La Mesa Courier, April 26th - May 3rd, 2019 by San Diego Community Newspaper Group

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VOLUME 9 ISSUE 4 April 26 – May 23, 2019

sdnews.com

New titles hitting library book shelves. Page 9

Swami’s maintains ‘A’ rating after brief shutdown

INSIDE

THIS ISSUE

BBFEATURE La Mesans at ArtWalk

Jeff Clemetson Editor

La Mesa’s Friday farmers markets, like this one on April 19, may soon come to an end. (Photo by Jeff Clemetson) Local photographers, painters prep for Little Italy event. Page 8

Farmers market future in jeopardy Jeff Clemetson

BBFOOD & DRINK

Editor

Familial food fare

La Torta Café keeps founder’s traditions alive through family recipes. Page 11

La Mesa’s Friday farmers markets could soon be coming to an end. At its March 26 meeting, the La Mesa City Council voted to seek out offers for a farmers market held on a different day, in a different location or held differently to appease businesses that claim the market has cost them money since it moved to La Mesa Boulevard one year ago. The

council gave the current market until the end of July to run as is, and unless the council grants another extension or agrees on a new market proposal, the city’s farmers market — the longest running in the region — will essentially be closed down until a new one emerges.

How it came to this

When the Friday farmers market moved to the Village in May of 2018, it became under the control of La Mesa Village Association (LMVA) — a group

of business owners that advocate for its members and market the Village through public events like the car shows, Oktoberfest, and Holidays in the Village. “When we started the La Mesa Village Association, one of our main goals was to move the farmers market up to the Village, because that’s what the community wanted and that’s what the businesses wanted,” LMVA co-chair Theresa Favro said. See FARMERS MARKET page 4

Sharp Grossmont sued over hidden cameras

BBTHEATER ‘Nine’

Dave Schwab

Lamplighters explores a musical midlife crisis in latest production. Page 16

BBALSO INSIDE

Opinion Politics Education Calendar Classifieds Village Voices Puzzles

6 6 13 17 18 19 19

BBCONTACT US Editorial (858) 270-3103, x130 jeff@sdnews.com Advertising (951) 296-7794 hfine@sdnews.com www.sdnews.com San Diego Community News Network

The number of women suing Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa in a class-action lawsuit alleging hidden cameras secretly filmed them while they were undergoing surgical procedures has grown from 81 to 231 plaintiffs. Sharp Grossmont claims the women were filmed inadvertently during an investigation from July 17, 2012 to June 30, 2013 into the alleged theft of an anesthesia drug, propofol, which was in short supply then. The former chief of anesthesia for Sharp Grossmont Hospital, Dr. Patrick Sullivan, 54, is corroborating the plaintiff’s accusations. Sullivan is also suing Sharp Grossmont, claiming he was forced to resign by the hospital administration following his

MEANINGFUL CHANGE For ourselves & the world

Sharp Grossmont Hospital used hidden cameras to investigate missing drugs from its Women’s Centers. (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

whistleblowing over the unauthorized tapings. Noting the hospital is “unable to provide further comment on this active legal matter,” Sharp The power of God’s love is the greatest agent for bringing needed change and healing into the world.

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On April 9, a routine inspection of Swami’s Café on La Mesa Boulevard by the County Health Department led to a brief shutdown of the restaurant after the inspector discovered two cockroaches near the back door. Swami’s responded the way restaurants should — closing the doors and conducting an all-night deep clean while looking for further signs of cockroaches. The following morning, they requested another inspection. An inspector came in at 7 a.m. — at a cost of $800 for a rush follow-up inspection. He was there for an hour doing a more thorough investigation, searching for more cockroaches — scraping walls, using mirrors, etc. The Swami’s staff were certain of passing because in their overnight cleaning they never found any additional cockroaches. Swami’s also has a regular pest control service that visits once or twice a month and a cleaning service that works for six hours every morning before opening. “If it would have been a large infestation, we wouldn’t have been able to open the next day because this guy is doing a very, very thorough search,” said Swami’s operations manager Hulises Contreras. “If there was something here, he was looking to catch it. He was real aggressive.” With no signs of an infestation, Swami’s re-opened for business on April 10. However, a different kind of infestation had already begun See SWAMI’S page 2

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April 26 – May 23, 2019

La Mesa Courier

NEWS BRIEF Race for District 2 takes shape

On April 11, former state Assembly member and state Senator Joel Anderson announced his candidacy for the District 2 seat on the San Diego Country Board of Supervisors. So far, Anderson will be running against Poway mayor and fellow Republican Steve Vaus, who announced his candidacy on Feb. 20. Democratic candidates Tom Lemmon and Kenya Taylor are widely seen as longshots for the board seat in the historically conservative district where Republicans hold a 6% registration advantage. The District 2 seat is open for the first time since 1992 when Supervisor Dianne Jacob was elected to the first of her six terms on the board. District 2 is the largest of San Diego County’s five districts. The district encompasses more than 2,000 square miles and more than 50 communities and cities with more than 620,000 East County residents of the unincorporated communities of Lakeside, Alpine, Ramona and Julian along with the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Santee and Poway, as well as the city of San Diego communities of Allied Gardens, College Area, Del Cerro, Grantville, Navajo, Rolando and San Carlos.■

NEWS

uuSwami’s, from page 1 to infect the local eatery — viral social media stories, some with skewed facts, that spread into evening news. “We get a lot of foot traffic on La Mesa Boulevard so somebody sees the poster, takes a picture posts it on Yelp, posts to social media, they tell some friends and it spreads like wildfire from there,” Contreras said, adding that cable news outlets began reaching out for a statement from him around 6 p.m. on the day of the initial inspection and a camera man set up outside (l to r) Swami’s Café operations manager Hulises Contreras and La Mesa Swami’s 10 minutes later and restaurant general manager Arnaldo Barraza stand in front of the County said the story will be on the 11 Health Department’s ‘A’ rating inspection card posted to Swami’s window. o’clock news. NBC also posted (Photo by Jeff Clemetson) a story on Facebook around 10 p.m. that had more comments anything better between a cock- we made a mistake, but we’re and shares than stories about roach and a rat? Either way, none going to continue to improve national headlines. of it should be in our restaurant,” and continue to follow proper “A st or y ab out K i m he said. procedures.’” Kardashian, a story about Nipsy Like many viral stories, the Swami’s has operated in San Hustle, a story about Trump and Swami’s closure story became a Diego County for over 20 years. each one has about 15 to 20 com- genie that was tough to put back There are now 11 Swami’s Café ments — Swami’s Café La Mesa in the bottle. restaurants and three bistro closed due to vermin infestation? “I called NBC News to tell restaurants, including La Mesa 500 comments, 600 shares. And them we opened the next morn- Bistro and Bakery. This was the so they see that and go let’s see ing already with a 95% inspec- first time any Swami’s restauhow we can cover this even more. tion rating and can you please rants have ever been closed by “We didn’t expect to be spread change your headline because the Health Department. all over the news,” Contreras the headline was ‘Swami’s Café “We’re sorry that it happened, continued. “I was in Point Loma La Mesa closed due to vermin in- but we’re going to continue to and listening to Rock 105.3 and festation,’” Contreras said, add- come out with new menu items they even brought it up there.” ing the news only changed the and offer the same great service The comments on the social headline to “open after vermin we’ve been giving to the commedia platforms also caused ru- infestation.” munity of La Mesa,” Contreras mors to spread. One rumor that “Business has dwindled a little said. “We’ve been a part of this was shared said the restaurant bit,” Contreras said of the after- community close to 10 years now was infested with rats. Contreras math. “We lost a little confidence and plan on staying forever, it’s saw the rumors online but was with the locals. Still, a lot of the a great community.” reticent to quell them. regulars are coming back, a lot “We weren’t ready to make of loyal supporters are coming. —Reach Jeff Clemetson at a statement just because is We just explain to them, ‘Yeah jeff@sdnews.com.■

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Women’s Club ‘dear friend’ turns 100

(Photo courtesy La Mesa Women’s Club)

Esther Jones celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends on March 30 at the La Mesa Woman’s Club (LMWC). Esther was born in Hebron, North Dakota on March 29, 1919. She grew up in Hebron, one of eight children. She attended Dickinson State University and graduated with a teaching degree. Her first teaching assignment was in the farmlands of North Dakota where she taught students in grades kindergarten through 12, in a one-room school house. She continued teaching for 27 years in North Dakota, San Diego and La Mesa. Esther joined LMWC in 1985 and served as president for six years. Esther is admired as a strong leader and a kind friend to all. She remained on the LMWC executive board until last year, mentoring presidents and sharing her warm smile and encouragement with everyone. Esther was celebrated as the LMWC’s Woman of the Year in 2012. She plays bridge at the clubhouse several times a month with members who she refers to as “dear friends.”■

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April 26 – May 23, 2019

NEWS

sdnews.com

La Mesa Courier

SDCNG purchases SDCNN newspapers

Why Homeowners Leave Thousands Behind When Selling Their Homes

Julie Main becomes leading female publisher in San Diego

La Mesa – A new report has just been released which reveals 7 costly mistakes that most homeowners make when selling their home, and a 9 Step System that can help you sell your home fast and the most amount of money.

Kendra Sitton Contributing Editor

In a deal made official on April 1, San Diego Community Newspaper Group (SDCNG) purchased the majority of San Diego Community News Network’s (SDCNN) publications, including La Mesa Courier. Julie Main, the new publisher for San Diego Uptown News, San Diego Downtown News, Mission Times Courier, La Mesa Courier and the now-closed Mission Valley News already publishes three coastal newspapers. With these four additions, Main runs the largest independent newspaper group in the region. As a woman in the male-dominated media industry, this marks a significant achievement. “It’s a rewarding industry. The most exciting thing about the community newspaper industry is everyone has a story. It’s very exciting to peel back the layers and find these treasures (stories) and share them with our readers,” Main said. “These people help shape the community.” “We also try to be transparent and unbiased in our reporting. People are inundated daily with troubling news regionally and from around the world. It is hard to sort through fact and fiction these days,” she continued. “Not all news has to be bad news. Isn’t it refreshing to come home and read about positive things happening in your community for a change?” Over the years, control of the newspapers has passed between Main and SDCNN publisher

uuSharp lawsuit, from page 1 hospital letter sent April 4 to the community addressing plaintiffs’ allegations. “Given the number of reports that have come out recently and the variations among them, we wanted to explain the situation to you directly,” said the letter signed by Chris Howard, president/CEO of Sharp HealthCare. “In 2012, we were alerted that, beginning in 2011, potentially powerful drugs and equipment were missing from the anesthesia cart in each of Sharp Grossmont Hospital’s three Women’s Center operating rooms. Our initial efforts to determine the cause of the missing drugs through interviews and other investigative methods were unsuccessful. We then installed a computer monitor with a motion-activated camera in each of the three Women’s Center operating rooms. Although the cameras were intended to record only individuals in front of the anesthesia carts, others, including patients and medical personnel in the operating rooms, were at times visible to the cameras and recorded without sound.” Added Howard in his letter, “The purpose of this investigation was to determine how the anesthesia drugs were going missing in order to ensure patient safety and quality of care. …The surveillance methods in the 2012-13 investigation were used for that particular case

This industry report shows clearly how the traditional ways of selling homes have become increasingly less and less effective in today’s market. The fact of this matter is that fully three quarters of homesellers don’t get what they want for their homes and become disillusioned and worse financially disadvantaged when they put their homes on the market. SDCNG publisher Julie Main

SDCNN publisher David Mannis

David Mannis. The former couple founded SDCNG together in the 1980s. Even after their divorce in 2002, they worked together on La Jolla Village News, the Peninsula Beacon, Beach & Bay Press and Downtown News until Main took full control at the end of 2008. Mannis decided to enter the newspaper industry again in 2009 and founded San Diego Uptown News. He later bought Downtown News from SDCNG and grew his newspaper network to six papers stretching across the county. After 40 years in the newspaper industry, he has decided to enter semi-retirement. Semi-retired because he retained control of one remaining SDCNN publication, Gay San Diego. “Although I will miss being involved in the Uptown, Downtown, Navajo and La Mesa communities, I’m pleased to retain Gay San Diego and to provide this important platform for the LGBTQ community,” he said. “I hope to build an even broader audience for this publication.”

The merger led to a shuffle in the editors leading each of the newspapers. Albert Fulcher will stay at SDCNN as the editor for Gay San Diego. Jeff Clemetson is moving to SDCNG’s Pacific Beach office to continue leading Mission Times Courier and La Mesa Courier. Newly-hired editor Kendra Sitton is also moving to PB and will continue her work at San Diego Uptown News. In addition, she is now the editor of San Diego Downtown News, which was formerly under the purview of Fulcher. “The idea of having more regional coverage in the communities and ZIP codes we are picking up is exciting. We share a lot of common issues with our coastal communities that will tie in directly with Uptown and Downtown. La Mesa Courier and Mission Times Courier cover well established, solid communities. It doesn’t get much better than this,” Main said.

only, and have not been used again. Sharp HealthCare and Sharp Grossmont Hospital continue to take extensive measures to protect the privacy of our patients. The videos in our possession are kept in a secured safe in our security department. We have provided copies of videos to third parties in response to legal processes or specific patient authorizations or requests. … We sincerely apologize that our efforts may have caused any distress to the women who were recorded, their families, and others we serve. We can assure you this surveillance method is no longer in use, and we have made changes in our protocols to ensure this situation is not repeated.” Plaintiffs’ attorney Allison H. Goddard of Patterson Law Group of San Diego said her clients are alleging privacy violations and suing for damages from emotional distress. “We don’t have a number,” said Goddard. “It will be up to the jury to decide.” Goddard noted the hospital’s letter “was an apology to the community — not the women who were affected. The apology strike us as being insincere given the position they (Sharp) have taken in court.” Goddard said patients first learned of the secret hospital recordings after their images were released as part of a 2016 Medical Board of California proceeding involving the doctor accused of allegedly stealing from the hospital’s carts.

As this report uncovers, most homesellers make 7 deadly mistakes that cost them literally thousands of dollars. The good news is that each and every one of these mistakes is entirely preventable. In answer to this issue, industry insiders have prepared a free special report entitles “The 9 Step System to Get your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar”. To order your FREE copy of this report, call toll-free 1-800-270-1494 and enter 1000. You can call anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get your free special report Now to find out how you can get the most money for your home.

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Former Sharp chief of anesthesia Dr. Patrick Sullivan (Courtesy Asbury PR)

Former Sharp anesthesia chief Patrick Sullivan, M.D., disputes Sharp’s version of events surrounding the unauthorized taping of female patients. “Not only did Sharp betray the trust of the patients at Grossmont Hospital, the people of East San Diego County and the people of California and the United States who were rightfully outraged by Sharp’s wanton disregard for privacy and human decency, but Sharp ignored my concerns when I brought the filming to their attention,” said Sullivan. “They continued the filming for three more months, and served me up a nice plate of retaliation for my efforts. I and other anesthesiologists at the Sharp Grossmont Women’s Center had to resort to putting tape over the cameras to protect the patients’ privacy.” See SHARP LAWSUIT page 15

April 26 – May 23, 2019

NEWS

La Mesa Courier

uu Farmers market, from page 1 To get the market moved from its previous location in the Civic Center parking lot, LMVA filed a request for proposal (RFP) from the city, which was approved by the City Council under the caveat that the permit to operate the market would be reviewed after six months. At the six-month review, city staff reported on the market’s progress. That staff report showed a market that was far more successful than the one at the Civic Center in terms of vendors; that parking wasn’t as much of an issue as anticipated; and that it was very popular with La Mesa residents and people visiting the Village. The report also showed a clear divide among businesses in the Village,

with some reporting net losses of revenue and others reporting net gains during the market. To address the divide, the City Council renewed the permit for another six months but tasked city staff with looking at different options for the market, including moving the day or the location as well as tweaks to the setup that might benefit brickand-mortar businesses affected by the market. Staff was also to facilitate arbitration between the LMVA and the businesses opposed to the market to come up with compromises.

Alternative options

At the March 26 City Council meeting, City Manager Yvonne Garrett presented staff-recommended options for changes to the farmers market based on

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meetings with businesses, the community and the LMVA. Option one was to keep the farmers market on La Mesa Boulevard on Fridays with certain conditions. Staff had seven suggested recommendations and LMVA agreed to the first five: ●● Move street-closure time from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. to allow more lunch business in the Village. ●● Create short-term passenger drop-off zones on Allison Avenue, Fourth Street and Palm Avenue for ease of access to service businesses and restaurants. ●● Request LMVA use funds from market to promote the Village outside of La Mesa. LMVA committed to put $1,000 a month toward marketing through social media, print and signs. ●● Remove banners from back of vendor booths for more visibility of brick and mortars. ●● Invert the booths so market visitors would stroll between booths and brick-and-mortar businesses. This recommendation proved impossible, however. “What we discovered was, the feasibility of inversion presented a challenge due to the required width of the drive aisles in the middle of the market footprint,” Garret said. The short time to load in means that the booths couldn’t be back to back because vehicles would need to pass the ones that are loading in. And if the booths were facing the businesses but pushed against the sidewalks, that would create a safety hazard and also be “problematic for the brick-and-mortar establishments.” The city determined inversion was “not in the best interest of vendors, businesses or customers,” Garrett said. ●● Reduce the number of hotfood vendors. The market currently has six that don’t offer the same food as eateries on the boulevard. “But the perception is they are competitive with restaurants,” Garrett said. ●● Resume shuttle service and require vendors to park at the Civic Center. LMVA supported the parking move but offering shuttle service was cost-prohibitive without sponsorship. Staff’s second option was to move the market’s location. Staff looked at four locations and determined that Lemon, Palm and Allison avenues are not large enough for the current size of the market and a move to either of those streets would also not solve parking issues. Staff determined that returning the market to the Civic Center location would provide the most parking and be the least impactful on businesses. However, the LMVA would no longer sponsor the market if it returned there and the city would need to resume sponsorship and contract a manager. A fourth location became available when Grossmont Center offered to host the market in their parking lot, but during discussion, the City Council agreed that location would likely not bring the same number of visitors or vendors as the current market. City staff also explored moving the market to another day of week, but did not recommend it because it would likely cause the market to fail due to a lack of vendors who are already committed to other markets on other days of the week.

Boon or bust?

Before the council voted on the staff recommendations, businesses both for and against the Friday market stated their cases to either keep or reject the LMVA’s permit to operate it. “Most of the big restaurants and several of the retailers like myself are still suffering greatly. The farmers market has been very bad for us,” said Maxwell’s House of Books owner Craig Maxwell. “We really do believe that no solution that amounts to anything less than moving the event or The La Mesa Village Association has started a changing the day will signature campaign to show public support of the market. (Photo by Jeff Clemetson) be sufficient.” Por Favor Mexican Restaurant owner Lupe Marrujo will make it better” and move described the market as “destruc- the market to another day or tive” to her business because location. she no longer gets reservations Councilmember Bill Baber for Friday dinners. “And the seconded the motion, and said farmers market is not bringing he was disappointed that no enough people to replace what I compromises were agreed on behave lost. It hurts,” she added. tween the LMVA and the other A downturn in Friday busi- businesses. Specifically, Baber ness is not universal in the cited the LMVA board’s decision Village, however, and other store to reject the city staff’s recomand restaurant owners report mendation to eliminate or reduce the opposite — that the market hot-food vendors, describing it as has been a boon for them. a “Waterloo moment.” “Now we have something that Soutowood said the board is a gift, in my opinion. We have unanimously voted down the this huge exposure that goes on,” recommendation, even though a said Brenda Leek, a partner in lot of the members present were Curbside Eatery. “Curbside is restaurant owners. thriving on Fridays, lunch and “All of them said they wanted dinner. We can’t take a reserva- to exclude that,” he said. “Part of tion because we’re full.” that was the principle of throtFourpenny House owner Peter tling back of any businesses beSoutowood said the farmers mar- ing able to come in and have a go ket was damaging to his lunch- of it. Part of it was the complete time business, but he adapted difference in products — walkand capitalized on what the mar- ing-around food versus sitting ket offered by getting a booth in down to dine.” the market to sell breads and imCouncilmember Dr. Akilah prove his restaurant’s visibility. Weber expressed concern over “In the few hours that we have the lack of compromise between from market time until close, the businesses. we make more money on Friday “I haven’t seen any change,” than we do on Saturday opening she said. “The market as it is at 11 a.m. or Sunday opening at today is pretty much the same 9 a.m.,” he said. as it was six months ago, three “As a business owner, it has months ago. The same discusbeen very interesting to me to sion has been going on. So people see the farmers market both in have to give and take.” terms as what it has done for our Councilmember Colin Parent visibility and taking a challenge, offered up an alternative motion which was the loss of lunch time. to keep the market where and Numbers wise, there are a lot of when it is but impose some of the things that affect our business staff recommendations as a reqand in aggregate, the market has uisite of the permit. Mayor Mark been fantastic for us.” Arapostathis seconded the moSoutowood also spoke on be- tion but added that all the recomhalf of the LMVA’s members. mendations should be required, “We at LMVA are fully in including the shuttle service and support of the farmers market eliminating all hot-food vendors where it is,” he said. “We under- from the market. The substitute stand that it’s a good thing for motion failed to gain support of the Village, which is why we are the other three council members listening to our members and and was rejected in a 2–3 vote. trying to advocate for them.” Before the vote on Alessio’s In an interview after the coun- motion, it was amended to allow cil meeting, Favro, who owns re- for RFPs to include the current tail shop Amethyst Moon, report- time and location and to extend ed that her Friday business is up the current market through July threefold and other retailers on after Parent pointed out that La Mesa Boulevard like Act II without some extension, the are also experiencing a windfall market would close at the end of during the market. April. He also predicted that a new RFP process would do little A difficult vote to change the division over the After hearing comments, the farmers market. City Council debated the staff “I think best case scenario, recommendations. the Village Association makes Councilmember K ristine an alternative application and Alessio entered a motion to end it’s going to look a lot like the the market and put out an RFP to “find an entity or group that See FARMERS MARKET page 5

NEWS

sdnews.com uu Farmers market, from page 4 current application, maybe with some of the concessions we discussed in the substitute motion, and no one else is going to apply to do this event,” Parent said. “That’s what I think is going to happen. And I think if they do that — by the way, I hope that they do — I think it’s not going to solve peace in the Village.” If that happens, Parent added, the council should prepare themselves for an even more difficult vote between upsetting some business owners against the market or upsetting other business owners and a majority of residents who support the market. The council then voted unanimously on Alessio’s amended motion.

Market reaction

After the vote, Soutowood said the LMVA board would likely redo its RFP and propose a market with some of the recommendations on Fridays in the Village. “There’s no market if you switch days and times,” he said, adding that without the income generated by the market, LMVA would stop existing and the city or another organization would have to step in to hold Oktoberfest, the car shows, Holidays in the Village and any other event. “We want to try and continue to put on events in the Village — that’s what we’re in the business of doing. Every event is going to have effects on the public, it’s going to have effects on parking, it’s going to have effects on

local businesses,” he said, but added that the famers market has become a “straw man” for shortcomings of businesses in the Village. “I could use it as a straw man myself and say I didn’t have a good Friday because of the farmers market, but to correlate any ebbs and flows of a business with an event that happens just on Fridays is just about impossible,” he said. “And if the market went away completely, would we see those businesses that have been struggling all of a sudden spring up like phoenixes and do amazing business? I highly doubt it.” Favro questioned the rationale behind the vote. “How are we getting this taken away from us when it’s this successful? It just baffles me,” she said, and pointed to city staff’s own reports of the success of the market. “They’ve done surveys, they surveyed all the businesses, they’ve done a PowerPoint presentation,” she said. “They even refunded our money back that we put in for cost recovery. They refunded it back because all their data on the parking meters said it didn’t affect the parking so out of $4,500 we gave them in the beginning, they gave us $3,800 back.” Favro also said that the LMVA would cease to exist and that business owners like herself would stop volunteering at events. “At this point, it shouldn’t be this hard to put on free events for the community — it should be easy,” she said. “I don’t understand why it has to be this

way. It should be, ‘Thanks you guys for volunteering. Thanks for putting up your own personal money. Thanks for taking time away from your family and your business.’” In the Friday markets since the March 26 vote, Favro has begun a signature-gathering campaign to show support for keeping the Friday market going in the Village. So far, she has collected over 1,000 signatures. Daniel Pitard is a La Mesa resident who signed to support the market. He and his daughter attend every Friday, he said, but never went to the Civic Center location. He described the council vote as “brutal” and has gotten active in trying to keep the market where it is. “I’ve written letters to City Council. I’ve emailed people. I’ve talked to the mayor when he was down here for the event,” he said. “It’s not fair that they are making it hard for all of us. We want to have this great place to be.” Pitard also pointed out that every business that supports the market is packed during market hours and only the ones that are against it are struggling, a point that Favro thinks is fueled by discussions about the market on social media. “I’m hearing talk about boycotting people’s businesses,” she said. “Please don’t boycott any businesses. If people have a legitimate reason to be against the market, they have every right to voice their opinion. Don’t voice that you want everybody to boycott them, they work as hard as everybody else.” Brian Beevers, market manager for the Friday markets,

April 26 – May 23, 2019

La Mesa Courier

was also surprised that the City Council did not vote to renew the permit. He said the market has shown incredible success in terms of numbers in the one year that it has operated in the Village. “La Mesa is now a sought-after market. There’s people coming from all over to shop here and there are vendors who can’t wait to get into this market,” he said. “A lot of communities would love to have what La Mesa has right now.” Beevers said that moving the market to another day like Wednesday could still succeed but in a much “less impactful way” because there would be a lot less vendors and a lot less people. Beevers also said that very few brick-and-mortar businesses have taken advantage of ways to utilize the market that he offers like setting up a booth or signing up for his text campaign that goes out to thousands of other businesses. He doesn’t think the market is the reason why some businesses struggle. “The City Council needs to evaluate why certain things are being blamed on the market,” he said. “For example, the market has exponentially more people on Friday than there would be otherwise. And we know that a good percentage of people are coming from out of town. If I were a business, I’d be like there’s no other time I could be able to tap into brand-new business than right here right now at this market. “If the market goes, all those people go,” he continued. “They don’t come anymore, so that is a

lost opportunity for every business on this street.” Beevers said he will continue to work to make the market grow to the benefit of all the businesses in the Village. “I’d be sad to lose something I put my heart and soul into,” he said.

What’s next?

By the end of April, the city will issue its farmers market RFP through the purchasing portal called PlanetBids. It is unclear how many bids the city will get, besides the LM VA. Grossmont Center may bid to move the market to its parking lot. The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce has said it will look at the RFP to see if it is worth pursuing, but added that there is no definite plan to take over the market. Other market managers may bid to start a new market. According to the City Clerk’s office, interested market managers or organizations should register on PlanetBids to be automatically notified when the RFP is published. All questions about the RFP should be asked through the portal so potential respondents can see both the question and the city’s response. Submittals in response to the RFP will only be accepted in digital format through the PlanetBids portal. Questions about the process can be answered by La Mesa Purchasing Officer Scott Munzenmaier at 619-667-1113 or by email at smunzenmaier@ci.la-mesa.ca.us. —Reach Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.■

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April 26 – May 23, 2019

La Mesa Courier

1621 Grand Ave., Suite C San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 270-3103 LaMesaCourier.com Twitter: @LaMesaCourier EDITOR Jeff Clemetson, x130 jeff@sdnews.com

MARKETING MANAGER Francisco Tamayo, x116

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Kendra Sitton, x136

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Heather Fine, x118 Heather Long, x115 Mike Rosensteel (619) 961-1958

COPY EDITOR Dustin Lothspeich WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA Jeff Clemetson CONTRIBUTORS Connie Baer Lynn Baer Jeff Benesch Pat Boerner B.J. Coleman David Dixon Chelsie Harris Linda Michael Jennifer Osborn Alex Owens Tina Rynberg Frank Sabatini Jr. Dave Schwab Julie White

BUSINESS CONSULTANT David Mannis (619) 961-1951 ACCOUNTING Heather Humble, x120 accounting@sdnews.com PUBLISHER EMERITUS Jim Madaffer PUBLISHER Julie Main, x106 julie@sdnews.com

OPINIONS/LETTERS: La Mesa Courier encourages letters to the editor and guest editorials. Please email submissions to jeff@ sdnews.com and include your phone number and address for verification. We reserve the right to edit letters for brevity and accuracy. Letters and guest editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or staff. SUBMISSIONS/NEWS TIPS: Send press releases, tips, photos or story ideas to jeff@sdnews.com. For breaking news and investigative story ideas contact the editor by phone or email. DISTRIBUTION: La Mesa Courier is distributed free the fourth Friday of every month. COPYRIGHT 2019. All rights reserved.

OPINION / POLITICS Guest Editorials

Reducing student homelessness is a humanitarian, economic issue Teresa Stivers Homelessness among California’s college students has reached crisis level. Facing mounting housing costs and a burgeoning affordable housing shortage, tens of thousands of college students across the state are experiencing homelessness or the imminent threat of it. Students from lower-income households are already at a huge disadvantage. Those among the bottom 20% of earners are seven times less likely to graduate. With more jobs than ever requiring a degree, addressing the issue of student homelessness is not only a humanitarian one, but an economic one as well. State lawmakers have partially acknowledged the issue by proposing a one-time investment of $10 million in California Community Colleges (CCC) and another $3 million for the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems to alleviate student food insecurity. It’s a necessary drop in the bucket, but doesn’t even begin to go far enough to address the root causes of hunger and homelessness among the student population. Senate Bill 568 digs deeper. Introduced by Senators Anthony J. Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) and Richard Roth, (D-Riverside) in February, SB 568 aims to help California’s students gain the education they need to succeed. The bill would establish the CollegeFocused Rapid Response Rehousing Program across the participating CCC, CSU and UC systems to provide homeless students with housing options and support services to help students transitioning into stable housing remain in college. It also earmarks funding to: ●● Maximize financial aid for homeless students. ●● Establish connections between schools and their local homeless continuum of care. With the passage of SB 568, we’ll take a step in the right

Paper receipts could be the next plastic straws

direction. Student homelessness is a critical issue that needs our leaders’ continued attention and action. According to a recent survey, nearly 20% of the Los Angeles Community College District’s 230,000 students experienced an episode of homelessness in the past year. While percentagewise CSU and UC fared somewhat better — with 11% (or about 47,000 students) and 5% (11,000 students) reporting an incident of homelessness, respectively — California’s housing crisis is devastating its students. Former foster youth suffer homelessness at disproportionate rates compared to the general population. Helping these students finish school, get jobs and establish themselves as productive adults would break the cycle of child abuse and poverty they’re trying desperately to overcome. As a provider of extensive services to foster youth throughout Southern California, Walden Family Services applauds this proposed legislation and calls upon our leaders to quickly pass SB 568. Our state’s college students should be focused on their studies, not worried where their next place to sleep will be. —Teresa Stivers is CEO of Walden Family Services. Founded in 1976, Walden Family Services is a nonprofit organization based in San Diego that provides foster care and adoption services for children and families throughout Southern California. Walden addresses the unique needs of all children who are neglected and abused, including those who are medically fragile, have developmental disabilities and behavioral or mental health challenges as well as those who are in sibling groups or identify as LGBTQ. The organization also provides transitional housing and programs for youth who have aged out of the foster care system, as well as parenting programs that focus on stopping the cycle of child abuse. For more information, please visit waldenfamily.org.■

Paper receipts generate enormous amounts of waste each year — and hardly anyone needs them Beth Porter Paper receipts are a habitual end to retail transactions. But their usefulness is questionable — they can be tossed out within minutes of being printed, or go on to line the bottoms of our bags and wallets. In an increasingly digital world, it may seem that paper receipts are in decline, but new data from Grand View Research shows the opposite to be true. Every year, paper receipt use is increasing worldwide — including in the U.S., where 256,300 metric tons of paper receipts were consumed in 2018. These small pieces of paper can have a huge impact. Millions of trees and billions of gallons of water are consumed to create them, generating tons of waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Most thermal paper receipts are also coated with bisphenol A (BPA) or S (BPS), endocrine-disrupting substances that we absorb through contact, posing exposure risks for workers and customers. But there may be changes coming soon. In California, a proposed “skip the slip” bill would require businesses to offer a digital receipt option by 2022 throughout the state. The bill would switch the role of paper receipts from being automatically printed into being provided upon customer

request, changing it from an opt-out process to an opt-in. It wouldn’t ban paper receipts. It would simply prevent people from automatically getting paper receipts they may not want. The bill is part of a larger movement to reduce waste. Receipts are one of many single-use disposable items that exist in all corners of our daily lives. Tackling disposable items, like receipts or straws, is leading to increasingly major shifts in public awareness of waste, which can lead to widespread demand for more systemic solutions. Reducing paper receipts and other disposable items can be good for business. Market analysis shows the cost of thermal paper used for receipts is going up, due to a critical shortage of leuco dye, essential for producing thermal paper. In 2017, Chinese manufacturer Connect Chemicals, a major supplier of leuco dye, was shut down due to exceeding limits of hazardous fine particulate matter in its emissions. This cut leuco dye production by an estimated 80%, which led to drastically higher prices. That’s why reducing paper-based receipts can save businesses money over the long term. California has the opportunity to be the first state to “skip the slip” and reduce the impacts of receipts on the environment and human health. The proposed bill in California is an opportunity to open the door for implementing more sustainable solutions and shifting society away from unnecessary waste. It’s a model the rest of the country should study carefully. —Beth Porter is the climate and recycling director at Green America. Distributed by OtherWords.org.■

News and notes from your County Supervisor DIANNE’S CORNER Dianne LA JOLLA

Jacob

Making communities healthier: The county is taking big steps to bolster services for those dealing with mental illness and substance addictions. Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, Sheriff Bill Gore, District Attorney Summer Stephan and I recently received initial Board of Supervisors support to create crisis stabilization centers and to explore expanding PERT,

our Psychiatric Emergency Response Teams, into schools. These initiatives are part of a broader effort to radically transform the local delivery of care into a coordinated system that puts the needs of people, not programs, first Not a dumping ground: I continue to work closely with residents to fight the placement of sexually violent predators in our community. I’ve asked the state attorney general to investigate the disproportionate placement of these serial rapists and molesters in rural East County. Ten

of the 13 predators released in our county have been placed in the Jacumba/Campo/Boulevard area. In their attempt to quietly house these monsters in San Diego County, state prison and hospital officials are exploiting small communities that lack the resources and clout to challenge these placements. Power of choice: The Board of Supervisors recently agreed to develop options for launching a community choice energy program. The vote opens the door to real competition in the energy market and

aims to provide ratepayers with the freedom of choice. The board will be briefed on the development of the program over the next few months, with a detailed proposal expected to reach us in October. —Dianne Jacob is chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and represents District 2. For more District 2 news, visit diannejacob.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter. For assistance with a county issue, call 619-531-5522 or email dianne.jacob@sdcounty.ca.gov.■

April 26 – May 23, 2019

POLITICS

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La Mesa Courier

SDSU President de la Torre to address La Mesa Dem Club

Tina Rynberg and Jeff Benesch On Wednesday evening, May 1, the 500-member La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club will be honored to host an address by SDSU President Dr. Adela de la Torre. Among the many topics we hope she’ll include are those that will most affect our close relationship with the large campus on the western edge of our club’s membership boundaries. What is the timeline and detailed plans for Mission Valley West and the future of that monumental undertaking for the expansion of SDSU? How will this expansion affect the academic growth of SDSU in terms of added majors and areas of study, if at all? How is SDSU now responding to the “mini-dorm” crisis? Have recent city initiatives assuaged any of the complaints from nearschool neighborhoods? What is the future of SDSU football and the use of the existing stadium? How long term are the plans for a replacement multi-use facility for Aztec sports and professional soccer? Can the existing stadium be used for Aztec Football until the new stadium is completed? What about the student debt crisis? (Total national student loan debt is now larger than the total credit card debt in the United States.) SDSU’s rising cost of tuition? Availability of scholarships, grants and work study to reduce student debt and school costs? Will students bear any of the cost of the SDSU West project? These are but a few of the topics of interest to those of us that are neighbors, alumni, students and supporters of San Diego State University. Of course, there are

Will Rodriguez- Kennedy (Photos SDSU President Dr. Adela de la Torre

courtesy LMFDC)

many other subjects that we'd love for Dr. de la Torre to address, particularly with her unique experience and personal background. We'd be remiss if we didn't ask her to share her significant expertise on transnational health issues and how this is one of many concerns we have with building walls instead of bridges between the United States and our important cultural, geographic and economic neighbors to the south. Dr. Adela de la Torre was appointed by the California State University Board of Trustees as the new president of San Diego State University. Joining the campus in June 2018, Dr. de la Torre is the ninth permanent president of SDSU and the first woman to serve in that role. She brings with her 30 years of service in leadership roles within institutions of higher education, including the California State University system, the University of Arizona and the University of California, Davis. Prior to her appointment as SDSU president, she served as the vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity at UC Davis. Dr. de la Torre’s research focuses on aspects of Latino community health — an area in which SDSU is a national leader. We’ll also have the privilege of hearing from the newly elected chairman of the San Diego County Democratic Party, Will Rodriguez-Kennedy. He will talk about the important issues

facing local progressives, the upcoming 2020 election cycle, how we can get involved in electing Democrats in important local and regional races, and most of all, how we can keep the Blue Wave going from our great success in 2018 in San Diego County. Will Rodriguez-Kennedy got involved in politics through the LGBTQ+ and veteran communities fighting the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy, which had affected him during his service in the United States Marine Corps. He first got involved in the San Diego County Democratic Party as an alternate in 2012. He went on to serve in various campaigns as an organizer and in campaign finance. He has served on the San Diego County Veterans Advisory Council and on the board of San Diego LGBT Pride. He was also elected president of the San Diego Democrats for Equality and the California Young Democrats. The May 1 meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, just north of University Avenue in La Mesa. Please join us as a guest or become a member, with our modest annual dues starting at $30. Like us on Facebook and check out our new website lamesafoothillsdemcoratic club.com. —Tina Rynberg is president and Jeff Benesch is vice president of programming for the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club.■

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California taxation discussed at next Republican Women’s meeting

Susan Shelly will be the guest speaker at Navajo Canyon’s next luncheon meeting on Tuesday May 14 at the Brigantine Restaurant in La Mesa. Shelly is a twice-weekly opinion columnist and member of the editorial board of the Southern California News Group. Her columns appear in 11 daily newspapers including the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Daily News. She is also vice president of communications for the Howard Jarvis Tax Association (HJTA). Her topic will be “Blithering idiocy – the self-inflicted policies

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that are destroying California and what to do about it.” We are also sure to learn if there are tax increases looming in the future and what we can do to prevent them from happening. Please join us for this opportunity to hear from a representative of the group that made Proposition 13 a reality and how they are fighting to keep it. For 33 years, HJTA has been the legal and political watchdog for Prop 13 and a staunch defender of California taxpayers. As always, we will be joined by local political representatives and given an update on what is going on politically in Sacramento. It is vitally important to know what is currently being proposed so that we can contact our elected politicians and let them know our feelings on what will be coming up for a vote. Are we trying to

April 26 – May 23, 2019

La Mesa Courier

FEATURE

La Mesa artists prepare for ArtWalk B.J. Coleman La Mesa is graced with a natural beauty and amenable climate that can inspire artists. Monique Straub is one La Mesa artist whose paintings derive from natural images, including leaves, trees and flowers. Her husband, John Straub, is a photographic artist, whose subjects focus on outdoor activities, mainly involving cars. The couple, who have lived in La Mesa for 30 years, will have their artworks on display and for sale at the upcoming ArtWalk in Downtown San Diego’s Little Italy at the end of April. They spoke about their experiences as artists in an interview at Monique’s new La Mesa studio.

John Straub’s car-centric photos

Monique (who pronounces her name “moe-nay”) moved last month from a Mission Valley studio to be closer to home. Her La Mesa studio also features natural northern light conducive to painting. This will be John Straub’s sixth year and Monique’s 12th year at ArtWalk in Little Italy. The 2019 Mission Federal ArtWalk is the 35th in the annual series. The event will fill 16 blocks of Little Italy on Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28. Over 350 artists will display their works. Musicians and performing artists will entertain event-goers on stages during the arts festival. Attendance is expected to exceed 120,000 at the weekend event. John said that he has been an artist all his life. He further disclosed that photography is a family tradition. He began taking photos of surfing subjects at the beach during his early years, and then developing them in his father’s darkroom. John’s preferred subject matter changed when he turned 16 and began driving. He fell in love with cars and on-the-road images as his preferred photography subjects. Photographic art is John’s fulltime profession. He shows his work at festivals and galleries. John’s next scheduled showing after ArtWalk will be in Carmelby the Sea. Monique has been a full-time artist for 22 years. Her next showing following ArtWalk will be in Monterey in August. John and Monique both plan to display

Jason Humphrey in his La Mesa studio beside one of his original ink series depicting lions

their artworks at the Laguna Beach Art Affair. Monique expressed appreciation for the Downtown ArtWalk. “There is a real ease of set up at this festival,” she said. “You can drive up to your booth and unload directly at your location. And you can meet people personally, unlike showing in galleries. You get to see repeat collectors who return each year.” Monique Straub’s studio is located at 8383 Center Drive, Suite C. She works there weekdays, with open hours from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. She welcomes local residents to visit her there and view her paintings during those hours. Art from Monique and John can be purchased online. Jason Humphrey is another La Mesa artist who draws inspiration and subject matter from nature. His mixed media artwork begins with “original ink,” followed by a layering technique, with images he dubs intuitive.

La Mesa artists John Straub (left) with his wife Monique standing front of Monique’s paintings in her La Mesa art studio (Photos by B.J. Coleman)

Humphrey is currently completing a piece in his series of lion art. Another finished piece resting nearby in his home studio features an octopus. “Lions are regal, reflecting strength and courage,” Humphrey said. “The octopus represents the mystery of the sea.” Humphrey said that he has been creating art all his life and that he is self-taught. He recalled often playing by himself and drawing, and as a young teen, he experimented with spray paint art. He served in the U.S. Navy from the age of 17, and subsequently after military service, worked in different jobs. Humphrey has considered himself a professional artist for the past 10 years, although he still works a “day job” as a

surgical laser technician, which helps support his wife, Alicia, and their three daughters. Humphrey estimated that he travels to 20-30 art shows and festivals each year. In May, Humphrey will show his work in Beverly Hills. In August, he will be in Los Altos. “You have to get your art out there to different audiences,” he said. This will be Humphrey’s seventh appearance showing his art at the Downtown ArtWalk. He has participated in the companion ArtWalks at Liberty Station and Carlsbad. “Little Italy is the granddaddy of them all,” he said. “This promotes the love of art. At Little Italy ArtWalk, you can have intimate conversation with people who come by. You can talk about what goes into art, and how art has a healing property.” Humphrey noted that he accepts commissioned projects on specific subjects. Prints of his works have a starting price of $40. With colors added to make a print unique, the cost rises to $150 to $200. “Art should be accessible for everyone,” Humphrey said of his lower cost print artworks. Other La Mesa artists slated to display their work at ArtWalk include Amir Barlev, David Cuzick and Cindy Teyro. —B.J. Coleman is a local freelance journalist and editor/ staff reporter with the 22nd Legionnaire. Reach her at bjcjournalist@gmail.com.■ Sudoku & Crossword puzzle answers from page 19

BOOKS / ART

sdnews.com

Sneak peak at new titles Chelsie Harris One of the best parts of working in the library industry is getting a sneak peak at new titles before they hit the shelves. As a reviewer for Library Journal, I receive an advanced reader copy once a month to read and review. These reviews aid library systems in determining which titles to purchase for their communities. But enough shop talk — here are a few of my recently reviewed novels, which are now available for ordering here at the library or online at sdcl.org: The Haenyeo of Jeju Island make their living by free diving into the chilly waters of the Korean Strait to gather abalone, crabs, and other sea delicacies. This is an honor reserved for women, due to their superior physical and mental shape, while the husbands stay home and raise the children. “Island of Sea Women” by Lisa See tells the story of two budding haenyeo — Mi-ja and Young-sook — and how their friendship is shaped by undercurrents of war and jealousy. Spanning the 1930s through 2018, each woman's life reflects the tragedy and grief of the historical events of the time.

“I Owe You One” by New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella (“Shopaholic” series) tells the story of Fixie Farrs, a do-gooder who is always determined to fix other people’s problems. She helps run her family’s shop, which sells a hodgepodge of cookware and hardware, alongside her ambitious (albeit irrational) brother and yoga-obsessed sister. Everything changes for Fixie when her siblings’ visions for the store go in wildly different directions at the same time as her high school crush (and previous one-night stand) returns to town. Clara wakes up one morning to find her boyfriend, Luke, has vanished without a trace. Camilla Way’s new psychological thriller, “The Lies We Told,” follows Clara as she works to try and put together the pieces — threatening emails, a workplace affair, shady friends — and she slowly discovers a dark secret that Luke’s family has been hiding all along. Could Luke’s disappearance be tied to that of his sister, who mysteriously removed herself from the family so many years ago? The answers lie with a young woman, Hannah, who has an affinity for physical and psychological torture. “Fearless,” the second book in the “Eye of the Beholder” series by Sarah Tarkoff (first title: “Sinless”) follows 18-year-old Grace Luther as she embroils

April 26 – May 23, 2019

herself further in the dystopian future. It has been a decade since the Revelations, when “the Great Spirit” saved mankind by forming one religion that punishes wrongdoing with physical pain and deformities, and encourages piousness with beauty. Grace has been serving as a double agent, serving Prophet Joseph as well as Dawn, the leader of the local resistance movement. Taking pills each day that prevent her from punishments by the Great Spirit, Grace risks her life to bring an end to the mind control and manipulation of present society. Charlaine Harris, best known for the Sookie Stackhouse series that spawned the HBO show “True Blood,” goes a bit Western in her newest “An Easy Death.” Lizbeth Rose is a 19-year-old gunslinger in the dystopia that remains after the United States government falls apart and the country is divided up by conquerors. Living in the southwestern country of Texoma, Lizbeth runs families seeking asylum between the newly-expanded Mexico and New America to the north. When her renegade cohorts are killed by bandits in their latest run, Lizbeth must seek new employment to keep herself fed and alive. Did you know that you can read many of these titles (and thousands of others) on your smartphone or tablet? Check out sdebooks.org to see San Diego County Library’s full collection of downloadable ebooks and audiobooks. They’re all free with your library card and automatically return when due, which means you never have to worry about late fees. Happy reading, La Mesa! —Chelsie Harris is managing librarian of the La Mesa Branch of the San Diego County Library.■

La Mesa Courier

May featured artist: Duke Windsor Painters Association, San Diego Watercolor Society, and Foothills Art Association. He is former education chair of the San Diego Museum of Art Artist Guild and has also served as a memLinda Michael ber of the Public Arts Selection Committee of the San Diego The Foothills Art Association Regional Airport Authority Art is pleased to feature the artwork Program. Windsor is a highly of Duke Windsor at its gallery sought-after art educator who during the month has taught art to of May. The artist’s both adults and extensive life experichildren at numerence and sensitivity ous venues, and he to his surroundings has juried many logives his work a cal and regional art unique presence of exhibitions. He curplace. rently teaches drawWindsor was born ing and oil painting in Texarkana. He at Art on 30th in served in the U.S. North Park and is a Marine Corps as a workshop instructor combat illustrator with the La Jolla and drill instrucAthenaeum. tor. He subsequentWindsor has over ly studied classical 15 years of museum voice at San Diego exhibit design expeState University, rience. He is currentlater performing ly working on a new with the San Diego body of work and is Opera Chorus. An also accepting new avid practitioner of art commissions. the martial arts, Windsor's studio is Windsor owned and located on Mt. Helix operated a martial “Stop Ahead” by Duke near the city of La arts studio for sev- Windsor (Courtesy Mesa. en years, eventually Foothills Art Association) Duke Windsor’s achieving the rank of artwork will be feafourth degree black belt. tured at the Foothills Gallery Wi ndsor ’s u rba nscapes at Porter Hall, 4910 Memorial have been exhibited and re- Drive in La Mesa from May 3 ceived awards at juried exhibi- to June 5. An artist’s reception, tions, group shows and corpo- free and open to the public, will rate venues in San Diego and be held on Saturday, May 11, Southern California, and they 1-4p.m. The Foothills Gallery is are held in many private collec- open Tuesday through Saturday, tions throughout the U.S. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more inforEurope. mation, call 619-464-7167. Windsor is an associate artist member of the California —Linda Michael is editor of Art Club, Oil Painters of Footnotes, the newsletter of the America, International Acrylic Foothills Art Association.■

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All in the family A revered torta cafe pays homage to its late founder

Restaurant Review Frank Sabatini Jr. From a wall behind the order counter hangs a photograph of a handsome Miguel A. Rojas, the restaurateur who not only raised the creative bar on tortas, but named them lovingly after numerous siblings, nieces and nephews. The businessman’s sudden passing a year and a half ago left some of those family members in charge of keeping his spirited legacy alive at La Torta Cafe, which Rojas launched in 1994. Prior to that, he had moved to San Diego from his native Mexacali, attended high school here, and took a job in the maintenance department for a retirement home.

A quartet of house-made rolled tacos

Yet by the time he was 9 years old, he had a firm vision. “He always loved tortas. And he told my mother back then, ‘I’m going to someday make the best tortas in town,’” recalls his sister, Nohemi Ryback, who manages the eatery. Having eaten tortas from all corners of San Diego County over the past few decades, I can attest that Rojas’ words as a child were prophetic. The cafe’s menu offers 40 varieties of the Mexican sandwich, which traditionally captures avocado, veggies and meat within soft telera rolls. The yeast bread is a close cousin to French baguette, boasting thin crispy crusts and soft centers. Rojas developed his own recipe for the rolls in conjunction with California Baking Company, which still adheres to the proprietary formula. His are fluffier than most and sport an exceptional, toasted crust studded with cornmeal for a bit of added texture. After minimal chew, they practically melt in your mouth. In his peak, Rojas operated six locations of La Torta Cafe throughout San Diego County. But when the economy tanked a decade ago, he sold them while retaining his La Mesa restaurant, which sits a stone’s throw away only from his original location.

Here, the cottage-like structure is fronted by a garden patio. Inside, a cute and homey design embodies a salsa bar in the middle of the room. The tortas really don’t need any of their enhancements, but if you opt for tacos or burritos, don’t overlook the creamy jalapeno and chipotle salsas. Visiting as a twosome, we started out with Rojas’ original chicken tortilla soup, a seemingly classic Mexican pottage but flaunting the additions of sour cream and chili paste in the broth. It’s faintly creamy, mildly spicy and grandly comforting. Per demand, items such as rolled tacos, burritos and chimichangas were added in Rojas’ later years. We would have skipped over them all until learning that the rolled tacos (served four to an order) are made in-house. And you’ll know it upon first bite. Available in beef or white chicken meat, we ordered the latter. Their casings are the most delicate I’ve ever encountered, almost like pastry tubes. The chicken inside escaped that odd boiled flavor I often encounter in other places, and the medley of tomatoes, shredded lettuce and grated cheeses on top were ultra fresh. Then came the main event, a trio of tortas, half of which we ended up taking home due to their generous size. We chose as our first the “Miguel Cubana,” a culinary self-portrait of the man with a keen knack for bringing semblance to multiple ingredients. Rojas somehow knew that roasted pork, Milanesa (breaded steak), melty panela cheese, grilled peppers and onions, avocado, and mayo would make for a well-conceived outcome. And so what if it tastes as far removed from a traditional Cubano sandwich as the geographical distance between Baja and Cuba. This version hardly disappoints. The No. 21 is “Nohemi’s chile relleno” torta. “I’m not a vegetarian, but lean toward it,” Ryback added in recognizing that her brother had hit the mark naming the creation after her. Served open face, the ovalshaped roll takes on a smearing of chipotle mayo that permeates the heated bread like melted butter. A freshly battered pasilla chile stuffed judiciously with white

April 26 – May 23, 2019

FOOD & DRINK

La Mesa Courier

La Torta Cafe 8356 Allison Ave. 619-741-6230 latorta.com Prices: Salads, soups and appetizers, $3 to $10.25; tacos (two per order) and burritos, $5.75 to $11.75; rolled tacos (four per order), quesadillas and chimichangas, $8.50 to $11.95; tortas, $8.95 to $11.95. Breakfast items, $7.75 to $9.75. cheese is draped over one half while fanned-out slices of avocado occupy the other. Everything jived. My favorite, however, was “Nicole’s chipotle” torta, which Rojas named after a niece. Available with either marinated beef or all-white chicken, we chose the latter. Layered with the finely chopped poultry were onions, avocado, tomatoes, mayo and the same creamy chipotle sauce offered at the salsa bar. The result is a soft and creamy torta that your teeth effortlessly glide through with zero force. In terms of the number of ingredients contained within the tortas, ours were tame in comparison to many others on the menu. The “Natalia,” named after Rojas’ daughter, features a hearty stacking of roast beef, ham, turkey, avocado, and cheddar and jack cheeses. Or, in honor of his grandfather, the “Pancho’s” layers in beans with turkey, ham and cheddar.

A garden patio fronts the cottage-like cafe (Photos by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

For burger lovers, the “hamburguesa” torta impresses with two quarter-pound patties grilled with barbecue sauce. With the additions of cheddar and Swiss cheeses, ranch dressing and avocado, you’ve encountered the most belly-stretching torta in San Diego County. All of the tortas are served with home fries — basically thinly sliced fried potatoes with crispy veneers that reminded me of those I’ve consumed in multiple visits to Germany, a country that does wonders with spuds. Ryback pointed out that her brother was a stickler for quality and presentation, which we

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found obvious. He was a longtime resident of La Mesa, and revered within the community by customers and fellow business people alike. “We haven’t changed a thing in how he ran the business. He was a merchant advocate and we’re trying to keep going everything he did here. His legacy lives on,” she added. —Frank Sabatini Jr. is the author of ‘Secret San Diego’ (ECW Press) and began his local writing career more than two decades ago as a staffer for the former San Diego Tribune. You can reach him at fsabatini@san.rr.com.■

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April 26 – May 23, 2019

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EDUCATION

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April 26 – May 23, 2019

The fallen Foothillers of the Vietnam War

Foothiller Footsteps Connie and Lynn Baer More than 60 years ago, a war began that created a cultural divide in the United States. Today, a simple, yet powerful, national memorial quietly celebrates the men who, whether they were drafted or volunteered for military service, sacrificed their lives in service to their county. On Memorial Day 2019, we would like to recognize Foothillers who are among this group. The black granite Vietnam Veterans Memor ial Wall

Upcoming GHS Class Reunions

Class of 1959 60th Reunion: Weekend of Sept. 21. Contact Joyce Schwartz Camiel at joycecamiel@ gmail.com or 619-806-7914 or co-chair Carmen Colonghi Gaerin at cgaerin@gmail.com or 619-992-8823. Class of 1964 55th Reunion: Saturday, Oct. 19. For information, email ghs64 @cox.net. Location, menu, and reservation detail will be provided in a June email. Class of 1969 50th Reunion: Saturday, June 29. Email Monica Taylor Erickson at monica.erickson51@yahoo. com. Class of 1970 50th Reunion: Date to be determined. For information, email Julia Yale Salinas at jsal2752@yahoo.com. Class of 1974 45th Reunion: Thursday night Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. alongside the pond at Anthony’s Fish Grotto in La Mesa. Visit bit.ly/2 Jjkd AO. Class of 1989 's 30th Reunion: July 27 at the D oublet re e S a n D iego Downtown. Visit https://bit. ly/2XiQz0J or call 760-7210525 or email Wendy Hodgetts Shortley at wendyshortley72@gmail. com or 858-414-7319. Class of 1999 20th Reunion: Friday, June 29 at the Marriott Bayfront. Information at bit.ly/2XX4U4d.

ch ronolog ically Glenn Eugene lists the more than Luhnow, Class of 58,000 servicemen 1963, was drafted and women who in 1966. After being lost their lives in in Vietnam only six Vietnam. Hanging weeks as an Army on the wall in the machine gunner Grossmont High for Company D, he S chool Museum was killed in action Wa r Memor ia l along with seven display are the other men. His wife framed rubbings was notified in perof the names of the son and by telegram 11 Foothillers who that he died in an died in Vietnam. We ambush during a thank GHS alumni search-and-destroy Luther Benning, mission. Every 10 Class of 1964, Craig years, when his B en n i ng, Class wife and daughter of 1968, and Bill visit the Vietnam Woolman, Class of Wall, they read the 1962, for making names of all seven this possible. To of the men who died request a rubbing with Glenn. of a name yourself, The GHS Class please visit bit. of 1965 lost three ly/2aBHhpX. classmat es in The loss of classVietnam. Recently, mates, friends, and Mike Di Napoli’s relatives leaves (l to r) top row: David Christian, Paul Rose, Glenn Ludnow, William best f r iend i n a lifelong wound. Fowler; middle row: David Hickman, Gary Wright, Mike DiNapoli; Vietnam contacted Over the past few bottom row: Kenneth Anderson, Aquilla Britt, Craig Haberlein, us wanting to talk years, many people John Sullivan Photos (Courtesy GHS Museum) to Mike’s relatives have shared their to share with them memories with us. In 2016, After graduating from col- his memories of Mike. He was AP U.S. history teacher Don lege with a degree in psycholo- with Mike when, coming out of Ginn assigned his students to gy, David Christian, Class of the mess hall, Mike was shot by research the lives of those who 1958, enlisted in 1962. Three snipers. He died instantly. For 50 have died in wars from WWII to years later, after taking off from years, his friend has struggled the Middle East conflicts. Some the Midway on June 2, 1965, his with the grief and the question of these remembrances are from attack jet was hit by anti-aircraft of, “Why Mike and not me?” the student reports and some fire and plunged to earth near After four years in the Army, were given directly to the GHS the Tonkin Gulf shoreline. In Craig Haberlein was sent to Museum. 1986, the Vietnamese govern- Vietnam. Four months later, he Gary Gene Wright, Class of ment returned his remains. In died from complications from 1949, graduated from SDSU in their report, the students re- malaria. Foothiller Deanna 1953. Gary enlisted in the Air flected that, “Researching David Sampson remembers Craig as a Force in 1955. His tour of duty in was stressful to the end. To read high school friend. “Since Craig Vietnam began in January 1967. about his hopes and dreams for knew it wouldn’t take much for In 1974, while flying on an un- when he came home has given me to laugh, he always tried to armed reconnaissance mission us a more human perspective to get me to cause a disturbance over North Vietnam, his plane the war.” in class… I often wonder what was shot down in the Than Hoa After training at Camp he would have made of his life.” Province. He and his co-pilot Lejeune and Camp Pendleton, Over the years, Deanna has felt were declared missing in action. William Fowler was sent to the loss of Craig’s friendship. Despite the hope that he was a Vietnam in February 1969. He John Sullivan’s Naval tour prisoner of war, Gary never re- died four months later on June of duty in Vietnam began on Nov. turned. For decades, his family 19, 1969, ambushed while cross- 20, 1968. Three months later on tried to discover whether he died ing a rice paddy and dying as a Feb. 25, 1969, he died. Mark in the crash or was taken a pris- result of his injuries. He want- Houston, Class of 1966, rememoner of war. ed to be buried where he died, bers him: “John had a wonderful After 12 years of service in but due to military restriction, kindness that brought out the best the Air Force and only seven William is buried in Okinawa, in me… In Vietnam, John was months in Vietnam, Aquilla Japan. U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman, Friend Britt, Class of 1953, Paul Rose, Class of 1961, as I was. Unfortunately, John was killed during a crash on began his tour of duty in the was tending to wounded Marines land. Mel Scott, Class of 1952, Army on Sept. 9, 1969, and died when the Viet Cong breached the friend of Aquilla, remembers six months later in Binh Long, wire and lobbed a hand grenade that, “Aquilla had his goal set to South Vietnam, as a result of at him and he was killed by the be a jet pilot from his freshman hostile ground fire. During high shrapnel.” year at Grossmont. His focus school, Paul’s ironic sense of huDavid Hickman, Class of was on learning to fly and every- mor was evident in the quote he 1966, who served in the Marine thing there was to learn about used beside his senior picture in Corps, was killed by small arms aviation.” Tragically, he died in the yearbook: “Think! Maybe we in May 1967, less than a year afa landing. can dodge this work.” ter graduating from Grossmont.

La Mesa Courier

11 Foothillers Lost in Vietnam

Class of 1949: Col. Gary Gene Wright Class of 1953: Maj. Aquilla Friend Britt Class of 1958: Lt. j.g David Christian, Class 1961: Lance Cpl. William E. Fowler (only attended GHS ninth-grade year), Sgt. Paul Warren Rose Class of 1963: Pfc. Glenn Eugene Luhnow Class of 1965: Seaman Michael Joseph Di Napoli, SGT Craig Haberlein, Petty Officer 3rd class John Michael Sullivan Class of 1966: Pfc. David Alan Hickman, Pvt. Kenneth T. Anderson, (only grades nine–11)

Classmate Thomas Lahart recalls that, “David and his unit were taking a hill in De Nang when his buddy got shot. David ran over to help and was killed.” Kenneth Anderson’s tour of duty in Vietnam began April 3, 1969. On June 23, 1969, Kenneth died in Dinh Tuong Province. His sister Karen Anderson, Class of 1964, recalls, “Ken joined the military at the age of 16 because he wanted our father to be proud of him. After three years in Germany, Ken reenlisted and was sent to Vietnam. His passing was devastating to me and my family. He was not supposed to go to Vietnam since he was the only son in the family… I was very angry about it.” The tragic impact of the Vietnam conflict is on display in the museum through two POW bracelets honoring and remembering two of the many who were never found. Also, thanks to Mark Houston, we have shadow-box displays honoring two of the 11 Foothillers lost in Vietnam. For a graphic glimpse of the toll of this conflict on Americans, visit the digital June 27, 1969 issue of Life magazine, which consists entirely of pages of the haunting images of the 242 men who were killed in one week in Vietnam at bit.ly/28NC6kR. To see our War Memorial honoring those who served and those who died or to learn more about Foothillers past and present, visit the museum noon–3:30 p.m. on May 1 or by appointment. —Connie and Lynn Baer write on belhalf of the Grossmont High School Museum. For more information about the museum, email ghsmuseum@guhsd. net, call 619-668-6140 or visit foothillermuseum.com.■

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April 26 – May 23, 2019

EDUCATION

La Mesa Courier

Hate group draws counter protests Program offers opportunity to mentor Helix High students

Helix Highlights Jennifer Osborn

On March 25, three members of Westboro Baptist Church picketed Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley with anti-LGBT messages. The three picketers at Monte Vista were met with a much larger counter protest “Rainbow Dance Party” that showed support for LGBT students. Westboro Baptist Church is based in Kansas and has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The church also picketed El Cajon Valley High School. It is unclear why the two East County high schools were chosen. (Photos by Brenda Arnold)

Do you remember how crazy it was trying to plan your future as a teenager? If you do, you won’t be surprised that our students want to hear about the college, career, and life experiences from you, our alumni and members of our community. You’ve been here and done it. So your journey and expertise is real, relevant and authentic information that students want to hear. Speaking to students for just one hour can provide powerful insight, inspiration and motivation that they can make it too. We are partnering with Alumni Toolkit to create an alumni and community advocate program focused on helping our students and programs succeed. Here’s how it works. First, go to Alumnitoolkit. org. When you sign up, choose your schools — your home high school and any others you’d like to help. You can offer to help in a variety of ways. It can be as little as sharing your college or career experiences to a class or group of students, helping with

student and class projects that match your career interests, or you can choose to go deeper as a tutor or mentor. It’s up to you. Next, you’ll be asked to complete a short college and career background profile so educators can match you with their program and student needs. It’s easy and rewarding to be a real-life influencer for students walking in your shoes. Come back and be the relatable adult you needed when you were in high school — once or once a month!

Highlander Open Golf Tournament

Come have a great day of golf, fun and food while helping to support local youth. The Highlander Open Golf Tournament will be held on Friday, June 7, at Carlton Oaks Country Club (Santee). Fees include cart and green fees, tournament gifts and range balls. Other opportunities include hole-in-one car and prizes, pre-tournament putting and short-game contests, closest-tothe-pin and long-drive contests, team awards and dinner. Helix High School has been serving the families of La Mesa since 1952. The Helix High School Foundation gives back to the school by funding educational scholarships and educational programs that further the school's mission of college prep and readiness for all. The golf tournament is our primary fundraiser each year and proceeds go to our scholarship fund. Register online at helixhighschoofoundation.com.

Performing arts calendar

●● Dance Concert ‘Musical Mixtape’ – May 3 and 4, 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $7 presale, $10 at the door. (Presale tickets can be purchased at ticketleap.com. Pricing ends 12 hours before each show. Cash only at the door.) ●● Instrumental Music Pops Concert – May 9 and 10, 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10. ●● Vocal Music Spring Cabaret – May 14, 15, and 16, 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10. Spring achievements

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T he Adva nced Spor ts Medicine program participated in a competition, challenging six other schools from around the county. The students came away with a second-place finish. The speech and debate team qualified 12 students to the national championships in Dallas in June. The team also won the top sweepstakes prize in the speech division.

Five Helix teams participated in the regional competition for Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA). Two of the teams received medals, and one will continue to the state competition at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in May. The Colorguard took second place in the Winter Guard A ssociation of S outher n California Championships. The boys’ swim and dive team took first place in the league championships meet, and the girls’ team took third place. The overall combined score was good enough for second in the league. The boys’ track and field team defeated Steele Canyon, handing them their first league loss since 2010.

Judges needed for Senior Boards

Community members are invited to participate as judges for upcoming Senior Boards. All Helix seniors must complete the Senior Project, which entails creating a product, coordinating an event, planning a performance, or providing an actual service that has been designed by them. The final phase of the Senior Project is Senior Boards, which provide an opportunity for our students to shine and to feel a sense of accomplishment as they demonstrate their knowledge and skills to their community. Senior Boards will take place on Tuesday, May 28, and Wednesday, May 29, from noon–4 p.m. Community members are welcome to participate in either or both dates. Please contact me at josborn@ helixcharter.net to confirm your participation. The Senior Project is just one example of Helix's ongoing efforts to provide graduates with the tools necessary to succeed in their future endeavors, whether it is college, full-time employment, trade school, or the military.

Excellence in Education

If you are interested in finding out more about Helix Charter High School, please attend one of our Excellence in Education tours, held twice monthly. The tours for May are May 2 at 5:30 p.m. and May 17 at 8:10 a.m. Reserve your spot using our website, helixcharter.net. As always, we welcome your input. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at josborn@helixcharter.net. —Jennifer Osborn writes on behalf of Helix Charter High School. ■

April 26 – May 23, 2019

NEWS / POLITICS

sdnews.com uuSharp lawsuit, from page 3 Added Sullivan, “In addition, to add insult to injury, all of the approximately 21,000 video clips were reviewed by a male Sharp security employee. And Sharp has offered no proof that the cameras are not still there and still filming, or that they have indeed changed their videotaping policy as they have publicly stated.” “They (Sharp) claim they were trying to identify the source, an employee, of the missing drugs, so they had hidden motion-detection cameras embedded in computer monitors on different carts in the emergency rooms,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Goddard. “The field of view of almost every video I’ve seen captured patients

either walking into the room or being escorted out of the room. Many captured patients on the table being prepared for their (medical) procedures, or being cared for after.” Goddard disputed Sharp’s claim that the taping of the women was unintended. “There’s no way, seeing the range of the recordings in these videos … They had to have known what had happened,” Goddard said. The plaintiffs’ attorney said estimates are that approximately 1,800 women were recorded undergoing medical procedures during the time period involved. “We don’t have access to all the 1,800,” Goddard said adding the 231 thus far named in the suit are only those who have come forward.

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“The whole point of the lawsuit is to hold Sharp accountable, and send a message to Sharp — and every hospital in the United States — that this is not acceptable, hidden cameras in patient treatment areas,” Goddard said. “It’s such a personal issue. It still seems unbelievable to me. I can’t fathom that the hospital did this. The highest level of the hospital knew of it — and approved of it. They were kept informed at every step.” Goddard added more plaintiffs could be added to the 231 already named in the lawsuit. “I would love for every person who was affected by this to have their day in court,” she concluded. —Reach Dave Schwab at reporter@sdnews.com.■

La Mesa Courier

uuMeeting, from page 7 a cost of $25. Cash and checks are accepted, but no credit cards. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance, as the room is usually filled to capacity. Please RSVP early to RSVPrwcnc@ gmail.com to guarantee your seat. If you have any questions, you may call or text Marjie at 619 990-2791. For more information on our activities, please visit our website at RWCNavajo-Canyon. org and visit us on Facebook at Republican Women of California. 2020 may seem like a way off, but in political terms it is just around the corner. Republican Women of California Navajo Canyon (RWCNC) will soon be even more involved in grassroots activities to advance

our Republicans candidates. Throughout the year, we are registering voters and doing whatever we can to support our elected officials. We will be volunteering at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar at the Republican Party booth where voters can be registered; and going to California Republican Party headquarters to help with mailings, make calls and do whatever else is needed. Volunteering is a very rewarding experience so please join us at a meeting and discover ways to get involved and make a difference. Our goal is to have voters focus on important issues and elect Republicans! —Pat Boerner writes on behalf of the Republican Women of California Navajo Canyon.■

April 26 – May 23, 2019

La Mesa Courier

THEATER

Cinematic mid-life crisis onstage David Dixon It’s been a long time since the musical “Nine” was staged in San Diego. The last major production of the adaptation of Federico Fellini’s movie “8 ½” took place in 2008 at the outdoor Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park. The Lamplighters Community Theatre’s 2019 version in La Mesa has a cast of 16, pays homage to the original, and features

‘Nine’ Fridays–Sundays through May 19 Lamplighters Community Theatre 5915 Severin Drive, La Mesa Tickets: $25 adults; $22 students, active military, seniors (62+); $20 group rate Lamplighterslamesa.com 619-303-5092

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several standout performances. But staging it for this season was a happenstance decision by Lamplighters. Director George Bailey suggested “Nine” only after another selection was turned down because of issues with the rights to the show, which opened the way for him to pick this production. “[“Nine” is] something I’ve always wanted to work on, and I’ve loved it ever since I heard the original cast recording in the early 1980’s,” he said. In a Venetian spa that’s starting to show its age (O.P. Hadlock’s set depicts this perfectly), a famous Italian director Guido Contini (played by music director Christopher T. Miller) is struggling to come up with the idea for his next movie, after his last few films flopped. While he tries to convince his wife Luisa (Keri Miller) that their trip to the spa will be a romantic getaway, Guido deals with his relationships with his married mistress, Carla Albanese (Alyssa Austin), and a muse who frequently collaborated with him in the past, Claudia Nardi (Olivia Torres). Bailey’s interpretation draws out the humor in the plot, as well as in songs such as “Guido’s Song” and “A Call From the Vatican,” where audiences learn about Guido’s flawed professional and personal life. The most haunting sequence in the show is one of his simplest — the act one finale, “The Bells of St. Sebastian,” where Guido and the ensemble sing about

the religious upbringing that scarred his childhood. Miller and the several actresses (almost all of whom wear black costumes from Pam Stompoly-Ericson, something that gives the evening a distinct look) sing the group numbers in a choral fashion that is powerful and intense. Maury Yeston’s music and lyrics are funny and lighthearted at the outset but start to become darker at the finale to act one. Later on, his songs begin to show the consequences of Guido’s affairs and procrastination as reality and his imagination continue to collide. Through all this, however, the audience continues to sympathize with him. Bailey, along with co-stars Christopher Miller and Kerri Miller, find Yeston’s songs beautiful to listen to. “I’m particularly impressed with how the melodies come back to haunt you,” Kerri Miller said. “You discover things like that as you’re still rehearsing,” Bailey said. “He [Yeston] manages to create hummable melodies and still be very playful,” Christopher Miller said. The book and the songs sometimes tie into the number nine in a rather corny way, yet its use does eventually result in a moving conclusion. Both Christopher Miller and Kerri Miller are married in real life and have played a married couple several times onstage in the past. Keri mentioned that the marriage they depict in this performance, however, is much more

Christopher T. Miller (center) stars in Lamplighter Theatre’s production of the musical “Nine.” (Photo courtesy Adriana Zuniga-Williams)

contentious than many they have played previously. “It’s interesting to work on angry and sad scenes between us, since it’s so contrary to what our offstage marriage is like,” Keri Miller said. “To pretend to be so upset with him feels odd.” As for her husband, he’s had to think about his past relationships to work on these moments. “A lot of times, it ends up being a matter of digging back on how our ex betrayed us or did us wrong. There’s a strange dissonance where I realize I’m talking to my wife’s face, but I think I’m talking to that Kathy girl,” he said, laughing. Christopher Miller as Guido sings and acts with a mixture of mischievous confidence and selfdoubt, and Keri portrays Luisa with a sense of regret that slowly builds to uncontrollable anger and sadness. Other co-stars featured in memorable moments and solos

include Torres, Marnie Klein, Linda Snyder and Dawn Marie Zuniga-Williams who leads the ensemble in “Be Italian,” a number that features quick dance moves from Austin and catchy orchestrations from Up ‘Ti 4 Music (Christopher Miller worked on additional orchestrations) on Bailey’s audio. The La Mesa interpretation is an unconventional character study that benefits from Bailey’s direction and strong performance by the artists. Check it out, or you may have to wait years to see it again in San Diego County. “ Nine” is r unning at L amplighters Community Theatre through May 19. For tickets or more information, visit lamplighterslamesa.com or call 619-303-5092. —David Dixon is a freelance journalist with a penchant for film and theater. Reach him at daviddixon0202@gmail.com.■

Highland Players give a new hook to ‘Peter Pan’ Alex Owens The story of “Peter Pan” has hooked audiences for generations, but now the Helix High School Drama Department is giving La Mesa’s theater-lovers a peak at how the boy who never grew up came to be that way. “Peter and the Starcatcher,” which runs April 24-27 at the Helix Mainstage Theater, was written in 2004 as a sort-of prequel to J.M. Barrie’s classic 1904 play and provides backstories for characters like Peter, his trusty sidekick Tinker Bell and the seafarer who would become known as Captain Hook. Drama teacher Paul Reams, who is directing the production, said “Peter and the Starcatcher” is to the original “Peter Pan” what the hit musical “Wicked” was to “ The Wizard of Oz.” “They’re both new versions of old stories and another look at a familiar property,” Reams said. Besides being a new look at familiar characters, Reams said there were numerous reasons why the play is a good fit for the Highland Players. “I like to do recent plays that have a versatile cast size

and non-gender-specific roles,” Reams said. Case in point: The title role of Peter will be played on alternative nights by a male and a female. “Newer plays provide opportunities to do a lot of creative things with the production,” Reams said. “Most people haven’t seen the show so they don’t have preconceived notions of how it’s supposed to be.” Although the familiarity of the characters provides an entry path for audiences, Reams said the story takes place at a time before they’ve truly become the versions of themselves known to theatergoers. For instance, Captain Hook is not yet Captain Hook, but an aspiring evil pirate known as “Black Stache.” “Also, this play explores the circumstances in Peter’s life that make him want to be a boy forever,” Reams said. For more information, check out bit.ly/2v4YUZR. Tickets for the show cost $10 for non-students and $8 for ASB card holders. They can be purchased at bit.ly/2IiWWxu. —Alex Owens is a freelance writer living in La Mesa.■

April 26 – May 23, 2019

La Mesa Courier

sdnews.com

La Mesa Courier

Community and Arts & Entertainment Calendar ONGOING EVENTS

‘Nine: The Musical’ Through May 19 Based on “8½,” Italian director Federico Fellini's comic masterpiece of autobiographical filmmaking, Maury Yeston's sultry and enchanting musical follows the life of world famous film director Guido Contini as he prepares his latest picture and balances the numerous women in his life. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. at Lamplighters Community Theatre, 5915 Severin Drive, La Mesa. Tickets range $20–$25, available at lamplighterslamesa.com.

‘Seussical’ Through May 12 San Diego Junior Theatre presents a musical where The Cat in the Hat is your host and Horton the Elephant is your guide on a journey from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the World of the Whos, as a little boy with a big imagination proves that a person is a person, no matter how small. Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Casa Del Prado Theatre, Balboa Park. Tickets range $14-$16, available at juniortheatre.com.

Saturday, April 27 Nature’s Impressions Through May 10 The Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation (MTRP) presents a fine art exhibition featuring award-winning watercolor artists Thomas Franco, Ralph Kingery and Catie Somers. Free. 1 Father Junipero Serra Trail.■

FEATURED EVENTS Friday, April 26

La Mesa Earth Day Festival Free Earth Day event features bike trail rides, vendors, STEM activities, environmental resources, education materials, arts and crafts, bounce house, food trucks and more. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Harry Griffen Park, 9550 Milden St.

deaths of those who fought — and those who kept the home fires burning. Music for the ages interwoven with readings of authentic Civil War letters. We invite you to join us for “Shenandoah,” “Beautiful Dreamer,” “I Wanna Be Ready” and more. 2 p.m. at The Table: United Church of Christ of La Mesa, 5940 Kelton Ave. Freewill offerings will be taken. For more information, call 619-888-3401.

Monday, Apr. 29

Thursday, May 9 Salsa Under the Stars Kick off your night with some salsa dancing lessons, then put your moves to use as some of San Diego's best salsa musicians hit the stage, including The Manny Cepeda Orchestra and Derek Cannon. A scholarship fundraiser and CD release party, Salsa Under The Stars takes place at Grossmont College in El Cajon. Event begins at 6:30 p.m. $20 for general admission or $10 for students. 8800 Grossmont College Drive. Tickets and information at bit.ly/2FXxeep.

Sunday, April 28

‘James and the Giant Peach’ Through May 3 The SDSU Don Powell Theatre presents a classic at the end of April. Based on Roald Dahl’s beloved book and directed by Stephen Brotebeck, this musical theatre production follows young James and his insect friends on an amazing voyage across the ocean, featuring music by the Tony- and Academy Award-winning songwriting team behind “Dear Evan Hansen” and “La La Land.” Tickets $20 or $17 for students. 5500 Campanile Drive. Tickets and showtimes available at bit.ly/2UoqWP2.

Valerie Victor Concert Series: Pacific Coast Chorale Pacific Coast Chorale presents “Ready for the Jubilee: Songs of the Civil War Era.” From the rousing “Battle Hymn of the Republic” to African American spirituals, the folk songs of Stephen Foster and the heartfelt hope of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again,” the music of the Civil War era reflected the lives, faith, dreams and

publishers will be offered to store visitors throughout the day. The primary goal is to support local businesses, but a secondary goal is to encourage literacy among children, as the vast majority of free comics are kid-friendly. Crazy Fred's Comic Book Lounge, 8042 La Mesa Blvd. Call 619-303-6597 for store hours and information.

‘The Arab Americans’ Cuyamaca College Middle Eastern Students Club presents this 2017 film detailing the contributions made by immigrants from the Middle East, North Africa and the Arabian peninsula have made in the United States. 12:30 p.m. in the Digital Theatre, 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, Rancho San Diego. Free.

Salsa y Salsa Fiesta Lemon Grove Lions Club’s annual event raises money for Lemon Grove Little League and features a salsa contest and salsa dancing — plus Mexican food, live music, prizes and more. 6-9 p.m. at Monte Vista Village Auditorium, 2211 Massachusetts Ave., Lemon Grove. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Call Ken Burke at 619-469-7350 for information.

Saturday, May 18

‘Failure: A Love Story’ Through May 11 It is 1928 and the jazz era is in full swing while life in Chicago is roaring. By the end of the year, all three Fail sisters will meet their demise. In reverse order of age, Nelly Fail, Jenny June Fail and Gertie Fail will die of a blunt object to the head, a disappearance and finally…consumption. Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Grossmont College Stagehouse Theatre, 8800 Grossmont College Drive, El Cajon. Tickets $10-$15 available at bit.ly/2Va4KHZ.

Saturday, May 11

Saturday, May 4 Free Comic Book Day Free Comic Book Day is an event that encourages longtime fans and curious newcomers to visit their local mom-and-pop-style comic shops. A huge selection of free comic books from many

friends, and foodies alike while you sample delicious dishes from over 20 participating Grossmont Center eateries. New this year, are alcoholic beverages at select locations, included with the purchase of our Taste Card. Taste cards start at $10 if bought at guest services, $15 if bought online and $20 if bought in person the day of the event at Grossmont Center. 2-5 p.m. at Grossmont Center, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa. Visit grossmontcenter.com.

Taste of Grossmont Sample delicious bites from around the globe at this interactive food-tasting event. Enjoy an afternoon shopping outside with family,

Wild in the Country Join Lions Tigers & Bears for an incredible special event benefiting rescued animals. Enjoy live music, dinner, dancing, and the company of majestic rescued animals all in an idyllic country setting. Featuring family-friendly activities, Wild in the Country includes once-in-lifetime silent- and live-auction items — Super Bowl tickets, anyone? Comedian and animal advocate, Whitney Cummings, will guest host. 2-6 p.m. at Lions Tigers & Bears, 24402 Martin Way, Alpine. Tickets are $125 general, $325 VIP and $45 for children under 12. Visit lionstigersandbears.org.

Tuesday, May 21

Gemstones and essential oils Learn how to use these two powerful gifts of the earth to massage away stress and enhance balance in your life. Also, receive a free essential oil body scan, using electrical frequencies to personalize an essential oil program specific

to you. 6:30–8 p.m. at Crystal Blue Vibrations, 2961 Beech St., San Diego. $10. RSVP to 619-465-3005.■

RECURRING EVENTS Mondays Note Catchers Calif. Note Catchers, four-part harmony chorus, invite ladies of all ages to their rehearsals 7-9 p.m. Performances throughout SD. Located in Social Hall of La Mesa First United Methodist Church. 4690 Palm Ave. 619-575-6165. Tuesdays La Mesa Walks! Enjoy a fun walk with friends and neighbors. First and third Tuesdays, meet at various locations, second and fourth Tuesdays meet at 9 a.m. at La Mesa Library, 8074 Allison Ave. Call 619-667-1300 for more information. Thursdays Movie Matinee The La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center hosts a series of modern and classic film viewings every Thursday at 1 p.m. in the center’s main hall. Cost is $2 per ticket. For movie listings, visit bit. ly/2FVrOSQ. Fridays La Mesa Farmers Market La Mesa’s Farmers Market offers fresh local produce, florals, pastries, live music, and arts and crafts each Friday. 3-7 p.m. along La Mesa Boulevard. Free. Visit lamesavillageassociation.org. Saturdays Shop Local Market Last Saturday of the month at Grossmont Center, participating shops set up tables outside and offer markdowns and new product showcases. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa. Sundays Traveling Stories Visit Grossmont Center each Sunday for an interactive story time for kids. Kids visit the StoryTent, pick out a book that interests them, and then read it out loud to a volunteer. The volunteer asks engaging questions that help the child build reading comprehension and critical thinking skills all while earning book bucks to trade for cool prizes. Free. 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa.■

April 26 – May 23, 2019

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La Mesa Courier

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Curing ‘Crazy Dance St. Martin sets Earth Day example Mom Syndrome’ with Green Ribbon designation sdnews.com

Gen-X in a millennial world Genevieve

Suzuki

couple cleaning of years ago onejoke. of Spring is no myyear, guiltiest pleasures was Every many of us shake watching the Lifetime show off the winter blues, don rubber “Dance series had cleaningMoms.” gloves That and start scrubit all:and talented kids, an egomabing purging. When it’s all niacal teacher best all, finished, there’sand, almost noofbetter feeling than sitting on the couch crazy moms. andEvery taking in our newlywatch cleaned week I would home. the instructor manipulate and It’s funny how we’re accustorment the young dancers tomedtheir to taking carepeered of theatinwhile mothers dividual homesa providing them through window inroofs a over heads, butthe easily forget roomour overlooking studio. the bigger homemy wehusband all share. And every week Earth Day this fellnot on April would shake hisyear head, at 22, but we shouldn’t relegate the onscreen antics, but at his caring for our it planet wife watching all. to a mere annual “Well,celebration. it’s just suchRather, a trainwe should strive to make a differwreck. I just can’t understand ence these every kids’ day, even if take the steps why moms we take them to are thissmall schoolones. to get The good news is the next berated on a regular generation basis,” I said.is“Ilearning to be responsible stewards of our would never do environment. that to my daughLa Mesa’s own St. ter.InIf fact, she wantMartin of Tours ed to quit, she Academy was just recognized by the state could!” of California’s Department of Easy to Education for being a Green say, harder Ribbon School. to do. The California Green Ribbon When I Schools program recognizes was young, schools across the state for envimy mom excellence and demonronmental put strated achievement of the U.S. me in Department of Education Green ballet. ISchools’ three pillars: the Ribbon loved to of environmental imreduction dance. Itcosts; was all once soothpact and theatimprovement inghealth and exhilarating. When I of and wellness of schools, made it to toestaff; shoes, nothing students and and effective could stop me. education, incorenvironmental OK, nothing cost. Ienporating science,except technology, was given mathematics a choice between balgineering, (STEM), let and music lessons. Although civic skills, and green career Ipathways. don’t regret choosing band over – Iwhich wouldreceived never the St.dance Martin, have attended college on a has gold level award this year, danceteaching scholarship – I always been its students about missed ballet. through Someday,their I evsustainability vowed, my daughter would get eryday actions and values. the“Our chance to dance. students are becoming And socitizens she did.ofWhen Quinn ‘engaged the world,’” said Martin Academy turnedSt. 4, we placed her in Principal Diane Hartley. a great ballet school. As “[They] we understand that, as Catholics, walked into Discount Dance we are on responsible taking Supply Baltimore for Drive, I care of our Earth.” felt the same excitement I did seems St. Martin Academy as It a kid. “Look at these adoris really tryingAnd to walk the walk able leotards! these tights! whenlook, it comes to check environmenAnd Quinn, out tal stewardship. In 2015, Pope these tiny ballet shoes!” Francis released “On Care for Our Common Home (Laudato Si),” an appeal to “every person living on this planet.” The Diocese then formed Creation Care Teams, which support parishes and schools in their efforts toward environmental sustainability. As a result, after the diocese encouraged all parishes to install solar panels to save on energy, St. Martin of Tours Parish and Academy in 2018 purchased panels that have been projected to offset 97.94% of the academy’s power. Hartley said St. Martin Academy also uses compostable paper goods and utensils for their Pizza Friday lunches, saves

April 26 – May 23, 2019

Looking on it, Quinn greens from back lunches wasthe really quitebin, patient with for compost her mother, was already works hard who in the showing signs of Crazy Dance school garden to proMomfresh Syndrome. She smiled, vide food items shethe attended for parishweekly food classes, and she even performed in the bank, and uses re“Nutcracker” year. fillable water last bottles few weeks freeBut of abiphenol A,ago her patience ran out.cheman industrial bright Thursday mornicalOne commonly used ing Quinn sat straight up in to create plastics and bed and me, “Do we have resins, to asked help reduce ballet the usetoday?” of single-use “No,bottles. silly, it’s Thursday. Ballet plastic Pacheco, is A onnne Saturday,” I said, thinking who Mesa (l to r) Anne Pacheco, administrative assistant for she founded had beenLadreaming. St. Martin of Tours Academy; Tony Thurmond, state Fair Trade, has “Noooooo,” shealso whined. superintendent of Public Instruction; Toni Dimuzio, contributed towas thethis? Wait. What Who school’s suc-myWorkshop was this?green Was this child? Way consultant; Nick Schweitzer, Deputy cess. Pacheco, whoenough “Quinn, you had ofSuperintendent of Public Instruction Systems Support Branch works at the academy a summer break. It’s time to as an administrative return to ballet.” assistant, began putting “I believe it was because we She proceeded to maketogetha weird er the Green Ribbon Schools are a Fair Trade School that “huh-uh-huh-uh-huh” sound, not application several ago. brought us to the gold. Students unlike the sound shemonths makes when “[It] gavefor me it’s time uinsight shots. to all that not only have learned to take is taught in the classrooms andI care of the environment, but Holy cow, I was gobsmacked. what needed to be improved on they know where their products realized then that my daughter campus. The like stakeholders that come from, if people have been didn’t dancing ballet. worked on“How the 47-page document paid fairly, are organic and that long have you agreed we are truly engaging our trafficking was not part of the felt like this?” I asked. students “Uh, in skills that are life supply chain,” said Pacheco. well, I liked it changing.” If you’re interested in learnwhen I was young,” said my Pacheco’s commitment to ing more about St. Martin of 7-year-old. “But I guess it’s fair trade extends to St. Martin Tours Academy, fair trade or been a few months now. Maybe Academy. In December 2015, the simply how to be a better citisince January. Are you upset?” school was officially declared the zen of our planet, check out the I’m not gonna lie. This was first Catholic Fair Trade School. La Mesa Earth Day Festival on hard for me to hear. Quickly my Having the fair trade designa- April 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. brain started to go through several tion means adhering to environ- at Harry Griffen Park. scenarios: Do I force her to continue mental practices that prohibit to dance, praying she eventually the use of the most harmful —Genevieve A. Suzuki is a loDo I let her quit cal attorney who lives and works chemicalslikes and it? taking measures and couch surf on in La Mesa.■ to protect natural resources. Saturday mornings? In the end I fell back on parental instinct. I gave her a hug and reassured her that she didn’t need to dance ballet to make me happy. I also thanked her for sticking it out as long as she did. So I was proud that I didn’t succumb to the Crazy Dance Mom Syndrome and force Quinn to attend ballet class on Saturday mornings. While I may not have a future prima ballerina, I do have a happy child, which is a more importSt. Martin Toursrealizing Academy teacher ant goalofthan an old Tina McNulty instructs first grade students the school which serves as a way for the academy to dream in through mygarden, daughter, demonstrate responsible environmental stewardship. (Photos courtesy of St. who is, thankfully, her own Martin of Tours Academy) person.

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WORSHIP DIRECTORY Wed. Night........6:30pm to 8:00pm Sat. Night..........6:30pm to 8:00pm Sunday.............10:00am to 11:30am Tuesday.............6:30pm to 8:00pm 619-697-7221 Pastor Chris Pawlowski and Pastor Dave Riley Calvary Chapel 7525 El Cajon Blvd. La Mesa, CA 91942.

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SUDOKU

Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and 3x3 block. Use logic and process elimination to solve the puzzle.

CROSSWORD

—Genevieve A. Suzuki is a La Mesa resident who practices family law. Visit her website at sdlawyersuzuki.com.■ ACROSS 1 Tenor 5 Panthers’ signal caller 8 Systems, doctrines, theories 12 Rulers 14 Indonesian coastal town 15 Type of cuisine 16 Kids 18 Single Lens Reflex

19 Extra seed-covering 20 Force out 21 Feline 22 __ & Stitch 23 Semantic relations 26 A larval frog or toad 30 Sport for speedsters 31 One who is learning 32 Request 33 Famed WWII conference

34 Relieved 39 English broadcaster 42 Car signal 44 Grass part 46 Trivially 47 Serve as a warning 49 Centers of activity 50 An electrically charged atom 51 Small swelling of cells 56 Irritates

57 “__ your i’s, cross your t’s” 58 Removed 59 “Death in the Family” author 60 When you hope to arrive 61 German district 62 Turner and Kennedy 63 Midway between south and southeast 64 Emerald Isle

DOWN 1 Mathematical optimization search method 2 Country along the Arabian peninsula 3 Pointed parts of pens 4 Lake __, one of the Great 5 Peruvian region 6 State capital of Georgia

7 Those killed for their beliefs 8 Typeface 9 Shrill cry 10 Sends via the Postal Service 11 Holds grain 13 Occurring at a fitting time 17 Vogue 24 Born of 25 Get the job done 26 Teletype (Computers)

27 Small southern constellation 28 Decaliters 29 Area near the concert stage 35 Social insect living in organized colonies 36 Winter activity 37 Snakelike fish 38 Not wet 40 In addition to 41 In league 42 Barrels per day (abbr.)

43 Monetary unit 44 Marked 45 Emerges 47 Shape by heating 48 Early Slavic society 49 Italian automaker 52 Racing legend Earnhardt 53 A type of name 54 __ Strauss, jeans maker 55 Famed garden

April 26 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 23, 2019

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