La Mesa Courier - March 2014

See Northmont Park, Page 5

See Route 14, Page 2

See Interfaith, 5

See Helix PAC, Page 14

Route 14 is the worst-performing route in

the MTS system.

Families have been enjoying the renovated Northmont

Park, which has undergone $265,000 in improvements.

BUS ROUTE TO SEE CHANGESBy Jeremy Ogul

Bus Route 14 in La Mesa is in for another overhaul.

The Metropolitan Transit System beginning this summer will use a private contractor to operate smaller buses along the route that connects La Mesa with the Grantville trolley station, and trips with the fewest riders – at the beginning and end of the day – will be eliminated.

Route 14 has struggled to support itself finan-cially since it was launched in 2005 with service seven days a week from the Grossmont trolley station to San Diego’s Old Town. Since then, MTS has eliminated weekend service, axed night

coaches, shortened the route and reduced the frequency of buses to once an hour.

The latest changes should reduce the annual operating subsidy that Route 14 requires from an estimated $645,000 this year to $245,000 next

year, said MTS planning manager Denis Desmond.

If the route’s finan-cial perfor-mance further deteriorates in the following 12 months, MTS staff will recom-

mend that it be discontinued, Desmond said.

MTS directors made the decision to downsize the buses, further reduce service and

Helix High opens new performing arts complexBy Jeremy Ogul

Finally, the band and orchestra can stop pretending the gymnasium is a concert hall. Finally, choral ensembles can rehearse in soundproof practice rooms.

Finally, drama students can perform in a theater that holds more than 100 people.

A $15.2-million, state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center has opened at Helix Charter High School and the complex encom-passing 34,194 square feet of space is welcome relief to students and teachers who had to make do with ramshackle buildings that have housed the performing arts department for decades.

Helix has always had top-notch arts programs despite the conditions, said Mike Lewis, the school’s executive director. “Now they have a facility that matches the level of performance they’ve already been doing and gives them a chance to showcase what they already do,” Lewis said. “It’s kind of a new jewel in the crown of our school.”

The theater department left behind a decades-old venue that was little more than a glorified classroom with a stage. There

SERVING THOSE IN NEEDBy Ken Stone

With little fanfare, La Mesa churches have united to feed hungry students, plan shelters for the homeless and even deliver underwear for needy children.

“We are a small group, but we are united in our love of La Mesa, dedication to our particular faith and our desire to make a better community,” said Lane Smith, a bishop at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The effort evolved after La Mesa Mayor Art Madrid in February of 2011 invited dozens of clergy to the La Mesa Commu-nity Center to discuss how their churches could help deal with community problems. He urged the group to pick “low-hanging fruit” that would yield easier success.

Instead the meetings bore fruit – as the Interfaith Council of La Mesa, which meets monthly at the La Mesa Police Department.

The council has focused mostly on students. Its newly launched website at interfaithlamesa.org ranks its top 2014 priorities as “Schools, Homelessness, Service and Summer Lunch Program.”

Northmont Park gets a makeoverBy Jeremy Ogul

Northmont Park has come a long way since its early days as a concrete flood channel off Severin Drive 20 years ago.

The city recently unveiled a brand new playground, improved walking paths, picnic tables with umbrellas, better lighting and new signage at the park, which covers just over five acres in the northern reaches of La Mesa.

The playground features a nature theme, with whimsical oversized flowers, ladybug ladders, a merry-go-round and a swing set. There also is a sitting wall for parents, deco-

rated with artistic tiles created by students from Northmont Elementary School.

“We had a playground

David Merck of Journey Community Church is

chairman of the La Mesa Interfaith

Council. (Photo by Ken Stone)

Jeremy Ogul

Grossmont Union High School District

Jeremy Ogul

March 2014 On the Internet at www.LaMesaCourier.com Volume 4 – Number 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

NEWS TIPS(619) 697-2500 [email protected]

ADVERTISE WITH US(619) 697-2500 [email protected]

In a PickleLa Mesa tells tennis, pickleball players to share the courts.

Page 7

A Craftsman’s TouchHeacock homes give La Mesa unique flavor.

Page 4

Serving Our YouthFundraising for the Boys & Girls Club hits its stride.

Page 6

Getting an EarfulConcerns about crime, traffic dominate town halls.

Page 9

PRSRT STDECRWSS

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

SAN DIEGO, CAPERMIT NO. 2629

Local Postal Customer

See News Briefs, Page 6

Noteworthy La Mesans in the NewsHelix High School seniors

Jalen Davis and Rueben Leasau were among the 132 local athletes who signed letters of intent to play college football. Davis signed with Utah State University; Leasau will play at San Jose State University.

Both earned first-team Grossmont Hills League honors during the 2013 season. Leasau, a tight end, was named to offensive first-team. Davis, a defensive back, was on the all-league defensive first team and subsequently earned all-CIF defensive first team honors.

***Helix High School senior

Jorge Garcia showed his power at the plate when he popped a pitch nearly 500 feet during a recent Power Show-case home run derby at Florida Marlins Park in Miami.

Jorge and his brother,

Jesse, took part in the 8th annual Power Showcase that featured 130 of the world’s best players from 20 different countries. Jorge Garcia’s longest shot measured 492 feet, becoming one of only five high school baseball players to hit a ball that far.

“I’m amazed. I’m in shock. I just can’t believe it right now,” Jorge Garcia said.

Jesse Garcia, 14, hit a shot that measured 397 feet.

***Lucinda Carter of La

Mesa has been named to the Dean’s List at the University of Hartford in Connecticut.

Jason Lakis and Dana-marie McNicholl-Carter of La Mesa have been named to the Dean’s List at Gonzaga University.

Isador Pollak of La Mesa has been named to the Dean’s List at Loyola Marymount University.

NEWS IN BRIEFChickens may be coming home to roost in La Mesa

La Mesa is on the brink of allowing residents to keep chickens in the yard of a typical single-family home.

The city’s Planning Commission gave the go-ahead for a such an ordinance, which is expected to come before the City Council on March 25. Under the proposed new rules, residents living on a typical single-family lot could have three chickens. Roosters would not be allowed.

Apartment dwellers would be out of luck.

La Mesa would become the latest city in the region to join a growing urban agriculture movement. San Diego allows residents living on most single-family properties to have up to five chickens. That city’s ordi-nance also allows beekeeping and miniature goats at single-family homes.

El Cajon, Santee and Lemon Grove also allow resi-dents on single-family lots to have chickens in their yard under certain conditions.

Tree City USALa Mesa has again been

designated a Tree City by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to urban forest management. The nonprofit group, whose mission is “to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees,” has designated La Mesa a Tree City USA for 34 years.

La Mesa met the require-ments for the designation by having a tree board depart-ment; a tree-care ordinance;

go with a private contractor at their Feb. 20 meeting. Some had called for its elimination, but the bus meets a critical need for many of those who ride it.

La Mesa resident Elaine Root said she relies on Route 14 to get her across Interstate 8 to the 70th Street trolley station. She loads her bike onto the front rack of the bus on Lake Murray Boulevard.

“It’s very dangerous to ride or walk across (Lake Murray at I-8) and it takes so long to get through the lights,” Root said. “I think the safety thing is a huge impact.”

Cherine Magee, who uses a wheelchair, uses the bus to get to the Mission San Diego trolley station, where she boards the Green Line to her physical therapy sessions at the Mission Valley YMCA.

While a minibus is better than no bus, the minibus comes with its own challenges, Magee said. For example, minibuses can only hold one

wheelchair. The wheelchair must be loaded from the back, which requires the bus driver to get out and operate the lift, slowing things down for everyone, Magee said.

The bus sees the most passengers in the 7 a.m. hour and in the early afternoon. The stops with the most riders are at Baltimore Avenue, the 70th Street trolley station, San Diego State University and the Grantville trolley station.

First Transit, the Ohio-based private trans-portation company that will run Route 14 under the new arrangement, operates MTS Access, an on-call bus service for passengers with disabili-ties. It also operates buses for the North County Transit District.

Route 14 serves an average of 11.5 passen-gers per hour; the average urban route serves 28 per hour. Route 14 requires a subsidy of $8.79 per passenger, whereas the average urban bus route requires a subsidy of $1.39 per passenger.

Route 14, from page 1

Life’s A Party, Let’s Get Shakin!

Bubblin’ Belle Dance Fitness858.722.0577

8241 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa, CA 91941www.bubblinbellefitness.comInstructor

Marizabel Martin

Bring a friend

and your class is

FREE!FREE!

LaMesaCourier.com — March 2014

See War Memorial, Page 13

Historical View

LA MESA REMEMBERS OUR VIETNAM VETERANS, THEN AND NOWBy James D. Newland

On June 14, 1970 at 3:30 in the afternoon, an estimated 2,000 citizens of La Mesa and the surrounding “Heartland Area” (the term formerly used to encompass La Mesa, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, Santee, and Lakeside) met at the northwest intersection of Spring Street and University Avenues.

The public, along with elected officials, select celebri-ties and the group of mostly local teenagers who had been the catalysts for the event, likely had no idea it would bring to La Mesa press coverage from around the globe. For on that day, the community dedicated a war memorial for our local soldiers serving in the Vietnam War, a war mired in controversy and the target of protests across the nation.

The story of the conception and implementation, as well as the upkeep of this memorial, is one that deserves, and is now receiving, renewed attention.

It is the story of local young people, the Heartland Youth for Decency (HYOD),

and patriotic citi-zens who, regardless of the divisive poli-tics surrounding the United States’ partici-pation in the war in southeast Asia at that tumultuous time in our national history, wanted to make sure that the American soldiers of Vietnam got the appropriate recognition for their sacrifices.

The HYFD’s efforts would be somewhat uncommon to what is generally reflected in the treatment of Vietnam veterans – and in some ways, the treatment of their local memorial.

Not Just Another Sunny Summer Day

Not surprisingly, with San Diego’s long relationship with the military, La Mesans have over a century of tradition in supporting our veterans.

On that typically sunny 1970 La Mesa afternoon, the members of the local “Youth for Decency” committee commem-orated the “pink quartz” stone

and concrete monument with plaques featuring the names of local soldiers who gave their lives in Vietnam.

Siblings Denise, Dianne and Dennis Evers, Helix High alums and children of World War II veteran and San Diego principal Ellis Evers, were the leaders of the efforts to make their “positive” contribution toward the soldiers of Vietnam.

Conscientious of the times, Denise Evers, committee chairman, stated the HYFD’s goals to the press that day:

“We support our men in Vietnam, not because we are for war, but because these men include our brothers, our friends, our fathers and our husbands, and because we also support our country.”

The iconic image of the day was when Sandra Luhnow,

Photo of Sandra Luhnow placing wreath at dedication of HYFD

Vietnam Memorial from La Mesa Scout of June 16, 1970. Image

courtesy La Mesa Historical Society.

Paid Advertisement Courtesy of Dan Smith Re/Max Lic. 01346593


See Heacock, Page 5

Gen-X in La MesaBy Genevieve A. Suzuki

Dessert is big in our mixed-generation home. It’s particularly interesting to witness the striking simi-larity between an 80-year-old and a 5-year-old when it comes to after-dinner antics.

I’m allowed approxi-mately two minutes to sit after my last bite of dinner before my 80-year-old mom and 5-year-old daughter start clamoring for sugar.

“Do you have pie? It would sure be nice to have apple pie right now,” my mom will say with hope in her voice.

“Nope, no pie,” I usually reply.

“No pie” is usually followed by an exchange that can only be described as a sweets-centered “Who’s on first?”

“I like pie!” pipes in the 5-year-old.

“No pie,” I repeat, walking into the kitchen to see what we have. “We do have pudding.”

“Pudding? No pudding!” yells the 5-year-old.

“What kind of pudding?” asks the 80-year-old.

“Chocolate,” I reply.“No pudding!” cry both the

80-year-old and 5-year-old.“Uh, well, there’s hot

chocolate…?” I ask, looking at

the 10 different kinds of hot chocolate in the cupboard.

“Do you have any kind of cake?” asks my mom.

“Uh, no. No pie or cake, Mom,” I say.

“Cake! Cake! I love cake!” cries my daughter.

“We don’t have cake,” I say, staring hard at the hot choco-late, praying that the Force will convince my two sweet-toothed family members to magically change their minds.

“No pie, no cake,” my mom repeats.

“Candy!” yells the 5-year-old, who by now remembers she was promised a piece of chocolate eight hours ago.

“What kind of candy do you have?” my mom picks up.

“Well, Quinn has this milk chocolate candy from earlier today,” I say.

“Blech! I don’t want that!” my mom says. Thankfully by this time the 5-year-old is distracted by the candy placed in front of her face. “What about ice cream? Do you at least have ice cream?”

“Ice cream, yes. We have ice cream.”

“What kind? I sure miss that old maple nut ice cream I used to eat when I was little,” says my mom, who grew up in

a little town in Montana.Of course, this maple nut

ice cream is now completely unavailable to us. We’ve tried to find it and can only come up with Kemps online, which offers a photo to tease but no actual way to get the treat. We’ve gone to Vons on Balti-more Drive and harassed the grocery clerks and we’ve stood in front of Baskin Robbins, with its multitude of flavors, and bemoaned the lack of maple nut, much to the chagrin of the employees.

Trust me – we’re the family searching madly for maple nut around these parts. And until we find that myth-ical maple nut, there’s usually just vanilla in our freezer.

“Mom, your choices are vanilla ice cream or chocolate pudding.”

“OK, I guess I’ll have vanilla ice cream,” she’ll acquiesce. “But do you have hot fudge?”

Now that I have. In an effort to meet my mom and my daughter halfway, I’ve tried to keep basics, such as ice cream, pudding and Jell-O, as well as their accoutrements, stocked in our kitchen. We may not have pie or cake, but we’ve got

The Sun Shines Sooner… MASTER CRAFTSMAN LEAVES HIS MARK ON LA MESABy Pam Crooks

Step through the gate and into the front yard of Dee Heacock’s home and you are instantly transported to a different time and place. This could be New England in the late 18th century. I’m gazing at a beautiful barn-red early American-style farmhouse framed by handmade willow lawn furniture and a little wooden bridge leading to the front door. Inside, multi-paned windows illuminate rooms decorated with rustic furniture, drying herb bundles and hand-made wall-hangings. We take a seat in front of a huge brick fireplace, with large andirons and a hook for a kettle in a cozy front room. You can just imagine women with long skirts, aprons and ruffled white caps stirring something simmering there.

But I’m still in La Mesa, and the handsome woman across from me, though 87 years old, remains very much a part of this century. She lights up this room just like the candle burning on the mantle. I’m here to learn about the lasting mark she and her husband have made on La Mesa. But first a little background…

Dorothy and Ed Heacock both went to San Diego’s Hoover High School, later met at a friend’s wedding and married in 1949. It was a designer’s match made in heaven, although they didn’t know it yet. Ed started out as a landscape designer. He had studied drafting at the Maritime Academy. They scraped together the money to buy a lot on a hill on Harbinson Avenue for $500, and built their first house in 1951. Dorothy described what she envisioned for their growing family, and Ed built it. Friends and family greatly admired their first house, and it wasn’t long before they decided to sell that one and build another on one of the first lots in East-ridge in 1958.

The number of admirers grew. Ed began getting requests to design and build homes for others, so obtained his contractor’s license and opened a design and construc-tion business. Before Ed died of cancer in 1975, he and Dorothy collaborated on more than 30 Heacock homes the family has kept track of, most of those in La Mesa and on Mt. Helix. But Ed also remodeled and built homes for clients around the county, and in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Dorothy was the creative mind behind the unique homes. Ed put her ideas into reality. By putting their heads together, they built beautiful, unusual custom houses that would stand the test of time. Their signature designs were

See Gen-X, Page 5


Heacock, from page 4

Northmont Park, from page 1 Gen-X, from page 4

RENT SENSE: WHERE YOUR HOME MATTERSBy Neil Fjellestad and Chris De Marco, FBS Property Management

Often rental owners are not as informed as they need to be in order to understand what defines appropriate behavior as landlords. Usually their property was their home before it was their rental and they have emotional attachment. There is a feeling of entitlement that accompanies their ownership attitude. We need to emphasize that though it is their property, it is the renter’s residence. It is this resident that decorates, maintains and cares for “their home.” It matters little whether their legal rights are spelled out in a lease docu-ment or limited by a trust deed these rights are sufficient to support the emotional ownership of a home. Our home matters to us. It is our most significant financial obligation and at the center of our lifestyle.

Any landlord behavior that does not support the security, privacy and convenience of the resident will be met by an emotionally charged response. However this response plays out rental owners can be assured that it will be in a way that is counterproductive to their success in the rental business.

Let’s reference some stories from our experience:

An owner leaves personal effects or parks a vehicle at the rented premises without renter regard or compensation.

The owner insists on personally performing or assigning to friends property repairs and maintenance routines but does not ensure that accountability for timeliness and workmanship are consistently achieved.

The owner rents out the property with appliances/equipment (operating remotes, pool cover, freezer, washer/dryer, yard care equip-ment) in place because it is convenient but does not choose to repair or replace when it is not convenient. This is done without renter regard or compensation.

The owner and/or family member show up to inspect the premises without proper renter notice or regard.

The owner and or their family member show up to enjoy some aspect of the rented property-use a workshop, enjoy a swim in the pool, or pick fruit from a favorite tree.

whipped cream, hot fudge and sprinkles.

And usually, as soon as I set down the sundae in front of my mom, the dessert debate starts anew.

“Mmmm, this is good,” she’ll say to a crazed 5-year-old, who almost always regrets selling short for candy. “But now what are we doing tomorrow?”

here before, but it was just kind of run down,” said Greg Humora, the city’s director of public works.

Most of the funding for the $265,000 renovation came from the La Mesa Park and Recreation’s “It’s Child’s Play” campaign to raise $1 million for improvements at five playgrounds in city parks.

The first project, the Drew Family Ford Playground at Jackson Park, opened in November 2010. Future playground replacements are planned at Vista La Mesa, Collier and La Mesita parks.

Grossmont Center and Bill Verbeck provided more than half the funding needed for the new playground.

“Their dedication to the community has been and continues to be exemplary,” said Vicki Whitmeir, vice president of the La Mesa Park and Recreation Foundation Board of Directors.

New England Saltboxes and Cape Cod-style homes with large fireplaces, brick floors and exposed beams, but the duo was equally adept at designing and building ranch and Spanish-style homes for their clients. Several Heacock homes have been featured on designer home tours over the years. Dozens of arti-cles were written about them in the 1960s and ‘70s.

Heacock homes are still popular today. In fact, when a Heacock home comes on the market, it sells almost immediately, according to La Mesa Realtor Jill Smith.

Along the way, Ed and Dorothy had four children, three daughters and a son. Today daughter Julie White lives in a Heacock home in the Eastridge area of La Mesa, near where she grew up; she and her husband acquired it from the original owner before it ever went on the market.

Julie marvels at her parents’ handiwork wherever she goes in our community. She knows most of them by heart. They were such a large part of her childhood. She remembers magazine articles, photos and sketches spread out on the dining room table and floor, providing ideas for homes her parents were designing. Her parents also traveled to New England several times for further inspiration.

Dorothy, or “Dee” as her grandchildren nicknamed her, lives in a house her husband started building before he died 39 years ago. Her son and sons-in-law finished it for her. Dorothy was devastated by Ed’s death, but eventually turned her designer’s eye to other projects. Over the years she owned two gift and antique shops in La Mesa, “The Molly Pitcher Shoppe” and “Pumpkin Hollow.” Now retired from the antique business, she does wood carving, paints, gardens and weaves, and regularly uses a band-saw in the garage for her hand-made creations. She recently designed and oversaw the construction of a very special tree house in her front yard for great-grandson Moses (3).

All three daughters live nearby; her son in Pomona. Not surprisingly, all four are artistic, creative people. And Dee proudly tells me she has nine grandchildren. I asked her why she and Ed chose to settle down in La Mesa, and why she still remains here.

She smiled, “I’m so glad we chose La Mesa. It’s one of the nicest places around—friendly, and not too fancy.”

Made even nicer with so many charming Heacock homes dotting the landscape.

11588 Via Rancho San Diego, Rancho San Diego

(619) 567-5677

Independent & Assisted Living and Memory Care

What does well-being look like?

SRGseniorliving.com RCFE# 374601744

It’s the perfect blend of comfort, convenience and a personalized approach to care. Call today to learn

more about the retirement options awaiting you.


See News Briefs, Page 7

News Briefs, from page 2

Boys & Girls Club fundraising gains momentumMore than 30 La Mesa businesses, resi-

dents and community leaders have been recruited to raise the remaining $4.45 million needed to build a new a new Boys & Girls Club of East County clubhouse, renovate a teen center and fund an endowment to pay for annual operations.

A total of $8.9 million is needed for the project, and La Mesa residents Mary Alice and Ron Brady have already pledged $3 million. The 25,000 square-foot clubhouse will be named the Brady Family Teen Center and will be built in Highwood Park, on the west end of the La Mesa Middle School campus, next to the teen center. Officials say up to 400 children will be using the facilities daily.

Dubbed the La Mesa Campaign Cabinet, the group of community leaders includes indi-viduals from business, education, government and politics.

“We’ve been fairly low-key over the past year with our capital campaign fundraising efforts, but now we’re shifting gears and going public led by a fantastic team of cabinet members,” said Jerry Fazio, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of East County Foundation.

Business members of the group include: Mike Hansen, general manager, Grossmont Center; Neal Reynolds, president, Reynolds Communities; Gary Clasen, owner, Continenal Catering; Vickie Whitmire, VP, Argent Bank; Bill Fischbeck, attorney, Fischbeck & Ober-ndorfer; Allen Brown, attorney, Stebleton & Brown; and, Jamie Dominquez, owner, Gross-mont Escrow.

Elected officials include: City Councilman Mark Arapostathis; Grossmont Union High School District trustee Priscilla Schreiber; and Rick Winet and Bill Baber, both members of the La Mesa Spring Valley School District board.

La Mesa city officials include police Chief Ed Aceves and City Attorney Dave Witt.

Honorary chair of the group is NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton. The new Brady Family Clubhouse will have a gymnasium named after the La Mesa native who also is a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Hall of Fame.

At a recent breakfast meeting held at Conti-nental Catering in La Mesa, South introduced cabinet members to a price list that included donation amounts for room dedication naming rights and memorial and donor wall recognition opportunities.

Residents are being encouraged to donate. Gifts of any amount will be accepted. Donations of $500 will be acknowledged as a “builder” on the donor wall. A $300,000 donation will fund a game room or playground for younger club users.

At 25,000 square feet, the new Brady Family Clubhouse will be the largest of the six Boys and Girls Clubs of East County. Depending on fundraising results, construction is planned to begin in late 2015 or early 2016, with full operations scheduled for the start of the 2016-2017 school year. The clubhouse will feature a learning center called The Academy, a full-service kitchen and nutrition center, along with a Little Rascals area for 5-to-7-year olds, plus a gymnasium.

Plans for the teen center, which opened in October of 2006, call for an exterior face-lift and interior upgrades, including flooring and carpeting, new furniture and computers.

“The new clubhouse will be a catalyst to help change the look of the entire western La Mesa area,” said City Councilman Mark Arapos-tathis. “When the doors open on the first day, the impact on our youth will be tremendous.”

an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita; and an official proclamation and observance of Arbor Day.

“Everyone benefits when elected officials, volunteers and committed citizens in commu-nities like La Mesa make smart investments in urban forests,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Founda-tion. “Trees bring shade to our homes and beauty to our neighborhoods, along with

numerous economic, social and environmental benefits.”

Plans for Grossmont High’s 60th reunion set

The 60th reunion of Gross-mont High School’s Class of 1953 is set for April 9, and reservations are required by March 15.

The gathering is sched-uled from April 9 and 10 at the Seaport Village Inn on Cata-lina Island. Reservations for the celebration can be made

by phone at 800-222-8254 or 310-510-0344, or by visiting www.SeaportVillageInn.com.

The April 9 dinner will be at 6 p.m. and a brunch will be served at 9 the following morning. For more info, visit GrossmontAlumni.net.

Tournament benefits Wounded Warriors

A La Mesa teen at St. Augustine High School in San Diego recently helped raise more than $4,000 for

The Springs of El Cajon

Independent Retirement Living

444 Prescott Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020619-631-4260 | springsofelcajon.com

• Daily chef-prepared meals• Full calendar of activities• 24/7 live-in managers• Housekeeping provided• Scheduled Transportation• Pets warmly welcomed• And much more!

At our communiy, residents enjoy a host of unparalleled amenities and services that help make every day special.

Retirement living made simple.

$199 Moves You In!*

Call to schedule your personal visit and complimentary meal today!Welcome to Holiday. Welcome home.

©2014 HARVEST MANAGEMENT SUB LLC 21838

*Limited time offer. Please see management for details.

More Beauty. Less Water.

12122 Cuyamaca College Drive WestEl Cajon, CA • 92019 • 619-660-0614 www.TheGarden.org • 9am to 4pm Daily

Dorcas E. Utter

Butterfly Pavilionat The Water Conservation Garden

Butterfly FestivalApril 5, 20149am to 3pm

Native butterflies and the plants they love.

Feeding station and interpretive displays.

Ideas for creating yourown butterfly garden.

Visit the NEW

Butterfly PavilionOpens

March 22


News Briefs, from page 6

SPORT’S POPULARITY PUTS CITY IN A PICKLEJeremy Ogul

A niche ball-and-paddle game called pick-leball may be gaining popularity in La Mesa, but interest is not high enough to justify the removal of a tennis court at Collier Park, the city’s Community Services Commission has decided.

Instead, pickleball and tennis players need to find the best way to share the city’s limited recreational resources, commissioners said.

Pickleball players asked the city to rede-sign the tennis court at Collier Park to accom-modate the shorter nets and different striping needed for pickleball games. Restriping the court would also allow multiple pickleball games to be played at once and would mean players would not have to bring their own nets.

Tennis players said there are already too few public tennis courts in the city.

“New activities shouldn’t be added at the cost of eliminating others,” said Luke Serna.

With the support of Justine and Tim Frazee, San Diego’s East County ambassa-dors for the USA Pickleball Association, the game has attracted a substantial following in La Mesa over the past couple years, especially among senior citizens who go to Collier Park on

Palm Avenue to play on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Part of the appeal of the game is how easy it is to learn, but experienced players say the game can also be very competitive and mentally and physically demanding. The perforated ball – similar to a whiffle ball – moves more slowly than a tennis ball, which makes the game less taxing on the joints than tennis can be. It can be played either singles or doubles, and avid players say one of the best things about the game is the social opportunities it creates.

As word about the game has spread, the need for multiple permanent courts has grown so that people can pick up the game at any time of the day, not just on weekday mornings, Justine Frazee said.

Members of the Community Service Commission encouraged both tennis and pick-leball players to work together to lobby the city for more playing space.

“I wish we had the funds to go build several pickleball courts, but we just don’t,” said Commissioner Marcia Tolin at a Jan. 29 meeting.

the Wounded Warrior Project serving the needs of local veterans.

Collin McNicholl-Carter of La Mesa, a junior on the private Catholic school’s golf team, served assistant director and marketing assistant to fellow St. Augustine junior Louis Molina of Chula Vista in putting together a Jan. 12 golf tournament fundraiser for Wounded Warriors. The event at Colina Park Golf Course in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood attracted more than 50 competitors.

“Since it is a beginner course, we had quite a few participants that had never tried golf before.” McNicholl-Carter said.

East County Chamber awardsThe San Diego East

County Chamber of Commerce installed a new board of direc-tors and presented an array of awards at its 102nd Annual Dinner on Jan. 25 at the Allen Airways Flying Museum at Gillespie Field in El Cajon.

Renae Arabo, chief marketing officer with RJS Law, is the board’s new chair-person. “I am so happy to have this opportunity to serve the community and businesses in San Diego East County,” Arabo said.

RJS Law was named the Chamber’s 2013 East County Business of the Year.

Included in the many other honors awarded that night, Hacienda Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant & Cantina took the top spot for best restaurant, Jasmine Creek Florist was chosen as the best in the retail-consumer goods department, and Taylor Guitars was selected as best manufacturing-construction business.

Police chief to speak at Chamber of Commerce La Mesa police Chief Ed Aceves will be the featured guest at the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce’s March 11 breakfast meeting.

The event is set for March 11 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Marie Callender’s, 6950 Alvarado Road. Reservations can be made by emailing [email protected] or calling 619-465-7700, ext. 2.

Cost is $15 for chamber members, $20 for guests or $25 at the door.

Native vegetation topic of discussion

Local green thumbs can get some tips on growing vegetation native to the area at a free, one-hour lecture and demonstration on March 1 at 10:30 a.m. at the Mt. Helix Park Amphitheater.

Parking is available next to and across from the San Miguel fire station, 10105 Vivera Drive, which is a 15-minute walk up the hill to

the amphitheater. There is no parking at the summit.

The presentation is the first of a two-part Nature/Sustainable Living lecture series sponsored by the Mt. Helix Park Foundation. Coffee and pastries will be available.

For more information, call 6190-741-4363 or visit www.mthelixpark.org.


See Declawing Cats, Page 13

PET CORNER

Declawing Cats: Not a Surgery to be Taken LightlyBy Sari Reis

Cats are digitigrade, which means they walk on their toes. They use their claws and toes for balance, stretching, exercising and defense. When declawing is performed, it alters the cat’s ability to walk, use the litter box, stretch, and defend itself. Declawing changes the way a cat’s foot meets the ground and, as a result, can cause lifetime pain in the shoulders, back, legs and paws.

Declawing has been referred to as “inhumane and unnecessary mutilation”. The pain associated with this procedure can be excruciating and doesn’t wane quickly. Sometimes it can last for

several weeks and even years. For this reason, declawing cats has been banned in 27 coun-tries around the world. So is it

ever justified?Some veteri-

narians say that if the claw is damaged beyond repair or has a tumor, removing it is defensible.

That makes sense. Others have stated that if the cat’s owner is immunosuppressed due to illness, then declawing is a reasonable precautionary measure. To that end, the Humane Society of the United States stated this: “Declawing is not recommended by infec-tious disease specialists. The risk from scratches for these people is less than those from

FAITH IN BRIEFLenten program at Church of Christ

The United Church of Christ of La Mesa will present a special Lenten program that concludes with an opportunity to walk the labyrinth - a circular route to a center that anyone willing to take the journey can find. A marvelous opportunity for prayer and medita-tion, the labyrinth walk invites you to liken its winding route to whichever meaningful journey you are on.

On March 12, 19 and 26 and April 2, United Church of Christ of La Mesa will use theologian Miroslav Volf ’s book, Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace, as a guide and explore together who God is, what God offers and how we give and experience the countercultural concept of forgiveness. Each session will start with a 5:30 p.m. soup supper, followed by a prayer service and the study.

On April 9, following the 5:30 p.m. soup supper and a time of prayer, the labyrinth awaits.

The church is at 5940 Kelton Ave. in La Mesa. Further information is available by calling 619-464-1519 or by visiting www.ucclm.org. All are welcome.

Torah study with Chabad in La MesaChabad of East County is continuing its

series of Tuesday night Torah sessions. Among the upcoming topics are Answering Anti-Semi-tism and Why Kosher?

Classes are $5 per session, and each class is related to that particular week’s Torah portion.

Chabad of East County is at 8691 La Mesa Blvd. Information is available by visiting www.jewishec.com or by calling 619-387-8770. All are welcome.

NEW CLIENT FIRST TIME EXAM

9160 Fletcher ParkwayLa Mesa CA 91942

www.fletcherhillsanimalhospital.com

Call to schedule your discounted exam

(619) 463-6604

SPECIAL OFFER COUPON

50% OFF50% OFF

A N I M A L H O S P I TA L

7 am - 6 pmhalf, partial & full day

Classes for 2, 3 & 4 yr. olds

Preschool7 am - 6 pm

or 7 am - 2 pm6 week olds - 2 years

Infant Care

4031 Avocado BlvdLa Mesa, CA 91941

Call: 619-670-4024foothillsumc.org

Summer Session is June 30 - Aug 8Registration for 2014-15 Begins April 21Voted 2013 La Mesa’s Best Preschool


See Fundraising, Page 12

Fundraising firm gives police union fraction of donationsBy Ken Stone

A Newport Beach fundraising firm with a record of keeping a large chunk of what it collects is again soliciting donations for the La Mesa Police Officers Association after a three-year hiatus.

New Equity Productions Inc. sent out thousands of mailers in November, its first such outreach for La Mesa’s police union since 2010. A website also asks for donations.

In a 2001 report, the state Attorney General’s Office said New Equity raised money for nine police or fire agencies. Eight clients received between 37.15 percent and 23.44 percent of the money raised. The Ontario Firefighters Association received nothing, according to the report.

More recently, state records show that NEP in 2012 raised $101,596 on behalf of the San Jose Police Officers Association, and gave the union $31,177 — or about 31 percent.

New Equity attorney Grant Reader declined to reveal how much the company returns to La Mesa, citing “attorney/client confidentiality requirements.”

State rules don’t dictate how much a fundraising firm should turn over to its clients. Some recipients are content with getting whatever is netted, figuring it is more than what they have time to solicit.

Last November, state Attorney General Kamala Harris reported that commercial fundraisers collected about $294.3 million in 2012, and “the average distribution to charity from all campaigns conducted by commercial fundraisers … was 36.91 percent, a decrease from the 2011 average of 51.05 percent.”

RESIDENTS GIVE CITY OFFICIALS AN EARFUL AT ‘TOWN HALL’ MEETINGSLa Mesa Courier

Crime, traffic and drugs. Those were the issues that

dominated conversation at a pair of `town hall’ meetings – informal La Mesa City Council sessions in which residents let police and city officials know what was on their mind.

Whether it was about a rash of auto break-ins on Tower Street, drug dealing near Northmont Elementary or parents who drive like maniacs when dropping off their kids at school, the topic rarely veered from crime, traffic and drugs.

Sandy Hernandez lives behind Rolando Elemen-tary School, where the first session was held on Feb. 6. She discussed the twice-daily nightmares caused by incon-

siderate parents dropping off their kids in the morning and picking them up in the afternoon.

“They double, triple park in the streets… kids are darting in and out. It’s very dangerous,” she said.

A Tower Road resident who brought his two young daughters to the meeting said his concern was crime. A lot of it. He said he’s lived in the neighborhood for four years and his car already has been broken into five times. Empty beer bottles often line the street. No one seems to care. “I see it everyday,” he said. “My kids aren’t allowed to play outside.”

Police Chief Ed Aceves empathized with him and others, but said authorities need help from the commu-nity. “We only have a limited number of eyes on patrol.” He suggested neighbors work with each other, take steps to protect their property, and report everything to police.

A lot needs to be done. According to the San Diego Association of Governments, reported crime in La Mesa jumped 11 percent in 2012 from the previous year. Statis-

tics for 2013 are not yet available.

About 100 people attended the second town hall session, held Feb. 18. There, too, resi-dents complained about parents in a hurry to leave the area after dropping their kids off at school.

Chief Aceves said he is taking note of the complaints, then added:

“I will tell you that a lot of the offenders are sitting in this room.”

City Councilman Mark Arapostathis, who once taught at Rolando Elementary, noted change is coming. Albeit slowly. He pointed to Safe Routes/Safe Passage efforts aimed at encouraging kids to walk to school and added that authori-ties are doing what they can to alleviate the problem.

“It’s on everyone’s mind,” he said. “It’s not going unnoticed.”

Public Works Director Greg Humora added that La Mesa is instituting several “traffic calming” measures, including installing roundabout and medians on Harbison Avenue and improvements to the intersection of Massachusetts and University avenues.

Police Chief Ed Aceves addresses residents at a

recent ‘town hall’ session.


RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN CUISINE AT THE VILLAGE HOUSE KALINA

It’s easy to overlook Eastern European cuisine around the region, what with all the Mexican eateries and chain restaurants. But if you seek it out and give it a try, you’ll discover delicious food that you’ll be craving.

A good place to start in La Mesa is The Village House Kalina. The neighboring Mexican restaurant may be the default choice for many but the lunch deals at Kalina are too tempting to pass. A choice of soup, salad and entrée is

only $7.99 – a really great price if you’ve ever wanted to try Russian or Ukrainian food.

There are two choices for borscht: Ukrai-nian (with beef) and vegetarian. For the beet wary, either one of these soups will make you a fan. The tanginess of the beets is tempered with a dollop of sour cream. If that still doesn’t have you convinced, there’s also shchi, a sour cabbage soup with meat and vegetables. The second course of salad isn’t the familiar variety: vesna (shredded cabbage, carrots, cranberries, apple and red onions), carrot salad (spiced carrots and walnuts), vegan beet salad, and eggplant and Russian potato salad. With the exception of the potato salad, most of them are reminiscent of coleslaw that is slightly sweet.

Aside from the borscht, the real standouts are the entrées. The dumplings Russian-style (pelmeni) or Ukrainian (vare-niki-pirogy) are immediate favorites. Upon first glance, they don’t look like much but are surprisingly filling, leaving you maxed out before the last piece. The only difference between the two styles is that Russian is filled with pork and chicken or beef and chicken and the Ukrainian ones are filled with potato and onion or potato and cheese. Both are winners in taste and satisfaction. Other entrée choices from the lunch menu are a vegan stew (with eggplant, mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, green beans and onions), vegetarian or

chicken stroganoff and meat cutlets. If you wander away from the lunch buffet,

explore the rest of the menu. The only difference is the larger portion sizes. The massive serving of beef stroganoff (served with a choice of pota-toes or noodles) is silky smooth with generous cuts of tender meat but can also be chicken or even vegetarian.

The rest of the menu is scattered with head-scratching names accompanied with

entertaining stories but translates into a eating adventure you’ll want to revisit and not neces-sarily at lunch.

Darlene Horn is a San Diego-based food blogger and has penning her opinions on food for nine years at MyBurningKitchen.com. She’s also the author of the semi-autobiographical, food-centric comic, The Girl with the Donut Tattoo, drawn by her husband and artist, Paul Horn.


The Village House Kalina8302 Parkway Dr.

La Mesa, CA 91942

www.KalinaVillageHouse.com

619-461-1100

See Butcher’s, Page 15

Rockabilly group The Jive Bombers perform vintage

rock at Santee’s newest venue for suds and live music.

Music lovers enjoy microbrews at a recent event.

By Jen Van Tieghem

JAZZWednesdays - Gilbert Castel-lanos Jazz Jam at Seven Grand. Free. 9 p.m. SevenGrandBars.com.

Fridays - Sam Johnson Jazz Group at Cosmos Coffee Cafe. Free. 3 to 5p.m. CosmosCoffeeCafe.com.

Saturdays - Jazz with George and Alan at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. www.SanDiegoDesserts.net.

Saturdays – Douglas Kvandal with the LiveJazz! Quartet at the Amigo Spot at the Kings Inn. Free. 7 p.m. www.kingsinnsandiego.com.

Feb. 28 – Circles at Seven Grand. Free. 9 p.m. www.sevengrandbars.com

March 14 – Sure Fire Soul Ensemble at Riviera Supper Club. Free. 9 p.m. www.RivieraSupperClub.com

March 22 – Gilbert Castel-lanos presents A Tribute to the Jazz Legends at 98 Bottles. $20 in advance/$25 at the door. 8 p.m. www.98BottlesSD.com

CLASSICAL Feb. 28 – March 2 – Wagner’s The Ring Without Words at Copley Symphony Hall. $20 - $96 Fri & Sat 8 p.m. Sun 2 p.m. www.SanDiegoSymphony.org

March 12 – La Jolla Music Society presents Yo-Yo Ma at Copley Symphony Hall. $35 - $99. 8 p.m. www.ljms.org

March 13 – Beethoven’s Choice at Copley Symphony Hall. $20. 7:30 p.m. www.SanDiegoSymphony.org

March 16 - Yale Strom and Lou Fanucchi “Klezmer Music” at Mission Trails Regional Park Visitors Center. Donations welcome. 3 p.m. www.mtrp.org

March 21-23 Mozart, Hadyn, and More at Copley Symphony Hall. $20 – $96. Fri & Sat 8 p.m. Sun 2 p.m. www.SanDiegoSymphony.org

ALTERNATIVEMarch 1 – Rist Band at Pal Joey’s. Free. 9 p.m. www.paljoeysonline.com

March 8 – Hills Like Elephants, Wild Wild Wets, Boy King, and Jimmy Rueles at the Casbah. $8. 9 p.m. www.casbahmusic.com

March 8 – Rock-N-Roll Benefit for Miley Show featuring Okay!Okay!, Neigh-bors to the North, Western Settings, and The Cobra Las at the ‘Til Two Club. $8. 9 p.m. www.tiltwoclub.com

March 21 – The Heavy Guilt at Riviera Super Club. Free. 9 p.m. www.rivierasupperclub.com

March 29 – The Midnight Pine at Riviera Supper Club. Free. 9 p.m. www.rivierasupperclub.com

POPTuesdays - Suzanne Shea and Bob Wade at Bistro Sixty. Free 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.www.BistroSixtySD.com Call and hold your table 619-287-8186

Wednesdays – Westside Inflection at Riviera Supper Club. Free. 8 p.m. www.RivieraSupperClub.com

Thursdays – Greg Shibley at The Westgate Hotel. Free. 6:30 pm – 9:30 p.m.. www.westgatehotel.com

Fridays – Nathan Welden at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 p.m. www.BistroSixtySD.com

March 15 – Sock Monkeys at San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room. Free. 7 p.m. www.SanPasqualWinery.comMarch 29 - People of Earth at San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room. Free. 7 p.m. www.SanPasqualWinery.comBands, venues, and music-lovers: please submit list-ings for this calendar by emailing [email protected]

BUTCHER’S BREWING SERVES UP BANDS AND BEERS IN SANTEEBy Jen Van Tieghem

When you’re a big live music fan, finding a new place to get your fix is a pleasant surprise. When that hidden gem also crafts great beer and is looking to host even more bands, then you really get excited.

Butcher’s Brewing sits in a business park on Prospect in Santee just minutes from La Mesa. The tasting room is clean and modern with seating at high tables and the bar. 12 tappers of tasty beers await with each one of their brews made in house.

With the growing popu-larity of the spot, owner Rey Knight and event manager (among other things) Bill Dyke decided to host an Oktober-fest event with Dyke and The Bavarian Beer Garden Band providing the entertainment. It was a huge success.

Fast forward a few months and they’re up to two “Bands and Beers” events per month on alternating Saturday nights with the hopes to make this a weekly event come summer. A warehouse area past the brewing section serves as the venue for these events with ample space and picnic style tables.

Each event starts around 5 or 6 p.m. with a food truck arriving to cater to hungry guests. Music starts around 8. There is no cover charge and guests are free to purchase food and beer before heading

back to enjoy the music. The bands Dyke has

booked so far, and hopes to continue with, range from punk to alternative to hard rock. These are bands you’d see in popular rock clubs around town and having them at the brewery is a great fit.

Both Dyke and Knight grew up playing music and Dyke has been in several local bands throughout the years. They’ve merged these past connections with their current business in hopes that patrons will enjoy the outcome as much as they do.

Their upcoming events exemplify the variety they work to put together.

On Saturday March 15 punk trio The Mice will be playing. Dyke has a long history with the guys in the group and says this one will

be a sort of reunion for him. I asked him to pick a beer to pair with this band’s music. He went with the Old Sow IPA – a friendly jab at the guys for being long in the tooth. Fittingly, God Save The Cuisine will be the food truck

at this event serving up a British-inspired menu which rotates but features items such as fish and chips and


Fundraising, from page 9

Some fare better. Sgt. William Hutchinson of the Palm Springs Police Officers Association said New Equity has been a fundraising contractor for 10 years. The union used to get less than 50 percent of the money raised, but a renegotiated contract resulted in a return of at least 60 percent.

The La Mesa Police Officers Association gives what it collects to a number of uses.

“Contributions made to the LMPOA are used to support our organization members, to assist families of fallen officers, and are invested back into the community by supporting and spon-soring various local programs,” said a letter signed by Sgt. Brian Stoney, president of the tax-exempt nonprofit that also serves as a bargaining unit. (Stoney declined to comment for this story.)

The group’s website says it funds annual grants to Gross-mont College and El Capitan High School honoring the memo-ries of two former officers. But El Capitan Principal Laura Whitaker said, “to the best of our knowledge, we did not give out the Christine Rath Award last year.” Grossmont College received perhaps $250 for last year’s Ken Joseph Award, said Tina Young, an associate professor in the school’s Administration of Justice Department.

Tax filings by the La Mesa POA show it donated $18,441 to various organizations in 2012 while raising a net $13,930 from its annual golf tournament and $13,533 from “contributions, gifts, grants” and the like.

The association also has a political action committee, which in 2013 raised $7,543 in cash and non-monetary contributions — all from union members, according to state mandated filings. The PAC in 2012 made only one donation — $500 to the successful campaign of Superior Court Judge Robert Amador.

Amador once was a Sheriff ’s Department liaison officer who worked with La Mesa police.

New Equity has come to attention of state officials in the past for failing to keep its registration up to date. The for-profit company was told it was operating illegally in 2011 while it solic-ited funds for a number of police agencies in Los Angeles County.

On Feb. 4, Candy Hetherington of the state’s Registry of Charitable Trusts wrote New Equity that its registration had again expired because it failed to pay its $350 renewal fee by Jan. 15. Her office gave New Equity 30 days to comply — and it did. A registration certificate was granted just before the deadline; the company faced penalties of up to $2,500 per solicitation.

JOIN OUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS EAST COUNTY FAMILY YMCA www.eastcounty.ymca.org 3 Convenient Locations to Choose From:

Cameron Family YMCA (Santee) John A. Davis Family YMCA (La Mesa) McGrath Family YMCA (Spring Valley)

A COMMITMENT TO YOU! JOINING FEE ONLY $50!

Programs and Services Include:

Swim, Sports & Play

Health, Well-Being & Fitness

Day Camps When Schools Out

Child Watch While Members Work Out

Family Time

Recreation & Sports for Adults

Financial Assistance for Qualifying

Families

And so much more!

Deanna MeierDirector of Sales & Marketing


Historical View, from page 3

Declawing, from page 8

young widow, lay a wreath at the base of the memorial for her husband, Glen. The Asso-ciated Press would distribute this photograph – placing La Mesa in bylines across the globe.

Serving the Soldiers and Keeping the Memories Alive

Unfortunately, such public professions of support for our Vietnam Veterans would be few and far between as the war unwound to an end in the

early 1970s. Many La Mesans likely

drive by the memorial everyday, but apparently few understand its significance – especially in remembering those times that many Ameri-cans wish not to relive.

This was the case in spite of efforts of people like then San Diego State College student Denise Evers, who would continue to take the cause of Vietnam veterans and POWs to places such as Wash-

ington D.C., Paris, France and Geneva, Switzerland where she met with national and international leaders.

After graduating, she joined the Army and served in the nurse corps. She married Jack Rhoads, another La Mesa native and veteran. Twenty-seven years ago, they moved to Arizona where she still serves as a nurse practitioner helping today’s veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Later, due to the monu-

ment’s religious symbols, the City transferred the property into private ownership. The re-opening of the railroad line for the MTDB’s trolley in 1989 would also cut into the “memo-rial park” property.

Last year, Oresta Zalopany Johnson, a HYFD member whose father Orest Zalopany was one of the contractors who donated his efforts back in 1970, realized that the monu-ment needed attention.

Vandals had stolen the bronze plaques and the prop-erty was showing its age. She contacted veterans groups and has subsequently replaced the plaques, adding missing names of Heartland area men who served and were lost.

She also re-contacted Denise Evers-Rhoads. Evers-

Rhoads, who still has the scrapbook that her now 93-year-old mother Virginia compiled of the HYFDs efforts, was more than willing to help. As are many others.

Plans are now being undertaken to refurbish the monument and hold an anniversary celebration this coming June 14 to re-engage our community, re-affirming the charge of La Mesa to not forget ALL those brave and honorable men and women who gave the ultimate sacri-fice for their country.

They deserve no less.You can connect with

the HYFD Memorial fund at www.hyfd.org to donate and learn more of this memorable community effort.

bites, cat litter, or fleas carried by the cat.”And if pain were not a significant enough reason not to

perform declawing, statistics from studies have proven that between 50 percent to 80 percent of these procedures result in complications, including radial nerve damage, bleeding, bone chips that may prevent proper healing, painful regrowth of a deformed claw and lameness. Many pet owners have also stated that the procedure changed the personality of their cat, making him more aggressive, fearful, and less playful.

So what are the humane alternatives to destructive scratching?

Training is one. If you get a kitten, you can train them early on to use a scratching post. Having scratching posts around your home gives the kitty the opportunity to scratch without damaging your furnishings. Cat trees also offer an alternative to scratching furniture and provide amusement and enrichment for the kitty. You can also try vinyl nails which can be applied right over your cat’s claws. They are made by “Soft Paws” and can be purchased online. Another option is to cover the furniture you want to protect with aluminum foil, plastic, or two-sided tape.

Declawing is not just a manicure. It is a very grave operation. It is comparable to amputating the top knuckle of each of your fingers. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights says, “Declawing generally is unacceptable because the suffering and disfigurement is not offset by any benefits to the cat. Declawing is strictly to provide convenience for people.”

Sari Reis is a Certified Humane Education Specialist and the owner of Mission Valley Pet Sitting Services. For more infor-mation you can contact her at 760-644-0289 or www.missionval-leypetsitting.com.


Helix PAC, from page 1

were no formal dressing rooms for the actors, no bathrooms for the patrons. The sound and lighting control booth was essentially a closet with peepholes cut out to view the stage.

The new complex includes two theaters – a 410-seat traditional play-house and a 112-seat “black box” for more intimate performances. The main auditorium has a modern sound and lighting control booth, a full-fly loft, an orchestra pit, a mezzanine seating level, a spacious lobby, well-appointed restrooms and booths for ticket and concession sales.

Behind the scenes, flat-screen televisions and an intercom system in the dressing rooms help students monitor the progress of the show on stage. A scene shop and stagecraft area provides ample space to design and store sets and props. A costume shop includes sewing machines and a washer and dryer.

“The kids are in something that doesn’t look dated and falling apart,” said theater teacher Gregg Osborn,

chair of the performing arts depart-ment. “They’re getting a better feeling about what they’re doing.”

Most of the technology in the old theater was outdated by 15 years or more, hardly helpful for students trying to learn their craft.

“It was like training a kid to use a MacBook but you’re training them on a Commodore 64,” Osborn said.

Instrumental music ensembles left behind a band room with stained, smelly carpets, missing ceiling tiles and the occasional rodent. Their new room has better acoustics, a dedicated music library, individual practice rooms and energy-efficient design features.

Though it may seem mundane to outsiders, one of the things the band students are most excited about are the instrument storage lockers. They actu-ally lock, and they don’t have splinters like the handmade plywood lockers at the old band room, said band director Mitch Way.

Way said he can already see a shift in student attitudes.

“Their culture is changing really quickly, because

they’re not used to something that was worthy of respect,” Way said. “All the ensembles are much more serious in here. The kids understand what (taxpayers) have spent on them.”

Musical achievement should improve as a result of the new digs, too, Way said. Until now the band and orchestra programs had to spend thou-sands of dollars to outfit the gym with proper lighting and staging in order to host a big concert.

“You can’t properly train students in balance and blend and intonation in a facility that’s just an echo chamber,” Way said.

Dance students, guitar students, the ukulele club, and digital arts students all also have accommodations in the new complex.

The Grossmont Union High School District paid for the complex with funding from Proposition U, a $417 million bond that voters approved in November 2008 to modernize campuses. The district has spent about $220 million of the bond so far.

“We owe a great debt of gratitude to the community as a whole and the voters who agreed to pass that bond,” Lewis said.

Teachers say they expect the new

facility to attract even more of Helix’s 2,400 students to arts programs. The instrumental music programs have about 170 students now; the theater programs have about 150. The dance program, guitar classes, digital media classes and choir have many more.

“In La Mesa, performing arts are just such a big deal,” said Jenn Osborn, community relations officer for the school district.

With the Peter Pan Junior Theater, the East County Youth Symphony and the forthcoming La Mesa Arts Academy, the demand for arts educa-tion at Helix will likely be greater than ever in the next few years, Osborn said.

The next Proposition U project at Helix High School will modernize the locker rooms for physical education. The district also plans to demolish the old music and drama buildings and build a new administration building in their place.

For those looking forward to the new Performing Arts Center, the dance program will stage “Where the Wild Things Are” on April 4, and 5 at 7 p.m. The Spring Dance Concert, meanwhile, is set for May 1, 2 and 3 at 7 p.m. Details for both performances can be found at www.helixdancers.weebly.com.

AUTOMOTIVE$21 Car Insurance - Instant Quote – All Credit Types – Find Out If You Qualify – As Low As $21/Month. Call (888) 291-2920.

AUTOS WANTEDTOP CASH FOR CARS, Any Car/Truck, Running or Not. Call for INSTANT offer: 1-800-454-6951

EMPLOYMENT$21 Car Insurance – Instant Quote – All Credit Types - Find Out If You Qualify - As Low As $21/Month. Call (888) 296-3040

HEALTH & FITNESSVIAGRA 100mg and CIALIS 20mg! 50 Pills $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW! 1-866-312-6061

MISCELLANEOUSMeet singles right now! No paid operators, just real people like you. Browse greetings, exchange messages and connect live. Try it free. Call now 1-888-909-9905

Dish TV Retailer-SAVE! Starting $19.99/month (for 12 months.) FREE Premium Movie Channels. FREE Equipment, Installation & Activation. CALL, COMPARE LOCAL DEALS! 1-800-309-1452

Have fun and find a genuine connection! The next voice on the other end of the line could be the one. Call Tango 1-800-807-0818. FREE trial!

AIRLINE CAREERS begin here - Get trained as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Housing and Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM 866-453-6204

$21 Car Insurance - Instant Quote - All Credit Types - Find Out If You Qualify - As Low As $21/Month. Call (888) 287-2130

CASH FOR CARS, Any Make or Model! Free Towing. Sell it TODAY. Instant offer: 1-800-864-5784

WANTED TO BUYWants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201

CASH PAID- up to $28/Box for unexpired, sealed DIABETIC TEST STRIPS. 1-DAY

PAYMENT. 1-800-371-1136

ADVERTISE to 10 Million Homes across the USA! Place your ad in over 140 community newspapers, with circulation totaling over 10 million homes. Contact Independent Free Papers of America IFPA at [email protected] or visit our website cadnetads.com for more information.

Reader Advisory: The National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the above classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some advertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should you send any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over the phone it is illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in US dollars. Toll free numbers may or may not reach Canada.

Statewide Ads

FREE CLASSIFIEDSFree classified ads are available to non-profit organizations that do not charge for their services and private party items for sale. Only one ad per or organization will be accepted per issue as a free classi-fied - additional ads must be paid for with submission of the ads. Free classifieds are limited to 25 words or less. Ads of more than 25 words cost 50¢ per addi-tional word; payment must accompany the ad. All free classifieds will run for only one issue even if you indicate on the ad that you want it to run more than one time. No calls will be answered for free classifieds. Free classifieds MAY NOT be submitted online. Free classifieds must be submitted by mail or hand-delivered to Postal Annex at: 6549 Mission Gorge Rd #199 San Diego, CA 92120

PAID CLASSIFIEDS - $10/25 words or lessAds cost $10 for 25 words or less plus 50¢ per word over 25, payable in advance of publication only. Editor reserves the right to reject or re-classify any ads. Paid ads may run for any con-secutive number of issues, provided that proper payment for the ads is received in advance.NO PHONE CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR RENEWAL OF ADS. THE LAST DATE PRE-PAID ADS WILL RUN IS PRINTED AFTER EACH AD.

When counting words – a word is a word, regardless of the number of let-ters. A telephone number is a word. An address such as “10000 San Diego Mission Road” is 5 words. We do not mail “proofs of publication” for classifieds. No personals are accepted. Paid classifieds may be submitted by mail or hand-deliv-ered to Postal Annex at: 6549 Mission Gorge Rd #199 San Diego, CA 92120. For your convenience, paid classified ads may be placed using our self-serve system online at ScoopSanDiego.com/Classifieds.

SPECIAL NOTICEThe La Mesa Courier reserves the right to edit or refuse classified ads due to inappropriate content, space consid-erations, etc. The La Mesa Courier assumes no financial responsibility for errors nor for omission of copy for classified ads. By submission of ad, advertisers agree to indemnify and hold the La Mesa Courier harmless from any claims and expenses arising from the publication of any ad. No refunds given or cancellations accepted unless such notice is received by mail 10 days prior to the publication date. MAKE SURE YOU REMIT THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE AD – WE ARE UNABLE TO CONTACT YOU - NOR RUN THE AD - IF THE INCORRECT AMOUNT OF MONEY IS SENT WITH THE AD. Your cancelled check is your receipt.

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO “LA MESA COURIER”

PLEASE READ ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.CHECK THE APPROPRIATE CLASSIFICATION BELOW.

Make checks payable to “La Mesa Courier.”

Mail to 6549 Mission Gorge Road, #199San Diego, CA 92120.

FOR SALE CHILD CARE BUS. OPP.

NOTICES FOR RENT SERVICES(see restrictions above)

WANTED HELP WANTED LOST & FOUND

GARAGE SALES

AMOUNT OF PAYMENT INCLUDED WITH AD: $CHECK #

Local Classified AdsBUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Will your job alone give you the lifestyle you deserve? Create true wealth and long term residual income with a part-time home based business. We train and help support you to success. www.GotFreedom.com Call 858-278-2120 Your future is counting on you! (12/14)

FOR RENTSenior Living (62+) in San Carlos. Quiet non-smoking community with pool & spa. Studios, 1BR & 2BR available. $720-$1,235. 7717 Tommy St. 619-461-4111. (04/14)

FOR SALEOLD MILITARY ITEMS WANTED- Cash Paid for medals, patches, uniforms, souvenirs, swords, photos, documents, etc. CALL 619-368-2055 for fair cash offer. (04/14)

Going out of Business Sale. Creative Shears. Beauty Salon, 6790 University Ave SD, 92115. Everything must go. Sale begins Feb. thru Mar. 15 (03/14)

SERVICESJenna’s Barber Shoppe. Styling for men, women & children. Wheelchair friendly. Old time expert haircuts at affordable prices. Colors & perms. 7424 Jackson Dr.#1A (across from Keil’s in Bank of America lot) Tues-Fri., 8:30-5:30pm; Sat. 8:30-noon. Walk-ins or By appt., 619-644-3669. (12/14)

German Setter Tile and Marble. Professional marble/tile setter with 28 years experience. European craftsmanship. Punctual &

dependable. License# 872804. Contact Jens Sedemund: 619-415-6789 or [email protected] (12/14)

Dan Paterson Handyman/Carpentry: Repair and replacement of plumbing, electrical repair, installation of water heaters, doors, windows, cabinets, flooring, fencing. Pressure washing of driveways, all phases of home repair. And remodel including kitchen and bathroom remodel. No job too small, free estimates. Raised in Allied Gardens, 17 years in construction. Dan Paterson 619-481-9978. (12/14)

Roofing Lic# 691295-C39. Veteran Owned, Allied Gardens based. Celebrating 20 years in business. Full roof & repairs. Free Est. Veteran and Senior discounts. 619-823-7208. (07/14)

Pet/Housesitting Services. Est. 1983, Bonded. Pet-tenders offers feeding, walking, plant care, housesitting-and above all...spoiling...in your own home! www.pet-tenders.com 619-298-3033. (04/14)

Locksmith - Discount Deadbolts & Rekeying - security door viewers, patio door locks, simulated alarms, magnetic door stops. Cliff Henderson 619-840-3327 - Lic #LCO4353 - Bonded - Never a trip charge! (04/14)

Quality exterior carpentry. Decks, Fences, Patio Covers and Termite Repair. Lic365241. www.aactionbuildersofsandiego.com. Bob 619-275-1493 (4/14)

Roofing, licensed, bonded, second generation Allied Gardens roofer. Over 100 homes in Allied Gardens roofed. Repairs, all types of roofing. Free estimates. Call 619-287-7149. (03/14)

LOSE WEIGHT & FEEL GREAT!! Turbo 10 Plan. Lose Up to 10 Lbs in 3 Weeks. Free Coaching & Mobile App. FREE SAMPLES. *Money Back Guarantee. 760-652-9002. BeWellNow.Vemma.com (03/14)

Bridges Over Troubled Water. Cleaning, errands, cooking. Reasonable rates. 443-286-0519 (03/14)


La Mesa Courier

8030 La Mesa Blvd. #145 La Mesa, CA 91942

Phone: (619) 697-2500Fax: (619) 697-2505

[email protected]

EditorDavid [email protected]

ContributorsJeremy OgulGenevieve SuzukiKen Stone

Graphic ArtistAleta El [email protected]

Advertising ManagerBecky Suffridge, Ext. [email protected]

PublisherMission Publishing Group, LLCJim [email protected]

Circulation: 24,000. Published 12 times in 2014, mailed to all addresses in 91941, delivered to all single family homes in 91942 and at over 150 bulk locations throughout our circulation area of La Mesa, California by Mission Publishing Group, LLC. Classified ads and articles must be submitted by mail, e-mail or dropped off at our business address: 6549 Mission Gorge Rd #199 San Diego, CA 92120.

Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisements or material submitted which are deemed to be objectionable. Publisher’s liability for errors: La Mesa Courier assumes no financial liability for errors nor for omission of copy and upon request will furnish a letter of correction to the advertiser. The Publisher, Mission Publishing Group, LLC., shall not be liable for any error in published advertising unless an advertiser proof is requested in writing 12 days prior to publication date and clearly marked for corrections. If the error is not corrected by the Publisher, the liability, if any, shall not exceed the space occupied for the error. Further, the Publisher shall not be liable for any omission of an advertisement ordered to be published. On written request, Publisher shall reschedule and run the omit-ted advertisement at the advertiser’s cost. All claims for adjustment must be made in writ-ing within 30 days of the date of publication. In no case shall the Publisher be liable for any general, special or consequential damages.

Equal Housing Opportunity: Real estate advertising in La Mesa Courier is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limita-tion or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” La Mesa Courier will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in vio-lation of the law. This is to notify La Mesa Courier readers that all dwellings advertised in La Mesa Courier are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimina-tion call HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or TTY at 1-800-927-9275.

News and information printed in La Mesa Courier is obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but accuracy on information sent to the paper cannot be guaranteed. Articles and opinions of writers or letters to the editor that are submitted for publication to the La Mesa Courier are the views of the writ-ers and should not be considered the views of the publisher. Content of paid advertisements is solely the responsibility of the advertiser. © 2014, all rights reserved.

MEMBER

The April issue of the La Mesa Courier will be

published Friday, March 28. The advertising deadline

is Tuesday, March 11.

California Newspaper Publishers Association

Butcher’s, from page 11

Interfaith, from page 1

Its “Fill a bag, Feed a child” drive drew raves from the likes of La Mesa Middle School Principal Beth Thomas, who said in a thank-you note: “The unbelievable response from the interfaith council, as well as the La Mesa Rotary Club, to the needs [of] our families … during the holidays left us completely speechless.”

Pastor Dani Womack of Crosspointe Life Church said that with help from police and local Rotary, the Interfaith Council delivered 194 bags of goods for families at some six different schools for Thanks-giving. “We did 124 bags for Christmas,” Womack said.

Ginger Radenheimer, student interventions coordi-nator for the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, said at least two schools got new socks and underwear for their students in need. “This is HUGE,” she wrote.

The Interfaith Council provided school supplies, hundreds of lunches during summer break and even a citizenship program with “an ice cream social with Officer [Claudia] McDaniels from LMPD,” she said. “Quite a hit!”

The council even helped grow the Neighborhood Watch program, Womack says.

Bishop Smith said the council hope the website will be a home to information on local resources.

“An example … is a pamphlet of food resources available through various churches and organizations in and around La Mesa,” he said.

Chairing the Interfaith Council is Rancho San Diego’s David Merck, a retired environmental scientist who worked at the Port of San Diego for 13 years.

Now a pastor at the 2,500-member Journey Community Church, Merck says the council’s mission is “essentially evolving.”

Merck sees a rotating homeless shelter for La Mesa.

“It’s quite a commitment,” he said of the shelter goal. Churches would have to meet conditions such as offering morning and evening meals, showers onsite and bunks or cots. They’d take turns giving shelter for a week.

Madrid remains active as the coun-cil’s vice chairman, telling the Courier: “The interfaith [council] is exceeding our expectations because of the committee of its members.”

He and Radenheimer say the programs have no religious component.

Why so little citywide publicity –

especially from City Hall?“Because this not a City Council

activity,” Madrid responded. “As mayor, I can and do have several committees I’m working with, but more importantly, it’s my commitment to abide by separation of church and state. As the mayor, I can get involved in this issue and it doesn’t violate that principle.”

When Madrid first contacted local clergy, he invited representatives from 33 churches and other ministries. Later, he learned the city had 41 churches (which since has grown with its first Jewish congregation, Chabad of East County).

An early sparkplug of the group was Pastor Bob Lenz of Skyline Wesleyan Church in Rancho San Diego, who has since moved to a church in Apache Junc-tion, where he’s become active in the Arizona Interfaith Movement.

“I believe Mayor Madrid has a big heart for the La Mesa community and can see the impact of the [faith-based organization] alliance that started to come together,” Lenz said via email.

The council’s membership has ebbed and flowed, with some members dropping out over time. But hope prevails.

“Perhaps great things have to start small and be cultivated and nourished to bear the fruit so needed and intended,” said Vienna McMurtry of the local Chris-tian Science presence.

Said Womack of Crosspointe: “We desire to continue to grow in number, influence and relationship. And while I believe we have accomplished amazing things together already, I remain ever more steadfast that our best days together are yet ahead of us.”

smoked salmon. On March 22 hard-hitting rock duo

Chess Wars will be the musical act. The two seasoned musicians of the band play in wide ranging acts around town. Together they churn out fast-paced songs and blues-laced grooves. Dyke has known Chess War’s drummer Jake Najor since he was a child and calls him “the hardest working, best drummer in town.” Keeping with the interconnected theme this event will feature tasty Mexican cuisine from Najor’s family restaurant El Rey Taco Shop. So while little brother is smashing his set in the back, big brother Zak will be cooking up food out front. Dyke and I agreed the fitting beer for this show would be Butcher’s Continental Break-fast Stout– dark and heavy but a subtle sweetness to smooth it out.

The next scheduled event is April 12. This extra special Bands and Beers is part of a fundraising effort put together by tasting room manager Kat Stielau. Stielau has organized a team for the Miracle Babies 5K in May dubbing her group Team Brooke in honor of her daughter who was born prematurely at 30 weeks. Miracle Babies raises money to support little ones who arrive before their due date and suffer medical problems as a result. Rockin’ Blues Hounds will be the musicians on hand playing – what else? Blues and rock! A dollar from each beer sale at this event will go to Team Brooke.

With a great team at Butcher’s putting together Bands and Beers it’s easy to see why they’ve already garnered a following. The familial dynamic of the staff spills over into the community atmo-sphere they create with customers. For us lucky fans of local beer and local bands we have a stomping ground to discover some-thing new from both worlds.

Find out more about Butcher’s online at www.ButchersBrewing.com

Bags of goodies collected for those in need during the holidays. (Photo by Ken Stone)

Ideal Plumbing,Heating

Air & ElectricalServing our community since 1960! Panel upgrades, sub panels, outlets, ceiling fans, whole house fans, solar systems, recessed lighting, and more. BBB accredited business.(06-13)

www.idealsvc.com(619) 583-7963

Lic #348810

ELECTRICAL


Air & ElectricalServing our community since 1960! Kitchens, bathrooms, closets, grab bars, wak-in tubs, and more!. BBB accred-ited business.(06-13)


Lic #348810

REMODEL

PLUMBING


Air & ElectricalServing our community since 1960! Residential/commer-cial. Service, repair, installa-tion, thermostats, registers, filters, indoor air quality, and more. BBB accredited busi-ness.(06-13)


Lic #348810

AIR CONDITIONING


Air & ElectricalWater heaters, Garbage disposals, drain cleaning. Video pipe inspections, water softeners & filtration. Visit our Showroom! (06-12)

Serving our commu-nity since 1960!(619) 583-7963

Lic #348810


©MMVIII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. A Realogy Company. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office is Independently Owned And Operated. Cal. BRE # 01767484

PacificSothebysRealty.com

Everyone, in every price range, deserves the quality of Sotheby’s Realty.

8310 La Mesa Boulevard, La Mesa, CA 91942 • 619.337.1700

SANTEE • $400,000 - $455,876

ALVARADO ESTATES • $1,250,000 - $1,350,000

LAKESIDE • LOT $229,000, PROPERTY $900,000 - $1,400,000

Over 3,000 square foot three bedroom, three and one half bath custom home in gated community of Alvarado Estates. Grand living room, formal dining room, spacious eat-in kitchen, family room, one-acre canyon parcel with sparkling pool, spa and two car attached garage. All this just minutes to downtown San Diego.

MARK CUJAK 619.318.5147

Vacant Land. 8.99 acres along a ridgetop overlooking all of Lakeside. Enjoy 360-degree views! Horses & livestock OK. Access to electricity & city water. Easy access to 67 and I-8. Direct access to riding trails. Also for sale adjacent to the lot is a 28-acre property, Hering Ranch. The income-producing ranch allows for boarding up to 100 horses. This unique gem includes a 3BR home, arena and more.

JENNIFFER TAYLOR 619.892.6773

Move-in ready. Open floor plan with vaulted ceilings in living room, dining room and family room. New carpet and fresh paint throughout. Large master suite with walk-in closet and sliding door to back yard.

JOE SOUTHWICK 619.589.8224

Great investment opportunity! Lovely 2 story fourplex centrally located and close to public transportation. Upgraded windows and tile in all units. Laundry room not in use, but could add extra income.

JULIE BOYADJIAN 619.250.1129

ENCANTO • $599,000

LA MESA COLONY • $385,900

Priced to Sell! Charming Cape Cod-style home situated on R2 lot in sought after College Area neighborhood. View complete details at www.6755Saranac.com

APRIL KOHNEN 858.735.9050

JAMUL • $735,000 - $810,000

Essence of Sante Fe & Southwest lifestyle fully expressed through this 4BR single-level custom home situated on over an acre of xeriscaped low maintenance property w/ west facing mountain & sunset views.

JOE SOUTHWICK 619.589.8224


La Mesa Courier - March 2014

Documents

Transcript of La Mesa Courier - March 2014