La Mesa Courier August 23 - September 26th by San Diego Community Newspaper Group

VOLUME 9 ISSUE 8 Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

Get up to date on exciting local events Page 17

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INSIDE

Adult-use cannabis draft plan released

THIS ISSUE BBFEATURE Sculpting La Mesa

By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier

James Porter shaped bronze statues and city government. Page 9

BBFOOD & DRINK Brigantine turns 50

Blight ideas Erik Egelko brokered the sale of The Light Bulb Centre building to developers that are turning it into loft apartments. (Photo courtesy Erik Egelko)

Local broker proposes ways to clean up west La Mesa By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier

Mt. Helix restaurant celebrates history of fine seafood dining. Page 11

BBART

Honoring her heritage

West La Mesa resident Erik Egelko has found a niche business in his home neighborhood —taking run-down properties and marketing them to developers who

will turn them into businesses or housing. The real estate broker has found some recent success in this department, finding buyers for an El Cajon Boulevard property that had most recently housed an illegal marijuana dispensary

and brokering a deal to turn a former retail building into a housing project. Revitalizing La Mesa’s west side and replacing blighted properties SEE BLIGHT IDEAS, Page 2

Council approves Jefferson La Mesa By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier

Racquel Gabuya’s painting bring Filipino culture, contributions to life. Page 12

BBALSO INSIDE

Opinion Politics Books Sports Education Classifieds Theater Village Voices Puzzles

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More housing is coming to La Mesa’s downtown area. On Aug. 13, La Mesa City Council voted to approve Jefferson La Mesa — a mixeduse housing project between Baltimore Drive and Nebo Drive. Despite a large contingent of local union carpenters who spoke against the project’s plan to hire non-union contractors, and a failed motion to delay approval of the project that was only supported by Council members Colin Parent and Dr. Akilah Weber, the SEE JEFFERSON, Page 16

An artist rendering of the Jefferson La Mesa housing project that will be built between Baltimore and Nebo drives. (Courtesy City of La Mesa)

HAPPY ENDINGS and a

NEW BEGINNING By Michael J. Black A survivor of child sexual assault, Michael shares intimate moments from his life while offering hope and encouragement to his reader. He is brave for telling his story. A one of a kind. Book Signing Event September 14th 11AM to 1PM at Barnes & Noble Grossmont Shopping Center La Mesa

On Aug. 15, the city of La Mesa held a public workshop to discuss its draft plan to legalize recreational cannabis sales. The new adult-use plan is a final step to decriminalize marijuana that began with Measure U, the citizens’ initiative that made medical cannabis use legal in the city, followed by Proposition V, which set up a taxation framework for both medical- and adult-use cannabis. Although the plan presented at the workshop is similar to the rules set out in Measure U, there are some key differences — and one that cannabis industry members who attended the event said would adversely affect dispensaries that the city has already approved. The proposed measure will beef up restrictions on where recreational retail cannabis shops will be allowed to operate. Unlike Measure U, which restricts medical dispensaries from operating near sensitive areas like schools, churches and parks within 1,000 feet measured by path of travel, the proposed adult-use plan would measure that 1,000 feet from property lines. The new rules would also more clearly define what areas or businesses are sensitive and child-centric. What that means, said La Mesa Director of Community Development Kerry Kusiak, is that there will be fewer areas in the city that will be allowed SEE ADULT USE, Page 4

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Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

Blight ideas CONTINUED FROM Page 1

with thriving businesses or housing is something that Egelko believes can be accomplished. “There are maybe 20 troubled properties in west La Mesa, and that’s it,” he said. “It’s a super achievable goal to take these properties and put something better there. And with each one we do, more people are going to be interested in these properties.” Although he sees the goal of turning around the west side as achievable, Egelko also thinks the city could be doing more to help make properties along University Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard more attractive to brokers and developers.

RED TAPE WOES

Egelko points to his experience in brokering two west side properties as reasons for his criticisms of La Mesa’s red tape problem for developers. Before it was brokered off to a housing developer, 7640 El Cajon Blvd. was a gas station in the 1950s, then a car dealership, and then an illegal marijuana dispensary. “Then [the dispensary] got shut down and it was La Mesa’s worst piece of blight — there was grafitti all over it, there were homeless people there, there was trash.” And in addition to the state of the property, Egelko said it was particularly difficult to sell

because of a “serious lack of cooperation” on behalf of the city in terms of issuing a permit for any kind of business moving in. The property fell out of escrow five times before being bought by a developer who is consolidating it with a neighboring property into an already planned housing development. “I had so many people who tried to [previously] buy this [property], but because the city’s process to get a permit was so expensive and so lengthy to get approval, it wasn’t feasible for anyone to make a deal there.” One prospective buyer was a car dealership, which Egelko thought would make permitting easy considering there was another car dealership there as early as 2016 that operated the same use and required the same permit. “But [the city] wanted this guy to get an architect, to do a traffic study, to do a noise study — spend tens of thousands of dollars on consultants to get a permit to put in a business there that was previously there.” Another property, the old Light Bulb Centre at 7735 University Ave., Egelko had to broker twice because the first buyer ran into red tape that prevented the developer’s plan to turn the building into housing from being profitable. “They exhausted themselves trying to get the city on board to do this,” Egelko said. “They burned through three different architects, they spent eight months going at trying to get it

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NEWS approved and the amount of money they were spending trying to go through the process was completely eating into the profits they were going to see if they were able to build it.” That development group eventually sold the property to DLS Investments, a larger development company, who are converting the building into La Mesa Lofts — a seven-unit housing project that will be a mix of studios and apartments. However, large development companies or a neighboring project coming in to scoop up these small distressed properties and turn them around is the exception, not the rule, according to Egelko. “Pieces of blight like this are too small for a major developer who has the patience and the resources and capacity to deal with all the city bureaucracy,” he said. “Most of the pieces of blight in La Mesa are smaller properties that it doesn’t make the financial sense to go through all the fixed red tape that’s associated with them.” It is that conundrum that worries resident and activist Craig Reed, who leads a group called Envision La Mesa that is dedicated to revitalizing west La Mesa. “West La Mesa, with the way things are now, requires a certain level of sophistication,” Reed said. “Mom and pops who come in, who live in the area and care about the area, to take a stab at it, they’re going to end up [giving up] under the current system.”

Egelko described this El Cajon Boulevard property as the La Mesa’s most blighted and difficult to sell because of the city’s permit process. (Courtesy Erik Egelko)

In other words, only smaller developers would be interested in these blighted properties, but only larger ones have the resources to do anything with them.

SOME BLIGHT IDEAS

Egelko believes that La Mesa could make itself more attractive to small developers with a few changes to the permitting process. One would be to consolidate down the types of businesses that need a conditional use permit (CUP) to open. “Right now, tons and tons of businesses require conditional use permits,” he said. “Whereas, in San Diego, many of the businesses that require a CUP in La Mesa, in San Diego you just get a business license and you open up. “No one would have closed on this speculating on getting the

permit,” Egelko continued. “The landlord is not going to tie it up for eight months hoping someone is going to close on it. No one is going to pay rent on it for eight months hoping they’re going to get a permit.” La Mesa City Manager Yvonne Garrett said that the city does offer a “quick check” process for simple, small projects that typically result in an over-the-counter approval. The real issue with the former car dealership property getting a quick permit for another car dealership had more to do with zoning. “The particular matter that concerned Mr. Egelko was the requirement for a CUP to establish a car dealership in the Mixed-Use Overlay Zone (MU). The MU was established to foster revitalization and renewal along major transportation corridors and provide increased opportunities for housing,” Garrett said. “The intent was to establish a pedestrian-friendly street environment that is conducive to transit and is less auto-oriented. A CUP is required for a car dealership in the MU because this type of use has a high impact to the pedestrian- and transit-oriented intent of the MU, and a high impact to increased residential densities within the overlay. The CUP process provides the ability to properly analyze a car dealership use and ensure that the site and building design are consistent with the intent of the MU and to apply appropriate conditions to the use to ensure compatibility with a pedestrian-friendly environment and residential uses.” Council member Kristine Alessio also agreed that the CUP issue would be better addressed with changes to zoning. “A better way of dealing with that process would be to sit down with those who feel the CUP process is onerous and figure out if there needs to be changes to the underlying zoning to allow for uses that currently are allowed only with a CUP,” she said. In this instance of the former car dealership, the city’s zoning worked out the intended way — the property will soon turn into housing, a preferred outcome in the city’s eyes. Egelko also suggested another SEE BLIGHT IDEAS, Page 4

NEWS sdnews.com La Mesa to join regional power agency By DOUG CURLEE | La Mesa Courier

On Aug. 13, the La Mesa City Council voted to join a regional community choice energy program headed, more or less, by the city of San Diego. All five City Council members voted in favor of the proposal join a joint powers authority (JPA) that will eventually run the program, buying electrical power from a variety of clean energy sources and selling it to city residents and businesses — at lower prices than SDG&E can sell it now. It’s possible the council might have been swayed a little by the fact that San Diego is willing to pick up the millions of dollars in startup costs incurred by the respective cities to get all this rolling. There was some debate, but not a lot. There were two issues that might have complicated the decision, but both were dealt with. The more important one was the fact that smaller cities in the JPA, like La Mesa and Santee, could be outvoted by a weighted vote provision that might have given too much power to the big cities involved — San Diego and Chula Vista — enabling any decisions made by the JPA to, in effect, steamroll the smaller cities.

It’s a complicated fix, but it should work, according to Cody Hooven, the San Diego chief sustainability officer who’s been pretty much driving this train. The big cities have agreed, or will agree, that no matter how the votes go, no city will be able to cast more than 49% of the final votes. “We felt this was a good, safe medium ground for the protections of the Joint Powers Authority to operate under,” Hooven said. One thing that the La Mesa City Council added was a citizens’ oversight board, to keep an eye on what’s happening with the JPA. Council members Dr. Akilah Weber and Colin Parent were pretty adamant about that, and they got it unanimously. “This is the right way to go,” said Mayor Mark Arapostathis. “We think it’s what the citizens want, and we’ll try to give it to them.” Residents of cities involved will automatically be enrolled in the program, unless they decide to formally opt out and remain with SDG&E. The decision isn’t actually formal yet. The City Council will have to go through the formal legal process of drafting and approving an ordinance making the decision law, and that’s a legally mandated process.

The first of two required votes will come at the Sept. 10 City Council meeting, with the second reading and formal adoption on Sept. 24 — seven days before the San Diego-imposed deadline of Oct. 1. It’s likely that deadline could be stretched a little, as other cities tackle the question of whether or not to join the JPA. The city of Santee is believed ready to join in soon. Cody Hooven said other cities are looking closely at the process, and would be more than welcome if they elect to join. She cited Carlsbad, Encinitas and Del Mar as serious candidates, along with Solana Beach as a possible. Solana Beach already has its own small Community Choice Aggregate operating, but might prefer the protection and connection with a larger entity. We’ll see where this goes as time passes. There will almost certainly be bumps in the road to be dealt with — that’s almost unavoidable in deals like this. The fight will be to keep those bumps from turning into great big potholes. —Doug Curlee is a longtime San Diego reporter in both print and television. Reach him at dougcurlee@ cox.net.■

McKinney House to get landscape makeover

By TRACEY STOTZ

La Mesa Historical Society is preparing to spruce up its McKinney House property. After months of work, the Society’s Landscape Committee — comprised of board members Tracey Stotz, Jim Newland, Kristin Dooley and Alex Quintero, with input from landscape architect Karen Adams — developed a schematic for the site and presented an initial landscape plan for the McKinney House at its recent annual meeting. A comprehensive plan was last implemented in 1995 and with the recent loss of the property’s 103-year-old Monterey pine last year, it was time to update the design and use plan for the historic property. “The goal of the plan is to make the site more useable for society events as well as for programming that will allow for more public engagement,” said committee chair Tracey Stotz. As a historic site, it is also important to retain the character of the historic landscape. To that end, Newland and Adams spent hours reviewing photos of the McKinney House that were taken during La Mesa’s interpretive period (1908–1920) to pin down

plants and landscape elements that could be used in the current landscape. For example, the enormous pine tree was an important part of the site so the society will be planting another tree, as well preserving the original pine with the help of artisan Brian Pederson, who will carve a section of the tree into a bench. The society also will be adding period and locally significant Cherokee roses and other plantings and hardscape elements, such as a trellis, that were present in the interpretive period. “It isn’t just about recreating the past,” Stotz added, “It is about honoring the past while making the site more engaging in the present.” To that end, the plan allows for a flex-use area in the backyard, which can be used for educational programs and events. It also incorporates a large display case near the Archives Building, which will provide the society with a place to permanently display large objects that don’t have a place in the McKinney House, such as a printing press from The Scout and historic signage from local businesses. Other interpretive elements are also included along with a new location of the memorial Rose Garden, a new “Society” sign as well as the retention of four very popular lemon trees and a historic “outhouse” structure. If you have comments on the plan or would like to help with

The Monterey pine that was removed last year helped prompt La Mesa Historical Society to update landscaping at McKinney House. (Courtesy La Mesa Historical Society)

its implementation, please email info@lamesahistory.com or call 619-466-0197. The next steps will be to finalize the plan with specific details and create construction plans. Then the society will bid out elements of the project as funding is available, as well as round up volunteers and donors to help take on other tasks. The board sees this as a multiyear effort and welcomes community support. If you could assist with demolition or construction activities, please contact the LMHS Landscape Committee at the above email or phone number. —Tracey Stotz is a board member of the La Mesa Historical Society.■

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

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NEWS

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

Adult use

over 21 years of age — only those with medical cards or permission CONTINUED FROM Page 1 from a doctor. Many said the city should “grandfather in” existing to house adult-use dispensaries or already-approved dispensaries compared to medical dispensaries. to be fair. In fact, he said, of the 15 medical Kusiak, and Vice Mayor Bill dispensaries that the city has al- Baber who also spoke at the ready approved, only five would workshop, told the people in atbe able to switch over to selling tendance to submit written comrecreational cannabis. ments on the proposal to the city Several cannabis profession- by Aug. 26 for consideration. als at the workshop pointed out Another major change from that these rules could derail some Measure U in the proposal is that businesses that have already new adult-use facilities will not poured hundreds of thousands need to go through the existing of dollars into opening medical conditional use permit (CUP) dispensaries, and may now be process to operate in the city. at a competitive disadvantage Measure U set up the process to because they won’t be able to sell get a license to operate as a landcannabis products to any adult use process, subject to votes by

the Planning Commission and City Council, but guaranteed by land-use entitlements rules. The proposed adult-use ordinance will make the process a city business license process that will be split up into two phases — phase one focuses on applicant and site qualification; phase two evaluates the site and operation. The application process will be handled through City Hall and governed by the rules in the ordinance. Many of the rules in the ordinance are the same as Measure U — safety requirements for the properties (alarms, armed security, cameras, etc.), hours of operation, odor control, background checks for employees, and

advertising restrictions. The new ordinance also adds some experience requirements for operators of adult-use businesses and sets the renewal for licenses every two years. Licenses will be denied to anyone who has operated dispensaries in violation of Measure U or has had a felony conviction. Licenses can be revoked for felony convictions or any suspensions or revocations imposed by the state. For medical dispensaries that are within the zones approved for adult use, there is a simplified process to add a recreational cannabis license. In addition to retail businesses, the new ordinance would also authorize cannabis grow operations, testing facilities and

manufacturing of cannabis products. Those types of businesses would only be allowed in the parts of the city zones for industrial service and manufacturing. Written comments on the plan will be accepted on or before Aug. 26. Interested parties should send their comments to Kusiak at kkusiak@cityoflamesa.us or to 8130 Allison Ave., La Mesa, CA 91942. At the workshop, Vice Mayor Bill Baber said the goal is to bring a final draft to a vote at City Council’s Sept. 10 meeting. To read a copy of the draft ordinance, visit bit.ly/2Tegm8v.

Blight ideas

Garrett said the city is committed to speeding up the permit process for new businesses and pointed to La Mesa’s recent acquisition and adoption of new permit software. With the new system, customers and citizens, for the first time, will be able to apply for permits and pay any required fees online. The new software will also speed up permit processes by efficiently routing the needed paperwork to appropriate offices. Although major changes to the permit process like the ones Egelko suggests poses some challenges and resistance, one idea that both Egelko and Envisions La Mesa have proposed is starting to get some traction with the city — a storefront improvement program.

Storefront improvement programs are funds that business owners can access to improve or update their facades. If a business owner wants to purchase a new sign, or repaint their building, or modernize their look, the city would offer matching funds to complete those projects up to a certain amount. Egelko even suggested a revenue stream for such a program. “La Mesa estimates that they will collect over $2 million a year in additional tax revenues from legal marijuana businesses. Let’s take 5% of that and improve the facades of all the blighted areas that were negatively affected by the illegal dispensaries,” he said.

The idea is being considered by the La Mesa City Council and a draft plan could be presented very soon. “[Council member] Dr. Weber and I will be unveiling a plan to start a mini grant program for west La Mesa,” Alessio said. “It is our intent to fund it with the expense account money we get every year that we don’t use. That money rolls back into the general fund. Then we hope to also obtain Prop U monies. I’ve been drafting the plan since meeting with Envision [some] weeks ago and we hope to have it before the Council in September.” Vice Mayor Bill Baber also voiced support for the plan. “I support using funds raised from our new cannabis tax to clean up the sites of the old illegal pot shops in west La Mesa,” he said. “That was the type of community program we discussed when we approved that tax.” Envision La Mesa’s Reed said plans to fund improvements to west La Mesa, or fixes to permit processes to spurn redevelopment along El Cajon Boulevard and University Avenue, would benefit the city as a whole, not just those living in the west end. “These are the corridors to the Village area,” Reed said. “Are we showcasing our best foot forward by showing blight and other problematic areas? I don’t think that is really the image that La Mesa wants.” La Mesa’s image and reputation are also of concerns to Egelko as he propositions potential buyers to develop the blighted properties in the west side — something he hopes that he, activist groups like Envision La Mesa and the city can work together to change. “One of the obstacles that I have to overcome in any of these projects is just that the overall sentiment among the real estate community is that La Mesa is a difficult place,” he said. “If I’m a developer and I’m looking to build apartments, La Mesa is not my first choice just because it has a reputation of being very challenging. So I think changing that is going to encourage a lot more people to come here.”

CONTINUED FROM Page 2

plan that would make development in the west side preferable to potential investors’ eyes by having the city give redevelopment projects there some degree of preferred status. “If we had a sort of special consideration for smaller projects in blighted areas, where the city says, ‘In two weeks we’ll get you what you need to move forward’ — an expedited process — that would bring more people to look at La Mesa,” he said. Garrett said a plan to do that would likely not work for two reasons.

“The challenge with expediting some projects over others is a fairness issue,” she said. “We have to treat all customers similarly and a program that gives preference to certain types of customers would be inappropriate. “Additionally, for a lean city like La Mesa, providing a more comprehensive expediting process would require increasing staff levels to accommodate a quicker turnaround on plan check reviews,” she continued. “Increasing staff would have negative impacts on an already financially strapped city and would likely require an increase to permit fees, which is undesirable from the viewpoint of customers.”

Cox adds Prime Video app to Contour TV “The Man in the High Castle.”

Wondering which TV show or movie to watch when you have some time to unwind? Cox Communications just made it even easier to find a new favorite show with its recent launch of Prime Video on Cox Contour TV. Prime Video joins Netflix, YouTube, NPR One and others in the Contour TV library of apps. Cox Contour video customers can use their voice remote control to easily and quickly access their Prime Video subscription to watch critically acclaimed shows such as “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” directly on their televisions. Other popular Originals include “Hanna,” “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” “Guava Island,” “Homecoming,” and

“There’s no need for a secondary device or input switch,” said Suzanne Schlundt, vice president of field marketing. “Similar to Contour’s other integrated apps including Netflix, YouTube and iHeart Radio, all you have to do is speak into your voice remote control and say things like ‘Prime Video’ or ‘Mrs. Maisel,’ and Cox Contour will take you to your Prime Video programming.” Prime Video can also be accessed in the “Apps” section of the Contour guide. “Contour has become one of the most innovative platforms in cable,” said Schlundt. “By adding the Prime Video app to Contour, Cox continues to make it incredibly easy for customers to access all the programming they love in one place.” Popular Prime Video TV shows include: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (2 Seasons) This winner of eight Emmy Awards tells the story of Midge Maisel, a

perfect 1950s housewife with two kids whose life gets turned upside down when her husband leaves her. Instead of falling to pieces, Midge surprises everyone she knows by taking the stage and becoming one of New York City’s most colorful stand-up comics. “Hanna” (1 Season) Based on the 2011 film of the same name, “Hanna” is a brooding thriller about a young girl raised by her father in isolation in the woods and trained to be a lethal assassin. Thrust into the real world with no sense of social normalcy, Hanna skillfully dodges an off-book CIA agent while searching for the truth about her identity. “Jack Ryan” (1 Season) This political action thriller follows CIA analyst Jack Ryan, a character from Tom Clancy’s well-established “Ryanverse,” who is pulled from the safety of his desk job to work in the field.

—Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.■

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019 FEATURE La Mesa Courier sdnews.com Olaf Weighorst Museum celebrates 20 years New York Police Department for 22 years. El Cajon is not a city that offers By this time, Olaf’s artwork was a whole lot of tourist attractions. beginning to draw serious attenEven people who live here admit tion — and serious money. that, to a degree. In 1944, the draw of the West There is one, though, that many caused Wieghorst to gather fampeople here are more than a little ily and paintbrushes and move to proud of — and they should be. El Cajon. Here, he began to seriIt’s all due to a man who adoptously create what would become ed El Cajon as home in 1944. much-desired and sought-after Olaf Wieghorst is recognized works of art. as one of the great American He opened a studio in downartists to bring us the stories town El Cajon — which has now and people of the Old West in turned into the Olaf Wieghorst America, through his paintings, Museum, which brings about the drawings and stories of cowboys, point of this story. Native Americans, horses, buffaFive years after the museum lo and every other aspect of the opened on Rea Street in El Cajon, times. the property just adjacent became available. It is now one of the more beautiful, parklike areas you’ll find anywhere, and 20 years ago, his El Cajon house at Sunshine and Renette streets was taken apart — not torn down, but taken apart and moved alongside the museum. The whole thing is now run by a foundation of volunteers devoted to his story and his work. They used to have some paid staff, but times got a little tough, and they had to be let go. The big fundraising Many of the artist’s original paintings displayed throughout the home. (Photo by Doug party they had on Aug. Curlee) 3 in celebration of the By DOUG CURLEE | La Mesa Courier

Born in 1899 in Viborg, Denmark, he worked as a cabin boy on a ship bound for America. He joined the U.S Army Cavalry. He had learned to ride, and to love, horses in Denmark, so it was a natural choice for him. He served along the international border during and after World War I, protecting against the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. He worked as a cowboy in the West for a few years, storing up the mental images that would fuel his successful art career. Wieghorst returned to New York City in 1922 and unable to shake his love of horses, served on the Mounted Patrol of the

museum’s 20th anniversary will help keep the place running and looking great, as it has since the house was moved in. There are plants decorating the area you don’t normally see in El Cajon — there are plants there you don’t normally see in America. That’s primarily because the president of the museum’s foundation board is a landscape architect named Mike Bostwick, Olaf Wieghorst (Photo courtesy Olaf Wieghorst who spent decades as the museum) Curator of Plants at the San Diego Zoo. was a model for one of Wieghorst’s “We’ve got plants here from all better known works, “Buffalo over the world,” Bostwick said. “If Watch” — a simple, but powerful you know where to get them, and painting of a horse and a brave, how to take care of them, they’ll obviously both worn out, atop a do well here.” hill, looking for buffalo. The foundation has a whole “I never met Olaf, but I feel like lot of Wieghorst’s painting avail- I know him through the family able for sale, and they do sell. connection. Grandpa said he was Hollywood stars and political lead- a great man,” Galvan said. ers have bought and displayed his The museum and property are art over the years — John Wayne open Tuesdays, Thursdays and was a friend and a fan (Wieghorst Saturdays at 131 Rea St., El Cajon. actually made appearances in two That’s a short street just off John Wayne movies), and Ronald Magnolia Avenue about half a Reagan had a Wieghorst on the block south of Main Street. wall behind his desk. If you like art, and the Old West, I met a guy named Dave Galvan it’s a place you need to see. at the fundraiser. He’s part Piute Indian (as were five of my cous—Doug Curlee is a longtime San ins, but that’s another story). He Diego reporter in both print and teletold me he met Olaf through his vision. Reach him at dougcurlee@ grandfather, a Piute Indian who cox.net.■

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Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

OPINION / POLITICS

200 days of progress To tackle climate change, for the people’s House CA 53 BULLETIN we need to rethink our global food system 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 Jeff Benesch Pat Boerner Doug Curlee Rep. Susan Davis Jill Diamond Keith Dindinger Dr. Shengen Fan Dianne Jacob Linda Michael Jennifer Osborn Ramona Price Kathleen Rogers Tina Rynberg Frank Sabatini Jr. Tracey Stotz Genevieve Suzuki Dave Thomas Julie White

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kendra Sitton x136 Tom Melville x131 Emily Blackwood x133 Dave Schwab x132

COPY EDITOR Dustin Lothspeich

WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA Jeff Clemetson

PRODUCTION MANAGER Chris Baker x107 chris@sdnews.com

MARKETING DIRECTOR Francisco Tamayo, x116

ACCOUNTING Heather Humble x120 accounting@sdnews.com

ADVERTISING CONSULTANT Heather Fine x 118

BUSINESS CONSULTANT David Mannis

PUBLISHER Julie Main, x106 julie@sdnews.com

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

LA JOLLA

By REP. SUSAN DAVIS

By KATHLEEN ROGERS and DR. SHENGGEN FAN

The way we produce, consume and discard food is no longer sustainable. That much is clear from the newly released UN climate change report, which warns that we must rethink how we produce our food — and quickly — to avoid the most devastating impacts of global food production, including massive deforestation, staggering biodiversity loss and accelerating climate change. While it’s not often recognized, the food industry is an enormous driver of climate change, and our current global food system is pushing our natural world to the breaking point. At an Aug. 8 press conference releasing the Special Report on Climate Change and Land, report co-chair Eduardo Calvo Buendía stated that “the food system as a whole — which includes food production and processing, transport, retail consumption, loss and waste — is currently responsible for up to a third of our global greenhouse gas emissions.” In other words, while most of us have been focusing on the energy and transportation sectors in the climate change fight, we cannot ignore the role that our food production has on cutting emissions and curbing climate change. By addressing food waste and emissions from animal agriculture, we can start to tackle this problem. How do we do that? Livestock production is a leading culprit — driving deforestation, degrading our water quality and increasing air pollution. In fact, animal agriculture has such an enormous impact on the environment that if every American reduced their meat consumption by just 10% — about 6 ounces per week — we would save approximately 7.8 trillion gallons of water. That’s more than all the water in Lake Champlain. We’d also save 49 billion pounds of carbon dioxide

every year — the equivalent of planting 1 billion carbon-absorbing trees. What’s more, to the injury from unsustainable food production, we add the insult of extraordinary levels of food waste: nearly one-third of all food produced globally ends up in our garbage cans and then landfills. We are throwing away $1 trillion worth of food, or about half of Africa’s GDP, every single year. At our current rates, if food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third-largest carbon emitter after the U.S. and China. To ensure global food security and sustainable food practices in an ever-growing world, we need to reexamine our food systems and take regional resources, such as land and water availability, as well as local economies and culture into account. To start, the United States and other developed countries must encourage food companies to produce more sustainable food, including more plant-based options, and educate consumers and retailers about healthy and sustainable diets. Leaders must create policies that ensure all communities and children have access to affordable fruits and vegetables. And we all can do our part to reduce food waste, whether it’s in our company cafeterias or our own refrigerators. Technology also plays a part. Developed countries should support and incentivize emerging innovative technologies in plant-based foods, as well as carbon-neutral or low-carbon meat production. Developing countries, on the other hand, face high levels of undernutrition, as well as limited access to healthy foods. Many nutrient-dense foods (such as fruits, vegetables and quality meats) are highly perishable, often making prices significantly higher than ultra-processed, nutrient-poor and SEE FOOD SYSTEM, Page 8

It’s been just over 200 days since a new and diverse majority stormed Washington and began passing a bold agenda for the people. This new majority came with a mandate from the people. The overwhelming message we heard from them? Lower health care costs. Raise wages. Clean up corruption in Washington. We listened and have taken action. Since January, the House has passed dozens of bills to uphold the promises made to the American people. On day one, the House of Representatives voted to throw its full legal weight against President Trump’s lawsuit to strike down protections for people with pre-existing conditions. I hear from so many constituents who fear losing their health insurance. My constituent Abel Beltran says the Affordable Care Act (ACA) saved his life. As a cancer survivor, he doesn’t know what he would do if the ACA was repealed. As one of the 130 million Americans living with a pre-existing condition, Abel could also lose his health insurance if the Trump administration is successful at allowing health insurance providers to issue junk plans that don’t cover pre-existing conditions. The House has passed strong bills to crack down on junk health insurance plans that are not required to cover pre-existing conditions or provide essential health benefits. The plans could result in higher premiums for those with pre-existing conditions. The high cost of prescription drugs is also a major concern for Americans. We passed a package of five bills that confront the pharmaceutical industry’s unfair practices of keeping drug prices high and preventing lower-cost generic versions of drugs from getting to market. While the House is working to bring down health care costs, we are also fighting to give the American people a raise. It’s been over a decade since the federal minimum wage was raised — the longest stretch of time between increases.

With the recent passage of the Raise the Wage Act, 33 million Americans will get a raise as the federal minimum wage is gradually increased to $15 an hour. According to the Congressional Budget Office’s analysis, this increase will lift 1.3 million Americans out of poverty, including 600,000 children. Giving nearly 20 million working women a raise will also help secure fairness and equality for women. While women still only earn 80 cents for every dollar earned by a man, raising the federal minimum wage will narrow the gender pay gap that disproportionately impacts women of color. The Paycheck Fairness Act will build on the Raise the Wage Act to further close the gender pay gap. Because of loopholes, the Equal Pay Act of 1963 has not provided the tools to truly combat unequal pay. The Paycheck Fairness Act modernizes the Equal Pay Act and closes those loopholes. While kitchen table concerns like health care and wages are a top priority for the American people, so is restoring faith in our government and democracy. People feel their voices are not being heard and that special interests have too much influence in Washington. With the passage of the For the People Act, the House voted to end the dominance of big money in our politics. This transformative bill brings more transparency to our campaign finance system to prevent big-moneyed interests from continuing to hide their political spending. It ensures that our public servants serve the public, not themselves. Conflict of interest laws and divestment requirements are strengthened and the revolving door is slowed by preventing members of Congress from serving on corporate boards. While the House passed these bills — and many others — to improve the lives of the American people, we are still waiting and demanding that the Senate act on them. But the House is not going to let Senate dereliction deter us from doing the people’s work. There is much more to do and we’re just getting started. —Congresswoman Davis represents central San Diego as La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley and parts of El Cajon and Chula Vista.■

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Scott Peters, Planned Parenthood headline September Dems meeting

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019 POLITICS La Mesa Courier Navajo Nights a big success

By PAT BOERNER

By TINA RYNBERG and JEFF BENESCH

San Diego Congressman Scott Peters returns to the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club to keynote our important Wednesday, Sept. 5 meeting, where we’ll catch up with this influential Washington, D.C. politico, and also delve into the battle for women’s reproductive rights. Peters serves the 52nd District of California, which covers much of central San Diego County including Poway, Coronado, and large portions of the city of San Diego. He is a member of the House Energy & Commerce and Budget committees. Peters is regional vice-chair of the Democrat ic Cong ressiona l Campaign Committee (DCCC), a role in which he helps lead the on-the-ground effort to fortify and expand our new Democratic majority. He also serves as chair of member services for the New Democrat Coalition. Peters is a former environmental attorney, City Council president, and Port Commission chairman.

Scott Peters (Courtesy LMFDC)

It is safe to say Rep. Peters will address his plans for the environment and recent endorsement of the start of the impeachment inquiry in the House. And we’ll ask this lawyer to analyze the Mueller report and it’s many references to Trump’s foreign entanglements and national security irregularities, and concerns even now about the Trump companies, Trump family business interests and Russian meddling in our elections, then and now. And we hope he’ll reference the ongoing gun violence that kills Americans on a seemingly daily SEE LMFDC, Page 8

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The Navajo Nights event held in July was well attended and attracted many new people interested in learning more about Republican Women of CaliforniaNavajo Canyon. Great food and lively conversation were topped off with a presentation by San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Tia Quick. Her presentation focused on current changes in the California Felony Murder Law and child trafficking issues. We encourage people to attend our regular meetings and participate in the exciting activities we have planned for the upcoming campaign. Volunteering is what we are all about and now is the time to get involved to help elect Republicans. President Trump has achieved so much in his first term and we need to guarantee that he is re-elected so he can complete his agenda. To make his job easier, let’s work to give him a Congress that actually wants to implement change and make America great. Right now, it is a battle of numbers in Congress and no matter how great his proposals and ideas might be, there

are many representatives that will not vote to pass good legislation simply because Trump is the president. What kind of nonsense is this? Not voting for what is best for the county? No one can deny there is a border crisis. Congress should get busy, working together to reform and update our immigration laws. We encourage immigration, just not illegal immigration. Families will never be separated if they cross the border legally. They also will not be separated if they are here illegally and return to their home country as a family. Not that complicated. The next regular RWCNC meeting will be held Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Brigantine Restaurant in La Mesa. Our speaker will be Sophia Fang, a volunteer at the Epoch Times. The Epoch Times is a general-purpose newspaper with an emphasis on truthful reporting. As independent media, the ET reports news other media often choose to ignore. The topic of her presentation will be “Appreciating and Preserving Va lue s Th roug h Hone s t Journalism.” Check-in begins at 10:15 a.m. and reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance. Cost is $25 and a full-course lunch is served. Cash and checks are accepted but no credit cards. Please make your reservation

at RSVPrwcnc@gmail.com. You will receive a confirmation of your reservation. Any questions, please text or call Marjie at 619-990-2791. To learn more about our activities visit our website, RWCNavajoCanyon.org, and visit us on Facebook at Republican Women of California. Upcoming: Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 11 a.m., is our annual Fall Fashion Show at the Bali Hai on Shelter Island. The theme this year is “Spirit of San Diego” with fashions presented by Glamour Girlz of El Cajon. This is our only fundraiser of the year and the charge is a nominal $40. A true bargain for a delicious buffet lunch, no host cocktails, gorgeous fun fashions, opportunity baskets, gift cards and all enjoyed with a view of San Diego Harbor. It is not too early, so please RSVP at FASHIONrwcnc@gmail.com or call 619-561-8304 for more information. This is an exciting time for Republicans. As we celebrate all the accomplishments of the Trump administration, we need to work to assure that President Trump has another four years! Please join us in returning common sense to government. —Pat Boerner writes on behalf of the Republican Women of California-Navajo Canyon.■

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

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LMFDC

CONTINUED FROM Page 7

basis, stoked in no small way by our golf-playing “commander in chief.” Peter’s views on both the inability to get a bipartisan House gun bill past Mitch McConnell on background checks, and the House attempts to curb the president’s largely illegal and certainly unethical attacks on immigrants, even those serving in Congress, will be of great interest to all attendees. Peter’s fascinating talk will be followed by an equally important panel on protecting women’s reproductive rights, particularly those efforts to maintain Planned Parenthood clinics in red states where they have become a diminishing resource for millions of American women.

Food system CONTINUED FROM Page 6

calorie-dense foods. The high cost of nutrient-dense foods creates a significant barrier to healthy diets, as seen in urban Malawi and many other countries. By promoting enhanced production of healthy and nutritious foods while also improving markets in low-income countries, we can lower prices and increase accessibility of healthy and sustainable diets. Politicians can also tackle systemic inequalities by

POLITICS / OPINION News from your County Supervisor

We’ll have Neal Ortiguerras, director of Political Action for Planned Parenthood of the Southwest, and also representatives of NARAL, ProChoice America, and the local chapter of the ACLU. These organizations are three among many that work nationwide to provide and protect health services for women that may have few options in their family planning and obstetrical and gynecological care. States like California have a plethora of affordable health centers for women, but in much of the United States, Planned Parenthood and others are being legislated out of existence by Republican state governments. Come hear what the most critical and current actions are being waged, mostly in courts, by both sides of this contentious debate. redirecting agricultural subsidies to promote healthy foods, as well as investing in infrastructure like rural roads, electricity, storage and cooling chain. Change must happen at every level if we want to build a better food system. International participation and resource sharing can spread regional solutions across countries. And working for change at the ground level — among individuals, communities, local and federal governments and private entities — can help fight hunger and food inequality firsthand.

Dianne’s Corner By DIANNE JACOB

Neil Ortiguerras (Courtesy LMFDC)

The Sept. 5 meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa. For more information, visit lamesafoothillsdemcoraticclub. com. —Tina Rynberg is president and Jeff Benesch is vice president of programming for the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club.■ Yes, our food system is broken, but not irrevocably so. The challenges are enormous, but by understanding the problem and potential solutions, we can effect critical changes in the ways we produce, consume and dispose of food. —Kathleen Rogers is president of Earth Day Network. Dr. Shenggen Fan is director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and a commissioner for the EAT - Lancet Commission. For more information, visit earthday. org and ifpri.org.■

Sign of the times: It’s been an exciting summer in everyone’s favorite rodeo town, Lakeside. A giant new welcome sign was erected over Maine Avenue in the heart of the community, thanks to the hard work of the Lakeside Chamber of Commerce and other leaders. The archway sign proclaims, “You’re in Lakeside.” It’s an awesome welcome mat put out by a town rightly proud of its cowboy roots. Beat the heat: Summer is in full swing and the county is once again inviting seniors and the disabled to designated “Cool Zones” to escape the heat. Getting out of the heat can save lives so please take advantage of this annual program. There are 115 zones this year across the county, including senior centers and county libraries. Among the locations: Alpine Community Center, 1830 Alpine Blvd.; Campo Library, 31356 Highway 94, Campo; Salvation Army Senior Dining & Social

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Center, 1011 E. Main St., El Cajon; Julian Library, 1850 Highway 78, Julian; Potrero Library, 24883 Potrero Valley Road, Potrero; and the Spring Valley Park and Recreation, 8735 Jamacha Blvd., Spring Valley. A complete list of Cool Zone locations can be found at coolzones.org. East County, naturally: More great news for hikers and other nature lovers — the county is making popular Iron Mountain Preserve near Poway bigger and better. The Board of Supervisors recently approved the purchase of 160 acres near the hiker haven, opening the door to an expansion of the region’s network of trails. The acquisition is something that has been in the works for many, many years and I’m very excited to see this finally come to fruition. —Dianne Jacob is chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and represents District 2. For more District 2 news, visit diannejacob.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter. For assistance with a county issue, call 619531-5522 or email dianne.jacob@ sdcounty.ca.gov.■

FEATURE sdnews.com Porter Hill’s famous artist By JILL DIAMOND | La Mesa Courier

Besides being an early home to filmmakers, La Mesa was also the residence of James “Tank” Porter — a nationally recognized sculptor. Porter, a member of the prominent La Mesa Porter family, worked on a war memorial for the State of Virginia, created a bronze statue in La Jolla, and did a portrait study of John Spreckels at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park during his lifetime. “Locally, he was very well known and as he was part of the Porter family who had the home on Porter Hill, a city landmark,” said La Mesa historian James Newland. “He was more than an artist, too, since he helped create the planning commission and was a planning commissioner for

Porter’s statue of a kneeling child was stolen from the front of the La Jolla Rec Center in 1995. (Courtesy La Jolla Historical Society Collection)

years. His uncle was the mayor, and his family donated the old La Mesa Library building that is now an art museum.” Newland said Porter was also known beyond San Diego and La Mesa, and he had an eye for art. “He was of course creative, as well as forward-thinking and instrumental on how La Mesa should grow properly,” Newland said. “He supported art associations and theater groups and was an arts and culture supporter, but he also had a broader civic responsibility.” Besides his many art and sculpture projects, Porter was asked to honor San Diego’s great benefactress, Ellen Browning Scripps. According to the San Diego Historical Museum’s archives, Porter was commissioned to produce a testimonial gift for the people of La Jolla in her honor. Dedicated on June 14, 1926, the monument has the distinction of being the first free-standing public sculpture in San Diego. “Suitably modest, the work consists of a bronze figure of a young girl kneeling over a small pool with hands outstretched facing a curved limestone bench. On the back of the bench, Porter carved incised relief figures of children dancing. Placed in front of La Jolla Recreation Center, one of Miss Scripps’ many gifts to the city, the testimonial faced her home across the street,” the archives said.

MISSING PORTER STATUE

However, the Porter statue disappeared many years ago,

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

according to Carol Olten, La Jolla Historical Society historian. La Jolla Historical Society archives state the original sculpture of the kneeling boy child, designed by Porter was stolen the night before June 28, 1995. Efforts to recover it were unsuccessful. Precautions were taken to prevent theft of a new statue by anchoring it securely into the cement. Olten said the new statue, designed and cast by artist Mary Buckman was dedicated in June 1997 and sits where the Porter statue once sat. “It was a big deal back then,” Olten said. “During the time there was a rash of similar thefts and statues like Porter’s were believe to be being melted down for their metals.”

EARLY PORTER BEGINNINGS

In the book “La Mesa Through the Years” written by the La Mesa Historical Society, Porter left home in 1899 for Beloit College located near Green Bay, Wisconsin. By 1904, he moved to La Mesa with his parents, Henry and Elizabeth Porter and his brother, Chappell, where they lived in the home his parents bought the following year. For the next five years, James Porter was said to be bedridden because of a football injury while attending college. In 1910, he recovered and enrolled in Pomona College, graduating in 1914. It was a year later, in 1915, the graduate relocated to New York and attended the Art Students’ League to study drawing and sculpture. Around 1919, Porter helped Gutzon Borglum on the

James Porter working in his La Mesa studio (Photo courtesy San Diego History Center)

war memorial for the state of Virginia. According to the book, Borglum later became a world-famous artist known for his Mt. Rushmore memorial in South Dakota’s Black Hills. Porter, too, became a recognized sculptor in the 1920s and is best known for his sculptures that are portrait busts and figures of children like the one once located in La Jolla. As mentioned, the artist was appointed the first president of the Contemporary Artists of San Diego when it was formed in 1929. Best known for his bronze work, he also used stone, and throughout Porter’s lifetime his work was exhibited in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and throughout the state of California. The La Mesa book also states Porter’s work would be “classified as realistic, but many of the pieces

were simplified and stylized, some with a strong Art Deco feeling.”

LESS ART, MORE CITY WORK

By the 1940s, Porter had halted work on his sculptures and during the Great Depression, he utilized his La Mesa foundry to produce bronze sprinkler heads and owned the Browning Manufacturing Co. from 1936 to 1956. He would marry his future wife, whom he met in La Mesa, Lenore Branam in 1923. They lived in the same house his parents bought in 1905 along with his widowed mother. By 1924, they had their only child, a daughter Anne. Porter served on the La Mesa Planning Commission for 13 years and died in 1962 at his home at the age of 78. —Jill Diamond is a freelance writer based in Southern California who enjoys writing about history.■

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FOOD & DRINK sdnews.com All aboard a ride of rediscovery

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

An iconic seafood restaurant hits a milestone crowns gave the traditional slurp some chew, and the combined flavors of the shallots and By FRANK SABATINI JR. Japanese soy sauce paired jubilantly with the oceanic essence What’s cook i ng at the of the bivalves. (Oysters are alBrigantine as she sails into her so available raw or broiled with 50th anniversary? garlic butter.) A lot. Many of the old-school favorThere are contemporary dishes ites remain firmly intact, such as to satisfy new generations of din- Brigantine’s peppery version of ers and enough of the tried-and- New England-style clam chowtrue to keep longtime fans cruis- der, traditional Caesar salad, filet ing in regularly. mignon, and of course the famous It had been ages since I set foot fish tacos made with Alaskan into a Brigantine restaurant. pollock, which didn’t debut until Particularly the La Mesa location, 1984. which sits prettily at the base of Yet several contemporary upMt. Helix with its lushly land- grades have been made to certain scaped grounds, sprawling patio dishes. And they left us highly and raised bar area flaunting pleased. an open kitchen. Having opened Beginning with our salads, in the late ’80s, it received a re- a normally ho-hum iceberg model a few years back, resulting wedge came draped with butterin lighter colors and handsome milk-blue cheese dressing that wood flooring. exceeded in flavor and richness The restaurant’s humble be- standard versions of yesteryear. ginnings, however, date back to And the house medley of baby let1969, when Mike Morton Sr. and tuces offered an engaging interhis wife, Barbara, founded the play of dried cranberries, hearts first Brigantine in Shelter Island. of palm and robust blue cheese Swordfish was all the rage back crumbles. Certainly not newfanthen, and the Mortons gave the gled creations, but 21st-century steak-like fish top billing. salads done right. “In the first few years, my parThe grilled swordfish used to ents were almost bankrupt and always come with tartar sauce just tried keeping their heads and lemon. But that changed in above water,” said Mike Morton the mid-’90s, when a former corJr., who serves as company presi- porate chef began finishing off the dent. “Neither of them had expe- fish with pucks of avocado-lime rience in the restaurant business. butter. I was enthralled. The fish They learned through the school had the coveted flavor of charred of hard knocks.” top sirloin while the melting butToday, there are seven ter lubricated the filet with tangy Brigantines throughout San creaminess. Diego County, with an eighth In addition, the swordfish coming to the family’s $25-plus these days includes Parmesan million Portside Pier along risotto and broccolini, culinary Downtown San Diego’s water- props that diners only two genfront. The mega-venue will also erations ago might have conhouse other dining brands owned sidered foreign. I opted instead by the Mortons, such as Miguel’s for two old-fashioned inclusions Cocina and Ketch. after learning from our waitress Waves of nostalgia rolled over it’s permissible: a plump baked us while delving into a nicely potato and par-sauteed veggies. chilled shrimp cocktail amid nau- My plate appeared dog-licked in tical décor that still pervades. My the end. dining companion became sentiWe also shared pan-roasted mental too, recalling a dinner he scallops, which I’m certain in ate here with his late father when earlier days didn’t come served he visited from the Midwest. The over corn succotash speckshrimp, with its classic ketch- led with bacon and edamame. up-horseradish sauce, we re- The trio of semi-large scallops called, regularly served as our were cooked to that perfect meal starter. near-opaqueness while the coFresh oysters have been in the stars of the dish added sweetoffing for a long time, although and-savory undertones. I don’t remember them topped The most recent newcomer with shallot-shoyu butter and to the menu is Brigantine’s first crumbled wontons. Their toasted dedicated vegetarian dish — charred Japanese eggplant with lime-kissed cauliflower rice, plus carrots, peas, toasted almonds, pickled mushrooms, and red curry-coconut sauce. I was tempted, but it’s unlikely I’ll ever pull my appetite out of the ocean when dinGrilled oysters made with shallot-shoyu butter ing here.

Restaurant Review

Brigantine 9350 Fuerte Drive (La Mesa) 619-465-1935, brigantine.com Dinner prices: Raw oysters, $2.50 apiece; grilled or broiled oysters, $8.75 for three; soups, salads, and starters, $5.50 to $22; entrees, $16.50 to $32

Brigantine’s bar offerings have evolved with the rest of the world’s. There are classic mules and margaritas, and signature cocktails such as sparkling pears, vodka grapefruit frescas and pomegranate sangria. The latter smacked of that deep, refreshing fruitiness you’d wish all sangrias offered. The wine list shows off some impressive picks. Among them was a superbly structured “founders” cabernet sauvignon by Hahn Family Wines that carried me through dinner. Other lauded names include Duckhorn, Stag’s Leap, Cakebread and St. Francis. My Brigantine tradition of ending dinner with a jumbo slab of mud pie fell overboard when laying eyes on a flourless peanut butter and chocolate cake. We backed it up with a slice of white chocolate-lemon cheesecake. Both

Avocado-lime butter complements the grilled swordfish. (Photos by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

could have originated from a gourmet bakery. Which left me realizing that today’s proliferation of new restaurants, with their often over-ambitious menus and lack of soundproofing, had kept us away from the Brigantine far too long, if

Scallops over corn succotash

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only because we thought of it as old-timey. On some level, it still is, but in a mildly refreshing way. Though in many other respects, it lives up to today’s standards for quality and creativity, and with well-trained servers to boot. Note: In celebration of its 50th anniversary, all Brigantine locations will offer three-course dinners for two for $50 throughout the month of October. —Frank Sabatini Jr. is the author of ‘Secret San Diego’ (ECW Press) and began his local writing career more than two decades ago as a staffer for the former San Diego Tribune. You can reach him at fsabatini@san.rr.com.■

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BOOKS / ART Back-to-school books for all ages September Featured Artist: Racquel Gabuya Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

By RAMONA PRICE

Whether you’re a nervous 5-year-old starting kindergarten or a seasoned 50-year-old pursuing a new degree, August means back to school. No more lazy days at the beach, now we’re shopping for school supplies and sharpening our new pencils! Here are some back-to-school books to get you in that studious mood. For that brand-new kindergartner in your life, “School’s First Day of School” by Adam Rex is the perfect book to help calm their fears. It’s the first day of school at Frederick Douglass Elementary and no one is more nervous than the school building itself. It’s used to being mostly empty, with just the custodian for company. What will all the new children think of it? Will they be nice? Will they like the school? The first day of school starts off a little rocky, but as it goes on, the school starts to realize it isn’t the only one with first-day fears. A modern classic of kids’ chapter books, “Frindle” by Andrew Clements follows Nick Allen, who, after studying how words are created in school, starts to question why things are named the way they are. What if we stopped calling pens “pens” and called them “frindles”? It starts off small, with just Nick’s friends using his new word, but soon frindle catches

By LINDA MICHAEL

on. Now the school is in chaos and Nick is at the center of it all. His teacher wants Nick to put an end to all this nonsense, but Nick’s creation is beyond his control as frindle spreads across the country. In the young adult novel “The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks,” Frankie is starting her sophomore year at a prestigious boarding school and is finally ready to break free from her older sister’s shadow and her parents’ babying attitude. When her father mentions a secret society, The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, which dates back to his days as a student, Frankie goes in search of information. To her dismay, she discovers that her boyfriend Matthew is a member, and that the society is only open to boys. Tired of always being told “no” because she’s too young or a girl, Frankie embarks on a mission of

fake identities and pranks to prove that she belongs with the Basset Hounds. Like “Frankie Landau Banks,” author Tana French’s novel “The Secret Place” is also about a boarding school, but this time, there’s a murder to solve. It’s been a year since a boy was found murdered at St. Kilda’s girls’ school, when Holly Mackey, a student at St Kilda’s, shows up at the Dublin Murder Squad’s office with a picture of the boy with the caption “I know who killed him.” Detective SEE BOOKS, Page 15

Racquel Gabuya is a multimedia visual communicator whose focus is in both traditional and digital artwork. She is a San Diego based artist, designer, and higher-learning educator. As an alumna of the University of Oregon with a master’s of fine arts and 15 years’ experience in academia, Gabuya had the privilege to inspire and mentor new upcoming designers to hone their skills and pursue their passions. Now, her focus as a seasoned designer is helping new and small businesses with their corporate branding. Gabuya’s artwork honors her heritage and women’s contributions to society. It has been displayed in both the United States and the Philippines. “Memory: Quotidian Life” is Gabuya’s current creative collection of paintings. These curated works depict her memories of the everyday ordinary way of life in the Philippines. They draw from the warm energy of the Philippine culture, capturing her emotional and spiritual link to the people and places of her homeland. She reminisced and revisited these treasured locales

Gabuya’s art celebrates life in the Philippines. (Courtesy Foothills Art Association)

to recreate in her artwork the busy urban market streets and lush, tropical barrio landscapes. The subject matter of her work is closely related to historical records, archives, family anecdotes, and her personal memories living in the Philippines. This collection captures the essence and energy of those who live the time-honored traditions of working under the sun. Filipinos are communal people as a whole and most of their livelihoods are passed down through the generations. This is exhibited in works with Filipinas tending “sari-sari” market stalls, selling farm produce and common home goods to support their SEE GABUYA’S ART, Page 13

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Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019 SPORTS / ART La Mesa Courier 13 sdnews.com Helix fall teams gear up for new season Grossmont looking for big season By DAVE THOMAS | La Mesa Courier

As the summer days continue to fly by, a number of Helix High fall sports teams have their eyes on the calendar. Before you know it, pre-season practices and games will turn into the real thing. On the girls’ tennis courts, Helix, under head coach Jay Diaz, comes off a 9-5 season in 2018. “This season’s turnout will be about 35 girls,” Diaz commented. “Twelve will make varsity and the rest will be junior varsity.” Diaz noted that he is a USTA no-cut coach. Two players graduated from the 2018 team. According to Diaz, top players heading into the season look to include junior singles player Maya Gilbert and fellow junior Lily Fields, playing both singles and doubles. “Our goals for varsity are for them to do their best win or lose, and to do as well or better than last season,” Diaz stated. “For the [JV players], it is to learn playing their matches so they can move up to varsity.”

Gabuya’s art CONTINUED FROM Page 12

families. Creating colorful and fun artworks of that nostalgic time has allowed Gabuya to view ordinary life through a romantic lens, transforming the mundane into the extraordinary. Her works are often classified as part of the new romantic movement due to her desire to showcase the local traditional lives of Filipinos in a quickly unfolding modern and globalized world. This is intentional, as she wants to spotlight the simple living of most Filipino families and the happiness she recalls growing up. Through this new collection of artwork, Gabuya focuses on establishing a link between the landscape’s reality and her imagination. By referencing Filipino romanticism, symbolism and their vernacular, she weaves a Sudoku & Crossword puzzle answers from page 19

Helix has 17 matches this season, with four of them being in the Laguna Hills Invitational. In field hockey play, Helix, which has been league champion six years in a row, went 11-12 a season ago. Head coach Rhona St. ClairMoore said she was expecting that both junior varsity and varsity would have some 40 players trying out for 33 spots. According to St. Clair-Moore, among the key players to look to going into the season include sophomore Stella Neville (forward and left wing), senior Vivian Gosswiller (keeper), senior Camryn Jonilonis (midfielder), senior Riley Powers (midfielder), senior Jannah Johnson (defender) and senior Paige Scarbrough (defender). “Our main goal is to have all players better themselves as players and work cohesively as a team,” St. Clair-Moore said. “Additionally, we would like to win the league again and go further in CIFs.” In boys’ water polo, head coach Joel Hull’s team went 22-7 overall

a season ago, finishing at 8-0 and winning the Grossmont Valley League. The Highlanders were a Division III semifinalist. Turning the page to this season, Hull noted he has 52 athletes in the program, with seven players having graduated from varsity last season. According to Hull, some key members this season include returning varsity members Lucas Osborn (junior driver) and Lucas Theroux (senior driver). They will be joined by varsity newcomers Nathan Haney (junior goalie), Gavin McMillan (junior center), Xavier Gamez (junior center defense), Ryan Salas (senior center defense, Baden Gloyer (junior driver) and Kyle Lemler (junior driver). “Our goal for the season is to win the Grossmont Valley League and make CIFs,” Hull commented.

narrative that unites the past and the present. Racquel Gabuya’s artwork will be featured at the Foothills Gallery from Sept. 6 to Oct. 2. The Foothills Gallery, located at 4910 Memorial Drive in La Mesa, is free and open to the

public Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call the gallery at 619-464-7167.

—Dave Thomas is a freelance sports writer. If you have Helix High sports tips, contact hoopsthomas@ yahoo.com.■

—Linda Michael is the editor of Footnotes, the monthly newsletter of the Foothills Art Association.■

By DAVE THOMAS | La Mesa Courier

With fall football practice already underway, Grossmont High and its fans are hoping for a big season on the gridiron. The Foothillers, under head coach Tom Karlo (eighth year at the helm), finished 4-8 a season ago. Grossmont beat Madison in the first round of the CIF Division I playoffs. La Mesa Courier recently caught up with Karlo to discuss the upcoming season. About how many kids are you expecting out for this year’s team? Did you graduate a lot from the 2018 squad? I have 71 players on varsity. We graduated 22 seniors. Coming into this season, what do you see as the team’s strengths and any areas that may be challenges? We have a returning quarterback and four of five offensive linemen back. The wide receivers group is young, while our running back is dynamic. On defense, we have four returning starters and a bunch of good, solid guys coming up. Looking at the team’s schedule, what do you see as some of the tougher games, rivalries etc.?

Grossmont 2019 Regular Season Schedule Aug. 23 – Mira Mesa – Home Aug. 30 – Mater Dei – Home Sept. 13 – Olympian – Home Sept. 20 – Valley View – Home Sept. 27 – Madison – Home Oct. 4 – Valhalla – Away Oct. 11 – Granite Hills – Away Oct. 18 – Helix – Home Oct. 25 – Steele Canyon – Home Nov. 1 – El Capitan – Away

Our league is always tough. Our schedule is tough. As for goals this season, what do you want to see this team accomplish when all is said and done? We want to be in the Open — we were in the Open in 2016 and 2017. Grossmont begins regular season action Friday, Aug. 23, when it hosts Mira Mesa High. From there, the Foothillers have four more home games in a row before heading out on the road the first weekend of October. The regular season concludes Friday, Nov. 1, at El Capitan.■

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EDUCATION Growing music program needs more instruments

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

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Foothiller Footsteps By CONNIE and LYNN BAER

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As its 99th school year begins, Grossmont High School has 1,700 students enrolled in its visual and performing arts programs, the largest number in the Grossmont Union High School District. The large number of students in so many wonderful programs like the Instrumental Music Program, make it difficult to fund them adequately. Unfortunately, visual and performing arts programs are underfunded in public education nationwide. Since its beginning, the Instrumental Music Program has been an essential part of Grossmont High School. In 1921, the orchestra consisted of 17 students with the first band in 1930. Today, the historic 99-year-old program has become a program dependent on decades-old instruments. In a letter emailed to GHS alumni and retirees this summer, program director Ray Webb explained the need for financial support to purchase large instruments: Large instruments form the foundation of a ‘sound pyramid’ that must always be at the core of our big beautiful ‘Grossmont Sound.’ We need your help to continue to create this legacy. Large instruments are generally not student-owned due to their high cost. Not many families can spend $6,000 or more for an instrument. As a result, all of our large instruments are district-owned. Unfortunately, our large instruments are, for the most part, in severely distressed or unusable condition. We are looking for financial support to fund large instruments: We now have four tuba players! It’s great that our band is growing! These players all need replacement marching and concert tubas (two instruments each). With an average cost of $9,000 each for a quality tuba or a quality sousaphone, the cost to outfit our four tuba players with one each is $72,000. This year, we will also have four baritone horn players. These students each need one working marching instrument and one concert

The 2018-2019 Grossmont High School Marching Band (Photo by Brett Alan Photography)

instrument. Quality marching baritones can be purchased for only $2,300 each; quality concert baritones (aka euphoniums), on the other hand, cost $6,300. We now have two baritone sax players. We are purchasing one replacement bari sax this summer at a cost of $5,600. We now have two tenor sax players; the one working tenor sax we have has been deemed unrepairable by a professional woodwind repair technician. Quality tenor saxes cost $3,400 each. Also, Tohbias Juniel, our percussion coach and the percussion coach of the SDSU Marching Aztecs, has submitted a lengthy need list for large percussion: concert timpani, chimes, and mallet instruments. However, to solve our immediate problem, we can buy used instruments from private sellers for as low as 10% of their original cost. Already, I have purchased one instrument this summer for one-third of its value. Also, this summer we have received over $7,000 in financial support from our alumni, retired staff, and the GHS Educational Foundation. I hope our community can help us build a larger fund that could be accessed for purchases from private sellers, managed and overseen by the GIMA (Grossmont Instrumental Music Association) treasurer. All donations are tax deductible. To support the purchase of desperately needed instruments, please write a check payable to GIMA and mail to Raymond Webb, GHS, P.O. Box 1043, La Mesa, CA 91944. No donation is too small. Also, if you know of someone with a quality musical instrument to donate or to sell in Southern California, please ask the donor to contact Ray directly. Share this column with your friends who value the positive impact of

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Upcoming Reunions Class of 1964 55th Reunion: Saturday, Oct. 19. For information, email ghs64@cox.net. Class of 2009 10th Reunion: Dave and Buster’s, Mission Valley, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m. Contact Amanda Wilhelm Fessler at fesslerschedule@gmail.com.

music upon students. Together we can help support a program that has given so many Foothillers and its community such pleasure over the past 98 years.

99TH ANNIVERSARY AND HOMECOMING ASB President Maya Zimmer shares that, “This year we have decided to go with a spy/special agent/detective theme, ‘Operation GHS.’ The storyline is based around the idea of a villain stealing Grossmont’s spirit. Throughout Homecoming week, the students participate in dressup days, three days of different disguises, in hopes of finding clues as to who stole Grossmont’s spirit. “Friday is an extreme blue and gold dress-up day to celebrate the return of our spirit and to show that the Foothillers have the best spirit in town.” The Homecoming game on Friday, Sept. 20, is against Valley View High School at 7 p.m., and the Homecoming Dance is on Saturday, Sept. 21. The GHS Museum will be open on Thursday, Sept. 19 from 4-6 p.m., with a campus tour at 5:30 p.m. During Homecoming on Friday, Sept. 20, the museum will be open from 4-7 p.m. and a campus tour will again be held at 5:30 p.m. To discover more about Grossmont or to purchase our book documenting the history of the Instrumental Music Program, visit our website at foothillermuseum.com or visit the GHS Museum Wednesday, Sept. 4, from noon–3:30 p.m. or by appointment. Contact: 619-668-6140 or email ghsmuseum@guhsd.net. —Connie and Lynn Baer write on behalf of the Grossmont High School Museum.■

EDUCATION / BOOKS sdnews.com Back-to-school time at Helix Charter High

Helix Highlights By JENNIFER OSBORN

Helix is back in the swing of things for the 2019-20 school year. Classes began on Wednesday, Aug. 7, and parents and guardians were invited to attend Back-to-School Night on Aug. 22, followed by Parent Shadow Day on Aug. 28. Both events offered families the opportunity to become more involved in

Books

CONTINUED FROM Page 12

Stephen Moran joins up with the detective on the original case to follow clues that lead back to Holly’s clique of friends, their rivals and the mysterious, private underworld of teenage girls. “The Magicians” by Lev Grossman has often been called a “grown-up Harry Potter.” Instead of a magical boarding school, it’s a college in upstate New York where Quentin Coldwater finds himself being recruited into a magical world he never knew existed. An outcast obsessed with a series of children’s fantasy novels set in a land called Fillory, Quentin thinks he’s finally found his place. However, magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he dreamed it would. And when he and his friends discover that Fillory is real, it turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he could have imagined. Despite the resemblance to a certain boy wizard, “The Magicians” is definitely a book for adults, with all the drug and sex experimentation you would expect from a book about college life. The La Mesa Library has everything you need for a successful academic year — regardless of your age! We have math coaching twice a week and can order textbooks in from local colleges and universities, potentially saving you some big bucks. Adults can even earn a high school diploma at the library with our Library High School Program, which is completely free. Visit sdcl.org or call 619-469-2151 for more information.

their child’s education by meeting their teachers, and spending a day on campus experiencing a day in the classrooms. Helix offers these events twice annually – once in the fall term, then again in the spring.

HOMECOMING

This year’s Homecoming game will be on Friday, Oct. 4. Kickoff for the game is 7 p.m., as the Highlanders take on the El Capitan Vaqueros.

PERFORMING ARTS CALENDAR The Hel i x H igh School • Sept. 6-7: (Re)Visions Dance

ALL CLASS PICNIC

Fou ndat ion a nd A lu m n i Association will host the All Class Picnic on Sunday, Oct. 11. The event will feature special guests, performances by the on-campus programs, music from alumni members’ bands, a car show, a campus tour, and representatives from graduating classes from the ‘50s to the 2000s!

Concert (in fulfillment of Helix’s senior project requirement); Helix Mainstage Theater, 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 (cash only at the door). • Oct. 3: Orchestra Concert; Helix Mainstage Theater, 7 p.m. Ticket information available at helixinstrumental.org. • Oct 11-12, 17-19: Highland Players’ production of “Sound of Music”; Helix Mainstage Theater.

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

Times and ticket information available at highlandplayers.ticketleap.com.

HCHS SCOTTIES APP

Sports fans can follow all of Helix’s teams by downloading the HCHS Scotties app. The app is free in your app store, and provides information on schedules, scores, stand- The Scotties app helps users follow Helix ings and more for your fa- sports teams. (Courtesy HCHS) vorite Highlander sports. held twice monthly. Dates for this EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION year are in the works and will be TOUR available on our website, helixIf you are interested in finding charter.net. out more about Helix Charter High School, please attend one of —Jennifer Osborn writes on beour Excellence in Education tours, half of Helix Charter High School.■

Cuyamaca College breaks ground on new greenhouses On Aug. 22, Cuyamaca College held a groundbreaking for a $16.7 million project that will renovate indoor and outdoor classrooms and facilities, and add new greenhouses for the school’s signature Ornamental Horticulture program. “This Proposition V-funded project is a milestone for the campus because of the significance of the program and its link to the history of Cuyamaca College,” President Julianna Barnes said in reference to the $398 million construction bond measure passed by East County voters in 2012 to improve and add facilities at Cuyamaca and Grossmont colleges. “Ornamental Horticulture has a storied past at our college and it is long overdue for a renovation. With the modernizing of facilities and the new greenhouses in particular, students have a lot to be excited about.”

As one of the original programs started at Cuyamaca College in 1980, Ornamental Horticulture is a cornerstone program that’s produced thousands of graduates who have gone on to jobs such as landscape architects, turf managers, and even a host of TV landscaping shows – Sara Bendrick of two TV DIY Network series, “I Hate my Yard” and “Lawn & Order.” The two-year program offers nine degrees and certificates in arboriculture, floral design, golf course and sports turf management; irrigation technology; landscape design; landscape technology; nursery technology; sustainable urban landscapes; and basic ornamental horticulture. With the renovation slated for completion in fall 2020, the program’s students will see updated facilities, well-equipped greenhouses, an outdoor instructional

The Cuyamaca College Ornamental Horticulture renovation includes plans to replace an aging greenhouse with two modern ones with environmental controls and computer-controlled irrigation. (Courtesy GCCCD)

area, expanded retail space and much-needed storage space. About 10,000 square feet of usable space will be added with the renovation. The project includes gutting and renovating Building M to accommodate a design lab, a wet lab and lab prep room on one end and a classroom on the other. Two new greenhouses will replace an aging, smaller one. A separate retail shop will be added

and equipped with a cooler large enough to store flowers and delicate arrangements created in the floral design program. Renovating the aging facility will mean major upgrades to the program, program coordinator Leah Rottke said. “The main advantage of the renovation is that we will be able to provide students an experience that closely reflects the industry,” Rottke said.■

ENROLL NOW

—Ramona Price is La Mesa Library’s children’s librarian.■

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Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

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Jefferson CONTINUED FROM Page 1

housing project’s approval eventually passed with a unanimous vote. Jefferson La Mesa is a 230-unit project on 4.77 acres of property that most recently housed an RV sales lot and other auto industry businesses. The project will consist of two buildings — a larger building along Baltimore and a smaller one along Nebo with ample parking in the middle. In total, the project will have eight studios, 138 one-bedrooms, 74 two-bedrooms and six three-bedrooms ranging in size from 553 square feet to

1,358 square feet. Ten percent of the units will be slated for very low-income residents. The housing project will be gated and include amenities like pocket parks with a dog area and a swimming pool. JPI, Jefferson La Mesa’s developers, will also make some public improvements, such as two new bike lanes along Baltimore, new traffic signaling, sidewalk improvements, a new median and new landscaping along Nebo. The developers will also invest in sewer improvements in conjunction with the acquisition of the city’s sewer pump station, which is located within the project boundary. As a condition of passing the project, the City Council also

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added a provision that JPI help pay for signage along Spring Street that will direct visitors to the city’s parking lot. David Potter, vice president of JPI, praised the community and the city for input on the project. “We did go to great lengths as a team to involve the community, meet with them on multiple occasions, both formally through community meetings and then more one-on-one to really make sure we were getting their input. We also worked comprehensively with staff on a number of things.” he said. “And I stand before you today to say I think the project is absolutely better based on that feedback that we received.” Many residents who spoke on the project also commented on the relationship with JPI and the city in the process. Commander Jack Porath of the American Legion, which has a post building next to the project, thanked the developer for addressing the Legion members’ concerns and also for agreeing to help improve the

post’s sewer issues and improve the post’s parking area. There were some opponents to the project, however. In addition to union members speaking out against the developer’s plan to use contractors that hire nonunion workers, some specific aspects of the project also drew criticism. One resident complained that the project offered too much parking, arguing that a project situated so close to a trolley station should be less “auto-centric” and offer more units and less parking spaces. Another resident suggested that the bike lanes proposed for Baltimore Drive are inadequate because they are not protected. Still, most residents showed support for the project that is to be built on the same property that the 18-story high Park Station was proposed for — a project that was met with fierce opposition by local residents. —Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.■

Larry Scott remembered Aug. 13, 1929 to Aug. 17, 2019 By Keith Dindinger

Here are a few of my favorite summer tips to help you save between 4pm and 9pm when energy prices are highest: Use a portable or ceiling fan to save big on AC.

Keep blinds and curtains closed during summer days to block out direct sunlight and reduce cooling costs. Cool down your home until 4pm; set your AC 7° higher until 9pm. Take advantage of off-peak period pricing. Charge an electric vehicle before 4pm or after 9pm. If you have a pool, run the pump before 4pm or after 9pm.

Find more tips at sdge.com/whenmatters

Time to save.

The passing of Larry Scott takes with him a bit of each of us that knew him. From my association with Larry, a friendship that dates back to 1983, it appears that he had a full and admirable life. He had a 24-year active military career that included serving naval air in Vietnam, being attached to the White House, the Blue Angels and recruiter for West Texas. After retiring as Lieutenant Commander, his business management skills served him well, and included several automobile-associated ventures. He found another calling when he joined Rotary. Most Rotarians got to know him when he joined Escondido Rotary in 1976 and then the La Mesa Rotary Club in 1983, serving as club president in 1994-95 and District 5340 governor in 2002-03. Larry’s activities in club, district and zone committees were numerous. A few on the list and recognitions are: • Recognized in 2003 by the Wheelchair Foundation for providing and delivering 2,500 wheelchairs to the needy in Malawi, East Africa. • 2005 Chairman of the Southern California/Nevada P.E.T.S. • Chair of the Paul Harris Society from 2013-18. • Received the 2018 RI Service Above Self Award. • Co-chaired the Don’t Wait – Immunize Committee. • Founded the District Leadership and Development Academy.

Larry Scott (Courtesy La Mesa Rotary Club)

• C o m m o d o r e o f t h e I nt e r n a t i o n a l Ya c h t i n g Fellowship of Rotarians. • Participated in Polio-Plus Immunizations in Asia, Africa, Mexico and the Philippines. Larry and Connie are major donors and benefactors to The Rotary Foundation. Their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are each Paul Harris Fellows. Larry will be remembered for his endless involvement in Rotary, no matter how large or small the project, and for his positive outlook on life, even during his health struggles. A friendly and personable person that always went by the book; a person that you could always call on for help or advice. He will be missed. —Keith Dindinger is a current La Mesa Rotary member and a past Rotary governor.■

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

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Community and Arts & Entertainment Calendar ONGOING EVENTS

FEATURED EVENTS Friday, Aug. 23

‘Xanadu’ Through Aug. 25 A Greek muse inspires love, laughter and the world’s first roller disco in this 1980s glitter explosion. This Tony Award-nominated, hilarious, roller-skating musical adventure about following your dreams despite the limitations

others set for you, rolls along to the original hit score composed by pop-rock legends Jeff Lynne and John Farrar. Thursdays, 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 2 p.m. at ENCORE! Theatre, 9620 Campo Road, Spring Valley. $13 tickets, available at bit. ly/2Kymrek.■

RECURRING EVENTS Mondays Note Catchers California Note Catchers, four-part harmony chorus, invite ladies of all ages to their rehearsals 7-9 p.m. Performances throughout SD. Located in Social Hall of La Mesa First United Methodist Church, 4690 Palm Ave. 619-464-3727. Tuesdays La Mesa Walks! Enjoy a fun walk with friends and neighbors. First and third Tuesdays, meet at various locations, second and fourth Tuesdays meet at 9 a.m. at La Mesa Library, 8074 Allison Ave. Call 619-667-1300 for more information. Wednesdays Senior Women’s Support Group City of La Mesa offers senior women’s support group, every Wednesday 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center, 8450 La Mesa Blvd. Please contact 619-667-1322. Wellness Wednesday Wellness Wednesday is a health series normally held on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Herrick Library, 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa. Admission is free and advance RSVP is not required. Light refreshments and informational handouts will be available. For more information, call the library at 619-825-5010 or visit herricklibrary.org. Grossmont Center Farmers Market Grossmont Center hosts a produce-only farmers market, 2-6 p.m. in the back lot in front of the Dollar Tree. Thursdays Classic Car Show The La Mesa Village Association is proud to host this

year’s La Mesa Classic Car Show featuring pre-1974 cars, trucks, and vans! The event will feature DJs and live bands located at Third Street and La Mesa Boulevard, and an award giveaway at each event honoring the night’s best cars. The 2019 La Mesa Classic Car Show will take place each Thursday from 5-8 p.m. starting on June 6 and running through Aug. 29. Movie Matinee The La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center hosts a series of modern and classic film viewings every Thursday at 1 p.m. in the center’s main hall. Cost is $2 per ticket. For movie listings, visit bit.ly/2FVrOSQ. Fridays La Mesa farmers market La Mesa’s farmers market offers fresh local produce, florals, pastries, live music, and arts and crafts each Friday. 3-7 p.m. along La Mesa Boulevard. Free. Saturdays Shop Local Market Last Saturday of the month at Grossmont Center, participating shops set up tables outside and offer markdowns and new product showcases. 10 a.m.4 p.m. Free. 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa. Sundays Traveling Stories Visit Grossmont Center each Sunday for an interactive story time for kids. Kids visit the StoryTent, pick out a book that interests them, and then read it out loud to a volunteer. The volunteer asks engaging questions that help the child build reading comprehension and critical thinking skills all while earning book bucks to trade for cool prizes. Free. 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa.■

‘And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little’ Through Sept. 22 Lamplighters Community Theatre presents a play about three sisters who have grown up in a house of women, dominated by their recently deceased mother. But time has erased the tender closeness of girlhood; one sister has married and cut herself off; another has begun to drink more than she should; and the third, after a scandalous incident at the school where she teaches, is on the brink of madness. When the married sister comes to dinner to press the need for committing her sibling to an institution, all the pathos, humor and honesty of the play combine with overwhelming effect. Fridays, Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at Lamplighters Community Theatre, 5915 Severin Drive, La Mesa. Tickets range $18-$23 available at lampligherslamesa.com.

Wednesday, Aug. 28

Kool & The Gang and The Village People Bust out the platforms and bell-bottoms for this night of music from two of the biggest groups of the disco era. 8 p.m. at Sycuan Casino, 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon. Tickets range $69-$99, available at sycuan.com.

Friday, Aug. 30

Barona Powwow The Barona Band of Mission Indians proudly invites the San Diego community to celebrate Native American heritage at the 49th annual Barona Powwow over Labor Day Weekend. The

three-day cultural celebration starts on Friday, Aug. 30, with gourd dancing at 6 p.m. and a dramatic grand entry of dancers in colorful regalia at 8 p.m. The Barona Powwow will continue Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 11 p.m. In addition to beautiful regalia and dancing, spectators will be able to enjoy hand drum contests, singing and music, authentic Native American food including delicious Indian fry bread tacos, arts and crafts and handcrafted jewelry. The Barona Powwow will be held at the Barona Sports Park located on the Barona Indian Reservation just one mile north of the Barona Resort & Casino on Wildcat Canyon Road in Lakeside. Free shuttle service is available from Barona Resort & Casino to the Powwow. Admission and parking are free. Visit barona.com.

Saturday, Aug. 31

Summer Concert Series: The Cat-illacs Final performance of Grossmont Center’s Summer Concert Series features variety music act The Cat-illacs. 5-7 p.m. at Grossmont Center, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa. Free.

Sunday, Sept. 8

music, but also play many other musical styles. The quartet is very versatile and has a very eclectic repertoire spanning the centuries of classical art music, world music, jazz and pop. 3-4 p.m. at Mission trails Church, 4880 Zion Ave., San Diego. Free-will offering will be taken.

Saturday, Sept. 14

‘Im Hussein in Double Trouble’ A Nigerian scammer promises Im Hussein and her husband Abou Hussein $1.5 million, with strings attached. The two fall for the swindle and deplete their savings account to comply. Confusion reigns when an African man arrives with a shocking claim. Then the authorities come to investigate. And yet another African shows up, adding to the carnival of chaos, laced generously with Im Hussein’s signature comedic input. 8 p.m. at Joan B. Kroc Theatre, 6611 University Ave., San Diego. Tickets are $72-$87, available at bit.ly/2TspRBY.

Tuesday, Sept. 24 Panel discussion and book signing Author J.R. Strayve, Jr. will discuss his book “First Spouse of the United States,” a political thriller about a gay activist and his husband’s quest for the White House. Also appearing will be author Michael Black who will be signing his new book, “Happy Endings and a New Beginning,” about his struggle to overcome abuse as a child. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Barnes and Noble Grossmont Center, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa.

Sunday, Sept. 15

ART + GARDEN in the PARK Foothills Art Association and La Mesa Beautiful host a unique event featuring local artists and neighborhood gardeners offering both art and plants for sale. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Harry Griffin Park, 9550 Milden St., La Mesa. For more information, call 619-203-4098.

Peter Pupping Band Mission Trails Church’s Second Sunday Community Concert will feature the Peter Pupping Band — group specialized in Latin

Saturday, Sept. 21

Al Di Meola Guitar virtuoso Al Di Meola’s ongoing fascination with complex rhythmic syncopation combined with provocative lyrical melodies and sophisticated harmony has been at the heart of his music throughout a celebrated career that has spanned four decades and earned him critical accolades, three gold albums and more than 6 million in record sales worldwide. 7 p.m. at The Magnolia, 210 East Main St., El Cajon. $35 tickets available at livemu.sc/2YZRgMJ.

Thursday, Sept. 26

Ines Irwati & Danny Green The Green House Concert Series continues with a performance featuring solo works from classical pianist Ines Irwati and jazz Pianist Danny Green. $20 tickets available at bit.ly/2Z1XYlF. 3-4:30 p.m., La Mesa location revealed at time of purchase.

SoCal Rehab Golf Classic Alvarado Hospital hosts a charity golf tournament to fund the Alvarado Hospital Auxiliary, a nonprofit entity that supports post-treatment programs for the benefit of individuals with physical disabilities and senior citizens. Tournament registration and a putting contest begins at noon, followed by a shotgun start for the none-hole tournament at 2 p.m. at Riverwalk Golf Club, 1150 Fashion Valley Road, San Diego. For registration information, visit bit.ly/2OIS8Wn or call 619-229-7362.■

CLASSIFIEDS / BUSINESS & SERVICES

Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

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WANTED TO BUY Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201 Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the above classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it is illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in US dollars. Toll free numbers may or may not reach Canada. Cash for unexpired DIABETIC TEST STRIPS! Call 1-855-440-4001 Free Shipping, Best Prices & 24 hr payment! BBB Rated A+ www.TestStripSearch.com.■

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Aug. 23 – Sept. 26, 2019 THEATER / VILLAGE VOICES / PUZZLES La Mesa Courier 19 sdnews.com Some light drinking at Lamplighters WORSHIP DIRECTORY Paul Zindel’s wonderful study of three sisters, “And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little,” opens Aug. 23 at Lamplighters Community Theatre in La Mesa and runs through Sept. 22. Zindel’s first play written for Broadway is, according to Richard L. Coe of the Washington Post, “Bitterly funny and wrenchingly sad…under his chillingly funny lines, Zindel is stating some hard facts about our increasingly uncomfortable world.” It’s a show even more poignant today than when it was written in 1971. The play is helmed by the award-winning director O.P. Hadlock. The cast is made up of some of San Diego’s finest actors, award-winners themselves. Playing the pivotal role of Catherine Reardon is Rhiannon McAffee, a veteran of many San Diego theaters. Heather Warren playing Anna and Susan Stratton as Ceil fills out the roles of the

Wed. Night........6:30pm to 8:00pm Sat. Night..........6:30pm to 8:00pm Sunday.............10:00am to 11:30am Tuesday.............6:30pm to 8:00pm

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Pastor Dave Riley Calvary Chapel 7525 El Cajon Blvd. La Mesa, CA 91942.

WORSHIP DIRECTORY Advertise your Church in the Worship Directory & Reach 28,000 Readers Call Heather @ 951.296.7794 hfine@sdnews.com

(l to r) Helen Warren as Anna, Rhiannon McAfee as Catherine, Susan Stratton as Ceil (Photo courtesy Lamplighters Community Theatre)

sisters. James Steinberg and Amy Dell are the obnoxious neighbors, Bob and Fleur Stein. Equally aggravating and invasive are Mrs. Pentrano (Shannon Wolff) with her cosmetic order book and the gum-smacking Delivery Girl (Andrea Roebuck). “And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little” runs Fridays and Saturdays

at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Sept. 22 at Lamplighters Community Theatre, 5915 Severin Drive, La Mesa. Tickets are $23 for adults and $20 for seniors over 62, students and active military. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit lamplighterslamesa. com.■

PUZZLES

ANSWERS ON PAGE 13

SUDOKU

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

Taking martial arts to defend your health Gen-X in La Mesa By GENEVIEVE SUZUKI

Whenever you’re trying to lose weight, you need to do two simple things: Manage your diet and fit exercise into your routine. For me, one of those “all or nothing” people, a medically supervised fast was a good, hard diet reset. Because I was on such a limited daily caloric intake, I was initially told I needed to take it easy. Several weeks into the fast, however, the doctor asked each of us in our weekly class, “What are you doing to exercise?” All I knew was I didn’t want to join a gym. I had a membership for 10 years and maybe went religiously for two of them. I’m easily bored so I needed something else to raise my level of activity. Albert Einstein believed if you defined the problem properly, the solution will present itself. My problem was I needed to find something that would encourage me to do it on a regular basis. One day, as I pondered whether to just give in to that dreaded gym membership, my daughter’s kung fu teacher advised her she needed to attend more group classes to continue to grow. My immediate reaction was to inwardly freak out about how I didn’t have time to take her while trying to get myself in shape. But then I noticed adult after adult walking into the martial arts school in uniforms. The solution presented itself. I could earn stripes and sashes as I worked my way up, learning self-defense while getting healthy. I knew I liked the school – my daughter has been attending for six years. But could I handle the moves if I started in my mid-40s? “A good number of our current black sashes are over 50,” said White Dragon La Mesa head

CROSSWORD

Genevieve Suzuki practicing her kung fu. (Courtesy photo)

Sifu Don Tittle. “I have one black sash who didn’t even start until she was 50. So yeah, people have been proving age is just a number for a long time here at the school. What I think it takes is consistency. If people just make a habit of daily practice, they would be astounded at how quickly they would see progress. I encourage all of my students to turn training into a lifestyle, not just a once-ina-while hobby.” In addition to a weekly private lesson, White Dragon also offers several group classes, such as striking, kicking and kickboxing. “The classes target all three pillars of fitness: strength, cardio and flexibility,” said Tittle, who has been with White Dragon for 30 years. “Kung fu is a holistic form of training and includes many mental components and benefits as well.”

I told my daughter I was signing up for kung fu at her school. Expecting a little push-back, I instead got an excited, “That’s awesome, Mom!” as she vowed to go to classes with me. No embarrassment, just support. A month into my training, I can tell you the journey ahead of me is long. I may not be able to hold a decent horse stance for longer than 20 seconds, but I am developing muscles that weren’t there and a confidence infused by the knowledge I may be able to at least fight off the average 10-year-old playground bully, no easy feat for the old, flabby me. If you are interested in White Dragon La Mesa, call 619-4612760 or visit bit.ly/33IrrVj. —Genevieve Suzuki is a local attorney and former La Mesa Courier editor.■

ACROSS 1 Job 5 Retirement account 8 Parent-teacher organizations 12 Audibly 14 Leavened bread in Indian cooking 15 “To __ his own” 16 Violent disorder 18 Not wet 19 Worst (French)

20 Move with springy steps 21 Georgia rockers 22 Moved quickly 23 Blood proteins 26 Return to 30 Related to Iran 31 The first 32 Pearl Jam’s debut 33 Nocturnal, catlike mammal 34 Hymn

39 One who engages in arbitrage 42 Less bright 44 Indian lute 46 Discovers 47 Weatherman 49 Jai __, sport 50 Spy organization 51 Ancient Greek oracles 56 Swindles 57 Not young 58 Log-shaped pastry

59 Professional engineer association 60 Arabic feminine name 61 Sacred text 62 __ and ends 63 What remains after taxes 64 Type of watt

DOWN 1 Pack full of clay 2 Relating to wings 3 Type of bean 4 Former MLB commish Bowie 5 Short-tailed lemur 6 Cheese dish 7 To any further extent 8 Enzyme 9 Taiwan capital 10 Extensive landed property

11 Remove 13 Remove the head 17 High IQ group 24 Israeli city __ Aviv 25 Sportscaster 26 Hastily set up 27 Midway between northeast and east 28 Beloved basketball player Jeremy 29 Consumed 35 One point east of due south

36 Television network 37 Allow 38 Wife 40 Grayish-brown mammal 41 Written language for blind people 42 Insecticide 43 Della __, singer 44 Cleaned 45 Eye membranes 47 Past tense of fly

48 Anwar __, Egyptian statesman 49 Currency exchange charge 52 Dark stain 53 Easily manageable 54 One who does not tell the truth 55 Soluble ribonucleic acid

Aug. 23 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sept. 26, 2019

La Mesa Courier

sdnews.com

RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE 2O18 OFFICIAL AWARD WINNER

SOLDS

in 2019 So Far:

GOLD