Fabio Marchi is not your typical politician; in fact, he's not much of a politician at all, and he's the first one to say it. In June, Marchi, a 48-year-old North County general contractor and …

The sound of a single gunshot startled residents of La Mirage, a community of apartments and townhomes overlooking Mission Valley, at approximately 1:15 a.m. on Thursday, July 30. The gunshot had reportedly come from a …

Bryce Canyon, with its magnificent, unique rock formations shaped by Mother Nature – what a great place to travel! Located near the southwest corner of Utah, Bryce Canyon National Park contains a mix of orange, …

For years, medical marijuana advocates have urged San Diego city officials to establish clear guidelines on the rights of medical marijuana patients. They lobbied the city for regulations on medical marijuana collectives and asked them …

In late May 2008, I woke up in my sister’s house in Indianapolis. I was getting ready to leave for the airport, and I saw a commercial on TV about visiting San Diego. The commercial …

Brian Campbell, 50, will spend the next couple of years in prison for a July 12 hit-and-run accident in Carlsbad, at which time authorities said he had a blood alcohol level nearly two times the …

Residents of Imperial Beach dig that laid-back Southern California beach vibe of the ’50s and ’60s. So much so, the town's logo has "Classic Southern California" written under an image of a "Woody" station wagon …

On Saturday afternoon, July 25, San Diego Police helped quell an unruly crowd on the main floor of the San Diego Convention Center. During an appearance of the cast of FX channel's It’s Always Sunny …

Bangkok is a bustling, balmy city that stretches along both sides of the Chao Phraya River. Thailand’s capital has much to offer; here are some recommendations on what not to miss (and what to avoid): …

Sitting in the mixing room of Archival Studios in North Park, the four members of Rats Eyes listen to two of the ten raw tracks they recorded the day before. There’s a discernible SoCal skate-punk …

Did you see the 2009 Mountain West Conference preseason media poll? TCU is picked to win the conference (a reasonable choice), BYU second, Utah third, and so on down the list — Air Force, UNLV, …

“Good morning,” said the woman at the marble lectern before the beginning of Sunday Mass at St. Therese. “Today and for the next four weeks, we will hear about Jesus Christ as our bread of …

What are you currently reading? “As usual, I’m reading too many books at once. I’m reading Lost by Jacqueline Davies — it’s a new YA [young adult] novel about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. I …

San Diego perennial Joey Harris comes from a no-frills school of rock with a strict curriculum of guitar-bass-drum, life-lesson lyricism, and a ’67 Caddy for a school bus. For this summer’s s/t Double Barrel release, …

When Badfinger appears at Humphrey’s HippieFest on Sunday, August 2, the band (discovered and launched by the Beatles in the late ’60s) will be fronted by the sole surviving member from its glory days, singer-guitarist …

Orange County–based promotion company Club Starz organizes weekly teenage dance parties. The event is booked into nightclubs on slow nights. The booze is put away but security is on duty, and the kids have a …

For Rob Hagey, founder and promoter of Street Scene, San Diego’s largest music festival, adding the Beastie Boys to the lineup on July 10 was an unexpected coup. “It was a nice surprise. They fell …

Thirty Years AgoMy personal critique of Hob Nob Hill: dinners are unimaginative and overpriced; an overkill of watercress (during the lettuce shortage) in their chef’s salads; no optional nonsmoker’s section; Dorothy’s forced, ingratiating greetings, alas, …

Golden Boots describe their music as “alt-alt-country.” They do have a vaguely country-ish vibe to their vocal harmonies, and some of their older material is no weirder than Wilco at their weirdest. But never mind …

Best not to go to the Good Asian Drivers expecting to hear the sassy pop in their YouTube video “I Kissed a Girl — The Real Gay Version,” because it’s not them. That’s not even …

Rise of the Speedmen began as Gene Padigos’s one-man stage show, featuring electronic prerecorded music accompanied live by various instruments, from guitar to synth, bass, and drums. “I got most of my gear with insurance …

Artist: ToxicanaSong: Vicious Cycle (from the CD Pandemia)Heard by: Rafael Gonzalez, San DiegoBasically, the music was pretty good, the lyrics made sense, and there was a good coordination between the music and lyrics — everything …

Recipe by Jay Payne, executive chef, Café Japengo. What really started me cooking was that both my parents worked, so my job was to start dinner. Many times I just ended up cooking dinner. My …

A handful of the people who post on the Reader website planned a get-together. I think it stemmed from one of them being in town from Washington state. They agreed to meet downtown at The …

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. — Bertrand Russell The stars were bright in Chula Vista — not desert-brilliant but dazzling enough when …

As the night dragged on, the four-year-old wailed with growing pains. The pregnant mama made her third trip to the bathroom across the campsite. Exhausted dad wrestled to find a comfortable position in the tent.... …

Dear Matthew Alice: I learned in school that the air moves like water. We were studying airplanes and how they stay up in the air and how the air moves over the wing like a …

THE MOST HATED MAN IN SAN DIEGO. From 1910 to 1912, Walter Bellon inspected San Diego’s waterfront, Chinatown, and the Stingaree district for the health department. If an owner failed to make basic improvements, the …

Everything about Glass Door makes it a delightful, entertaining restaurant — except the food. On the fourth floor of a new hotel in Little Italy, it’s a long, narrow room with a bar on one …

“Juanita’s Carnitas of Encinitas! Juanita’s Carnitas Encinitas!” This is Ted’s kid, chanting. Best way to get the carnitas tacos he loves. “Juanita’s Carnitas of Encinitas…!” “Ah, you mean ‘Little Jane’s Little Meats of Little Oaks,’ …

One of the enduring questions about William Shakespeare, which might have surprised him: where did he stand? In Coriolanus, for example, did he side with the Roman poor, who threaten to rebel over shortages of …

An Irishman who last December made the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Most Wanted List” of 23 environmental crime fugitives for illegal dumping in San Diego Bay, has been apprehended on the island of Malta. Fifty-eight-year-old …

As many insiders expected, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders appointed a reliable campaign contributor to the regional airport authority seat that was vacated earlier this year by another faithful giver, Alan Bersin, who left to …

A longtime business associate of South Bay developer Roque de la Fuente is circulating a petition that would put before county voters a measure to allow construction of a large landfill and recycling center on …

Backcountry BenefitsI just read your article on the San Diego County Fire Authority and wish you had talked to another agency for a contrasting point of view (“Big Agency Burns Small Volunteers,” “City Lights,” July …

May 10 must be the year’s hardest day for Mary Ann. In 1997, her son, Andrew Cunanan, went on a killing spree that ended with the death of fashion designer Gianni Versace, on a sparkling …

Recessions always bring out the vultures, and these days they are a step ahead of technological trends, as scam haven San Diego is learning once again. Con artists claim they can fix your credit, rescue …

There is a little girl who lives on my block and she is always happy. Her age is about three or four but she looks small for her years. I'd say childhood obesity is not …

Tijuana’s secretario de turisimo, Oscar Escobedo Carignan, was quoted in El Mexicano on Monday, July 20, regarding the state of relations between Baja´s police forces and tourists from north of the border. Escobedo said that …

With the intent of reducing graffiti, an Oceanside Police Department task force conducted a sting on 15 paint retailers on June 22. Six citations were issued to business owners for having open paint displays and …

A man was arrested at approximately 12:50 p.m. on July 23 in front of the San Diego Convention Center. Witnesses indicated that the man -- in his 20s or early 30s, with black curly hair …

The ultra-urban city of Seoul is best experienced gastronomically. One first realizes this while stepping off the jetway and catching a whiff of the unmistakable aroma of Seoul – a sort of kimchi-and-spices medley. Seoul …

In Japan, there are three major urban Chinatowns: in Kobe, Nagasaki and Yokohama. For travelers staying in Tokyo, the Yokohama Chinatown (Yokohama Chukagai) is the most accessible. You can check out the festively lit Chinatown …

Although it is the capital of the state of Baja California, Mexicali has far fewer visitors than Tijuana to its west. One reason is that while T.J. lies adjacent to San Diego County with over …

Nestled between St. Pete’s Beach and Pass-a-Grille Beach west of St. Petersburg is a stately little castle-hotel called the Don CeSar. This pink castle by the sea boasts amazing views, delicious meals and a colorful …

Those interested in seeing the tree that many believe is responsible for launching California’s successful citrus industry should take a trip to the Inland Empire. In Riverside, standing on the corner of the intersection between …

Nothing beats a fine dram after a hard day. The Japanese are aware of this too, and have more than a few of their own oak-soaked nectars worth mentioning. Japanese beverage giant Suntory has been …

Local solar power activist Bill Powers is crashing the pages of Natural Gas and Electricity. The industry journal’s August edition will feature an argument by Powers that photovoltaic arrays can be as effective and cost-competitive …

Residents of Talmadge are crying foul to San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Terry Grier after awaking July 23 to their neighborhood streets laden with litter, including empty beer cans, red plastic cups, and balled …

Tiffany is tall; her chunky red heels — dark red, bordering on purple — make her taller. Red seams run up the back of her black stockings to the hem of her black dress, patterned …

Chula Vista councilmember Steve Castaneda was late getting to the July 21 city council meeting. The second-term councilmember showed up just in time to join his three colleagues as they considered placing a 45-day hold …

There I sat, 2 and a half months ago, holding six thousand dollars in cash. I had just watched my 1969 Chevrolet C10 Pickup loaded up on a flatbed towtruck for the first leg of …

"Looking better dead than alive.” Morticians boast of it. So do Mafia hit men. Now, it appears, holders of some corporate bonds are secretly putting their faith in that declaration. Because of a dubious kind …

Hey, Matt: Last year that weatherman on Channel 9 (KUUUUUSI) said that, under the right, very unusual weather conditions, it was possible to see Hawaii from Del Mar. He said it was due to inversions …

On days that are known as party days, I try to challenge myself. I’ve had a few New Year’s Eves when I went to over five parties in one night. This past Fourth of July, …

My friend Mike is turning 40 this month, and he has been making rumblings about baklava instead of birthday cake. “We used to have it as kids,” he recalled. “My aunt made it, and she’d …

Lipstick N Leather is a hard-working hair band that covers the oldies of the late ’70s/early ’80s, when glam rock was, you know, cool. Lipstick N Leather has gigs every weekend, from House of Blues …

WALTER BELLON. In 1936, Max Miller’s I Cover the Waterfront became a national bestseller. Miller wrote about San Diego’s tough harbor district, its “land sharks” and “bruisers.” Fifty-five-year-old Walter Bellon read the book and roared: …

La Valencia is a sheerly gorgeous hotel. Walking through that Spanish-Moorish tiled lobby en route to the Sky Room elevator, you want to sell your shack and move right in. A small, old-timey operator-run lift, …

I know. My friend Naomi’s been here. Matter of fact, that’s part of why I stopped by. For me, barbecue’s like art. I don’t know much about it, but I know when I like it. …

It’s over, you know that. But it’s not. It’s never over. Year after year it comes back; and every goober, his brother, and his family will be there jamming traffic for miles on three freeways, …

The T.O. Show debuted on VH1 Monday night and was immediately panned by critics. Detractors thought the show was contrived and phony, not like Big Brother, Ghost Hunters, Pimp My Ride, Dog the Bounty Hunter, …

“Begin County Maintained Road,” read the sign as I headed out Bernardo Center Drive away from the center of Rancho Bernardo. A right on Dove took me into the depths of 4S Ranch, a development …

The Point Loma peninsula has a split personality. In the north, block upon block of houses spread over the peninsula’s broad spine. Military land and park space (Cabrillo National Monument) encompass the peninsula’s narrower south …

While it relies on electronic looping for accentuation, Ghostbird’s debut album is a worthy listen. The first track, “Toy Soldier,” is not the most attention-grabbing, but the second song, “Night Kills Day,” is more what …

“I placed fourth at Pechanga’s Ultimate Elvis Tribute contest,” says Oceanside impersonator James Kruk, “but then I rallied and won first place at the [Del Mar] Fair, beating the second- and third-place contestants from Pechanga. …

Looking to save money to record their debut six-song EP, North County folk-punk trio the Howls transformed the online merchandising warehouse in San Marcos where singer-guitarist John Cooper used to work into a makeshift recording …

Scott Wilson’s video for his song “Too Tired” matches the tune with an animated film by Takeuchi Taijin, Stop Motion with Wolf and Pig. The video, uploaded to YouTube in April, uses 1300 sequentially shot …

High Tide singer-guitarist Ed Barrena thinks his reggae band may be the last band to play at Canes. High Tide was loading out its gear after playing for some 600 fans last Friday when a …

Pick of the week, pick of the season to date, is the French Séraphine, a speculative, segmentary biography — twenty years in scope — of an obscure figure from 20th-century art history, Séraphine Louis, dite …

In high school, a lot of my son’s spare time was spent on his Xbox 360, playing video games of mass warfare with a synapse-frying soundtrack of metalcore. He once said that his favorite metalcore …

A friend recently sent me a link to a YouTube video of a Caribbean steel-drum band playing a cover version of Joy Division’s “Transmission.” It’s one of those wonderful cover versions that makes you better …

The Cato Institute, the libertarian-leaning Washington-based think tank, is conducting its annual Cato University next week at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. It’s billed as an opportunity to explore “how the state has expanded during times …

It turns out that former executive vice president of the San Diego Unified Port District Dan Wilkens, who announced his retirement last fall, hasn’t strayed too far from the agency. Wilkens, who left at the …

Democratic state senator Denise Ducheny, who chairs the powerful Senate Budget Committee, currently enmeshed in California’s fiscal meltdown, raised $11,821 for her so-called state officeholder account during the six months ending this June. Donations to …

Deep Into Guns Very good article (“They Carry Guns,” Cover Story, July 16) . Rosa deserves credit for researching deep into this topic. It is a very rare thing this day and age to get …

The history of wildfires in San Diego’s backcountry has yielded a vigorous volunteer firefighting subculture. Its foundations are self-reliance, strong community involvement, ingenuity, independence, and thrift. Today, those who embody the tradition feel threatened. They …

Thirty Years AgoDorie’s bedroom was darkened, but there was enough illumination coming from the bathroom for Barbara to see. Dorie was on her side, though only slightly. She had on a high-neck, long-sleeve nightgown. Her …

Downtown merchants and restaurant owners held a press conference at the Hotel Nelson in Tijuana on Monday, July 20, to voice their apprehensions about the installation of new traffic-monitoring equipment being installed at the San …

The unlikely duo of councilmembers Carl DeMaio and Donna Frye took on a mission to reform city council and bring transparency to local government. Now the two councilmembers share a new cause: pension reform. Last …

For about $37 a night, you can stay next to the historic Plaka district. The clean, Australian-owned, air-conditioned Athens Backpackers hostel offers free breakfast, communal kitchen, free coffee all day, laundromat, WiFi, movies and tours. …

Secretly tucked away behind a pond at Kit Carson Park lies Niki De Saint Phalle’s colorful sacred creatures. The entrance to the sculpture garden leads you past a snake wall, through a black-and-white maze of …

No visit to Munich, Germany would be complete without a visit to Hofbräuhaus, the most famous beer hall in the world. Dissatisfied with the quality of beer being brewed in Munich, Duke Wilhelm V established …

In Gustavus, Alaska, you will find several canopies like this one. The bikes are there for your personal use, using the honor system. Take a bike, tour around, and then bring it back. You don’t …

Shortly before 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, residents in the 1300 block of Grove Avenue in Imperial Beach heard what they thought were firecrackers. Ten minutes later, one of those residents walked to his …

UC San Diego chancellor Marye Anne Fox announced on July 15 a temporary reduction in parking fees for faculty, staff, and students. Starting August 1, 2009, annual parking fees will be reduced by 5 percent. …

On Saturday, July 18, I went to the Submarina sandwich shop on Otay Lakes Road, near the intersection of East H Street, and discovered that the shop had been closed permanently. A handwritten sign posted …

Strolling on the boardwalk through Seaport Village on the afternoon of July 15, I admired the shops along the footpath between the Midway and the convention center. Then, something on the ground in front of …

Ninety-one miles east of San Diego, Borrego Springs and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park are popular springtime destinations for wildflower lovers. But take a jaunt down Borrego Springs Road a couple of miles to Galleta Meadows, …

Tijuana´s city historian, Mario Ortiz Villacorta of the Museo del Trompo, criticized city hall last week for not doing more to preserve the older parts of the border metropolis; specifically, the district known as El …

Saturday, June 27, was a sad day for Cindy Funkhouser. It was the day she was to host a memorial service for her grandmother at her South Park residence, near the corner of 32nd Street …

Signing up to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu seemed easy enough: pay some money, sign up a couple months ahead and hit the gym. After all, they said that any reasonably fit person …

The Mission Inn first opened in downtown Riverside in 1876 as a humble 12-room adobe boarding house. By the 1890s Riverside had become one of the richest cities in the United States from a booming …

One day after Dustin Vogel went to Chula Vista city hall and submitted an application to open a medical marijuana collective (where patients go to purchase marijuana from growers at no profit to the business), …

About a month ago, I was driving my schoolbus route when I saw what I thought was a dead kitten on Cosmo Street. As I got closer, I realized it was an adult cat...chopped in …

There are nearly a dozen merchants in violation of the ban on A-frame signs in Bird Rock along La Jolla Boulevard. With the recent cutbacks in code compliance officers, there is little follow-up when merchants …

For such a hot day, there were a disproportionate number of people dressed in black at the end of the Ocean Beach Pier on Saturday afternoon, July 11. The estimated 70 people who gathered on …

It’s a beautiful day in Pacific Beach as Nate approaches the bronze pelican statue on the boardwalk. He’s slight and blond, spectacled and clad in jeans and an army-green T-shirt. He squints. The sun’s so …

“I feel like I’m back in 1950s America,” commented a visiting American. An amiable people, first-world atmosphere and slow pace of life combine to make Montevideo, Uruguay. Smaller than the state of Washington, Uruguay is …

“Pandemonium” would be an appropriate word to describe a soccer, or futebol, match at the venerable Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Maracanã is the mecca of futebol in Brazil – every child in this …

Visiting Palm Springs is like getting two vacations in one weekend. Enjoy a cool dip in the pool at Caliente Tropics Resort, a hip, mid-century-era Hawaiian-style motel complete with poolside cabanas and tikis, for about …

Haven’t done this for a while. Seems indicated: recommendations for summer beach reading. In the past few months I have happened upon three extraordinarily excellent novels I’d like to share with any dear and constant …

Correction The July 9 “Blurt” article “He’s Got the Cheese” said that Chris Wright, also known as CROS1, owns Armory Survival Gear in Pacific Beach and downtown. Wright does not own the Pacific Beach store. …

Artist: BoomsnakeSong: “Busy” (from the CD Give and Take)Heard by: Jon Carmack, Mission Bay It was pretty good. It started off with a nice, raw acoustic sound, and then the full band kicked in midway …

On February 15, 1898, the Monterey sailed into San Diego Bay. The ship had been at sea for more than a month. The next day around noon, half the crew got liberty and hurtled through …

“Most indie artists don’t even make the chart,” says Blame One, whose self-released Days Chasing Days charted at number 39 on iTunes’ Best-Selling Hip-Hop Albums in early April. At the time, nobody seemed more surprised …

Marine Room kicks off this summer’s unofficial series on “Rooms with a View — and Bargains, Too.” The small tradeoff that recession brings to visitors and staycationers alike is that some of San Diego’s most …

There is no question that executives at Platinum Equity won’t back down from a fight. The Beverly Hills–based buyout firm, which is willing to purchase sick companies in ailing industries, this spring bought the Union-Tribune …

If you go to the website of the Los Angeles law firm of Lavely & Singer and click the bio of cofounder Martin Singer, you find a Los Angeles Magazine article in which Singer is …

The executive director of the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission has ordered San Diego retirement board member Herbert W. Morgan to disclose the identities of nine customers of his investment operation, Del Mar–based Efficient Market …

San Diego school-board president Shelia Jackson has filed a statement of intention to run for the Fourth District seat on the county board of supervisors, currently occupied by Ron Roberts. The election is next year, …

A band’s gotta know how to promote itself these days, because no one else is going to do it for them. L.A.’s Killola is on MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. They’ve got a blog, a YouTube …

The music press at large may define him as one of the founders of the hybridized genre that would eventually come to be known as pop (or smooth) jazz, but Grammy-award-winning guitarist Earl Klugh doesn’t …

Since 1967, guitarist Wayne Riker has played just about every musical style, and in an array of musical settings — house parties, coffeehouses, nightclubs, musical theater, cruise ships, arena rock concerts, and stadium festivals. As …

Reteaming the star and director of Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen and Larry Charles respectively, Brüno peddles the same or a similar shtick in a different persona: a different funny accent, different funny wardrobe, different funny …

X1FM, the local digital broadband radio station also known for its Open Door Concert series, has purchased defunct Long Beach nightclub the Vault 350, due to reopen in January 2010. In partnership with local Medina …

Crest Canyon, an open-space park within the city limits of San Diego, helps separate the woodsy City of Del Mar from the bustling sprawl of inland Del Mar and Carmel Valley to the east. The …

The boondoggle makes logical sense, at first. A storm capsized Viola and twin brother Sebastian’s ship off Illyria. When the ship split in two, Viola went with one half; Sebastian, lashed to the mast and …

So here I was, walking the Gaslamp one night, minding my business, when this dude thrusts a flyer in my hand. “Burger, fries, and draft beer, $5,” it says. Wow. And that’s just the first …

The late Michael Jackson had several San Diego connections, aside from performing and recording with once-local bassist Nathan East. The official Michael Jackson Moonwalker 3D comic book, based on a long-form 1988 video, was published …

There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them. — Andre Gide I sensed that the status was definitely not quo, even before I noticed the reddish-brown spot that had appeared …

Patrick hasn’t been playing golf lately. Three years ago, he played a game about every two weeks. That became a weekday-morning nine-hole at Mission Trails near our La Mesa home ($15 to play the back …

The John Corbett Band plays Brick by Brick on Saturday, July 18. I really didn’t think I would be impressed with John Corbett, musician. As an actor, I think he is appealing. He has a …

Heymatt: I’ve always wondered what happens to the big hole left when we pump oil out of the ground. Considering all the oil taken out of the Middle East, I would think the whole area …

The front of Horizon Coast Chapel’s worship booklet doesn’t read “Horizon Coast Chapel”; it reads “Church in Mission Beach.” Yes, yes, this allows them to highlight the word “Mission” in red — fitting for a …

Thirty Years AgoVERY ATTRACTIVE blonde lady at the Strand Theatre on 10 July. Shy black guy would like to meet you. Eye contact — answer here.TINA DELGADO is alive. Saw her at Vince Lombardi High …

As Wednesday’s morning sun rose over El Cajon’s In-N-Out Burger, Lance Armstrong is holding third place with 11 stages to go in the 2009 Tour de France. For those who don’t follow professional biking (and …

Mike Lewis’s “mikelewismusic” was the most downloaded MP3 from SDReader.com during the month of June. Below is an interview with the musician. You’ve got an interesting, wistful sound at work on this track. What instruments …

DJ/promoter James Reynolds thought he had found the perfect place to throw a rave. According to the drum-and-bass DJ who goes by the name DJ Rabid, his May 16 party called Shipwrecked “…was the most …

Mahsa graduated from La Costa Canyon this year, and her mom threw a party for her at a pizzeria in Encinitas. I showed up late and there was only one place to sit, next to …

On July 9, one day after the Budget and Finance Committee meeting at which councilmember Carl DeMaio accused representatives from San Diego City Employees Retirement System of withholding financial data on the Deferred Retirement Option …

Hello hikers and backpackers! We just climbed to the top of Mount Shasta! It was an intense hike; the difficulty was matched only by the awesomeness of the event. We experienced freezing temperatures, dangerous predicaments …

The whole crazy experience began one summer day in 2003 when my wife and I were returning to San Diego from Vancouver, British Columbia. We had driven all the way to Vancouver from San Diego, …

West of the Dead Sea lies Ein Gedi National Park, an area with terrain similar to that of San Diego. A beautiful, arid mountainous region, Ein Gedi is how I pictured all of Israel. With …

Show your kids the Grand Canyon without the traffic and crowds...in high summer season? Yes, it's possible! Travel to the less-visited North Rim of the Grand Canyon and enjoy views that will hush even the …

My favorite city on this planet is Paris. You can do all the things the guidebooks tell you to do. Or you can do what I do, which makes Paris one's own village. To wit: …

The City of Rosarito intends to become the second city in Mexico to have a beachfront with a clean bill of health. So far, only Playas el Chileno in southern Baja has passed the test …

San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders recently announced that the City has launched a new website at which people can make donations to support the fire-pit program. Despite a $259,500 donation, fire-pit funding has only been …

The Encinitas City Council on April 15 unanimously endorsed the concept of a community garden organized by volunteers. Now, the Encinitas Community Garden organizing committee is looking for a parcel of land one to two …

Artist Statement: "San Diego recording artist Ace The General and dollabillgates are making an effort to be heard not only in their remarkable lyrics but also in their high-quality music video " Swagg On A …

On July 9, 1942, just after graduating high school, Severine Kelly was visiting her grandparents in Carlsbad. While walking to the beach with a girlfriend, an Army truck pulled over at the corner of Highway …

After you've exhausted all of your desires to gamble and eat at the buffet, it's a nice day trip out to Red Rock Canyon State Park (about 15 miles outside of Las Vegas, Nevada). Once …

Ten minutes into the July 8 meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee, councilmember Carl DeMaio issued a challenge to David Wescoe, chief operating officer for the San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System: Provide the …

The Rancho Peñasquitos Skate Park, located at 10111 Carmel Mountain Road, reopened on June 30 after having been closed for several months due to safety hazards -- the four-year old wooden ramps had deteriorated. The …

“This is a joke,” says my three-year-old as she thumps into the kitchen. Patches of red dot her pale cheeks, and I can see nearly all of her tiny teeth inside her wide-open grin. Clearly, …

On Sunday, July 5, at approximately 2:30 p.m., a sidewalk peddler was spotted on the southwest corner of Tenth Avenue and J Street hawking “ice cold water and Gatorade” to baseball fans walking around Petco …

A man identified only as a black male (raza negra) by the Procuraduría General de Justicia del Estado was found shot to death near one of Tijuana’s main drags, Sánchez Taboada, on Monday at around …

While on a "heli-hiking" trip in the Canadian Rockies (more specifically the Bugaboo Range), we were hit suddenly with a heavy snowstorm, which was unusual for July. Heli-hiking involves a small group, with a guide …

Josh Johnson was playing a video game in his home near the intersection of Allegheny Street and Calle Tortuosa on Monday, July 6, at around 5 p.m. when he heard a loud crash. He said …

I put sour cream in my coffee because I didn’t have any milk. I searched through my refrigerator for anything that could possibly be utilized as a splash of creamer. Salad dressing, mayonnaise, soy sauce, …

Visitors to downtown hotels are a piddling few. Residents of downtown condos are a piddling few. But that won’t stop the establishment from diddling taxpayers for more downtown development — a travesty because outlying parks, …

Call it blind loyalty, if you like. For a place to tell me his story, Clark Waters chose the Denny’s restaurant at the corner of Pacific Highway and Hawthorn Street. Only days earlier, he had …

Fact Mangler How does Ken Leighton mangle the facts? Let me count the ways (“Pay the DJ,” “Blurt,” July 2). 1. He prints ridiculous claims unchallenged. For starters, Jefferson Jay claims (to quote Mr. Leighton) …

Gayle Skidmore was 11 when she confiscated her father’s 12-string guitar and taught herself to play. By the time the San Diego homegirl moved to England to study at Oxford University, she was experimenting with …

GOP gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman has been getting lots of campaign cash from some of San Diego’s most famous Republicans. One of the most prominent is Doug Manchester, the hotel magnate whose financial backing for …

In the mid-1990s, Jay Farrar founded a group he called Son Volt after he broke with Jeff Tweedy and left Uncle Tupelo, the band they had formed together. Son Volt, often called an alt-country band, …

La Colonia? Ah, yes. The story comes back as I sit up to the old tiled bar. “1697–1997,” says a weaving hung on the wall. “Celebrates the 300th anniversary of the Spanish conquest of Baja …

San Diego Democrats don’t have much sway on the Southwest Border Task Force set up by Barack Obama's Justice Department. Only 3 members of the 21-member board hail from San Diego County, and 2 of …

With unemployment soaring, news that a San Diego–based aircraft carrier may be pulling out for good would come as unwelcome news to local politicians. On the other hand, one Seattle-area congressman has been trumpeting that …

Hello, Matthew: What exactly is your brain doing when you use one of the five senses in a dream? I always figured it was just some outside influence that your brain incorporated into your dream, …

I’ve seen a look in dogs’ eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts. — John Steinbeck ‘I’m going to ask you both to …

Fictitious countdown of the final six weeks in the twelve-month tour of an army bomb squad in Baghdad five years back, The Hurt Locker seems on a limited sampling to have excited other commentators more …

Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca has been getting some of the best reviews of any release this year. Music site Stereogum asked, “Wait, is Bitte Orca the best album of 2009?” Note the question mark. New …

The La Jolla Playhouse’s popular Page to Stage series, which presents readings of works in progress, has an astonishing track record: Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays was a major Broadway hit; Doug Wright’s I Am My …

Thirty Years AgoNED AND NEDDER: Happy new habitat! With so much love to keep you warm, isn’t that fireplace superfluous? Kandee in Klairemont. FARRELL’S: Waited on me 6-28. I’d like to know you. Reply through …

I’ve got stripes, stripes around my shoulders, I’ve got chains, chains around my legs…— Johnny Cash (based on Leadbelly’s “On a Monday”) For months I’ve been meaning to eat at Kitchen 1540, formerly the more …

“We got a cease-and-desist letter over the title of our album The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Morality,” says Aaron Spaulding of a Conscious Few. “The CD came out last October, and we just got the …

A local promoter of live hip-hop events maintains that San Diego’s dominant promoter has become such a force in the scene that he can freeze out competitors. Because he is afraid of repercussions, the smaller …

One of Ansel Adams’s most familiar and famous images, Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, is the photographic equivalent of Aaron Copeland’s orchestral suite Appalachian Spring, John Ford’s movie Stagecoach, or Edward Hopper’s painting of a corner …

“I was stationed in London, England, for eight years and played in a band over there called Fuse,” says Navy retiree Lando Martinez, aka Fat Lando, front man for Hocus. “I was the token Yank …

In the past couple of years, San Diego County has opened two new flora- and fauna-rich open-space preserves just south of Ramona. Both are key links in the county’s Multiple Species Conservation Program, which aims …

The Cribs. In 1887, a reporter for the San Diego Union grew a beard, wore threadbare duds, and stealth’d through San Diego’s red-light district. He was shocked to see drunks on every corner. Some clung …

By all appearances, local jazz singer David Patrone was beheaded on Sunday night, June 28, in Alpine. The incident occurred onstage in the Dreamcatcher Lounge at Viejas Casino at approximately 10:15 p.m., toward the end …

“Temecula Sunrise,” eh? Listeners to this gorgeous track on Bitte Orca, the acclaimed month-old fifth album from Brooklyn art-rock band Dirty Projectors — headlining at the Casbah tonight — may wonder what it’s all about. …

The idea of building a new downtown library has been teetering on the brink of fiction and non-fiction for over a decade. But during recent months, dwindling fundraising efforts, a ballooning city deficit, increasing project …

Shortly after the Padres-Dodgers game on Friday, July 3, cars and fans filled the streets surrounding Petco Park. So, San Diego traffic controllers began to enforce the ban against San Diego pedicabs operating in the …

Not long after the monthly meeting of the Greater Golden Hill Maintenance Assessment District began on Monday, July 6, committee member John Kroll read a prepared statement to the 40 or so residents that sat …

I expected to spend a peaceful weekend wandering through natural wonders, and boy, were my expectations too low. I was blown away by the enormity, the splendor, the incredible beauty of Yosemite National Park. The …

Iao Valley is a must-see when visiting Maui. Located in central Maui, it's only a 45-minute drive from Kaanapali. It was there that King Kamehameha I defeated the Maui Army in 1790 and united the …

Driving through the heart of the Central Valley from Sacramento to Bakersfield, one will notice an abundance of flat, green farmland. After all, the area has a reputation for being one of the world’s most …

The Blue Line trolley came to a stop Friday morning, July 3, after an overhead power line broke somewhere between Palm Avenue and H Street, according to a transit police officer. North- and south-bound passengers …

A couple of would-be dope dealers from San Diego — aged 25 and 33 years old — were busted on Thursday, July 2, in Tijuana´s Colonia Libertad. The bust by Tijuana cops was announced by …

At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Friday, July 3, four assailants wearing black ski masks entered a home on Elm Avenue in Imperial Beach. A male and female inside the home were ordered to lie on …

According to San Diego County assessor/clerk/recorder David L. Butler, the assessed value of all taxable property in the county has dropped to a 25-year low -- an overall decrease of 2.3 percent from the previous …

The Ocean Beach pier parking lot has traditionally been a coveted location for RV owners to park on the 4th of July. The lot is steps to the beach, amenities for children are close by, …

A display of American flags lined a portion of Tijuana´s Coahuila Boulevard and environs over the July 4 weekend. Old Glories were put into position in anticipation of holiday visitors from el otro lado (“the …

Approximately two weeks ago, the stamp-vending machines were removed from the Midway post office. While frequently visiting this location, I’ve encountered many disappointed people (especially at night and on weekends) who cannot understand why. Many …

Going to Temecula for a Saturday of wine tasting has to be one of my favorite things to do. We usually plan our trip with our wine club membership pick-ups in mind. I'm a little …

Drivers on Interstate 15 may have noticed new trees popping up, as Caltrans is now landscaping the first-opened section of its $1.3 billion I-15 Express Lanes project with a variety of drought-tolerant and native species. …

On Thursday, July 2, at the top of the ninth inning in a game between the Padres and Houston Astros, bees were seen buzzing around in the outfield. “The left fielder [Kyle Blanks] started waving …

An Imperial Beach elementary school student has been diagnosed with pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough. On July 1, South Bay Union School District superintendent Carol Parish sent a letter to parents whose children may …

San Diego County is putting the brakes on spur-of-the-moment marriages. Beginning Monday, July 6, marriage licenses and civil ceremonies will be offered by appointment only. “The walk-in marriage services are being discontinued due to budgetary …

A Scripps Ranch man was arrested early Friday morning, June 26, at Sharp Coronado Hospital on charges of felony child endangerment and driving under the influence. San Diego police say that the man left his …

While most people look for a place to ring in the New Year in loud inebriated celebration, not many would consider doing something out of the ordinary: structured chanting and reflection. For those willing to …

Let’s say you’re a redhead. Duck, that is. Or a scaup. Or a falcon looking for rabbits. Or a coot, ruddy duck, bufflehead, or — more likely over Mission Bay these days — a seagull …

San Diego city councilmember Carl DeMaio has some questions for the Port of San Diego before he’s ready to endorse the city’s convention center expansion. In a June 30 memo issued by his office, the …

Baseball games in Japan are more than fun, they're a cultural experience – and the Hanshin Tigers are the pinnacle. Based in Koshien, the Tigers’ stadium opened in 1924 and is one of the oldest …

There is Romeoville, Joliet, Elwood and thousands of other colorful towns. Flavorful, small- town- priced mom- and- pop grills and greasy spoons like the Blueberry Hill and the Bagdad Cafes. Places to rest that have …

On Tuesday, June 30, on the San Diego County Fair’s SDG&E Showcase Stage, the Jamul School of the Performing Arts began their 1:00 p.m. presentation for the crowd of about 150 fairgoers. The numerous choreographed …

“Worthy Gubbins is like odds and ends, rubbish, maybe like a lucky rabbit’s foot or a favorite ring,” writes guitarist and vocalist Tyler Stolnack in an email. He’s defining the sound and feel of his …

SDSU recently remitted $3000 to a former student who claimed that KCR, the on-campus radio station, damaged his chances to get a job in radio. KCR is a free-form radio station where DJs (unpaid students …

How much money do the volunteer members of the city’s pension fund make in their professions, and where does it come from? California law requires that public officials disclose the amounts and sources of income …

To me, it seems a dreadful indignity to have a soul controlled by geography. — George Santayana ‘Where are you from?” It was a simple question. But the way Jane stared back at the guy, …

Recipe by Paul McCabe, executive chef, Kitchen 1540. I grew up in a family where my mom didn’t work out of the home. She was a good country cook — actually, one of the last. …

A woman in the Serra Mesa area was turning 21. I got an invite to her birthday party from her mom. When I arrived, the birthday girl’s mom was cooking tacos for the crowd. I …

The white church buses parked in the dirt lot outside Mountain View Community Church looked downright old-timey. The huge white church building rising up behind them was anything but. Inside was high and wide and …

We had been waiting for three weeks for a decision from corporate on which branches were going to be closed. Everyone told me that I had nothing to worry about. My office was 200 percent …

Trent S. ReidCinephile Shot in Namibia’s Skeleton Coast during the death throes of Apartheid, Dust Devil is a challenging cross-genre mix of sociopolitical critique and perhaps too-personal exploration of shamanic mythology and consciousness. Labeled a …

“I guess I’ve always been an outsider,” says multiinstrumentalist-songwriter Jon Ji. “The hippies called me a punk, the punkers called me a hippie, the Confederates a rebel…and the girls an angel, the devil, and a …

Lady Dottie and the Diamonds is an indie-rock band retrofitted with blistering soul licks and fronted by an old-school ground-stomping R&B scorcher. They won in 2005, 2007, and 2008 for best blues at the San …

You know that raspy voice. You know that tiny figure, dressed in bad-girl black. You know that flawless face with the heavy eyeliner. You know that black hair. You know that big-guitar sound punching out …

Let’s take a walk through time. We’re at the southwest corner of Fifth and K, part of the Gaslamp Quarter. At night, lines form under bright lights at popular clubs and restaurants. Between 1875 and …

Pasha drew my eye with an ad in this paper, including a coupon for a freebie appetizer platter. Hmm...a new bargain destination? Worth trying? I scurried to the website and found that the restaurant wasn’t …

The North Coast Rep took a huge risk, on paper at least. Tom Dudzick’s Over the Tavern has roles for four children, ranging from 8 to 16. The safe choice: find teenage-ish actors (i.e., twentysomething), …

Junior Wells and John Belushi must have been grinning up from wherever they are now — mumbling and slurring with cocaine-and-Tanqueray-addled approval at “Doc” Holliday’s riffing over the keyboard — a faux Hammond B-3 setting …

Well, it’s the Fourth of July weekend and you know what that means…that’s right, the Ligue canadienne de football launches its 2009 season. Or, to translate for the English-speaking rabble, the Canadian Football League (CFL) …

Few areas along Interstate 5 in California are as desolate and as traffic-dense as the stretch immediately north of the San Fernando Valley, where a zillion traffic lanes and ramps sort themselves out in the …

Despite a silly album cover — skulls and crossbones, text surrounded by flames — Sicarus isn’t as schlocky a metal band as one might think. Contrary to what their art conveys, the three tracks on …

The debut album from headbangers Wolves of Eden features guest guitarist Anthony LoCoco of Deeper Purple, “a longtime friend and mentor and the best damn shredder in San Diego,” according to guitarist Jason Getzel. Rough …

Nearly two weeks after being attacked by a group of men loitering near the Tower Bar at around 1:50 a.m., the victim who sustained the worst injuries said he’s recovering, and the suspect accused of …

In Bed With The Drug Cartel Thank you for an informative story about hospital marketing (“If We Didn’t Advertise We’d Go Broke,” Cover Story, June 25). Our hospitals are in the front lines in fighting …

Long Beach–based Cuba Travel Services is taking advantage of the Obama administration’s recent loosening of some travel restrictions to Cuba by offering nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Havana, allowing travelers to bypass the long-used …

Artist: Nautical DisasterSong: “Your Lying Stars” (from the CD Interceptor)Heard by: Lucas Blankartz, North ParkI thought it was a pretty decent song. It started out really bass-heavy and sounded very spacey and dark. It sounds …

As the recession grinds on, how much will Generation X and Generation Y spend? Will it be Z, as in zilch? It looks that way for some San Diego companies that appeal to the youth …

Thirty Years AgoThe straw had been piling on the proverbial camel’s back for some time before Duncan Shepherd’s critique of Woody Allen’s Manhattan. Now I fear the dromedary has suffered irreparable spinal damage. My problem …

“Bloody hell!” exclaimed Patrick in mock horror as he gazed into the sink at my pink post-brush spittle. “Oh, my gums always bleed when I brush,” I assured him. “That can’t be right,” he replied. …

A 60-year-old Canadian with 15 years’ residency in the same house in Las Playas, Tijuana, was arrested for possession of child pornography on Sunday, June 21. Tijuana newspaper Frontera reported that Arthur Leland Sayler was …