San Diego Community Newspaper Group
www.SDNEWS.com Volume 13, Number 51
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2008
SLIDE + ONE YEAR City reopens Soledad Mountain Road on landslide anniversary BY ALYSSA RAMOS | VILLAGE NEWS
City officials marked the oneyear anniversary of the Soledad mountain landslide last Thursday, Oct. 16, by reopening Soledad Mountain Road, allowing access between Pacific Beach and La Jolla. When Soledad Mountain Road collapsed at Desert View Drive Oct. 3, 2007, some residents were forced to evacuate, learning that their homes had a history of landslides dating back to 1961. Rupert Adams, geologist with Helenschmidt Geotechnical Inc., worked on the closed road for more than a year with colleagues and other city crews. “The road is now open,” Adams said. “They opened it Wednesday or Thursday last week. The mayor was there. But it’s not quite fully complete.” Though traffic can now travel through Soledad Mountain Road, Adams says work still needs to be completed on Desert View Drive, the alley below Soledad Mountain Road. Adams was investigating the area with other colleagues last October for the City of San Diego after homeowners had noticed distress in nearby roads and called
VILLAGE NEWS/DON BALCH
What a difference one year makes. The photo at right shows Soledad Mountain Road on Oct. 3, 2007, the first day of the massive landslide. The view above is the same stretch shortly after it reopened to traffic Oct. 16. One uninhabitable home still sits perched over the edge of the slide site, although three others that were heavily damaged have been razed.
District 1 debate draws lines BY ALYSSA RAMOS | VILLAGE NEWS
Candidates for the San Diego City Council District 1 seat expressed their opinions on many of the area’s controversial topics during their first debate since June’s primaries. Democrat Sherri Lightner and Republican Phil Thalheimer expressed their contrasting views regarding many of La Jolla and UC’s most controversial issues, from the Regents Road Bridge project to Hillel’s proposed Jewish student center. But both candidates also agreed on several key points affecting the community during the Oct. 15 debate, held at University City High School. It was sponsored by the University City Community Association and moderated by the League of Women Vot-
ers. Thalheimer, owner of a flight school, agreed with Historical Society member Lightner that the historic Torrey Pines Gliderport should remain operational while still allowing the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine to build its stem cell research center. “As a member of the historical society, I fully support that,” Lightner said. “The stem cell center won’t jeopardize it as much as the 12-story building [proposed] across the street.” “The deal with the stem
cell issue comes down to the crash zone … It can be preserved for both,” Thalheimer said. Both candidates claimed to be proponents of green energy. Lightner advocated “hopping on the green train” with a plan for the future, including partnering with the university, while Thalheimer said he wants the city to purchase fossil fuel vehicles and the university to test electric vehicles. When asked about the Regents Road Bridge project in University City, both candidates said they support more fire stations — one argument used to support the project. But Lightner said she was against the project, while Thalheimer said he would support it. SEE DEBATE, Page 7
the city, when the land collapsed, damaging about 45 homes. Eventually the city razed three homes. The hillsides behind these houses had been slipping into the alley for several years but the homeowners didn’t realize the severity of the situation, said Battalion Chief Bruce Cartelli of the San Diego Fire Rescue Department last October. At about 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007, Engine Company 16 received an emergency call that Soledad Mountain Road was gaping open. Coincidentally, San Diego Fire Department battalion chiefs and commanders were already on their way to the scene; they said they were concerned about Soledad’s imminent danger and wanted to create a contingency plan, Cartelli said. After the dust settled, homeowners battled with the city over who was responsible for property loss. Attorneys continue litigation against the city. Meanwhile, city crews and specialists planned reconstruction of the landslide. “We’ve been responsible for the investigation and characterization of the landslide as well as all of the stabilization efforts and all the SEE SLIDE, Page 7
Morrison showcases photographer who captured rock’s golden icons BY BART MENDOZA | VILLAGE NEWS
There have been many great photographers specializing in rock ’n’ roll since the genre first captured the public’s imagination. However, only a select handful can claim to have been there at truly historic moments in popular culture. And only one, Ethan Russell, can lay claim to having designed album covers for the Beatles, the Who and the Rolling Stones. In a career that now spans more than four decades, Russell has used his keen eye for imagery for a wide variety of projects. Moving on from still photography, he became a video director, producPHOTO BY ETHAN RUSSELL ing clips for Paul Simon, K.D. Lang and Emmy Lou Harris, as well as working on Photographer Ethan Russell made a big splash with this shot of the Who for “Who’s Next.” John Lennon’s “Woman.” More recently he has moved into the world of photography books, with an acclaimed volume of Hotel Gallery will host a reception for his Rolling Stones photographs, “Let It Russell, from 6 to 9 p.m. The exhibit will Bleed,” released earlier this year. SEE ICONS, Page 4 On Saturday, Oct. 25, The Morrison