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VOLUME 10 ISSUE 11 Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
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Books of gratitude. Page 19
INSIDE
NEWS BRIEFS
THIS ISSUE
VILLAGE ASSOCIATION PLANS MODIFIED HOLIDAY IN THE VILLAGE
B FOOD & DRINK Traditions honored
Centifonti’s brings familial Italian traditions to the Village. Page 12
B FEATURE History mystery
Actor Tate Birchmore recently won accolades for his lead role in “Adventure Force 5.” (Photo by Katherine Birchmore)
An adventurous life on the rise Tate Birchmore's journey takes him from La Mesa to Hollywood By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier
At the age of 12, Tate Birchmore is already living a dream life. The La Mesa native is fast becoming recognized as a rising talent,
New evidence emerges on location of La Mesa’s film industry. Page 14
B EDUCATION For the record
having earned the 2020 Young Entertainer’s Award for Best Leading Actor in a Feature Film for his role in the Vudu channel’s original “Adventure Force 5.” He was also awarded Best Young
Actor at the Horror Haus Film festival and has already appeared in hundreds of other television shows, feature films and shorts SEE TATE, Page 15
La Mesa Women’s Club sells clubhouse By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier
Grossmont High’s ‘El Recuerdo’ is the foundation of the school’s history. Page 16
B ALSO INSIDE
Opinion Politics Health Education Art Recreation Business Directory Puzzles
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When the La Mesa Woman’s Club (LMWC) held its general meeting in March, the members did not realize it would be the last time in 2020 they would see the inside of their building. The LMWC clubhouse, located at 5220 Wilson St., is currently in escrow and is expected to close early next year. LMWC was established in 1902, making it the city’s oldest civic organization. The club has met in the Wilson Street clubhouse since it was built in the 1950s.
With the uncertainty of tradition for the 2020 holiday season, the La Mesa Village Association has announced the return of the annual Holiday in the Village in a modified Craft Market format. The modified event has been approved by county and city officials and will be held on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the La Mesa Village. The free family-friendly event will include holiday music, craft vendors, a food court, and unique holiday photo stations. This year’s Holiday in the Village will take all precautions, under health official advisement, to ensure this Holiday Market is a safe and cheerful experience for all. Temperature checks will be required upon entry and face coverings and social distancing will be required throughout. Directional arrows will guide the flow of guests to aid in easy spacing amongst groups. Due to COVID-19 regulations, there will not be live, musical entertainment this year, with the exception of carolers. However, the event “will have festive holiday music throughout the streets as you shop, dine and enjoy the merriment,” according to a post on the La Mesa Village Association website. Vendors interested in selling craft gifts at the Holiday in the Village event, or businesses interested in sponsoring the event can find information about both at lamesavillageassociation.org.
HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE FOR MILITARY FAMILIES The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce (LMCC) is asking The La Mesa Women’s Club building was recently sold to developers.
SEE WOMEN’S CLUB, Page 3
(Photo by Jeff Clemetson)
SEE NEWS BRIEFS, Page 21
B CONTACT US Editorial (858) 270-3103 x130 jeff@sdnews.com Advertising (951) 296-7794 hfine@sdnews.com www.sdnews.com San Diego Community Newspaper Group
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Women’s CLub CONTINUED FROM Page 1
“The clubhouse has a lot of memories for people. We have women — three of them — over a hundred years old and they have been participating in some way in that clubhouse for 70 years,” said LMWC co-president Betsy Quinn. The club made the decision to sell the building last year. “We’ve had less participation in service projects and fundraisers, and at the same time we had some major bills coming for improvements on the clubhouse,” Quinn said. Those improvements included a new roof, repaving the parking lot and installing a new air conditioning unit. “Things like that, you know — big things. And our little fundraisers raise money for scholarships, but not hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Also, renting out the clubhouse had became a challenge because it couldn’t offer the kinds of technology perks that people are looking for these days such as special projectors and a good sound system, Quinn said. Despite the aging nature of the clubhouse space, this year it was booked for 15 engagements — quinceaneras, retirement parties, wedding receptions and the like. Unfortunately all 15 events were cancelled because of the COVID pandemic.
“So that was kind of a heartbreak because we really needed the revenue,” Quinn said. A lthough the pa ndem ic stopped events at the clubhouse, LMWC members have stayed active. Since the shutdown, club meetings have been held by Zoom and the service-oriented members continued to be a positive force in the community. Current projects of the club include writing holiday greeting cards to recipients of Meals on Wheels; supporting select families at Bancroft Elementary School; and supporting the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce in their holiday food drive for homebound seniors. Although the LMWC’s major annual fundraiser — a card party and luncheon — was cancelled, the club voted to award five deserving Grossmont District seniors with $1,000 scholarships. Despite the uncertainty of COVID 19, the La Mesa Woman’s Club anticipates continuing their philanthropy in the community, for the time being virtually, but plans are in the works to find another clubhouse. LMWC has hired a broker to find a new space — one the club could lease that won’t require maintenance and investment. “I think what we’re looking for is something where the exterior is taken care of, the landscape gardening is taken care of, and we
have a place maybe that we rent with office space and place for meetings and bridge and maybe a kitchenette,” Quinn said. The selling off of Women’s Club clubhouses is not isolated to La Mesa, Quinn pointed out. San Diego’s club sold its Bankers Hill facility a few years ago and the Pacific Beach club has also put its clubhouse up for sale. As for the property on Wilson Street, it will likely be developed into housing. It was purchased by Citymark — a developer that specializes in apartments. The sale of the property to Citymark will provide much needed funds for the club to relocate and continue to have a presence in La Mesa. Toward that future presence in La Mesa, the La Mesa Woman’s Club is conducting a membership drive and is looking for dedicated, energetic women with a “volunteer spirit.” “I would say the number one draw would be service to the community, to give back as much as possible that we’re able to make our little corner of the world a better place,” Quinn said of why women should consider joining. If interested, please contact the club at 619-466-4362 or info@ lamesawomansclub.org. —Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.
La Mesa Women’s Club celebrates member’s 100th birthday On Nov. 4, Gertrude Findley, a 35-year member of the La Mesa Woman’s Club, celebrated her 100th birthday. In lieu of an indoor party, club members honored her by driving by her home in a caravan of decorated cars, honking and cheering. Gertrude was born in Des Moines, Iowa to parents from Norway and Denmark. She grew up with three brothers and a sister. After graduating from high school, she worked as a bookkeeper. She met her
husband Paul, who was a farmer in Grimes, Iowa. They married in 1942, and then Paul was drafted and sent to England with the Army Signal Corps. He spent the next four years working with military photographers and was assigned to photograph various concentration camps following their liberation at the end of the war. Gertrude and Paul moved to Burbank in the ‘50s with their daughter, Jean Pauline
McCoy. After Paul’s death in 1985, Gertrude moved to El Cajon and joined the La Mesa Woman’s Club. She has been an avid golfer and world traveler. She enjoys spending time with her family of two grandsons and two great-granddaughters. She keeps alert and active by playing bridge several times a month. With her elegant and sophisticated demeanor, Gertrude is a well-respected member of the La Mesa Woman’s Club.
Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
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Offering senior (55+) Independent Living services in single level cottage style apartments around a secure courtyard in downtown La Mesa. Offering: meals, laundry, housekeeping, medication reminders, access to transportation and social activities, activity room and patio, all apartments fully renovated including walk in showers, kitchens & access to awake staff 24/7.
Gertrude Findley (center) with frineds and family at her socially-distanced 100th birthday party. (Courtesy La Mesa Women's Cub)
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FEATURE / NEWS Difference Maker: Stephanie Cook Oasis receives grant for adult tech education hub Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier
In August, the San Diego Women’s Foundation (SDWF) announced La Mesa resident Stephanie Cook as its new executive director. Cook had previously worked at SDWF for over two years managing programs, communications and grantmaking. In her new role, Cook will be responsible for upholding SDWF’s mission of connecting, educating, and inspiring women to come together in collective philanthropy. “Over the past two years, I have watched SDWF members embrace philanthropic best practices, take on tough issues with our grants, and work to understand and implement diversity, equity and inclusion strategies,” said Cook. “I am constantly inspired by our members’ eagerness to learn and grow, and I look forward to working with our incredible network of changemakers to improve lives in our community.” Cook was born and raised in San Diego – Lakeside, to be exact. She attended SDSU for her undergrad degree and majored in Women’s Studies before attending grad school at the University of Chicago where she majored in Latin American Studies and researched women’s movements in Latin America. After grad school, she returned to San Diego and began working
as director of programming for Lawyers Club of San Diego – a local nonprofit working to advance women in the law and society — before she left to join the team at SDWF. La Mesa Courier recently caught up with Cook to find out more about her work at SDWF and what motivates her to be a Difference Maker.
What inspired you to be a Difference Maker and go into nonprofit work?
Having spent my undergrad and graduate studies researching women’s movements around the world, I knew I wanted to get involved and make a difference when I graduated. I’ve been fortunate enough to work for two different phenomenal women-driven, nonprofit organizations in San Diego, and it’s the remarkable volunteers and community leaders I’ve met through those experiences that motivate and inspire me to work for equity and change in our community.
What does SDWF do? What are the foundation’s objectives?
Our mission is to connect, educate and inspire women to come together in collective philanthropy. Our 200-plus members come together each year to learn about critical needs in our community and then pool their philanthropic
Stephanie Cook (Courtesy photo)
dollars to make large grants to local nonprofits working on those issues. Since our founding in 2000, we have granted more than $4 million to over 90 nonprofit organizations, touching more than 88,000 lives in our community!
What, if any, changes do you see ahead for SDWF? What goals have you set for the foundation since taking over?
I’ve been fortunate to take on this new role right as Cindi Hill began her term as SDWF Board President. She and I came together to discuss our vision for SDWF and decided that diversity, equity and inclusion would be our primary focus this year, and we’ve already achieved so much. SEE STEPHANIE COOK, Page 11
Cox Communications awarded a $300,000 grant to San Diego Oasis, a nonprofit organization on a mission to change the way people experience aging and pursue vibrant, healthy, productive, and meaningful lives through education and community service. This gift will empower San Diego Oasis to create the Oasis Innovation Center, a collaboration hub which will focus on the adoption of innovative technology for older adults, relevant to older adult wellness, healthcare, and lifelong learning needs, as well as provide a virtual technology series in the interim. This is one of the largest grant awards from Cox Communications in California to a single nonprofit. “We know how important it is for older adults to be comfortable with technology and the internet as 70% report using it throughout the day,” said Sam Attisha, senior vice president and region manager for Cox Communications in California. “The Innovation Center is an important community collaboration between Oasis and Cox to help older adults adopt technology that will improve their quality of life, such as telehealth, enable them to successfully age in place, and continue connecting them in new ways with those they care about most.” The Oasis Innovation Center will be among the first of its kind
Sam Attisha, Cox Communications, delivers check to Simona Valanciute, San Diego Oasis. (Courtesy Cox)
in the United States and the only one in the state of California. It will be located in Grossmont Center in La Mesa and will also provide distance learning and technical support virtually. “Our goal is to create a sustainable and scalable model with technology adoption and innovation to transform the experience of aging,” says Simona Valanciute, president and CEO of San Diego Oasis. “Thanks to Cox Communications and their generous gift, seniors around the region will have access to technology training and programs to continue stimulating their minds and providing a social outlet now SEE OASIS GRANT, Page 9
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OPINION / POLITICS Guest Editorial
1621 Grand Ave., Suite C San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 270-3103 LaMesaCourier.com Twitter: @LaMesaCourier EDITOR
CONTRIBUTORS
Jeff Clemetson x130 jeff@sdnews.com
Connie Baer Lynn Baer Pat Boerner David E. Cummings Robin Dohrn-Simpson Chelsie Harris Dianne Jacob Jennifer Morrissey Jennifer Osborn Bonnie Owen Sean Quintal Richard Thomas Julie White
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kendra Sitton x136 Tom Melville x131 Dave Schwab x132
WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA Jeff Clemetson
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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 2020. All rights reserved.
LA JOLLA
News from your How local churches can foster racial justice and reconciliation County Supervisor By DAVID E. CUMMINGS
Bishop AB Vines of New Seasons Church in Spring Valley knows a thing or two about racial bias first-hand. “If I get a ticket for a light not being lit, there’s five cops, guaranteed, because I’m 5 foot 10 inches, 300 pounds. That’s not happening to you [looking at me]. I’ve done all the right things. I went to college. I’ve been married for over 25 years, been in ministry for 30 years, I became vice president of the [Southern Baptist] Convention, but I still get nervous when a cop comes by. All he sees is a black guy. I should not have to have that fear. You [looking at me again] don’t have that fear. I live that fear every single day.” New Seasons is a large, multi-site church comprising a diverse array of ethnicities. “Everyone goes through pain, everyone wants to experience love, and we can’t survive without hope,” says Vines. “Everybody at some point needs those three things. It’s universal.” Despite our shared humanity, however, the majority population sets the standards for intelligence, success, and acceptability. “The Anglo population thinks or has been thinking or assuming that they are the model and the measure for success,” says Juan-Daniel Espitia, Pastor of Hispanic Ministries at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church in North County. “The Anglo ethnocentric perspective has criminalized whomever looks different, whomever has an accent, whoever’s skin is like mine [brown]. It has been criminalized and thought of as a thief or someone who is going to hurt you or me and our children so we must get rid of them.” While the church may not be able to undo four centuries of racial injustice entirely on its own, it is in a unique position to facilitate one of the greatest needs of our time. According to City Life Church Pastor Dale Huntington, “there’s a lot of wisdom we can gain from people in these neighborhoods. For the longest time I thought that I needed to speak up on behalf of people, and [now] I’m trying to learn how to speak up for people to listen to other people. We need to have a learning posture from all people.” As close communities with common beliefs and values, churches are ideally situated to foster open and honest conversations about race.
Espitia agrees. “I think one of the things we need to cultivate is learning to listen to each other,” says Espitia. “There are a lot of assumptions, prejudices, judging before, and that means that there is fear and ignorance about ‘the other.’ We need to learn to listen with empathy and respect.” Mid-City Church of the New Season Church Bishop AB Vines (Courtesy photo) Nazarene in City Heights takes this principle things have got to be really one step further by ensuring recognized and dealt with,” that multiple ethnicities are says Vines. represented in the church’s Espitia believes that the kind leadership. of dialogue that makes a real “I think the beauty in the difference requires humility. multi-congregational model “Humility is the one characteris in how we make decisions istic that would allow us to see together and govern together ‘the others’ the way God sees when it comes to ministry or them. Humility would be the responses to, say, Black Lives prerequisite.” Matter,” says Mid-City Pastor With humility and empaBecky Modesto. “Because you thy as the guiding principles, have so many different cultural Espitia and Solana Beach perspectives, you have to real- Presbyterian Church held ly listen well. Taking time to monthly meetings on hot-buthave people who are different ton immigration issues. “Many than you at the table is really ministers are aware of these important.” things, but they are scared of During recent protests in what their congregation is goSan Diego to police brutality, ing to do,” he told me. Mid-City didn’t unilaterally After a year of complex imtake action to express its opin- migration conversations, they ions. Instead, they reached decided to ask a parishioner out to the local stakeholders to named Pedro who had migrathear what they felt would be ed to the United States to share most helpful from the church. his story with the church body. “I called several leaders here “When he presented his testiand just asked, ‘how can we mony, the congregation started best walk alongside you?’” says to applaud and stood up.” No Modesto. “[It’s about] listening one, not even Espitia, expected to people’s stories, that empa- that kind of gracious response. thy of just sitting there, just “Churches need to find their listening and understanding.” voice, and they need to be Empathetic conversation the nourishing environment with people who are not like where open, honest, humble, us or with whom we disagree, and respectful conversations however, is not easy. “One of occur.” the problems is that we’re not Today, the local church has willing to see if perhaps we’re an opportunity – some would participating in systemic rac- say a responsibility – to step ism and benefiting from it,” up and make a tangible difsays Huntington. “We’re just ference in the lives of people willing to say, ‘I’m not a racist.’ in our communities who feel And there’s so much more dig- unheard, unvalued, and ofging to do.” ten unwelcome. The time has Overt racism is easy to spot come to open our minds, our and easy to correct. It’s the hearts, and our front doors to subtle biases, the things we empathetic and humble conthink and say and do without versations about racism in San even realizing it, that are most Diego. insidious. “If I go into an elevator, a —David Edward Cummings, white woman is going to hold PhD is a professor of biology at her purse tighter. When I go Point Loma Nazarene University shopping at Nordstrom’s, I’m and author of “Everybody’s Got going to get followed. Those Bears,” available on Amazon.
Dianne’s Corner By DIANNE JACOB Triple-header: Three big, long-awaited projects are starting construction in Lakeside. Together, they will further boost the town’s economy and quality of life. • Lakeside Equestrian Park. The nearly 14-acre project at Moreno Avenue and Willow Road will include a covered arena, open arena with shaded bleacher seating and a multi-purpose building. • Lindo Lake beautification. The east basin is being restored to its natural state, while the west basin is also set for major improvements. Sediment will be removed, trees replanted and nearly 100 fish habitat and spawning structures will be placed on the lakebed. New amenities will include ADA-accessible walking paths, bird watching stations and a fishing pier. • Lakeside Library. A new county library will be built on Woodside Avenue near Channel Road. The 16,400-square-foot structure will replace the town’s 5,000-square-foot library, built in the 1960s. It will include a 150-seat community room, five study rooms and a Friends of the Library bookstore. It is expected to open in summer 2022. A huge thank you to all the community leaders who worked with me to make these great projects possible! Meth is death: I recently stood with other leaders of the region’s Meth Strike Force to release the region’s annual meth report card. There were a record 546 local meth-related deaths in 2019. There’s no sugarcoating it: Meth is destroying lives and families in our county. These tragic deaths were unnecessary and avoidable. The strike force includes the best and brightest in law enforcement and treatment services, but we clearly need to do even more as a region to address this deadly addiction. In 1996, when we created the strike force, there were so many meth labs in San Diego County that it was known as the “Meth Capitol of the World.” That’s no longer true, thanks to the hard work of this group and the community. —Dianne Jacob represents District 2 on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. For questions or comments about your county government, call 619- 531-5522 or email dianne.jacob@sdcounty. ca.gov.
POLITICS sdnews.com Awaiting election outcomes We are proud of President Trump for continuing to fight for the American people and accomplishing all that he had promised. It is also helpful to focus on other events. In honor of Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11, volunteers from Republican Women of California-Navajo Canyon will be delivering cakes to the Veteran’s Hospital in Chula Vista. This is a long held tradition of our club, and it is always wonderful to see how much the veterans appreciate the remembrance in honor of their service to our country. It
continuing another tradition this Christmas season with the donation of gifts to Military Outreach Ministries. MOM’s mission is to By PAT BOERNER help junior enlisted military in San Diego with basic needs to As of this writing, all help stretch their limited funds Americans are anxiously as they live in one of the most exawaiting the outcome of the pensive areas of the country. It is Presidential race. To get it all our pleasure to donate gift cards sorted out may take some time, and items that will be helpful and but we will be patient in order to brighten up their holiday seato assure the votes are counted son. Their sincere appreciation is properly and the end result is a a gift to us. fair one. Many are commenting, The Nov. 10 meeting of Navajo not on the outcome. but on the was held at the beautiful new Legacy Resort Hotel process of the voting. in Mission Valley. It “The election for preswas our first “in perident will be over when results are duly certison” meeting since February and we cerfied, not when media conglomerates decide. tainly were looking forWe stand with President ward to it. Our speaker Trump in using every avwas Michael Harrison, District Chief of Staff enue to ensure all legal for Office of CA-50 votes are counted so that Congressional District. the American people can He discussed elections have confidence in their results and political elections,” San Diego County Republican updates. Party Chairman Tony A cake delivered to the Veteran's Hospital in Chula Vista Please stay up to Krvaric said in a state- (Courtesy RWCNC) date with our meetment to the Voice of San ing schedule by checkDiego on Monday, Nov. 9. is also a treat for our members ing our website RWCNavajo Meanwhile, we are celebrating to visit with them as they share Canyon.org and on Facebook at the apparent victory of Darrell their memories. We owe our lib- Republican Women of California Issa in the CA-50 Congressional erty and freedom to those who Navajo-Canyon. District. Joel Anderson is still in fought and sacrificed their lives. a very tight race for the Board of Let us never forget. —Pat Boerner writes on beSupervisors District 2 seat and Republ ica n Women of half of the Republican Women of seems to gaining votes each day. California-Navajo Canyon will be California-Navajo Canyon.
Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
Americans fire Trump, San Diegans hire Dems By SEAN QUINTAL
“This process of election affords a moral certainty that the office of President will seldom fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.” –Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton was no fan of democracy; he generally favored an elected monarch, and he feared the masses having too much power. But even Hamilton could foresee that, at least occasionally, the presidency might fall to an unqualified actor. And if that were to happen, the electoral process itself was to impose some moral certainty, to rein in such an ominous threat as would be presented by a trespasser who was not eminently endowed with requisite qualifications. This month, faced with another grave threat, the American people responded with moral certainty. Even with a potentially deadly virus crackling in the air around them, Americans stood in line for hours to cast a vote, starting weeks before Election Day. Millions voted by mail for the first time. And just as in the
A very special thank you to the voters who voted for me, believed in me, contributed to the campaign, and helped get the word out. Thank you La Mesa!
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My Helix Family
spring, when we hailed our heroic frontline healthcare workers, this fall we saw the heroism of election workers all across the nation, their quiet resolve visible in the eyes above their masks. They stood in spartan and cavernous rooms, working tirelessly for days on end, to ensure that millions of their fellow citizens’ votes were handled with scrupulous integrity. In an historic display of democratic resolve, with turnout not seen in more than a century, the American people overwhelmingly rejected Donald Trump. Joe Biden received more votes than any other presidential candidate in U.S. history. By the time all the votes in California and New York are tabulated, somewhere around 80 million Americans will have condemned Trump to the sad list of presidents — only four in the last 100 years — who were so ineffective they failed to earn a second term from voters. In what must be the most stinging rebuke to his deformed psyche, Donald Trump will now and forever be known as a loser. In typical fashion, Trump is petulantly whining about being treated unfairly, and making baseless claims of election SEE LMFDC, Page 8
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impropriety. But Americans no longer need care about Trump’s pathetic self-pity. On Jan. 20, 2021, Donald Trump will again be just another dyspeptic old crank on Twitter. And as a private citizen, Trump might wish to recall his claims of being a “law and order” president. Because once he can no longer hide from prosecution in the White House, he should think about getting his affairs in order, because he will soon have to face the law. Meanwhile, here in San Diego County, voters also overwhelmingly chose Democratic candidates to represent them, and to assume the levers of local governance. Five of the region’s six U.S. congressional seats are held by Democrats, as are five of seven State Assembly seats. For the first time in 30 years, the County Board of Supervisors will have a Democratic majority. In the City of San Diego, voters chose Democrat Todd Gloria as mayor, and expanded the City Council’s Democratic majority to eight of the nine seats;
one of those is Raul Campillo, who flipped the previously-Republican District 7. As of this writing, the top two vote-getters in the La Mesa City Council race are two Democrats, our own Colin Parent and Jack Shu. The Democratic leaders who succeeded this month can bank on solid support from the community. SD County Democratic Party Chair Will RodriguezKennedy points out that Democratic voter registration has grown by 14%, and that its growth is four times that of Republican registration. The emboldened Democratic leaders intend to achieve genuine progress on the most important issues confronting the region. At both the county and municipal level, Democratic office holders have avowed to immediately address the crisis in homelessness and housing, to provide greater resources for behavioral, mental and drug treatment services, to implement a regional transportation strategy, and to take coordinated action to mitigate the slow-rolling devastation already being experienced due to climate change. In the City of San Diego, voters approved
POLITICS a measure to create a Police Review Board, an action already endorsed by the La Mesa City Council. These are the priorities of elected officials who heard the voice of the people, and who intend to answer that call. So in two weeks, at our Thanksgiving tables, as Americans and as San Diegans, we can raise a glass in gratitude. To give thanks for a return to truth and decency in the White House and to express appreciation for the prospects of good local government. And speaking of the holidays, we hope you might join us for our December meeting. It’s a holiday party on Zoom, with entertainment and an opportunity to contribute to local charities. We’ll be collecting socks, toiletries, canned goods and other staples for folks who are in the greatest need this holiday season. The meeting starts at 7 p.m., preceded by a half hour of freestyle conversation starting at 6:30 pm. Zoom details at lmfdems.com/links. —Sean Quintal writes on behalf of the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club.
LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS ROUNDUP* San Diego county voter turnout: 83.4% NATIONAL President: Biden – 60.21%, Trump – 37.45% CA-53: Sara Jacobs – 59.51%, Georgette Gomez – 40.49% STATE State Senate 39th District: Toni Atkins – 66.18%, Linda Blankenship – 33.82% State Assembly 79th District: Shirley Weber – 65.38%, John Moore – 34.62% COUNTY Board of Supervisors District 2: Joel Anderson – 50.05%, Steve Vaus – 49.95% CITY City Council, two seats: Colin Parent – 24.20%, Jack Shu – 23.57%, Kristine Alessio – 22.73%, Laura Lothian – 18.71%, Allan Durden – 7.08%, Mark Papenfuss – 3.71% SCHOOLS Grossmont Union High Governing Board: Elva Salinas – 53.43%, Justin Slagle – 32.11%, Jim Stieringer – 14.46% LMSVSD Governing Board Area 4: Sarah Rhiley – 38.94%, Emma Turner – 29.43%, Abu-Bakar Al-Jafri – 14.92%, Suzanne Fairman – 8.95%, Lydia Milican – 7.76% LMSVSD Governing Board Area 5: Minerva Martinez Scott – 47.28%, Coldon Leon Owens Sr. – 25.69%, Lorena Smith – 20.41%, Tyra Fleming – 6.62% *Results as of Nov. 24. San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
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HEALTH / NEWS sdnews.com Get covered with health insurance in 2021 Oasis grant
Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
CONTINUED FROM Page 4
a health plan will help protect people if they get sick.” Open enrollment, San Diego County which is the one time of the year when eligible Californians Average Rate % can sign up for health Change care coverage without needing to meet any requirements, runs Shop and Switch % through Jan. 31. Rate Change In addition, in order to help bring the cost of coverage within reach, the state of California will continue to provide more financial help to el- (Graphics courtesy Covered California) igible consumers in 2021 through a subsidy proConsumers can see their opgram. Overall, the finan- tions and find out whether they cial help are eligible for financial help by from the visiting Covered California’s webfederal gov- site at CoveredCA.com and using e r n m e n t , the Shop and Compare Tool. the state, or Consumers who do not have both, helps the health insurance will be able to average person save begin signing up for 2021 coverabout 80 percent off the cost of age in the fall. Others with special their monthly premium. qualifying life events, like losing The most recent data shows their coverage or moving, can enthere are 113,340 Covered roll year-round. Medi-Cal enrollCalifornia consumers in San ment is also year-round. Diego County. Depending on Interested consumers should go their ZIP code, people in these to CoveredCA.com to find out if counties will once again be able they qualify for financial help and to choose plans from Blue Shield find free local help to enroll. They of California, Health Net, Kaiser can contact the Covered California Permanente, Molina Healthcare service center for enrollment assisand Sharp Health Plan. tance by calling 800-300-1506.
-1.5
-13.3
®
and when it is safe again to gather in person.” The Oasis Innovation Center will offer technology classes and workshops, technology demonstrations, a “Tech Help Bar” for in-person and online tech support, a telehealthcare center, and research studies relevant to supporting the needs of the community of older adults. The Innovation Center will also include a Cox Smart Home education hub, which will highlight how older adults can use smart technologies in their home to live more independently, stay connected to family and friends, improve their quality of life and wellness, and lower hospital readmissions. At the onset of the shelter-inplace orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020, the leaders at the nonprofit San Diego Oasis had to make very quick decisions on how to continue to deliver their classes and workshops virtually. Until then, all of their classes were delivered in-person at more than 40 locations throughout San Diego County. Although San Diego Oasis’ mission is to change the way people experience aging, adjusting to a 100% fully online environment was a big change and risk. The team trained and coached their professors and experts in history, humanities, language, technology, art, finance, fitness,
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and more to bring hundreds of presentations online. It has paid off for the nonprofit, in ways they could never imagine, and created a nationally recognized virtual senior center, replacing their physical community presence temporarily. San Diego Oasis has seen positive growth in their class attendance and this grant will allow them to further serve those who not only have embraced the online environment but also provide confidence to other older adults who are trying to adapt to technology. “Our popular Senior Tech Fair held every fall has proven to be a tremendous value to older adults in the region. The Oasis Innovation Center will allow us to expand these programs and workshops on a more consistent basis, reach more seniors, and boost confidence in technology use among older adults,” said Valanciute. Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation was already an epidemic among seniors. “Studies show social isolation can be as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and can cause debilitating health issues in persons age 55 and up,” said Valanciute. “Online learning and socialization are critical for mental health and wellness in the months to come. This grant from Cox Communications enables us to advance our programs and expand inclusion to San Diego County seniors, which is an effective method to combat social isolation.”
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Covered California is urging people to “get covered and stay covered” during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, not only with masks to fight against the pandemic, but also with quality health care coverage. Open enrollment is underway right now, and during these trying times, having a health plan you can count on is more important than ever before. An estimated 100,000 people remain uninsured in San Diego County, even though they are eligible for financial help through Covered California or low-cost or no-cost coverage through Medi-Cal. “The pandemic shines a light on the importance of health insurance and access to quality care, and now is the time to sign up for coverage through Covered California,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “We will be reaching into every corner of the state to encourage Californians to keep COVID-safe and to get health coverage now.” The good news for people in San Diego County is that premiums will remain relatively unchanged in 2021. Covered California announced the rate change for the region will be -1.5 percent in 2021, which is lower than the statewide average change of 0.6 percent. More importantly, consumers may be able to pay less than they are paying now, by an average of -13.3 percent, if they shop around and switch to the lowest-cost plan in the same metal tier. “Providing access to affordable health care coverage is more critical than ever as our state and nation continue to navigate this pandemic,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Covered California opens the door to quality care by making financial assistance available to help Californians get the coverage they need. Now is the time to get covered and stay covered.” In an effort to promote open enrollment and make clear the connection between insurance coverage and the COVID pandemic, Covered California will be mailing masks to its record 1.5 million enrollees and provide them to all new consumers who sign up during the open-enrollment period. All consumers will be asked to wear the masks to prevent the spread of the virus, while spreading the word about open enrollment. “The pandemic is front and center in all of our lives, which means the issues of health and well-being are more important than ever before,” Lee said. “Getting covered with a mask will help protect Californians and their families and friends; getting covered with
La Mesa Courier
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Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
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FEATURE
sdnews.com
Stephanie Cook CONTINUED FROM Page 4
We fundraised and made grants in partnership with the Latina Giving Circle to local nonprofits working for racial justice; we’ve brought together a task force to apply a DEI lens to our operations and determine areas for improvement; and we launched a DEI Education Series to help us learn about and advance equity in our organization and community. Having spent the last two years managing our grants process, one of my goals as executive director is to build authentic partnerships
with the incredible nonprofits in our community, and so much of what I had envisioned fits right in with the equity work we’re doing. We’re looking at every aspect of our grants process and making adjustments to ensure that we are listening to and centering the voices of those we hope to serve with our grants. We’ve lifted program restrictions on our grants to allow our nonprofit partners the flexibility to put those unrestricted funds to use towards their highest priority. And we’re working to break down the barriers between funder and grantee by building a more transparent and streamlined grants process.
Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
How has COVID affected the work the foundation does? What impact do you hope to make with the Cycle 21 grants program? What do you look for in recipients of grant money?
did this so that our nonprofit partners could have the flexibility to pivot as the crisis unfolded and put those funds to use towards their highest priorities. Our Cycle 21 focus is housing and we’ve brought in a variety of local experts to talk about the impact of COVID on housing stability in San Diego so that we can keep emerging COVID needs in mind through the selection process. We’ve learned that COVID has caused a spike in immediate needs — socially-distanced shelters for people experiencing homelessness and rent and mortgage assistance for folks impacted by job loss as a
COVID has significantly impacted nonprofits in our community, not to mention the populations they serve. Early in the crisis we shifted our funding strategy and released all restrictions on our existing Cycle 19 grants serving survivors of human trafficking as well as the Cycle 20 grants we awarded in June 2020 to serve refugees, asylees and asylum seekers. We
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result of COVID, but we’ve also heard that we won’t see systemic change in the housing sphere without significant policy advocacy work. In light of this, we’re looking to partner with a combination of organizations working towards short and long-term solutions. Cook’s appointment to executive director happens to coincide with another milestone for the nonprofit — its 20th anniversary. To learn more about the San Diego Women’s Foundation, please visit sdwomensfoundation.org. —Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.
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FOOD & DRINK Continuing a family heritage in La Mesa Village Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
25 craft beers on tap, a gelateria and also a candy store. Carol and her daughter are fourth and fifth generation chocolatiers who make their own chocolate goodies. Carol’s mother, until recently, made the candy and caramel apples so loved by patrons. The house-made gelato is a specialty that Stacey Robinson takes very seriously. He loves to experiment with flavors and follows the philosophy “something unique sells”. The fig, cinnamon, walnut and whiskey gelato is a favorite. Full of unique yet compatible flavors that make the mouth beg for more. After sampling a variety of the gelatos, the chocolate was
By ROBIN DOHRN-SIMPSON
Carol Tolosko created Centi fonti’s restaurant as a nod to her great grandfather Cosmo Centifonti who immigrated with his wife Carmela, in the late 1800s from Abruzzi, Italy to Burlington, New Jersey. Cosmo started his “One Stop Shop” — a delicatessen, with an ice cream parlor, candy store, smoking lounge and a bar. Tolosko wished to emulate the concept with her own eatery located in the Village of La Mesa. Centifonti’s is a restaurant with an eclectic menu of Italian and Californian favorites — something for everyone, children and adults. You’ll find a bar featuring
Fig, cinnamon, walnut and whiskey gelato
definitely another favorite — very rich and creamy. The restaurant, which is open daily, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Clam Linguine (Photos by Robin Dohrn-Simpson)
A unique breakfast favorite is the Southwest Breakfast Bowl. This is a bread bowl filled with Centifonti potatoes (red potatoes with red and green bell peppers
and onions) smothered in housemade chili, two eggs any style, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado and SEE CENTIFONTI’S, Page 13
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Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
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Strawberry topped Waffle (Photos by Robin Dohrn-Simpson)
Centifonti’s CONTINUED FROM Page 12
sprinkled with cheddar and cotija cheese. If this isn’t enough, you can have it topped with chipotle cream. If you prefer a sweeter meal, try the French toast with thick Texas toast dipped in a custard batter flavored with Amaretto, cinnamon and vanilla sprinkled with sliced almonds and grilled to a golden brown. For a healthy alternative try their house-made granola with a mixture of grains, nuts, seeds and raisins, sweetened with honey. Cover with your choice of milk. Soy milk or almond milk.
Caramel Apples
Lunch and dinner offer an assortment of burgers, paninis, soups and salads, as well as full entrees of American and Italian food. If Italian food is on your wish list, try the Spicy Penne Pasta, Lasagna, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Ravioli and Fettucini Alfredo. Not all entrees are Italian, but all are flavorful and made from fresh, local ingredients. The good news for gluten-free eaters is they offer gluten-free pasta. For the competitive beer drinkers, try the 128-ounce Das Boot filled with your favorite brew. Or for the not so competitive, try the 64-ounce option. Ring the bell once you’ve finished. “My mottos are: Something unique sells and treat the customer like family,” Tolosko said. And it’s working. Centifonti’s has been in business for 15 years and going strong. What’s next for Tolosko? A speakeasy with dining and dancing. Like her food, she has an eclectic assortment of musical acts who are waiting to transport San Diegans away for an hour or two. For current hours and specials go to centifontis.com. —Robin Dohrn-Simpson is a local freelance food and travel writer. Reach her at dohrnsimpson@hotmail.com.
Wishing you warm and cozy holidays from Anthony’s La Mesa.
ROOT VEGGIE GRATIN
By JULIE WHITE
This is a perfect side dish for the holidays or any night of the week.
INGREDIENTS: • 1 large onion, sliced • 2 cloves of garlic, minced • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and
sliced thinly • 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced thinly • 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 fennel builds, ends and fronds removed, then sliced thinly • 2 cups heavy cream • 1 cup of chicken stock • 1 teaspoon salt and good pinch of pepper • 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves (dried thyme can also be used) • 2 cups of grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil a 10-by-13 baking dish. Sauté onions and garlic in oil. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat. Pour into the baking dish and bake for one and 1 hour 30 minutes or until tender, bubbly and golden brown. Serve warm. “Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.”
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FEATURE New evidence in the mystery of S-L Sudios site Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
By RICHARD THOMAS
Sometimes what you think is fact, well, really isn’t. For years, I like many others, had concluded that locations of movie studios important to the history of La Mesa were located in a specific geographic site according to historical lore. Further, conclusions were drawn about this accepted location that were perhaps simply just not true. While researching the history of the Grossmont Severin Hills neighborhood in La Mesa, a long-standing assumption (at the very least on my part) seems to be just plain wrong. In fact,
published historical documentation seems to be in error based on recorded records. S-L Studios — later named Grossmont Studios by East San Diego County legend Ed Fletcher — was a big deal for La Mesa in 1922. According to an article by Roger Anderson in the Sept. 7, 1989 issue of the San Diego Reader, the El Cajon Valley News had reported on Nov. 19, 1922 that between 15,000 and 20,000 people attended a formal dedication. This early motion picture studio was to make the Grossmont area a mecca for those creating within this new art form. This was no small crowd in 1922. The entire population of La
This portion of the 1911 plat map of the area is overlayed with the approximate position of the S-L Studios (red) and the “pond” north of Anthony’s Restaurant (blue). (Courtesy photos)
Mesa was just over 1,500 according to city statistics. “Hundreds traveled on a special train over the S.D.& A. railway direct to the studio site …,” Anderson stated. “Mayor E.W. Porter of La Mesa made the address of welcome …,” he continued. Speeches were made praising the foresight of Fletcher and those “businessmen of San Diego” realizing the value of S-L Studios and believing in its future. Bringing a major silent motion picture studio to the east county foothills would be an integral part of fulfilling Ed Fletcher and William Gross’ dream of creating a utopian artist colony for Fletcher’s land holdings in the Grossmont area. Fletcher was so enthused with the project that he “deeded approximately 20 acres of land to Mr. Sawyer, promoter of this enterprise, adjoining Grossmont on the state highway,” according to a letter he wrote to another potential investor at the time. But where exactly was the S-L Studio located? This has apparently been debated for years according to Anderson’s article. And that was news to me. I had always thought it was near what is today Anthony’s Restaurant. I am not alone. This has been repeated by current residents and historians for years. After all, Fletcher has long been
North facing view of the S-L Studios. With Cowles Mountain in the background and the Eucalyptus Reservoir at bottom left (now Briercrest Park), this photo clearly puts the building at the base of the hill in the Briercrest area.
associated with what was then called the “Lotus Pond” that is now part of the restaurant’s outdoor dining experience. And as it turns out, this also may be wrong! The fabled San Diego Flume Company, later called the Cuyamaca Water Company when it was purchased by Fletcher in 1910, ran its fresh Cuyamaca sourced water through its redwood flume directly behind the pond. In fact, for a period of time the flume helped fill what was actually built as an earth dammed reservoir by business mogul Hervey Parke on his Alta Ranch in the 1890s. Written historical accounts abound describing Fletcher as the owner of the “solitary lotus pond in the entire county,” with “Fletcher lending the land around it for a theater group to perform in.”
When Parkes Ranch holdings were sold upon his death in the early 1900s Fletcher was a buyer. But not of the entire ranch, which also included what was then known as Villa Caro, an adjoining ranch a little further east that was considered the gem of East County at the time. Fletcher kept the Villa Caro gem and surrounding hillside of the north Grossmont Summit that made up a large portion of the Villa Caro Ranch but only purchased portions of what was the Alta Ranch which did not contain it’s fabulous barn, ranch house and reservoir. This portion of the former Alta Ranch was sold to others, contrary to widely held beliefs. This was recently confirmed by the San Diego County Recorder’s Office. “We have concluded that a transaction between a Bank of Chicago (holding company for a portion of Parkes Estate) and Ed Fletcher regarding block 29, lots 1-6 did not occur,” a cadastral technician in the mapping division of the assessor’s office said. He continued, “According to our records we have ownership for BLK 29, Lots 1-6 recorded as so: 1893 - Charles Johnson; 1895 & 96 - Hervey Parke; 1903-1907 - Hervey Parke; 1911-1915 Harriet Miles- 1939-1944 - Frank Huneck.” So, if Fletcher did not even own the land where the S-L Studios purportedly existed (or the “lotus pond” for that matter) it must have been located elsewhere. The answer lays, I believe, in the same 1989 San Diego Reader article by Anderson. In it he states that a long-time East County resident, responding to a 1983 Daily Californian article that had published the location of the studio as “built behind the plot of land where the La Mesa branch of Anthony’s Fish Grotto has stood for decades” was just plain wrong. “The old Grossmont Studios building was not located near Anthony’s, unless the restaurant has moved in the last couple of years.... [It] was located west of Fuerte Drive about 100 yards from the crest of the hill on the north side of the highway. The acoustics in that old barn were terrible and after it became a bar room and dancehall it even smelled bad. I distinctly SEE S-L STUDIO, Page 23
NEWS
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Tate
La Mesa Courier
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in his seven years in the business. But for Tate, critical success isn’t the most rewarding part of being an entertainer. “It’s the adventure of it,” he said. “And all the amazing people I meet and all the awesome things I do. I think that’s really what the industry was made for – to have a creative freedom and have fun with it.” That adventure in entertaining began when Tate was 2, said his mother Katherine Birchmore. “He would watch Marry Poppins and he would watch really intensely and as they did movements on the screen, he would do the same movements, he would do dances and things,” she said. When he was 5, Tate auditioned for a local dance team but did not make the cut. Katherine asked her son what he loved about dance and he said it was performing for an audience. “So I told I’ll find you an audience and I actually took him street performing and he just loved that,” she said. While taking Tate to Seaport Village so he could busk for tips with his unique interpretive dances to an eclectic mix of heavy metal, show tunes and classical, Katherine also started involving him in Christian Youth Theater and making the long trek to Los Angeles for auditions with Actor’s Access — a premier casting call company. Tate’s first role was in for a film project by a student at Biola University. “He spent nine days on set and it was the happiest I had seen the kid in my whole life,” Katherine said. After that, there was a lot of driving back and forth between Hollywood and La Mesa, mostly for auditions that would last only 5 minutes. Katherine made sure of Tate’s dedication to acting by doing the trips with no video games or movies during the sometimes seven hours of driving, which Tate happily suffered through. “Sometimes when we came back down, we went to Disneyland and I thought that was fun,” Tate said, adding that the long drives were also helpful for his auditions. “It was a chance for me to get the
Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
Birchmore reacts to wining Best Leading Actor at the Young Entertainer Awards. (Courtesy photo)
practice in and really show what I can do.” Demand for Tate’s talents grew. He has participated in over 300 film projects, appearing in them as everything from an extra to leading roles, including notable roles in films such as Universal's “Peppermint,” and the aforementioned “Adventure Force 5,” along with television roles on “Single Parents,” “A.P. Bio,” “American Princess,” “Adam Ruins Everything,” “Casual,” “Conan,” “Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life” and “Criminal Minds.” That kind of workload eventually required the Birchmores — Katherine, Tate and Tate’s younger brother Maximus — to purchase a small motorhome that they would camp in on the streets of Los Angeles during shoots or auditions. “When we were in worse neighborhoods, I was kind of scared,” Tate said, and recalled a time when the family was parked near the Hollywood Bowl and was woken from sleep because they thought a drug deal was going down right outside. “I made a sound or something, and they were like, ‘There’s a baby in there,’” Tate said. “So we were getting ready for them to knock and open the door and my mom was going to shine a flashlight in their eyes and me in the bunkbed above the driver’s seat, I was going to hit ‘em over the head. Yeah, we
Birchmore in a scene from his first movie (Couirtesy photo)
were scared. But they just kinda ran.” Three years ago, the Birchmore family schedule had them in Los Angeles four to five days a week, so they packed it up and moved into an apartment in Burbank. By that time the whole family had immersed itself in the film business. Maximus joined his older brother and started acting, with a recurring role in “Kidding” which starred Jim Carey; a leading role on a religious-themed series called “Answered Prayers;” a music video for Michael Bublé’s “I Believe in You” and more. Katherine, who took over talent management duties for her two children, expanded that role to manage other child actors and started her own agency TANDM Talent Management. The busy lifestyle of child acting hasn’t been without some sacrifices. Even before the move to Burbank, Tate had to leave Fuerte Elementary and start homeschooling. Tate said the hardest part of leaving La Mesa was leaving his grandfather behind because he only had a few friends at Fuerte and they’ve not stayed in touch. Friendships, Tate said, are difficult to maintain. “Usually when we make a friend, it’s somebody like a director’s kids,” he said, and added that he’s also made friends with some of the other actors he meets at auditions, but that it sometimes takes meeting them 10 or 20 times before even sparking up conversation. “You see them around and after a while you become friends.” Even with a busy schedule that leaves little time for the kinds of friendships most 12 year olds have, Katherine doesn’t worry about her son becoming another child actor horror story. “He’s like the most grounded person in the world. He’s just loves people and that’s what he’s in it for, I realized,” she said. “And he’s very precocious, being around all the adults and just sort of playing pretend. So his motives are I think a lot different than a lot of peoples.” SEE TATE, Page 21
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EDUCATION ‘El Recuerdo’ yearbook is a tome of history
Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
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A treasure trove of memories await in the Grossmont High School yearbooks. Since 1921, each “El Recuerdo” captures in photographs, drawings, and words the experiences of students during the past 100 years. If we listen, we can hear these student voices from the 1920s. A charming feature of these early yearbooks is the Senior Class History. In 1921, the first entry recalls the three years leading up to their senior year. Seventeen of them as freshmen attended Riverview High School in the “old upper floor of a store building in Lakeside and for one long year dreamed of the time when they could enter their longed-for new building” at Riverview Union High School. “A much larger (freshman) class entered the old El Cajon Union High which had, since it was built in 1908, sheltered all of the valley’s illustrious students, but which was now fast being filled to overflowing.” In September 1921, “we entered G.U.H.S as the first Senior Class of the newly consolidated school.” Also, in 1921, the Senior Class History ends “the time for our Baccalaureate Services, Class Night and Commencement is fast approaching, and our joy is tinged with sorrow for our happy High School days will soon be over — but never will they be forgotten. Here are three cheers for our dear old G.U.H.S.” The 1922 yearbook begins with an editorial entitled “Looking Forward,” written by Alice Porter, editor in chief, class of 1923. “Since the consolidation of the old El Cajon Valley and Riverview Union High Schools two years ago, the students have worked faithfully to make the name of ‘Grossmont’ stand for all that is good and fair. … Now we are looking forward to our school activities amid the splendid buildings, the fine equipment and beautiful surrounding of the new and modern Grossmont; all of which will be constant reminders to us of the
kindness and generosity of the people of the valley.” Within the yearbooks in these early years is a section entitled “Literary,” including poems, reflections, humor, and fictional pieces. In the 1923 “El Recuerdo,” Thelma Jolliffe, class of 1923, writes of the “Types of Students I Have Met,” beginning with these words: “Students to the right of me, students to the left of me.” — (an acknowledgement to Lord Tennyson). 1920-21 Yearbook Editorial staff “There is the dreaming student, one we all The foreword of the 1925 yearknow, a preoccupied look in his book states, “The editors and faceye, seeing (evidently) far away ulty advisors have endeavored to and above his fellow toilers for make this a faithful account, a knowledge.… Follow the athletic true ‘Recuerdo’ of this year, and scholar. Usually well-built and to incorporate into it some of the looking fit, he takes a mild interest spirit of Grossmont. In years yet to in study; sometimes just enough come it is hoped these pages will to be eligible for teams.… Next in recall happy memories of your line is the comical student, the Grossmont days.” Within this year, as in the othone who, by some gift of Nature, can be funny without being ri- ers, are the calendar (Diary of the diculous, amusing and clever Hall Clock), the Class History, and without becoming tiresome.… To The Class Will. In the Will, each pick another, there is the studious student leaves something to GHS: youth.… the sort who will read “Austin Hinck gives his supahead in his books and memorize ply of adverbs to the English poetry for the love of the thing…. Department.” “Carmen Meza leaves her walk Last scene of all… is the average student…. laughing at life’s trou- (home) to Lakeside after basketbles, smiling his way into the ball practice to Alma Pratt”. hearts of his fellow classmates…. As shown in the 1921–1925 dreaming, studying, playing, yearbooks, while the details of working, and finding time for all.” their daily lives may differ from The 1924 yearbook is dedicated ours, Foothillers then share much to Ethel Prosser “in appreciation with today’s students: pride in for her tireless and invaluable ef- their school, a sense of fun and caforts as Faculty Advisor for this maraderie, and a desire to learn. and all previous volumes of the “El Recuerdo.” The high standard BECOME PART OF OUR established under Miss Prosser’s HISTORIC CAMPUS tutelage has continued until toIn honor of our historic 100 day. The “Calendar Memories of Years of Excellence Celebration, a Senior” reflects on their school the GHS Educational Foundation year, beginning “Back again and is sponsoring a scholarship fundglad to be here!” The March 20 raising program: $100 for 100 entry begins, “Such a collection Years donors will have their of freaks was never seen before names, their families’ or their outside the circus for we are cel- businesses’ names engraved on ebrating ‘Tacky Day’…. Helen 2-by-4-inch gray tiles, which will Haskin got a prize for the best be displayed on a wall near the costume. Said costume consisted front of the school. In June 2020, of the fragments of a gunny sack the Foundation awarded $6,500 and a black eye.” in senior scholarships; our goal Tacky Day continued as a tradition for several decades. SEE EL RECUERDO, Page 17
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1922 GUHS Helen Moriarty and friends sitting on football field in Lakeside. (Photos courtesy GHS Museum)
EDUCATION sdnews.com End of term brings new coach, academic awards, virtual arts
Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
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Helix Highlights By JENNIFER OSBORN
NEW BASKETBALL COACH NAMED Helix is pleased to announce that Jason Cavazos has been named the new Boys’ Basketball coach. He takes over following the retirement of John Singer, who coached at Helix for 39 years. Cavazos previously played basketball at El Capitan and Grossmont College, and served as El Capitan’s coach for eight years, and their athletic director for six years.
HELIX SENIOR RECOGNIZED AS NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR SEMI-FINALIST Senior Jeremy Potter has been recognized as a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist. Over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of 16,000 semifinalists — representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors — includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
READ WITH A SCOTTIE TRADITION CONTINUES In a traditional year, Helix National Honor Society (NHS) runs a booth at the La Mesa Oktoberfest to read with and donate books to local children and families. The Read with a Scottie
El Recuerdo CONTINUED FROM Page 16
is to dramatically increase that amount in the future. Visit the GHS Educational Foundation website at foothillerfoundation.com, and go to the Tile Projects pages; you may order your tile using the gold donate button. Or write a check payable to GHS Educational Foundation and mail to GHS Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 1043, La Mesa, CA 91944. On the check memo, please indicate
Coach Jason Cavazos
Pavers (Courtesy photos)
program has donated over 500 books to attendees each year for the past three years. The current situation required NHS students to think outside the box to continue the program. They rose to the challenge! The NHS students recorded and uploaded more than 45 videos of them reading some of their favorite children’s books and created a Read with a Scottie YouTube playlist channel. It can be found at bit.do/readwithascottie. The group will also send the link to local elementary schools and some of the NHS students will be participating in local elementary school class live Zooms to read with the entire class. During the live session, Helix NHS students will hold a raffle and donate a book to the class winner. NHS students are also volunteering to read with students (distanced, of course) at Rolando Elementary on the weekdays.
Vocal Music YouTube channel: bit.ly/3njOI8N
PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS
Helix Dance presents “Dancing Under the Stars,” a dance film drive-in movie experience. The film will show on Friday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9:30 p.m. in the Helix faculty parking lot. Tickets are $20 per car, and are only available through presale online. Space is limited. For tickets and details, visit helixdancers.com. The Helix choirs proudly present their first virtual concert “Haunted Helix Holidays,” combining their traditional Halloween and winter holiday concerts. The concert premieres Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. on the Helix “scholarship fund” and include the text of your tile with your check (up to three lines, 20 spaces each). To learn more about GHS, past and present, visit the GHS Museum website at foothillermuseum.com. Due to the coronavirus and our continuing move into our larger museum space, the GHS Museum is currently closed, but we are checking our emails at ghsmuseum@guhsd.net and our phone messages at 619-668-6140. —Connie and Lynn Baer write on behalf of the GHS Museum.
LEAVE A MARK ON HELIX
Need a great, unique gift idea? The Helix High School Foundation is selling pavers that will be placed in the paver garden in front of the administration building. It’s a great gift for students, alumni, staff, or anyone who supports Helix. A 4-by-8-inch brick is $100 and an 8-by-8-inch brick is $250. Proceeds go to support the Foundation’s mission of providing scholarships for graduating Helix seniors. For more information, visit helixhighschoolfoundation. com/projects.
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2020
The end of the first term of the 2020-21 school year is quickly approaching. Helix students will conclude their first term classes with finals week Dec. 14-18, then will be on Winter Break from Dec 21 to Jan. 5.
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ART / RECREATION Featured artist: Linda Boltodono Gifts that give back to Mission Trails Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
Fear, 8 Ball Snowboard, Church’s Chicken, and Shorebreak. Linda was born in Managua, Nicaragua. By BONNIE OWEN She grew up on the beach Linda began her studies in with her grandparents art at Southwest High School in who owned a hotel called San Diego. She received a schol- El Summer Hotel in arship to study commercial ad- Masachapa, Nicaragua. vertising art at Platt Collage. Grandmother Fanny Linda then received the United Paniagua, owner of the (Image courtesy Foothills Art Association) States Achievement Academy hotel, painted seascapes Award in the field of Art, and the that were proudly displayed in the preservation of the ocean and Bank of America Achievement the hotel. This was Linda’s first marine life. Linda is the owner Award. She has designed logos inspiration. of High Tide LLC, a marketing As her love of theNews oceanNetwork__RUN: grew and20SDG16438_Gas other advertising art Safety__SD for Crew Community July 2020__ many companies including No she decided to dedicate her art to SEE FOOTHILLS ART, Page 19 1/2 pg Vertical, 4C__Trim: 6.1” x 10.96”
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By JENNIFER MORRISSEY
How is it November already? This year has felt incredibly long, but also like it’s gone by in a flash. However, the changing weather and impending holidays are moving us out of limbo. Through these months, Mission Trials Regional Park (MTRP) has been a respite for the entire San Diego community. As previously shared, the park has had record numbers of visitors during the pandemic due to limited access to indoor gyms. In addition, many parents have brought their children to the park to provide breaks from distance learning, explore nature, and breathe fresh air. A silver lining from this time is that we’re creating a new generation of environmental stewards. For ma ny, 2020 has been one of the most challenging years of their lives, and for the MTRP Fou ndat ion, this year has been a struggle. Key sources of MTRP Foundation income — facility rentals and local government gra nts we’ve received for years — have not been available and there’s no prospect of either returning anytime soon. Because of this, we need the community’s support now more than ever, and are asking our neighbors and park users to make a donation to support the park through the Mission Trials Regional Park Foundation. For the last few years, the MTRP Foundation has participated in #GivingTuesday, a global day of charitable giving that takes place on the first Tuesday in December. Each year, more donors have come forward to support the park, and we’re asking you to donate on Tuesday, Dec. 1 for #GivingTuesday, or any time before the end of the year. Several donors have pledged to match up to $6,000 in donations to the MTRP Foundation for #GivingTuesday, so you can give knowing that your contribution will be doubled! In addition, there are special charitable giving incentives for
Items like this 5-Peak Challenge T-shit and a book on Mission Trails geology are available in the new online gift store at mtrp.org. (Courtesy photos)
2020 offered through this year’s CARES Act; we encourage you to contact your tax professional to find out how your donation may benefit you at tax time. You can make a donation online at mtrp.org and find out more by e m a i l i n g giving@mtrp. org or calling 619-668-3280. Another way that you can support Mission Trails Regional Park is through our new online store! Since the park’s Visitor Center and its Gift Shop are still closed, you can now stock up on MTRP branded items, including the 5-Peak Challenge t-shirt and two other styles, at mtrpstore.org. On the site we also have a selection of our best-selling books such as Pat Abbott’s “Geology: Mission Trails Park,” as well as notecards, children’s books and toys, and more. All orders will be shipped to you, and we can also ship to a gift recipient, whether across town or across the country. Peruse and purchase items at mtrpstore.org, and you can also find a link to the online store on the park’s main website. Thank you for your continued support of Mission Trails, and for helping us to ensure the park is preserved and protected today and for future generations. —Jennifer Morrissey is executive director of the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation.
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BOOKS / ART sdnews.com Books about learning to be thankful By CHELSIE HARRIS
We’re almost there – 2020 will be coming to an end soon! The time has come for giving thanks and looking ahead. These titles are available for ordering at sdcl.org. You can read them online as an ebook or request a physical copy to be sent to your nearest branch. “The Year of Less” by Cait Flanders: In her late twenties, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in the consumerism cycle that grips so many of us: earn more, buy more, want more, rinse, repeat. Even after she worked her way out of nearly $30,000 of consumer debt, her old habits took hold again. When she realized that
nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy — only keeping her from meeting her goals — she decided to set herself a challenge: she would not shop for an entire year. “Happiness is a Choice You Make” by John Leland: In 2015, the award-winning New York Times journalist John Leland set out to meet some of the city’s oldest inhabitants for a series on America’s fastest-growing age group: those over eighty-five. Leland was at a crossroads in his own life. His marriage had fallen apart, and at 55, he was alone for the first time. He was also caring for his elderly mother, whose main desire was to die. He understood aging, like many of us do, as nothing more than the relentless deterioration of body, mind, and quality of life. He wondered: Is there
a threshold at which life is no longer worth living? “How to Raise Kind Kids” by Thomas Lickona: We all want our kids to be kind. But that is not the same as knowing what to do when you catch your son or daughter being unkind. A world-renowned developmental psychologist, Dr. Thomas Lickona has led the character education movement in schools for forty years. Now he shares with parents the vital tools they need to bring peace and foster cooperation at home. Kindness doesn’t stand on its own. It needs a supporting cast of other essential virtues — like self-control, courage, and gratitude. “The Book of Delights” by Ross Gay: The winner of the NBCC Award for Poetry offers up a spirited collection of short lyric essays, written daily over
a tumultuous year, reminding us of the purpose and pleasure of praising, extolling, and celebrating ordinary wonders. “Than ku: Poems of Gratitude” by Miranda Paul and Marlena Myles: This poetry anthology, edited by Miranda Paul, explores a wide range of ways to be grateful (from gratitude for a puppy to gratitude for family to gratitude for the sky) with poems by a diverse group of contributors, including Joseph Bruchac, Margarita Engle, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Naomi Shihab Nye, Charles Waters, and Jane Yolen. To put any of these on request give us a call at 619-4692151 or visit www.sdcl.org. —Chelsie Harris is managing librarian of the La Mesa branch of the San Diego County Library.
Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
Foothills Art
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CONTINUED FROM Page 18
and advertising agency with a cause. She currently works with several conservation organizations in San Diego creating awareness through art by designing and creating murals, paintings and holding art classes in her gallery in El Cajon.
(Image courtesy Foothills Art Association)
Linda is Vice President of the East County Art Association in El Cajon and owns the Next Door Wine Bar in La Mesa. Her goal is to motivate the community during these difficult times, to provide comfort and inspiration, and to use art as a means of helping others to express their inner strength. The Foothills Art Association gallery, Porter Hall, is currently closed in compliance with the San Diego County health order. Linda’s art can be viewed online at foothillsartassociation.com. —Bonnie Owen is editor of Footnotes, the monthly newsletter of the Foothills Art Association.
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Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
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Another thing keeping Tate grounded are the college classes he is currently taking at L.A. Valley College to earn an AA degree in directing. “Directing inspires me and motivates me at the same time,” Tate said. “I want to become a director because you have a creative freedom and you can tell your story. Directing has always been interesting to me. I think it’s just fun.” Tate said he’s someday like to go to a film school like UCLA and continue to pursue the creative side of directing — a goal that he sees as keeping him from losing his head in the entertainment industry.
Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
(l to r) Katherine and Tate Birchmore (Photo by Katherine Birchmore)
“I think it’s more about being creative and not measuring yourself by what people think,” he said. Learning filmmaking has been a blessing for the Birchmores during the COVID pandemic. With the industry basically on hold, the family is back in the area, staying with Katherine’s father in Rancho San Diego where they have set up makeshift film studios to make short films for Tate’s college assignments and other projects for fun. “We built a truss system over the pool so we can fly with pullies and things in front of a big green screen in front of trampolines and Tate Birchmore promo picture (Courtesy photo)
things,” Katherine said. “We’re the ultimate do-it-yourselfers I guess, so that includes becoming a manager, screenwriters, producers, directors.” In addition to spending time with family and working on home movie projects, Tate is also attending the occasional film festival held at drive-in theaters, promoting “Patch,” a short film he stars in opposite Adam Zastrow. Most of all, the family is looking forward to getting back to the pre-COVID lifestyle they enjoyed together. “We think back on like, ‘Wow, look at all the adventures that we’ve had in all of this’ – so many unique places and trips and things,” Katherine said. —Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.
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Enter Grossmont Center by Target and drive up the entrance and you will see LMCC members CONTINUED FROM Page 1 on the right as you drive in the residents to make a difference center — look for the pop-up tent. this holiday season for the chil- Every person donating will receive dren of military personnel that a free raffle ticket to be in a drawlive in La Mesa military housing ing to win a huge stuffed bear. by purchasing and donating While in Grossmont Center that toys, diapers, gift cards and oth- evening, LMCC encourages paer items. LMCC is coordinating trons to visit one of the restaurants this holiday project with Lincoln and to visit the many retail stores. Military Housing to collect these items for children of military families living in La Mesa military housing between the ages of 2 and 13 years old. Lincoln Military Housing facilitates holiday events for over 2,000 military children within our region. In past years, LMCC hosted an evening mixer at BJ's Restaurant Residents of Noah Homes particiand Brewhouse to collect these pate in the creation of displays. toys and other items. However, with the current pandemic, that is ENCHANTED VILLAGE not able to happen. Instead, LMCC TRANSFORMS TO will accept items throughout the DRIVE-THRU EVENT month two ways: by calling LMCC The Enchanted Village is back President Mary England at 619- in San Diego for its third year with 251-7730 to meet and pick them modifications made to accommoup; or by dropping them off to date social distancing guidelines. Fran Smith at 8080 La Mesa Blvd., The holiday extravaganza, typiSuite 214 in La Mesa between the cally a walk-through of the eighthours of 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. acre grounds of Noah Homes in The final collection of toys Spring Valley, is now a COVID(new and unwrapped) and compliant drive-thru experience. gift items will take place at a More than 1,800 vehicles are “drive-thru” event on Tuesday, expected to attend over six days, Dec. 1 at Grossmont Center, Dec. 18-23. Limited tickets are 5500 Grossmont Center Drive. available for various time slots LMCC will be staged in the park- between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. each ing lot in front of San Diego Yoga night for $65 per vehicle. and CVS Pharmacy between the hours of 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. SEE NEWS BRIEFS, Page 22
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BUSINESS & SERVICES / NEWS
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dinghydr.com • 619.384-2733 3302 Kurtz St.
(619)749-7105 FischbeckElectric.com
Mercedes La Fond Residential & Investment Realtor 1150 Silverado St, La Jolla La Jolla Professional Bldg.
mercedes@lajollacoverealty.com
SAN DIEGO’S
LIC. 684628
RECLAIMED WOOD Since 1948 Fumiga eneral Pest Contol | Termites | Ants | Roaches | Rodents | Spiders | Wasps | Bed Bugs
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RECLAIMED WOOD doesn’t mean rustic!
Attention Designers, Contractors Architects or DYI home owners! • Showroom located next to our lumber yard • Pre-made Mantels • Live-edge Slabs • Wall Displays, Furniture & more! • Custom Projects • Open 7 Days reclaimedwoodsandiego.com
(619) 269-3036
3570 Hancock St, Sports Arena
Private Dog Training Dog Walking Portable Agility & Dog Socialization Professional Certified Dog Trainer & Dog Behaviorist Call/Text Wendi for information: (619) 742-4482
REMODELING
REMODELING • Bath & KItchen Remodeling • Plumbing Repairs & Installations •Heating and A/C Repair & Installations Kitchen & Bath Showroom
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Since 2000
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CROWNPOINTCLIPPERS@GMAIL.COM
(858)270-1742 Fully licensed and insured. Lic# 723867 SERVING THE LA JOLLA AREA FOR 40 YEARS
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www.tasspt.com
PLUMBING
Bill Harper Plumbing.com Licenced Plumber with years of experience in residential homes Prompt, Professional and Affordable Phone Estimates, Cash Discounts
CALL BILL 619-224-0586 Lic #504044
554 N. 2ND St. El Cajon, CA 92021 619.243.3992 PPO# 15632 securityandpatrol.com
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CareGiver/Companion
Can Do: Hospice, Alzheimer’s Parkinson’s, ALS, and more. Medications, Appointments Errands, Bathing, Wonderful Cook, Lite Housekeeping, Pet Care, Live in/out, I’ll help with your daily needs. Call Laura for interview at 858-243-8288 Thank You
“When Quality Matters”
We specialize in complete interior & exterior projects Gutters Kitchen Concrete Bath Windows Moldings Waterprooing Baseboards Masonry Flooring Brickwork Painting Drywall Remodels and more! Stucco Senior & Military Discounts Free Estimates from owner John Gregg
619.665.0754
Member BBB • Lic. #950146 • doublegpainters.com
06 731 Lic.5
A Lifestyle of Choices
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED BY A VIETNAM VET San Diego’s Oldest Plumbing Company. Offering quality service & repair for 110 years.
858-454-4258
5771 LA JOLLA BLVD #5 ERLINGROHDEPLUMBING.COM
Guests will begin the holiday adventure at Steele Canyon High School and then make their way to a winter wonderland with a drive-thru candy cane light tunnel, more than 500,000 lights, an 18-foot musical Christmas Tree, socially-distant interactions with characters like Buddy the Elf, and themed zones such as Candyland and Holiday Under the Sea. “Enchanted Village is quickly becoming a family tradition and we couldn’t stop now. This is a perfect way to ensure that people can safely partake in the joy of the season and escape from everything else going on,” said Molly Nocon, CEO at Noah Homes. “Even though it’s not how we normally do it, we are very blessed to have the amount of space that we do, which allows us to be flexible in times like these.” Additionally, as a twist on the traditional family photo with Santa, Noah Homes is partnering with SoCal Green Screen to take photos of guests in their car and add a digital Santa over the customized photo. Guests can also enjoy holiday scents and themed music throughout the drive. Proceeds from the Enchanted Village benefit Noah Homes, a nonprofit since 1983 dedicated to providing housing, services and advocacy to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities such as autism and Down syndrome. Tickets can be purchased online at EnchantedVillage.org.
CITY HIRES CONSULTANT IN POLICE CHIEF SEARCH
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Call us today! 858-220-3213
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1333 Hotel Circle South San Diego, CA 92108
619-577-5847
Fischbeck Electric
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For all your electrical needs: Solar Systems Green Energy Ssavings Panel Upgrades and Changes Remodels Recessed Lighting, etc. CA Lic. #900788 (10-12)
Your health is your wealth -
Loving Pet Care at Your Home
OUTPATIENT TREATMENT If you or a family member is struggling with addiction, we can help!
Call Heather @ 951.296.7794 hfine@sdnews.com
CONTINUED FROM Page 21
Turner Landscape
Retro Hotel Centrally Located in Mission Valley Waffle Spot Locals Favorite Amigo Spot – Old Charm Mexican Cuisine
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GansFitness BANKERS HILL
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We Do It ALL!
Calvary Chapel 7525 El Cajon Blvd. La Mesa, CA 91942.
News briefs
PERSONAL TRAINER
tony@pointlomalandscape.com
• Gardening Services • Lawns • Hedges • Weeding & Trimming
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WORSHIP DIRECTORY Advertise your Church in the Worship Directory & Reach 28,000 Readers
Pastor Dave Riley
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Ask for Bob 619-742-0446
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Contact Jens Sedemund 619-415-6789
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GERMAN SETTER TILE & STONE Professional Tile & Marble Setter
(619) 248-5238
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5740 Lake Murray Blvd La Mesa
The City of La Mesa has hired executive recruiting firm Teri Black & Company (TBC) to conduct a nationwide search for its next police chief. TBC was selected following the issuance of a request for qualifications and evaluation process by the city. TBC has successfully recruited 10 police chiefs for California cities over the past 24 months. TBC has been tasked with gathering feedback from the La Mesa community on its ideal qualities for the next police chief. Feedback will include input from the City Council, the Citizen Public Safety Oversight Task Force, City staff, the Police Department, and focus groups with community leaders. An online community survey will also be conducted. The recruitment process is expected to take approximately three months. The fee for recruiting services will be $18,000 with an additional budget of $7,400 for reimbursable expenses. For additional information on the recruitment process please click the following link: cityoflamesa.us/1647/ Police-Chief-Recruitment.
FEATURE / PUZZLES
sdnews.com
S-L Studio CONTINUED FROM Page 14
remember the urinals running over every time I was in there, which was quite often, even though I was only nineteen. We started early in those days,” the unidentified old timer went on. These memories, complete with vivid descriptions of sights and smells, sure seem authentic to me.
In the same 1989 San Diego Reader article the S-L Studio is described in the Sept. 8, 1922 edition of the El Cajon Valley News as being “immediately north of the pavement leading over Grossmont and just east of the dirt road which leads to the Eucalyptus Reservoir ...” A close look at a recorded 1911 plat map clearly shows the area being described. And it is not even close to the accepted Anthony’s restaurant. In fact, it is nearly
one-half mile to the west — and on property that is labelled as owned by Fletcher. “Talkies” helped put an end to the short-lived Grossmont Studios. But at least we now know where that part of La Mesa’s history was laid to rest. —Richard Thomas is a local history buff who is currently researching the history of the Grossmont/Severin area of La Mesa.
Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
SERVICE DIRECTORY SMOKE SHOP
WATCHMAKERS
23
CONT.
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1451 Garnet Ave. Pacific Beach
858-270-6565
Fill in the blank cells using number 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.
SUDOKU PUZZLE
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Congratulations San Diego County’s Teachers of the Year! Tune in Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. Cox Ch. 4/1004 - Spectrum Ch. 4 Top to Bottom: Arah Allard, Del Mar Hills Elementary School Christine Hill, Ramona High School Jose Melo, Valley Center Middle School Paula Richardson, Wilson Middle School Jay Tweet, El Capitan High School
CLUES ACROSS 1. Opposite of west 5. __ Caesar, comedian 8. Helps little firms 11. A way to censor 13. Expresses atomic and molecular weights 14. Chalcedony 15. Type of sword 16. A corporation’s first offer to sell stock to the public 17. Attired 18. A sequence of winding turns
20. Pal 21. Expresses pleasure 22. Amendable 25. Clear 30. A way to cut off 31. Indigenous Thai person 32. Pale brownish yellow color 33. Aquatic plants genus 38. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! 41. Merchants 43. Fix a chair 45. Throws into disorganization 48. Famed German composer
49. Keyboard key 50. Oral polio vaccine developer 55. Partner to pain 56. Where golfers start 57. Jenny __: weight loss program 59. Sailing dinghy 60. Suffix that forms adjectives 61. Speeds at which music is played 62. Body part 63. Fall back 64. Ancient Greek sophist
CLUES DOWN 1. One point south of due east 2. Wings 3. One point south of southeast 4. The shirts on our backs 5. One who works on the seas 6. Select jury 7. Small intestines parts 8. Plant of the heath family 9. Extrasolar planet 10. Creates more of 12. Before 14. Forms over a cut 19. Runs down 23. Exercise regimen __-bo
24. Unkeyed 25. Principle underlying the universe 26. Corpuscle count (abbr.) 27. Residue 28. Company that rings receipts 29. Rugged mountain range 34. Commercials 35. NY footballer 36. They __ 37. Soviet Socialist Republic 39. Poked holes in the ground 40. Pitchers 41. Your 42. Diana __, singer 44. Important document for inventors
45. Bangladesh capital 46. Fluid that flows in the veins of Greek gods 47. Famed daguerreotype photographer 48. Where military personnel work 51. Play a role 52. La __ Tar Pits, Hollywood 53. Unstressed-stressed 54. Type of palm tree 58. Judo garments
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Nov. 27 – Dec. 17, 2020
La Mesa Courier
sdnews.com
