Deerfield overhaul back on track
several large jumps. The group argued that while it’s a decent place for skilled riders to practice technical jumps, it’s hardly a place Marshall for a child to lose their training wheels. Editor, Mission Times Courier Their idea was to expand and transform the two-acre space into a 13-acre bike skills he community’s six-year push to turn park, which would not only continue to cater a small BMX space in Mission Trails Regional Park into a large, kid-friendly to the park’s current BMX riders, but invite “Skills Park” may finally be gaining traction. riders of all skill levels to enjoy the space. In 2008, a small group of park-goers In its best form, it would offer reprieve for approached Mission Trails Regional Park families forced to ride bicycles in San Diego’s (MTRP) to address what’s currently known dense urban landscape. Phil Moses, a resident near MTRP, said as the Deerfield BMX Park. Located on the eastern edge of the city-controlled open space, Deerfield BMX is filled with steep hills and See DEERFIELD page 16
Hutton
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Lastminute vote Allied Gardens to celebrate rich history approves John water bond Peterson for ballot Mission Times Courier
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he year was 1954 and the first residents were driving up Twain Avenue from Mission Gorge Road to their brand new homes in Allied
Gardens on the outskirts of San Diego. There was one way in and one way out of Allied Gardens, Twain Avenue. There was no Interstate 8, and Mission Valley Road ended at Fairmount Avenue. The closest grocery store was the small Menlo Market on Mission Gorge Road. For more variety, the early resi-
Residents of Allied Gardens were few and far between in its early days. (Courtesy Mary Haas)
dents drove up Fairmount to the supermarket at College and El Cajon. There were no telephones for the early residents but there was a pay phone booth on Twain Avenue. Over 400 homes were sold by the end of 1954. What a difference a year made! In 1955 the Alvarado Freeway opened to connect traffic from Mission Valley Road to Highway 80, the precursor to Interstate 8. A new entrance to Allied Gardens, Waring Road, was dedicated and large signs on the new freeway extolled the wonders of Allied Gardens. The west side of the shopping mall opened, and we now had the Allied Gardens Market and a Rexall Drug Store among other new businesses. That same year, Foster Elementary School opened for the horde of baby boomers in
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See 60th page 4
See WATER page 14
Doug
Curlee
Editor at Large
alifornia voters will decide on Nov. 4 whether they want to commit to a $7.5 billion bond issue that will help solve much of our state’s ongoing water crisis. Bumping up against its own self-imposed deadline last Wednesday night, state senators approved a deal reached late Tuesday night following talks among Gov. Jerry Brown and legislators from both parties. The vote was unanimous, 37-0.
Local artist recreates Father Serra’s baptismal font Doug
Curlee
Editor at Large
A Local blacksmith Pat Downing spent countless hours on the copper baptismal font. (Courtesy Pat Downing)
It’s so much more than a birdbath. Catholics will recognize it as a baptismal font, where infants are brought into the faith of their ancestors. But there is more than just decoration here — more than just a font made to look as though it belongs there. If you happened to be in the Iglesia de San Pedro in Petra, on the Spanish island of Mallorca, you’d see the original that the Mission de Alcala font was copied from. Millions of Catholics and others have seen
s you walk into the church at Mission San Diego de Alcala on San Diego Mission Road in Grantville, you might glance to your left just inside the door. In a small alcove behind a stand of votive candles, you’ll see what looks like a small birdbath, covered with a copper-colored lid See serra page 14 that looks old.