la mesa courier - october 2013

See Boo! Parade, Page 4

See Oktoberfest, Page 5See Grossmont High, 4

ASB students, principal Dan Barnes and district officials cut the

ribbon at the Sept. 10 dedication of the new Humanities building.

District officials tour a Spanish language classroom in the new Humanities

building at Grossmont High School.

Grossmont HiGH addition sHeds liGHt on learninGBy Jeremy Ogul

For many students, a new school year brings new shoes, a new backpack and new notebooks.

For Grossmont High School students, this new school year brings a gleaming new classroom building to the 91-year-old campus.

The 35,000-square-foot Humanities Building has 31 state-of-the-art classrooms for English, foreign language and special education classes as well as workrooms for teachers.

The building includes covered walkways, accessible pathways and a freestanding elevator and stair tower linked to the rest of the building by a covered bridge. A new, bold “Grossmont” sign on the building faces Dennstedt Place, creating a welcoming new rear portal to the campus.

The modern classrooms are a significant upgrade from the 30 portable classrooms they replaced.

Delaney Burger, president of the school’s Associated Student Body, said students are thrilled about the new building.

“Everybody’s been raving about it all summer,” Burger said. “There’s huge windows and it’s nice to have that sunlight

Prost to Oktoberfest!By Jeremy Ogul

With the return of fall comes the return of one of La Mesa’s biggest civic celebra-tions: Oktoberfest.

The three-day festival of beer, bratwurst and commu-nity will run from Friday, Oct. 4 to Sunday, Oct. 6 in La Mesa Village. Organizers say they expect as many as 200,000 people to attend throughout the weekend.

“We have one of the largest Oktoberfests this side of the Mississippi,” said Mary England, president and CEO of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event along with the La Mesa Village Merchants Association.

This year marks the event’s 40th anniversary.

“It’s quite a feather in our cap,” said Richard Felix, the Merchants Association’s Oktoberfest coordinator.

One of the biggest changes this year will be the absence of carnival rides, which have been blamed for attracting rowdy teenagers in the past couple years. Police had to shut down the carnival last year to gain control of the crowd.

While the lack of rides may be a disappointment to families with young children, Oktoberfest organizers say the event is still family-friendly. Children are welcome to join their parents in the enclosed beer garden, but this year organizers are implementing a new rule that anyone under the age of 21 must be accom-panied by an adult, age 21 or older, in the beer garden.

As usual, La Mesa city ordinance prohibits pets within the event venue.

Samuel Adams is the beer sponsor for the main beer garden. The beers on top include Samuel Adams’ famous Boston Lager, Samuel Adams seasonal OctoberFest brew and Angry Orchard Hard Cider.

BOO! to you this Halloween

By Genevieve A. SuzukiThe BOO! Parade down El Cajon Boule-

vard Oct. 26 promises to be an even bigger scream in its eighth year than years past.

“People can expect to be entertained and dazzled by the costumes, floats, and the addi-tion of large balloon’s in this year’s parade,” said Jennifer Finnegan, executive director of the College Area Business District. “Our new parade coordinator has been working tire-

lessly to find us new entries and emphasize entertainment with all entries. The focus is on the audience and the enjoyment they will get from watching these groups traverse El Cajon Boulevard.

“The parade should be candy for the eyes while we toss candy into your trick-or-treat bags!”

october 2013 on the Internet at www.LaMesaCourier.com Volume 3 – Number 10

inside tHis issUe

neWs tiPs(619) 697-2500 [email protected]

adVertise WitH Us(619) 697-2500 [email protected]

See Pickleball, Page 2 See Tree City USA, Page 5

See Journal, Page 9Lillian Palmer

La Mesa Journal

HOA President Hits the High NoteBy Genevieve A. Suzuki

Lillian Palmer seems like the sweet neighbor next door as she walks her dog, Sparky, a scruffy adopted pound pooch she affectionately calls “Sparkalicious.” Palmer, a svelte redhead, waves happily to her fellow residents in her Baltimore Drive townhome complex, politely inquiring about events in their lives only a friend would know.

Because she serves as the president of her homeowners association, it’s not surprising that she would be on a first-name basis with at least half the neighborhood. It’s

hard to believe, however, this organized HOA president is a crooning, sensual diva in her other incarnation.

And yet it only takes a few minutes in Palmer’s presence to realize what a force the lady is. A true entertainer, Palmer can vamp like Vivian Leigh in Gone with the Wind one minute, perform a scene from Hitchcock’s Rebecca the next, before suddenly dropping a funny line from an old Cheech & Chong film.

Palmer said it all started at the family

La Mesa Named Tree City USA for 33rd Year

By Genevieve A. Suzuki

For the 33rd year in a row, La Mesa earned the distinction of being a Tree City USA, an honor bestowed upon the city by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management.

La Mesa achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual commu-nity forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, an Arbor

Pickleball Play in Collier ParkBy Gina McGalliard

Everyone’s heard of tennis, paddleball, ping-pong and squash – but have you heard of pickleball?

Pickleball, which has been steadily gaining in popularity for several decades, is a game played indoors or outdoors on one-third the size of a tennis court with perforated balls and light-weight paddles. Invented in 1965 in Washington by Congressman Joel Pritchard and his friend Bill Bell, the game was named after Pritchard’s cocker spaniel, Pickles, who had a habit of chasing stray balls. The first pickleball tourna-ment was held in 1976, and in

1984 the USA Pickleball Associa-tion was formed. By the '90s, pick-leball was being played all around the country.

The game has earned a devoted following in La Mesa, where players meet to battle it out on Wednesday and Friday morn-

ings in Collier Park.La Mesa residents Justine

and Tim Frazee even serve as San Diego’s East County ambassa-dors for the USA Pickleball Asso-ciation. The couple learned about pickleball from Tim’s mother, a former professional tennis player. Knowing the game was popular among seniors, however, and wary it was simply a watered-down version of other racquet sports, it took them almost a year before they tried it out themselves. But that changed on a trip to Tucson, Ariz.

“We were there for five days,

and played four out of the five days we were there. We were hooked right away,” said Justine. “Because it’s a lot easier [when] you’re playing on one-third the size of a tennis court, and it’s a much more easier game to play than tennis.”

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May 2013 On the Internet at www.LaMesaCourier.com Volume 3 – Number 5

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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

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

Jewel of a LadyHistorical View introduces the author who coined La Mesa’s motto. Page 12

Santee SurpriseEast County destination provides an ideal getaway for lake lovers. Page 6

Mind for MusicLocal music teacher Evans Kontopols inspires and challenges students to reach their potential. Page 7

Players interested in joining La Mesa's East County group can meet at Collier Park on Palm Avenue Wednesday and Friday mornings until 11 a.m.

the Pykles LegendPlumbing the history behind the Pykles name.

Page 6

season of the Witchstarcrafts owner teresa see prepares for Halloween.

Page 11

Community tLCthe 2013 Kids Care Fest armed families with health smarts.

Page 17

Morning BuzzCosmos Cafe serves more than just great coffee.

Page 12

Parade promises frightful fun

Boo! Kei

th B

arne

s

Noteworthy La Mesans in the NewsQuarterback Alex Smith is making his

alma mater proud. The Helix High School graduate was traded this year to the Kansas City Chiefs, which, at press time, were 3-0 and the top of the AFC West. After a roller-coaster ride with the San Francisco 49ers, the 2005 top NFL draft pick seems to have finally hit his stride under new coach Andy Reid. Smith will come home Dec. 29 when the Chiefs square off against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

La Vita La MesaTwo talented La Mesa

residents, tenor Rosario Monetti and soprano Eileen Bowman, are featured vocalists of Opera-caffe’s La Vita Bella (The Beautiful Life) Perfor-mance Series. The La Vita Bella Performance Series is the inspiration of Chef Roberto Bernardoni and

his wife and business partner Chef Patrizia Branchi. Since opening their Gaslamp Quarter café in 2008, the chefs shared a dream of immersing their guests in the music and cuisine of their beloved Florence. Their dream came true in the fall of 2012 when Oper-acaffe launched La Vita Bella. The series showcases the talent and passion of local singers, musicians and actors, a perfect comple-

ment to Operacaffe’s award-winning Tuscany-to-Table cuisine. Monetti’s versatile tenor vocals are showcased on Opera Tuesday and Rat Pack Wednesday while expressive soprano Eileen Bowman headlines American Songbook on the second Monday of each month.

Helix teacher raises show fundsHelix Charter High School special educa-

tion teacher Kim Fleming fundraised monies to allow special needs students to participate in an annual concert staged by the school dance program. Fleming used DonorsChoose.org to raise more than $600 to pay Spencer John Powell of Visionary Dance Theatre to choreo-graph a dance for her students. Donors from all over the country were able to contribute to the fund. The students will perform at the Winter Dance Concert in December.Murray Manor Elementary scores high

Murray Manor Elementary received a score of 923 on the Academic Performance Indez. The API is the cornerstone of Califor-nia’s Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999 and measures the academic performance and growth of schools on a variety of academic measures. The score reflects an increase of six points from last year and a total 50 points over the last three years. Murray Manor is the first school in the district to be above 80 percent proficient or advanced in both Language Arts and Mathematics on the California STAR test. La Mesa Courier editor honored

Our editor, Genevieve A. Suzuki, was selected as one of the Top 40 Under 40 by San Diego Metro Magazine for 2013. Suzuki has been editor of La Mesa Courier since July 2012 and Mission Valley News since December 2012. In addition to being executive editor for Mission Publishing Group, Suzuki practices family law from her office on Baltimore Drive.

OctoberEvents Calendar40th Annual Oktoberfest – Oct. 4-6

Enjoy polka, beer and brats at the biggest annual event in town. See our cover story for more information, or visit www.lamesachamber.net/oktoberfest.php.

Senior Expo – Oct. 10The City of La Mesa is hosting its free Senior Expo, which

highlights transportation options and safety resources Oct. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Dr. RSVP by Wednesday, Oct. 9 at (619) 667-1322.

Fire Prevention Open House – Oct. 12Take a tour of Fire Station 11, see fire engines up close,

look at firefighting equipment, and learn valuable fire safety lessons that could save your life. Children will participate in activities such as a coloring contest; stop, drop & roll; and trying on real firefighter gear. Visit the vendor booths with valuable fire and life safety information and don’t miss the firefighters conducting rescue demonstrations! The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (619) 667-1355 for more information.

East County Intergenerational Games – Oct. 17A community event at La Mesa Middle School (4200 Parks

Ave.) for active adults age 50-plus and youth 7 to 12 years old. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., rain or shine, and the games run through noon. Pre-registration is required. Contact the La Mesa Adult Enrichment Center at (619) 667-1322. Activi-ties are non-competitive, fun and simple! The circuit includes: street hockey shot, Frisbee toss, “skeeball” pitch, basketball, trivia games, snacks, lunch and much more.

La Mesa Park Appreciation Day – Oct. 19Help make La Mesa beautiful! Go to your neighborhood

park in La Mesa at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 for Park Appre-ciation Day. La Mesa is a “jewel” – help make it shine! Groups welcome. Call (619) 667-1304 to sign up for a team building project at a La Mesa park. Decide to help at the last minute? Volunteers welcome at all parks from 8 a.m. to noon. Bring gloves and a rake or trowel. There will be trash bags available in the parks. Visit www.cityoflamesa.com/index.aspx?nid=790 for more information.

Oktoberfest Benefit – Oct. 20St. Luke’s Lutheran Church (5150 Wilson St.) is sponsoring

an Oktoberfest Benefit to raise funds for the Third Ave. Chari-table Organization. Tickets are $10 for adults and $3 for chil-dren 5-12 years old. Ages 4 and under are free. For more infor-mation, call (619) 463-6633 or visit www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org.

Community Awareness Forum – Oct. 29The La Mesa Collaborative will be hosting a “Community

Awareness Forum” in order to educate our community about emerging trends that are harming and even killing our youth today. A free, light dinner will be served from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. followed by a dramatic and informative presentation featuring speaker, Phil Hubb of PRONASA (Proactive Network Against Substance Abuse). This event is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the La Mesa Community Center, located at 4957 Memorial Dr.

Annual Historic Home Tour – Nov. 2The Historical Society 8th Annual Historic Home Tour

will again feature up to seven beautiful, and historic, homes of La Mesa, including the Society’s recently restored McKinney House Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Society will provide trolleys for transport amongst the houses or ticketed guests may travel to the homes on their own. (This tour is not ADA accessible). Tickets can be purchased from the Society or at the Home Tour Check-In booth on Tour Day at the northeast corner of Allison and Date. Advanced tickets are $18 for Members, $20 for Non-Members. Day-of Tickets are $20 for Members and $25 for Non-Members.

Rosario Monetti

Alex Smith

Eileen Bowman

LaMesaCourier.com — october 2013

See Historical view, Page 4

1926 Grossmont High School football team. Recent research confirmed that this evocative image was not the championship

team of the following year as believed. Image courtesy La Mesa Historical Society.

Confirmed photograph of the 1927 Grossmont High School football team, legendary undefeated Southern California Championship squad (9-0-3). Image courtesy La Mesa Historical Society.

Historical View

imaGinG traditions: PHotos, Film & FootballBy James D. Newland

For La Mesans, “October” may evoke many traditional images, such as Halloween, Okto-berfest or perhaps high school football.

Often the best way to quickly commu-nicate the nature and depth of such commu-nity rituals within our history is seeing these familiar traditions in a historic photograph.

Well, at least this writer believes so. The presentation of compelling historic photo-graphs is the foundation of this column.

The La Mesa Historical Society’s historic photo collections being the catalyst that drive these efforts to research, illuminate and share our collective community story.

We estimate the Society’s historical photo collections at somewhere in the 5000-10,000 image range – the full cataloging of these images an ongoing, long-term project.

Yet, the Society is always looking to collect

more illuminating images for its historic archives to help in chronicling La Mesa’s heri-tage – and to learn more about the images we already have to better understand and inter-pret that history as accurately as possible.

For today’s youthful “photographers,” who can take clear, crisp high-resolution digital images in rapid succession with palm-size smart phones then Wi-Fi them off to some “cloud” in the digital ether for storage, the concept that photographs of our local past being rare and in need of archiving, may seem a bit perplexing.

But for those who ever loaded rolls of film into their cameras every 24 to 36 shots, lost one to a “slip of the shutter,” or labored in a dark-room, photography was not always so simple, inexpensive, or available.

The history of “capturing images” using chemicals on plates or paper is barely two centuries old. Such 19th century pioneering “photo-making” processes as daguerreotypes, calotypes or tintypes, with their metal and

La Mesa - If you’ve tried to sell your home yourself, you know that the minute you put the “For Sale by Owner” sign up, the phone will start to ring off the hook. Unfortunately, most calls aren’t from prospective buyers, but rather from ev-ery real estate agent in town who will start to hound you for your listing.

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Boo! Parade, from page 1Historical View, from page 3

See Historical View, Page 7

The College Area Business District partnered with Upbeat Parade Productions, which has 25 years of parade experience. Upbeat is owned by parade guru Ray Pulver, who produces parades up and down the West Coast and in Nevada.

“The nice part about working with Ray is he sees different groups in parades all across the West Coast, and he can utilize those contacts to attract new participants to our growing event,” said Finnegan.

While Upbeat is an exciting addition, the BOO! Carnival remains absent from this year’s festivities. “In considering the economic challenges of the past few years, we have decided to eliminate the BOO! Carnival from the overall event. The new focus for this year is on the parade only with an emphasis on entertainment,” Finnegan said.

Seventy-five groups will be participating in this year’s parade. Finnegan said there will be “festive floats, spooktacular tunes, hundreds of costumed characters and special appear-ances from the 501st Legion Stormtroopers and the UCSD Marching Band.”

Participants have incentive to amp things up as there are plaques given to the best of the best. “Our judges make the rounds during the parade staging, and awards are announced as the winning entries make their way down the parade route,” said Finnegan.

Honors include the BOO! Award for scariest entry; BOO! HOO! Award for funniest; Witches & Wizards Award for the best cultural representation; Trick or Treat Award for the best children’s costume; and the Aztecs Pride Award for the best San Diego State University representation.

The BOO! Parade is important to the College Area Busi-ness District, according to Finnegan.

“The parade has become an excellent way to introduce people to the College Area Business District. More than 10,000 people come to our neighborhood each year for this parade as volunteers, participants and attendees. It’s an excellent opportunity for them to walk by a new favorite store, find a hidden treasure, or just venture onto El Cajon Boulevard and appreciate all the improvements we’ve made to it over the last several years. More than that, the communities in the College Area band together to produce this event and make it a reality every year.”

glass plates have long ago become obsolete. George Eastman’s 1880s invention of photo-graph “film” becoming the dominant photo media until the last two decades when the digital revolution also put film “into the history books” – and archives.

Society & College “Develops” Historic Photography Demonstration

On Saturday, Oct. 26 from 1 to 4 p.m., the La Mesa Historical Society will partner with Grossmont College’s Photography Program to sponsor an entertaining and educational after-noon of tintype photography demonstrations at the Society’s McKinney House Museum and Archives (8369 University Ave., La Mesa).

Guest photographers will be demon-strating turn-of-the century photographic techniques with period-costumed subjects

using the historic McKinney House as back-drop. The Society will also display some of its varied photographic media collections for visi-tors to see. The public is welcome to this free Society event.

Society Sponsors Local Film History In addition to its ode to photographic

history in October, the Society will once again partner with the Theatre Organ Society of San Diego to present a special “Silent Movie Night” on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014 at the Trinity Pres-byterian Church in Spring Valley. The show will feature noted organist Russ Peck accom-panying a one-reel “Flying A” Company film produced locally in 1911 (The Ranchman’s Nerve), and featuring the 1929 Douglas Fair-banks swashbuckling classic “The Iron Mask.”


Bands booked for the big stage include the Ideas Rock and Roll Trio; CarTune Dogs; the Gordon Kohl Band; the El Cajon German Band; and Rockenhausen German Brass Band. Barry Mantel, owner of Nights of the Sound Table, will also provide games and entertainment.

The Rockenhausen German Brass Band will perform Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with a 33-piece ensemble touring from Rock-enhausen, Germany. La Mesa Oktoberfest is one of only two stops the band is making in California, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime treat, England said.

Among the many food vendors will be San Diego-based Tarantino Gourmet Sausages, which will sell brat-wurst, German potato salad, sauerkraut, grilled onion, strudel and potato pancakes at the food court, said Berna-dette Tarantino, whose family has owned the business for 53

years. “People go to Oktober-

fest and there’s two things they want: a brat and a beer,” Tarantino said. “I’m very proud of our product.”

La Mesa Village Merchants Association orga-nizes the street fair with about 200 craft and commer-cial vendors, 21 food vendors, a smaller beer court and a small stage.

Admission to the event is free.

By far the biggest chal-lenge for event organizers is the weather, said David Smyle, finance manager for the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

“We don’t make any money unless we sell beer, but we have the costs no matter what,” Smyle said.

When the weather and crowds cooperate, the Okto-berfest beer garden is a huge fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce. The money raised at Oktoberfest helps pay

for the Chamber’s program-ming throughout the rest of the year, including ribbon cuttings, networking events, speakers, breakfasts and more, Smyle said.

Similarly, money raised through the street fair helps the La Mesa Village Merchants Association subsi-dize its other events, such as Christmas in the Village, the Back to the ‘50s Car Show and the Antique Street Faire, Smyle said.

In addition to raising money for the Chamber and the Merchants Association, Oktoberfest has a positive

impact on a number of indi-vidual businesses in La Mesa, such as the Holiday Inn near Fletcher Parkway and Balti-more Drive, which hosts guests visiting from as far as Northern California and Texas.

“We are normally pretty much full every year,” said Ruben Labin, the hotel’s sales manager.

Gary Clasen, owner of Continental Catering in La Mesa, hailed the event as one of the best things in La Mesa.

“Oktoberfest brings so much attention to our city,” Clasen said.

Together the Chamber and the Merchants Associa-tion pay the city about $76,000 to cover the costs of police services, traffic control, street cleaning, electrical inspec-tions and the Fire Depart-ment presence.

In addition to the paid support staff, the Chamber has organized 186 volunteers to help with everything from pouring beer to picking up trash.

Oktoberfest hours are 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5; and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6.

oktoberfest, from page 1


See Pykles, Page 15

Craig Pykles, shown here at 9, learned the plumbing business at an early age.

Toby Pykles joins his father, Craig, as the third generation

of plumbing Pykles.

rent sense

What about month-to-month?By Neil Fjellestad & Chris De Marco FBS Property Management

We have noticed an uptick in the number of our renters opting for a month-to-month rental agreement at renewal, citing personal current concerns about contractual commitment. Such agree-ments are only offered at a rental premium and we gener-ally advise our rental owners that a long-term lease attracts and best serves qualified renters. We will consistently choose to retain our existing residents as their lease expires because the owner(s) will experience an interruption of rent and out-of-pocket costs connected to the turnover. So residents who have paid their rent on time and kept up the rental home will get prefer-ential treatment at renewal, though with the current housing conditions, the like-lihood is that a nominal rent increase will be included.

Due to projected supply and demand for well-located rental homes, condos and apartments rental rates will continue to increase for the next few years. This condition is actually healthy in order to encourage existing and poten-tial investors by allowing rental increases across the board that can repay out-of-pocket expenses endured during the last several years and/or to accomplish repairs and improvements that they have deferred.

Month-to-month tenants

are not protected from multiple rent increases and owners will more likely post-pone requested maintenance until such tenants move. There are still some owners who are consolidating their property holdings to preserve equity and credit worthiness. In some cases, this results in vacating their rental prop-erties. Having a renter on a month-to month agreement certainly makes this decision easier.

While an owner’s deci-sions can affect their credit, it often has a much greater effect on the renter(s) living in that home. Once a property is in foreclosure or it is given back to the bank a real estate company is hired to sell the home/property. It is often the decision to vacate the prop-erty as it is believed to be much easier to sell an empty property.

By being a preferred renter on a long-term lease no one can decide to raise your rent because they feel like it. No one can ask you to vacate the property on a whim or with a short-term notice. If the property is marketed for sale and/or changes owner-ship your lease will normally be honored by authorizing you to live there through the duration of the lease term, or provide you with some compensation if they want you to vacate.

tHroUGH tHe PiPes WitH PyklesBy Genevieve A. Suzuki

Pykles Plumbing and Remodeling’s clever motto – “In a pickle, call Pykles” – might never have been if owner Craig Pykles had not made a fateful decision in 1977.

The business, which has been around since 1946, was originally known as Russells’ Hardware, Appliances and Paint, located at 4611 Univer-sity Ave. Pykles’ father, Howard, purchased the store from Earl and Harmon Russell in 1952 and formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Luke Russell – Howard

provided the capital to buy the business while Luke contrib-uted the know-how.

Eventually the partner-

ship amicably dissolved, with Luke taking over a second Russells store in Casa de Oro and Howard keeping the University Avenue loca-tion. Nevertheless, Russells’ Hardware, Appliances and Paint maintained its moniker – until community confusion forced Craig Pykles’ hand.

You see, a year after Howard and Luke took over Russells’ Hardware, original owner Earl Russell – Luke’s brother – decided to return to the business by opening a similar store at 6141 Univer-sity Ave. The store, named “E.S. Russells Builders Supply,” not only contained the Russell name, but was also at an address comprising the same numbers.

Despite a non-competi-tion clause, no one pursued legal action, “because he was a relative and everyone was doing well,” said Craig.

Then, after Craig earned his MBA at Brigham Young University and joined his father in the business a couple of decades later, the mix-up began affecting operations. In late 1978, Craig purchased seven trucks from Guarantee Chevrolet. A short while later

he received a call by Guar-antee’s service manager, who asked when he was going to patch the hole his people left.

Confused, Craig asked the manager for an explanation. It turned out Guarantee had tried to reciprocate Craig’s business by calling “Russells” to perform some plumbing work – only problem was Guarantee had called E.S. Russells at 6141 and not Craig’s Russells at 4611.

“It was a nightmare,” said Craig, who promptly told his father he was changing the name to “Pykles Plumbing” in 1979. Thankfully, there aren’t any other Pykles around to open a store down the street from Craig’s store, now located at 8348 Center Dr. – not that


Historical View, from page 4What’s Cookingwith Julie by Julie White

Fish En Papillote (Fish Cooked in Paper)

I served this for dinner recently and it was a big hit. Not only is it delicious, but it is easy and fun to make, and the fish turns out very tender.

Fish En Papillote (Fish Cooked in Paper)

Ingredients

2 zucchini sliced in julienne strips2 carrots cut in julienne strips1 lemon sliced thinly1 lemon juiced2 green onions cut in half4 pats butter1/4 cup white wine4 teaspoons olive oilsalt, pepper, garlic powder8 sprigs of fresh thyme (dried thyme or dill may be used if you wish)4 ( 4-6 oz.) fillets of fresh white fish – you can use sea bass, cod, or any white fish. (Anthony’s Fish Grotto has a great fresh fish market )

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut large rectangles of parchment paper. Place a fish fillet on each piece of paper and season with spices to taste. Divide and arrange the veggies on each fillet Layer the veggies with a pat of butter, the wine, oil and lemon juice. Fold the parchment paper into a tight, neat, sealed package and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until fish is white and flakes. Carefully open and serve the juice that remains in packet as a sauce.

Serves 4

Imaging our Local Football TraditionsThis month we feature a historic photo-

graph that illustrates how a detailed image can quickly communicate the character, passion and pride of, in this case – our decades-old tradition of local high school gridironers.

The photo (legendary Coach Jack Mashin’s 1926 Grossmont High team) is full of elements recognizable to today’s football fanatics but provides details that reflect the historical legacy of our local football traditions while also conveying the timeless characteristics of youthful prep players--confidence, bravado and optimism.

If this photo fires up your high school pigskin spirit, be sure to attend this year’s traditional local gridiron classic--the Gross-mont-Helix game for “The Old Musket.” This year’s game will be played Nov. 1 at GHS’ Mashin Field and will feature both local teams in “retro-style” jerseys reminiscent of their first meeting in 1951 and a reunion of players from those early 1950s teams.

Once again this year’s game between peren-nial Grossmont League contenders promises to etch more memorable images into La Mesa’s heritage of autumnal traditions – even if many of them end up archived in the “clouds.”

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See Second Chance, Page 17

See Euthanasia, Page 19

Pet Corner

Euthanasia: Saying goodbye humanelyBy Sari Reis

One of the most difficult, yet loving decisions pet owners have to make is the merciful ending of the life of an animal companion. Sometimes we are not given options; life’s circum-stances take them away from us through tragic accidents. More often, however, we are faced with having to make the ultimate decision to let them go.

For many of us, this is a call we have to make over and over again as we continue to bring more animals into our lives. Despite knowing we are going to lose them, and despite knowing that it is going to be painful, we cannot imagine our lives without the joy and unconditional love our “furry kids” give to us. Personally, I have had to euthanize four of my own furry kids over my many years of pet ownership. It never gets any easier and yet I keep inviting more animals into my life.

Besides the actual loss of our beloved companion, the hardest part is deciding the “right” time to let them go. Some-times our pets make the decision for us. Their bodies shut down before our eyes. None of us wants to see our pet in pain or suffering, so the choice becomes obvious. But, if they don’t appear to be in pain, we don’t want to say goodbye before it is necessary either. If it is unclear whether your pet is ready, look for these quality of life signals:

Is your pet still eating and enjoying his food? Is he able to move around? Can he relieve himself outside, in the litter box or on a potty pad? Does he still enjoy going on his walks? Is he still enjoying interacting with you and other canine or feline pals? Does he still like affection, belly rubs or being brushed? If you answer no to most of these questions, then it is likely that his quality of life is greatly diminished and it may be time to say goodbye.

Today we are fortunate to have procedures that make this process as easy and humane as possible. Generally, your veteri-narian will give two injections. The first, completely relaxes the animal. The second stops his heart. It is all over in a matter of moments and is very peaceful.

Although veterinary offices, emergency clinics, and the Humane Society offer euthanasia services, there is also the

GettinG a neW leasH on liFe WitH second cHance rescUeBy Cynthia Robertson

Foster kids are often eager to love and be loved. The delight is complete when the foster children find their forever parents – particu-larly when the “kids” are dogs. Second Chance Dog Rescue gives dog lovers a chance to care for and love dogs that have been rescued from trou-bled pasts.

La Mesa resident Donna Gieseke is one such friend of canines. She adopted a dog at the beginning of the year.

“She was scheduled to be put down the same day Second Chance Dog Rescue pulled her out. I named her

Zoey,” Gieseke said. Rico is Gieseke’s other

dog. She adopted him from the El Cajon shelter after finding him as a stray. “I turned him in hoping that his family could find him and when the three-day hold was up, I took him home. Now I take [Zoey and Rico] everywhere,” she said.

As with all adoptions of Second Chance, the organi-zation paid for all the shots, spaying and neutering that Rico and Zoey needed. In fact, the organization went one step further for Gieseke’s new family members.

“After adopting Zoey, I noticed a hop to her gait. Donna Gieseke poses with her

two rescues, Rico and Zoey.

Don

na G

iese

ke

Debbie Riggs with her adopted beagle Maggie.

Ran

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Zoey


Grossmont High school

Foothiller FootstepsBy Connie and Lynn Baer

In the 1921-1922 school year, the first Grossmont High instrumental music class, the orchestra, was offered at Grossmont at the “old” River-view Campus in Lakeside, where for two years Grossmont students attended school. The first GHS band appeared in 1931. Over the next eight

decades, the marching band won local, state, and national acclaim due to the dedication and commitment of many wonderful band directors.

One of our amazing band directors was Harold G. Lutz, who from 1939 to 1956 (except for time served in World War II) led the band to wins in major competitions including

the All Western States Band Review and the prestigious Rose Parade. In 1948, the band, the largest high school band in the nation, numbered 104 instruments. In addition, Lutz was a composer, respon-sible for writing Grossmont’s hymn, “Hail to Thee Dear Grossmont”. Under his leader-

ship, a winning tradi-tion was established.

From 1959 to 1988, band director Jim Nichols led the band to staggering successes: 27 parade and field show sweep-stakes, including the Rose Parade and 12 times champion at Chaffey. Under his direction, the band

was featured at 25 college and profes-sional football half-time shows including the College All Stars, the Chargers, the Rams, the Raiders, and 2 Pro Bowl Shows at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

One highlight during Nichols’ years as band director was in 1967-’68, when the band placed first out of 281 bands from 40 states, which enabled the 208-member GHS band, drill team, and flag corps to perform in two shows at the Miami Orange Bowl.

Paul Miller, GHS Alumni Director and band member

from 1962-1966, recalls about his experience as a proud member of the Blue and Gold Marching Band: “The four years I spent in Marching and Concert Band, Orchestra (Christmas Pageants), Stage Band, and Pep Band, each was a unique learning experience. Other than my parents, Jim Nichols was easily the most influential person in my life; even today, I enjoy listening to pieces by Shostakovich as a way to stay in touch with all that’s good.”

Today, James Llamas, second year instrumental music director, shares: “In just over one year at Grossmont High School, I have seen the deep-rooted traditions and pride that the students have

for their school. That goes double for the members of the Royal Blue Regiment. These kids pour tons of energy and countless hour of practice into perfecting their craft, and their efforts will show in this year’s field show!” In August this energy was displayed when the band students

See Foothillers, Page 17

See Helix, Page 18

The Helix High School Foundation needs you! Since 2006 the Foundation has been offering college scholarship to gradu-ating Helix senior students who have a financial need and have satisfied the rigorous academic requirements of college admis-sion. Over the past seven years, the Foundation has awarded more than $420,000 in scholarships to almost 250 students.

Scholarships are funded in two ways: through private donations and Foundation memberships, and through Founda-tion activities and fundraisers. General membership starts at $25 a year, with other levels of support available. Members of the Helix community are also invited to establish a scholar-ship, customized to suit the donor – any amount of money; any set of circumstance; any length of time from one to four years; or on a long-term endowment basis.

The Foundation has started a “Brick Garden” on campus. You may purchase a paver in your name or for a child, a friend, a company…or just someone you’ve always admired for whom you wish to do something special. How about purchasing a tile in a loved one’s memory? Personalized pavers make unique Birthday, Valentine or Holiday gifts for friends and relatives. The cost of a personalized 4-inch-by-8-inch paver is $100 and a 4-inch-by-8-inch replica paver is $50.

For more information regarding the Helix High School Foundation, contact Jim Arnaiz at [email protected].

Helix also has an active Alumni Association affiliated with the Foundation. The Alumni Association works to make connections with alumni, and coordinates events for alumni. They recently attended a performance of Off Broadway Live Theater’s production of “Decades – the ‘70s: A Musical Review”. The Off Broadway theater would like to add Helix letterman’s 2013 band.

1930-31 band.

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Helix HighlightsBy Jennifer Osborn

Saturday in the parkKids and their families flocked to Briercrest

Park Sept. 21 to attend the 2013 Kids Care Fest, a free event that featured free health care screen-ings and fingerprinting. Several local community groups were at the fest, including the Rotary Club of La Mesa, the La Mesa Kiwanis Club and the East County Boys & Girls Club. The Heartland Fire Department was represented by an engine and several firefighters of Station 13 and the La Mesa Police Department brought a BearCat armored vehicle vehicle for kids to check out. Among the fest’s many offerings were bouncy houses, games, arts & crafts, face painting, kettle corn and slushies. Perhaps most important, however, were the free health and dental screen-ings and wealth of information for families inter-ested in health care for their kids.


See Witches, Page 16

Just Business

A lot is going on at Balti-more West Shopping Center on Baltimore Drive in La Mesa. Several new businesses have popped up and opened their doors, attracting visitors and curious residents.

CorePower Yoga, a yoga class that features energizing music, strengthening and stretching, offers heated and unheated classes seven days a week. The La Mesa loca-tion houses two large yoga rooms as well as a range of amenities, including changing rooms with showers and

private lockers. The studio also features a full retail boutique showcasing men’s and women’s active wear and accessories.

The La Mesa studio is the Denver-based yoga company’s 11th studio in San Diego and the 83rd studio nationwide.

“With 10 CorePower Yoga studios throughout the city, San Diego feels like home,” says Dani Anderson, Core-Power Yoga’s La Mesa Studio Manager. “We couldn’t be more excited to share our love of yoga with the welcoming La Mesa community!”

Also newly opened is La Mesa Integrative Health, a project of althealnet.org. Since 2007, Alternative Healing Network has been hosting weekly free commu-nity outreach clinics in City Heights, Southeast San Diego and most recently at the YWCA Women’s shelter. Clinics provide a number of integrative health services, including acupuncture, chiro-

practic, massage, energy healing, and yoga classes.

La Mesa Integrative Health clients can purchase memberships for $105 a month for six months. If that’s too costly, the organization offers sliding scale prices based on customers’ income.

The third new business is the rather mysterious Vene-tian Lounge, which boasts stylish décor (chandeliers and black leather couches) and colored lighting at night. Customers have to be 18 and older to patronize the lounge, which is targeting hookah-devoted crowds. The lounge is open seven days a week from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Out of the broom closet into La MesaBy Jeremy Ogul

Picture her: She wears a dark, staid Victorian dress, with a pointed black hat atop her head. She looks old, haggard, with a wart adorning her crooked nose. She stoops over a steaming cauldron, slowly stirring the thick, noxious brew.

She’s a witch! We see her likeness everywhere as the days shorten and

Halloween creeps upon us, but she is merely a figment of our collective cultural imagination.

The real witches of La Mesa have little in common with her. They don’t ride broomsticks or wear pointy black hats, but local witches do exist, and the best place to find them is at Star-crafts, a shop on Lake Murray Boulevard near Dallas Street.

In addition to selling ritual items such as candles, incense,


See Cosmos, Page 16

a morning jump into the cosmos

In this universe, there are a few things that ring true. Everyone pays taxes. Everyone eventually leaves this mortal plane. And everyone needs a little jump-start in the morning. At Cosmos Coffee Café, they offer the latter in spades.

This café provides all the elements for a proper morning wake-up call: drip coffee by the cup in three sizes, espresso-based beverages (lattés), blended specialty drinks, a variety of teas and smoothies. With so many choices, there’s a good chance that indecision hits when you’re at the counter. Don’t worry, they’re more than happy to help you.

One guaran-teed jolt is their full-bodied Eclipse coffee, either straight up or with cream and sugar. For those who prefer a fancier drink that’s perfect as a midday treat, I suggest trying their chocolate cherry mocha (three sizes ranging from $3.65-$4.50) that tastes exactly as described. All regular coffee beverages can be served hot or over ice. Cosmos will also work with you if you prefer something not on the menu. Want a blended drink that’s a little less on the sweet side

but with chocolate? Done. All the coffee is provided by Café Moto, using organic and Fair Trade products.

The drinks aren’t the only standout. Cosmos also has a food menu with everything

served all day including break-fast. Most every-thing is served with a side of chopped fruit. Standout items include their gourmet grilled cheese sandwich (cheddar cheese,

bacon, sunflower seeds, tomato for $6.50) and black forest ham panini ($6.50), served to you piping hot. It’s also best

to keep an eye out on their specials listed on at the counter, such as their pepper jack turkey quiche. Savory egg custard envelopes spicy

cheese and chunks of turkey; it will easily become a favorite and is made on the

premises.But food doesn’t

mean much if the service isn’t friendly. This is the place

where you will want to become a regular.

People, both customers and counter help alike, are

easy going and are there for the casual atmosphere. Couches, tables and bar stools are scattered around this shop where you can peruse the internet or enjoy art on the wall created by local artists. There is even more seating

la mesa tracks doWn GraFFiti By Jeremy Ogul

Graffiti pops up in nearly every commu-nity, but in La Mesa it is unlikely to stick for more than a day or two thanks to the commu-nity’s aggressive approach to graffiti removal.

As of early September, police had tracked just over 1,200 separate graffiti incidents, or tags, throughout the city since Jan. 1.

A single incident could be as small as someone taking a Sharpie to a utility pole or as large as a three-foot painted image on a wall.

This year’s number is substantially lower than the number at this point in 2012, which was 1,787 incidents. That works out to a drop of nearly one-third in the last year.

“La Mesa does a phenomenal job of getting people out there to report it quickly and getting it cleaned up quickly,” said Sgt. Matt Nicholass of the La Mesa Police Department.

Some of the reduction is due to arrests that police have been able to make with the help of Graffiti Tracker, Nicholass said.

Graffiti Tracker is a software tool that helps law enforcement agencies throughout San Diego County coordinate their efforts to track graffiti tags and prosecute suspects for their graffiti across multiple jurisdictions. The software allows police and volunteers to upload photos with loca-tion data, helping police link similar names and designs to individual suspects.

A couple years ago, Graffiti Tracker helped La Mesa snag a juvenile suspected of tagging the name “Boston” on at least 71 different occa-sions. The suspect was charged with felony vandalism.

The software costs the city about $1,500 a year. The city has won around $8,000 in resti-tution so far, he said.

Nicholass said most of the tagging activity is probably not related to gang activity or drug sales.

“People tag for different reasons, so everybody’s a little bit different,” he said.

In some areas, tagging is a way of communicating with friends or fellow artists. There is an element of competition in seeing who can get the most tags out and keep them up the longest.

“They’re basically getting the tag out there to get recognized,” Nicholass said. “It’s almost like a source of prestige to be able to see your own tag.”

There are also no particular spots of the city that get hit especially hard with graffiti, Nicholass said. It just depends on where the tagger lives and how far they are willing to travel.

The graffiti tags can show up on just about any surface, but most often they are found on utility boxes, signal poles, sidewalks, street signs and bus benches.

In some parts of the city, vigilant neigh-bors are particularly helpful in controlling graffiti. Karl Metzler, for example, personally paints over any graffiti he sees in the area of El Cajon Boulevard, Nicholass said.

The police department also relies on the assistance of its Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol (RSVP) program to address graffiti wherever it crops up.

Jo Wittrock, an RSVP volunteer for the past 19 years, goes out every Tuesday for six hours to catalog and remove graffiti all over the city. Wittrock and her patrol partner drive

a city vehicle equipped with most of the tools needed to remove graffiti.

Sometimes the team can do 30 to 35 tags a day.

“I like to get the city clean,” said Wittrock, a retired teacher soon to be 82 years old. “It’s rewarding in the fact that

you’ve done something for your community.” Despite a few dozen committed volunteers,

the number of seniors involved in the RSVP program has declined by nearly half over the last few years, Wittrock said.

She encouraged any senior who has the time and the will to join RSVP. For more infor-mation on the program, call (619) 667-7592 or visit the La Mesa Police Department in person.


Cosmos Coffee Cafe8278 La Mesa Blvd. La Mesa, CA 91942

(619) 698-4217

CosmosCoffeeCafe.com

Boo! Parade, from page 4La Mesa ReadsBy Heather Pisani-Kristl, Librarian

Greetings from the staff of San Diego County Library’s La Mesa branch. Kids are back in school and extracurricular schedules have solidified, so now is a great time to create a family library habit. We hope you’ll all stop in to enjoy story-time or borrow some of the latest books, movies and music appearing on our shelves.

New York Times bestselling author and Oprah favorite Wally Lamb publishes his next novel, We Are Water, this month. Addressing the timely topic of gay marriage, the novel takes place on the occasion of artist Annie Oh’s marriage to Viveca, a renowned art dealer. But this is no simple wedding: Annie’s past is freighted with 27 years of marriage, an ex-husband, three children, and dark secrets. Her family must come to terms with Annie’s childhood before they can move on to the next chapter. This intense read should be very satisfying for those who liked She’s Come Undone.

Also new on the scene in October is The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, the author who wowed the literary world with her first novel, The Secret History. In the first chapter, Theo Decker, a troubled 13-year-old, is visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his mother. He doesn’t know that this is where his life and family will be shattered and reformed beyond his imagi-nation. At the center of the novel is an underworld of stolen art and a Dutch masterwork called “The Goldfinch.” Tartt publishes a novel approximately every 10 years, so anticipa-tion is high for this title.

In many households, anticipation is also rising for Thanks-giving dinner next month. If your recipes need refreshing, it’s not too early to raid the cookbook section at the library. The How to Cook Everything books by Mark Bittman are highly recommended; more ambitious cooks may find challenges in the Gourmet cookbooks by Ruth Reichl. Families hosting vegan or gluten-free guests will find many cookbooks at the library that address the needs of special diets.

The La Mesa Branch library is open seven days a week. We invite you to stop in to one of our many programs, browse our collection, and let our staff know how we can assist you. And if you come by on Halloween, you may receive a special treat!

And while Finnegan looks forward to this year’s BOO! Parade, don’t expect to see her on the sidelines. “My job is to make sure everything runs smoothly,” she said. “As you can imagine, a parade route of over one mile along a main corridor in San Diego takes a lot of people to execute. We have over 200 volunteers, two staff members and five hired contractors to pull this off every year. Add that to the nearly 1,000 people actually in the parade and about 10,000 watching it, and I have my hands full,” she said.

The BOO! Parade starts at 10 a.m. Oct. 26 on El Cajon Boulevard and 59th Street. The route travels east along El Cajon, crosses College Avenue and concludes at Aragon Drive. For more information, visit www.collegeareabid.com/boo.

SERVICE CLUB

CALENDARLa Mesa Woman’s Clublamesawomansclub.orgEmail: [email protected]: (619) 466-4362Meetings: second Wednesday each month at 7 p.m., third Monday each month at 1 p.m.

La Mesa Sunrise Rotary Clublamesasunriserotary.comEmail: [email protected]: (619) 644-7146Meetings: Friday, 7:15 a.m.

La Mesa Rotary Clubwww.lamesarotary.orgPhone: (619) 465-2477Meetings: Wednesday, noon

Lake Murray Kiwanis Clublakemurraykiwanis.orgEmail: [email protected] Meetings: first and third Saturday of the month, 7:30 a.m.

La Mesa Lions Clublamesalionsclub.comEmail: [email protected]: Manny Demetre, treasurer (619) 462-2742Meetings: noon to 1:30 p.m.

Optimist Club of La MesaMeetings: Wednesday, 7:15 a.m.For more information, contact Brice Lockwood at (619) 463-5648.

Soroptimist International of La Mesawww.silamesa.orgMeetings: First and second Thursday of each month, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.

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Grossmont High, from page 1

Stevie HarriS

bares his soul By Jen Van Tieghem

To say La Mesa resident Stevie Harris has soul is an understatement. The man’s speaking voice alone is at once powerful and soothing. Whether playing to a packed crowd or an intimate bar room, Harris brings the utmost passion to every performance.

As frontman for The Styletones, Harris commands the stage, dancing and singing in his signature white suit and sunglasses. In his three-piece funk/soul band, Stevie and The Hi-Staxx, he picks up a Flying V electric guitar and experiments with nuances of the blues. Further stripping down his sound, he also performs solo gigs. This different side of Harris displays raw, emotional power as he croons original songs.

“I’ll Tend Your Flowers” is one of Harris’ most intoxicating and delicate numbers. While he recorded the song with horns and a full band, as a solo tune, the song finds new life, delivering a powerful message.

Harris was born to perform. He is natu-rally at ease on stage with or without a band. With a flash of his wide grin, his charm draws listeners in as he launches into each mean-dering tune.

Harris now performs acoustic solo shows at Seven Grand (3054 University Ave.) every third Thursday night at 9 p.m.

La Mesa Courier sat down with the multi-talented song man from his musical inspira-tions to his fashion sense.

La Mesa Courier: What is your musical background?

Stevie Harris: My uncles and aunts were the hot Cleveland group in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, The 7th house. They opened for The Supremes, Temptations, Aretha, and The Ojays. I came up singing with them at Grand-ma’s house. I was on Cargo Records a billion years ago as an acoustic singer songwriter. The album is called Pebble. And with the band Conglomerate, [He also did] an album called Armeghetto. In the Bay area, I was part of remarkable current – toured in Africa and Morocco. We did modern R&B and hip hop. … Now I’m back in San Diego in The Styletones, Hi-Staxx and still [doing solo] acoustic. I guess I’m still [doing] modern-ish stuff with Slasher Mary. Maybe things don’t change.

LMC: Is your approach as a solo artist different from performances with the Hi-Staxx or The Styletones?

SH: My approach is spiritual. Solo is the purest part of my practice. I’m about the melody and lyrics and acoustic soul is all that.

My mindset is more personal, relaxed, honest. My vibe is softer. I feel still afterwards.

LMC: Who are your biggest influences vocally and otherwise?

SH: Jeff Buckley is my singing guitar-player hero. Lightning Hopkins reminds me of my folks in Cleveland and South Carolina, cultural grounding. Bobby Womack. I can name every member of the E-Street Band. Bruce Springsteen – the early songwriting is spectacular and he was lyrically ripping off Bob Dylan. The idea of a rock star being a sexual political spiritual force I get from Bob Marley and Fela Kuti. I fall far short of all that, got cool hats though.

LMC: Where did you get your well-dressed tendencies from? Is getting dressed up part of your performing ritual so-to-speak?

SH: It’s a lot of things. The pimp and the preacher wear suits, jazzmen, bluesmen. One Thanksgiving in Cleveland my family and I were at a restaurant and we were dressed up. The other patrons weren’t. I asked my Aunt Kay, ‘Why?’ And she said it was part of our tradition. My father used to have a burglary ring, where they stole clothes to have fashion shows for rich drug dealers. So clothes have some mysterious meaning in my life. I’m aware it’s a shield – cool clothes can be a safe place.

LMC: Wow! A burglary ring? Did your dad ever go to jail for those things? Is there anything about that criminal element that inspired your music?

SH: I’m inspired to tell my story so we can see what we have in common. My dad did 13 years for murder. All the male members of my family have been in the penitentiary, which points to a culture that funnels black men into desperate situations, which lead to jail. That background gives my music an awareness of the whole culture, the dog eat dog reality and this arty first world place I call home now. Art has saved me from robbin’ and hurting people to survive, whereas my family has always been in poverty and strugglin’ in the hood. The fact that I can sing and write has given me kinship in a more comfortable bubble, privileged art culture, but my mind and heart express where I’m from and my cousins uncle, aunts, nieces, and nephews still are. My background isn’t that different from any number of gangster rappers, but for some reason I was given an acoustic guitar and developed a broader social consciousness.

It’s interesting being part pimp, part Buddha, part Joni Mitchell.

coming in to make you happy while you’re learning.”

The old portables were small, they smelled funny and the air conditioning did not always work, she said.

Principal Dan Barnes said the arrangement of the old portable buildings spread students out across the campus.

“This building brings them together,” he said.

The cost of constructing the Humanities Building was about $16.75 million, according to district officials. Funding came from the state of California and Proposition U, a $417 million General Obligation bond that voters approved in November 2008 to modernize campuses across the district. The district has spent close to $200 million of the bond so far.

Construction on the Humanities Building began in November 2011 and finished last March. Teachers began moving into the classrooms over the summer.

At a dedication cere-mony Sept. 10, district offi-cials welcomed the Humani-ties Building and thanked everyone who helped make it happen, including architec-ture firm LPA, Inc., general contractor Riha Construction

and the voters who passed Proposition U.

“It’s really something to see a building of this size added to this campus,” said Grossmont Union High School District Superintendent Ralf Swenson. “This campus is the flagship of our district.”

Karen Manns, English teacher and Grossmont alumna, delivered a poetic ode to the new building.

“The Humanities Building – a symbol of our enduring effort to tie the past to the present,” Manns said. “As we dedicate this building to the future generations of Foot-hillers, we remain grounded in the neighborhood, holding to the bonds of friendship and the Grossmont pride for life. To thee our highest striving. All hail blue and gold.”

Another four tennis courts are under construction in addition to the six new tennis courts that opened last year.

Construction continues on other upgrades to the campus, including a Career Technical Education facility for auto-motive technology located adjacent to the Humanities Building. The auto shop will have three service bays.


Pykles, from page 6

Pykles has ceased being a family business. Craig’s youngest son, Toby, has started working with his

dad, and Luke Russell’s son, Steve, after selling the Casa de Oro store, returned to customer service at Pykles. “He knows plumbing parts better than anybody in this county,” said Craig. “Now the sons [of Howard and Luke] are back together.”

Pykles also continues to offer its customers the same personal service it did years ago, said Craig. “We still accom-modate our old customers who have old parts, and we’re the best when it comes to knowing old parts,” he said.

And while Pykles retains knowledge about older parts and models, the business is still moving in a forward direction. Stepping into the main showroom, there are several high-tech baths and showers on display, including a Whirlpool tub with six Whirlpool jets, a push-button LED control panel, built-in radio and marine-grade sound speaker.

The company is also offering a special on low-flush toilets and installation to help customers take advantage of the rebate offered by San Diego Water Authority.

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An opportunity to buy local and fairBy Nancy Ryan and Anne Pacheco, Co-Chairs La Mesa Fair Trade

A wide variety of high quality, fairly traded items will be available at a La Mesa gift faire scheduled for Oct. 13, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enjoy samples of Fair Trade certi-fied ice cream, (Ben and Jerry’s) and coffee while perusing gift items such as handmade baskets, jewelry, clothing accesso-ries, and an abun-dance of gift items. Also available for purchase will be Fair Trade chocolate, coffee, tea, bananas and soda.

Here is an opportunity to join the many thousands of today’s consumers who are inspired to add “socially responsible” to their shopping list. To purchase

a Fair Trade certified product is to make a difference. The desig-nation signifies that artisans and farmers in the poorest areas of the world have received fair,

livable wages for their product or ingredients.

In addition, certain standards must be met in the production process. These include protecting the environment,

building economic sustain-ability, and providing opportu-nities for education and health care for families. Young children are protected from forced labor.

Awareness of Fair Trade is growing in San Diego County and well as in La Mesa. Many

vendors will be participating in the gift faire. Among them are: Around the World Gifts, The Purpose, Seven Hopes United, Malia Designs, Cool Beans Chocolates, Café Virtuoso, The Tomorrow Project, The Guatemala Project, Serrv and VavaVida.

Fair Trade advocates were at the Sustain La Mesa fair Sept. 7.

Cosmos, from page 12

Witches, from page 11

outside available for café customers, prime for people watching and enjoying the day.

Cosmos doesn’t do anything unique or groundbreaking, but their dedication to working with local providers and ingredients

whenever possible is admirable. The bread used in their sand-wiches is from Bread & Cie while the cookies

and pastries come from San Diego Desserts. Cosmos is a business that gives back to the community while providing the essentials to a productive morning.

Cosmos Coffee Café is open early and hours vary. Live music is featured on Friday and Saturday nights.

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

dried herbs, and pendu-lums, Starcrafts doubles as a meeting place for witchcraft classes and psychic readings.

Starcrafts owner Teresa See said there are many misconceptions about Halloween, witchcraft and paganism in general.

The roots of Halloween reach back to the days of pagan festivals welcoming the darker half of the year. The traditions of masks, costumes and pumpkins originate from that time. Many modern pagans refer to Halloween by its old Gaelic name, Samhain (pronounced like “saw-wen”).

Samhain is one of the two times of year during which the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is the thinnest, See said.

“For us it’s a day to honor the dead in our families,” See said.

Some carry on the tradi-tion of a silent supper on the night of Oct. 31. For a silent supper, you cook all the favorite foods of the person you’re honoring. Then you sit at the table in silence, inviting memories of the person to be with you, See said.

“It’s a time when we embrace the spirits of those we’ve loved,” See said. “It’s kind of a somber celebration, but it’s certainly not scary.”

That said, pagans still enjoy the fun of main-stream Halloween traditions, including trick-or-treating

and horror movies. “Usually when I’m giving

out candy I’m wearing my witch’s hat,” said Heather Garber, a friend of See’s and a fellow pagan.

Not everything about the stereotypes is inaccurate, though. Magic, spells and communicating with spirits are all very much a part of the belief system of the witches of La Mesa.

Both See and Garber call themselves “kitchen witches.”

“I do a lot of practical magic,” See said.

What exactly does that mean?

“You can think of magic as directed prayer,” See said.

You petition the source – whether that is a god or something else you believe in – and you ask for help with something specific. Usually there is something like a candle to focus the energy of the spell, and then you thank the source, she said.

As kitchen witches, See and Garber use spells to help with their cooking. Garber likes to use it to come up with new cookie recipes, for example.

Asked whether magic can be used to harm people, See said it is possible, but it is highly discouraged.

“Most of us believe that what you put out comes back, so you’d rather focus on the light than the dark,” she said. “My grandmother always said

that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do something.”

Starcrafts opened in La Mesa in 2006 after See and her husband purchased the business from its previous owner in Ocean Beach, where it had been open for 10 years.

“This community has embraced us, even people who don’t walk the path,” See said.

It is difficult to esti-mate the number of witches, pagans and heathens in the area because there is still a stigma attached to those identities, Garber said.

“Not everyone can be open about it,” Garber said. “I’m still in the broom closet with my mom.”

However, See estimates there must be thousands of people who identify with paganism or Wicca in the San Diego region alone, judging by the number of people who subscribe to Starcrafts’ social media outlets.

As for the popularity of paganism, See said everyone comes to the path, as they call it, in different ways, but most want to connect with nature and most do not believe in evil spirits or the Christian concepts of Satan or hell.

“We believe you take personal responsibility for everything you do,” See said. “I think that appeals to thinking people in this day and age.”

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La Mesa Fair Trade Gift Faire

Sunday, Oct. 13 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

St. Martin of Tours Parish Hall7710 El Cajon Blvd., La Mesa

96 degrees in the shadeExhibitors, volunteers and attendees

braved 90-plus-degree weather at Harry Griffen Park Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Despite the hot weather, exhibitors and volun-

teers at the environmental festival, “Bringing Green to the Table,” sustained their smiles, helping everyone become more environmen-tally aware.

Second Chance had her re-evaluated and it was determined that she needed surgery. They paid for every-thing, which was easily $1, 500,” Gieseke said.

Second Chance Rescue keeps an up-to-date website with photos and a brief bio of each dog written by their foster parent as well as an easy-search option. That is how Gieseke came across the website when she did a Google search for rescued dogs in San Diego. She was particularly interested in finding a young female Chihuahua mix; she found what she wanted right away.

When adopting or fostering a dog for the first time, there is always the chance that it won’t be a good match, partic-ularly if there is another dog in the house. Gieseke was well aware of this. When she brought Zoey into her home, it took about four days for the jealousy between the two dogs to subside.

“Of course, I fell in love with Zoey within the first ten minutes, so those four days were painfully uncomfortable. Reassurance for both of them and tons of attention individu-ally seemed to satisfy them. And now the two are bonded,” Gieseke said.

What sets Second Chance apart from other rescue orga-nizations, for Gieseke, at least, is that they are constantly having adoption events all over San Diego, including the Petco in La Mesa. These events provide good opportunities for canine companions to meet each other and consider either adoption or fostering.

“I I haven’t fostered and I don’t think I could. It would be too hard when the time came to give them up,” Gieseke said.

Debbie Riggs, who is the Foster Coordinator for Second Chance, has chosen to foster

several beagles for the past two years.

“My passion is beagles so I try to make sure we get as many beagles from the shel-ters as possible. A lot of people don’t want to foster beagles because they are barkers, but I don’t mind,” Riggs said.

“I would do anything for a beagle and have always loved beagles since I was a kid,” she said.

The organization takes dogs from shelters and owner surrenders and even dogs from Mexico. Riggs said that Second Chance rehabilitates and teaches the dogs what they need to know to be social as well as give them all the vaccines they need and handle any medical issues they have. They are also micro chipped.

“Our vet bills are outra-geous at times, and we rely on donations and our adop-tion fees to help pay these vet bills,” she said.

All of the foster “parents” and people that work at the adoption events are volun-teers. Most of the people who foster are flexible on what type of breed they can take in.

“If it were not for them we would not be able to save as many dogs as we do. I work in the office and see almost every dog that comes through and see what they are like when we first get them to how they look and behave when they leave us for their forever homes. It quite amazing to see how different a dog acts once it is given some love,” Riggs said.

Second Chance Rescue is one of San Diego’s largest and most successful non-profit 501(c)3 organizations dedi-cated to saving homeless dogs. The organization is always looking for volunteers who love dogs. Check the website’s calendar at www.second chancedogrescue.org.

second Chance, from page 8

Foothiller Footsteps, from page 9

helped Lynn, Connie, Paul, and James dust, inventory, and organize by decade all of the 504 trophies and plaques in the band room.

Homecoming on Oct. 18 is a wonderful time for you to expe-rience in person another one of Grossmont’s traditions of excel-lence by visiting the Band Room and attending the football game to see them perform!

For more information, contact [email protected], call (619) 668-6140 or visit www.foothillerfoundation.com.

save these dates:Friday, Oct. 18: Homecoming

4 p.m.: Dedication of Foothiller Friends and Founders Endowment Fund Commemorative Tiles

5 to 7 p.m.: Visit the Museum and experience this year’s Roaring '20s theme of “The Great Grossmont,” with a Carnival, a Haunted House, and the Food Trucks!

Friday, Nov. 1: 2nd Annual Retro Helix Football Game, with players from the 1951, 1952, 1953 teams present


jacket to their costume depart-ment. If you are interested in donating or selling your large size jacket, contact Steve Rolf at the theater by (619) 988-5483.

And finally, we invite you to the Excellence in Educa-tion Tour, a one-hour tour and program during which we will share our vision of excel-lence in education. Do you know that Helix’s educational program focuses on college preparation for all students? Do you know how Helix’s test scores and other data compare to some of the top schools in the county? Have you heard from Helix students about how Helix changed their lives? Are you interested in becoming involved to help Helix meet the objectives of its mission and vision? Join us for a program that highlights the history, goals, accomplish-ments, and needs of Helix Charter High School. Tours are offered throughout the school year. Upcoming Tours will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 8 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and Thursday, Oct. 24 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. starting in the Helix library.

We welcome your questions and comments. Contact me at [email protected].

Highlanders, from page 9

JazzWednesdays – Gilbert Castellanos Jazz Jam at Seven Grand. Free. 9 p.m. Seven-GrandBars.com. Wednesdays – Jazz with Kice Simko and Friends at Riviera Supper Club. Free. 9 p.m. www.rivierasupperclub.com. Fridays – Sam Johnson Jazz Group at Cosmos Coffee Cafe. Free. 3 to 5 p.m. Cosmos CoffeeCafe.com. Saturdays – Jazz with George and Alan at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. www.SanDi-egoDesserts.net.Saturdays – Douglas Kvandal with the LiveJazz! Quartet at the Amigo Spot at the Kings Inn. Free. 7 p.m. www.king-sinnsandiego.com.Oct. 11 – Sure Fire Soul Ensemble at Riviera Supper Club. Free. 9:30 p.m. www.RivieraSupperClub.com

CLassICaL Oct. 4-6 – A Carnegie Hall Preview at Copley Symphony

Hall. $20-$96. Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m./Sun. 2 p.m. www.SanDi egoSymphony.orgOct. 11-13 – Gershwin’s An American in Paris at Copley Symphony Hall. $20 – 96. Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m./Sun. 2 p.m. www.SanDiegoSymphony.orgOct. 18-19 – Bill Conti “at The Academy Awards” at Copley Symphony Halls. $20-$85. 8 p.m. www.SanDiegoSym-phony.org

aLterNatIVeOct. 5 – Jesse LaMonaca and The Dime Novels, Oh, Spirit, and Mrs. Henry at The Griffin. $8. 9 p.m. www.TheGriffinSD.com

PoPTuesdays – Suzanne Shea at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. www.SanDiegoDesserts.netFridays – Nathan Welden at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 p.m. www.SanDiegoDesserts.netOct. 12 – The PushPins at San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room. Free. 7 p.m. www.SanPasqual-Winery.com Oct. 25-26 – Get Groovin’ at Pal Joey’s. Free. www.PalJo-eysOnline.com

Bands, venues, music-lovers: Please email listings to [email protected].

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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 AdsLocal Classified 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 # ___________

BusINess oPPortuNItYWill your job alone allow you to live the lifestyle you deserve? Create wealth and long term residual income in a part-time home based business. Will train and help support you to success . Call 858-278-2120 (12/13)

For saLeoctober 12th come to 6584 Bonnie View Drive, San Diego, 92119. We will have Disney items, costume jewelry, tools, toys, clothes. (10/13)

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., 8:30-5:30 pm; Sat. 8:30-noon. Walk-ins or By appt., 619-644-3669. (12/13)

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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)

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Bathtubs and sinks refinished like new without removal. 25 years under same ownership. Lic 560438. Cory Tatz Bathtubs & Sinks Refinishing 619-464-5141 (02/14)

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] (12/13)

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Carpet Cleaning / truck-mount-steam (method) by Tim the Owner/operator. Call (619) 772-4764. I also clean tile & grout, sofas, chairs, mattresses, treat pet urine damage and control odors. (12/13)

dan Patterson 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. (12/13)

Mature Jill of all trades offering efficient home care services with affordable rates. Services provided include cooking, cleaning, laundry, organizing, pet care, errands and transportation to appointments. Call Charlotte Booth at 619-867-1272. (11/13)

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dJ-experienced. I will help you plan your wedding and reception, as well as play the music you want, and act as MC. $100 off regular fees for weddings in La Mesa or El Cajon. DJ Jim, 619-818-1266, www.discount-dj.com (09/13)

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La Mesa Courier

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

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

[email protected]

executive editorGenevieve A. Suzuki, Ext. [email protected]

ContributorsJeremy OgulCynthia Robertson

Graphic artistAleta El [email protected]

advertising ManagerBecky Suffridge, Ext. [email protected]

PublisherMission Publishing Group, LLCJim [email protected]

Circulation: 23,000. Published 12 times in 2013 and mailed to all addresses in 91941 and delivered to all single family homes in 91942 and at over 150 bulk locations through-out 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. © 2013, all rights reserved.

MeMBer

the November issue of the La Mesa Courier will be

published Friday, oct. 25. the advertising deadline

is tuesday, oct. 8.

California Newspaper Publishers Association

Letters to the Editor La Mesa Courier burns caloriesCould you please write a complete article all on one page? Here is what it took to read the August issue of the La Mesa Courier:

Start article on page 1Continue article on page 4Finish article on page 15Go back to page 1Continue article on page 9Continue again on page 16 then try and remember where you are to goOh, that’s right, back to page 1Continue third article on page 9Go back to page 1Continue fourth article on page 10Back to page 1. Oh, forget that we have to go to page 2 for 5th articleContinue 5th article on page 7Back to uh, page 2Continue 6th article on page 13Back to page 2, no make that page 3Continue 7th article on page 6Back to page 3, no make that page 4Wow, finished energy tips on one page. YEAH!Continue to letter from the editorContinue letter on page 16Back to page 4. Oops, the next article I already read.On to page 5Continue article on page 19Back to page 5, nope, make that page 6.Continue article on page 16Back to page 6Sorry, already read the next article. On to page 7Continue on page 19Back to page 7On to page 8Continue on page 13Back to 8

On to 9. Already read those two.On to page 10. Already read those.On to page 11. New record two complete articles on one page.On to page 12.On to page 13Continued on page 15Back to 13. Oops, already read those two articles.On to page 14On to page 15, already read those two.On to page 16, already read those three.On to page 17.On to page 18.On to page 19. Already read some of that.On to page 10. Just a big ad.

Wow. You will have to put that news-paper on heavier paper. I just wore out my issue trying to read it. Does anyone find this annoying? Your content is great; it is just too much work to read it.

Jerry KayLa Mesa

Note from the Editor: First, I’d like to say thank you, Jerry, for reading our newspaper. It’s heartening to know despite the work you still made the effort to get through it. Second, I would like to offer you a glimpse into the newspaper industry, or at least the free community newspaper industry: As a free publi-cation that is solely supported by our advertisers, we do what we can with the space we’re allotted once ads are laid out. Then, because we really want you to see our whole newspaper, we jump stories so you can see other articles as well as offer-ings by our advertisers. It’s not a perfect system by any means, but it’s a system that allows us to keep bringing you the La Mesa Courier for free.

Coyotes jump the fenceAfter reading your [September 2013]

article on coyotes I would like you to let your readers know that the roller bars on top of your fence do not work. At consid-erable expense I had them installed after having lost a pet in my back yard, and I watched the coyotes climb up and down with the roller bars not stopping them at all.

Shirley BreedenLa Mesa

The Courier welcomes letters under 150 words in length, but may not print them all. Letters may be edited for clarity and length. Name, address and a phone number are required. (Only the name will be shown.)

option of having in-home euthanasia. The veterinarian will perform your pet’s transition at your home so that you can keep your pet as comfortable as possible in his/her own surroundings. This also gives all human family members and any other animal companions their chance to say good bye to their friend. This can be very important as other pets will sometimes search for their disappeared friends for days or even weeks if they are unable to see and smell them pass “over the rainbow bridge”.

Although it’s hard, when the time comes, the most loving thing you can do is to let them go.

Sari Reis is a Certified Humane Education Specialist and the owner of Mission Valley Pet Sitting Services. You can reach her at (760) 644-0289 or www.missionvalleypetsitting.com.

euthanasia, from page 8

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Lic #348810

remodelPlUmbinG


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


2044 VISTA HERMOSA WY, EL CAJON • SOLD AT $730,000 1680 PRIMROSE DR., EL CAJON • SOLD AT $738,000 8830 MARIPOSA ST., LA MESA • SOLD AT $470,000

4413 UPLAND ST., LA MESA

©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. CA BRE # 01767484

PacificSothebysRealty.com 8310 La Mesa Boulevard, La Mesa, CA 91942 • 619.337.1700

pleased to announceWE ARE

Joe Southwick & Cheryl Southwick-Gleghornhave joined Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty.

It takes extraordinary sales associates to maintain our brand vision of artfully uniting extraordinary homes with extraordinary lives.

JOE SOUTHWICKCA BRE #00915292

619. [email protected]

CHERYL SOUTHWICK-GLEGHORNCA BRE #01928674

[email protected]


la mesa courier - october 2013

Documents

new building

new school year

new humanities

new shoes

new backpack

new rule

new notebooks

year organizers