Thirty Years Ago
A few months ago, local homosexual activists were eagerly anticipating passage of the first “human rights” ordinance in San Diego County. Legalization drafted by the San Diego Democratic Club, a political organization of liberal gays, included sexual preference minorities in a long list of groups against whom housing and job discrimination was not to be tolerated. County Supervisor Lucille Moore had promised to introduce the measure, and her colleagues Roger Hedgcock and Jim Bates had pledged their support for it (this assuming passage of the proposal).
— CITY LIGHTS: “LOCAL GAYS TOSS LUCILLE BALL,” Jeannette De Wyze, November 8, 1979

Twenty-Five Years Ago
When Carl walked down the streets of Encinitas at night he set the dogs to barking. If he reads this I hope he’ll understand and forgive me, but there was just something about him, something eccentric, and the dogs knew it. Maybe they could smell it. Maybe they could hear it in the rhythm of his gait. They might let 50 people pass by in the dark, including fall-down drunks, gurus with shaved heads and third eyes painted on their brows, teenage hitch whores, and hyped-up marines gone AWOL. But when Carl walked by, their hackles rose.
— “THE MAN WHO BROKE THE RULES,” Steve Sorensen, November 8, 1984

Twenty Years Ago
A comparison of the October birth records in eight area hospitals (Kaiser, Coronado, Grossmont, Scripps in Chula Vista, UCSD, Tri-City, Mercy, and Palomar) shows several trends in San Diego county.

The most popular boys’ names (in order of occurrence)
1. Christopher and Michael (a tie)
2. Alexander
3. Matthew
4. Nicholas
5. Johnathan
6. Ryan
7. José and Daniel (a tie)

The most popular girls’ names
1. Jessica
2. Brittany
3. Ashley
4. Stephanie
5. Breanna and Sarah (a tie)
6. Amanda
7. Chelsea
— CITY LIGHTS: “JUST NAME IT,” Brae Canlen, November 9, 1989

Fifteen Years Ago
Juan Vargas is mad as hell. “I am adamantly opposed to Proposition 187. This is a racist, mean-spirited attempt,” says the outspoken San Diego city councilman, who represents the largely Latino constituency of South Bay.

Vargas is so angry that he wants the city council to vote on a resolution he has drafted condemning Proposition 187, the so-called “Save Our State” ballot measure that would strip illegal immigrants of their social services.

But he’s hit a roadblock: Mayor Susan Golding, who controls what goes on the council agenda.
— CITY LIGHTS: “MAYOR SUSAN DUCKS A HOT PROPOSITION,” Glenn Daly and Thomas K. Arnold, November 3, 1994

Ten Years Ago
“After my parents divorced, I was basically on my own. My father left me the money and the car. I had a checkbook, and I was alone in the house. One time I came home from school and he was smoking pot with my friends. My friends thought he was so cool, and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”
— “CAN’T I JUST HAVE A DAMN VALENTINE?” Lisa Michaels, November 4, 1999

Five Years Ago
On Halloween last year, Bob Petricelli bought a ’67 Corvette. “I fell in love,” he tells me, “with the Corvette and especially this style, way back in ’63. One of the older guys had one.”

“Why did you wait so long to buy one?” I ask.

“They’re expensive. My car, new — I have the original bill of sale — cost $4400 in 1967 at Courtesy Chevrolet. I’m the third owner. The first owner had it almost the entire time. The original owner lived about four blocks from the house where I grew up in Clairemont. I learned that from the bill of sale.
— DRIVEN: “BOB PETRICELLI’S GREAT AMERICAN SPORTS CAR,” Ken Kuhlken, November 4, 2004