WHAT’S INSIDE?

A Special Kind of CafeFriendshipAlexi’s Greek Café proprietor JorgeSalcedo gives a special kind of careto Nora Warner, a 93-year-oldpatron who has been dining at therestaurant for more than 15 years.Every July, Nora has her birthdayparty at Alexi’s, where a dozen orso friends celebrate. PAGE 17

Luminaria Ushers in Holiday SeasonLuminaria, South Park’s own Seasonof lights, brought a glow, a twinkleand warmth to the neighborhood atthe third annual event staged Nov. 29by the South Park Business Group.PAGE 30

CONTACT US

EDITORIAL/LETTERSManny Cruz

manny@sandiegometro.com

ADVERTISINGBrad Weber

printandmail@cox.net

SoNo Fest and Chili Cook-OffThe annual SoNo Fest and ChiliCook-Off returned for its sixth yearon Dec. 6 to the Altadena neighbor-hood that joins North Park andSouth Park. Held at T-32, a shoppingdistrict at the intersection of ThornStreet and 32nd Street, this year’sSoNo Fest proved to be an even big-ger and better experience for the18,000 attendees PAGE 14

The Hillcrest Business Association served up a festive way for residents to enjoythe holiday season — the Taste N Tini event that attracted dozens of participantsand gave retail locations record sales. SEE STORY ON PAGE 16

A Positive Community Newspaper Created by Locals, for Locals, Supporting Local Businesses

HILLCREST NEWSMidCityNewspaperGroup.com Vol. 24 No. 12 Holiday Issue 2016

Stores reported record sales for the evening.

TASTE N TINI A BIG SUCCESS

2| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 3

Mark Kunce ®Team Leader

The My Home Teammark@sdmyhome.com

619-957-4969DRE# 01458113

Mark grew up in a family involved in Real Estate Sales and Development and brings over 30 years of Real Estate experience to the Team. Mark is a remodeling expert and possesses strong working knowledge of carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and design. Mark heads up our REO division and works closely with many of our Financial Clients to maximize profitability. Having proudly served our Country as a United States Marine, he mastered discipline, leadership, organizational skil ls, and the mental toughness that is often required in Real Estate. Mark has a Masters of Education degree and has applied his teaching skil ls in the United States, Japan, and Mexico. He brings great knowledge, understanding, strength, and professionalism to the Team in representing your interests.Mark has traveled to Washington DC, and attended Fannie Mae Congressional hearings dealing with the distressed housing market. He was recently an expert guest on The Michael E. Gerber Show and joined a select group of business experts and entrepreneurs to collaborate and co-write the business and marketing book tit led Trendsetters: The World’s Leading Experts Reveal Top Trends To Help You Achieve Greater Health, Wealth and Success!

ASK THE EXPERTREAL ESTATE

NEW YEAR, NEW MOVE, NEW YOU!

With the New Year just around the corner, the coming weeks are a great time to start considering what kinds of changes, both big and small, we would like to see happen in our lives. It’s a great time to really and truly

evaluate where we’re currently at in our own life; where we would like to get to; how we can get there; and finally what the end result will actually look like for us in the long run. Some of these changes are as small as hitting the snooze button on our alarm one less time every morning (which actually isn’t as small or easy as one might think). Other changes, however, can be so big that they will instantaneously impact the course of not only our own lives, but also the ones we love, for many years to come.

One such change that many are considering during this time is, “Am I finally ready to make that move that I’ve been thinking about for all this time, or am I better off just staying in the home I’m currently in?”. Now when it comes to making such a big decision, the research and planning process will probably take a little bit more work than the average New Year’s resolution. However, if you start by taking the time to evaluate the real estate market and really consider what your life would look like if you were to make such a move, it will definitely make the process much easier!

To start with, in the local 92103 area, inventory in the month of November is down by 30.3 percent for detached single-family homes, and down 36.4 percent for attached residences such as condos and townhomes. The Median home sale price for detached homes in the area has dropped by 14.3 percent to $818,750, and by 4.4 percent for attached homes to $458,000.The pace of sales for detached homes has increased by a rate of 36.2 percent, whereas the average days on market for attached homes has actually doubled. However, this is a transitory period in the market which is very common for this time of year and can definitely influence a decline in certain market metrics. But not to fear, experts predict that 2016 will be a stable year both locally and nationally in the real estate market.

So what does that mean? Well if you’re hoping to buy a home this year and be able to turn around and sell it for twice the amount that you paid for it in 2017, you might be out of luck. However, if you’re happy with gaining steady appreciation

throughout the year on a home you plan on living in for the next few years, now could be a great time to make the move!

Nationally, according to Corelogic, home prices including on distressed sales, are projected to rise by 4.3 percent from August of 2015 to August of 2016. Also, with the new interest rate increases that have been announced experts say to expect to see a 30 year fixed rate mortgage at an interest rate of about 4.6 percent by the end of 2016.

Here in California, the California Association of Realtor’s 2016 California Housing Market Forecast predicts that the median home sale price is set to increase by 3.2 percent to $491,300 in 2016. Locally in 92103, Zillow predicts that the median home value will rise by about 2.3 percent this year. Along with this steady appreciation in the market, we will most likely also be seeing a steady stream of buyers in the market. Realtor.com recently ranked San Diego as the 6th hottest housing market in the U.S for home buying millennials!

All that being said, nobody can say without a shadow of a doubt just what will happen in the housing market over the next year. However, consulting with a professional that spends every day of the week reading about and following up on all the current housing trends is a great way to help protect yourself when making a move. If you’re interested in finding out more about the local real estate market and how to best invest in your future, there is a free monthly class held in Hillcrest called “The Millionaire Real Estate

Investor Workshop”. The workshop is based on the book, The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, written by Gary Keller, which collects the wisdom and experience of more than 120 Millionaire Real Estate Investors who built financial wealth through real estate investing. It reveals the investor’s proven strategies and summarizes their actions into straightforward and easy to follow models. The workshop is held on the first Tuesday of every month (except January) from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. The next workshop will be held on Tuesday, February 2, 2016, at Hillcrest Keller Williams Office, 3965 5th Ave San Diego 92103 (2nd floor) and will be their 55th monthly workshop. Space is limited (14 registered already), so please RSVP atwww.sdmyhome.com or call 619-663-7139.

Key Metrics 2014 2015 Percent Change Thru 11-2014 Thru 11-2015 Percent Change

New Listings 14 13 - 7.1% 266 296 + 11.3%

Pending Sales 14 15 + 7.1% 155 180 + 16.1%

Closed Sales 14 10 - 28.6% 148 163 + 10.1%

Median Sales Price* $955,000 $818,750 - 14.3% $865,000 $865,000 0.0%

Percent of Original List Price Received* 91.9% 95.4% + 3.8% 94.9% 95.4% + 0.5%

Days on Market Until Sale 58 37 - 36.2% 37 34 - 8.1%

Inventory of Homes for Sale 45 36 - 20.0% -- -- --

Months Supply of Inventory 3.3 2.3 - 30.3% -- -- --

* Does not account for sale concessions and/or downpayment assistance. | Percent changes are calculated using rounded figures and can sometimes look extreme due to small sample size.

Key Metrics 2014 2015 Percent Change Thru 11-2014 Thru 11-2015 Percent Change

New Listings 24 34 + 41.7% 369 450 + 22.0%

Pending Sales 16 35 + 118.8% 243 298 + 22.6%

Closed Sales 16 18 + 12.5% 236 270 + 14.4%

Median Sales Price* $479,500 $458,500 - 4.4% $455,000 $451,250 - 0.8%

Percent of Original List Price Received* 96.4% 99.6% + 3.3% 96.2% 96.3% + 0.1%

Days on Market Until Sale 36 72 + 100.0% 44 47 + 6.8%

Inventory of Homes for Sale 71 55 - 22.5% -- -- --

Months Supply of Inventory 3.3 2.1 - 36.4% -- -- --

* Does not account for sale concessions and/or downpayment assistance. | Percent changes are calculated using rounded figures and can sometimes look extreme due to small sample size.

Local Market Update for November 2015A Research Tool Provided by the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS®

92103Hillcrest, Mission Hills

November Year to Date

November Year to DateSingle Family

Townhouse-Condo

Current as of December 5, 2015. All data from Sandicor, Inc. Powered by ShowingTime 10K. Percent changes are calculated using rounded figures.

92103 — All MLS — All MLS —

92103 —

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

$900,000

5-2013 9-2013 1-2014 5-2014 9-2014 1-2015 5-2015 9-2015

Median Sales Price – Single FamilyRolling 12-Month Calculation

$250,000

$300,000

$350,000

$400,000

$450,000

$500,000

5-2013 9-2013 1-2014 5-2014 9-2014 1-2015 5-2015 9-2015

Median Sales Price – Townhouse-Condo Rolling 12-Month Calculation

COMMUNITY4| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

COMING&GOING

Madison Restaurant and Barto Open in University HeightsThe new Madison Restaurant and Barwill bring upscale dining, moderndesign, curated music, and creativecocktails to San Diego’s Park Boule-vard this December.

“We look forward to introducingMadison to the University Heightsneighborhood,” said Madison Man-aging Partner Jeffrey Fink, also ownerof M-Theory Music and managingpartner of FLUXX nightclub. “Locatedright on Park Boulevard and offeringa menu with options for any occasion,Madison will be the type of place youcan enjoy a beer with a friend onenight, and go on a dinner date thenext.”

Chef Mario Cassineri, partner andexecutive chef of BiCE Ristorante, willdesign Madison’s menu. Staying trueto Chef Mario’s Northern Italianroots, the menu will feature severalMediterranean influenced dishes, withclassic Southern California ingredi-ents. Chef Tony “G” (Gutierrez), for-merly of BiCE Ristorante, La Stradaand Opera Café, will helm the Madi-son kitchen. Chef Tony trained underChef Mario for four years at BiCE andlooks forward to bringing his menuto life at Madison. The restaurant willalso feature a full bar with cocktailsdesigned by mixologist Dan Dufek,

local beers, and a tailored wine pro-gram.

“Much like the Madison menu, thedesign seeks to integrate local withinternational design and materials,making the restaurant both a stimu-lating and comfortable place to dine,”says Anna Sindelar, of ARCHISECTS,the industrial design firm responsiblefor Madison’s design, and former Cre-ative Director of FLUXX. Madison islocated at 4622 Park Blvd., San Diego.

— Maria Desiderata Montana

Meet the new Grand Ole BBQ YAsado

Meet Loqui. Cocktail playland Park& Rec, opened earlier this year byWaypoint Public owner John Pani, haswelcomed a Bay Area-transplantedtaco pop-up that operates in the bar’ssnack shack on Tuesdays and Wednes-days from 4 p.m. until closing.

Loqui hails from San Francisco’sMission District, where it ran as aweekend pop-up from a window adja-cent to the famed Tartine Bakery.Owner/chef Cameron Wallace, whogrew up in San Diego, worked as abaker at Tartine; at Park & Rec, he’llbe cooking up a menu of fried fish,shrimp or fried zucchini tacos, avail-

able on a corn tortilla with onion,cilantro, crema, cabbage and salsa for$3 or on a handmade flour tortillawith onion, cilantro, crema, cabbage,salsa, avocado and cotija cheese for$4.

Royale with Cheese will continueto serve its grilled cheese and burgermenu, plus weekend brunch, at Park& Rec Thursday through Monday.

Park & Rec, 4612 Park Blvd., SanDiego

Rose Wine Bar TakeoverThe Rose Wine Bar + Bottle Shop

has taken over the 1,000-square-footspace where Stone Brewing Co.’s satel-lite tasting room used to be.

Partner and executive chef ChelseaColeman told Eater that the wine barwill be using the site as an event spacefor such things as movie nights, paint-ing and wine sessions, pre-brunch

yoga classes and more.It will also be available to rent for

private events and function as an over-flow seating area for the wine bar onbusy weekends. Meanwhile, in frontof The Rose’s original spot, a new side-walk patio was installed that addsanother 12 seats.

The Rose Wine Pub, 2219 30th St.,San Diego.

Put a Little Something Local inYour Glass

Hillcrest is the new headquarters ofVinavanti Urban Winery. Winemak-er/owner Eric Van Drunen, who relo-cated his eight-year-old winery fromits Sorrento Valley facility into a thor-oughly-renovated 3,300-square-footspace on University Avenue that’s nowopen Monday through Friday from 4to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sundayfrom 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.Made with grapes sourced from SanDiego County, the natural, unoakedand unfiltered wine under the Vina-vanti label include San Diego’s firstcertified organic wine, “The Maverick,a 50/50 field plend of Petit Verdot andMalbec, plus a 2012 Mourvèdre, a2014 Rosé of Grenache and Cinsaultand its popular 2011 GSM (2011

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre). VanDrunen also produces wine for LosPilares, and will feature Los Pilares’“BPN,” a sparkling Cabernet Sauvi-gnon made “pét-nat” style. There arealso four wines on tap, available inrefillable “litro” bottles, and a rotatingassortment of guest wines; the open-ing list features local Vesper Vineyards.All wines are available by the glass,bottle or flight, which range from prixfixe selections to build-your-ownflights of five wines.Other beverages include craft beer ontap and in bottles, plus house cocktailsthat include red vermouth with tonicand mint and applejack stirred withorange bitters and agave syrup. Thewine-friendly food menu consists oftoasts topped with everything fromsea urchin with sherried onion andcilantro to sous vide pork tenderloin,yellowtail crudo, roasted beets andwarm brie with pickled peppers andraw honey; each variation is availablein sets of three or seven pieces.Vinavanti plans on holding cellartours which will include guided tast-ings, as well as hosting movie nightsand special events to benefit localcharities; its official grand opening,scheduled for Saturday, December 5from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., will donate aportion of proceeds to support thenon-profit San Diego Roots Sustain-able Food Project.

— Candice Woo, Eater San Diego

DIGGIN' IT Construction is underway for St. Augustine High's new gym and per-forming arts center near 32nd & Nutmeg Sts. Completion is set for mid-2017.PHOTO: STEVE CHIPP

San Diego property owners cancontinue to assess themselves as away to pay for neighborhood main-tenance and improvement pro-grams, California’s Fourth AppellateDistrict Court of Appeal ruled onNov. 23.

The Court of Appeal dismisseda suit filed by San Diegans for OpenGovernment and attorney CoryBriggs against the city and its 57 vol-untary Maintenance AssessmentDistricts (MADs).

In so doing, the appeals courtaffirmed an earlier San Diego Supe-rior Court ruling that dismissed thecase “for lack of standing and failureto state a cause of action.”

The city has approved ordinancessince 1969 that form MADs andenable them to impose assessmentson district property owners to payfor community improvements andmaintenance programs beyondthose provided by the city.

Typical enhanced services provid-ed by MADs include: parkway land-scaping and maintenance; sidewalkcleaning and litter removal; land-scape and hardscape medians; graf-fiti removal; public right-of-wayimprovements; tree trimming; dec-orative streetlights, and security ser-vices.

SDFOG, in its lawsuit, claimedthe council resolutions were flawed.

The Court of Appeal noted thatSDFOG provided no “support inthe record” to substantiate thatclaim.

The Court of Appeal alsoaffirmed the lower court ruling thatSDFOG had no legal standing tobring a lawsuit -- saying thatSDFOG’s “novel theories on stand-ing” in the case were not legally sup-portable, as it had no “concrete andactual” interest in the MAD assess-

ments, only a “conjectural or hypo-thetical” one.

Had SDFOG prevailed in thecase, the 57 assessment districtswould have been invalidated, andthe City would have been requiredto issue refunds to their members,potentially involving tens of mil-lions of dollars.

“Maintenance Assessment Dis-tricts are legal and popular, and onlyproperty owners, who benefit from

the enhanced services, are assessed,”City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said.“By this ruling, 57 neighborhoodscan continue to voluntarily assesstheir properties in a way that main-tains and improves the communi-ty.”

The case was argued for the cityby Deputy City Attorney CarmenA. Brock.

Architect and developerJonathan Segal has been namedrecipient of the 2015 AmericanInstitute of Architects HousingAward and Builder Design Awardsfor his groundbreaking 27-unitThe North Parker mixed-use,live/work and affordable housingdevelopment in North Park.

Segal, co-chair of the Master ofReal Estate Development Programat Woodbury University’s Schoolof Architecture in Barrio Logan,was honored for designing anddeveloping The North Parker atthe corner of 30th and Upasstreets. The development includestwo restaurants, a beer-tasting barand an architectural office in addi-tion to the 27 units.

“The national AIA awards juryhit it on the nose when they

referred to The North Parker as‘clean, light and fun,’” Segal said.“From the outdoor gatheringplaces and street-level commercialspaces to the open, airy residencesaccessible by sweeping stairways,the whole structure has an openfeel and lots of room for peopleto move around. It was a fun pro-ject from start to finish.”

Rather than rely on others todevelop and finance the projectshe designs, Segal relies on a verti-cally integrated business model,essentially managing the entireprocess (and the cost of the pro-ject) from start to finish. Today,the firm has been responsible forthe design and development ofmore than 300 medium- to high-density urban residential, mixed-use and live/work units totaling

more than 300,000 square feet ofconstruction.

“Woodbury’s School of Archi-tecture is extremely fortunate tohave access to the talents and busi-ness acumen of Jonathan Segal,”said Catherine Herbst, chair ofarchitecture at the San Diego cam-pus. “His unique approach todesigning, developing and man-aging projects inspires his studentsto think beyond architecture.There’s no limit to the kinds ofthings an architect can do.”

Over the last two decades, Segalhas received more than two dozenlocal, state and national AIAawards for residential and urbandesign.

COMMUNITY MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 5

Architect/Developer Jonathan Segal Honored BY THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS

A section of the North Park Maintenance Assessment District.

Court of Appeal Rejects Attempt to End Neighborhood Improvement Programs

The North Parker

NEWS6| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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ADAMS AVENUE NEWS

Crystallizing the Mysteries of the CellSDSU biologist Manal Swairjosought out crystals for fun as ayoungster, but now uses crystallog-raphy to better understand cells andimprove medicine

Growing up in the Hawallyneighborhood of Kuwait City,Manal Swairjo was a bit of an out-sider in two ways. She belonged toa refugee family that fled Gaza,Palestine, when she was a baby, andshe, her parents and five siblingswere sometimes treated like second-class citizens. But she was also anoutsider in that she spent much ofher childhood outdoors, exploringthe Arabian Desert. Her parentswere both science teachers, and hergeologist father would show herhow to dig up fossils and petrifiedwood, how to determine the hard-ness of rocks and minerals.

“In a way, I grew up without acountry,” she said. “Instead, we hadour education to count on.”

Giant excavators used to buildnew freeways out into the desertwould unearth geodes big enoughfor the young Swairjo to sit inside.She fell in love with exploring thenatural world and, above all, withcrystals.

Today, Swairjo works on crystalsof a much, much smaller nature.Earlier this year, she joined SanDiego State University as an associ-ate professor of biochemistry andbrought with her a rich researchprogram looking into the micro-scopic crystalline structure of a par-ticular piece of cellular machinerycalled transfer RNA, or tRNA.

Following her starsAt Kuwait University, Swairjo

double-majored in math andphysics and at first wanted to studyastrophysics. She was accepted intoa program at Boston University andin 1989, she moved there to starther life in the United States.

“Cowboy movies and Star Trekwere the extent of my exposure toAmerican culture,” Swairjo said. “Iwas a huge Trekkie.”

So Boston came as a bit of ashock to her. She experienced snowfor the first time in her life duringher first Halloween there, andcaught some light teasing for her

excitement about it. But with thehelp of a close group of other inter-national students, she soon foundher place. It was also during this firstyear that she decided to give upastrophysics and pursue biophysicsinstead. Swairjo hadn’t studied biol-ogy since high school, but she rel-ished the idea of challenging herselfand doing work with more terres-trial impact.

“My personal motto is, if you cando physics, you can do anything,”she said.

Within biophysics, she gravitatedtoward crystallography, using X-raysto explore the atomic architectureof parts of the cell. Looking back,she sees how her childhood spentdigging up geodes with her fathershaped her career, but she neverrealized it at the time.

“My father had an immenseinfluence on me, but I didn’t evenrealize that until after I had earnedmy Ph.D.,” she said.

Working with “nonsense”After earning her doctorate,

Swairjo worked as a staff scientistat The Scripps Research Institute inSan Diego, then as an assistant pro-fessor at Western University of

Health Sciences in Pomona. At thelatter institution, she beganresearching tRNA, an adaptormolecule that links messenger RNAsequence with amino acid sequenceduring the creation of new proteins.

She’s particularly interested innaturally-occurring modificationsto the tRNA’s building blocks callednuncleosides. Without these modi-fications, the decoding of the genet-ic information can go wrong, result-ing in “nonsense proteins” that areresponsible for several neurodegen-erative diseases, as well as mitochon-drial disease.

Interestingly, the series of chem-ical reactions that leads to thesemodifications is also similar to theenzyme pathway used by harmful,drug-resistant bacteria such asMRSA and Neisseria gonorrhoeaeto produce a vitamin called folate.If you can prevent the bacteria frommaking this vitamin, you can kill itin its tracks.

With funding from both theNational Institutes of Health andthe National Science Foundation,Swairjo and her colleagues are usingX-ray crystallography to learn moreabout the microscopic constructionof tRNA in hopes of designingdrugs that can target the folate path-way, offering new weapons in thefight against bacterial disease. It’s abit like designing a dummy key tofit into a lock so the real key won’tfit.

“When you know the structureof the active site of the enzyme, youcan try to put a small molecule inthe active site to block it,” Swairjoexplained. “It’s easier to design aneffective inhibitor when you havesome knowledge about the shape ofthe active site.”

Dream bigEven though she’s relatively new

to campus, Swairjo is already find-ing her groove. She has implement-ed a problem-based learning modelinto her classroom teaching and hasseen students respond with enthu-siasm to what might otherwise beyawn-inducing lectures. She is alsoan investigator with SDSU’s highlyproductive Viral Information Insti-tute, helping to introduce structure-based drug design to antiviralresearch.

In a few years’ time, Swairjo hopesshe will have made her mark in sev-eral different ways. One way wouldbe to develop an enzyme inhibitorthat becomes a promising drug can-didate. Another would be to discov-er a novel protein fold or some newchemical property in the ocean. Andthe last would be to continue thecrystalline legacy she inherited fromher father.

“I would like to graduate a crys-tallography Ph.D. student,” she said.“That’s also been a dream.”

Katherine Faulconer in front of One San Diego’s office in Golden Hill. (Photo by Chris Jenenewein)

BY MICHAEL PRICE | SDSU NEWS CENTER

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 7

BUTTERFLYS & INSECTSTwenty-four award-winning wildlife

photographers come together to dis-play works that celebrate the gift offlight and depict majestic creatures intheir natural habitats in a new exhibi-tion at the San Diego Natural HistoryMuseum.

These 70 images in “Butterflies andInsects” capture the detail of the bilat-erally-symmetrical butterfly, as well asother insects and their arthropod rela-tives.

The exhibition opened Sept. 19 andcloses Jan. 11, 2016.

Butterflies are seen as a multiculturalsymbol of beauty. Insects, on the otherhand, are often met with slight preju-dice and annoyance, but most areharmless and actually beneficial.

Insects make up one of the mostdiverse groups of animals on the plan-et, including more than 1 milliondescribed species and representingmore than half of all known livingorganisms.

These photographic works capturethe beauty and splendor of nature’ssmallest citizens. Enjoy what these tal-ented photographers have done withnature’s genetic paintbrushes, trulyworks of art.

Butterflies and Insects is presentedin the Ordover Gallery on Level 4 ofthe San Diego Natural History Muse-um.

‘Black Swallowtail’ — Barbara Swanson ‘The Resting Queen’ — Barbara Swanson. ‘Nectar for Lunch’ — Mark Whitbeck. ‘Butterfly Abstract’ — Rex Short. Archival pigment print image — Will Gibson.

‘Spring Pile Up’ — Caroline Brown. ‘Floating’ — Abe Ordover.

‘Nymph Katydid Spit Shining its Antenna’ — Michael Shane. ‘Winged Green Beauty’ — Michael Shane.

8| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Alan Mulally, former executive vicepresident of Boeing and CEO of Boe-ing Commercial Airplanes, andFrank Pace of General Atomics Aero-nautical Systems, were among hon-orees enshrined in the San Diego Air& Space Museum’s Pavilion of Flighton Nov. 19.

Since 1963 the International Air &Space Hall of Fame has honoredmore than 200 of the world’s mostsignificant pilots, crew members,visionaries, inventors, aerospace engi-neers, business leaders, preservation-ists, designers and space pioneers.

The Distinguished Class of 2015includes:

• Alan R. Mulally joined Boeing in1969 and progressed through a num-ber of significant engineering and

program-management assignments,including contributions on everyBoeing commercial airplane from the727 through the 787.

• William F. Chana was involvedwith many key aeronautical projectsduring his lifetime, including duringWorld War II when he worked as aflight test engineer on numerousConvair aircraft. He later gained fameas the developer and test pilot of “theworld’s smallest plane,” the Wee Bee.He was a flight test engineer for Con-solidated Aircraft in San Diego, whichbecame Convair. Helped developmany kinds of aircraft like the Lib-erator and Dominator bombers andthe Convair 340 airliner. Died in2012. Tested exotic aircraft, like theSea Dart, world’s only supersonic sea-

plane.• Rear Adm. Tom Cassidy, (USN

Ret.) and Frank Pace. Under theleadership of Cassidy and Frank S.Pace, San Diego-based GeneralAtomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.took bold steps in the field ofUnmanned Aerial Vehicles and isnow in the top tier of a short list ofcontractors building defense industryremotely piloted vehicles.

• Lt. Col. Bob Ferry (USAF Ret.)Although Robert Ferry began hiscareer as a fighter pilot, he becamean expert in helicopters, where hemade profound contributions in 24years of flight testing, including onthe still widely used Apache AH-64helicopter.

• Vice Adm. Fred Trapnell, (USN

Ret.) Frederick Trapnell was the firstU.S. Navy pilot to fly a jet aircraft. Hewas considered the best, most expe-rienced naval test aviator of his gen-eration and co-founded the Navy’sfirst test pilot school.

• Experimental Aircraft Associationand The EAA Young Eagles. Foundedin 1953, the EAA has grown from ahandful of home-built aviationenthusiasts to an international avia-tion organization. The Young Eaglesprogram has provided first flights formore than 1.9 million children.

• Kenneth Friedkin, founder ofPacific Southwest Airlines. Kenneth(Kenny) Giles Friedkin was an Amer-ican aviator and businessman. Heobtained his pilot license at the ageof 17. As a pilot and instructor, Fried-

kin opened a flight school in 1945,called the Plosser-Friedkin School(later named the Friedkin School ofAeronautics). Pacific Southwest Air-lines was created by Kenneth and hiswife Jean in 1949. Their experienceand background led to PSA’s success.

• Texas Congressman Sam John-son, (Col. USAF (Ret.). A decoratedwar hero and native Texan, SamJohnson ranks among the few mem-bers of Congress to fight in combat.During his 29-year career in the U.S.Air Force, Johnson flew combat mis-sions in both the Korea and Vietnam.He endured nearly seven years as aprisoner of war in Hanoi.

Air & Space Museum Enshrines Aviation Leaders into Pavilion of Flight

Alan Mulally Frank Pace

Frederick Trapnell

Bill Chana Thomas Cassidy

Kenneth Friedkin

PSA stewardesses during the early years of the airline.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 9

By Bart Mendoza

December 26Eve Selis — Catch Her LivePowerhouse singer Eve Selis performs at Croce’s Park West on Dec.26. One of San Diego’s best vocalists, Selis can do it all, roadhouseblues to torch song, with emotion in every note. Now a well estab-lished veteran of the San Diego music scene, Selis has been makinga big splash in the UK during recent tours supporting her latestalbum, “Family Tree,” scoring BBC Radio play in the process andperforming on the festival circuit. As good as the disc is, Selis is def-initely a performer you want to catch live, her stage presence a perfectmatch for her vocal talents. www.crocesparkwest.com

January 13, 2016Music Legend Dave Mason Comes AliveLegendary rocker Dave Mason performs at the Music Box onJan. 13. He’s had a truly amazing career. As a musician he’s beena member of Traffic, Derek and the Dominoes and FleetwoodMac. As a songwriter he’s scored with his own hit, “We JustDisagree,” also penning such classics as “Feeling Alright,” coveredby everyone from Joe Cocker to Michael Jackson. Meanwhile,he’s been heard on recordings by a rock ‘n’ roll who’s who,including the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Paul McCartney.Sadly, as time marches on, true music legends such as Masonare leaving us. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear one of mod-ern rock’s pioneers in person.www.musicboxsd.com

December 20San Diego Troubador’s Annual Holiday FestGrassroots Oasis will be the site of local music journal the San DiegoTroubadour’s annual Holiday Open House and Fundraiser on Dec.20. The night will feature an open mic stage as well as an outdoorfire pit, acoustic jam session area. What makes the night special isthe fact that the music journal is acclaimed for its coverage of roots,folk, jazz, bluegrass and other Americana, so it’s natural that thenight will feature many well-known local all stars and surprise guests,with a three song limit keeping the turnover high. The open micwill be emceed by singer-songwriters Jimmie Lundsford and AlanLand.www.facebook.com/grassrootsoasis

December 26Strangelove in a Class of Their OwnThere are some really good tribute bands out there, but few matchtheir namesake as well as Strangelove, a tribute group to electronicadance favorites Depeche Mode. Appearing at the House of Blues onDec. 26 as part of a night of tribute acts dubbed “The Holiday Hang-over.” Also on hand will be the Cured, Planet Earth and Idolized —doppelgangers for The Cure, Duran Duran and Billy Idol, respectively.All are excellent, but Strangelove is in a class of their own, truly thenext best thing to the real deal. It’s amazing just how much they lookand sound like Depeche Mode, no wigs or prosthetics here. If you’rea fan of Depeche Mode, rest assured you’re going to love every secondof Strangelove’s set. www.casbahmusic.com

January 4, 2016The Gloomies — Masters of the PenPysch-pop band The Gloomies has a free Monday night resi-dency at the Soda Bar kicking off on Jan. 4. Barely around for ayear, the band has had major success already, with their debutsingle, “LSD” / “Groves,” just issued and The Gloomies beingnamed “Buzz Band of the Week” by influential British musicpaper, NME. They are a terrific live act and as their new singledemonstrates, they are also masters at penning catchygarage/surf-tinged tunes, full of melody and reverb. Easily oneof the best and most unassuming bands to emerge from SanDiego’s fertile music scene in recent memory, these free showsgive everyone a chance to see and hear what the buzz is all about.www.sodabarmusic.com

December 24A Christmas Gift from the CasbahChristmas Eve might seem like the least obvious of times for rock‘n’ roll, but for the last several decades, savvy music aficionados havebeen heading to the Casbah for Exile on Kettner Blvd. Originally agathering of musicians on what is generally a slow night for enter-tainment, the night has now become a beloved local institution.Fans can expect the night to feature a combo of local all stars per-forming an evening of Rolling Stones covers, with a focus as thename implies on songs from the Stones classic “Exile on Main Street”as well as incendiary live trio, Schizophonics performing a specialR&B-driven “Stone Soul Christmas Show.” Best of all, the wholething is free, a holiday gift from the Casbah. www.casbahmusic.com

COMMUNITY10| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Tips for Better Holiday Photos of Your Pet Be patient, and keep it simple

Taking photos of our animalfriends can be challenging under anycircumstances; add the distraction offestive headgear or other holidayprops and capturing something“card worthy” has debacle written allover it. Here are a few tips to makethe process less stressful for you andyour pet.

Be patient and take your time. Itmay require a number of attemptsover several days, giving your pal abreak after 10 minutes or so. Chancesare he or she is eager to please you,but has no idea what you want. Con-fusion quickly becomes fear; youdon’t want to impose that on yourfriend and you don’t want to sendout photos of him or her lookingmiserable. If you’re aggravated, that’sonly going to make it worse. Keepyour demeanor upbeat and fun; ifyou can’t do that, you BOTH need abreak.

No surprises. If you’re going to putfuzzy antlers, a collar with bells, or aSanta hat on your buddy, get himused to it well before you try to takephotos. Leave it on a few seconds thefirst time and build up slowly (it maytake weeks) so that he’ll tolerate itfor several minutes. Help him devel-op positive associations with the item— a treat or play time can turn theexperience into something he likes.The “no surprises” rule applies notonly to props, but to locations aswell. If your pal has never or rarelybeen to the place in which you’re tak-ing the photos, you can’t expect himto be relaxed and focused. Cats areeven less tolerant of change thandogs; stay within their comfort zone.

Create your “set” ahead of time.Have everything ready BEFORE youbring the star in for her glamourshot. She’s not going to sit aroundpatiently wearing an elf costumewhile you get organized.

No on-camera flash. If your cam-era has a built-in flash, turn it off.Using the red-eye reduction featureisn’t going to help; your fur-kid’s eyeswill still show up as either a ghostlygreen or white. If you need morelight in the room, open all the win-

dows for daylight or turn on everylamp in the room and use a whitesheet behind and beneath your petto reflect that light back toward thecamera.

Attention is fleeing. Whatever youuse to get your pet to look your waywill only last a few moments andprobably will only work a few times.Be prepared with several options;dogs tend to respond to sound, catsare more likely to react to motion.

If you’re trying to photographyour dog, don’t call her name andthen duck behind your camera.Chances are she’ll try to come to youand then be confused when you sayNo!! Go back, stay!” and then call hername again. Instead, when you’reboth in position, try making a gasp-ing sound or let a soft squeak comeout of your throat. If you have helpin this process, have someone behindyou knock softly on the wall orscrunch an empty plastic bottle.

If a cat is your subject, having ahelper is even more valuable. Some-one to dangle a ribbon or flit a feath-ered toy back and forth can do won-ders. Failing that, pick a time of daywhen your feline is snoozy andrelaxed — then place a prop next tohim, step back, and snap away.

Don’t bother trying to get any ofthem to look at you when they’rescratching an itch or suddenly needto investigate something. Let themfinish that, then start over.

Don't overwhelm your pal oryourself. Putting Spot into a full-onSanta costume and plopping him ina sleigh surrounded by presents andminiature decorated tree is probablynot the way to go if this is your firsttime taking a holiday pet photo. Keepit simple — an over-sized ornamentor a stuffed toy with a holiday themetucked next to her while she coziesup in her favorite bed gets the mes-sage across just fine.

Colleen Carnevale, a San Diego-based pet photographer and ownerof Colleen's Custom Pet Photogra-phy, has been named one of theregion’s best in the San Diego A-Listrankings for the past five years. Shecan be reached at www.custompet-photo.com.

BY COLLEEN CARNEVALE

All photos by Colleen’s Custom Pet Photography custompetphoto.com

AUTOS MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 11

GM still has two “near luxury”brands — Buick and GMC — whichis double what other car companieshave. They have the mass-market line(Toyota, for example) and then theluxury line (Lexus). Theres nothingin the middle.

With GM, you can go incremen-tally up two steps from the mass-mar-ket brand (Chevy) before getting tothe top-of-the-line brand (Cadillac).

Or down a step. Or, sideways.As a case in point, consider GM’s

full-size/three-row crossover SUV. Itis sold three ways, with prices that areless…or more…and sometimes,overlap.

There is the Chevy-branded Tra-verse - which starts at $31,205 andtops out at $44,145. Next up is theGMC Acadia, which actually startslower than the Chevy at $30,975 buttops out much higher, at $49,890.From there, you can go down or upto a Buickized version of the samebasic vehicle, the Enclave, subject ofthis write-up.

It starts higher than either theChevy or the GMC at $39,065 buttops out a few hundred bucks downfrom the GMC, at $49,515.

Mechanically, these are all basicallythe same rig.

They differ slightly in terms ofstyling and (nominally) the Buickand the GMC are positioned as the

“nicer” versions but as the pricingstructure reveals, this can get confus-ing. A loaded Traverse is arguably“nicer” — and pricier — than a baseEnclave. And is a loaded Enclave anyless (or more?) “nice” than a loadedAcadia Denali?

GM retorts that the Buick versionis the softer/quieter version, a kindof seven-passenger ermine slipper,while the GMC is more “rugged”(though also “nicer” than the Chevy,which is also “rugged.”)

What’s is it?The Enclave is the Buick-badged

version of GM’s full-size crossoverSUV. Its big sell is that it has moreinterior space (especially cargo room)than an Acura MDX, a Lincoln MKT,an Infiniti QX60 or an Audi Q7 —but isn’t as huge on the outside assomething like a Chevy Suburban (orInfiniti QX80). It shares mechanicalswith its Chevy and GMC-badged sib-lings but, being a Buick, it comes withluxury features such as three-zone cli-mate control, leather trim and 19-inch wheels standard whereas theseare available optionally in the Chevyand GMC. The Buick also has exte-rior styling that’s more “Buicky.” It’srounder and softer-looking than itsmore “trucky” and squared-off look-ing siblings.

Base price (as mentioned up

above) is $39,065 for the Conve-nience trim, which is only offered inFWD form. Next up is the Leathertrim, which is available in both FWDand AWD forms ($43,660 and$45,660, respectively). The top-of-the-line Premium trim is likewiseoffered with either FWD ($47,515)or AWD ($49,515).

All Enclaves come standard withthe same 3.6 liter V6, six-speed auto-matic and three rows of seats.

What’s New Like its Chevy/GMC siblings, the

Enclave (all trims) gets 4GB in-carWi-Fi and the latest version of GM’sOn Star concierge system. Premiumtrims can be ordered with a Tuscanpackage that adds 20-inch chromewheels with bronze trim accents. Thiswill be the final year of the current-generation Enclave; an all-new model(three all-new models, actually) is ondeck for the 2017 model year.

What’s GoodThird row is more than just a

jumpseat for kids, as in smaller rivalslike the MDX and QX60. Supersmooth, super quiet. Class-best cargocapacity behind third row and withfirst and second rows folded down.Get one for a couple thousand lessthan Acura asks for an MDX or Lin-coln wants for an MKT. Final year of

this generation Enclave probablymeans you’ll be able to negotiate asweet deal on one as dealers try toclear inventory to make room for thenew/2017 Enclave.

What’s Not So GoodIf you want AWD, the price jumps

by $4,595 (the difference between thebase FWD-only Convenience and thebase AWD Leather trim). It’s kindaslow for the money, very thirsty anddoesn’t pull as much as most of theothers in its class. Wide-load turningcircle (about two feet more thanMDX). Getting long in the tooth.Current model is about eight yearsold (first year, 2008) and the 2016 willlook really old when the-all new 2017Enclave comes out.

Under The HoodAll trims come standard with GM’s

3.6 liter V6, an engine that is used ineverything from Camaros to Cadil-lacs (as well as Traverses and Acadias).It is direct injected, has variable valvetiming and, in the Buick, makes 288hp. A six-speed automatic is standardand you have the option of FWD or(in all but the base Convenience trim)AWD. The six isn’t weak but theBuick is heavy: 4,724 lbs. for the FWDversion and 4,992 lbs. for the AWD-equipped version. Which explainswhy it’s kinda slow,and very thirsty.

Zero to 60 takes about 8.5 seconds,about two seconds slower than theslightly more powerful (290 hp) butmuch lighter (3,960 lbs. ) AcuraMDX. This would probably be okayif the Buick were easier on gas, butit’s not. The FWD version only man-ages 17 city, 24 highway while theheavier AWD model’s mileage is just16 city, 22 highway.

On The RoadIt has no kick. That’s what one of

my country friends said after I flooredit for her, to demonstrate the Buick’spassing prowess. Or lack thereof. This$53,000 ride (as tested) acceleratedabout as quickly as the Toyota CorollaI was also test-driving the week I hadthe Enclave. But the Corolla’s aneconomy car, with a base price justover $17k. People don’t expect muchto happen when they firewall the gaspedal of a car like that ... but at leastyou get good gas mileage out of thething (32.3 MPG, about twice whatthe Buick averaged).

It’s kind of deflating, on the otherhand, to be driving a $53k vehiclethat cannot out-accelerate a just-over-$17k vehicle. And which drinksabout twice the gas, too. The V6 tries;it’s just not strong enough. The beefyBuick weighs a pavement crushing

NEW CAR REVIEW 2016 Buick Enclave BY ERIC PETERS

SEE BUICK, Page 12

AUTOS12| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

764 pounds more than an MDX (and 22pounds more than Lincoln MKT — whichhas 77 more hp).

Once you get up to speed, though, theEnclave recovers its poise, which is as goodor better than that of its rivals, almost all ofwhich are tuned for “sporty” handling.Which inevitably means firmer riding.

The Enclave’s ride is super smooth andsuper quiet, even though the Buick rides on19 (or 20) inch wheels, with the short/stiffsidewall tires that go with them. It's obviousmuch thought went into suspension tuningand sound deadening. The latter probablyaccounts for a good portion of the Enclave’sbulk.

At The CurbLet’s start with the Enclave’s objective

charms. The thing is immensely roomyinside. Even with all three rows in place,there’s 23.3 cubic feet of cargo capacitybehind the third row. Lower the second andthird rows and the Enclave can house amariachi band plus a few trays of margaritas:115.2 cubic feet of open space.

Getting to the seats requires manhandlingthe second row forward, then clawing andcrawling your way back there. Many of these“three row” crossovers would do better

chucking the useless third row and openingup the space for more cargo room.

The Buick is among the few that has thirdrow seats adults can get to without pullingsomething - and sit on without sterilizingthemselves. There is 33.2 inches of legroom- comparable to the second-row legroom inseveral mid-sized cars and enough to makethem comfortable for even a six-footer likeme.

The RestIf it had been my call to make, I’d have

made it possible to order the Conveniencetrim with AWD for another $2,000 or so(what it costs to go from a FWD Leathertrim to an AWD leather trim) instead of the$4,595 kick in the soft parts it takes to movefrom the FWD-only Convenience to theAWD Leather. The Enclave’s primary appealsare its space and its value. As the price goesup, its deficits, relative to newer rivals,become more apparent.

Bottom LineThe old gal still has some life left in her.

But you might want to wait and see what2017 brings.

Eric Peters is the author of “Automotive Atroc-ities” and “Road Hogs” and a former editorialwriter/columnist for The Washington Times.

BUICKCONTINUED FROM Page 11

Base price: $39,065 as tested (Premium AWD) $53,515Engine: 3.6 liter V6, 288 hp.Transmission: six speed automatic.Length: 201.9 inches.Width: 79 inches

Wheelbase: 118.9 inchesCurb weight: 4,724 lbs. Luggage capacity: 23.3 cubic feet EPA fuel economy: 17 city/24 highway (FWD)Where assembled: Lansing, Mich.

2016 Buick Enclave specifications:

POLITICS MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 13

Candidates vying for the San DiegoCity Council District 3 seat squared offat a forum organized by the San DiegoPolice Officers Association and held atthe historic Old Globe Theatre in Bal-boa Park on the evening of Dec. 7.

Contenders Anthony Bernal andChris Ward stated their cases aboutwhy they should be elected to succeedtermed-out councilman Todd Gloria.

The event was open to the publicand drew a small crowd of around100 to listen to the candidates answerquestions regarding rising crime,crumbling infrastructure, policerecruitment and retention problemsand Proposition B, which eliminatespensions for new city hires.

The candidates also answeredquestion about the San Diego Con-vention Center and whether theysupported a continuous or contigu-ous expansion, entertainment permitfees, raising the minimum wage to$15, homelessness, street and side-walk repair, parking problems, anddividing resources between bikes,cars, walking and transit vehicles.

Ward is drawing on his experienceas chief of staff for state Sen. MartyBlock (D-San Diego), while Bernal isdrawing upon his experience workingat City Hall as Gloria’s director ofbusiness and community projects.

“I’ve been going door-to-doorspeaking directly to residents for thepast 15 weeks and they sound veryhappy with the way things are oper-ating at City Hall,” Bernal said. I’mfeeling very confident about my can-didacy. My experience working forCouncilman Gloria for the past sevenyears is a really big strength that Ihave going into this election, as wellas my track record of deliveringresults for the city on communityprojects since 2008.”

Ward said that he’s excited aboutany opportunity to talk to votersabout his background and ability tohandle the job on day one.

“A lot of the public don’t evenknow that there is an election comingup and others ask me why I wouldrun against Todd Gloria,” Ward said.

“This is a very engaged communitywith a lot of history and neighbor-hoods that sometimes have compet-ing needs. But as a councilmember,you need to be able to understand,respect, honor and promoteimprovements and meet the needs ofmembers of all parts of the district.”

Thom Senzee, an award-winningjournalist, founder of the “LGBTs InThe News” panel series and a recentlyelected board member to the SanDiego Press Club, moderated theevent.

“I think that the discussion had avery strong San Diego ethic or style,which was civility, courtesy and therewas plenty of substance to be found,”Senzee said. “I’m sorry that the publicwasn’t able to ask questions, but thatwas the way that the organizers decid-ed to do it.”

As the discussion was ending, sev-eral audience members stood up andcomplained about the voting publicnot being able to pose questions tothe candidates in public.

After the meeting, Brian Marvel,president of the SDPOA said, “I getwhere they’re coming from, but ourformat has always been the same forother forums. Our goal was to be ableto have the questions that we wantedbrought up discussed, which werecommunity issues and public safety.”

The forum began with a twominute opening statement by eachcandidate. Each of the sponsoringgroups had a chance to ask two ques-tions. Candidates were given 90 sec-

onds to respond to each question. Ifone candidate attacked or criticizedthe other, the candidate that wasattacked or criticized was given theopportunity to respond for 30 sec-onds.

Additional sponsors included theLGBT Weekly, North Park Commu-nity Association, Hillcrest TownCouncil, Gaslamp Quarter Associa-tion, San Diego Downtown Partner-ship and San Diego Regional Cham-ber of Commerce.

Communities in District 3 includeBalboa Park, Bankers Hill, Down-town, Golden Hill, Hillcrest, LittleItaly, Mission Hills, Normal Heights,North Park, Old Town, South Parkand University Heights.

Christina Chadwick, vice presidentfor the Downtown San Diego Part-nership, a leading advocacy group foreconomic growth in Downtown SanDiego, said that the event was a greatopportunity for the community tocome learn from the candidateswhere they stand on issues, anddecide who is best qualified to repre-sent their neighborhood.

“The District 3 councilmember willbe the representative for the Down-town area,” she said. “For the Down-town Partnership it’s critically impor-tant to have a leader that we sharemutual interests and common visionswith and that we’re able to worktogether to really move projects for-ward for the city, so we clearly have avested stake in helping to get elected acandidate that is best suited.”

Marvel said that he was happy withthe results of the discussion and hopesto have more debates down the road.He pointed out that there is still 26weeks left until the primary election.

“Hopefully people that were heretonight will be able to talk to theirfriends and community members todiscuss what they heard,” Marvel said.“They’ll be able to see how maybethe candidate’s positions will evolveover time or if they will stick to whatthey’ve said.”

For more information on the SanDiego Police Officers Association, goto www.sdpoa.org or call (858) 573-1199.

City Council Candidates ForumAnthony Bernal and Chris Ward seek District 3 seat

Anthony Bernal speaks to the forum audience while Chris Ward (seated) watches. Forum moderator Thom Senzee is at the podi-um. (Photo/Manny Lopez)

BY MANNY LOPEZ

Chris Ward addresses the audienceas Anthony Bernal takes a seat.(Photo/Manny Lopez)

14| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Some of the 18,000 attendees.

SoNo Fest and Chili Cook-Off Heats Up for its Sixth Year

18,000 attendees jam the intersection for the lively all-day celebration

The annual SoNo Fest and ChiliCook-Off returned for its sixth yearon Dec. 6 to the Altadena neigh-borhood that joins North Park and

South Park. Held at T-32, a shopping districtat the intersection of Thorn Street and 32ndStreet, this year’s SoNo Fest proved to be aneven bigger and better experience for the 18,000attendees who flocked from all corners of SanDiego to get their fill of chili and simultaneouslybenefit McKinley Elementary School.

“The community has fully embraced thisevent and it is a boon to North Park’s Altadenaneighborhood. We have people coming fromall over San Diego and even from OrangeCounty and Los Angeles for this festival,” saidJean Rivaldi, event chair and McKinley parent.“The restaurant and brewer community’s par-ticipation is stellar as well. They all love a goodcompetition and the camaraderie and compet-itive spirit is part of what makes this event sofun.”

As is tradition since being founded in 2009,

SoNo Fest is a free community event for thosewanting to walk around and enjoy one of theneighborhood’s largest outdoor communitystreet festivals. For $20 attendees were able topurchase handcrafted, one-of-a-kind ceramicbowls and access to five chili tastings from thisyear’s participating restaurants.

The festival’s Chili Cook-Off featured a closecompetition between local chefs from NorthPark, South Park and other areas of San Diegowho battled it out in hopes of being dubbedthe restaurant serving the Best Overall Chili. Adozen or so members of the community,including Master Chef Junior winner NathanOdom (who once attended McKinley) andCouncilman Todd Gloria, served as the event’sofficial judges, while attendees who purchasedtastings were welcome to cast their vote in thePeople’s Choice category.

North Park’s own Toronado San Diego,which has gained in popularity in recentmonths for its monthly brunch series, stole theBest Overall Chili award with a smoked lambleg and tri-tip chipotle chili, while Monkey PawPub & Brewery took Best Vegetarian and WestCoast Tavern won the People’s Choice award.

South Park Brewing Company was rankedMost Unique for its unusual shellfish-inspiredchili that the local brewpub is rumored to nowbe serving as a soup throughout the winter.

“San Diego has become such a foodie townthat there are festivals and events every week-end, but something about this one really standsout,” said event-goer Christina Page, who hasattended SoNo Fest for three years running. “Ilove chili and beer. In those areas, SoNo Festdoesn't disappoint. It's fun to see the uniquetakes on the comfort food that I’d never thinkof making. All the restaurants really broughttheir A-game.”

Many locals who attended this year’s SoNoFest remarked on the event’s growth, withanother three-year veteran observing that “everyyear it seems to grow by a block or so” andanother returning fan noting how “it seemedlike the chili lasted longer this year.”

Indeed, the sought-after chili and the uniqueceramic bowls that the tastings are served inhave a history of selling out: “One thing Ilearned from attending in previous years is toget there early so you actually get a bowl! I wasthere at 11 a.m. on the dot,” added Page.

In addition to seemingly endless chili, thisyear’s SoNo Fest also featured an expanded beergarden reflective of San Diego’s growing craftbeer scene, a redesigned kids’ zone, an increasednumber of artisan craft vendors with displaysthat inspired holiday gifting, and two stages oflive music featuring local artists presented byThe Casbah and Bar Pink.

SoNo Fest and Chili Cook-Off is a completelyvolunteer organized event benefiting McKinleyElementary School, located in Altadena. EventChair Rivaldi, who has volunteered with theevent for five years since her eldest son beganattending McKinley, expects that this year’sfundraising efforts will surpass the approxi-mately $53,000 that was raised for the schoolin 2014.

“It's gratifying to know that we have a groupof parents and community members that havethe heart to come together and put on such anamazing event,” said Rivaldi. “The fact that thefestival benefits our kids is icing on the cake.”

For further information about this year’sevent, visit sonofestchilicookoff.com.

BY COLETTE MAUZERALLE | PHOTOS BY JIM CHILDERS

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 15

Anthony Bernal gets a chili serving from wife Amy. Whoops, this chili’s hot! Snagging a purse to add to her collection.

Local musical artists were presented by The Casbah and Bar Pink. One of the thousands of chili tasters. Chili ready to be served.

City Tacos made an appearance. Having fun at the crafts table. Attendees purchased bowls for $20 apiece to sample chili recipes.

Group nibblers. Vendors enjoyed a brisk business from attendees of all ages. Getting a mouthful.

Server, at your service. Servers spent all day serving up chili dishes to the crowds. Some of the restaurants added rice to their recipes.

COMMUNITY16| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

The Hillcrest Business Associa-tion’s Taste N Tini holiday event onDec. 10 was hailed as a great successwith the sale of 600 tickets and theparticipation of some 40 Hillcrestbusinesses.

“Twelve of our retail locationswere given ABC licenses and mixedup holiday cocktails as peopleshopped,” said Megan Gamwell,marketing and communicationsdirector for the Hillcrest BusinessAssociation. “Overall, the event ws ahuge success and our retail locationsreported record sales for the evening.

This was one of San Diego’s mostbeloved neighborhoods serving upa festive way to enjoy the holiday sea-son.

Participants went on self-guidedwalking tours of restaurants, eachoffering an assortment of specialtiesfrom appetizers and entrees to deca-dent sweet treats. There were a vari-ety of flavors, including spicy Span-ish, fresh seafood, hearty Italian, andclassic American.

TASTE N TINI A BIG SUCCESSDec. 10 event was hailed as a great success

People crowd the sidewalk in the holiday event.

Customers line up for a cocktail treat. Sample cocktails

COMMUNITY MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 |17

Saturday morning I arrived earlyat Alexi’s Greek Café on FifthAvenue. Even though it doesn’t offi-cially open until 11 a.m., Jorge Sal-cedo, the proprietor, welcomed mein. A slim, nice looking man withgreat dark hair, and eyes, he handedme the menu as he wiped off thedozen or so white tables in prepa-ration for the lunch crowd.

As I perused the plastic-coveredmenu with three columns of choices— both Greek and American — Iwatched Jorge, clad in his long whiteapron, crisp white shirt, and blackslacks, continue to spray and wipethe floor-to-ceiling windows thatoffered his patrons one of the bestpeople-watching views in Hillcrest.

Coming from Chicago, wheremany downtown city diners areowned and operated by Greeks, andwhere Greek Town on HalstedStreet is a local and even nationalattraction, my nostalgia led me tobecome a bit of a regular at Alexi’s.Typically I order a Greek salad, pita,falafel and a glass of $2.50 wine.Usually I come alone and listen tothe classical music playing in thebackground and let my mind fan-tasize about the sun-filled Greekislands displayed in photos on thewalls or ponder the lives of peoplepassing by.

Without regard to the season(each being very subtle in SanDiego), many of the pedestrianswear sandals, jeans, tee-shirts andflat-brimmed ball caps, some wornforward and some worn backward.Most are engaged with their cellphones. There are young couplesholding hands and laughing andthere are just everyday folks in unre-markable garb coming and going atthe corner bus stop.

There are also those passers-bywho appear to be homeless, wearingill-fitting, dirty clothes with unrulyhair and beards, peering out from

glazed eyes with faraway looks.Often they carry bags full of plasticbottles to the recycle center nearby.

As I sat there musing, I wonderedif Nora Warner, an older petitewoman with bright blue eyes, clearskin and thick white hair wouldshow up today.

It wasn’t long after Jorge pulledthe cord lighting up the OPEN signthat she daintily entered the cafewith the help of her wood cane. Shewas wearing her signature beige cot-ton hat and a bright green sweaterover an orange shirt with disc ear-rings picking up both vibrant col-ors. She headed directly to her“reserved” seat next to the cash reg-ister.

I first met Nora over a year agowhen we were the only two peoplein the café — each having an earlylunch a few tables apart. I smiled ather and said hello. She smiled backand told me she couldn’t hear well,so I needed to speak up for my voiceto carry across the tables that sepa-

rated us. I learned that she was aretired teacher living nearby andthat her memory was fading and Ishould not be insulted if she forgotmy name.

Over time, I noticed that Noraand Jorge had their own ritual. Hewould greet her by name with a wel-coming smile and ask her if she washungry. She would say either “very”or “somewhat.” She would next takeher usual seat and he would bringher a diet coke with a straw.

Having told Jorge that I wantedto write about Nora and interviewhim, he suggested I return anotherday after 3 p.m. when businesswould likely be slower.

Yesterday I arrived around 3.When Nora arrived a little later, hesat me across from her at her tableso that she and I could chat and Icould witness Jorge and Nora’sexchange.

“Hello Nora, are you hungry . . .what would you like today?”

“I am very hungry today . . . but Inever know what you have . . . soplease decide for me.”

“Let me see what I can puttogether for you today.”

Before long, Jorge brought her atoasted ham, cheese and tomatosandwich cut in half.

While she began to eat Jorge hada little time between customers andbegan to fill me in on his friend. Herecalled that she had been comingto his café for over 15 years — usu-ally twice a day for an early lunchat 11 a.m. and an early dinnerbetween 3:30 and 4 p.m.

He told me that Nora is alwaysvery friendly and enjoys talking withothers while eating her meals. Fre-quently he will ask a regular cus-tomer dining alone to join Nora ather table so that she can enjoy thecompany.

Luckily, she likes a lot of differentkinds of food, so he changes up hermenu with an eye to nutrition and

mostly finger-food for her ease ineating. He told me she used to havea glass of wine with her meal butswitched to soda about a year agowhen she began using the cane.

He smiles as he describes Nora asa happy person with a love for life.He explains that over the years hereyesight, hearing and memory haveall declined but that these deficitsdo not deter her mobility and spir-it.

He told me about her annualbirthday parties at the café everyJuly 23 when a dozen or so of herfriends celebrate with food, wineand music. At her most recent party,she turned 93.

When I asked about him, Jorgetold me that he’s from Mexico andhas been at the café for over 20years, where he learned Greek cook-ing from his former boss who wasfrom Greece. He was proud to tellme that the café has been operatingfor 23 years and has mainly regularcustomers.

After Nora finished half of herhalf sandwich, Jorge took the otherhalf and boxed it up for her, telling

me that she no longer eats verymuch at a sitting.

Finished with her meal, Nora washappy to answer my questions —although warning me that she isnow “an ancient” and she often for-gets in mid-sentence.

With a beautiful sparkling smile,she reminisced about her teachingdays, telling me how much she lovedher students. She told me she wasfrom Canada and of Irish heritage.And that she is particularly fond ofher middle name — Valentine.

When asked about family, hersmile fades a bit as she tells me howmuch she and her husband hadwanted children but were unable todo so. She told me her husband haddied and apologized for forgettinghis name.

Her smile reappears when shespeaks of her friend, Jorge, tellingme he is a “a splendid man, a goodman and a true friend,” and that hiscafé is “her second home.”

Pretending to be busy wiping anearby table, I glanced in Jorge’sdirection just in time to see him grinfrom ear to ear.

A Special Kind of Friendship in a Hillcrest CaféBY ANNE M. HAULE

Jorge Salcedo opens the café at 11 a.m. every morning. Nora Warner has been coming to the café for more than 15 years.

Jorge Salcedo and Nora Warner

18| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 19

Small businesses significantlyimpact San Diego’s economy, asfirms with fewer than 50 employeesmake up 95 percent of all establish-ments and account for nearly one-half of the workforce.

To better understand the work-force needs of small businesses, astudy by the San Diego WorkforcePartnership analyzed survey respons-

es from 347 small businesses acrossSan Diego County’s Priority Sectors— Advanced Manufacturing, HealthCare, Advanced Transportation, LifeSciences/Biotechnology (Biotech)and Information and Communica-tion Technologies.

Small businesses are essential tothe region’s economy and workforcebecause of their significant impact in

all industries. Within the five PrioritySectors, small businesses account formore than 90 percent of all business-es in each sector.

On average, small businessesreported employing nine workers.Within the next 12 months, the aver-age number of employees is expectedto grow to 10. Employment growthis expected across all employment

size categories.In 2015, small businesses (includ-

ing owner-operated firms) employedapproximately 568,000 workers. By2016, total employment in smallbusinesses is expected to grow by 15percent, or 87,800 positions.

Challenges for Small BusinessSmall businesses in San Diego

County face a number of regulatory,economic and workforce challenges.These challenges include legislativemandates, rules and regulations gov-erning businesses, a lack of resources,the inability to find skilled workersand more.

While San Diego is consistentlychosen as a prime location for high-tech startups, the region lacks in over-all friendliness toward small businessowners. An online hiring service,Thumbtack, conducted a survey in2014

of 12,000 small business ownersacross the country and ranked SanDiego at number 78 out of 82 – oneof the nation’s least business-friendlycities.

The 212 small businesses in SanDiego that participated in theThumbtack survey found that start-ing a business in San Diego was dif-ficult and time-consuming, present-ing an array of unfriendly licensingand regulatory requirements includ-ing zoning rules and tax code, laborlaw and environmental regulations.

While many service professionalsdid value the ability of licensing and

regulatory requirements to protectconsumers and keep lower-quality

competitors off the market, problemsnavigating onerous requirementsremained a top concern for smallbusiness owners.

The decision of small businessesto operate in San Diego is signifi-cantly affected by their perception ofgovernment relations. Smaller firms(fewer than three employees) tend tobe less optimistic about the future,and there is a perception that gov-ernment is becoming less businessfriendly.

Union Bank’s annual Small Busi-ness Economic Survey found that,despite an overall boost in confidenceregarding the economic outlook, 26percent of San Diego business own-ers plan to move out of state becauseof tax burdens.

Governments that provide train-ing and incentive programs, easy tonavigate tax and regulatory systems,and pro-growth environments aremost likely to attract small businessesto their cities.

Based on analysis conducted bythe San Francisco-based technologycompany Radius, the next generationof small business owners will beattracted to areas that provide strongcommunity engagement and accessto resources, as opposed to growingjob rates and income levels.

Small businesses typically lack theefficiency and resources that largercompanies have. Financing is a majorchallenge leading to low survival ratesfor small businesses. Just 70 percentare estimated to survive the first

two years and only 25 percent for15 years or more.

Knowing that businesses face thesetypes of challenges and more, thesmall businesses surveyed for thisstudy were asked about the chal-lenges they expect to face in the nextone to two years. The top challengesincluded ongoing/continuousimprovement (51 percent), identify-ing growth opportunities (44 per-cent), and cost reduction strategies(28 percent). About one in four smallbusinesses indicated employeerecruitment and retentions was animportant challenge as well.

Workforce NeedsAccounting, IT and social

media/marketing were most com-monly ranked as useful for startinga business. Accounting was the skillthat most business owners alreadypossessed. Small businesses requireworkers, especially

the owner, to have strong compe-tencies across all fields to maintainbusiness operations.

Top Skills for New HiresSmall businesses placed the highest

value on previous work experienceand technical skills in the applicants

SMALL BUSINESS20| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Workforce Needs of Small Businesses in San DiegoAgency unveils major survey BY THE SAN DIEGO WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIP

SEE SURVEY, Page 21

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 21

they hire. Interestingly, while business-es ranked soft skills as third in impor-tance, further analysis shows that top-ics such as critical thinking, problemsolving, communication and leader-ship ranked highest in terms of usefulworkshop topics.

Recommendations:• Build better awareness of resourcesavailable to small businesses to helpthem prepare solutions for upcomingdifficulties.

• Develop strategies to connect smallbusinesses to employees who have the

skills needed, and provide training tobusiness owners and managers oneffective approaches to employeeretention.

• Incorporate training that enhancesskills such as social media marketing,IT and accounting for small businesstraining programs.

• Ensure that small business modulesare incorporated into community col-leges’ curricula so that graduates areprepared to enter the workforce insmall business fields.

• Teach entrepreneurship modulesacross various disciplines at highereducation institutions from commu-

nity colleges to universities.

• Incorporate subject areas that smallbusiness owners found most necessarywhen they started their business,including accounting, socialmedia/marketing, HR/recruiting andIT in entrepreneurship programs.• Customize college offerings toinclude soft skills training topics thatbenefit small businesses’ workforce,either through stackable certificateoptions, addition of modules to exist-ing programs or a nationally-recog-nized work-readiness certificate.

For this and other reports by the SanDiego Workforce Partnership, visitwww.workforce.org.

Deanne Cervantes has been amember of the McKinley commu-nity for the past 20-plus years. Sheserved as a volunteer, involved par-ent with her daughters Rachael andDanielle, and librarian at McKinleyElementary.

She has touched the lives of thou-sands of children and shared herlove of books with them to create

life-long readers. Deanne currentlyis sharing her gifts at Adams Ele-mentary.

On Nov. 27, Deanne was celebrat-ing Thanksgiving with her treasuredfamily and friends and fell off a 20-foot cliff, suffering a broken backand multiple injuries. She might beunable to walk again.

Please share any donation to help

Deanne and her family cope withthis terrible tragedy and make theirhome in North Park wheelchairaccessible to help bring Deannehome where she belongs.

Donations may be made on-lineat: GoFundMe.com/deannerecov-eryfund.

Thank you for your generosity!

PLEASE HELP DEANNE CERVANTESBeloved Member of the McKinley Community 

Steve and Deanne Cervantes

SURVEYCONTINUED FROM Page 20

SPORTS22| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

TOP PLAYERS —Saints Quarterback Rodney Thompson is trailed by #20 Elijah Preston on a rollout pass play. Preston is one of the CIF’s all-time leaders in yards gained for a career.

To use a well-worn phrase, the 2015 CIFOpen Division championship played just lastweek between Helix and St. Augustine HighSchools was a classic see-saw affair early on.

Played before 10,000+ at Southwestern Col-lege stadium in Chula Vista, the San Diego Sec-tion title match between two 10-win teamsended 44-30 with Helix High rolling to a two-touchdown victory.

To use another cliché, it was a David vs.Goliath game pitting Helix, a perennial La Mesapublic school powerhouse, versus the Saints, arising North Park private school team that wasplaying in its first ever Open Division champi-onship.

Both teams battled in a contest that saw thescore knotted at 7-7, 14-14, 21-21 before theScotties grabbed a 37-27 lead at the top of thefourth quarter. With six minutes to go in thegame, Helix hung on to a 37-30 lead.

Then something remarkable happened.Saints lost its only game of the year to a San

Diego county team. In the final quarter, Helixdistanced itself with two touchdowns late inthe game. Helix High’s Nate Stinson’s five rush-ing touchdowns were too much for the Saintsto overcome.

Helix’s win over Saints puts the Scottiesamong the best high school football teams inthe state. MaxPreps, a website that tracks highschool game nationwide, places Helix eighth inCalifornia behind Concord de la Salle, CoronaCentennial, Bellflower St. John Bosco, Folsom,Mission Viejo, Elk Grove and Santa Ana MaterDei.

But in its loss, Saints Varsity won the praiseof a legion of new fans, who now know theNutmeg Street college prep school is a legitimate

high school gridiron powerhouse. It belongsup there with the best teams in San DiegoCounty.

Coached by Richard Sanchez, Saints won lastyear’s CIF San Diego section division I footballcrown and this year cemented itself in the topthree open division teams. The Open Divisionis considered the best of the best in high schoolfootball wars. Division I is the second-best.

In fact, Saints 2015 run through the OpenDivision playoffs was more of a steamrolleragainst a skateboard. Saints dominated big-time high school football programs like East-lake, Mira Mesa, Cathedral and Mission Hills.In fact, the 2015 season ended with Saints notlosing a game in San Diego County until itslast game vs. Helix. Saints’ only losses came atthe hands of dominant L.A. (Loyola) andOrange County (Murrieta) high schools andthose losses were only by one and three points.Saints’ season ends 10-3.

The game ended brilliant three-year careersfor Saints running back Elijah Preston, quar-terback Rodney Thompson and defensive endMichael Alves.

Preston’s career yardage gains as a runningback is among the best in CIF San Diego Sec-tion history. Preston gained more than 7,000yards, which earns him third place in the list ofall time top runners.

Thompson scored three TDs in the champi-onship game. Alves will play football for UCLAnext fall.

Bottom line is Saints had never ever been insuch rarified air of an Open Division in football.The team is loaded with underclassmen in keypositions, which bodes well for the 2016 sea-son.

St. Augustine Prep Football Rises to Elite Status BY TOM SHESS | PHOTOS BY BILL HILL

UCLA BOUND —Versatile Michael Alves #76, who will be playing football for UCLA in the fall, starred as adefensive end, offensive guard and blocking fullback in his four-year Saints career.

PRO STYLE — Saints Varsity Football Coach Richard Sanchez has fine- tuned a NFL style run option attack thatin the past three years produced championships in San Diego Section CIF’s elite I, II and Open divisions.

PERFORMING ARTS MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 23

Finest City Improv Bestows Spirit of Improv AwardsSeven San Diegans honored

Finest City Improv, a local improvisa-tion company dedicated to laughing, per-forming and spreading joy, recognizedseven San Diegans at its second-annualSpirit of Improv Award Celebration. Allawardees were honored for remarkablededication to empowering their commu-nities with improv on and off the stage.

“Each of our awardees really under-stand what it means to spread joy withimprov, the power of laughter and howto live the principles well after the showis over,” said Finest City Founder andCEO Amy Lisewski. “Finest City Improvhas become a family thanks to the con-tributions and spirits of these awardees.”

2016 Spirit of Improv winners include:

Christine Fairfax: Resident of South Park and professionalactor, Fairfax develops and stars in themost shows at Finest City Improv, includ-ing 2014’s “Some Magnificent Thing” and“Thawed” and 2015 ‘s “President Hillary”and “Twistered!”

Danny Deuprey:Resident of North Park and local actor,Deuprey has dedicated himself to morethan 50 hours of teaching improv classto new students.

Erica Clermont: City Heights resident and an improviserin life, Clermont cut back on her job in asearch for lifelong happiness and todaydedicates her time to teaching improvand advocating for living life with a “yes”attitude.

Jewel Karinen:Resident of Chula Vista and SDSU alum-nus, Karinen recently brought her zealand fervor to a starring role in Finest CityImprov’s “Redneck Romeo and Juliet.

Kasey Pearl Lee: One of Finest City Improv’s newest mem-bers, Kasey complements her law degreewith a passion for acting and comedy,bringing her talent and smarts to thestage. Full of fire and fun, she stars in sev-eral shows at Finest City Improv.

Kevin Langdon:An Apple computer specialist by day andimprov performer by night, Langdonquickly fell in love with improv afterattending a local show with his wife. Hisbreakthrough performances include thefirst-ever holiday show, It’s “F**kingChristmas.”

Simon Pond: Finest City Improv’s most prolific sketchwriter, Pond has been an integral part ofthe company’s success, including the “31/2 Star Musical,” which is a farce aboutfinding love in the times of Yelp!

To learn more about or get involvedwith Finest City Improv, visitwww.finestcityimprov.com.

Amy Lisewski, Finest City Improv founder.

Christine Fairfax of South Park.

Danny Deuprey of North Park.

Erica Clemont of City Heights.

Jewel Karinen of Chula Vista.

BACK COUNTRY24| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

The Armchair Hiker

With the holiday season upon us, weenjoy indulging ourselves with anabundance of tasty sweets and toomuch food in general.

However, now is also a great time toget outdoors and hike some of thosecalories away.

San Diego County is unique in thatit exhibits several different life zoneswithin a small area. The weather isalways suited for hiking. Whether youare a serious hiker or merely a casualwalker, get up off your chair, moveaway from your computer screen andenjoy the sights and sounds that naturehas to offer.

Winter is the time to explore theeastern reaches of San Diego Countywhich are too hot to hike in the sum-mer. The mountains of Cuyamaca andLaguna offer some great high-altitudehiking. When local trails are overlyfilled with an abundance of studentson winter break, you can head east tothe more remote parts of our county.

Few people visit these beautiful spotsdespite the fact that the mountains areonly 45-60 minutes from DowntownSan Diego and the desert is only a littlemore than an hour away. An addedbenefit is the fact that I-8 is devoid oftraffic eastbound in the morning sothere is never a reason to delay headingout.

At Cuyamaca you will find trails ofall abilities with rolling hills, peaks toclimb and an abundance of wildlife.Laguna will treat you to huge pinetrees, oaks, meadows, desert views andlakes. Anza Borrego has almost 500miles of 4X4 dirt roads, peaks, canyonsand sandy trails to explore.

Each location offers easy to difficulttrails to suit all abilities. See you there!

About the AuthorJeff Toff lives in Kensington but

you’ll more easily find him on the trailsthroughout San Diego County andbeyond.

Jeff resided in the Lake Tahoefoothills in Nevada City, Calf., for over30 years. He retired from his practiceof law and moved to San Diego in 2011with his wife of 37 years.

Jeff has been a long-term memberof the National Oregon-CaliforniaTrails Association and Trails West,which are responsible for mapping outand obtaining federal and state protec-tion for the 19th century EmigrantTrails west including the Donner Trail.

Jeff also volunteered with the TahoeForestry Department in helping tomonitor historic Native American rockart sites. He has engaged in day hikesfor most of my adult life.

“The Armchair Hiker” will be a reg-ular feature in this paper.

Jeff ’s blog: http://mountain-man-60.blogspot.com/

BY JEFF TOFF

Anza-Borrego

Pond in the Lagunas.

With backpack and hiking boots, Logan is ready to hit the trail. With backpack and hiking boots, Logan is ready to hit the trail.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 25

The Gingrich-DeanRoad Show

The Newt Gingrich, Howard Dean “road show” came to San Diegoin October, the unlikely pair appearing at an event at the University ofSan Diego.

Gingrich, the former Republican Speaker of the House (1995-1999),and Dean, former presidential candidate (2004) and former chairmanof the Democratic National Committee, are the faces of the new publicpolicy team of the Dentons law firm, which merged with McKennaLong & Aldridge in July. Dentons sponsored their USD appearance.

A Dentons spokesman said in September that the firm was sendingGingrich and Dean on a “road show” from New York to Los Angelesand more cities where they will speak their views on the latest policyissues.

Gingrich also used the San Diego visit to appear — along with hiswife, the former Callista Bisek — at a book signing at Warwick’s Book-store in La Jolla. Gingrich wrote “Duplicity” with Pete Earley, a formerWashington Post journalist. It is a thriller that tells the story of a masterterrorist hiding somewhere, controlling and coordinating radical Islam-ic groups around the globe.

Callista also a writer, penned the “Christmas in America” book series,books for children.

Q&A With Newt Gingrich

Q. Why do you like zoos? A. I like animals. I like nature. I’m interested in the natural world. Themore we understand about nature, the more you understand aboutyourself. (Gingrich has visited more than 100 zoos around the world,including one of his favorites, the San Diego Zoo and Wild AnimalPark where he enjoyed the “Roar and Snore” event.)

Q. Do you still see former President Clinton? A. No. (Gingrich talks to him very rarely on the phone.)

Q. Which global leaders do you admire?A. “Lee Kuan Yew (former prime minister of Singapore who was“extraordinary”). John Paul II and Nelson Mandela, former presidentof South Africa, “who communicated an aura of dignity that wasastounding.”

Q. How do we understand Russian President VladimirPutin? A. KGB-trained Russian who maximizes opportunities.

Q. Which authors do you admire? A. Alan Drury (“Advise and Consent”), Michael Shaara (“The KillerAngels”) and Gore Vidal.

Q. Do you have pets?A.No. We travel too much.

Q. Where do you go?A.We both like historic sites such as Italy and Greece, and exotic sitessuch as Machu Pichu in Peru. I don’t see a lack of civility when I trav-el.

Q. How do we end the standoff in Washington today? A. There is a very, very deep gap between the two sides that could

end with one side standing.

Q. How significant is today’s migration into Europe? A. These are population migrations and they are going to keep com-

ing.

Q. How many speeches do you give a year? A. About 200, paid and unpaid. (Gingrich Productions — www.gin-

grich productions.com — is a “very successful for profit think tank”of 12 people, including Newt and Callista. “We like what we do.”

Martin Kruming (martin@kruming.com) is an attorney in SwitzerHighland who’s involved in neighborhood partnerships with Baku,Azerbaijan; Riga, Latvia, and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

BY MARTIN KRUMING WITH PHOTOS BY BARRY CARLTON

Newt Gingrich and Howard Dean converse and share a laugh during an appearance at the University of San Diego.

Cover of Newt Gingrich’s book. Cover of book by Callista Gingrich

Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista at book signing event.

26| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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TRAVEL MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 27

JOURNEYTO THE

ENDOF THE

EARTHPerched atop Cape Horn Island, poking the salty

air of earth’s edge, is the half silhouette of an albatross.Fierce winds toppled the other half of the 22-foot steelsculpture erected in 1992, sending it southward towardAntarctica.

Still, the purpose of the giant seabird— a memorialto sailors who died attempting to round the horn—is not lost on visitors to the famous peak. Survivingthe climb up and down the 1,400-foot pathway, where

gusts top 100 miles per hour, is sheer knowledge ofthe wild weather at the bottom of South America.

“Get down,” commands a guide. “Stay low.” Or get blown into the 40-degree waters where the

Pacific and Atlantic converge. Where Portugueseexplorer Ferdinand Magellan endured violent stormsin 1520 during the first circumnavigation of the globe.Where Charles Darwin analyzed the plant life, theanimal life and the indigenous people. Where chaotic

seas sank more than 1,000 ships over 400 years. It is March, the last days of summer in lower Patag-

onia, when our curious band of contemporary adven-turers sails the uncertain seas aboard the Stella Aus-tralis and hikes the forests made famous by fearlesspathfinders and buccaneers in search of trade routesand treasure.

SEE TRAVEL, Page 28

BY BILL KETTER | CNHI NEWS SERVICE

What they also found were nakednatives living in huts and fishing inbark canoes, surviving on giant crab,seal meat and sea bass. They protect-ed themselves against the elementsby slathering their bodies with sealoil. Once they began wearing clothesto conform with foreign custom, theywere decimated by disease. Today, theYamana Indians no longer exist.

There remains, however, the spiritof the lost Yamana. You see it in thehardy souls who occupy Argentina'ssouthernmost city of Ushuaia andChile’s port city of Punta Arenas.Fishing remains a way of life, but eco-tourism, sheep herding, and oil andgas exploration provide the economicfuel.

An effort to introduce the Cana-dian beaver to stimulate commercialfur trading failed miserably. The ecol-ogy of Patagonia is so different fromCanada’s that the beavers of the Tier-ra del Fuego archipelago hardly growfur and what little they do lacks theluster needed for coats, hats and handmuffs.

But they quickly populated theislands. Twenty-five pairs introducedin 1946 blossomed into more than200,000 beavers, chewing up forestsand damming streams and springs.Efforts to eradicate them provedfruitless.

“Any idea on how to get rid ofthese pests?” asks our guide.

One suggested solution: Put abounty on them so trappers can tradehides for cash and trim the numbers.

“We tried that approach,” repliesthe guide. “It didn’t work. Locals werebreeding them to get rich.”

Clearly visible is the consequenceof the eager beavers during a hikethrough the Alberto De AgostiniNational Park, named after a wel-coming 19th century Catholic mis-sionary. Tree stubs with sharp toothmarks and despoiled landscape inter-rupt what otherwise is a paradise ofwiry plant species and conifers, beechand evergreens framed against thebackdrop of the towering Andes.

Winter is over the horizon thistime of year in the Southern Hemi-sphere. That's the season when nearlyeverything comes to a halt becauseof the cold and frequent snows. Ski-ing and sleigh rides replace sailingand hiking tours.

Winter tides can be difficult,admits the night manager of the cozyLos Yamanas Hotel overlooking Bea-gle Channel. The rest of the year isspecial. People from all over comehere for adventure and for the amaz-ing scenery. Both are plentiful.

Signs of winter are present no mat-ter the season. Glaciers cascade fromthe mountain sides; icebergs float inthe sea, stark-walled fjords separateicy waterways. Condors, cormorantsand black-necked swans circle frigidlakes.

A Zodiac trip to Magdalena Islandat dawn reveals colonies of penguinsstrutting about with newborns, prep-ping for their winter migration northto warmer waters. They will returnin the spring to mate again in under-ground burrows, male and female

remaining monogamous throughouttheir lifetime. They separate eachother from the look-alike throngs bythe distinctive shriek of their mate’svoice.

The white stomach adult Magel-lanic penguins are 2-to 3-feet tall —and they bite if you agitate them. Twoblack bands between head and breastaccent their features. They can livefor 25 years, if the sea lions and ele-phant seals don't get them. Officially,they are classified as an endangeredspecies. Witnessing their numbers,that seems unnecessary.

There's little doubt, however, whythe scruffy landscape of Ushuaia andits mountainous background houseda penal colony for dreadful criminalsand political saboteurs from 1902 to1947.

Known then as Argentina's Siberia,the region’s main prison has beenconverted to a museum featuring life-size statuary of famous prisoners —such as Mateo “The Mystic” Banks.He shot dead his three brothers, a sis-ter-in-law, two nieces and two ranchworkers in 1922. The motive: money,of course. A gambler and investmentguerrilla, he was deeply in debt andstood to inherit the family estateabsent other heirs.

Banks insisted he was innocent,offering as evidence his superior edu-cation, spiritual connections and fer-vent daily prayers. Fellow prisonersconsidered him crazy, according toprison history. Surprisingly, he wasfreed on parole 20 years after his con-finement, though he died shortlythereafter.

Compassion, it seems, is not a con-temporary Argentine trait. Or soprotested veterans of the 1982 Falk-lands War seen during a two-day stopin Buenos Aires prior to flying toUshuaia. They encamp daily on themain Plaza de Mayo, petitioning thegovernment for pension benefits fortheir service in the fateful invasion ofthe British islands off the east coastof lower Patagonia.

The war over the disputed islands,called the Malvinas by Argentines,lasted 10 weeks, ending with theinvaders surrendering to theBrits. The veterans of the conflictcontend Argentina’s politicalupheaval and economic turmoil thatfollowed did not treat them kindly.

Paradoxically, the country’s fore-most military hero, General Jose deSan Martin, resides in saintly settingacross the plaza, entombed in anornate marble mausoleum in theMetropolitan Cathedral, where PopeFrancis presided as cardinal and arch-bishop before his elevation to the Vat-ican. San Martin is considered theGeorge Washington of Argentina,having freed it from Spanish rule inthe early 19th century. Two armedguards stand stiffly in front of the 10-foot black sarcophagus holding hisremains aloft.

There are no guards, only concretebarricades, in front of Buenos Aires’AMIA Jewish community center, thesite of the 1994 suicide van bombingthat killed 85 and injured hundreds.The names of the dead are scribbledin white on a black panel across thefront of the building. Visitor entry isby appointment only.

Strife over the terrorist attack still

dominates the news. In January, thechief prosecutor of the most recentinvestigation, Alberto Nisman, diedat his home of a gunshot to the headon the eve of his appearance beforethe Argentine Congress. He was toexplain his report suggesting Presi-dent Cristina Fernandez de Kircher’sinvolvement in covering up Iranianparticipation in the bombing. Kircherdenounced the report and accusedNisman of attempting to destabilizethe government in full-page newspa-per ads.

The unanswered question: DidNisman kill himself or was he mur-dered?

1,500 miles south of Buenos Aires,in Patagonia’s “Land of Fire,” localfolk seemed to care little aboutnational politics. They are survivalistswho stand as the few thousandhumans between earth and Antarc-tica 600 miles south. The only thingthat appears to concern them iswhether they are Argentine orChilean citizens. Lower Patagonia issplit nervously between the twocountries.

Naturalist Darwin found theregion and its ecology so fascinatinghe spent several months here in theearly 19th century while circling theworld, gathering data that informedhis theory of evolution. A museumdocumenting his time in the regionprovides an entry to mountain hikingtrails. The pathways are narrow androcky, lined with hip-high ropes andhandrails at the steepest points. Rainand chilly temperatures greet ourgroup. The reward is the descent, cel-ebrated with hot chocolate spikedwith Scotch whiskey.

Darwin’s evidence included fossilsof extinct sea and land mammals,and observations of the indigenousFuegian Indians, and wild relatives ofthe llama known as guanacos. Hesailed the strong winds and roughseas aboard the barque HMS Beagle.The history of the one-time Britishwarship so impressed the Argentinesthey named a channel, a bay and abeer after it. The highest mountainin the range of snow-capped domesis known as Mount Darwin, with a6,600-foot peak.

But the explorer Ferdinand Mag-ellan gets most of the historic creditfor opening the world's eyes to SouthAmerica’s southernmost swath. In theearly 16th century, he became the firstexplorer to round Cape Horn anddiscover a key shipping route, theStrait of Magellan. It remained criti-cal to sailors and cargo transportbetween Europe and the Far Eastuntil the Panama Canal created ashortcut in 1914.

As a first time visitor to Patagonia,you are swallowed by the details ofthe sea, the mountains, the islands,the ice and the morning mist. Thejourney mixes extreme natural beau-ty with culture and history. It is aplace I’ve yearned to visit since firstlearning of it during grammar schoolgeography.

The takeaway now that I’ve beenthere: Everyone should visit the endof the earth before leaving it.

Bill Ketter is senior vice presidentof news for Community NewspaperHoldings Inc. Contact him at wket-ter@cnhi.com.

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FUN & GAMES MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 29

30| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Luminaria Ushers in South Park’s Holiday SeasonThe third annual event attracted over 1,000 celebrants PHOTOS BY JIM CHILDERS

Luminaria, South Park’s own season oflights, brought a glow, a twinkle andwarmth to the neighborhood at the thirdannual event staged Nov. 29 by the SouthPark Business Group.

The holiday celebration runs from Nov.29 to Jan. 2 featuring holiday lights in thebusiness district, decorated storefronts anda custom-made holiday tree. The SouthPark Business Group created the eventand the month-long celebration, with helpfrom a City of San Diego EDTS grant(Economic Development and TourismSupport). The grant has enabled SPBG toadd lights and decoration to the trees andlampposts of the South Park business area,from Kalmia to Beech Streets along the30th St. and Fern St. corridors.

The Community Tree Lighting was thekickoff to Luminaria, centered on a dif-ferent kind of tree.

San Diego artist Todd Williamsdesigned the unique South Park that islighted and displayed at the Grape StreetSquare near the iconic clock in the center

of the community.Willimas was commissioned to design

a tree that could be used every year, so atree didn’t have to be cut down for eachcelebration.

Williams has always been interested intrees as a subject for his art. Primarily ametal artist, he likes using industrial mate-rial to represent nature. He designed themetal tree sculpture at the now-closedAlchemy Restaurant and also contributeda piece for the Urban Trees Project heldby the Port of San Diego each year.

In discussions with the SPGB commit-tee, he learned it was important that thedesign reflect the unique urban culture ofSouth Park and the people who live here.Also, since no trees would be sacrificedfor a holiday tradition, the subject of recy-cled materials came up early in the con-versation. “Everyone got excited when wetalked about that,” he said.

So Williams used wood from an oldfence that had been torn down, and scrapmetal he had left over from a previous

project. The only parts that aren’t recycledare the bolts, screws and general hardwarerequired to assemble the design. It tookhim three weeks to complete the project.

This year’s event attracted over 1,000people, featured music by the San DiegoMandolin Orchestra, greetings by Assem-bly Speaker Toni Atkins (a South Park res-ident) and City Councilmember ToddGloria, latkes from The Big Kitchen, hotchocolate from Captain Kirk’s, pizza byBuona Forchetta, kids craft tables by SoChildish, a visit from Santa, and specialfestivities from Target Express -- includingice sculpture, and a winter wonderlandcamera booth.

The SPBG also produces the quarterlySouth Park Walkabouts, including theHoliday Walkabout on Dec. 5, and theannual Old House Fair in mid-June. Theorganization includes 70 member busi-nesses.

(The website for photographer Jim Childers:www.beansandgreensart.com)

The tree is the cre-ation of San Diegoartist Todd Williams.

LUMINARIA MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | 31

Kids cavort in a giant tent. Ice sculptress at work.

Among the dignitaries appearing was Councilman Todd Gloria. Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins speaks to the crowd.

Crowds gather at the holiday celebration.

AVIATION TECHNOLOGY32| DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Experts from the burgeoningdrone or unmanned aircraft systems(UAS) industry recently addressed agroup of San Diego businessmen andwomen to discuss the possibilitiesand the current reality of this emerg-ing technology, which is anticipatedto soar to extraordinary levels.

Organized by San Diego-basedCorporate Directors Forum — anonprofit association providing cor-porate governance education — theevent took place at the Hyatt RegencyLa Jolla on Nov. 19, and coverednumerous subjects related to the rad-ically novel and fast growing tech-nology with the capability of dra-matically changing the status quo.

“San Diego is the drone capital,”said Linda Sweeney, executive direc-tor of Corporate Directors Forum.“This is such a topical and currentissue that most of us know nothingabout unless you’re in the droneindustry.”

Gregory McNeal, associate profes-sor of Law and Public Policy at Pep-perdine University and a leading legalacademic on drones, public policyand air rights, along with WilliamO’Connor, a partner in the SanDiego office of Morrison & Foerster,a global law firm where he heads theUAS/Drones Group, spoke to acrowd of about 150 local and region-al executives from all industries.

Among the topics discussed wereregulatory and policy issues, progressbeing made by the FAA on registra-tion and tracking of drones, what’scoming in the next five years, thechallenges of drones, how to wiselymove forward, taking advantage ofthe opportunity, citizens’ rights andemerging technology.

“This is the right group of peopleand the right forum to talk aboutone of the hottest Internet of Thingstechnologies (any object that can beassigned an IP address and transferdata over a network), with hugecommercial applications, which isexpected to be a multibillion industryin the coming years and providehundreds of jobs for the local econ-

omy,” McNeal said. “The conversa-tion has started to shift from howthis was a Department of Defenseasset to something that is an assetwhich any person can have.”

McNeal said he hopes skepticsattending the conference will see thatopportunities to solve problemsthrough technology exist. He addedthat he wishes to encourage enthu-siasts that developments in technol-ogy along with a smart business planoffer an opportunity to get involved.

“The promise of this industry isthat you’re only limited by the spiritof innovation and entrepreneurship,”he said.

O’Connor pointed out that SanDiego is home to several leading cor-

porate players in the military dronemarket — Northrop Grumman,General Atomics Aeronautical Sys-tems and Lockheed Martin. Othersmaller commercial drone compa-nies are also based in the region.

Commercial manufacturers in SanDiego are forecast to see huge oppor-tunities as a result of the FAA givingcommercial drone use the greenlight. The Federal Aviation Admin-istration is expected to release newregulations that will ease restrictionson commercial drones and allow lowaltitude flights within view of aground-based pilot. Many compa-nies are already authorized to flysmall drones commercially under aU.S. government “exemption” pro-

gram. According to Innova, a Shanghai-

based market research and consult-ing firm focusing on emerging tech-nologies, the world drone market isforecast to grow at better than a 30percent annual clip to $6 billion by2020.

Increased demand from agricul-tural, land management, realty, ener-gy, construction, filmmaking com-panies and law enforcement agenciesis expected to drive growth in thefuture. Technology barriers, whichwere once roadblocks for the indus-try, will now be considered hugebusiness opportunities.

Among the attendees was GrantJordan, CEO of North Park-basedSkysafe, a recent startup working onanti-drone technology that candetect, take over and safely landdrones. He said that the reason hiscompany focuses on public safety is

because currently much of theemphasis in the drone market is onregulation, registration and buildinggeofences (virtual barriers defined byan administrator that can prohibitdrones from flying into certainareas).

Jordan said that at some level thatonly helps cooperative operators, butthat there is still going to be dronesthat either accidently or purposelytry to fly into restricted areas andthere are no tools available to publicsafety officials to do anything aboutit.

Currently, the uses for drones seemendless, and local drone companiesare betting that business will take offonce the regulatory environment iscleared. Currently, commercial droneflights are illegal. In 2007, the FAAbanned them to create rules to safelyaccommodate the growing numberof drones flying in U.S. airspace.

SAN DIEGO: DRONE CAPITALBY MANNY LOPEZ

North Park Boasts Anti-Drone Company

Drone conference attendees, from left: Gregory McNeil, associate professor of Lawand Public Policy at Pepperdine University; Julia Brown, Corporate Directors Forumchairperson; and William O’Connor, partner in the San Diego office of Morrison &Foerster.

NORTH PARK’S ANTI-DRONE COMPANYNorth Park-based Skysafe is developing an anti-drone productthat is similar to an anti-drone laser — which literally fries theairborn craft mid-flight — but seemingly more versatile. The com-pany’s tool uses radio waves to knock a drone out of the sky inan instant just like the laser, but it can also override a drone’sremote and take control of the airborne craft.

SkySafe was founded by researchersfrom MIT, UC San Diego and the AirForce, and it claims its goal is to “buildsafe, secure airspaces as a new wildwest of drone development and inno-vation emerges.” The company’s solu-tion doesn’t target more complexdrones that the military is currently upagainst — in other words, it can’t fight“real drones” — but it will work with awide range of radio controlled quad-copters.

SkySafe says it is targeting “qualified public safety customers,”and it notes that its solution does not rely on radio jamming,which could obviously be an issue with the Federal Communica-tions Commission. The company is currently testing its solutionwith a range of partners and it expects to launch in the secondhalf of 2016.

Grant Jordan, CEO of SkySafe