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www.MidCityNewspaperGroup.com Vol.1 No. 3 - Octoboer 2015

Bates Nut Farm Sept. 24-Oct. 31Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center has been a Pumpkin Patch staple in San Diego for decades (the Bates family has owned the farm since 1921). Bates has plenty of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, tractor hayrides, a straw maze, pony rides and a petting zoo. Time/Place: See website for schedule / 15954 Woods Valley Road, Valley Center, CA 92082 Contact: (800) 642-0348/ http://batesnutfarm.biz/ce-12074-the-pumpkin-patch.html

The Haunted Hotel Sept. 25-Nov. 1Spine tingling, heart pounding effects that are so real they will keep you screaming for your life as you try to find your way out.Time/Place: See website for schedule. / 424 Market, San Diego

Contact: (619) 231-0131 / www.hauntedhotel.com

The Haunted TrailSept. 25-Nov. 1Enter the mile long Trail through the twisted grove of pines and gnarled oaks. Visitors watch your back!Time/Place: See website for schedule. / Balboa ParkContact: (619) 231-0131 / www.hauntedtrail.net

The Scream ZoneSept 25-Nov. 1A year-to-year favorite is the House of Horror, along with our newest attraction known as KarnEvil, and the Haunted Hayride.Time/Place: See website for schedule. / Del Mar FairgroundsContact: (858) 755-1161 / www.thescreamzone.com

16th Annual Oma’s Pumpkin Patch Sept. 29-Oct. 31Oma’s Pumpkin Patch offers fun for the whole family. The child admission includes a Jack Patch pumpkin, a bottle of water, covered hay rides, a hay bale maze, petting corral, kid-powered games and sand pile with toy trucks & tractors.Time/Place: See website for scheduleContact: www.omaspumpkinpatch.com/RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns Oct. 2-25Come see more than 5,000 hand-carved illuminated jack o’lanterns created by professional artists and sculptors arranged in creative ways along a 1/3-mile scenic walking trail.Time/Place: See website for schedule. / San Diego Zoo Safari Park: 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, EscondidoContact: (516) 252-3392 / www.therise.org

OCTOBER HAPPENINGS In and Around San Diego!

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR

Megan’sMessage

Megan Beauvais, Realtor®

CalBRE #01426805Ascent Real Estate

Choosing a homeowners insurance policy is an inherent part of the home buying process. Clients

and friends seem to have so many questions about what they should look out for. I have listened to my audience and since you asked, I want to deliver!In speaking to my trusted insurance adviser, BethAnn Alitt with Alitt Insurance Agency whom I have known for many years, she gave me a great list of “Do’s and Don’ts” when it comes to choosing an insurance company and policy. According to BethAnn, here are important things to look out for…A big do is: DO understand your coverage!A big don’t is DON’T be under-insured. DO’s :DO get the proper coverage for your home. Older homes need specialized coverage (such as increased building codes and coverage tailored to replace vintage home characteristics such as coved ceilings, lathe and plaster walls, built in cabinetry, custom milled wood working...which is often found in our particular area).DO let your insurance agent know when you are starting a renovation, remodel or add something such as AC or solar panels. These may need to be added and coverage adjusted to provide adequate coverage.DO pick an insurance agent that can shop different carriers for your insurance. There are many carriers and some specialize in niche markets and can offer coverage tailored for such things as an older home, a home with a brush or wildfire exposure, a home with restrictive dog breeds, condos, etc. No carrier does every policy the same and some are better than others for what you may need.

DO know the difference between what is considered a FLOOD and what is not. The FLOOD definition for insurance is HUGELY different than the regular definition. EX: your water heater breaks and your home is ‘flooded’ with water. This is NOT considered a FLOOD for insurance purposes. This is a non - weather water loss, and would be normally covered under a regular home policy. EX 2: there is a huge downpour and water is streaming down your street. It comes onto your property and into your home, ‘flooding’ the home. This IS a flood under the insurance definition. However, for this to be a covered loss, you need to have 1) FLOOD insurance and 2) the water needs to damage 5 acres or more. If only your home is damaged, there would be no coverage...even with FLOOD insurance. DO know the difference between earth movement and an earthquake? Earth-movement is not a covered loss under any regular or EQ policy. Earthquake is covered under an EQ policy. An earthquake policy will also have a separate deductible and different coverage amounts than your regular home policy.Dont’s:Don’t skimp on your home coverage. Homes are usually the biggest investment a person or family makes. Get the best coverage you can and perhaps get a higher deductible to offset the premium. The higher the deductible the lower the overall cost. It is better to pay a $5000 deductible and have included the correct amount of let’s say building codes coverage, than to pay a $1,000 deductible and have to pay $20000 or more out of pocket for the extra coverage you didn’t carry as you felt it was too much money. A deductible is a set amount ($1k, $1500, $2500, etc) but the cost to repair a home that does not have the proper coverage can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.Don’t skimp on liability. Protect your assets. The cost difference between $100,000 and $300,000 is about $45 annually. If you have a liability claim, and are under-insured, the other party can sue you, garnish your wages, attach a lien on your home and make the rest of your life miserable. Get good coverage. Don’t assume something is covered. Ask if you are unsure. Earthquake, flood and mortgage insurance are NOT included in a standard home insurance policy. These are extra!Always be sure to choose an agent that will fully explain your coverage. Insurance is difficult to understand and in my personal experience Beth Ann has always done a great job in explaining my coverage. If you have questions or would like more information give me a call! I would love to put you in touch with Alitt Insurance Agency, Inc.

John Royal and is wife moved to Talmadge in 1998 from Allied Gardens, where John grew up. They moved here pre-kids and have been enjoying raising their two boys in this eclectic, diverse community. They live in the only Victorian in Talmadge,

which was moved to its current site in 1947 from Cortez Hill. On raising a family and how he enjoys quality of life in Talmadge, John states, “Talmadge offers an environ-ment where people seem interested in fostering neighborly relationships with each other. I also find that the eclectic surroundings provides people an opportunity to be free to do whatever they want architecturally, making our surroundings so interesting. Everyone seems to embrace that freedom, as compared to a cookie cutter neighbor-hood where all the floorplans and house colors are the same.” When their children became school aged, they learned of school options through other Talmadge parents and ultimately participated in a lottery at 4 schools through the Choice program. Their children have attend Benchley Weinberger(a tuition-free magnet school through the

San Diego Unified School District, with a focus on global media and artistic communication) in San Carlos, and their oldest is now at Lewis Middle School (John’s Alma Mater). They have been extremely pleased with the education, friendships developed, and experiences their children have had at both schools and find them both to be an easy com-mute from Talmadge.John is self-employed and owns Royal Environmental Services (RoyalEnvironmental@cox.net, 619-985-6363), which provides environmental consulting to commercial property owners with redevelopment and environmental compli-ance needs. John and his wife have been involved in many committees over the years including the Block Party Com-mittee (his wife is a past Chair of the committee and an ongoing avid supporter, and John has served as a committee member and a co-chair throughout the years), and he also volunteers with Talmadge Patrol, is a TMAD past chair and current elected member, and volunteers scheduled Saturday mornings with the Patrol eradicating graffiti in the alleys. In his free time (at 5:30 in the morning) you can find John running in the neighborhood and occasionally at the Mud Run at Camp Pendleton. If you see John out and about the neighborhood, please say “hi”! You are sure to be greeted with a hearty “Hello”!

HOT OFF THE PRESS! THESE TWO PROPERTIES WERE JUST LISTED

Luxury canyon retreat tucked back in Serra Mesa, and updated & maintained like no other. Come see the

difference!1800esf, 3bdrms/3baths + Living & family rooms!

Contact Megan Beauvais, Ascent Real Estate at 619-944-2798, or at Megan.B@cox.net for more

Vol 1. No. 3 - October/November 2015

2 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | 3

BUSINESS4 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Pink and White Nail & SpaSetting new standards in cleanliness and customer service

To the delight of business folks andresidents of North Park, the Pink andWhite Nail & Spa opened at 2660North Park Way on July 17. The com-ments that immediately popped upon Yelp tell it all:

“Best all-around customer serviceEVER. I enjoyed my complimentarychampagne as I got my mani/pedi byKim in their EXTREMELY comfort-able spa chair. She did an awesome joband made sure I was satisfied with mynail design that she free-handed beforeshe let me leave. Their prices are rea-sonable and my experience makes itwell worth every penny. They also offerfree Wi Fi service to their customers. Iwill definitely be coming back heremore often.” — Helene L., San Diego.

“I’ve been going to a nail salon inPoint Loma for years but since thisplace opened up near my house Idecided to give them a try. I have tosay that on top of having the bestdecor and environment of any salonI’ve been in over the years, they are allabout the EXPERIENCE!

“Kim did my gel nails and she didsuch an amazing job on top of beingextremely friendly and easy to talkwith. The others there were offeringme hot neck wraps and something todrink. They offer complimentary cof-fee, wine, & even beer! While the pricesare a little more expensive than myother salon it is well worth it for theEXPERIENCE! I will definitely begoing back and bringing my best girl-

friends to have our nails done whilesipping on some wine and beer! Ihighly recommend this salon and lookforward to going back again soon.” —Kristina M. San Diego.

Six family members and one friendteamed up about a year ago to makethis five-star spa dream come true:cousins Linda and Vivian Nguyen; sis-ters Thuy and Kathy Nguyen; brotherKhang Nguyen; and family friend GerVang.

Linda and Vivian are managing thespa with the vision of setting a newlevel of standards in cleanliness andcustomer experience; challenging allother spas and salons to rise to thathigher level.

Linda, 32, brings a corporate back-

ground and knows how to makeemployees happy; Vivian has 20 yearsof experience in the salon business andknows how to make her customershappy.

“Through our partnership we areable to fulfill our passion: to treat ouremployees and customers right, to sethigh standards and to keep our spaspic and span,” said Linda.

Cleanliness and health are their pri-mary concerns. “We clean with hos-pital-grade solutions. We take everyprecaution to make sure our cus-tomers don’t get any infections,” saidVivian, who keeps up with all trademedical information.

“When you come through ourdoors you won’t smell chemicals. Weuse organic products and the highestgrade acrylic powder, with no harmfulingredients.”

For young kids they use Piggy Paint,a water-based polish with no harmfulchemicals.

Vivian, who was born in Vietnam,went through esthetician training 20years ago and has continued to learneverything she can through tradeshows, trade journals, advanced classesand experimentation, and she gener-ously shares her knowledge.

“Most nail technicians and salonowners don’t share their skills oradvice with others for fear of losingcustomers,” said Vivian. “I don’t thinkthat way. I want my employees toknow everything I have learned so

they can give the best possible experi-ence to my customers. And I want mycustomers to know what sanitationstandards to expect and how they cancommunicate with nail technicians forthe best results if they go on to othersalons.”

For Vivian and Linda, sharing theirskills and knowledge came fromexamples set by their parents. Linda’sand Vivian’s fathers are brothers, partof a family of Vietnamese boatpeoplewho found their way to San Diego inthe early ’80s, bringing with themstrong family values.

In a new country, much differentthan the one they came from, “Welearned to love and help each otherand share our love with others. Toremember where we came from, tovalue people who come from differentplaces. To be thankful to have a placeto call home. To never forget thepower of money that goes very far tohelp people from third-world coun-tries,” said Linda.

Their parents instilled in them thatwhatever they have and whatever theyshare will come back to them in healthand happiness. “For me, if I make adollar, I don’t want to spend that onedollar just for me, I want to spend itto help other people, too,” said Vivian.

To this end the salon has selectedtwo cancer-related organizations astheir charities to support, giving 2 per-cent of the October income to theSusan G. Komen Research and 2 per-cent of November to Children’s Hos-pital Foundation. They want to giveback and let their customers know thatthey aren’t just here to make a quickdollar.

Over the last 20 years Vivian hasdeveloped a loyal following. She hasclients who come to her regularly fromArizona, Del Mar, Fallbrook, Temec-ula, Anaheim, San Francisco, Walnut

Creek, and even England. On YELP, Antonette B. of San Diego

says, “So happy Vivian runs this place!Been with her no matter where she isfor 10 years now! I drive all the wayfrom Oceanside just for her. The salonis super clean, classy, and definitelyrelaxing. V always puts her customersfirst and that’s what she trains every-one here to do. And they serve wineso you can enjoy your ‘me’ time.”

Vivian’s success also comes from herawareness of her clients. “I can tell alot about my clients just by looking atthem when they walk in the door. Ilook at their skin tones, their hair, theirmakeup and what colors they arewearing. What mood they are in. Wemight talk about what colors they havein their closet,” said Vivian.

All of these things tell her what’sgood for them and ensures they arehappy when they walk out the door.

Unlike many personal-serviceproviders, Vivian encourages her cus-tomers to be “picky.” That way sheknows what her customer wants. She’salso not averse to telling a customerthat their choice of colors isn’t the bestfor them.

She also wants them to set aside anhour and a half for their appointment,giving them plenty of time to enjoy thespa experience and leave relaxed andrefreshed. “Life is crazy. Just think ofthis as a mini getaway,” she said.

SPA services include manicures andpedicures; Selfies (facials); Lashes; “MeTime”; “For Him”; Waxing; and “Pedi-cures and Pampering,” a 2.5-hourexperience with just six openings persession.

For more information on servicesand special events, see pinkandwhite-nailspa.com.

To reserve your experience, call(619) 550.5830

Theresa Carter from Del Mar, a cus-tomer who has followed Vivian aroundfrom one salon to the other for sevenyears, stands with Vivian Nguyen andLinda Nguyen.

A large array of polishes for sale.

Practicing nail designs.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DELLE WILLETT

In the smallest towns, bustling cities, andeverything in between, citizens lament losinga sense of community and local character.Meanwhile, national chains and online mega-stores continue gaining market and pushingindependent businesses to the margins in manysectors.

This trend is considered symptomatic of ourloss of community orientation, but could italso be a primary cause? And what are the eco-nomic costs to our communities as absentee-owned corporations displace locally-ownedbusinesses?

Of course, we usually choose to do businesswhere we perceive the best value for our timeand money. But in an age where we’re bom-barded with thousands of cor-porate advertisements daily,perceptions may differ widelyfrom reality. The unrelentingemphasis on cheapness aboveall other values leads manypeople to overlook the valuesindependent businesses pro-vide us, both personally andin our communities.

The disappearance of localbusinesses leaves a social andeconomic void that is palpableand real — even when it goesunmeasured. And a commu-nity’s quality of life changesin ways that macroeconomicsis slow to measure, or ignorescompletely.

Local officials often fall forthe seductions and politicalappeal of national chains andmay even use public funds ortax rebates to lure them.They’re baited with promisesof jobs and tax revenue, but they often fail toconsider the greater losses that occur when thelocal business base is undermined. A chain“superstore” may boast of creating 300 newjobs, but numerous studies indicate they dis-place as many jobs as they create.

And when communities like Barnstable,Mass. studied the fiscal impact of chains, theyconcluded such development actually costsmore taxpayer dollars to support in safety andservices than the community would reap. Inother words, when new big box chains cometo town, expect to pay more taxes soon.

But what about all the new sales tax revenuethose chains bring? That, too, is largely illusory.Unless an area is growing rapidly, retail spend-ing (especially for mass-produced items foundat the chains) is a relatively fixed pie. For exam-ple, the most thorough study of Walmart’simpact on existing retailers (by Dr. KennethStone of Iowa State University) found that 84percent of Walmart’s sales simply shifted dollarsaway from existing local (including somechains) retailers.

Economic Value of Independent BusinessesIndependent local businesses employ an

array of supporting services by “buying locally”themselves. They hire architects, designers, cab-inet shops, sign makers and contractors forconstruction. Local accountants, insurancebrokers, computer consultants, attorneys,advertising agencies help run it.

Local retailers and distributors also carry ahigher percentage of locally-produced goodsthan chains, meaning more jobs for local pro-ducers. In contrast, a new chain store typicallyis a clone of other units, eliminates the needfor local planning, and uses a minimum oflocal goods and services. A company-ownedstore’s profits promptly are exported to cor-porate headquarters.

That’s simply good, efficient business for

them, but not so good for our communities.Dollars spent at community-based merchantscreate a multiplier in the local economy, mean-ing that from each dollar spent at a local inde-pendent merchant, 2 to 3.5 recirculates in thelocal economy compared to a dollar spent atchain-owned businesses. This “local multipliereffect” means shifting more local purchasingto independent businesses is a key tool for cre-ating more local jobs.

Ensuring Choice and DiversityRetailers sift through competing goods and

services to find those appealing to their cus-tomers. Though a single local shop likelystocks a smaller selection than can be foundonline or at large chains, a multiplicity of inde-pendent retailers creates great diversity. Whenthousands of shops serve the preferences oftheir customers tastes (and reflect differentowner’s interests), marketopportunities are created for awide variety of goods and ser-vices. As fewer giant corpora-tions dominate production, dis-tribution and sales, a fewexecutives and buyers choose

what reaches customers. Maintaining Community CharacterWhen we’re asked to name our favorite

restaurant, cafe, or shop, it’s invariably a uniquelocal business. Your local paper’s “Best of” pollis proof. Those businesses define our sense ofplace, but we often forget their survival dependson our patronage. Local owners, typically hav-ing invested much of their life savings in theirbusinesses, have a natural interest in the com-munity’s long-term health.

Community-based businesses are essentialto charitable endeavors; their owners frequentlyserve on local boards and support numerouscauses. Yes, some chains give back to towns inwhich they locate, and not all local businesses

are exemplary models. However,the overall impacts are clear:locally-owned businesses play akey role in our community thatchains rarely do.

Despite the dismal trends, acounterforce is building. Morethan 85 communities havelaunched Independent BusinessAlliances — coalitions of localbusinesses, nonprofits and con-cerned citizens uniting to sup-port local entrepreneurs andprevent the loss of community-rooted businesses. Thesealliances typically facilitate grouppurchasing, joint marketing,political advocacy and ongoingpublic education campaigns.They’ve succeeded in a diverserange of communities and aredriving major shifts in local cul-ture and spending.

In some communities, cham-bers and downtown organiza-

tions unafraid to promote buying locally fromindependents fulfill this role, too. The successof such community organizations bodes wellfor a growing Localization Movement that isreawakening people to the value of local self-reliance and cohesive communities.

But for long-term progress, a conceptualchange also is necessary. We must consciouslyplan that future with rules encouraging thevalues we want reflected in our communities.And each time we spend a dollar, we woulddo well to weigh the full value of our choices,not merely today, but for the future we wantfor our home towns.

The author, Jeff Milchen, co-founded the firstIndependent Business Alliance in 1997 and co-directs the American Independent BusinessAlliance (AMIBA).

SHOP LOCAL MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | 5

The Benefits of Shopping and Buying Local Ask Dr. Z

What causes menstrual cramps and whatcan I do about them?

The uterus is a very large and powerful muscle,and when it contracts, it stimulates the nerves in thepelvis and it registers as pain. When the hormonesdrop to low levels at the end of a menstrual cycle, itstimulates certain chemicals that cause inflammation,which in turn causes the uterus to contract. Thesechemicals are cytokines and prostaglandins. Theseare the same chemicals that can cause fevers, and arestopped by anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen oraspirin. One sure fire way to help cramps is what Icall the “rule of 3” — 3 standard 200 mg Motrin(Ibuprofen), 3 times a day for 3 days. If you start atthe beginning of the cramping, it should keep it at aminimum without stopping it altogether.

What are warts and how do I get rid ofthem??

Warts are a viral infection of the skin that causesthe skin to grow around it in a protective shell. Itcauses a type of callus surrounding the center virus.It makes blood vessels grow in the center to feed it,which is why the center is dark. Because it has a niceball of skin that protrudes, ones on the feet can hurtjust like walking with a rock in your shoe. The way toget rid of it is to destroy the skin that surrounds itand the blood vessels that feed it.

Dermatologists can cut it out, but most of us canhandle it at home. Freezing the skin can work, butusually takes multiple applications of the chemical.You have to freeze all the skin around the wart, andusually that means when you see a flash of whitespread out from the freezing applicator. Because youhave to freeze UNDER the wart to get rid of it com-pletely, you have to freeze through layer after layerevery few days until you are at the bottom. You canuse variations of salicylic acid also, to burn it off. Thisis the Compound W method. Gel and the discs workbetter. These take longer (up to 2-3 months of dailyuse) but hurt less. Duct tape is reported to work, butthe mechanism is not clear — possibly a chemical inthe glue or the fact that a layer of skin comes off withthe duct tape when it is removed daily may be thetrick. In the old days they would rub it with a cutpotato and then bury the potato — but don’t counton it working!

Dr. Tara Zandvliet welcomes your questions. Send themto questions@ southparkdoctor.com. She practices at2991 Kalmia St. Phone: (619) 929-0032.

BY JEFF MILCHEN

NEWS6 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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ADAMS AVENUE NEWS

UCSD-Led Consortium Awarded $13 Million For AutismStem Cell-Based Technologies

The National Institutes of Healthhas awarded a five-year, $13 milliongrant to a public-private research con-sortium to develop and disseminatestem cell-based technologies and assaysto study autism spectrum disorder andother mental health diseases.

Gene Yeo, an associate professor ofcellular and molecular medicine at theUC San Diego School of Medicine,and a founding member of the Insti-tute for Genomic Medicine, is princi-pal investigator on the project.

Other collaborators include AlyssonMuotri and Larry Goldstein, both ofthe UCSD School of Medicine; Shelley

Halpain of UCSD’s biology depart-ment; and Edward Callaway of the SalkInstitute for Biological Studies. Gold-stein is also director of both the UCSDStem Cell Program and Sanford StemCell Clinical Center, with which fourof the five academic researchers areaffiliated.

Human induced pluripotent stemcells generated from patient tissue pro-vide a promising cellular resource forunderstanding genetic and cellularvariation in ASD and related disordersbecause they harbor individualgenomic patterns of variation thatcontribute to or cause these disorders,

the consortium noted in a statement.However, these cells often generate

variable findings due to additional dif-ferences in the genomic makeup ofpatient cells. The San Diego researchershope to overcome these limitations byfirst introducing disease-relevantgenomic variations into a singlegenomic background, then replicatingthese technologies across different labsbefore they are considered robustenough for public distribution.

“The idea is to build computationaland molecular tools and cellularresources that are open source, acces-sible, give reproducible results, and are

fundamentally useful to stem cell sci-entists,” Yeo said in a statement.

Private partners in the consortiuminclude Fluidigm and Becton Dickin-son’s BD Biosciences unit.

“Single-cell methods are key to cre-ation of standardized stem cell-basedtools to meet critical mental healthneeds,” Robert Jones, chief technologyofficer for genomics at Fluidigm, saidin a statement. Jones also noted thatthe Yeo lab was one of the first test sitesfor Fluidigm’s C1 single-cell autoprepsystem, which led to the establishmentof a single-cell core facility at the San-ford center.

Honors for OLP’s Emily PippinDirector of communications and marketing winsa 40 Under 40 Award from SD METRO Magazine

Emily Pippin, the director of com-munications and marketing for theAcademy of Our Lady of Peace, is thewinner of a 40 Under 40 Award

presented by SD METRO Magazine.The awards, presented annually,

honors outstanding San Diegans fortheir work in business and in the com-munity.

A graduate of San Diego State Uni-versity, Pippin has established a socialmedia presence for the school, createda quarterly magazine, managed anddisseminated online communications,planned engaging networking eventsand acted as the communications rep-resentative for outside media outlets.

Pippin is on the cutting edge of hergeneration, pursuing the paths less

traveled within the world of digitalcommunications. She is always helpingstudents with available extracurricularopportunities as well as assisting themin securing scholarships.

As a graduate of OLP, she achievedmany accolades as a stellar student. Shecontinues her legacy as an employee ofSan Diego’s only Catholic, college prepschool for girls.

Pippin works closely with the SanDiego community in her daily jobduties. She plans, manages, and pro-motes a wide variety of events for thelocal community. She also ensures thatthe successes of both OLP and theinnovative and intelligent youngwomen of OLP are shared with the SanDiego community.

Gene Yeo, associate professor at the UCSD School of Medicine, is the principalinvestigator.

UCSD Medical Center

Pippin with the AOL administrative team. Emily Pippin

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | 7

M A D E I N A M E R I C A

“Art Belongs to Everyone,” the slogan ofBalboa Park’s Mingei International Museum,already sets the tone for the visitor.

Its objects are not lofty and royal, overlydelicate, nor commented on in hushed voic-es. In fact, the newest exhibit, “Made in Amer-ica,” which opened Sept. 19 and will run untilFeb. 21, 2016, is seen as an opportunity tostart a conversation.

Iconic art and craft works are on display,one or more from each of the 50 UnitedStates, representing the richness of the Amer-ican experience. The collection calls out theneeds and resources of different regions ofthe country, as elemental materials are pairedwith fine workmanship and imagination.

Viewers identify and take pride in objects“that belong to them,” created in and for theirhome state.

Rob Sidner, curator of the exhibit, con-tacted historical societies in various states,researched artists, and rediscovered the iconiccraft pieces they have crafted over the years.The idea for the collection had been on hismind for several years after a trip to Hawaii

when he was captivated by the beautifulwood used to gracefully shape the oarsused for outrigger canoes. He realizedthat every state could be represented bycrafts that evolve from the “ingredients”within that state: the people’s interestsand values, needs, and materials

The Mingei hasalways valued artthat is exemplary inform and function.Explicit in the “Madein America” galleryare a squash blossomnecklace from Ari-zona, a Tiffanybottle vase fromNew York, the FiveArctic Shamansbelt from Alaska,and cowboy bootsfrom Texas. Walk-ing through the collection is to take a journeyacross the United States, a crash course ingeography ,history, and anthropology.

Great variety is seenamong the crafts; some areuseful, others serve no realpurpose, some are tradition-

al, others contemporary. Thematerials and the objects

breathe imagination. Considerthe cowboy boots styled in

ostrich leather, a few steps awayfrom a doll made of bone, and

further on, Dale Chihuly’sCelestial Blue Basket Set,which is actually made of

glass. In the objects created from

grass, silver, clay, wood, horn, andcotton, one sees items thatdelight and amuse, like thechair made of cattle horns,and an Amish Crib Quilt , notbaby blue or pink, butsomberly pieced together of

black and gray cloth.The “Made in America” exhibit highlights

a national spirit and unity, much like the

“Buy American” movement of past decades.It reminds us of the significance of the hand-made, individually created art piece, madefrom indigenous substances and meeting therequirements of perhaps just one individual.Contrast these craft icons with products ofthe Industrial Revolution, mass-produced,futuristic, touted as time-savers to make lifeeasier.

The Mingei International Museum is freeto San Diego County residents every thirdTuesday of the month. Outreach by themuseum extends to school and seniorgroups. Members enjoy many fine specialevents such as educational lectures and pro-grams. Experience Café Mingei and themuseum store to enhance your visit, andalso see what’s on view on the ground floor.

At this time, a unique and charming col-lection of hand-carved walking sticks is ondisplay just beyond the museum lobby. So,venture a guess — what craft is iconic of yourstate? What materials were used to make it?To find out, visit Mingei. You will be richlyrewarded by the experience.

Walking through the Mingei exhibit is to take a journey across the United States

by Susan Taylor

Rocking Chair, walnut ebony, 1996. AltaLoma, Calif. Gift of the Sam and Alfreda Mal-oof Foundation for Arts and Crafts and the

Herb Hafif Family Foundation.

Celestial Blue Basket Set with Carbon Lip Wraps. Glass. Dale Chihuly. Seattle,Wash.

Algonquin Wedding Basket, Billie Ruth Sudduth. North Carolina. (Photo byKen Condo)

Favrile bottle-shaped vase, blown glass,1902, New York. (Photo by Lytnon Gardiner)

MUSIC8 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

“What if I was born for greatness?What if I am really more than I think I am?What if mediocrity was never in the stars for meAnd miracles and wonders was the planFor the average man?”

These lyrics from the song “Average Man” by LosAngeles-based singer/songwriter Ray Davis, exem-plify the theme of the second annual San Diego Con-scious Music Fest to be held at the Unitarian Uni-versalist Church, 4190 Front St., San Diego, on Nov.14.

Presented and organized by San Diego’s UniversalSpirit Center, the Music Fest has grown into a day-long event with conscious vendors, a countywideConscious Community Choir, a Young Voices song-writing contest (see sidebar for more information)and an evening concert featuring some of the biggestnames in conscious music. Every facet of the eventis centered on themes of positivity, happiness, per-sonal growth and expanding our creativity to makethe world a better place.

Organizers of the event promise that you’ll leavethe event feeling happier, refreshed and motivatedwith creative ideas to transform and enhance yourlife and to bring positive energy to your relationshipsand daily activities.

“So what is conscious music?” is a frequent ques-tion, according to Annette Ridenour, one of the co-producers of this event.

Says Ridenour: “Conscious music includes allmusical genres. What makes this music unique isthat the lyrics are based on messages of love, peace,unity and personal evolution. No matter what sortof music you enjoy, the lyrics of conscious musicuplift you and raise your vibration. That’s why whenpeople ask what kind of music this is, we tell themit’s the soundtrack for a happier world.”

Among the featured artists for the concert are KarlAnthony, Nathan Aswell, Ray Davis, Gary LynnFloyd, John Foltz, Peggy Lebo, Faith Rivera, TeriWilder and The Yes Team. Most are Southern Cali-fornia-based but are also well known nationally andinternationally.

Some of these singer/songwriters have a popsound to their music and some have a soul/R&Bgroove. Others have a country feel and some fallinto the category of the “world music” genre. There’ssomething for everyone, and all with a message ofpositivity and hope.

If this year’s event is anything like previous con-certs, the audience spends a lot of time on their feet.And everyone leaves feeling uplifted and happy.

Schedule of the day’s events:1-5 p.m. — Free afternoon fest with live music

stage featuring Joe Rathburn and friends, food, andconscious vendors.

5-6 p.m. —Young Voices winners and ConsciousCommunity Choir performances. $10 adults, $5 chil-dren under 12. Free if you have a ticket to the eveningconcert.

7-10:30 p.m. — Conscious Music Fest Concert.$40 (includes admission to Young Voices and Con-scious Choir performances).

“This day is dedicated to celebrating the power ofconscious music, as an energizing way to commu-nicate a positive vision for a world that works foreveryone” according to Deva Vani, co-producer andmusic chair of the event.

“Our vendors’ offerings also reflect that conscious-ness and a commitment to healthy living,” says Vani.“Vendors such as Edible Alchemy will be selling rawfood deserts and artists like Kara Church will presentworks that reflect a connection to spirit. Simply put,it’s a day full of joy.”

“Sponsoring the Music Fest again this year is ourgift to the community. We know that the joy, loveand connectedness expressed through these talentedmusicians are messages for everyone to experience,”says the Rev. Kevin Bucy, senior minister at UniversalSpirit Center, an interfaith, spiritual center locatedin Hillcrest for 14 years.

“We are also very honored and excited to haveother ‘New Thought’ centers joining us as sponsorsthis year. We all share in the desire to uplift andinspire, not only our congregants but people every-where with this music,” added Bucy.

Sponsor centers are: First Unitarian Universalist,Vision Center for Spiritual Living, Hilltop Centerfor Spiritual Living, The Unity Center, OM Centerfor Spiritual Living and Seaside Center for SpiritualLiving.

Ten percent of Music Fest proceeds will go to sup-porting music programs in San Diego public schools.

For additional information or to purchase ticketsgo to www.consciousmusicsd.com, send email toinfo@consciousmusicsd.com or call Annette Ride-nour at (619) 980-2544.

The San Diego Conscious Music Fest Raising the vibration with music

Young Voices Songwriting ContestA new addition to the San Diego Conscious Music Fest

The San Diego Conscious Music Fest isincluding a focus on youth this year, witha youth songwriting contest that encour-ages young people, ages 16-22, to expresstheir creative energies through songs withpositive and uplifting messages in keepingwith the themes of the festival. Ten per-cent of the proceeds from the event willbe donated to supporting music programsin the schools. To encourage young musi-cians (ages 16-22) to consider writinguplifting and hopeful music, contest win-ners receive career-enhancing prizes likestudio and production time, a professionalmake-over, head shots and cash.

The Young Voices Songwriting Contest issponsored by Universal Spirit Center viathe San Diego Conscious Music Fest, ded-

icated to uplifting the human experienceand connecting people through the powerof music. The purpose of the contest is torecognize aspiring young singer/songwrit-ers whose creative work reflects the pos-itive trajectory that conscious music rep-resents.

What is Conscious Music? Conscious music contains lyrical contentwhich embraces the human experiencefrom an inclusive and loving perspective.It has a universal, positive message thatcan be spiritual in nature but is nondenom-inational. It covers all musical genre andbrings an awareness of the power of musicto uplift, inspire and heal. It speaks to thespirit living in all people desiring love,peace and unity. In short, it’s music thatmakes you feel good.

Winners of the contest will be announcedat the Music Fest.

The Yes Team

Gary Lynn Floyd

Peggy Lebo

John Foltz

Nathan Aswell

Karl Anthony

Ray Davis

BY LORRAINE IVERSON

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | 9

By Bart Mendoza

October 31Jagged-Edged Rock from No KnifeAnyone looking for non-costumed Halloween fun on Oct. 31st willwant to head to the Casbah for a show from one of San Diego’sindie rock leading lights, circa the mid-1990s — No Knife. The bandhasn’t released an album since 2002’s “Riot for Romance,” but theirangular, jagged-edged rock continues to be influential, retaining forthe band a loyal fan base while continuing to draw new listeners totheir music. The recordings No Knife left in their wake are wellworth owning, however this is an explosive group that rock afi-cionados need to experience live for full effect.casbahmusic.com

November 15Classic Hits from Squeeze at House of BluesThey may not be quite household names, but there is no doubtthat Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook are among the finesttunesmiths of the 20th century. As the founding members ofthe UK hitmakers, Squeeze, they have penned numerous hits,but this is a combo whose songwriting is so good that whereveryou dig into their catalog, you get gems. Performing at theHouse of Blues on Nov. 15 as an acoustic duo, Squeeze has anew album out, “Cradle to the Grave,” which will surely figurein the set list. However, expect the night’s biggest cheers to befor the band’s classics, from “Tempted” to “Is That Love?”houseofblues.com

October 28Horror Punk Icons The Misfits Visit The OfficeThe Office’s Under Cover series will have a special Halloween themeon Oct. 28 with a night dedicated to the music of horror punk iconsThe Misfits. Backed by an all-star band that includes guitarists GregHetson of Bad Religion and Daniel Crawford of Blackout Party, atleast a dozen of San Diego’s best known singers, including AndrewMcKeag of Uncle’s Joe’s Big Ol’ Driver and Chris Squire of Battalionof Saints, will perform such Misfit classics as “Night of the LivingDead” and “I Turned Into A Martian.” There are plenty of “tribute”shows, but each edition of Under Cover is a fast-paced unique event,full of musical surprises and is a heck of a good time.theofficebarsd.com

November 3Touches of Powerpop from Scott WeilandFormer Stone Temple Pilot Scott Weiland performs at the Music Boxon Nov. 3. The club date is a long way from his arena headlining yearswith the ’90s-era alt-rockers, but Weiland’s current music is cut fromthe same cloth, with touches of powerpop and glam rock temperingthe hard rock edges. A former San Diegan, Weiland has had his shareof controversy, obscuring what a good front man he can be and whata good songwriter he is. His latest album, “Blaster,” is full of solid,hook-filled rockers that would please fans of anyone from Jellyfish toCheap Trick. musicboxsd.com

November 11-14San Diego Music Thing at The LafayetteThe Lafayette Hotel will once again be the home of music andmedia conference San Diego Music Thing Nov. 11-14. Daytimesat the event are dedicated to panels and seminars, but theevenings are focused on showcase gigs at venues around thecity. While most are ticketed happenings, on Nov. 14, there willbe a free, all-ages show on Ray Street, with a stage at North ParkWay. On hand will be an excellent cross section of local artistsincluding folk duo Triumph of the Wild, quirky popsters EchoPark Social Club, powerpop favorites Super Buffet, Americanaduo Podunk Nowhere and singer-songwriter Brad Perry. If thelatter sounds familiar, it is indeed the same Brad Perry who canbe seen reporting for KUSI, here in acoustic troubadour mode,promoting his latest album, “Americana with Soul.”sandiegomusicthing.com

October 31Hills Like Elephants do the Talking HeadsPart of the fun in Halloween is the chance to indulge in a little makebelieve, transforming oneself into something new. On Oct. 31 thistheory will be applied to bands, when four of the area’s most popularcombos adopt the personas of their favorite artists, performing fullsets of their music. On hand will be Roxy Jones as Nine Inch Nails,Sleeping Ghosts as The Jesus and Mary Chain, as well as Wild WildWets with a left field pick, ’60s-era Dutch rockers, Shocking Blue,best known for their song, “Venus.” The night’s top set will be likelybe Hills Like Elephants’ take on the Talking Heads. The eccentricnature and adventurous rhythms of Talking Heads front man DavidByrne material such as “Psycho Killer” or anything off the “Remainin Light” album, make their set the highlight of what promises tobe a great night of music. sodabarmusic.com

10 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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San Diego State University’sDowntown Gallery will open anexhibition in November that exploresfemale identity from a global per-spective.

“Presence: Selections from theMatthew and Iris Strauss FamilyFoundation Collection” will include31 thematic selections — images ofwomen created by artists fromaround the world.

The exhibit opens Nov. 5 and con-tinues through Jan. 25, 2016 at the

SDSU Downtown Gallery, 725 WestBroadway. Hours are Thursdaythrough Monday, 11a.m. to 4 p.m.The gallery is open to the public andadmission is free.

The Matthew and Iris Strauss Fam-ily Foundation is recognized for itscompelling collection of internation-al, contemporary art. Incorporatingeither the female figure itself orwomen’s apparel as surrogate for thefemale body, the works in the exhibi-tion manifest a breadth of physical,

psychological, social, and politicalstates of being. Exploring this diver-sity of female identity with a varietyof media, “Presence” features paint-ing, printmaking, photography,installation, fiber art, and video fromArgentina, China, Britain, Italy, Japan,Norway, Pakistan, Sweden and theUnited States. Among the artistsincluded are Sam Taylor-Johnson,Sebastian Blanck, Asma AhmedShikoh, Faris McReynolds, and Uta-gawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III).

“Matthew and Iris Strauss areamong San Diego County’s mostimportant patrons of the arts,” saidTina Yapelli, director of the Down-town Gallery. “In addition to assem-bling an impressive private collectionof noteworthy international art-works, they have developed a FamilyFoundation Collection of similar cal-iber. Dedicated to educating the nextgeneration of art professionals andappreciators, the Strausses are com-mitted to lending works from the

Foundation Collection for exhibitionat university galleries and museumsin the San Diego region.”

Special Public EventsThe public is invited to a free

Opening Reception on Nov. 5 at 6p.m. at the Downtown Gallery. NoRSVP is necessary.

A special Exhibition Tour withMatthew Strauss is scheduled on Nov.19 at 6 p.m.

Matthew and Iris Strauss areamong the world’s leading art collec-tors and philanthropists. Founder andCEO of the M.C. Strauss Companyreal estate investment firm, MatthewStrauss has been a trustee of theMuseum of Contemporary Art SanDiego since 1987 and president of theboard of Trustees since 2013. Thetour is free and no RSVP is required.

Upcoming Exhibition “Energy: Made in Form”Feb. 4 through March 27, 2016

“Energy: Made in Form” isinspired by San Diego State Univer-sity’s current campus-wide CommonExperience theme of “energy.” Theexhibition will showcase the work ofstudents and faculty from the SDSUSchool of Art + Design, as well asregional artists such as Kevin Cooley,David Emitt Adams, and SDSUalumna Dia Bassett. Made in Formexplores the intangible concept ofenergy, visualized through the cre-ative process.

About the Downtown GalleryThe SDSU Downtown Gallery is

a part of the School of Art + Designwithin the College of ProfessionalStudies and Fine Arts at San DiegoState University, and creates animportant link between the univer-sity and the art community. Since2010, the Gallery has hosted a rangeof exhibitions highlighting regional,national, and internationally recog-nized artists working in all media.

ARTS12 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

SDSU DOWNTOWN

GALLERY

PRESENTS

Exhibit explores the female identity from a global perspective Sam Taylor-Johnson Self Portrait Suspended III 2004. Chromogenic print.Courtesy of the Matthew and Iris Strauss Family Foundation CollectionCopyright © Sam Taylor-Johnson. Photograph courtesy of White Cube.

ARTS MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | 13

With a title like “Meta.Morphosis,”the seventh annual ART SAN DIEGOContemporary Art Show will delveinto the artistic history of San Diego’spast, honors its present and gesturesconfidentally toward its future.

The show will run from Nov. 5-8 atthe Balboa Park Activity Center.

The theme will inform several of thespecial programs, including theLaunchPad Program, Art Labs, and theSpotlight Artist Program.

“ART SAN DIEGO remains com-mitted to providing unique exhibitionopportunities that integrate local artistsand institutions,” said Ann Berchtold,show founder and director.

In conjunction with ART SANDIEGO’s theme, the special exhibition,The Timeline Project, is a wall instal-lation measuring 120 feet long and 8feet high built by ECOR Noble Envi-ronmental Design, with the graphicdesign created by students fromthe Media Design School of DigitalArts at NewSchool of Architecture &Design.

ART SAN DIEGO will also featurea special exhibition by the 2015 SanDiego Art Prize recipients: Wendy

Maruyama with emerging artist PeterScheidt and Roy McMackin withemerging artist Kevin Inman.

The LaunchPad Program will fea-ture Brittany Segal, a San Diego-basedartist who studied fine art sculpture atThe Academy of Art in San Francisco.In recent years, her vast collection ofwork, including numerous commis-sions, has gained her significant recog-nition for her paintings and small,detailed drawings. Her work rangesfrom abstract oil pieces to acrylicgraphics works. Her drawings rangefrom purposefully yet hauntingly illeg-ible writings to intricate, small designs.

‘Meta.Morphosis’is the theme

ART SAN DIEGO Back Again‘Sin Titulo,’ oil and acrylic on canvas. Darian Rodriguez Mederos.

‘Mistress of Destiny,’ mixed media oncanvas. Luis Enrique Toledo del Rio.

‘Mistress of Destiny,’ mixed media oncanvas. Luis Enrique Toledo del Rio.

Maruyama shrine

‘El Gran Salon.’ mixed media on canvas. Andres Conde.

Thomas Hererra-Mishler gradu-ated from Eastern Michigan Uni-versity when other 18-year-oldswere graduating from high school.He holds a BA in Spanish languageand literature with a minor in busi-ness administration, and a MLA inlandscape architecture and regionalplanning from the University ofMichigan.

For 29 years Herrera-Mishler hasworked as a landscape architect andplanner on projects in theCaribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica,Spain and across the U.S. One of hismost notable projects is the masterplan for the Centro de ConservacionNational, the national zoo andbotanical garden of Costa Rica.

In 1991 when the economytanked, he got laid off from thenoted design firm of WallaceRoberts Todd, best known locallyfor the master plan for the OtayRanch in Chula Vista. So he and hiswife, Mercedes, spent a year volun-teering with the homeless in down-town Philadelphia.

That experience moved him intoa new career path in the nonprofitpublic landscapes sector, where heworked as community landscapearchitect for the Philadelphia GreenProgram and then the executivedirector of the Awbury Arboretumin Philadelphia, Airlie Gardens inWilmington, N.C., and the Mas-sachusetts Horticultural Society inBoston.

Most recently he led the BuffaloOlmsted Parks Conservancy’s inno-vative and uniquely successful pub-lic/private partnership with the City

of Buffalo to operate and restoreBuffalo’s historic Olmsted parks sys-tem, the nation’s first park system.He helped to secure over $30 mil-lion for capital improvement pro-jects toward the implementation ofthe park system’s visionary masterplan.

Fortunately for San Diego, Her-rera-Mishler’s career has landed himas the director and chief executiveofficer of the Balboa Park Conser-vancy.

Based on his past, Herrera-Mish-ler will be making his mark in thepark. He was named PreservationHero 2013 by the Library of Amer-ican Historic Landscapes and wasawarded the 2014 Gold Leaf Awardby the New York State ArboristsAssociation. The Cultural Society ofBuffalo gave him an OutstandingCommunity Leader Award in 2014.The Upstate New York chapter ofthe American Society of LandscapeArchitects named him OutstandingLeader in Landscape Architecture in2015.

“My whole career I’ve tried towork at the nexus of arts and cultureand public landscape, and usuallyone of those elements is missing andI have had to inject it. In BalboaPark, it’s all here. In spades,” saidHerrera-Mishler.

The Balboa Park Conservancy isa new and old organization at thesame time. It’s new because it wasfounded in 2012, and it’s oldbecause it merged with 94-year-oldBalboa Park Central (formerly theHouse of Hospitality), the organi-zation that included the House of

Hospitality, the Visitors’ Center andBalboa Park Marketing.

A non-profit 501(c)3 organiza-tion, the conservancy is responsiblefor raising funds, developing pub-lic/private partnerships and collab-orating with Balboa Park stakehold-ers to implement capital projects,address deferred maintenanceneeds, promote sustainability, andseek solutions to accessibility needsin the park. Balboa Park Conservan-cy operates as partners with the Cityof San Diego, which owns BalboaPark, and with other park stake-holders to carry out its mission.

“You always have to strike a goodbalance in a public/private partner-ship and it’s not easy, but they canyield amazing results,” Herrera-Mishler said.

When the esteemed landscapearchitect Samuel Parsons Jr., a pro-tégé of Frederick Law Olmsted,designed Balboa Park in 1901, it wasthought of as a municipal park toserve San Diego’s population of lessthan 50,000, not a destination parkthat would have 14 million visitorsa year as it does now, making it thefifth busiest park in the nation.

“What we have in some ways is apark that is being loved to death,”says Herrera-Mishler.

Balboa Park is accommodatingextreme levels of visitors on a dailybasis; but the park was neverdesigned to accommodate so many.

“We need to adaptively changethe landscape to handle the level ofvisitation while preserving theessence of what makes the landscapespecial, historic, unique,” said Her-erra-Mishler.

“As we address important ways toreconnect the park to the commu-nity, improve access, circulation andparking, we will be working togetheron huge things that are very expen-sive and are going to require federal,state and local government supportas well as major philanthropic sup-port. It’s going to entail all of usworking together to leverage thosefunds for what needs to happen hereto improve access and sustainabili-ty.”

What’s amazing to Hererra-Mish-ler is a sort of myth that Balboa Parkis done, and the reality is that it’s farfrom completed. “At the momentwe have just half a park out there,but it’s a great half,” he said.

Much of the east mesa and Flori-da Canyon have yet to be developedinto what the master plan calls for.Currently it serves unsightly tem-porary uses, and temporary useshave a way of sticking around, helamented.

It’s all very exciting to Herrera-Mishler that there are so many greatopportunities in the park; to take apiece of land that was so wisely setaside as parkland 150 years ago andmaximize its value to today’s popu-

lation.He is strongly in favor of fully

implementing the 1989 Master Plandeveloped by San Diego’s landscapearchitect and urban planner VickiEstrada of Estrada Land Planning.“It’s still evergreen; the goals of thatplan remain right on target. It’s oneof the best park master plans I havecome across, and I’ve seen a lot ofthem,” said Herrera-Mishler.

He believes that if the park wereto fully implement the master planand keep it maintained at a highlevel, the economic benefits to thecity would really be dramatic.

The conservancy is planning ondoing a lot of friend-raising, culti-vating folks who can support theorganization. One way of doing thatis to have a concrete thing to befunded, like restoration of theBotanical Building. “It’s a wonder-ful, tangible project; it’s a buildingthat just requires a new lease on lifeto be around for another 100 years,”he said.

Over the course of his career, Her-rera-Mishler says he’s had theopportunity to bring people togeth-er to dream big and make some ofthose dreams come true. “And that’swhat the conservancy is all about:connecting the park to the sur-rounding neighborhoods, makingsure it is sustainable in the long run,dreaming about the future andmaking it happen.”

Thomas Herrera-Mishler (whoprefers the Spanish “Tomas”) waspleased to find a career that coulduse his many skills. “I’m a reallypractical problem-solver but I alsohave a bit of design flair. I’m thrilledto have a career that I can not onlyenjoy but one that meets my family’sneeds,” said Herrera-Mishler.

Outside of work, he enjoys read-ing, gardening, and cooking healthymeals for his wife, Mercedes Her-rera-Rojas de Mishler, a retireddiplomat and award-winning artistfrom Costa Rica, and his daughtersElise (26) a toy designer and gradu-ate of the Rhode Island School ofDesign, Olivia (23) Director ofCommunications at Match A Resi-dent.com, and Sofia (14) a freshmanat Scripps Ranch High School.

Moving to San Diego from livingand working in the tropics andwater-rich Buffalo, Herrera-Mishleris looking forward to learning theCalifornia family of plant materials.He’s currently trying to keep 20 rosebushes alive and well in his interimhome in Scripps Ranch.

Herrera-Mishler says being acommitted Christian shapes hisview of the world. The son of mis-sionaries currently working in Xala-pa, Mexico, he says, “I’m always try-ing to follow the example of the guywho started my religion 2000 yearsago. It’s a really critical part of whoI am.”

BALBOA PARK14 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Balboa Park Conservancy’s New CEOThomas Hererra-Mishler entertains huge plans for a park that is still very much a work in progress

Tomas Herrera-Mishler in the park’s Botanical Building. He says only half of thepark has been developed.

BY DELLE WILLETT

BUSINESS MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | 15

The Grove Spreads its Branches

Susan Wells and Anne Mery didn’tknow quite what to expect when theyfirst opened The Grove at Juniper &30th a dozen years ago.

“When we first opened, we were theonly lights on the street at night,” saidWells. “Many store buildings wereboarded up. It was pitch black at night.We took a big risk.”

But the two business owners beganto feel the vibe of the neighborhoodas time went on — and the neighbor-hood began to feel their vibes.

The Grove — so named because ofthe many trees in the area and a ref-erence to the Celtic Tree Oracle, whichfeature trees significant in Celtic andDruidic mythology — has becomesucccessful as South Park has grownand changed.

There are not many empty store-

fronts anymore and the businessesthat have followed Wells and Mery aresingularly unique in the array of prod-ucts that they offer. They are an eclec-tic mix of independent boutiques,cafes and taverns.

Realizing that South Park haschanged significantly since 2003 —more people, higher demand for moregoods and services — Wells and Merydecided not long ago that The Grovehad to change as well — become moreattuned to the community’s desires.

“We agreed that a reconfigurationinto two storefronts made sense, forourselves, our vendors and our clien-tele,” said Mery.

The two new stores opened thismonth. Basically, the space was divid-ed into two sections.

Wells’ business in Suite A hasbecome South Park Dry Goods Co.

and features fibre arts (knitting,sewing and fabrics) merchandise andservices. It will be one of the featuredshops in the third annual San DiegoYarn Crawl Sept. 17-21.

Mery’s new business, West GroveCollective, features books, music,clothing, travel accessories, paper, gar-den and home goods. “We have alwaysbeen an emporium of several shops,and will continue that theme,” saidMery. West Grove Collective occupiesSuite B in the reconfigured 3010Juniper St. space.

“We want to pursue our passionsand focus on those passions in ourstores,” said Wells. “To zoom in andfocus on what we both love.”

For Mery, that would primarily bebooks. She has been in the book busi-

Susan Wells’ South Park Dry Goods Co. resembles a vintage drygoods store, which Wells said is ‘perfect for the neighborhood.’

South Park’s trendy emporium becomes two independent businesses

SEE GROVE, Page 16

Anne Mery and Susan Wells, proprietors of the former Grove at Juniper & 30th.

BY MANNY CRUZ

BUSINESS16 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

ness since 1991 and will move forwardwith more books and more events.

The growing trend toward onlinesale purchases of not only books butother gift items has hurt brick andmortar stores, but the growing aware-ness of the importance of shoppinglocal and supporting independentlyowned stores has been helpful to revi-talization of neighborhoods and SouthPark is the perfect example of that.

South Park has grown to become amajor destination, said Mery. “It’s beendiscovered as a great community inwhich to live, with great, independentshopkeepers, a go-to destination. Now,one destination will become two des-tinations.”

Mery’s West Grove Collective fea-tures multiple vendors, including twoclothing vendors. In addition, one spe-cial vendor — Soundship — is oper-ated by her son, musician ChrisBraciszewski. Soundship is a curatedlook into contemporary vinyl releasesalong with an emphasis on local label

discographies.Susan Wells’s passion is in natural

fibers, clothing and the like. “I love cre-ative, handmade things,” she said. “It’sa natural progression for me to focuson those things.”

South Park Dry Goods Co. resem-bles a vintage drygoods store, whichWells said is “perfect for the neighbor-hood.” “I will continue to carry fineyarns and a nice fabric collection butwill also focus on children’s crafts,drawing supplies and writing instru-ments,” said Wells.

Like Mery, Wells will have vendorsin her shop, all with expertise in theproducts that they will be offering.That will include three local jewelerswho will offer handmade jewelry.

Wells is excited about being part ofthe September San Diego Yarn Crawl,

which will feature 10 venues overfour days. The businesses are expectedto attract more than 800 visitors dur-ing the event. “We will have specialevents during the event to appeal toknitters and crocheters, and we’ll haveyarn tastings,” said Wells. “It’s all awonderful way to introduce people toSouth Park.”

GROVECONTINUED FROM Page 15

Anne Mery’s new business, West Grove Collective, features books, music, clothing, travel accessories, paper, garden and homegoods.

Handcraft Beauty The Make Good Store specializes in locally made merchandise

The Make Good Store is a local arti-san boutique overflowing with phe-nomenal talent. Owned by neighbor-hood residents Sophia and Jon Hall,this eclectic, home-grown everythingdepot is known for its diverse collec-tion of unique products crafted byartisans in San Diego and Tijuana.

Customers feast on an assortmentof quality handmade, one-of-a-kindart, wall-hangings, musical instru-ments, sculptures, jewelry, soap, vin-tage and new clothing, wood products,planters, furniture, and home acces-sories.

“Make Good specializes in recycled,upcycled, locally made, and one-of-a-kind goods,” explains Sophia Hall.“Make Good directs buyers to sellers;that is local artisans who love to hand-craft connect with those who appre-ciate handcrafted items.”

The concept of Make Good beganas dinner with family and friends“making stuff.” Discussions focusedon the artistic beauty of everything

handmade and the inaccessibility offinding handcrafted goods in SanDiego.

Gatherings quickly transitioned intosales events known as The HandmadeRevolution; an evening of local artistsand handcrafters selling their wares.The artisan COOP sublet the backroom of an ice cream store when nothosting home shows. Sophia and JonHall decided to “take the plunge intothe power of local” and opened MakeGood in 2010.

“Make Good benefits local artistsand the surrounding community,” saidSophia. “Shoppers find and fall in lovewith unique items while discoveringlocal talent. One-hundred percent ofour local artists salvage, reclaim, reuseand resource their materials from SanDiego and Tijuana. We believe thatSan Diego and Tijuana — our sister-city to the south — function as one‘Tijuego’ metropolitan region. Morethan 60,000 people cross the SanYsidro border daily, making it themost-crossed international border in

the world. Creatively and culturally,the artisans of the two cities transcendthe border so we decided to as well.”

According to Sophia, merchandiseis diverse, cool, out-there, yet cohesivewithin their ever-changing assort-ment. Artifacts are curated, not juried,based on the likes of the local climate.And the Halls personally know everyone of the more than 125 artists fea-tured at Make Good. “Every artist hasa story,” she said. “Whether it’s a yogateacher, a physicist or a single mom,we know who they are, the storiesbehind their work, and where theirmaterials come from.”

Sophia Hall said that Make Goodconsumers are aware of the power oflocal living systems. “We deeply valuehow locally-based businesses benefitthe local economy,” she said. “In fact,the American Independent BusinessAlliance reports that spending at Indieretailers generates four times morelocal economic return than spendingat chain retail stores.”

Make Good artists also have shops

on Etsy, a worldwide, online vendorfor everything handmade. “Etsy is ourdigitally-based kindred spirit and we’rehuge fans,” said Sophia. “People oftenremark that Make Good’s the brickand mortar equivalent of Etsy, a com-pliment we cherish.”

The Make Good Store recently won— by lottery — a $5,000 store remod-el from American Express OPEN plusan interior design consultation fromRue Magazine, an online LifestyleMagazine. Rue Magazine also hosteda “Meet the Maker Party” in honor ofMake Good’s commitment to localartists.

American Express OPEN champi-ons small businesses through its ShopSmall program designed to raiseawareness in supporting shops likeMake Good because they “write thestory of America.” Shop Small Satur-day, sponsored by American Express,awards its cardholders a $20 credit forshopping at local retail stores the dayafter Thanksgiving’s Black Friday. Jonand Sophia Hall worked diligently and

creatively to use every penny of theiraward money, and then some, to reor-ganize Make Good into an efficientand artistic venue.

“The American Express OPEN andRue Magazine makeover not onlystreamlined store clutter, it trans-formed the appearance of Make Goodwhich impacted the neighborhoodand ultimately the community. Thestory was a happening event thatbrought new customers not only toour boutique, but the stores andrestaurants around us.”

Jon and Sophia remain undauntedby the economic upheaval. “AlthoughJon and I opened Make Good in oneof the worst recessions America hasever seen, we’re thriving,” said Sophia.“People buy handmade not onlybecause of the quality of the artisticcraftsmanship, but because of theopportunity to give back to the localcommunity. Make Good is a labor oflove.”

Make Good Boutique, 2207 Fern St.(619) 563-4600.

BY LUCIA VITI

‘We deeply value how locally-based businesses benefit the local econo-my,” says Sophia Hall, owner of MakeGood.

The store recently won a $5,000 store remodel from Amer-ican Express OPEN plus an interior design consultation.

Some of the products sold by Make Good.

Will Gustwiller is living his dreamof being an artist, but not in the wayhe had first imagined. When he begana Masters of Fine Arts program at SanDiego State University 11 years ago,he had his eye on a career makingjewelry and metal sculptures.

Today, he creates what he calls edi-ble art at Eclipse Chocolate in SouthPark. The stylish shop on Fern Streetnot only creates confectionary gemslike basil absinthe, blackberry merlot,and goat cheese fig chocolate truffles,but is also an award-winning choco-late concept restaurant. With a fullbrunch and dinner menu, the bistrowon a Silver Fork Award from SanDiego Home/Garden in its firstmonth of business. “I have hand-written cards from guests who havesaid it was the best meal they’ve evereaten,” he says.

“We donate 10 percent of our netprofits to charity so we do a lot ofevents” both in the private diningroom at Eclipse and off-site, saysGustwiller. One of his most popular:the chocolate three-way in whichGustwiller matches his chocolate cre-ations with wine and cheese. “We also

FOOD & DRINK MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | 17

Will Guswiller is the confections king of South Park

SEE CHOCOLATE, Page 18

Sea Salt Caramel layer cake, topped with famous Eclipse salted caramels.

Box-of-Nine-Cupcakes A vanilla bean caramel latte made from Cafe Calabriabeans next to two popular chocolate bars.

William Gustwiller createsedible art at EclipseChocolate.

The Art of Chocolate BY JENNIFER COBURN

pair beer with truffles,” he says recall-ing an event that actor Aisha Tylercreated during Comic-Con withEclipse and Stone Brewery.

Gustwiller has come a long wayfrom his Ohio roots where he learnedabout making confections from hisgrandmother. “I grew up in a worldof casseroles from Campbell’s Soupand making candy from a lot ofmessy, processed ingredients,” hesays. His mother’s holiday fudgerecipe included Velveeta cheese,Cocoa powder, marshmallow fluff,nut, and sugar. “I would never eat itbecause I knew what was in it,” hesays. “Velveeta isn’t even cheese, it’sthis creepy cheese-like spread.”

Although he has always consideredhimself a foodie, it wasn’t until hewas at San Diego State that the ideaof creating “nouvelle chocolate”occurred to him. “As an art student,you are asked to consider and honorthe materials,” he says. With that,Gustwiller began creating recipes forchocolate truffles, pastries, cakes, andchocolate-based main courses usingonly high-quality, natural ingredi-

ents. At a recent Eclipse Chocolate three-

way event hosted by Adventures bythe Book, 40 women gathered to cel-ebrate the publication of a new novelby local authors Liz Fenton and LisaSteinke. Gustwiller served three setsof truffles, wine, and cheese, dis-cussing the ingredients, process, andpairing selection of each. He is asknowledgeable about wine andcheese as he is chocolate, flitting fromtable to table, answering every ques-tion from guests.

That doesn’t mean Gustwiller isabove grunt-work, though. He sayshe wears six different hats includingexecutive chef, chocolatier, andgraphic designer. “We are a small,gritty company with only 30 peoplemaking all of the chocolate and run-ning the bistro,” he says. As for hiscareer in the visual arts, he says, “Istill make sculpture in my free time,but curating a complete collection ofconfection, beverage, and diningmenus is what fascinates me most.”

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CHOCOLATECONTINUED FROM Page 15

Sure, highbrow foodies will love pumpkin muscovado and balsamic pinkpeppercorn truffles, but will these treats entice a less sophisticatedpalate. I took my teenage daughter Katie to Eclipse Chocolates for atruffle tasting on a recent Saturday night to find out. Here were someof her reactions: 

Hickory salted caramel — Oh my God, this is so smooth and gorgeous!The hickory works surprisingly well with the caramel. This is my favoriteof the sampling. A 10! 

Caramel pecan — This is so delicious, though I need to sip water betweenbites because it’s so rich.  I can definitely live with that!

Pomegranate sage — This has a strong berry taste that I love. Nice andsweet and smooth. This is great stuff! 

Champagne cherry — The cherry is nice and subtle and tangy and the dried cherry accent on top isamazing! 

Chile burnt caramel — Nice, this is really good…whoa, whew, it gets really spicy a few seconds afterthe first bite. This is like Mexican hot chocolate! 

Goat cheese fig — I can see how adults would like this, but I don’t think pepper should be on chocolate.Or goat cheese.  Yeah, this one is a little too grown up for me.

Basil absinthe — Whoa, boozy! I don’t think this is legal for a kid. It’s good, but it tastes like it took awrong turn into a bar.

Serrano salted caramel — Oh please never let this chocolate end! This is insane in all the best ways.

Katie’s Truffle Tastings

Katie Coburn O’Nell samples achocolate treat.

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