hillcrest news april 2016

MidCityNewspaperGroup.com Vol. 25 No. 4 April 2016

SEE PAGE 12 FOR MY ASK THE EXPERT ADVICE!Dave Dennis Ascent Real Estate

CA BRE #01343870 • [email protected] • (619) 987-9484

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Library Explores LGBTHistoryLove Library at SDSU has beenawarded a $10,000 grant from Cali-fornia Humanities for its project —“OUT on the Left Coast: San DiegoLGBT History.” Community Storiesis a competitive grant program ofCalifornia Humanities, a nonprofitthat promotes the humanities inCalifornia. PAGE 24

Gay Men’s Chorus Stages“California Dreamin’’The San Diego Gay Men’s Choruspremieres its highly anticipated newshow, “California Dreamin’,” at thehistoric Balboa Theatre on April 23and 24. PG. 24

CONTACT US

EDITORIAL/LETTERSManny Cruz

[email protected]

ADVERTISINGBrad Weber

[email protected]

TRUST Puts Good Faithinto FoodBringing a chef-driven food infu-sion to Hillcrest is TRUST Restau-rant, which debuted Feb. 10 at thecorner of Park and Robinson as theanchor tenant in Jonathan Segal’srecently completed “Mr. Robinson”building (another ground floorspace will be filled by a coffee andcrepe cafe). PAGE 2

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HILLCREST NEWS

Luchia Lokonyen helps customers at her produce stand.

Anyone in doubt or unaware of the rich multicultural makeup ofSan Diego would certainly delight in the omnipresent variety ofthe Hillcrest Farmers Market. Since its 1997 inception, the mar-ket has grown to include 175 vendors, many of them specializ-ing in the cultivation and sales of organic produce while othersprovide an array of arts and crafts, flowers, baked goods, andeven international clothing.

Read Alex Cohen’s story on on PAGE 22

Hillcrest Farmers MarketSAN DIEGO’S MULTICULTURAL EPICENTER

Heather Allen, owner of OhLavache (with her mother, Chris-tine Gee), is shown with JedStevens, a customer.

Mess Royale, the Montreal-inspiredeatery that opened in Hillcrest last Apriland specialized in iconic Canadian eats,from wood oven baked bagels to vari-ations on gravy and cheese curd-topped poutine, closed down onMarch 6.

Owner Hugo Tassone told Eater thathe is currently considering several newlocations, and hopes to reopen MessRoyale by summer 2016 in a differentneighborhood that’s more denselypacked with bars, where the eatery candevelop a late-night business. Untilthen, Mess Royale will continue to be

a vendor at the Valley View CasinoCenter (Sports Arena).

Location Matters’ Mike Spilky, whofacilitated the sale of the UniversityAvenue space to a yet-undisclosed newrestaurant tenant said, “It’s a shamethat Mess Royale did not garnerenough of a customer base in this loca-tion to see it through as a long-termbusiness model. There were plenty ofvery loyal customers, just not enough;the eatery will be looking for anotherspot in more of a bar-crawl area likePacific Beach or North Park.”

Hillcrest. Most San Diegan knowit as the hot burning center of fabu-lousness with its neon pink sign,quirky shops, and gay bars. Whodoesn’t love Taste of Hillcrest inApril, the Pride Festival in July, andCityFest in August?

Okay, maybe some crazy parish-ioners from Westboro BaptistChurch in Kansas and angry Trumpvoters in Fallbrook, but the saneworld totally digs Hillcrest.

Behind the scenes, it takes a greatdeal to keep that pink flame burningbright. Much of this work is support-ed by the Hillcrest Business Associa-tion, which represents the 1,300 busi-nesses in the area, including boutiquedining, vintage shops, health services,and community centers. “Hillcrest isone of the most diverse communi-ties, culturally and in terms of opin-ion and discussion,” says BenNicholls, who has served as executivedirector of the Hillcrest BusinessAssociation for the past seven years.“Both our residents and businessesare always on the cutting edge oftrends and constantly reinventingthemselves in creative ways.” He saysthe area is a great blend of old andnew, like long-standing dining spotsUrban Mo’s and Crest Café, andnewer eateries like Snooze andLemonade.

Nicholls says Hillcrest businessessupport the community like noother. “When Hillcrest needed funds

for the Pride flag and monument atThe Center, businesses came togetherto raise money on their own. He saysthe area is also expanding its Clean& Safe program, which is modeledafter the Downtown effort to beautifythe area and provide services to res-idents.

“We have a cleaning route thathappens every day, plus a hotlinewhere people can call to reportissues,” he says. Also Safety Ambas-sadors patrol the streets to detercrime and engage with the homeless.The officers aren’t simply trying toshuffle off the homeless, but hopingto connect them with services likeshelters, job training programs, andshowers.

Hillcrest has its challenges as well.

Nicholls laments the fact that there’sno new development in the areawhile surrounding neighborhoodslike Bankers Hill and Mission Hillsare creating new residential and retailspace. What’s worse, Nicholls says, isthe city of San Diego is consideringdesignating the center of Hillcrest anhistoric district, which he says would“lock up development.”

Nicholls says the lack of new devel-opment and capital improvement isthe result of older buildings withdated wiring and structural issuesbeing unable to attract new, long-term, quality businesses. If the cityplan is successful, Nicholls fears Uni-versity Avenue would start to lookmore like Garnet Avenue in PacificBeach with “junky stores and tacostands because that’s who can oper-ate a business in these buildings.”

In addition to new commercialdevelopment, Nicholls says he wouldalso like to see more new housing inthe area to attract young families.

Even with its unique set of chal-lenges, there’s no better place to workand play than Hillcrest. “This is anarea of creativity and diversity, andwhen you’re here, you just feel thegenuine community energy,” saysNicholls. “We were the first commu-nity to create a farmer’s market andthe first with mixed-use space. Peopleshould look to Hillcrest for newideas.”

2| APRIL 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Urban Mo’s Bar and Grill is a favorite watering-hole for the LGBT community, providing agood time any time of day.

BUSINESS

Taking Care of Business Hillcrest Business Association keeps the pink flame burning bright

Benjamin Nicholls has been executive direc-tor of the Hillcrest Business Association forthe past seven years.

Snooze is one of the newer Hillcrest eateries.

BY JENNIFER COBURN

Hillcrest Poutine Shop Mess RoyaleCloses; New Locations Studied

COMING&GOING

Mess Royale shut down on March 6.

TRUST Restaurant Puts Good Faith into Food & Hillcrest

Bringing a chef-driven food infu-sion to Hillcrest is TRUST Restau-rant, which debuted Feb. 10 at thecorner of Park and Robinson as theanchor tenant in Jonathan Segal’srecently completed “Mr. Robinson”building (another ground floorspace will be filled by a coffee andcrepe cafe).

The 2,687-square-foot restaurantis the first solo project for executivechef Brad Wise and general managerSteven Schwob, who both spentclose to a decade with local hospi-

tality group Eat.Drink.Sleep.(Tower23, Belmont Park).

Wise and Schwob worked withSegal to develop the space from thebottom up, making sure the midcentury-inspired design includedtheir ideal restaurant components;for Wise, it was an open kitchen thatfeatures a wood grill and forSchwob, having a spacious outdoorpatio (1,300-square-feet) was key.

The restaurateurs, who tell Eaterthat they plan on opening multipleconcepts in San Diego, say that they

chose to locate TRUST in Mr.Robinson to provide Hillcrest witha fresh food option and because thelocation’s proximity to other neigh-borhoods, including North Park andUniversity Heights, should make ita good launch pad for an eveningout or an attractive place to cap offa night.

Wise shared that his “urban rusticfood” menu is built the way he likesto cook and eat, offering a variety ofaffordable, shareable plates centeredaround seasonal ingredients. Heplans on swapping out dishes on theregular, and doing major menurefreshes quarterly.

The beverage program from barmanager Juan Sanchez (KettnerExchange) includes a global winelist, eight craft beer taps and a cock-tail menu that mixes modern takeson the classics with a few originalconcoctions.

Open nightly at 5 p.m. for dinnerand serving weekend brunch from9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sun-day, TRUST will also offer a 5 to 6p.m. weekday happy hour with $5cocktails, wine and draft beer.

BY CANDICE WOO | SAN DIEGO EATER

Interior of the restaurant. (Photo by Lyudmila Zotova)

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | APRIL 2016 | 3

Join us on a Culinary Adventure at Taste of Hillcrest San Diego’s original neighborhood food experience

Save the date for Saturday, April16 as San Diego’s most fabulousneighborhood dishes up its mostdelectable event of the season withan international twist, the AnnualTaste of Hillcrest. From noon to 4:00p.m., high-esteemed chefs will showoff their mouthwatering specialtiesas food lovers and connoisseurssample each bite and travel thestreets on a self-guided culinaryworld tour.

With a wide selection of estab-lishments to choose from, Taste ofHillcrest will feature over 35 restau-rants specializing in different typesof international cuisines. Treat your-self to comfort foods and delicaciesfrom countries around the worldsuch as Thailand, Korea, India, Mex-ico, Middle East, and much more.Activate all of the senses by takingin the sounds and capturingmoments at iconic Hillcrest artinstallations, while salivating overfresh seafood, sushi, spicy Thai, deli-cious pastas and feel-good classics.

“We are very excited about the2016 Taste of Hillcrest,” said Hill-crest Business Association ExecutiveDirector Benjamin Nicholls. “It’s theperfect place to experience a uniqueculinary adventure and enjoy anafternoon here in San Diego’s finestneighborhood.”

While partaking of the savorysampling, be sure to save room fora glass of Stella Artois and refineddesserts from a wide range of Hill-crest eateries.

Bring your appetite to whatpromises to be, once-again, a sell-out event. Tickets for this fabulousfood festival are $30 in advance and$35 the day of the event. All pro-ceeds will benefit the Hillcrest Busi-ness Association.

For more information, to pur-chase tickets and a complete list ofparticipating restaurants, please visitwww.fabuloushillcrest.com, or call619-299-3330.

MUSIC4| APRIL 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

MUSIC HOPPIN’Adams Avenue Unplugged is like a 2-mile-

long walkabout, but with music as the princi-pal commodity.

The annual music fest takes place this yearon the weekend of April 30 and May 1 alonga two-mile stretch of Adams Avenue, fromUniversity Heights on the west through Nor-mal Heights and into parts of Kensington tothe east.

There will be 150 live musical performances.Unlike many other festivals, where performersplay on outside stages, these performers willdo their musical numbers inside restaurants,bars, coffee houses and galleries.

“Being able to pair the Avenue’s unique din-ing and drinking establishments, each withtheir own special ambiances and selections,with free musical performances, makes AdamsAvenue the place to be on the last weekend ofApril,” says the sponsoring Adams AvenueBusiness Association on its website. “TheAABA hopes to treat musical aficionados andfoodies to the rich neighborhood culture.”

Performances will be held from noon to 10p.m. on Saturday, April 30, and noon to 7 p.m.on Sunday, May 1. The business associationsays some artists will be playing multiple sets,allowing attendees more opportunity to seeand hear their favorite performers.

Here’s biographical information on someof the performers, courtesy of the AdamsAvenue Business Association:

Sam Outlaw“The music I play, I call ‘SoCal country,’”

says Outlaw. “It’s country music but with aSouthern California spirit to it. What is itabout Southern California that gives it thatspirit, I don’t exactly know. But there’s an ideathat I like that says — every song, even happysongs, are written from a place of sadness. Ifthere’s a special sadness to Southern Californiait’s that there’s an abiding shadow of loss ofwhat used to be. But then, like with any place,you have a resilient optimism as well.”

Augie MeyersAugie Meyers’ style and his Vox Continental

has become one of music’s most distinctivekeyboard sounds around. Augie can be heardwith the Sir Douglas Quintet, Texas Tornados,Meyers’ solo efforts as well as on landmarkalbums by Bob Dylan (”Time Out of Mind”

and “Love and Theft”) and John Hammond(“Wicked Grin”). Echoes of the Meyers’ styleand sound can be heard in the music of theDoors, the Kinks, the Animals as well as theBeatles, just to name a few.

Rolling out of San Antonio, Texas in theearly ’60s, the Sir Douglas Quintet, a musicalpartnership formed with Doug Sahm, broughtsuch hit tunes as “Mendocino” and “She’sAbout a Mover.” Fusing Tex-Mex, Conjuntoand soulful rock along with the power of Mey-ers’ distinctive Vox organ, is an impact stillbeing felt in rock ‘n’ roll today.

There will be a cover charge at the Kens-ington Club for Augie Meyers’ performance

The Cactus Blossoms“When my brother (Page Burkum) and I

started making music as The Cactus Blossoms,there wasn’t a big plan,” says Jack Torrey. “Wecut our teeth performing some well knownand obscure country songs that were popularor unpopular pre-1960, partly out of curiosityand deep appreciation, but mostly because itwas fun. Early on we were given a residencyat the Turf Club in St. Paul, Minn. We got aband together and it became our weekly prac-tice-in-public where we would pull out everysong we could think of, no matter how wellwe knew it. It was our first chance to play allnight and do whatever we wanted. Over thecourse of our year and a half at the Turf Clubour repertoire had snowballed into an amal-gam of original songs and a bunch of gutwrenching, tongue-in-cheek heartbreakers,that were 30 years older than us. Not everyonecould tell what was new and what was old,and it didn’t really matter. People just seemedto enjoy it. That’s when the wheel got goingand gave the illusion of spinning backwards.We weren’t born in the wrong era. We just gotinto some music from a different era andfound a way to make it our own.”

Allison Lonsdale“I am a singer-songwriter guitarist,” says

Lonsdale. “I’ve been doing this since I was 12,and doing it competently since I was 16. I per-formed with San Diego Celtic folk band TheWild Oats (not to be confused with the WildOats band from the UK) during the 1990s andstarted performing solo in 1999. I play myoriginal songs about sex, science and God, full

of metaphors from math, physics, biology, thesupernatural, comic books, Tibetan Bud-dhism, and role-playing games, at coffeehousesand science fiction conventions.”

Birdy and the Bow TieBirdy and the Bow Tie are inspired by early

20th century music, particularly vintage jazzfrom the 1920s through the 1940s. The duo’sappealing sound is a mix of Alison Marae’scontralto vocals and cheery ukulele with WilForbis’ tasty lead guitar and jazzy scat. Throwninto live shows are dreamy harmonies, softshoe percussion and scat solos. The duo playsvintage acoustic jazz, swing, blues and origi-nals inspired by generations past.

The duo hosts community ukulele eventsand workshops, where people gather to strumand sing along to different ukulele songbooksthat they’ve arranged. They also teachukulele, guitar, voice and piano out of theirhome studio in San Diego.

Britt Doehring“My name is Brittney Marie Doehring but

most just call me Britt. I am 23 years old. I’mcaught in between wanting time to slow downand being excited to enter into a new phaseof my life. My life… blessed is the most appro-priate adjective I can think of to describe it.Whenever I couldn’t fall asleep when I wasyounger, my mom always used to tell me totry to count my blessings. Of course, I couldnever possibly do that which always ended upputting me right to sleep. Safe to say, mymom’s a smart woman. Music is where myheart’s been all my life and I doubt that any-thing will ever change that. My parents havehome videos of me at around age three singingmy little heart out to “Rudolph the Red NosedReindeer” and “Can You Feel The LoveTonight.”.I’ve been singing ever since I canremember. I learned to play the guitar when Iwas fourteen. It started as a jealousy thingwhen my mom got a guitar for her birthday. Iended up stealing it and haven’t been able toput it down since. . . I love to perform for peo-ple. It’s my absolute favorite feeling in thewhole world to bring a smile to a face that wasonce frowning or bring a tear to someone’seye.”

Adams Avenue Unplugged puts music on your plate

Fanny of Fanny and the Atta Boys

Enter the Blue Sky

Juju Satori

Nathan and Jessie

Robin Henkel

Christie Huff

Sara Petite Band

Alan Land (Photo: Dennis Anderson)

ALSO PERFORMING

BUSINESS MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | APRIL 2016 | 5

Survey Shows Small Banks Providing Better Rates

You might think economies of scale and ongo-ing federal subsidies to the megabanks wouldmean they’d price services lower than commu-nity banks. Yet MoneyRate.com’s latest semi-annual survey found small banks (holding $5billion or less in deposits) were far more likelyto offer totally free personal checking accountsthan big banks (more than $10 billion indeposits).

Thirty-one percent of small banks surveyedprovide this benefit, compared to 17.5 percentof big banks. Mid-sized banks ($5 – $10 billion)fell in-between at 28 percent.

And among banks charging monthly checkingfees, small and medium-sized banks charged farless — $11.50 compared to $15.15 at big banks.Ten banks and thrifts in each of 25 large U.S.metropolitan markets were included in the sur-vey, conducted during July-August of 2015.

Using your bank card at a non-network ATMalways comes with a fee these days, but the chargeagain varies with bank size. The big banks capturenearly 6 percent more in ATM fees than smallbanks from non-customers, and they chargeaccount holders using out-of-network ATMsabout 17 percent more for the service.

Mid-sized banks again fell between. You mayfind community banks offer unexpected valuein this realm, too. Needham Bank (MA), one ofjust two we contacted for this story, not onlyoffers free checking with no minimum balance,but also automatically reimburses customers forATM fees charged by other banks! Vice President

Eric Morse notes this is possible only becauseNeedham is a mutual bank whose shareholdersalso are customers.

Despite the largest banks controlling moreassets than ever before, the value and servicesmaller banks provide may be starting to pay off.According to Accenture Plc, community bankssaw a 5-percent increase in account holders aged18 to 34, while credit unions gained 3 percent.At the same time, large national and regionalbanking chains lost 16 percent of their millen-nial-age clients.

“Customers appreciate the personal attentionthey find at community banks, even if youngercustomers choose to do most day-to-day trans-actions online,” said one bank president. “Thepersonal attention can’t be replaced.”

Of course, there are many other reasons toseek out community financial institutions ratherthan a megabank. You’ll likely receive more per-sonal service, enable more loans to help localentrepreneurs and keep decision-making powerrooted in your community.

Bob Marino of BankLocal, an online tool thatmeasures the local economic impact of U.S.banks, noted, “our data demonstrate that smallerbanks and credit unions lend substantially moreto small businesses. And when you bank locally,a much larger portion of your deposit is rein-vested back into your community.”

Jeff Milchen is co-director of the American Inde-pendent Business Alliance.

They’re also gaining young customersBY JEFF MILCHEN

Celebrate Independent BookstoresWhen one thinks about

what drives the economy of San Diego County,the highly visible contributions of defense, biotech,medical, communications technology and tourismquickly come to mind. Small business is often over-looked, possibly because the products and servicesprovided by these entrepreneurs are such an inte-gral element in the fabric of the region.

Starting and operating a small business carriesthe same risks, rewards, challenges and dynamicsas major corporations or industries, but withoutthe benefit of the size, scale, and resources enjoyedby the big players. That’s why SCORE was estab-lished here 50 years ago.

SCORE is a national nonprofit volunteer orga-nization with a clear mission: Use the hands-onbusiness experience of our members to help smallbusiness owners succeed. SCORE is a resourcepartner of the Small Business Administration with320 chapters and 11,000 volunteers across thecountry. The national organization started in 1964.

What does SCORE’s mission look like in prac-tical term in San Diego?

Let’s imagine that you are thinking about startingan apparel business or are looking for advice onhow to market to premium customers. Would itbe valuable for you to get advice from someonewho was one of the original six employees ofTommy Bahama?

Interested in doing business with the govern-ment? One of our mentors sits on the board ofthe major supplier council and can guide youthrough DUNS numbers, NAICS, CCR, ORCA,and the other acronyms used in that world to devel-op plans and make contacts.

Are you more comfortable discussing your busi-ness needs in Spanish, or want advice from some-one who has experience in Mexico? SCORE hasbilingual mentors who have operated businesseson both sides of the border.

Financial questions? Applying for a SBA loan?How about meeting with a former Big Eightaccounting firm partner, or an officer of a bankthat served the needs of small businesses every day?

That’s a snapshot of who SCORE is in San DiegoCounty—90 volunteers, a mix of women and men,

current and retired business owners and corporateexecutives, and a selection of ages spanning sixdecades. Collectively, the members have workedin virtually every industry and can share experiencein all business functions.

SCORE volunteers are busy. During 2015SCORE San Diego worked with 9,091 in mentor-ing sessions and workshops, and played a role instarting 751 new businesses and creating 1,044 jobs,according to research conducted for the SCOREFoundation by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

Counseling is free, confidential, and customizedto the needs of the client.

“Having SCORE as an on-call resource has beenincredibly important as my business successfullyevolved over several years from an idea, throughprototypes and manufacturing to active sales,” saysYana Mohanty, founder of Geometiles, an inno-vative tool for math education. “I use SCORE men-tors for reality checks and regular advice and spe-cialized topics including manufacturing, finance,packaging, and sales and marketing. They are con-sistently accessible and helpful.”

SCORE also presents workshops on about 40topics, ranging from exploring the basic question“Do you really want to start a business?” to topicsincluding how to write a business plan, tax con-siderations for small businesses, intellectual prop-erty, and tools like QuickBooks. There are fiveworkshops on different aspects of the wild worldof e-commerce and social media.

SCORE San Diego is celebrating its 50th anniver-sary by telling the success stories of its clients whohave contributed so much to San Diego County’svibrant small business community and the region’seconomy. If you can benefit from SCORE’s uniqueand valuable approach to business success, or thinkSCORE would be a great volunteer opportunity,please visit www.sandiego.score.org or call us at(619) 557-7272.

Sally Broff is president of SCORE San Diego. Shehas 35 years of experience in the electronics industry.This opinion piece originally appeared in Times ofSan Diego.

How SCORE Helps San Diego’s Small Businesses Succeed

April 30, 2016 marks celebrations of independent bookstores in both theU.S. (Independent Bookstore Day) and Canada (Authors for Indies).

BY SALLY BROFF


Automotive Museum Opens ‘British Invasion’ Auto Exhibit

The San Diego Automotive Muse-um in Balboa Park has opened its newexhibit -- The British Invasion.

The exhibit, which runs until May31, highlights British automotivemanufacturing since the 1930s. Theexhibit is enhanced with the culturalimpact the British have also had onour fashion, music, and literature (theBeatles, Harry Potter, Twiggy, Down-ton Abbey, and such.)

Featured in the exhibit: a 1933Austin Seven, 1937 MG VA Tourer,1939 Lagonda V12, 1948 Bentley(prototype), 1950 Jaguar Mark VSaloon, 1951 Jowett Jupiter, 1953Jaguar XK 120, 1955 Triumph TR2,1958 Austin A35, 1967 Austin MiniCooper S, 1967 Austin London CabFX4, 1967 Rolls Royce Phantom V,

1969 Jaguar E Type OTS, 1970 Mor-gan 4/4 1600, 1971 Jenson Intercep-tor, 1972 TVR Vixen, and a 2005Aston Martin.

The London taxi was owned anddriven by Frank Sinatra. The RollsRoyce Phantom was used by QueenElizabeth, Princess Grace of Monaco,and several American astronauts.

The museum’s annual fundraiseris centered on this exhibit. That eventwill be Saturday, March 12, from 6to 9 p.m. Call (619) 398-0301 forinformation or tickets.

Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5p.m. Admission prices are: $9.00 foradults, $6 for seniors (65 and over),$5 students with ID, $4 children ages

6 –15. Children under the age of6 are admitted free of charge.

PHOTOS BY PAUL BRANDES

Natural History Museum Chooses Smithsonian Veteran as New CEO

The San Diego Natural HistoryMuseum has selected a 30-year vet-eran of the Smithsonian Institutionand a native Californian to becomeits new president and CEO.

Judith Gradwohl, the MacMillanasssociate director for educationand public engagement at theNational Museum of AmericanHistory — the Smithsonian’s thirdlargest museum — will assume thejob on July 1, the start of the muse-um’s fiscal year.

Gradwohl will replace Michael“Mick” Hager, who will retire June30 after 25 years at the helm of themuseum.

“TheNAT is a gem -- it hassuperb staff and collections and isthe best possible visitor center forthe natural world in San DiegoCounty and Baja,” said Gradwohl.“This role is a perfect fit, as it bringstogether my work in field biology,environmental conservation, digitaloutreach, education, and museum

management at the Smithsonian.”Gradwohl has held various lead-

ership positions within the Smith-sonian Institution. In 1985, shestarted at the National Zoo focus-ing on animal behavioral research,education, and exhibits, and thenwent on to establish the Smithso-nian’s Office of EnvironmentalAwareness where she curated largetraveling exhibitions and raisedmajor funding toward operationsand projects.

Gradwohl developed the Smith-sonian’s first exhibition website,after which she joined the NationalMuseum of American History, theSmithsonian’s third largest muse-um. There, she supervised thedevelopment of the museum’s webpresence and, in 2004, became partof the senior leadership team,assuming her most recent role.

Alan Land (Photo: Dennis Anderson) Alan Land (Photo: Dennis Anderson)

Alan Land (Photo: Dennis Anderson) Alan Land (Photo: Dennis Anderson)

Judy Gradwohl will assume the post ofpresident and CEO of the San DiegoNatural History Museum on July 1.

MUSIC8| APRIL 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

San Diego has many wonderful musiciansliving in its midst, but few have had the impacton our local community as saxophonist JoeMarillo, who passed away on March 26 at age83. He had been battling cancer.

Marillo, who lived in Normal Heights, wasfar more than a musician; he was a catalyst, apromoter, bringing together musicians andmusic fans and in the process helping to createthis city’s jazz scene. He was also a belovedteacher and mentor to hundreds of local musi-cians. It’s safe to say his legacy will live on inhis recordings and filmed appearances but evenmore so in his students playing.

Marillo moved to San Diego from his nativeNew York in 1974, complete with an alreadyimpressive resume. Although known today forhis love of jazz, early on Marillo played R&B,first in the Buffalo area with his own band, andthen beginning in 1955 with Jimmy Cavallo &The Houserockers. It would be Marillo’s firsttaste of national fame as he and his band caughtthe initial wave of rock ’n’ roll and performedfor legendary DJ Alan Freed, appearing in his1956 movie, “Rock, Rock, Rock!” and scoringa recording contract with Coral Records — thesame label as Buddy Holly — in the process.

It didn’t take long after his arrival in SanDiego for Marillo to become an integral partof the music community, booking national tal-ent at the Catamaran and bringing jazz tovenues such as La Jolla’s Elario’s and Chuck’sSteakhouse, helping establish music as a drawlocally. He also released several albums on hisown and with pianist Mike Wofford, as well asguesting with numerous locals, including play-ing on several abums by guitarist Buddy Blue,who even recorded a track, “The Joe MarilloStory,” on his 1999 album, “Dipsomania.”

“I met Joe two years ago,” said Joe Flammini,owner of famed coffeehouse Java Joe’s, whereMarillo held a residency. “He walked into JavaJoe’s one day and said, ‘I want to play here.’ I

agreed without even knowing who he was. Hehad that vibe.” He played a weekly afternoongig. “I don’t remember which day it was,because he showed up five times a week topractice,” Flammini with a smile. “So every daywas a gig for Joe. What did I enjoy about hismusic? It was his enjoyment when he nailed asong. Which he would often do.”

Marillo was also a mainstay at local jazzvenue Dizzy’s. “Joe loved everything about jazz,

the history, the process, the practice and thepresentation,” said owner Chuck Perrin. “It’shard not to like someone as passionate aboutthe music as he was.”

“I got a chance to record Joe Marillo forBuddy Blue’s album, Dipsomania,” said pro-ducer Sven Erik Seaholm. “Buddy had gottenquite inspired by the idea that Joe was an amaz-ing jazz musician whose genius had somehownot been given its due. So Buddy wrote a whole

spoken word piece that pretty much hit thebullet points on Joe’s resume, including hisappearance in the Alan Freed film and histenure in Buddy’s own band some years later.”Blue called up Marillo and very respectfullyasked if he would play his saxophone behindhis words on the recording. “Not only was Joetotally on board with the concept, but his replywas so cool that Buddy added it into the pieceword for word and had Joe speak it on therecording,” Seaholm recalled.

Violinist Jamie Shadowlight worked withMarillo in various projects for many years. “Iloved his tone,” she said. “Strong and breathyand very much like Stan Getz. I most admiredthe fact that he was a totally unique humanbeing, in every way. He was Joe Marillo andthere is only one Joe Marillo, He lived outsideof the system. He was a challenge and pleasureto work with, a lot of laughs, a lot of personalityand a lot of helping others get their start. Hewas a true character. I met so many musiciansthrough playing with Joe, most notably, MikanZlatkovich and Gilbert Castellanos. Joe wasalways giving people a chance to play.”

“He was history on the hoof,” noted RebeccaZearing, owner of Rebecca’s Coffeehouse,where Marillo was a regular. “He spoke of StanKenton and Miles Davis as friends. He was likeJack Webb on the old ‘Dragnet’ TV show. Nobull, just fact. He was a treat for me to talk toand if it was about music and history he waseasy. I always loved him the most when heplayed his saxophone. It was rich, and theinstrument looked heavy as heck,” she said.“When he played sax, he let go and went some-where else, maybe to his younger days?”

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared insdnews.com, San Diego Community NewspaperGroup. Reprinted with permission.

Local Musicians Mourn Loss of Jazz Legend Joe Marillo BY BART MENDOZA

Joe Marillo performing at the 2003 San Diego Music Awards.

Joe Marillo1932-2016


By Bart Mendoza

April 24Celebrate David Bowie’s Music with Holy HolyThe music world is still in mourning over the recent passing oficonic musician David Bowie, so the appearance of tribute group,Holy Holy, at the Music Box on April 24, offers a wonderful oppor-tunity for fans to get together and celebrate his life and music. Butthis is no mere gathering of players. A true all-star band, on handwill be Woody Woodmansey, original drummer for Bowie’s famedbacking band, The Spiders from Mars, as well as famed bassist/pro-ducer,Tony Visconti, frontman Glenn Gregory, best known for hiswork with synthpop combo, Heaven 17, and Terry Edwards, who isa founding member of the UK group, the Higsons. Holy Holy, playsa changing set list that includes hits, but also deep catalog cuts, mak-ing this show a Bowie fanatics dream come true. musicboxsd.com

May 2Solid Blend of Punk, Glam Stomp and Powerpop HooksBritish rock trio The Subways returns to San Diego for a show atthe Casbah on May 2. Touring behind their new, self-titled album,the key to the band’s sound is down to their manic energy andthe vocal interplay between guitarist Billy Lunn and bassist Char-lotte Cooper resulting in a solid blend of punk, glam stomp andpowerpop hooks. The Subways rock hard enough to have beenasked to open for AC/DC, but still pack enough hooks into theirsongs, such as “Good Times,” to appeal to crossover pop listeners.www.casbahmusic.com

April 23Shadowlight: Accompanist of ChoiceThere’s prolific and then there is violinist Jamie Shadowlight, whoappears at Java Joe’s On April 23. The sheer number of artists she hasperformed with is staggering. Gifted at everything from classical tohard rock, in addition to her own groups, Shadowlight has been theaccompanist of choice for dozens of performers ranging from jazzheroes Joe Marillo and Gilbert Castellanos to country combo, ThePalominos and rocker Joey Harris. A beloved lynchpin of the localmusic community, this intimate performance at Java Joe’s will confirmthat Shadowlight is truly one of San Diego’s musical treasures.www.javajoessd.com

April 28Warm Vocals and Cryin’-in-Your-Beer WeepersSan Francisco Indie Pop/Americana duo Sugar Ponies performs atLestat’s on April 28. Touring behind their second album, “Its A Sign,”the pair’s music is built around the warm vocals of Suzanne Kramer,with a broad palette of influences, including a pop edge that matchesrock elements to country flourishes, infusing songs such as “Happy IsFor Humans,” with melody to spare. Particularly striking is theirsparse, crying-in-your-beer weeper, “Give A Girl A Break,” but any-where you drop the needle on the Sugar Ponies latest will bring up awinner. www.lestatscoffeehouse.com

April 28’60s Rock with a Touch of Punk EnergyRock ‘n’ roll fans will want to check out Gone Baby Gone, appearingat Bar Pink on April 28 on a bill with Bad Kids and Big Bloom. Theevent celebrates the release of their latest album, “Love Stories,” butit’s live where the band excels, turning in their own cool garage rock-ers such as “Miss Bossy” alongside occasional covers by the likes ofThe Animals or Johnny Kidd & The Pirates. Led by Dynamic front-woman Dizzy Collins, the group is perfect for anyone who likestheir ’60s-influenced rock infused with a touch of punk energy.www.barpink.com

May 17Chance to See and Hear Modern English Tunes LiveAlthough relegated to one-hit-wonder status, ’80s new wavefavorites Modern English, who appear at the Hideout on May 17were in truth more of an album band, their dense, guitar-led indierock sound leading them through four now classic albums in theirinitial run. Testimony to the power of a great song, their signaturetune, “I Melt With You,” actually never charted higher then No. 76in the U.S., but the ensuing years have seen it become a standard,covered by bands worldwide and heard on soundtracks galore.Only drummer Richard Brown is missing from the original lineup,which continues to release new music so longtime fans will bethrilled for a chance to see and hear Modern English’s classic tuneslive. www.thehideoutsd.wordpress.com

Jamie Shadowlight

Spiders from Mars

Gone Baby Gone

Sugarponies

Modern English

Subways


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Hillcrest-based physician Dr. Sonya Christian-son, the director of inpatient palliative care atScripps Health, has earned fellow designationfrom the American Academy of Hospice and Pal-liative Medicine.

Christianson received the honor at the acade-my’s annual meeting in Chicago.

Advancement to fellowship status within theacademy recognizes dedication and scholarshipin the field of hospice and palliative medicine. Itis given to members who have made a significantcontribution to advancing the field. The distinc-tion represents a minimum of five years of acade-my membership and participation in its activities,letters of recommendation and board certificationin hospice and palliative medicine.

Palliative care leaderChristianson leads the inpatient palliative care

program at Scripps’ five hospital campuses. Theprogram seeks to improve quality of life andrelieve suffering for hospitalized patients with seri-ous illnesses. Scripps’ palliative care teams workclosely with hospital staff to ensure patients haveexcellent symptom management and their familiesare well supported. Outside of the hospital, Scrippsalso provides palliative care to patients in the out-patient clinic and home settings.

After earning her medical degree from theSouthern Illinois University School of Medicine,Christianson completed her family medicine res-idency training at Scripps Mercy Hospital ChulaVista. She also completed her fellowship trainingat San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Pallia-tive Medicine. She is board certified in familymedicine and hospice and palliative medicine.Her medical practice is based in Hillcrest.

Advancing the fieldThe American Academy of Hospice and Pallia-

tive Medicine includes more than 4,900 members,comprising physicians and other health care pro-fessionals committed to improving the care ofpatients with serious or life-threatening condi-tions. Since 1988, the academy has supported hos-pice and palliative medicine through the advance-ment of clinical practice standards, fosteringresearch, providing education and through publicpolicy advocacy.

Scripps treats more than 600,000 patients annu-ally through 2,600 affiliated physicians and morethan 15,000 employees among its five acute-carehospital campuses, hospice and home health careservices, 28 outpatient centers and clinics, andhundreds of physician offices throughout theregion.

Hillcrest Physician Earns Fellowship Designation From American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Dr. Sonja Christianson

Hillcrest’s Park East ApartmentsSells for $16.5 Million to Local Buyer

The 56-unit Park East Apartments in Hillcresthas sold for $16.5 million to buyer E&B RanchProperties LLC, a San Diego-based company.

The three-story complex, located at 111 WestPennsylvania Ave., has 36,350 square feet. It wasbuilt in 1969 and underwent a major renovation

in 2008.The unit mix consists of a studio, one- and two-

bedroom floor plans. There have been interiorrenovations to 47 of the 56 units -- dark woodcabinets, stainless steel appliances, floating woodlaminate floors, floor to ceiling windows and black

granite counter tops. The community amenitiesfeature a pool, barbecue, laundry facility, an out-door entertaining area, fitness center, outdoorveranda and a clubhouse.

CBRE Arranged the sale. The seller was Kling-beil Capital Management.

Park East Apartments at 111 West Pennsylvania Ave.


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Expires 4/30/16 Expires 4/30/16


Cremation services and death ratesare both experiencing large spikes.Baby Boomers are going to be thenext generation to pass and what willtheir survivors do with the ashes?

Fewer than 30 percent plan forafter-life care and less than that everplan for the final disposition of thecremation remains. One in six homeshas cremation remains that are instorage with no final disposition.Someone inherited a relatives urn orbox of ashes and they sit in storageor on the mantle forever. At whatpoint do these ashes reach a final rest-ing place that meets the needs of thefamilies and gives them closure at atime of mourning? While cremationis on the increase; so is the awarenessof the impact we have on our envi-ronment.

Industry trends tell us that familiesare steering away from traditionalburial and funerals, mostly due tocost. Another significant factor is thatmost folks are informed and want toleave this world a better place. Fami-lies want to have something that isspecial and fits the expectations of ameaningful and ecologically soundmemorial.

In most situations, families mustmake a choice of what is best for theirloved one in a very short period of

time and during a time of grieving. There is one company that has

found a way to make the decisionmaker in the family a complete herowith the rest of the family and lovedones. Living Reef Memorial manu-factures artificial reefs from those cre-mation remains. They market theirartificial marine habitats as a greenalternative to traditional burials. Bydoing so, they are able to fund a veryimportant coastal habitat restorationproject. Any proceeds left over afterexpenses goes to save endangered seaturtles and they have been doing thissince 2002.

The reefs are made using brokensea shells, sand, cremains, and a littlebit of concrete to construct. Thecompany has obtained permits todeploy up to 100,000 of these artifi-cial reefs off the Los CoronadoIslands which lie in Mexican watersjust off the coast and visible from SanDiego. Within just a short time afterinstallation onto the sea floor, thereefs absolutely bloom with an abun-dance of life. This product is not onlygreen but, it is completely permanentand there is no economic motivationto remove, vandalize, or otherwisedisturb them.

The cremation remains are mold-ed into an object that resembles habi-

tat of specific endangered species.After curing for 30 days they aretaken on a wind-powered boat anddeployed by scuba divers to the oceanfloor. The reef is immediately inhab-ited by small fish and other marinelife and within a week, kelp and othermarine plant life take hold. In a veryshort period of time it blooms withabundant marine life.

In a video on youtube and thecompany’s website you can watch adeployment of one of these reefs andyou will notice that there is lots ofactivity going on around it. A sealplayfully does acrobatics while thedivers deploy the reef. Native fish peerinto the camera and eye the newhabitat while large schools of fishswim by. Grandpa is not going to belonely! He has given back to theearth and the sea at the base of thefood chain and will be surroundedby all the marine life that the reefnow supports.

Profits from Living Reef Memori-als go to The Coastal PreservationProject and fund their Sea Turtle Res-cue. So far they have saved over40,000 endangered sea turtles.

For more information visitwww.livingreefmemorial.com or call(800) 569-7333

Living Reef Memorial The green alternative to traditional burials

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Mixing art, craft beer, culture, and cuisinein a gorgeous outdoor setting, Panama 66 atBalboa Park is a treat for all the senses. Gazeupon the worldly Plaza de Panama or theSculpture Garden from your courtyard table.Sip one of 25 locally crafted beers. Listen toquality, live music. Savor their fresh sandwich-es and salads made from locally sourced ingre-dients.

Owned by the dynamic team behindTiger!Tiger! and Blind Lady Alehouse, Panama66 is tucked between the Museum of Man andthe Sculpture Garden and features all outdoorseating. Tables near the entrance look uponthe Plaza de Panama - now a vibrant courtyardfull of colorful umbrellas, tables and benchesgiving it a distinct European flair. At the oppo-site end of the eclectic space, tables open ontothe Sculpture Garden where guests can walkthe large grassy area with their beverages andcontemplate the works of local artists. The artrich history of Balboa Park is represented wellby Panama 66 with its custom bar designedfrom sections of the gate surrounding thesculpture garden.

Following in the footsteps of its parent eater-ies, Panama 66 offers a carefully curated menuof fresh sandwiches and salads featuring locallysourced ingredients. For the craft brew-centricvisitor, the beer menu is a diverse blend ofexcellent local offerings. San Diego's trade-mark IPA's are well represented but one should

branch out to the world of stately stouts, sup-ple saisons, potent pilsners and other styles.Don't worry, any of the friendly, beer-knowl-edgeable staff will help you select your newfavorite beer. And if beer is not your thing,custom cocktails and wine are also available.

All in all, Panama 66 blends seamlessly intoBalboa Park's cultural fabric. After roamingthe grounds or touring museums, I find thisis a wonderful place to just sit and watch theworld go by.

Panama 66 at Balboa Parkis a treat for all the senses

Panama 66Adjacent to the Museum of Man

panama66.blogspot.comMondays till 4pm

Tuesday - Sunday till 10pmCheck online for music

schedules and early closures for special events.


Electriquettes Coming to Balboa ParkA small fleet of the Electri-

quettes is coming to BalboaPark in the spring.

The dapper gentleman inthe photo is riding an Electri-quette, a replica of thesame motorized wicker cartswidely used during San Diego’s1915 Panama-California Expo-sition. The fleet of electric cartswas supposed to be introducedto the park for the 2015 BalboaPark centennial celebration,but it, and many other ideasand proposals, fell throughwhen the big civic party infa-mously imploded.

“The city did take a while to

get the agreement going,” saidKim Keeline, who’s doing themarketing for the Electri-quettes. “But we’re thrilledthat we’re able to get them tothe park now.”

Keeline said the carts, thebrainchild of San Diego devel-oper Sandy Shapery, will beavailable for the public to rentout possibly as soon as March.She said folks will only beallowed to cruise up and downEl Prado pedestrian walkwayand on the sidewalks in frontof the Botanical Building. Fornow, a ride on one of the cartswill cost you $10 for 15 min-

utes or $25 for an hour.Part of the delayed roll-out

of the carts was because thecity had to put out a publicrequest for proposals for “bat-tery-powered wicker cart con-cessions.” It released the requestlast March and — big sur-prise — Shapery was the onlyone to respond.

Keeline said the carts,designed by architect and his-torian David Marshall to behistorically accurate, were quitepopular during the Panama-California Exposition.

“So, we hope they’ll be aspopular today,” she said.


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EDUCATION MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | APRIL 2016 | 19

Helen Griffith had little interest in a career ineducation when she came to the UC San Diegocampus as a transfer student. There was no way,she said, she would work around the clock likeher mother did as a teacher and principal.

But one thing stuck: a passion for reading and,hand-in-hand, libraries. She grew up loving theiconic Geisel library at UC San Diego.

Even as an adult, there is something about thelearning possibilities offered by a library thatexcite Griffith. Today, the 1981 Department ofCommunication graduate is the founding andcurrent executive director of e3 Civic High School— located, ironically, in the unique and beautifulSan Diego Central Library Downtown.

Also the founding principal of Millennial TechMiddle School, Griffith reflected on how shemade it to where she is now, balanced on a foun-dation she built at UC San Diego: “The experi-ence that I had as an undergraduate student gaveme the strongest base, especially in communica-tion, to go anywhere. It also provided me with astrong, strong base that I was able to later go tograduate school and be successful.”

Innovation at its CoreIn 2015, the charter high school Griffith directs

was named to the first “Most Innovative K-12Schools in America” list by Noodle, a website thatprovides educational resources to families. Noo-dle examined 140,000 schools to come up withits list, honoring those with “visionary method-ologies” who challenge “well-established notions”of education, the site says.

“Innovation means doing whatever’s necessaryto meet the end result and not being tied to theold way of doing business, but also being free toincorporate the old way if it meets the goal,” Grif-fith said. “Innovation to me really is thinkingabout, by any means necessary, achieving thegoals for the students.”

The school was recognized, in part, because itis located within the Downtown library. It sitson the sixth and seventh floors, with a separate,private entrance, and Griffith calls the library theschool’s “chief partner.” Not only does the locationgive these students fingertip access to a world-class system, but it also serves as a partner forcutting-edge technology initiatives: for example,students are helping to test an augmented realityprogram, for example, as well as training andworking in computer program internships.

What’s more, Griffith and the e3 Civic Highfaculty are teaching these kids to change theworld.

“Within everything that we do, we try to weavein an element of civic engagement, giving backand leadership,” Griffith said, who was named

one of San Diego’s 50 people to watch in 2013by San Diego Magazine. Among her other honorsare the 2010 – 2011 Educator of the Year awardfrom the California League of Middle Schoolsand the 2007 Outstanding African-AmericanEducator of the Year from Pi Delta Kappa.

“In our project-based learning, there’s alwaysan element of giving back,” Griffith said. “There’sthis relevance — this authenticity — that we liketo build in. It’s not a college requirement for ser-vice; it’s a way of life.”

Representing STEAMWith a goal of providing an education alter-

native for the downtown San Diego core, e3 CivicHigh School enrolls students primarily fromunderserved and underrepresented communities.Almost 90 percent of the students are of colorand 77 percent are below the poverty level, Grif-fith said. With a curriculum focus on science,technology, engineering, arts and mathematics— STEAM, not just STEM— the school hasgrand plans.

“We want to create the next generation ofunderrepresented students and female studentsin the STEAM professions,” she said matter-of-

factly.It’s not just talk. Griffith can discuss any num-

ber of ways they are innovating the way thesestudents interact with the arts and sciences. Theyhave a robotics program, a Central Library-focused partnership in computer programming,a mentoring program with engineers in the com-munity and a multiple-year project with the UCSan Diego School of Medicine.

UC San Diego medical school students DeniseYu and Jeremy Egnatios initially developed andhelped secure the partnership with Griffith threeyears ago. The pair worked closely with Griffithand her students, ultimately providing a “HealthyLifestyles, Healthy Living” curriculum to imple-ment. Based on the success with Yu and Egnatios,the relationship was then incorporated into theSchool of Medicine’s clinical foundations course.

One of the concepts for the course itself is forthe School of Medicine Academic Communitiesto engage with outside, non-UC San Diego com-munities to look at social determinants of health,environmental and occupational health, culturalhumility, and disparities. In this instance, groupsof medical students engage with several highschools in the region to perform a community

assessment.“We were attracted to the school because it was

a bit different from other high schools,” Yu said.The medical students also recognized that Griffithwas a strong advocate for her students Now afourth-year medical student having completedthe clinical foundations course, Yu returns to e3on her own time to tutor students in math. Shesaid she hopes to work with underserved popu-lations in the future, including at-risk youth.

“The administration wants to ensure that these[high school] students have the tools to succeedafter graduation, and this includes planning, lead-ership and critical problem solving skills,” Yu said.“Above all else, they support each and every indi-vidual student in achieving their dreams.”

Finding PassionGriffith has the option to take the community

assessment findings and apply them directly toher school, similar to what she did with the cur-riculum from the first interaction with Yu andEgnatios that addressed nutrition and health, bul-lying, gender inequality and the communicationthat divides teens, among others. The high schoolstudents participated in a School of Medicine-led “Doc for a Day” program, and even came tocampus for a behind-the-scenes look at theschool. Griffith said she hopes to have an e3 CivicHigh graduate as a UC San Diego med studentone day.

“Our vision is really to put [students] in theirplace of passion. Not everybody’s going to be ateacher, or an executive director, or a principal,or an author, but if that’s what gives you pleasureand drive and passion, then you need to be there,”Griffith said. “We need to create the fertile groundby which they can grow and thrive.”

So far, the results have been phenomenal, shesaid. Now in their third year, the first graduatingclass will get their high school diplomas this year:more than 70 students who took a gigantic leapof faith in 10th grade to come to a charter schoolwith no history. Griffith said that at the time, sheand the team were “selling a promise” to the chil-dren and their families.

When that first group of students arrived ate3 they were, for the most part, doing poorly intheir classes, with some outright failing. But Grif-fith said her school provided a place for studentslooking for a second, or better, chance.

“To see how they are thriving, speaking, per-forming, communicating, creating and owningtheir selves,” she said of those original students.“They are taking ownership for their future.”

From UC San Diego News Center — Photosby Erika Johnson/University Communications)

Changing the FutureHelen Griffith leads the ‘most innovative’ high school in San Diego’s Central Library

BY ANTHONY KING

The e3 classrooms promote discussion. This room shows small-group tables, while others can bearranged in more traditional classroom style.

Elizabeth Norby, left, shows Helen Griffith artwork Norby created to represent an element on the periodictable.

Dr. Helen Griffith, UC San Diego Department ofCommunication alumna 1981, now heads e3Civic High School.

Students Monica Randolph, left, and Tracy Raystudy in the high school’s common area, called‘the park.’

e3 Civic High School is located in the Downtown San Dieo Central Library, helping to earn it a ‘MostInnovative School’ honor.


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COMMUNITY MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | APRIL 2016 | 21

For 50 years andthree generations,

the Stehly family has farmed with hard workand love. For the past 15 years, their passionfor growing organic food is seen in the smilesand faces of brothers Jerome and Noel Stehly.

Recently I met with Jerome Stehly, to talkabout the history and the goals of the familyfarm in Valley Center. He invited me to joinhim in the restaurant section of their beautifulnew grocery store on Adams Avenue in Kens-ington.

The corner building which houses theStehly Farms Market, is newly built and hasnever before been occupied . . . rather like ablank canvas upon which the artist can paintand create.

The “artists” in this case are Jerome andNoel. The specific tone of paint for the ceiling,different shade for the walls, the type of light-ing, the construction of shelving and aisleunits, are all family designed and built. AsJerome says, “farmers today have to know howto do everything!” The result is a store with awarm, friendly ambiance, much like shops Ihave seen in Paris. The artistic way the veg-etables and fruit are stacked on the shelves ,

the beautifully prepared food to take out oreat on the premises, visually draws the cus-tomer in . . . like a beautiful painting.

I asked him what his favorite part of theentire store was: “The kitchen,” he laughed. “Itaste everything first! Food is a fun thing toplay with . . . it can be beautiful and it appealsto four senses. I love to cook!” He did admit,however, that he cooks very little now, becausehis wife rules the kitchen at home.

Stehly’s other market at 1231 Morena Blvd,San Diego, has the same excellent organic pro-duce and products, but you have visit Kens-ington to enjoy their restaurant.

Since graduating from culinary school,Stehly’s Executive Chef, Craig Madden, hasworked at four restaurants in Kensington andas a sous chef at a fine dining restaurant inRancho Bernardo. This is where Jerome dis-covered him, and brought him back to Kens-ington, much to everyone’s delight. “We havea ‘from scratch’ kitchen, everything is preparedby hand,” Craig informed me, and also addedthat the food selections are his personal cre-ations.

Chef Madden is planning to have demon-strations and cooking classes. The first demon-

stration will be with their family-made MeyerLemon Preserves and a class for picklingcucumbers at home. More recipes? Ask thechef. He will be delighted to talk with you.

Inside Stehly Farm’s organic, gourmet mar-ket, you will find not only fresh foods but alsoaisles of canned, boxed, frozen, and packageditems. They have everything and anything thatyou could want, from specialty chocolate barsto bulk seeds and grains, from pasta andcheeses to beverages and breads. It is all here.

Stehly Farms has been very planet consciousfor some time, not only on the farm but alsoenergy efficient in the store. I asked Jeromeabout the changes in the history of StehlyFarms.

“Originally we were egg farmers, but 30years ago we got out of the chicken businessand 15 years ago we became organic; cleanproducts — no nitrates, no preservatives andhormone free meats. We also diversified ourproducts on the farm to need less water. Wateris our biggest problem.”

Whatever products Stehly Farms doesn’tgrow, such as apples, they buy from other localfarms who farm as organically and efficientlyas they do.

I wondered how they were able to keep theirprices down, and Jerome told me that theyonly buy at good deals, passing it on to theconsumer, so that their products are betterpriced than many other organic stores.

Jerome enjoys meeting his customers, sonext time you come in, say hello.

Parking on Adams Avenue can be a chal-lenge, but I am happy to say that there is plen-ty of parking in back of the market.

Stehly Farms Market 4142 Adams Ave. No. 101. (619) 280-7400

NOTE: There are three very special events

held each year at the Stehly Farm in ValleyCenter. Strawberry Picking in March, Black-berry Picking in June, and Pumpkin PatchDay in October.

Each event is family friendly with a play-ground, petting corral, tractor driven tours ofthe farm, and good food.

If your school or organization wants yourown special event at the Stehly Farm, pleaseemail: [email protected].

Farm to Table – Local Organic Farm Fresh Produce

Everything in the market was family designed.

BY HEATHER R. FRIEDMAN

Bulk Foods Section

Executive Chef Craig Madden Fresh Organic ProduceEntrees, Sandwiches, Salads

Fresh Organic Produce Brothers Jerome, left, and Noel Stehly.

Hillcrest Farmers MarketA feast of food, produce, clothing, crafts and culture

Spanning from Normal Avenue toLincoln Street, the Hillcrest FarmersMarket happens every Sunday from9 a.m. to 2p.m. A walk through pro-vides a colorful display of collardgreens, potatoes, carrots, oranges,apples and most imaginable legume,vegetable or fruit in between.

The food variety extends tocooked beef, chicken, fish and more,readily available from vendorspreparing it along the market walk— a feature that sends smoke bil-lowing into the air, and reminds oneof the jovial atmosphere at livelycamp sites.

Along the market stroll families,lovers, friends, occasional canineswith their gleeful masters, and othersin myriad relationship combinations.Anyone in doubt or unaware of therich multicultural makeup of SanDiego would certainly delight in theomnipresent variety of the Hillcrest

Farmers Market.Since its 1997 inception, the

market has grown to include 175vendors based in California, manyof them specializing in the cultiva-tion and sales of organic produce tothe local population, while othersprovide an array of arts and crafts,flowers, baked goods, and even inter-national clothing.

Luchia Lokonyen, for example, aUgandan who made her home inSan Diego many years ago, nourishesa small garden at a New Roots Com-munity Farm, a project of the Inter-national Rescue Committee, whichencourages self-reliance andentrepreneurship among small localfarmers.

Lokonyen, a clear favorite amongvendors, interacts easily with thecrowds, as she sells her fresh, leafygreen vegetables. “I sell, but I needmore garden,” she says in the eagertone of seasoned farmers who exudea sacred connection to the land.

Nearby, Gigi Gurung runs avibrant clothing booth offering gar-ments made of traditional Nepalifabrics. Gurung, a San Diegan of

Nepali origin, says his mother andsister knit some of the items he sells,such as the red, purple and greenmittens on display, but the larger

products he gets from countrysideareas in Nepal, where there’s “coolhandcrafted stuff,” he exclaimsenthusiastically.

Although business at the HillcrestFarmers Market “was better beforethan in the last three years,” Gurung— who works seasonally as atrekking guide in Nepal — says hehas met many of his clients at themarket.

For Heather Allen and her mother,Christine Gee, the business of bakingcontinues to show promise. Theproud owners of Oh Lavache, whichspecializes in natural breads and pas-tries, these ladies tend to a continu-ous stream of customers whosediversity matches their abundant dis-play of breads — which includejalapeno, olive, green onion, roastedgarlic, and ciabatta flavors.

Jed Stevens, a young man sportinga wide smile and tattoos along hisarms, says he came to Lavachebecause his brother Zach “wanted to

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALEX COHEN

Luchia Lokonyen helps customers at her produce stand.

Laurel Hufnagle and Leslie Kent, frequent farmers market visitors.

22| APRIL 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP COVER STORY

COVER STORY MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | APRIL 2016 | 23

make French toast.” Like many of herfellow vendors, Allen is genuinelyfriendly toward her customers, but herwarm personality has a sparkle thatkeeps them curious and engaged withher products.

The positive interaction betweenvendors and customers at the HillcrestFarmers Market creates a unique sub-culture that generates a strong senseof community for visitors. Lesleigh

Kent says that she experienced thispositive phenomenon when shemoved to the area and began to visitthe market. Her only complaint is theparking arrangement — “I don’t likethat people park in the street,” she sayscalmly, referring to the market vicinity.To alleviate parking congestion, whichremains a challenge throughout SanDiego and other cities, market orga-nizers have instituted the Park & Ride

program, which allows visitors to parktheir vehicles off Campus Avenue andride the free Hillcrest Farmers MarketSunday Trolley.

In addition to its wide selection offood, produce, clothing, crafts, cultureand community ambience, the marketis also rich in entertainment; musi-cians at various junctions sing andplay instruments, such as the cello, ofwhich Nicholas Morales is a virtuoso.

“I like when people come and talk tome,” the youngster says smiling, as hisproud mother, Maria Morales, mirrorshis expression.

Others, like Shoko Brantley andMichael Mack, echo the sentiment,confirming that they especially enjoythe market’s friendly people anddiverse nature. “It’s very international,”says Mack, a marine originally fromBrooklyn, New York.

Hillcrest Farmers Market is noutopia, but it certainly has character,and one frequently noted for its com-munity tone and ample humanity —essentials seemingly absent from thefast pace of modern society. Its char-acteristically benign culture makes itan ideal place for visitors to combinehealthy shopping with a happy timeoutdoors.

Nicholas Morales offers musical entertainment to farmers market shop-pers.

Heather Allen, owner of Oh Lavache (with her mother, Christine Gee), isshown with Jed Stevens, a customer.

Michael Mack and Shoko Brantley, say they enjoy the market’s friendlypeople and diverse nature. ‘It’s very international,’ says Mack.

Gigi Gurung runs a vibrant clothing booth offering garments made of traditional Nepali fabrics.

The award-winning San DiegoGay Men’s Chorus premieres itshighly anticipated new show, “Cali-fornia Dreamin’,” at the historic Bal-boa Theatre on April 23 and 24.

Created by Artistic Director RCHaus, this fun-in-the-sun show fea-tures songs with a decidedly Califor-nian flair. There will be Disneylandprincesses gloriously proclaiminglove, a medley of earthquake propor-tions featuring Adele’s “Rolling in theDeep” and a battle of the Californiagirls/gurls between Katy Perry andthe Beach Boys.

“This isn’t just a concert — it’s a

show!” proclaimed Haus. “So holdonto your surfboards and put sun-screen on the kids because we’re get-ting ready to have a lot of fun withsome really fantastic music.”

SDGMC’s 160 singing Californi-ans will serve as musical tour guidesfrom the north with “I Left My Heartin San Francisco” down to Los Ange-les for a stay at the “Hotel California.”The show even travels south of theborder to explore some Latinrhythms including a special guestappearance by the San DiegoWomen’s Chorus.

The popular Mood Swings ensem-

ble returns with their hilarious takeon California’s favorite TV familiesfrom the Clampetts in Beverly Hillsto the Bradys of the LA burbs to thecozy three-some Jack, Chrissy andJanet in Santa Monica. There mayeven be some Baywatch hunks.

“You never know what to expectat one of our shows — except thatyou’ll always have a wonderful time,”said Bob Lehman, SDGMC executivedirector. “And that’s because oursingers will be having a wonderfultime as well.”

“California Dreamin’” tickets areavailable at www.sdgmc.org or bycalling the Balboa Theatre at (619)570-1100. Tickets start at $28 and

range to $70 for preferred seating.For an additional $35, ticket buyersmay enjoy early entry to attend theone-hour earlier Director’s Preludeand hear first-hand from ArtisticDirector Haus about the upcomingshow. Guests will also receive com-plimentary hors d’oeuvres and a bev-erage.

A $4 discount is available forseniors, students, active-duty militaryand groups of 10 or more. Customersmay save ticket fees by purchasing inperson at San Diego Theatres Tick-eting Services at Third Avenue andB Street across the plaza from theCivic Theatre weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6p.m. The Balboa Theatre is located

at 868 Fourth Ave. adjacent to theHorton Plaza shopping center inDowntown San Diego. Prepaid park-ing for $10 is available when pur-chasing tickets or in the theatre lobby.

The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorusunder the artistic direction of RCHaus recently celebrated its 30thanniversary. With more than 200members, it is one of the largest gaychoruses in the world and has sungat locations including the WhiteHouse and the Super Bowl. Thegroup’s official mission is to create apositive musical experience throughexciting performances that engageaudiences, build community supportand provide a dynamic force forsocial change.


Gay Men’s Chorus Stages ‘California Dreamin’’

Love Library at San Diego StateUniversity has been awarded a$10,000 grant from CaliforniaHumanities for its project — “OUTon the Left Coast: San Diego LGBTHistory.”

Community Stories is a compet-itive grant program of CaliforniaHumanities, a nonprofit that pro-motes the humanities in California.Grants are awarded to projects thatgive expression to the extraordinaryvariety of histories and experiencesof California’s places and people toensure that the stories can be sharedwidely.

“OUT on the Left Coast: SanDiego LGBT History” will be anonline interactive image and soundresource documenting the emer-gence of LGBT social movements inthe San Diego and Northern BajaCalifornia regions.

Project directors Anna Culbert-son and Lisa Lamont plan to use theSan Diego Pride Parade as the initialfocus for the website. The SDSULibrary will digitize the moving andprovocative graphics this phe-nomenon has generated over theyears, including T-shirts, posters,buttons and banners, and combinethese striking images with pho-tographs and oral histories of earlycommunity activists.

The original materials for the pro-

ject date from the late 1960s to thepresent and are housed at the Lamb-da Archives of San Diego, theregions most comprehensive archiveof LGBT history.

“The resulting collaboration willbe a website and discovery tool toprovide unprecedented publicaccess to ‘living history,’” said Mau-reen Steiner, director of the LambdaArchives.

“SDSU library and LambdaArchives have sought for severalyears now to partner in a way thatwill impact both campus and com-munity,” said Culbertson, who isalso assistant head of Special Col-lections and University Archives atSDSU. “This resource will allow usto connect and engage students,community members and scholarsthrough a history told directly by itsparticipants.”

Collaborative Efforts The project team will include staff

from Lambda Archives and human-ities advisers from SDSU’s LGBTmajor, Mathew Keufler and WalterPenrose. The major, which launchedin 2011, was among the first of itskind in the country and will benefitfrom the resources made availableto the public by “OUT on the LeftCoast.”

The website will be launched witha public lecture series beginning inOctober 2016 and will be cross-pro-moted through San Diego Pride

events.“We envision using this website

as a foundation upon which to addmore content, creating a growingand evolving resource to fostergreater community understandingand engagement with this impor-tant part of Southern California his-tory,” said Gale Etschmaier, dean ofthe SDSU Library.

“California’s population has sucha rich and varied story to tell — andwe can all benefit from knowingmore about each other,” noted Mar-

garet Shelleda, chair of the board ofCalifornia Humanities. “We areproud to award grants to those whofind creative and effective ways ofsharing our stories with new audi-ences and help connect Californianswhose histories and experiencesdeserve greater and deeper appreci-ation.”

About California Humanities Since 2003, California Humani-

ties has supported approximately477 story projects and granted near-ly $3.8 million to enable communi-

ties to voice, record, and share his-tories — many previously untold orlittle known. Through video, pho-tography, murals, zines, documen-tary theater, audio projects, andmore, these collected stories havebeen shared with broad audiences,both live and virtual.

California Humanities is an inde-pendent nonprofit state partner ofthe National Endowment for theHumanities. For more informationon California Humanities, pleasevisit www.calhum.org.

Library Explores LGBT HistoryBY SDSU NEWS TEAM

This historical image from the San Diego Pride Parade is just one of the documents that will be included in ‘Out on the Left Coast.’

Show set for April 23-24 at the Balboa Theatre

The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus

hillcrest news april 2016

Documents