La Mesa Courier, September 27th, 2019 by San Diego Community Newspaper Group

VOLUME 9 ISSUE 9 Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

Special festival guide! Pages 11-14

INSIDE

City joins regional CCA agency

THIS ISSUE BBFEATURE Rhinestone Granny

By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier

Dance instructor shares story of overcoming agoraphobia to performing on stage. Page 15

BBFOOD & DRINK

Laying a hat at home

measures that would help fund their efforts to revitalize their side of the city. Envision president Craig Reed presented the findings of two years of environmental scans, where Envision members tracked instances of blighted buildings, signage in disarray, trash, graffiti and even safety concerns like open electrical boxes along University Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard — “things that cue people in that

After months of negotiations amongst local cities, La Mesa made it official on Sept. 10 that it will join a regional Joint Powers Authority that will buy and sell clean energy to residents. La Mesa and Chula Vista both cast votes to join the JPA on Sept. 10. Encinitas voted to join on Sept. 11 and San Diego and Imperial Beach on Sept. 17. “We are really excited about the progress we’ve made and what the future really holds for us as a region to move forward with this JPA and provide cheaper, cleaner, greener energy to our constituency, to the rate payers,” said Lee Friedman, infrastructure policy manager for San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s office. San Diego is the lead city in the JPA and is paying for most of the implementation costs. Sophie Wolfram, director of programs for Climate Action Campaign, described the plan as “one of the most progressive in California” and urged the council to pass it without amendments. “This is a huge moment for La Mesa and our region. This vote … will set the region on a path to clean energy choice, rate relief for working families, good middle class jobs and local clean energy,” she said. Environmentalists from San Diego 350 and a representative of Sullivan Solar Power also urged the council to approve the JPA agreement without amendments to avoid any delays in passing it.

SEE WEST SIDE PLANS, Page 4

SEE CCA JPA, Page 19

La Mesa’s other library Horseless Carriage Foundation Library Executive Director "Mac" McPherson (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

Sombrero opens restaurant in city of its corporate headquarters. Page 17

By DOUG CURLEE | La Mesa Courier

La Mesa is home to one of the top three museums of its type in the United States. Comparatively few people know that fact and most of

BBFEATURE All aboard!

those who do know it are all about automobiles — the older the better. The Horseless Ca r r iage Foundation and the Automotive Research Library share space at 8186 Center St., Suite F, just a few

blocks southwest of Grossmont Center. At one time, the library was housed at the Automotive SEE AUTO LIBRARY, Page 4

City drafts west side improvements plans By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier

The La Mesa Depot and the centennial of the San Diego & Arizona Railway. Page 18

BBALSO INSIDE

Opinion Politics Education Books Art Theater Calendar Classifieds

6 6 8 10 20 20 21 22

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

Envisions president Craig Reed addresses City Council on Sept. 24. (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

Resident activists of west La Mesa are proof of the old adage: “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” At the Sept. 24 La Mesa City Council meeting, members of Envision La Mesa — a group formed to clean up west La Mesa — presented the findings of their annual environmental scan of the west side and then witnessed the fruits of their labor when the council voted to approve two

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NEWS City adopts adult use cannabis rules Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier

Seventeen. That is the greatest number of adult use cannabis dispensaries that can operate in La Mesa following a vote by the City Council on Sept. 24 that adopts new rules governing cannabis businesses in the city. The new rules state that only medical cannabis dispensaries that are currently approved or have applied for a conditional use permit as of the Sept. 24 meeting can apply for a permit to operate an adult use dispensary co-located in their medical dispensary. There are currently 17

Fresh Selections owner Jim Bartell (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

such dispensaries either open or in the permit process in the city. The number of adult use dispensaries was almost 16, because the original ordinance included a provision that would block all adult use dispensaries from opening within a 1,000 foot perimeter of schools in residential neighborhoods. One dispensary, soon to be opened on La Mesa Boulevard, fell into that 1,000 perimeter of Lemon Avenue Elementary. The dispensary owner, his attorneys and cannabis activists argued during public comments that the dispensary should be allowed an exception and granted a permit. “We’ve invested over $750,000 to get to this point in the cities process, fees, tenant improvements which have been completed and just last week we completed the offsite improvements required by the city for street and sidewalk improvements at a cost of $50,000 — those are done,” said Jim Bartell, owner of Fresh Selection, the dispensary in question. “So an incredible investment has been made at this point, assuming we would qualify for the recreational permit under the old separation rules. It’s a matter of fairness at this point.” Bartell also argued that although he’d still be permitted to run a medical dispensary — because the new rules cannot

override Prop U, the citizens’ initiative that legalized medical marijuana businesses in la Mesa — he’d be at a competitive disadvantage to the 16 other dispensaries allowed to sell recreational cannabis to people of 21 years of age with proper ID. After debating different ways to approach allowing Fresh Selection an exception, the Council asked if it was legal to make the cutoff for dispensary permit applications the date of the meeting to avoid a rush of new applications the next day. City Attorney Glen Sabine affirmed that it was, so the amendment was added to the ordinance, allowing Fresh Selection to apply for an adult use permit. In addition to allowing the 17 adult use cannabis dispensaries, the new ordinance also sets guidelines for other cannabis businesses such as grow operations, cannabis product manufacturing and testing facilities. Those businesses will only be allowed in industrial zones. The new ordinance keeps Prop U requirements for safety and security like cameras, armed guards, alarms, odor control, etc. The new rules are expected to go into effect sometime in November. —Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.■

NEWS BRIEFS DIY ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY TOOLKIT The city of La Mesa is making it easy for residents to save energy, conserve water and reduce waste with the launch of their new DIY Energy Saving and Sustainability Toolkit. The toolkits are available for check out and give La Mesa residents the tools to make sustainable changes to their homes so they can save energy and water and reduce waste. It aims to engage residents in environmentally conscious initiatives that support the city of La Mesa’s climate action plan, which strives to reduce emissions in half by 2035. The toolkit was created in partnership with SDG&E and Helix Water District and features free giveaways, reusable tools, and a user guide with step-by-step instructions on how to implement cost saving changes to residents’ home. The free giveaways include LED bulbs, low-flow showerheads, weather-stripping, low-flow faucet aerators, outlet gaskets and more. Users are encouraged to fill out a voluntary feedback form documenting savings and overall satisfaction with the kit. The information captured will help the city improve the program and measure progress towards its goals. The toolkits are available for check out to La Mesa residents and can be reserved online. Residents can identify one of two

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pick-up locations — La Mesa City Hall, 8130 Allison Ave., and Helix Water District, 7811 University Ave. Kits must be returned after two weeks. For more information on the toolkit and to reserve one today, visit bit.ly/2mlFuPr.

‘STUFF THE JEEP’

The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce has created a partnership with Barnes & Noble at Grossmont Center to invite the public to purchase a book that will be donated to the Chamber’s annual La Mesa Military Families Holiday Project. The books may be purchased at Barnes & Noble beginning on Sept. 28 through Oct. 26. The local Military Families Holiday Project allows the chamber to gather new toys, diapers and other items for military families that are living in the two military housing locations in La Mesa. Many of them have family members deployed during the holidays and this project allows the chamber and the public to make the holiday season a little brighter for these military personnel that sacrifice for our country. This event is being called “Stuff the Jeep.” There will be a Jeep, courtesy of Carl Burger Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM World, in Grossmont Center beginning Oct. 21 and on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 3:30 p.m., all of the books that have been donated will be brought out to the Jeep and “stuffed” inside for this worthy cause and handed off to the La Mesa Chamber to be included in its annual military children and families holiday enhancement project. How can the public participate? Visit Barnes & Noble in Grossmont Center and remember at check out to pick a book from the stack of books available to donate to the military families. All those that donate a book will be given a raffle ticket. Raffles will be held for prizes on Oct. 26, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. During those same hours, there will also be lots of children’s activities such as craft activities, special story time and more. For more information about this project, visit lamesachamber.com.

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The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at Hooley’s Public House, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, starting at 5:30 p.m. In addition to board elections for the chamber, the event is billed as a business mixer and party that will feature food from host Hooley’s, as well as wines from Cali Comfort BBQ, Nonno’s Ristorante Italiano and Valley Farm Market. Chamber members bringing their ballots in person, must place them in the ballot box by SEE NEWS BRIEFS, Page 15

NEWS sdnews.com Citizen oversight of police goes back to the drawing board

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

By JEFF CLEMETSON | La Mesa Courier

The future of citizen oversight of the La Mesa Police Department is still very much up in the air following a vote by La Mesa City Council to shelve a proposal by Chief Walt Vasquez. On Sept. 10, Chief Vasquez presented a report to City Council on different potential models for citizen oversight of La Mesa Police Department. Residents and activists have been requesting some sort of oversight of LMPD following a 2018 incident at Helix High School involving an officer tackling a student to the ground who was in handcuffs. After explaining various types of citizen review processes that are employed by different cities and counties, Chief Vasquez recommended the city adopt a Citizen Public Safety Panel — an 11-member panel appointed by City Council that would be a conduit between the community and police and add an increased level of transparency. The panel would receive information on police policies and procedures and be invited to participate in community activities. That plan was not well-received by many residents who attended the Sept. 10 meeting, and the scope of it was also questioned by some council members. “You are out in the community a lot, you work in partnership with the community,” said Council member Akilah Weber to Chief Vasquez. “I know that the department has a lot of community events — Coffee with a Cop, other things where people can come in and learn about the different things about being a police officer, workshops, etc. So how is this different from that, because I don’t really see much of a difference?” Vasquez explained the key difference is that the panel would meet quarterly and the meetings would be open to the public. Weber then pointed out that people who want to a complaint against the police would not feel comfortable addressing a public panel and asked Vasquez if complaints about officers are confidential. They are, he said, but can only be investigated if there is some kind of contact information for internal affairs to follow up with an investigation. That the proposed public safety panel did not include a mechanism for citizens to review specific complaints against officers or conduct independent investigations on reported incidents was a major sticking point for the residents and activists that spoke at the City Council meeting. “I’m very disappointed because this is a citizen’s advisory committee. The process here contradicts community policing,” said Jack Chu, a local activist who has

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1749 Arvilla Lane City Council discusses a citizen oversight plan for La Mesa Police Department on Sept. 10. (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

organized a group of community members to look at citizen oversight of police. Chu added that the proposal was an “insult” his group. “We were given this resolution five days ago — no input, no chance to amend. Everyone knows we’ve been working on this, but we were not consulted.” Chu said the panel idea did not adhere to the recommendations of a grand jury that made recommendations to cities in San Diego County on how to approach citizen oversight. Janet Castanos, another community member who worked on the citizen oversight issue, described the proposal as a “betrayal of public trust.” “This resolution, that is supposedly focused on increasing community involvement, was developed by city officials without any involvement from citizens of our diverse La Mesa community,” she said. “Instead, it was developed behind closed doors. How does this impact public trust?” Besides being left out of the proposal’s development, community members’ other major complaint was that the panel proposal lacked any real oversight of police — no way to review questionable actions by officers that may occur. According to Scott Tiedemann, an attorney that consults police departments who spoke at the City Council meeting, the issue is a legal one — La Mesa is a general law city, not a charter city, and therefore citizens are not permitted to review police matters. “The government code talks about general law cities and who has authority over the police department, and it’s the police chief,” he said. “That control deals with issues like conducting investigations, control over peace officer personnel records.” Tiedemann said most cities in California with citizen oversight are charter cities, although the city of Tulare and neighboring National City are general law and have had citizen oversight of police matters for more than 20 and 10 years, respectively. Council member Weber asked Tiedemann if those cities have lost any lawsuits over

their citizen review boards and Tiedemann said no. Tiedemann suggested that a better way for community members to get the kind of oversight they want is to petition to change La Mesa to a charter city. Council member Bill Baber voiced support for this proposal. “You do have the power in your hand to change this if you want to move toward a charter city,” Baber said. “Just putting this on the table. It’s probably something no one wants to hear because it’s a longer solution, but it would be a cleaner solution.” Mayor Mark Arapostathis noted that the process in developing some kind of citizen oversight broke down between the police and the community members and suggested starting over and going about it differently. “I would ask that we continue this process and give some more direction for what we want this process to look like and who should be a part of this process,” he said. Council member Colin Parent suggested using the makeup of the panel suggested by Chief Vasquez, or an existing group like the Community Relations Commission, to hold public meetings and develop a plan for citizen oversight. Council member Kristine Alessio also supported that suggestion. After discussion, the council passed a motion by Weber for the city to form a task force for civilian oversight of the police with staff support, comprised of 11 members of various backgrounds and geographic locations of La Mesa that is directed to do community outreach and education about citizen oversight, determine what La Mesa’s needs are for citizen oversight and draft an appropriate policy. The task force will be an open application process with final appointment by the City Council. A final version of Weber’s motion will be voted on at a future meeting after staff drafts a more formal resolution. —Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.■

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Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

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FEATURE / NEWS Auto library CONTINUED FROM Page 1

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Museum in Balboa Park, but space considerations there dictated a move elsewhere. The small front area is a sitting room, where you can sit and peruse articles and books about nearly every car ever built, back to the days when there were powered by steam. There are a lot of pages to peruse — a lot of pages. “We’ve scanned and archived more than 5 million pages, so far, and there’s still a whole lot to go,” said “Mac” McPherson, executive An oiling chart for an old Studebaker director of the research library. You begin to understand the The library has documentation which was Communist East magnitude of that task as you look about cars from all over the world, Germany’s attempt to match the down the several aisles of books going back to when they were first success the Volkswagen enjoyed and documents stretching nearly made — even if they were pow- worldwide. The Trabant was so the length of the building. ered by steam, as many were. bad even the people who built it If you need service didn’t want to drive it. manuals for very old There are many items cars, or design drawings, available for sale at the or books about the vehimuseum — often duplicle, or books and articles cates of the items already about early San Diego, scanned and archived. they’re likely to be there. There are many more Doesn’t everyone need items that are one of a a schematic of the first kind, and will never be Studebaker truck from sold. Those items can be before Word War I? scanned and printed out How did McPherson get for a nominal fee. to this place in life? The museum exists on “I’m not dead sure,” contributions, some of said the retired Navy man those sales and donations. and master printer. He’s Mac is particularly gratealways been interested in ful for ongoing support old cars, so this was right from the Ellen Browning up his alley. “I just came From the time before GPS, a road map of Southern Scripps Foundation. in to help out a little, and California It’s a place to see and found myself in charge of appreciate if you’re at all the place.” Mac could even provide infor- interested in the topic. Lest you think this is all about mation about perhaps the worst It’s a little hard to find, but not American cars, absolutely not. car ever built — the Trabant, terribly so, and there’s not a whole lot of parking. But if cars — all kinds of cars — are what you’re interested in, you can look past all that and enjoy. The Horseless Ca r r iage Foundation and the Automotive Research Library in La Mesa is open Tuesdays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The foundation also offers presentations at schools — complete with a vintage Model T Ford. For more information, or to make a donation, visit the library at 8186 Center St. or visit online at hcfi.org.

An early drawing of San Diego's Balboa Park (Photos by Doug Curlee)

West side plans CONTINUED FROM Page 1

this is a neighborhood you want to drive through not shop, dine and explore,” he said. The results of the scan show an area in need of attention. Reed reported that from 2018 to 2019, blight has gone down, but trash has gone up along El Cajon Boulevard. Trash also increased along University Avenue, but graffiti saw a substantial drop, Reed said, and offered up a suggestion for the city.

“We want to address the trash issues,” he said. “We’ve noticed in our surveys time and time again, for example, there’s a lot of trash near the bus stops, but not a single receptacle near them.” Reed also pointed to a Circulate San Diego report that shows University and El Cajon as the least safe streets in La Mesa, as well as the results of an Envision survey where west side residents reported not feeling safe in their neighborhoods. “They do not feel like the west side is the best place to be walking alone at night or even down

—Doug Curlee is a longtime San Diego reporter in both print and television. Reach him at dougcurlee@ cox.net.■ the main corridors a lot of times, there are other places they prefer to be, claim people who live in that neighborhood,” he said.

HELP ON THE WAY

Making west side neighborhoods cleaner, and ultimately safer, is the goal of two proposals City Council unanimously passed at the Sept. 24 meeting. The first, a program proposed by Council members Kristine Alessio and Akilah Weber, would fund mini-grants for businesses SEE WEST SIDE PLANS, Page 5

NEWS

Pearl Harbor Survivors group holds final meeting in La Mesa They survived the massive Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. More than 2,400 of their fellow sailors, soldiers and Marines didn’t. They recovered, fought in the Pacific and Europe, won WWII, and became known as the Greatest Generation. But they finally met the enemy no one can defeat — time. Sept. 21 brought about the end of the road for Carnation Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, 56 years after its founding, at the final meeting held at the Latter Day Saints church in La Mesa. Chapter President Stu Hedley had to drop the final gavel at the anniversary luncheon with three words. “We are done.”

Clayton Schenkelberg

West side plans CONTINUED FROM Page 4

and property owners to access for beautification projects like new signs, artwork, landscaping improvements, power washing and painting buildings, etc. “It’s just giving a nod to businesses in west La Mesa that need a little sprucing up and maybe it’s a public art program, maybe it’s something else,” Alessio said. Alessio also found a funding source for the program. “One of the things that came to our attention … is that people say there is no money for this,” she said. “Well [the businesses] aren’t asking for huge chunks of money and we identified a funding source, which is our own expense accounts.” Alessio offered to put her $4,000 account toward the program, but if it is successful said the city should consider using general fund monies and expand the program. Baber offered his account as well, making the seed money for the program $7,000. The other program, proposed by Council member Bill Baber, would directly address issues caused by illegal cannabis dispensaries that left some of the properties in west La Mesa in need of attention.

The chapter will still exist for the friends and family members of the chapter, and they will try to continue in an informal way, making sure this generation doesn’t forget the past. Almost everyone at the luncheon is an honorary member. They are family and friends of the survivors — wives, sons and daughters, grandchildren, and just supporters. But the Carnation Chapter, once the largest of several chapters nationwide, can no longer officially exist. “The rules say that the president and the vice president of the group must be actual survivors,” said 98-year-old Hedley. “There is just no one who can fill the second chair, so we have to shut it down. We are really a dying organization, aren’t we?” There is no arguing that. There are seven actual survivors left in the group, but only one of them was able to make it to the luncheon — Clayton Schenkelberg, who will turn 102 next month. Hedley is the only one still able to walk and communicate well. So well, in fact, that he’s booked for several appearances at schools and civic events over the next few months, despite the fact that he’s fighting some serious physical challenges himself. “The Lord willing, of course,” said the deeply religious Hedley. The Carnation Chapter people plan to continue to meet as “[We were] witness to many illegal cannabis businesses that a number of them when they left in a hurry, left a mess, and some of that still needs to be cleaned up today,” Reed told the council. In Baber’s proposal, businesses adjacent to shuttered illegal dispensaries can apply for up to $20,000 to repair damage associated with the blight created by their neighbors. In addition to businesses neighboring former dispensaries, new owners who purchase former illegal dispensaries can also apply — with a caveat. The money can be used to clean up the illegal dispensary properties by the new owners, but only if they are not affiliated in any way with any previous owner who allowed or operated an illegal dispensary on that property. “The purpose of these provisions is to encourage new owners to clean up the mess left behind by the former owners, and not to benefit any former owner or operator who broke the laws of La Mesa,” Baber said. Council member Colin Parent raised a couple concerns with the proposals. One, that the required paperwork for a grant for so little money might deter businesses from applying. And he also raised a concern about liability.

Carnation Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association President Stu Hedley (Photos by Doug Curlee)

a social group in the future, as much as they can. But they won’t be collecting dues and sending them to the national Survivors Association — there is really no national association anymore. Everyone knew this day was coming — which doesn’t make it any easier. It never does. —Doug Curlee is a longtime San Diego reporter in both print and television. Reach him at dougcurlee@ cox.net.■ “We don’t want a situation where we pay for a power wash and someone gets power washed in the face and all of a sudden we’re liable and we have to fill out some paperwork,” he said. City Attorney Glen Sabine said there will definitely have to be an implementation agreement that provides for all the legalities of the use of the money, but that the city already has those documents in place and they don’t take much time for staff to process. The council ultimately voted unanimously to pass resolutions for staff to come back with formal plans to be adopted at a future council meeting, to the applause of the Envision members at the meeting. “Thank you for considering this,” Reed told the council. “For our purposes, we’re just trying to see how we make the city a better place. Those blighted areas are not going to disappear on their own, there is going to need to be some effort or intervention, I understand there are many different options, and we support trying this out to eliminate some of the blight and engage those properties so they are being utilized property.” —Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.■

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Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

OPINION / POLITICS

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

Guest Editorial 1621 Grand Ave., Suite C San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 270-3103 LaMesaCourier.com Twitter: @LaMesaCourier

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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.

The value of volunteers within a community By MARY ENGLAND

Today, volunteers are more in demand than ever before. The latest value of a volunteer is $25.43 per hour. Volunteers are the backbone of society and a community. The 2018 Volunteering in America report found that 77.34 million adults (30.3%) volunteered through an organization last year. Who volunteers the most? Generation X (those born between 1965 to 1980) leads among generations in the United States. Generation X had a volunteer rate of 28.9%, followed by baby boomers at 25.7%. Volunteering provides many benefits to both mental and physical health, and helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. The social contact aspect of helping and working with others can have a profound effect on your overall psychological well-being. Volunteers receive many benefits such as: gaining confidence, making a difference, being a part of a community, learning new skills and having fun! San Diego-CarlsbadSan Marcos statistics state that, overall, 29.4% of residents volunteer, which is about 770,109

volunteers and 57 volunteer hours per capita providing 110.2 millions of hours of service. An interesting fact is that 58.2% of these residents donate $25 or more to charity. Another interesting fact is that 65.5% of residents engage in informal volunteering for example, doing favors for neighbors and helping people within their neighborhoods and community. The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce is proud of our volunteer base. At our events throughout the year, whether it be an evening mixer or one of our large-scale community events, our volunteers show up and are ready to work. They are the key ingredient to our success. At any one time, we may have anywhere from 30 to 50 volunteers working and performing the tasks necessary to execute a flawless event. Volunteers are the most important resource community organizations have. The ability of people working willingly together for the betterment of their community and themselves is a valuable resource. I suggest that when you attend any function within our community and you see one of our Retired Senior

Letters Volunteer Patrol folks working, or you are at the Flag Day Parade, or you are visiting the local library, or you are attending a community dinner or attending any other meaningful event within our city, stop and say “thank you” to those tireless volunteers. Your acknowledgement will mean the world to them and put a huge smile on their face and yours as well. The La Mesa Chamber of Commerce recognizes and thanks our volunteers that work with us throughout the year. We are also grateful to the public and members of communities throughout the region, that assist us as we make a difference in the lives of many. We are honored to partner with our volunteers and the community and will soon launch our annual charitable projects. We will again adopt 24 La Mesa homebound seniors and gather canned goods, toiletries and items for their holidays and support our annual La Mesa children’s military project, collecting toys and items for military families that live in La Mesa military housing. To learn more about our upcoming holiday charitable projects contact us at 619-465-7700 or chamber@lamesachamber.com. —Mary England is president of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce.■

News from your County Supervisor Dianne’s Corner By DIANNE JACOB

LA JOLLA

Ready for wildfire?: Many of the biggest and deadliest firestorms in San Diego County history have happened this time of year. When disaster strikes again, will you be ready? Some critical reminders – be sure to sign up for reverse 9-1-1 alerts, put together a family emergency preparedness plan and check out the county’s Know Your Hazards map to learn about the risks where you live. Details on all these and more can be found at readysandiego.org. Senior housing: I was so grateful and pleased to

take part in a recent ribbon-cutting in Ramona for the new Schmale Family Senior Residence, a housing complex that serves one of our most vulnerable populations – low-income seniors. Thanks to the non-profit Serving Seniors, Ramona leaders and others for teaming up with the county on this project. It’s part of a broader county effort to boost the stock of affordable housing. Seniors are the fastest-growing segment of our population -- and many face huge challenges. Medical. Social. Financial. We must do all we can to help them and their families. Keeping our kids safe: The San Diego County Of f ice of Education, working with county

emergency preparedness officials, recently rolled out additional measures to boost campus safety come the next big wildfire. The School Protection and Evacuation Plan gives us a clear road map to safer campuses. This is Wild f i re Country and we all need to be as prepared as possible – at home, at work and at school. The plan is another big step in those efforts. —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.■

‘BLIGHT IDEAS’ INSPIRES

Re: ‘Blight ideas’ [Volume 9, Issue 8 or bit.ly/2lUfOJk] I was impressed by your recent work in the La Mesa Courier. Good story, solidly written. Best, it’s opened my eyes to ways I can get involved with helping improve my community. Thank you. —Gregory Hayes, La Mesa.

STRAIGHT TO THE TRASH

I have lived in La Mesa since 1987. I chose La Mesa for many reasons and have enjoyed calling myself a citizen of this fantastic town. I am a liberal and have been clean and sober for 38 years. I have always enjoyed reading the La Mesa Courier, being updated on the schools, people, restaurants, and events. That is until recently. The very first thing that I see, on the front page, even while it’s still laying in my driveway, is an advertisement for marijuana. Now I know that it is legal sort of, but the only reason to use it is to get high. Meaning “other than with your full faculties.” So you are advertising a business not in La Mesa but in Mission Valley that will get you high. I think if you check with La Mesa Police Department you will find a majority of crimes are committed by people under the influence of something. That begs the question, I wonder if you would be willing to run a beer banner across the top of the front page at all, but also that offered a 10% discount and free delivery. Doesn’t make sense. I have told you that I don’t drink or use but when I think about those that are able to drink normally and choose to drink, they do so not so much for the high but to enjoy the flavor or how it enhances the meal. Meaning that for normies, the objective is not just to get drunk. I have never known anyone to smoke pot to enjoy the flavor etc., but only to get high. So I would ask you, is that really the frontpage top banner ad you want to associate with the city of La Mesa? If that’s the choice, I’ll continue to do what I’ve been doing these last few months and take it from the driveway to the trash can, it doesn’t even deserve to be placed in the recycle bin. A concerned citizen of La Mesa, —Carolyn Ingram.

GEOGRAPHICAL CORRECTION

Re: “Olaf Weighorst Museum celebrates 20 years” [Volume 9, Issue 8 or bit.ly/2lxL3du] I surely enjoyed the article in the La Mesa Courier regarding the Olaf Weighorst Museum and its 20 years, so far, in existence. Growing up in La Mesa/El Cajon, I lived near the Weighorsts, Olaf and his son Roy. We got to visit once and a while and ride horseback with them in the East County. I just have one little mistake to comment on in the article. The museum is actually about half a block north of Main Street, not south as printed. Thank you for your time to correct this error so that the public can find the museum easily! —John F. Carter [Editor’s note: Thank you, Mr. Carter. We have fixed the story in our online version.]

CROSS-EYED CROSSWORD

Why does the crossword puzzle have to be so small and difficult to read? My vision isn’t even poor, and I read without glasses, yet I can’t read any clues without a magnifying glass. Very frustrating! Why include it in your publication at all if you don’t have the room to make it large enough for the average reader to see? I wonder how many other readers feel the same. —Belinda McClellan.■

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019 POLITICS La Mesa Courier sdnews.com 7 La Mesa Dem Club will focus Republican Women on new candidate recruitment Fashion Show at Bali Hai

By TINA RYNBERG and JEFF BENESCH By PAT BOERNER

“Step on up” is the theme of the Wednesday, Oct. 2 general meeting of the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club. With the recent shocking news that 53rd District Congress member Susan Davis has decided to retire, her personal story carries a great lesson for those seeking public service. She started as a social worker, joined the League of Women Voters and became chapter president, sort of stumbled into a run (and win) for San Diego School Board, and followed those offices with tenures in the California Assembly and in the U.S. House of Representatives (10 terms!). We are looking for the next generation of Susan Davis’s, and are providing our membership and guests with a great panel of young politicos who ran against Republicans in traditionally conservative districts, and managed very successful campaigns to break barriers. We continue to have many members of local school boards, water boards, planning groups, city councils, judgeships, and other

La Mesa City Council member Akilah Weber

County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher

government entities where ultra-conservative values affect policy and law. People still get appointed to local school boards simply because of their church affiliation. We must continue our fight for middle class values such as science, women’s health rights, criminal justice reform, climate action, sensible gun laws, affordable health care and economic equality. We need more affordable housing, transit choices, immigrant justice, stronger union representation, living wages, and an end to discrimination and hate in all sectors of public life. How do we get activists on all levels of local government who share these progressive ideals? We’ll hear some of the answers from County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, La Mesa City

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Council members Colin Parent and Dr. Akilah Weber, and Helix Water Board Director Mark Gracyk. They will gladly share their stories and strategies to run strong and successful campaigns to achieve office for those altruists aspiring to a career of public service for the common good. Our October general meeting will take place at our usual meeting location, the spacious and recently remodeled La Mesa Community Center at 4975 Memorial Drive in La Mesa. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Please follow us on Facebook, and visit our website at lamesafoothillsdemocraticclub.com. —Tina Rynberg is president and Jeff Benesch is vice president of programming for the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club.■

The November primary is right around the corner and Republicans everywhere are excited and prepared to send out our conservative message and register voters. The U.S. economy is experiencing an historic boom with record low unemployment rates and dramatic increases in middle class income as well as the stock market. For the first time in years, citizens are optimistic about their future. President Trump is keeping his promise to “make America great again” by tackling international trade issues that have been ignored for too long. We are finally making progress in enforcing trade agreements that are fair to the United States and bringing in billions of dollars to our economy. There has been a sharp drop in the number of illegal crossings at the Mexico border, but it is still a major crisis that needs our continuing attention. In two and a half years, Trump’s accomplishments for our country are monumental, but have not been publicized by the “mainstream media.” That is why it is up to us

to remind our fellow citizens how much better things are today. Republican Women of California – Navajo Canyon are looking forward to our annual Fashion Show on Oct. 8 at the Bali Hai on Shelter Island. With a theme of “Spirit of San Diego,” fashions by Glamour Girlz of El Cajon and a delicious buffet lunch, it is guaranteed to be a fun-filled afternoon for a cost of $40. This is our only fundraiser of the year and it always gets rave reviews. To add to the excitement we have a $100 cash door prize, opportunity drawings, gift cards, and a silent auction for holiday items. This is a great opportunity to get acquainted with Navajo Canyon members and learn more about what we do throughout the year. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. Reservations are required, so please RSVP at FASHIONrwcnc@gmail. com or call 619-561-8304 for more information. Our next regular meeting at the Brigantine will be Nov. 12 — the date of California’s primary election — and our featured speaker will be Eric Golub, a politically oriented comedian. We will enjoy some humor, and also be updated on what is happening in politics locally, statewide and in Washington. —Pat Boerner writes on behalf of the Republican Women of California – Navajo Canyon.■

EDUCATION From construction to engineering at Grossmont Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

Foothiller Footsteps By CONNIE and LYNN BAER

In 1958-1959, a unique program began at Grossmont: a program to teach students home construction skills. According to a June 14, 1959 San Diego Union article, the plan was conceived by John Warburton, Grossmont High School (GHS) principal two years in 1957. Nov. 1, 1959, construction began on a home designed by student Frank Moog, located on the north side of the football field. Nine carpentry students constructed the building; and 16

home economic students, three drafting students, four workshop students, and two metal shop students also worked on the home in various capacities. While the carpentry students built the house, the home economic students designed and decorated its interior. Only the electrical, plumbing, and roofing were done by professionals. After its sale, the home was moved to its new location. The program continued at Grossmont for many years. In 1975, after the program had moved to Santana High School’s vocational construction classes, Foothiller Wayne Thowless, Class of 1977, was the designer of that year’s home. Today, continuing that early tradition, GHS’s Engineering Pathway students, taught by Jeffrey Lee, participate in Project Lead the Way’s Engineering nationwide STEM program.

Students focus on engineering career readiness that meets industry standards including communication and collaborative, technical, and innovative skills. In the three-year Engineering Pathway, students focus on design, mechanics, electrical, energy, structural design, robotics and content specific to a senior capstone course. Grossmont has chosen Civil Engineering & Architecture as their capstone course where students apply their content knowledge and skills to architectural design and engineering. Within the capstone course, students explore all aspects of civil engineering and architecture including residential and commercial design and code, structural analysis, soil science, surveying, hydrology, and wastewater. An element of this three-year program is for students to participate in project-based learning

An interior decorating class paints a home built by Grossmont High students in 1961. (Courtesy GHS Museum)

where students resolve current engineering challenges. These culminating projects showcase their science, mathematics, and engineering skills through innovative designs that relate to relevant problems in society. Recently, two of Mr. Lee’s former engineering students, Jessica and Jamie Medlin, sisters from Grossmont High School’s first cohort completers of the Engineering Pathway, designed residential homes that met their

Architectural drawings by Grossmont High Engineering Pathway students and sisters, Jamie (left) and Jessica Medlin (Images courtesy GHS Museum)

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clients’ requests while following residential code. As seen by their work, these aspiring civil engineering students demonstrate that they are well prepared for college and engineering career opportunities. Mr. Lee welcomes community and industry participation in this year’s project. If you would like to be one of the clients for a senior student’s residential design project in the Civil Engineering & Architecture capstone course, please contact him at jrlee@ guhsd.net for more information. To discover more about Grossmont past and present, visit our website at foothillermuseum.com or visit the GHS Museum Wednesday, Oct. 2, 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.■

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EDUCATION sdnews.com Helix classes that prep for the future

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

Helix Interact Club ready for year of service By AARON LANDAU

Helix Highlights By JENNIFER OSBORN

A new school year brings new opportunities for students, and that is certainly true at Helix. In the 201920 school year, Helix continues to offer college courses on the Helix campus. These courses are part of the dual-enrollment program, which allows students to earn college credits and credits toward high school graduation at the same time. Each year, more classes are offered, giving students a head start on their college education. One dual-enrollment class being offered this year is Business 195, which focuses on financial decision-making and management. Students learn about topics such as life-long financial planning, budgeting, managing checking and savings accounts, building and maintaining good credit, retirement and estate planning, insurance, home ownership, and building an investment portfolio. Instructor Amy Hull, who has a master’s degree in business administration (MBA), says that teaching things like theories and formulas is an important part of the course, but even more important is

(l to r) Helix Environmental Club members: Mitchell Mullen, Harper Vincent, Dia-Ivan Garcia-Shanchez Debi Byrd (Environmental Science teacher), Donaji Catalan, Natalie Phan, Lucy Ellison, Meisha Myers, Aneesa Ricks, Danika Zikas, Maia Engan and Ava Esser (Courtesy HCHS)

connecting those ideas to the students’ decision-making. “There are different financial decision life stages,” Hull said. “I really focus on the things that are applicable to them in their different phases of life.” For example, if students know they want to go to college in four years, and they know they need a specific amount of money, they can use what they learn in this class to find out how much they should

invest/save now to make their dream college a reality. Another opportunity being offered to students is a program called College 101. Students who participate in this program, led by Helix’s College Access Counselor Cathy Singer, learn just about everything they need to know about applying to college, such as deciding where to apply, how to craft a SEE HELIX HIGHLIGHTS, Page 23

The members of La Mesa Sunrise Rotary and the Helix High School Interact Club are getting ready for another productive year serving the local community. An Interact Club is a volunteer group of students at a high school who work with a local Rotary International Club, which provides an advisor or advisors to work with the students on community service projects. The high school provides a volunteer faculty member who is the liaison with the students and the sponsoring Rotary Club advisors. Helix High School has had a very active Interact Club for many years. “We are excited to start 2019 with history teacher Brett McKinney as our new interact advisor,” said JoAnn Bergquist, the La Mesa Sunrise Rotary advisor.

PAST PROJECTS

Some of the projects last year included working with Noah Homes, Sharia’s Closet, Father Joe’s Village, Habitat for Humanity, and many more great local organizations. Interactors

also participate in Rotary activities such as the Interact Symposium at SDSU and a water filtration project at UCSD. Several times a year, students visit the La Mesa Rotary Club, which meets at Marie Callender’s on Friday mornings.

FUTURE PROJECTS

With the assistance of Bill Pogue, Bergquist meets weekly with the “Interactors” to plan service projects and teach them about the global impact of Rotary International. In addition to supporting the Interact Club, LMSR also sponsors Helix students with scholarships, a speech contest, and a Rotary Youth Leadership weekend conference. Sunrise Rotary looks forward to another great year working with tomorrow’s leaders. If you’d like to learn more about La Mesa Sunrise Rotary, visit our website at lamesasunriserotary.com. To learn more about Helix Charter High School, visit helixcharter.net. —Aaron Landau writes on behalf of La Mesa Sunrise Rotary.■

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BOOKS One Book, bikes, ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Stranger Things’ Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

The coming month of October often has people focusing on costumes and candy. However, this time of year literary circles around the county participate in One Book, One San Diego. One Book, One San Diego is a community reading program managed by KPBS in partnership with the San Diego County Library and the San Diego Public Library. The purpose of the program is to encourage residents to join in the shared experience of reading and discussing the same book. The program also encourages participation in related events, discussions of the ideas raised in the featured books, and examination of how these ideas connect with our daily lives and local communities. This year, the selected title is “The Great Believers” by Rebecca Makkai, a novel about the terrors

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event will include themed crafts, snacks, a costume contest, a photo booth, and more. Of course, we will have all kinds of “Star Wars”related books, DVDs, Blu-rays, and music available to check out as well. That same evening, we will be having a “Stranger Things”themed teen lock-in after hours, 6-10 p.m. This event is open to

grades six through 12 and requires advanced registration and a parental permission slip. Events include an escape room, 1980s trivia contest, and more. This kind of event is a great way for teens to see their library in a different light. —Denise Smith is a librarian at the La Mesa Branch Library.■

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Book Club, which will meet on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 4 p.m. Some past One Book titles have included “March: Book One” by Congressman John Lewis, “Sandcastle Girls” by Chris Bohjalian, and “Waiting for Snow in Havana” by Carlos Eire. The city of La Mesa’s West La Mesa Pedestrian and Bicycle Connectivity project is inviting the public to an Active Transportation workshop at the La Mesa Branch Library on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2-4 p.m. This workshop will consist of a short training session that identifies the new improvements in our neighborhood that make walking and bicycling safer and how walkable communities improve the overall health of the public. Active transportation is the future! Your input is very valuable to the city of La Mesa! Snacks will be provided. Saturday, Oct. 19, is going to be an eventful day at the La Mesa Branch Library. Adults, children, and Wookies of all ages are welcome to celebrate all things “Star Wars” 11 a.m.-2 p.m. This annual

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and tragedies of the AIDS epidemic and its repercussions, told through a story of friendship and redemption in the face of tragedy and loss. Taking place in Chicago in the 1980s, “The Great Believers” shows the tensions that can exist in our birth families and the compassion of our chosen families. It won the Stonewall Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. The La Mesa Branch Library’s Adult Book Club will be discussing this title on Oct. 16 at 10:30 a.m. If you plan on attending, you can pick up a copy of the book at the front desk. There is a One Book for Teens title: “The Crossover” by Kwame Alexander, winner of the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Honor Award, is a coming-of-age novel written in a mix of free verse and hip-hop poetry. It tells the story of two basketball-playing brothers and their family. Teens in grades six through 12 are welcome to check out “The Crossover” anytime for the Teen

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Sept. 27 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oct. 24, 2019 sdnews.com

La Mesa Courier

Back with the Bavarian at La Mesa Oktoberfest SDCNN Staff

(Photos courtesy McFarlane Promotions)

Now in its 46th year, La Mesa Oktoberfest once again returns to the downtown Village with a Bavarian celebration complete with lederhosen, chicken dances, German cuisine and, of course, lots and lots of beer. Oktoberfest, sponsored by Bob Stall Chevrolet and presented by Viejas Casino and Resort, will also feature two massive stages of nonstop music featuring a bit of everything — traditional Bavarian and German music, live oompah bands, traditional rock bands, DJs, tribute groups and more.

La Mesa Oktoberfest is a free event and is expected to bring more than 100,000 people from across Southern California for what has become San Diego’s largest Oktoberfest event. This year’s event is held Oct. 4-6, which follows the traditional celebrations in Munich that kick off in mid-September. For visitors interested in traditional German music, both local and regional polka bands will be performing throughout the weekend, including The Oompah Brothers, The Bavarian Beer Garden Band and Polka Party Band. The music stages will also feature a mix of rock, country,

tribute acts and pop standards from Captain J & The Jive Crew, Charlie’s Angels, Righteous & The Wicked, Rio Peligrosos, Manganista, Aether X, Power Snake, Super Buffet, The Mighty Untouchables and Elton John Kenny. Beer lovers who have attended previous Oktoberfests will once again be served at the Hofbrauhaus Biergarten, which serves pints of traditional German beer. The Craft Beer & Spirits Garten will also be serving a mix of traditional German beers, craft beers from local breweries as well as cocktails. SEE OKTOBERFEST, Page 14

www.lamesaoktoberfest.org

October 4, 5, 6

160+ yummy food + Craft vendors la mesa blvd.

VENDORS

food trucks

La Mesa Courier

spring st.

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

lemon ave.

Palm ave BIER HALL

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

sdnews.com

HOFBRAUHAUSE BIERGARTEN Friday, Oct. 4

Saturday, Oct. 5

4 p.m. – Bavarian Beer Garden Band 5 p.m. – Captain J & the Jive Crew 6 p.m. – Bavarian Beer Garden Band 7 p.m. – Charlie’s Angels 8 p.m. – Bavarian Beer Garden Band

Sunday, Oct. 6

10:30 a.m. – Oompah Brothers

10 a.m. – Polka Party

12:30 p.m. – Rio Peligroso

11:30 a.m. – Super Buffet

1:30 p.m. – Oompah Brothers

12:45 p.m. – Polka Party

2:30 p.m. – _Manganista

1:45

3:30 p.m. – Oompah Brothers 4:30 p.m. – Aether X 5:30 p.m. – Oompah Brothers

p. m. – The Untouchables

Might y

3 p.m. – Polka Party 4 p.m. – Elton John Kenny

8:45 p.m. – Power Snake

9 p.m. – Righteous & the Wicked

PALM AVENUE BIER HALL Friday, Oct. 4

Saturday, Oct. 5

Sunday, Oct. 6

4pm – Games

10:30 a.m. – Games

10 a.m. – Games

5pm – Oompah Brothers

12:30 p.m. – Bavarian Beer Garden Band

11:30 a.m. – Oompah Brothers

1:30 p.m. – Games

1:45 p.m. – Oompah Borthers

6pm – Games 7pm – Oompah Brothers

2:30 p.m. – Bavarian Beer Garden Band

8pm – Games 9pm – Oompah Brothers

3:30 p.m. – Games

12:45 p.m. – Games 3 p.m. – Games 4 p.m. – Oompah Brothers

4:30 p.m. – Bavarian Beer Garden Band 5:30 p.m. – Games 6:30 p.m. – Bavarian Beer Garden Band 7:30 p.m. – Games 8:45 p.m. – Bavarian Beer Garden Band

CRAFT BEER & SPIRIT GARTEN Friday, Oct. 4

Saturday, Oct. 5

4–10 p.m. – DJ J. Medina (Photos courtesy McFarlane Promotions)

Sunday, Oct. 6

10 a.m.–4 p.m. – DJ NVious

10 a.m.–2 p.m. – DJ NVious

4–10 p.m. – DJ Sh8k

2–6 p.m. – DJ J. Medina

craft station sheldons fun zone dakeldorf dachsund village spaten hofbrauhaus biergarten batwoman craft bier & spirit garten

. e st

Der Deutsche Dance Square

food court/children’s area

s st

ferris wheel

restrooms

exit enter vip

VEN DOR S

hofbrauhaus

Biergarten

Dackeldorf dachshund village dachshund rescue

food court

craft bier & spirit garten

3rd st.

Glucklich Games

VENDORS

ferris wheel

palm ave.

VENDORS

cyp

german karneval

VIP RESTROOMS

STAGE

sag

res

Food truck / seating area

craft station

german karneval

sheldons fun zone

Food trucks Seating area

e. L

4th st.

karneval food

BOB STALL DISPLAY Der Deutsche Dance Square

av e

Palm Avenue Bier Hall

STAGE

ison

Games / inflatables

German Karneval

all

lemon ave.

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

Oktoberfest CONTINUED FROM Page 12

New to this year’s event is the Palm Avenue Bier Hall, which offers an authentic German biergarten experience complete with lederhosen-dressed waitresses to deliver pints and brats as well as live Bavarian music. La Mesa Oktoberfest is offering a way to save on steins with its Hofbrauhaus Biergarten Passes. Prices range $5 to $45 and depending on what level of pass, can include VIP entry and restrooms, front-of-line privileges, two complimentary beers, a commemorative stein, a chicken hat or flower crown, German beverages, juicy bratwurst, snitzel, a huge pretzel and more. Also new this year are special Sünday Fünday prices at Oktoberfest. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, get half

(Photos courtesy McFarlane Promotions)

off all drinks in all biergartens and half off single-ride tickets for the Ferris wheel. In addition to music, beer and food offerings, La Mesa Oktoberfest is a chance for visitors to find authentic homemade treasures and explore authentic art and German-style craft pieces from more than 30 local artisans in the Craft Faire tent. Back again this year are family-friendly activities at the German Kinder Karneval, featuring a towering Ferris wheel, rock-climbing wall, massive inflatable slides, interactive art, brat-eating competitions, scavenger hunts and more. Other fun activities like wiener dog races and howl-deling contests will be held in the Dackeldorf Dachshund Village. For a complete list of all the free German fun and to purchase VIP passes, visit LaMesaOktoberfest.org.■

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Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019 FEATURE La Mesa Courier 15 sdnews.com Local dance teacher inspires confidence and joy News briefs CONTINUED FROM Page 2

By CYNTHIA ROBERTSON | La Mesa Courier

People who love line dancing often attest to a renewed sense of self-confidence. Adrienne Hart, who teaches the popular line dance class at La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center, has some first-hand experience on what it is to move from fear to living with joy and confidence. Hart, a San Carlos resident, has everything to live and dance for. Just as she brings smiles to people who want to add a little extra exercise and fun to their personal lives, Hart had a similar motivation, albeit much stronger. For nearly 20 years, she had suffered from a debilitating panic disorder called agoraphobia during which she could not even leave her own home. By a miracle she says is from God, she was healed of the disorder. Out of sheer gratitude, Hart wanted to bring back to life that hope she had as a little girl to dance. But she did not want to dance alone. So Hart found company in her group of Rhinestone Grannies, a dance troupe of older women who perform one-hour shows that include dance, comedy and song. The youngest is Karen Bain, 65; the oldest, Betty Cleveland, 89. Now 80 years old, Hart had no idea that the troupe would be such a hit in the community. Every December, the troupe holds a fundraiser for the local Warrior Foundation-Freedom Station. “This will be the 11th year. All the proceeds go to our local military heroes,” Hart said. Hart’s story about overcoming agoraphobia has been such an inspiration for people that she began sharing her story with organizations and churches. She speaks about how the disorder started, what she experienced and how recovery came about for her. “I am also currently working on a one-woman play about my struggles with agoraphobia,” Hart said. The mainstay of Hart’s work is teaching line dance and the love of it. Several of her students have been with Hart since she started teaching. “According to Alzheimer’s Association, [dancing is] one of the best things you can do to protect from developing the disease. Our class is a great place for exercise and meet new friends,” Hart said. Barbara Jacobs, who has danced in Hart’s class for nine years, says that every week she feels rejuvenated after the class. “I have learned that I can still dance, appropriate to my age, but the joy I feel is the same throughout the many years I have lived,” she said. Donna Geiger, who’s been a student of Hart’s for 10 years, says that she has been given a great outlet for exercise as well as her own love of dancing. “Most of all, we learn that even though our hips hurt and our

knees crack, our eyes are weak and our balance is not as good as it used to be, ‘we ain’t dead yet,’” she said. “Our teacher is always on top of every movement and changing it to make it safe as well as fun. And most of all it is the fun and friendship.” One of the first things that Hart explains in the line dance class is that the main goals are to exercise the body, the mind and to have fun. In each class, students warm up with Hart to a lively song before starting lessons. She usually reviews between six and nine dances per session. Many of the dances are repeated during the year, with the music ranging from all genres, including country, Latin, Irish, jazz, swing, rock ‘n’ roll and even waltzes. “My method is to slowly go over each step and then give counts,

or beats, for each section,” Hart said. Some students have some physical limitations, so Hart shows them how to modify a particular step to accommodate them. The 1 1/2 hour lessons include at least one five-minute break during the class. “I remind them to drink water,” she said, “and we laugh a lot during the class. They especially love it when I make a mistake. My husband usually leads in the laughter.” Hart laughs at herself along with them because, as she explained, she has everything to live and dance for now. It’s the friendship, too, that keeps many of the students joining up with the Rhinestone Grannies. “We are like a family,” Hart said. “We celebrate together, cry together, laugh together. The

Rhinestone Grannies at Oasis in Grossmont Center

Adrienne Hart teaches line dance ate La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center and is leader of the Rhinestone Grannies dance troupe. (Photos courtesy Adrienne Hart)

friendship and caring for each other is beautiful to see.” Although mostly women are in the class, men are welcome, too. Hart’s own husband joins in on the fun after he sets up the equipment. And the group also includes John James, an original member of The Platters, who performs under the stage name Duke Richardson. James participates with the dancers when he isn’t on the road. The classes take place each Monday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center. Anyone 21 and over is welcome. The fee is $7 per class. For more information, go to rhinestonegrannies.com. —Cynthia Robertson is a freelance writer and journalist based in San Carlos.■

6:15 p.m. Enjoy great food and two complimentary glasses of wine — red or white from our wine partners. Find out why Hooleys Public House is a popular destination and why Craig McDonald is a very popular owner! He is one of the most gracious hosts in the region. The great food and friendly atmosphere are keys to Craig’s success. The chamber will host a raffle and other surprises. Be sure to make plans to join us and bring your business cards while you mix and mingle. The evening cost is free to all chamber members; advance guest tickets, $10 per person; and at door guest tickets, $20 per person. All who attend will receive two complimentary drink tickets Reservations may be made via the website, lamesachamber.com, or by emailing rsvp@ lamesachamber.com, or by calling the chamber office at 619-465-7700 ext. 2.

CANINE CORNERS DOG PARK NEEDS FACELIFT Canine Corners Dog Park, located in Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa, is one of East County’s oldest off-leash dog SEE NEWS BRIEFS, Page 19

Alvarado Hospital Named among 2019’s 100 Best Community Hospitals by Becker’s Hospital Review

Simply the best for patient care and safety. From the critical services offered by our soon-to-be-expanded Emergency Department, to our internationally recognized specialty services, Alvarado Hospital’s physicians, nurses, and technicians possess the expertise and compassion to provide you with the best—and safest—care possible. Learn more about Alvarado Hospital and the award-winning care we provide by visiting us at AlvaradoHospital.com

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Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

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FOOD & DRINK sdnews.com Big, wet burritos roll into La Mesa Restaurant Review By FRANK SABATINI JR. It isn’t an insult to term what you’ve eaten at Sombrero “San Diego-style Mexican food.” In fact, the family that founded the 17-location chain wouldn’t care if you shouted it from a rooftop because they’ve actually incorporated those exact words into the company logo. The taco shop sprang onto Lake Murray Boulevard the first week of September in a spanking-clean structure boasting that “new building” smell. There’s indoor seating, a drivethrough window, and ample space in front that will soon become an outdoor patio. Its arrival to La Mesa — the first Sombrero restaurant here, even though the city is home to its corporate headquarters — is a godsend for local residents who devotedly drove to El Cajon or Spring Valley or San Diego to get their fixes on such

SOMBRERO 5550 Lake Murray Blvd. 619-303-7388, sombreromex.com Prices: Salads and bowls, $6.95 to $7.35; tacos and burritos, $3.60 to $8.95; tostadas and tortas, $4.35 to $7.49; combo plates, $8.25 and $10.25; dinner plates, $12.25 and $12.75, nachos and loaded french fries, $7.15 to $9.90

Beef rolled tacos

items as Angus carne asada or Sombrero’s “special” burritos ladled with a silky brownish-orange sauce you’ll also find covering the enchiladas. “The sauce was my grandmother’s recipe from a long time ago,” said Javier Correa Jr., the company’s vice president whose father, Javier Correa Sr., began growing the business in 1984 after opening Sombrero in South Park. That location still remains, although it was his parents who technically started the chain in the College Area during the late 1960s. They expanded to only a few locations before dissolving them in the 1970s. I’ve been a longtime fan of Sombrero’s bean and cheese burritos, a basic item but one that’s constructed with super-fresh tortillas supplied regularly to all locations by a local maker. Better yet, the refried beans are so consistently creamy that you’d swear they contain lard. But not so. “We don’t use lard in anything,” Correa Jr. emphasized. Rolled tacos (available in shredded beef only) are top sellers — fluted beauties sporting thin, delicate casings that gently shatter with each bite. They come in orders of four, although you can up the quantity for just over $1 apiece. The jumbo “special” wet burrito and the carnitas “dinner plate” are rare examples in which quantity doesn’t comprise quality.

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

ROASTED CARROT DIP

By JULIE WHITE Javier Correa Jr. and Sr. (Photos by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

If you threw a blanket over the giant wet burrito, it could pass as a newborn baby. Filled with your choice of beef or chicken — and available also in junior size — the thing furnished me with three meals. I chose a packing of shredded beef, which is tenderly stewed in tomatoes and onions. Also inside were beans, rice and crispy lettuce. Combined with the special sauce (Mexican gravy) on top, it’s one heck of a burrito that truly outshines so many others in our region. The carnitas combo plate is a steal for $12.25. It yielded a mound of moist and fluffy pork that clearly tasted slow-roasted. Some of the meat was shredded, some of it chunky. Correa Jr. noted there’s enough pork in the order to fill two burritos. The plate also came with rice, refried beans and tortillas.

But it’s the California burrito — or its less weighty option of a California taco — that best epitomizes the company’s San Diego-style Mexican food. Here, this gringo meat-and-potatoes construct brings together flashgrilled carne asada with requisite french fries, cheese and pico de gallo. Unless I’m adequately intoxicated, I’ve never been a fan of the creation. But it will forever rank as a wild seller at Sombrero and at all other taco shops dotting our landscape. Correa acknowledges his menu fully aligns to everyday north-of-the-border grub. “But we do it in a polished manner,” he noted while pointing to Sombrero’s hand-folded crunchy tacos, as well as the slowly stewed chile verde pork, and assorted chili peppers used for making four types of salsa. Other meal choices include breakfast burritos, numerous tortas, large and small tostadas, nachos and loaded fries — exactly the kind of food most of us start maniacally craving whenever we leave San Diego County for any length of time. —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.■

The ‘special burrito’ deluxe

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(Courtecy Pinterest.com)

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FEATURE Pacific Southwest Railway Museum and the unique La Mesa Depot Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

By JILL DIAMOND

It’s not every day you have a piece of history in your own backyard but the city of La Mesa does, the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum and the La Mesa Depot. If you haven’t visited, the PSRM Association has been focused on the 100-year celebration of the November 1919 completion of the San Diego & Arizona Railway (SD&A). The San Diego-area historical and educational nonprofit has been marking the 112-year anniversary of the start of construction of the SD&A with a variety of family-friendly activities such

as its SD&A Groundbreaking Festival on Sept. 7, at PSRM’s second location at Campo Railroad Park and Museum in Campo. However, don’t wait too long to enjoy the festivities as the 2019 centennial anniversary will conclude with a special reenactment ceremony and other family activities on Saturday, Nov. 16, in Campo. According to Bruce Semelsberger, archivist for the library of the PSRM Association, the La Mesa Depot was constructed in 1894 by the San Diego, Cuyamaca & Eastern Railway. The railroad was the brainchild of the governor of California at

Freight train adjacent to La Mesa Depot with depot seen at a distance behind it (Photo by Reena Deutsch)

that time, Robert W. Waterman, who wanted to get a railroad to a point close to his Stonewall gold mine in the Julian mining district. “In order to sell the idea to investors, the railroad was supposed (on paper) to go to Utah by way of Julian. The line that was built in 1888 went from San Diego to Foster Station north of Lakeside. The site of the station on Joe Foster’s ranch was where the San Vicente dam now exists,” Semelsberger said. “There was a depot where passengers transferred to a stagecoach for traveling on to Ramona, Santa Ysabel and Warner’s, also a turntable for the steam locomotives and a water tank. Joe Foster also operated a small hotel there and there was a stone quarry where the rock was mined to construct the Zuniga Jetty in San Diego’s harbor entrance.” He said the route from San Diego to El Cajon is largely that of the current trolley Orange line. The SDC&E was amalgamated into the San Diego & Southeastern Railway about 1913 and then the San Diego & Arizona Railway in 1919. The SD&A was purchased by Southern Pacific in 1932 and the name changed to San Diego & Arizona Eastern, which was in turn bought by the city of San Diego in 1979. “The depot served La Mesa from the date of its construction

1919 photo of SD&A locomotive and tender with train crew (Photo courtesy Border Rail Institute)

through WWII, after which it was deemed surplus by the railroad company and the depot was sold to the Lakeside Chamber of Commerce for $1,” he said. The planned “wild west” attraction in Lakeside was never built and the depot became an antique store owned by Flossie Beadle, he said. After her death, it had other uses as a hen house and possibly other things. After a fire nearly burned the building and some others stored in Lakeside, PSRM volunteer Larry Rose recognized the depot in a newspaper story and spearheaded the effort to return it to La Mesa and restore

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.

it about 1979, Semelsberger explained. Lifetime PSRM member and volunteer Reena Deutsch has spent much time researching the SD&A and wrote “San Diego & Arizona Railway: The Impossible Railroad,” which illustrates through vintage photographs and narrative about the history of the SD&A Railway, built by John D. Spreckels. “It describes the 12-year construction from 1907 to 1919 and its on-again, off-again operations over portions of the tracks right up to modern times. Early engineers SEE RAILROAD, Page 23

NEWS

sdnews.com

CONTINUED FROM Page 15

parks. It began in 1998, the idea of five women who walked their dogs in the park. Shepherded by Becky Rice, one of those women, it finally became a reality in October of 2001. Over the years, the dog park grew to the three fenced dog runs that exist today. Run by volunteers, Canine Corners maintains the park and offers socialization opportunities for both dogs and their owners. But the years have taken their toll on the park: the fences are sagging, the dust is overwhelming, the seating areas are underwhelming, and the trek through the creek bed to get to the gate is treacherous. It’s time for a facelift, and it’s called “Becky’s Project” in honor of cofounder Becky Rice, who passed away in August. The Canine Corners Reconstruction Committee has developed a plan to prepare the park for a new surface by improving the drainage and grading. Other items on their ambitious agenda include: new vinyl-covered fencing; improved covered hard-scape seating areas with new benches; addition of 2,600 square feet to the north side (mostly benefiting the small dog section); improved water access; improved waste disposal containers; and play features for dogs. The

CCA JPA CONTINUED FROM Page 1

piece de resistance will be the brand-new bridge entrance. The elegant pillared gateway will welcome dog owners into an enlarged entry to the dog runs. It promises to be a definite enhancement to an already lovely park. The plans have been approved by the Joint Powers Authority, which manages Harry Griffen Park. The next step is to get funding to pay for the dream. The committee hopes to gather funds from multiple sources, including La Mesa businesses, grants, and donations from fundraisers and their GoFundMe page (search Canine Corners Becky’s Project). Information and donation opportunities may also be found at: caninecornersdogpark.com or their Facebook page. Donations may be mailed to Canine Corners Dog Park, PO Box 2192, La Mesa, CA 91943.

1954 and her feelings of abandonment. She later learned what happened to him following the death of her mother in 1988. Nieto has lived in Mount Helix for 30-plus years. She credits her husband for encouraging her to write. “He was the one who encouraged me to start thinking about writing my story for real,” she said. “When I’d tell someone parts of my life story, I would always say in a kidding way, my novel will be coming out soon! I still have doubts about my story as a memoir. Honored and grateful I was considered for the showcase.” The 10 winning submissions that were selected to be in the fifth annual San Diego Memoir

La Mesa Courier

Sandi Nieto (Courtesy SJF Communications)

Showcase will be performed before a live audience at the North Coast Repertory Theatre on Oct. 28. This year, there will be two shows: a 4 p.m. afternoon matinee as well as a 7 p.m. evening performance. Tickets available at bit.ly/2koUP0W.

In addition to the 10 showcase pieces, an additional 20 writers will be matched with a writing coach and featured in the upcoming 2020 SDMWA Memoir Anthology, “Shaking the Tree: brazen. short. memoir. – Volume 3.” All the authors will have the opportunity to appear on the “Shaking the Tree” book tour as an anthology author. The award-winning anthology, “Shaking the Tree: Volume One” was published in 2018 and featured 29 stories from the first three years of the San Diego Memoir Showcase. The editors and writers were honored to receive the 2019 National Indie Excellence Award in Anthology.■

HELIX RESIDENT FEATURED IN MEMOIR SHOWCASE Mt. Helix resident Sandi Nieto is one of 10 winners of the fifth annual San Diego Memoir Showcase Competition, put on by the San Diego Memoir Writers Association. This year’s contest theme was “I Didn’t See That One Coming,” and nearly 200 submissions were received and reviewed by a panel of judges. Nieto’s submission, “We Had the Dog Tags All Along,” chronicles her father’s disappearance in environmental organizer for the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Specifically, the union found the labor and workforce language “weak and confusing,” the community engagement and transparency provisions “vague and lacking accountability,” the community advisory council language in need of strengthening to include public outreach and to ensure a diverse cross section on interests skill sets and geographic regions, and the strategic plan language in need of strengthening to require workforce benefits, equity and employment standards with regular review. Friedman said the issues brought up by Sierra Club and the IBEW could be worked out by the JPA board once it is formed and sits down to draft operational procedures for the community choice plan. Despite that assurance, Council member Colin Parent motioned to amend the plan to include language that addresses some of the Sierra Club and IBEW concerns. That motioned failed 2-3 with only Council member Akilah Weber supporting the motion. The council then voted unanimously to pass the unamended plan, with direction to La Mesa’s representatives on the JPA board to push for adoption of language to address the issues.

In order to serve customers by 2021, the JPA agreement needed to be passed by all cities in September due to a state requirement that community choice plans need to file with the Public Utilities Commission a year before implementation. The JPA board needs to meet and finalize details like selecting power suppliers and reviewing and amending the draft plan before voting on a final plan before Dec. 31. The deadline did not sit well with some environmentalists and some labor groups who wanted to make additional changes to the plan before the City Council voted on it. “The Sierra Club and IBEW have some significant concerns with some of the language in San Diego’s JPA proposal, especially with regards to environmental, labor and community involvement provisions” said Kyle Rentchler, conservation organizer for San Diego’s Sierra Club chapter. “On the environmental side, the current draft leaves the door open for dirty energy by allowing the procurement of nuclear energy and unbundled renewable energy credits.” “There are still significant gaps and community concerns in this weak and deficient JPA document that need address—Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at ing,” said Michah Mitroski, jeff@sdnews.com.■

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2019

News briefs

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

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Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

OBITUARY: SALLY A. DEMCHAK Sally Ann Demchak peacefully passed away at her home in La Mesa, CA on April 2, 2019. Sally was born on March 14, 1928 in Rochester, New York to parents Samuel and Josephine Lombardo, now deceased. Sally was the oldest of three daughters: Maryann Oliver and Patricia Miner, both deceased. Sally was a long time resident of La Mesa, CA where she resided with her husband, retired USAF Major Paul J. Demchak and four children. She is survived by her husband, Paul, and their four children: Barry, Scott, Robyn and Karen Gilbert. She is also survived by her four grandchildren and one great grandson. Sally and Paul enjoyed traveling the world during and after Paul retired from the U.S. Air Force. For many years, Sally was a legal secretary. She also worked with the legal community typing legal briefs, transcripts and books. Sally worked with college students, university students and staff members to produce their graduation theses. Sally and Paul walked the hills of La Mesa, with many of their friends, for an early morning workout. Throughout the years, Sally was no stranger to tournament bowling, golf and many bridge groups. Sally was a Parishioner of St. Martin's Roman Catholic Church of La Mesa, CA.

ENROLL NOW

ART / THEATER Featured Artist: Nonita Vidal Degen By LINDA MICHAELS

Nonita Vidal Degen is a local mixed-media artist who loves plein-air painting of the San Diego landscape. She is a self-taught artist whose artistic interest has spanned many years. Through the years she has been a mother, teacher, banker, and a nurse. And, she has always applied art into her life. After retirement, she fueled her artistic passion by attending art classes in public colleges, art shows, exhibits, and museums. Her family and fellow artists continuously inspire her to go out and paint landscapes in Balboa Park, scenic ocean views, and other beautiful spots in the San Diego area. She feels that painting plein-air is an exhilarating experience through which she can feel closeness with the beauty of God’s creation. She is a prolific painter who feels joy and fulfillment with eternal blessing through her artistic expressions. She has shown her works in Oregon and California

The plein-air art of Nonita Vidal Degen will be on display in October. (Courtesy Foothills Art Association)

and has achieved merit awards for her artwork. Nonita encourages everyone who has the desire to create to just go there and enjoy painting. Nonita Vidal Degen’s artwork will be featured at the Foothills Gallery from Oct. 4-Nov. 2. The public is invited to an artist reception at the Foothills Gallery on Oct. 3, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

The Foothills Gallery at Porter Hall, 4910 Memorial Drive, is free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, call 619-464-7167. —Linda Michael is the editor of Footnotes, the monthly newsletter of the Foothills Art Association.■

Helix does ‘Sound of Music’ By ALEX OWENS

619-464-6248 (MATH) 2828 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon (In Fletcher Hills & Country Shopping Center)

www.mathnasium.com/north-la-mesa

The hills around Helix High School should be alive with the sound of music come Oct. 11. That’s because the Highland Players are presenting the classic musical “Sound of Music” for seven performances. It’s the first time in a while that the Helix Drama Department has presented a classic musical, but director Paul Reams is singing the praises of the stage version, which is different than the film version (because it’s hard to set up the Austrian alps on most theater stages). “Obviously, the film is able to do things like having the Von Trapps sing each line of ‘Do Re Mi’ at a different location,” he laughed. “That’s not at all what this looks like.” Sudoku & Crossword puzzle answers from page 23

October 5, 2019 Saturday, 2:00 PM

The set for Helix High School’s production of “Sound of Music.” (Photo by Paul Reams)

The original stage play isn’t as iconic as the movie, so Reams was happily surprised when he reread it before choosing it for the new season. “People forget how well written the book is,” Reams said. “There’s a great moment where Max Detwiller and Baroness Elsa Schräder are trying to convince Captain Von Trapp to do the politically expedient choice which is easier at the time. But, ultimately, he decides to run off to the mountains and lose everything in the process.” The cast is very diverse — definitely more diverse than 1930s-era Austria — and Reams was concerned that might not be totally realistic. Ultimately, he decided to go with the best actors for each part regardless of background. “It may not be totally realistic, but that’s how most modern versions are doing it these days,” he said. One role was easier to cast than the others, that of 5-yearold Gretel. Though elementary school students don’t attend Helix, Reams was able to find the perfect

actor right in his own house: his own daughter Lucy. “She’s in the third grade and she comes over after school for the rehearsals. It’s a real joy and she loves the students,” he said. “It’s really beautiful being able to integrate work and family.” Because the main selling point of “The Sound of Music” are songs like the title tune, “My Favorite Things,” and “Climb Every Mountain,” Reams figures audience members can’t help but join in with the cast member. “I hope people do hum along, but there is this dark tale about people making hard choices and experiencing a real sense of loss because of it.” “The Sound of Music” will run Oct. 11-19. Evening performances start at 7, with a 6 p.m. performance on Thursday, Oct. 17. There will be 2 p.m. matinees on Oct. 12 and 19. Tickets are $10 for non-students, $8 for students with ASB cards, available at bit. ly/2kMoIIw. —Alex Owens is a La Mesabased freelance journalist.■

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

sdnews.com

La Mesa Courier

Community and Arts & Entertainment Calendar ONGOING EVENTS

Friday, Oct. 4

Saturday, Oct. 5

Saturday, Sept. 28

Extraordinary East County Garden Tour Lush urban gardens across East County San Diego will take center stage when the UCCE Master Gardener Program of San Diego County hosts a fall garden tour. Extraordinary design elements and a wide variety of plants will be on display at nine homes in Mt. Helix, La Mesa and El Cajon. Trained master gardeners will be on hand to demonstrate effective gardening techniques, answer questions and sell hand-crafted bird houses and unique garden art. $30 tickets and information at mastergardenerSD.org.

First Friday Night Market Taste how delicious a vegan lifestyle can be at the First Friday Night Market at Grossmont Center! Sponsored by Vegan San Diego, this free event gathers the most exceptional vegan vendors all in one spot so that you can savor and sip delectable plant-based food and beverages. 5-10 p.m. at Grossmont Center, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive. Free. EDITOR'S PICK

Urban Street Scenes Juried Photography Show Reception Join Nainsook Framing + Art for an evening of fabulous local photography, wine, snacks and friendship! 6-8 p.m. at Nainsook, 8130 La Mesa Blvd. Awards will be announced at 7:15 pm. This free event is open to the public. For more information about entering this show, visit bit.ly/2mjaHTd.

Thursday, Oct. 3

‘Picasso at the Lapin Agile’ Through Oct. 12 Grossmont College Theater presents a play by Steve Martin set in 1904 Paris. Albert Einstein, a 25-year-old patent clerk, waits for his date at the Lapin Agile, a Parisian watering hole, when 23-year-old Pablo Picasso drops in to meet a recent conquest. Kept company over the course of their evening by an amusingly incontinent barfly, a gullible yet lovable bartender, a wise waitress, and a surprise visitor from beyond, the two geniuses’ conversation bounces like excited molecules and sweeps like bold brush strokes over art, science, love, existence, and the unknown. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. at the Stagehouse Theatre, 8800 Grossmont College Drive, El Cajon. Tickets range $12–$15, available at bit. ly/2lZT0rB.

Community Choice Energy Forum Climate Action Campaign and the city of San Diego will host a forum on community choice aggregation (CCA). Get your questions answered about the new regional program to provide power as an alternative to SDG&E. The forum will discuss governance structure, best practices, local clean energy development and how to create programs that benefit everyone. Speakers include Sen. Toni Atkins, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild and many more. Breakfast and lunch provided. 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. in the Neil Morgan Auditorium at the San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd. Tickets are $195. Register and get more information at bit.ly/2ZqSYad.

Saturday, Oct. 12

East County Intergenerational Games Active adults age 50 and up are paired with youth ages 7-12 for non-competitive, fun activities including street hockey, soccer, T-ball, horseshoes, jump rope, corn hole and pickleball. 9:30 a.m.-noon at La Mesa Arts Academy, 4200 Parks Ave. Pre-registration is required for this free event put on by the city of La Mesa. Sign up at cityoflamesa.us/specialevents or call 619-667-1322.

Bruce Hornsby & The Noise Makers Piano virtuoso and songwriter extraordinaire Bruce Hornsby brings his eclectic music to The Magnolia, 210 East Main St., El Cajon. 7 p.m. doors. Tickets are $45, available at livemu. sc/2lRyaL6.

Friday, Oct. 11 ‘The Sound of Music’ Through Oct. 19 The Highland Players, Helix Charter High School’s Drama Department, presents the

‘On Golden Pond’ Through Nov. 10 Lamplighters Community Theatre presents a play written by Earnest Thompson, made famous by its 1979 film adaptation. The plot focuses on aging couple Ethel and Norman Thayer, who spend each summer at their home on a lake called Golden Pond. During the year the story takes place, they are visited by daughter Chelsea with her fiancé Billy Ray and his son Billy Ray Jr. The play explores the often-turbulent relationship the young woman shared with her father growing up, and the difficulties faced by a couple in the twilight years of a long marriage. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. at Lamplighters Community Theatre, 5915 Severin Drive. Tickets are $23 general: $20 seniors, students, active military; $18 groups of 10 or more, available at bit.ly/2kPmvMr. ‘Matilda the Musical’ Through Oct. 26 “Matilda the Musical” at Young Actors’ Theatre, a San Diego Youth Theatre premiere! Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, the Tony Award-winning “Matilda The Musical” is the captivating masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life. Fridays and Thursdays at 7 p.m, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. at ENCORE! Theatre, 9620 Campo Road, Spring Valley. $13 tickets available at bit.ly/2lYmo1f.

vendors. Enjoy fair-trade coffee, teas, ice cream and chocolate. Fair wages create brighter futures for families in developing countries. Call 619-466-3241 for more information.

Wednesday, Oct. 16

EDITOR'S PICK

Thursday, Oct. 10

La Mesa Oktoberfest Through Oct. 6 Strap on your lederhosen and get ready to bust out your best chicken dance at the 46th annual La Mesa Oktoberfest. German food, dress, entertainment and beer are the highlights of this free event — the largest of its kind in the San Diego region. Biergarten passes VIP ticket packages range $5–$45. 10 a.m.–10 p.m. in the La Mesa Village.

classic musical. “The Sound of Music.” Oct. 11-19 at the Helix MainStage Theater, 4200 Lowell St. Evening performances start at 7, with a 6 p.m. performance on Thursday, Oct. 17. There will be 2 p.m. matinees on Oct. 12 and 19. Tickets are $10 for non-students, $8 for students with ASB cards, available at bit.ly/2kMoIIw.

Ms. Smarty Plants Goes Batty Learn what goes boo in the night and have fun at a spooktackular Halloween-themed event held at the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College, 121222 Cuyamaca College Drive West, El Cajon. Enjoy a family-friendly event with a Ms. Smarty Plants show, a trick-or-treat trail, creepy critter encounters and a costume contest. 5:30-8 p.m. $5, free for children under 3.

Sunday, Oct. 13 A Fair Trade Event St. Martin of Tours invites the public to “Shopping That Makes a Difference” at its Fair Trade Event. 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at St. Martin of Tours Parish Hall, 7710 El Cajon Blvd. Shop for fairtrade gifts, home décor, clothing and jewelry from a variety of

Chamber Breakfast with Fire Chief Steve Swaney This is your first opportunit y to meet and hear from your new fire chief! La M esa Chamber of Commerce hosts 7:30-9 a.m. at Marie Callender’s, 6950 Alvarado Road. Visitlamesachamber.com for more details.

Saturday, Oct. 19 Sunrise Rotary Garage Sale The La Mesa Sunrise Rotary Club, a nonprofit organization, will hold their next Garage Sale on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. at 6210 Lake Shore Drive, San Diego 92119. Proceeds to benefit local projects in schools, parks, scholarships, and other community programs. Come shop, donate, and learn about the good work Rotary does in our community.■

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.

is $2 per ticket. For movie listings, visit bit.ly/2FVrOSQ.

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.

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.

Wednesdays 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 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

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.

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.■

CLASSIFIEDS / BUSINESS & SERVICES

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

BUSINESS & SERVICES AUTO SALES

CLEANING

NATIONAL AUTO FLEET GROUP is looking for qualified body company truck up fitters to help us serve our Southern California Government and Municipal clients. Due to high volume orders we are looking for up fitters who can help upfit vehicles ranging from a Toyota Prius to and Freightliner Chassis.

BBQ & OVEN CLEANING

Supplier must have but not limited to: • Provide References of end users with your products/service. • Minimum (10) ten years' experience engineering, sourcing and installing light duty (Class 1-6) truck and van equipment -Proof of installation capabilities - site visit required - All items below including electrical schematics and drawings will be required for each light duty vehicle • Minimum (10) ten years' experience engineering, building and fabricating service bodies - Proof of manufacturing capabilities - site visit required • In-house design, installation and service for service bodies • In-house automotive paint system - AQMD Registered & Certified • In-house design, installation and service of hydraulic systems • In-house design, installation and service of electrical systems • CAD drawing capabilities - pre-production and completed vehicle as-built drawings required for each unit produced - Service bodies & Equipment - Hydraulic Systems - Electrical Systems • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Registration • National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) Membership • Certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) • Minimum Insurance Requirements - Commercial General Liability - Each Occurrence - $1,000,000 - Personal - $1,000,000 - General Aggregate - $2,000,000 - Product - $2,000,000 • Automobile Liability - $1,000,000 • Umbrella Liability - Each Occurrence - $5,000,000 - Aggregate - $5,000,000 • Garage Keepers Liability - $7,000,000

Please Contact: National Auto Fleet Group at Support@nationalautofleetgroup.com if you would like to considered as a supplier for National Auto Fleet Group.

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Helix Highlights CONTINUED FROM Page 9

personal statement, how to complete the common application for the University of California and California State University systems, applying for financial aid, how to choose which school to attend, how to survive college and more. Students who participate in the program have access to a share of 200 scholarships to put toward their college education. Dual enrollment and College 101 fit right in with Helix’s mission to provide a comprehensive education that prepares all students to graduate college-ready and equipped to reach their personal and academic potential.

CLIMATE STRIKE 2019

In September, youth all over the world participated in a climate strike – an idea generated at a global youth summit in 2015. The premise of the event is to bring together thousands, or even millions, into an empowering global network while acting locally to stop climate change. Students in H e l i x ’s Environmental Club took this opportunity to spread awareness around campus. Leaders of the club — Danika Zikas, Meisha

EDUCATION / FEATURE / PUZZLES Myers, Natalie Phan, Lucy Ellison, and Aneesa Ricks — worked with Helix administration to organize a march and forum to reach out to their peers. Time was set aside during lunch break for students who wished to participate. Zikas gave this account of the event: “During the Global Climate Strike March, we provided snacks, stickers, handmade signs courtesy of our club members, and music to bring people together for a common purpose: to decrease the use of fossil fuels, promote the Green New Deal, and bolster wider awareness overall. The Environmental Club board members talked for about a minute and a half each about the impacts of and solutions for climate change. We then all marched from the inside of school to the front, then wrapped around back to the Science Quad. We wrapped up the march by thanking everyone and having them write on poster paper ideas for sustainable swaps and ideas for stopping climate change.”

UPCOMING EVENTS • Helix Orchestra with the La

Mesa Arts Academy Orchestra present “Coffee and Classics” on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Helix Mainstage Theater. Tickets

are $10 for adults, $5 for children and are available at helixinstrumental.ticketleap.com. • Homecoming Game – Helix vs. El Capitan, Friday, Oct. 4, with a 7 p.m. kickoff. Tickets are $7 for adults, $3 for elementary and middle school students, $3 for seniors (55+), and free for Helix students with an ASB card. • The Highland Players production of “The Sound of Music” – Oct. 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 in the Helix Mainstage Theater. Showtimes are: 6 p.m. on Thursday, 7 p.m. on Fridays, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Tickets are available at highlandplayers.ticketleap.com. • Helix Alumni Committee AllClass Picnic – Sunday, Oct. 13, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Helix. For more information, visit helixalumni.wixsite.com.

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION TOURS If you are interested in finding out more about Helix Charter High School, please attend one of our Excellence in Education tours, held twice monthly. The tours for October are Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m., and Oct. 18 at 8:10 a.m. Reserve your spot using our website, helixcharter.net.

Sept. 27 – Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

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

619-697-7221

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

PUZZLES

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

ANSWERS ON PAGE 20

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.

—Jennifer Osborn writes on behalf of Helix Charter High School.■

Railroad

railroad equipment and history. Also, the interior CONTINUED FROM Page 18 of the depot is accessible on a regular Saturday afstated that the railroad ternoon schedule to imwould never be built bemerse the public in what cause of the steep, rocky, it was like to experience and hostile mountain and being in a train station of desert terrain of the route, years gone by with some so it was called the ‘imof its equipment, ticket possible railroad’ starting booth, telegraph, and even before it was built,” other artifacts and intershe said. pretive signs. However, all through its “Having a docent there, construction and 100 years as the museum does, raisof operations, it continues es the experience to a to face natural disasters much higher level,” she and other calamities that said. it eventually overcomes The PSRM Association and seems to re-earn its is a nonprofit educational “impossible railroad” organization dedicated to nickname all through the the preservation and inyears, Deutsch said. terpretation of railroads Deutsch said she conas they existed in the tacted a publisher about Reena Deutsch’s “San Diego & Arizona Railway: The Pacific Southwest. With writing a book on another Impossible Railroad” is a complete history of the rail more than 120 pieces of that ran through La Mesa in the city’s earliest topic, but, instead, she was line equipment and artifacts years. (Photo by Reena Deutsch) asked to write “San Diego on display between two & Arizona Railway: The facilities in Campo and As for the La Mesa Depot, La Mesa, PSRM provides a unique Impossible Railroad.” “I had been presenting slide Deutsch said it also has an inspir- learning experience for all ages. shows about the line for about a ing story. In Campo, visitors can enjoy “La Mesa Depot is special be- vintage train rides aboard locodozen years before that, and I always get excited to tell folks about cause an all-volunteer nonprofit motives and cars from the early the ‘impossible railroad’ and its museum was able to ‘rescue’ it, 20th century that are operated fascinating history, so a book have it moved, and restore it to by all-volunteer train crews and seemed like the natural next step its early condition as part of its support staff. mission to educate and interpret for me,” she said. For more information on PSRM, Deutsch added she finds railroad history in our region to visit psrm.org. Spreckels and the saga of how he the public.” For more information about Deutsch said it sits right in the PSRM centennial anniverendured all the challenges and financial setbacks he faced in downtown La Mesa for all to sary of the SD&A, visit psrm.org/ building and operating his rail- see, including passengers on the centennial. Orange line trolley that goes right road very inspiring. “I thought it would be good if by it, and it displays a full-size —Jill Diamond is a Southern others found inspiration in him old steam locomotive and oth- California-based freelance writer and his persistence like I did,” she er railcars so people, especially who specializes in articles about lochildren, can be exposed to some cal history.■ said.

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Group of languages 5 No seats available 8 Helps little firms 11 Having a strong sharp smell or taste 13 Established by the Treaty of Rome 14 Whale ship captain 15 Thick 16 When you hope to get there

17 First capital of Japan 18 Cyprinids 20 Dry white wine drink 21 Witnesses 22 Alcohol drinks 25 Synthetic resin 30 Latin for “very early” 31 Bill Clinton plays it 32 One-time province of British-India 33 Folic and amino are two

38 Integrated data processing 41 Use to build roads 43 44th US President 45 Where school kids eat 48 Small New Zealand tree 49 Doctors’ group 50 Civil Rights group 55 Swedish rock group 56 Baby’s dining accessory

57 Succulent plants 59 Dutch word for “language” 60 Polynesian garland of flowers 61 Spiritual leader 62 Single Lens Reflex 63 Baseball stat 64 Abba __, Israeli politician

DOWN 1 He’s honored every June 2 Breezed through 3 Ribosomal ribonucleic acid 4 Flat, thin round object 5 One looking for knowledge 6 Calls it a career 7 Egg-shaped wind instrument 8 Allied H.Q.

9 Reveals 10 Greek sophist 12 Speedy ballplayer Gordon 14 Body that defines computing protocols 19 Common Japanese surname 23 Eucharist box 24 Oil company 25 Parts per billion (abbr.) 26 A metal-bearing material

27 The common gibbon 28 Affirmative 29 Writer 34 Taxi 35 Pioneering journalist Tarbell 36 Used to hold back 37 Senior officer 39 OK to go out with 40 First in order 41 Defunct phone company

42 Southern Ghana inhabitant 44 Peninsula in SW Asia 45 Political plot 46 “Great” Mogul emperor 47 Young horse 48 Where wrestlers compete 51 Swiss river 52 Wings 53 Baseball legend Ty 54 Skipper butterflies 58 Immoral act

Sept. 27 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oct. 24, 2019

La Mesa Courier

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