” Norton said. “This is getting worse, not better. We are bringing these events to San Diego to do our small part in bringing that needle to the center!”

Shows will take place from 6 p.m. -9 p.m. and are done in “Nashville round style, meaning, we are all on stage together but go down the line sharing original songs one by one,” Norton stated. “It’s going to be an amazing show with the best in town and some touring female artists.”

This showcase at Humphrey’s Backstage Live is actually the second that Norton hosts.

“I started the event at Ramona Ranch Winery, which happens every first Friday of the month,” she said. “Every single show since September has sold out and has been incredibly successful. So, I was honored to be asked

by Humphrey’s Backstage Live to also bring the show there.”

The next dates will be: Humphrey’s Backstage Live August 2, featuring Norton, alongside Stacy Antonel and Leah Keane. September 22nd will be Amanda Portella and Ariella Silver. Meanwhile, on August 5, North County’s Ramona Ranch Winery, will feature, Norton, Kimmi Bitter and Lauren Leigh, while September 2 will be Songbirds one year anniversary show, featuring Lisa Sanders, Sande Lollis and more tba. www.humphreysbackstagelive.com

Free Summer Concerts are Back!

One of San Diego’s finest musical traditions; a citywide string of free summer concert series, is back in full swing for 2022. These community driven happenings are a wonderful way to meet your neighbors and take in an afternoon of great music, all while enjoying the beautiful outdoor settings and terrific weather. While all of these concerts will be a lot of fun, two are particular standouts. First up on July 22, if you are a fan of Elton John, you’ll love Kenny Metcalf’s tribute at the Point Loma Summer Concerts. As close to the real deal as you’re likely to get, with costumes, a great song selection and even doppelgangers for Elton’s long standing band members. Now that’s attention to detail. Also notable is the

performance from the Surf City All Stars at the Coronado Promenade Concerts on July 24. Specializing in the hits of The Beach Boys and Jan & Dean, the band is comprised of musicians who have all actually played with The Beach Boys and their solo projects, regularly performing with Al Jardine and David Marks. That’s about as authentic as a tribute group gets. Of course, these are just two of the numerous great options here, with something on offer for just about everybody.

Coronado Promenade Concerts: surf rockers Surf City All Stars (July 24), R&B favorites the Full Strength Funk Band (July 31), TBA (August 7), Eagles tribute band Hotel California (August 14), Louie Cruz Beltran (August 21), dance band It’s

Never 2L8 (August 28), TBA (September 4) La Jolla, Concerts by the Sea: dance band The Mighty Untouchables (July 24), boogie woogie pianist Sue Palmer (July 31), dance band The Heroes (Aug. 7) Pacific Beach, Concerts on the Green: Yacht rock combo Captain J and the Jive Crew (July 24), modern pop rock band Radio Days (July 31), dance band The Mighty Untouchables (August 7), reggae / Latin group SM Familia (August 14) Point Loma Summer Concerts: Tribute group Elton John the Early Years with Kenny Metcalf (July 22), 24K Magic (July 29), dance band The Mighty Untouchables (August 5) and cover band The Pine Mountain Logs (August 12)

Top 5 / Five Recommended Shows!

July 20 – Jeremy Morris / Navajo Live, La Mesa: 7:30 p.m.

Prolific Michigan powerpop legend returns for a rare local show, with positive message songs and choice covers to showcase his lead guitar work July 23 - The West Coast Iron Works / McP’s, Coronado: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.

One of San Diego’s longest running bands celebrates their 55th anniversary at McP’s, with John Chambers on keyboards, Rich Heinz on bass, Dave Gilbert on guitar, Gary Maltby on vocals and Ric Lee on drums.

August 3 thru 7 – Tiki Oasis / Town & Country Resort, Mission Valley A festival for lovers of a tropical “Island lifestyle and purveyors of Polynesian Pop,” with plenty of LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

music including sets from El Vez, The Bomboras, The Wyld Gooms, Surfer Joe and more.

August 3 – Jeff “Skunk” Baxter & CJ Vanston / The Belly Up Tavern, Encinitas: 8 p.m.

Iconic guitarist Jeff Baxter’s set will feature songs from his debut solo album, Speed of Heat, with recent shows including tunes from his days with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers. /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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August 9 – Swami John Reis / The Casbah, Little Italy: 9 p.m.

He’s a legend for the bands he’s been in, including Rocket from the Crypt and Hot Snakes, but now John Reis has released a solo album and is touring with a killer band of all-stars; Tommy Kitsos, Joe Guevara, Mark Murino, and Richard Larson. Miss this show at your own peril.

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San Diego Music News Ben Grace Gilmore is helping to revive the songwriter scene with an open mic/songwriter round experience, Writers Round San Diego, taking place on Mondays at Park and Rec, from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Bassist Barney Firks band, -(16)-, will be opening for Flipper (with Mike Watt on bass/ vocals), through a 23 date overseas tour including eleven shows in the UK, then twelve more on the continent.

Cathryn Beeks is helming the Listen Local Lounge podcast, recorded at Jeff Berkley’s Satellite Studios. “We’ve done a dozen episodes so far and I’m releasing them every 10 days or so,” Beeks said. “I’ve been filming the performances to share with my Patreon people. I use three cameras and they’re pretty sweet.”

Jeff Berkley & The Banned are hard at work on a new album, set to be released this fall. Look for it to include a recast version of Echo & The Bunnymen’s classic song, “The Killing Moon.”

In the meantime, Berkley has released an album of duets, Jeff Berkley & Friends – Under the Covers. “I chose songs that inspired me through the years as well as people who inspire me now,” Berkley said. “About 12 years ago I started recording songs for what was to become this album. It was done “catch as catch can“ as I had friends come into the studio. Usually they were there for other projects but we worked on a song for fun at the end of the session.” Artists involved include Rebecca Jade (“Heroes”) and Lauren Leigh (“Isn’t It A Pity) as well as the combo of Allegra Duchaine & Shawn Rohlf (“Private Idaho”).

Black Market III will tour Europe from September 30 through November 6, with dates in Belgium, Austria and Germany.

Cleopatra Records has reissued Blink182’s 1994 demos album, Buddha, recorded at Doubletime Studios. However! Making the original still indispensable, this reissue is a new pressing of the 1998 reissue version of the album, with a slightly different track listing than the earliest edition.

Sly Beats has produced a new single, Ecstasy, featuring three of the area’s top hiphop artists, Riston Diggs, Cali the Dreamer and DreCat. “There is so much talent here in San Diego,” said producer Sly Beats. “And what better way (to celebrate that) than to collaborate with such colorful artists.” He notes the track has “explicit lyrics, mostly about weed and sunsets. We knew we needed an uplifting summer jam to lift the spirits of the city. The world is so dark and depressing but not in SD!” Out on vinyl this month: Ram On – The 50th Anniversary Tribute to Paul & Linda McCartney’s Ram, featuring Lauren Leigh & Eric Dover’s version of “Oh Woman, Oh Why” LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

On July 22, Rebecca Jade hosts an album release show at Sycuan Casino, in the “Live & Up Close” Showroom, for her latest album, A Shade of Jade.

Laurie Lewis & The Electric Underground recently recorded a live performance at Rock and Roll San Diego’s Hendrix Hall for release later this year.

The Mothmen is the name of a new combo featuring a lot of well-known names: Ray Brandes and Peter Meisner (The Tell Tale Hearts), Ron Silva (The Crawdaddys), Chris Davies (The Penetrators) and Danny Cress (True Stories) Guitarist Swami John Reis (Rocket From The Crypt / The Night Marchers etc) has a new solo album, Ride the Wild Night, with a tour set to run August 5 (Sacramento) through August 9 (San Diego / The Casbah).

First though, on August 4, Bali Hai Restaurant will host the official Creepxotica and Swami Mug Collaboration release show, with music, drinks and a chance to obtain an exclusive collectible mug

Swedish group, Surfer Joe Shake Before Us has a new 7” single, “Put It On Your Mind” / “Earthshake,” on colored vinyl with picture sleeve! Pick up a copy at their Belly Up Tavern show on August 5.

“Well it was a fantastic time back in the studio with my Shake brothers, it had been way too long!,” said the bands keyboardist Will A Lerner. “We haven’t had an official release since our single “Nobody Wants To Know” came out on the Swami Records comp, Hardcore Matinee in 2016. Working with Tim Sams at his home studio was an easy and fulfilling process. Dude knows how to capture the best live performances from the artists.”

The Watkins Family Hour, featuring brother and sister, Sara and Sean Watkins (both also of Nickle Creek), release their latest album, Vol. II, on August 19. The first single is “Hypnotized,” while the 11-track album feature numerous guests including Jackson Browne, Fiona Apple and Benmont Tench.

Award winning guitarist Wayne Riker’s latest album, Alphabetical Blues Bash, is due out August 1. It’s an all-star release, with plenty of guest singers, including Rebecca Jade, Shelle Blue, Ron Houston, Lauren Leigh and more. “What I love about this one is the diversity,” Riker said. “There are nine vocal tracks featuring singers from every corner of the local scene; R&B, Blues, Jazz, Musical Theater, Church, Hard Rock and Americana. Some of the vocalists I’ve used in the past and others I just met.” Meanwhile the four instrumentals, bar one, are ironically sing-a-long favorites. “Out of the four instrumentals, “Honky Tonk” is the obvious one, but I also do instrumental versions of three common vocal tunes: “Baby Please Don’t Go,” “Dust My Broom” and “Move It on Over.”

Iconic 1950’s inspired combo, Sha-Na-Na, have a new 23-song live album out, Woodstock: 20 Years After, via the Liberation Hall label. The new release was recorded at CalState Dominguez Hills in 1989, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band’s appearance at Woodstock. Sha-Na-Na has a strong San Diego connection, with two founding members, John Marcellino (aka drummer “Jocko”) and Joe Witkin (piano) being long time area residents, with newer members including the likes of Buzz Campbell (Hot Rod Lincoln) who played with the band from 2002 - 2006.

Thee Sacred Souls self-titled debut album is out on August 26 via Daptone Records, set to include recent singles, “Will I See You Again” and “It’s Our Love.”

Congrats to surf combo The Tourmaliners, who recently signed to Pacific Records. You can catch them next at a Tiki Oasis pre-party at Tio Leo’s on August 2, also set to include /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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Guitarist Patrick Yandall is one of the headline artists at this year’s World Friendship Shell Jazz Fest in the Park, taking place Saturday August 13 in Bay City, Michigan New Albums Include: Armoire - Armoire CS, hip-hop from D.N.D. – The Plug, Marissa Grace – Afterglow, Robin Henkel – 2022, Rebecca Jade - A Shade of Jade (July 22), Chip Kinman The Great Confrontation, Katie Ladubz - Pressure (August 20 - produced by Swan Johnson and Omar Berrios), The Johnny Rock Band – Beach Party Rock, Scarry Garry – 13, trumpeter Ivan Trujillo – Moving On (EP) New Singles Include: The Inf lorescence - “Board Game,” Katie Ladubz – “Standby,” Sandollar – “Flowers,” The Schizophonics “Desert Girl,” The Silent Comedy – “Vigilante,” Ryan Valenzuela – “First Day of Us” New Videos Include: Almost Monday - “Sun Keeps On Shining,” –Stick Figure – “Way of Life,” Swami John Reis – “Do You Still Want To Make Out?,” The Taz Taylor Band – “Wasting My Time,” Unwritten Law – “Ghosted” ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

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