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News & Politics Neighborhood News News Ticker Under the Radar

Food & Drink Beverage News Booze News Drinks All Around Feast! San Diego Beer Tin Fork

Movies Big Screen Movie Archives Movie Reviews Movies@Home

Happenings Fishing Report Outdoors Reader Travel Roam-O-Rama Surf Diego Theater Your Week

Music Blurt Classical Music The Gonzo Report Live Five Musician Interviews Of Note Upcoming Shows

Comics Famous Former Neighbors Obermeyer Overheard in San Diego

Archives Reader by issue date Today’s stories All of the latest stories

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news

News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

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Tom Gatch

Tom Gatch is a Reader contributor. See staff page for published articles.

Mexican government working to allow foreign ownership of beach property

Ándale pues! ;-)
— May 14, 2013 1 p.m.

A TALE OF TWO LEGENDS

Sadly, this horrific event mirrored another similar yacht race tragedy that occurred only a few weeks before on April 14th 2012. In that instance, the accident occurred at the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco, killed five sailors, and led the Coast Guard to temporarily suspend racing in the Pacific Ocean off Northern California. Both events speak to the fact that boat racing, whether under sail or motor power, can be both an exhilarating and deadly pursuit.
— May 4, 2012 3:52 p.m.

Stone to Rogue Beer Tour Companies: You're Cut Off!

A well intentioned friend of ours took us there on the last trip up to the states a little over a month ago, but it was such an overcrowded and overpriced 'zoo' that we decided to go somewhere that might treat us more as valued patrons rather than cattle. A quick drive over to Fish House Veracruz in San Marcos solved the problem. The kicker is that I was still able to enjoy a delightfully chilled pint of Stone's brilliant I.P.A. along with my exquisite piece mesquite grilled baquetta fillet that had just been flown up fresh from the Sea of Cortez. Definitely a 'win - win' conclusion to our initial dilemma.
— May 4, 2012 11:03 a.m.

Ensenada Police Department: An Open Letter of Thanks

Yes, and there have also been several high profile cases involving law enforcement officers in southern California who have been charged for committing felonious acts over the past year as well. However, neither that statement nor yours has any type of connection or relativity regarding the positive and impressive experience that we had with members of the Ensenada Police Department. Is the glass half empty or half full? Interestingly, several of those who posted comments on the Baja Nomad website after reading my S.D Reader piece had a different response: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=59…
— April 5, 2012 1:36 p.m.

Rosarito Beach Sportfishing, Alive and Well

Oh, do you know Hugo Torres? Well, I have known him and have worked together with him for years to bring more tourism to Baja Norte, so I might be in a little better position than you to tell the complete story of the structure’s history. It was, in fact, true that the original business plan to justify the substantial expenditure necessary to build the pier was initially based upon the erroneous belief that passengers could be successfully ferried from cruise ships to a land based platform that would allow them to spend some shore time in Playas Rosarito. Nonetheless, the construction of a sportfishing pier near the hotel was something that Hugo has dreamed of since he was a very young man; a place where both serious and occasional anglers would have a chance to take advantage of what is still a productive regional fishery. And prior to the economic downturn on both sides of the border, there has even been a plan in the works to augment the rocky outcroppings at the end of the pier with an artificial reef made of quarry rock and transplanted kelp to further enhance the marine life and adjacent ecosystem. Although that plan is currently on hold until such time when economic conditions will support it, the belief that it is a viable concept has never been abandoned. As one who has personally fished there often I can assure anyone who is interested in the subject that, at least to the hundreds of kids and families who leave the Rosarito Beach Hotel’s Sportfishing Pier every year with broad smiles on their faces whether they have any fish in their bucket or not, its building was one of the best things that has ever happened in providing a wholesome, highly accessible recreational option for their community.
— April 1, 2012 8:57 a.m.

when I first moved to Tijuana

Playas is a cool location because you are both extremely close to downtown Tijuana, and you can still enjoy the beach life as well as a killer view of Islas Coronados. But coastal rents are also quite reasonable from Playas Rosarito to down past Ensenada near Punta Banda at the southern end of Bahia de Todos Santos. Playas Rosarito now boasts a large Commercial Mexicana, a Wal-Mart and a Home Depot, as does Ensenada. We’ve lived down here for several years, but I’ve been coming to Baja Norte on a regular basis to fish, camp and otherwise recreate since the late 1950’s. As things continue to deteriorate both economically and socially north of the border, we are seeing more and more Americans choosing to relocate down here; particularly if they are near retirement age. LOTS of benefits in doing so, but probably one of the most tangible to San Diegans right now is the $2.98 price of gasoline. <:)/////><
— March 30, 2012 8:46 a.m.

La Bufadora, Baja – Escape from SoCal Sprawl

LOOKING FOR YET MORE INFORMATION ONLINE? GOOGLE: Tom Gatch Baja http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/mar/2…
— March 23, 2012 1:24 p.m.

La Bufadora, Baja – Escape from SoCal Sprawl

Thanks Tony, I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. You can read more of my Baja entries by following this link: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/staff/tom-gatch/ Click the BAJA-4-U link near the book photo to access the complete blog. <:)////>< T
— March 23, 2012 12:59 p.m.

La Bufadora, Baja – Escape from SoCal Sprawl

Hola Joe, Please remember that my piece was focused on the wild land near the end of the peninsula, adjacent to La Bufadora and its famed blowhole. That area is still blissfully separated from the nearby populations in the poblados of Punta Banda, Esteban Cantu and the outskirts of the Ensenada further east. I am, however, sadly familiar with the debacle that occurred out on the Punta Banda Estero spit over a decade ago when dozens of American and Canadian residents were rousted from their homes by unscrupulous individuals, whose names I know but will not share here, who deliberately misled the victims of the scam into thinking that they had some sort of legal title to the properties where they resided. The then used their legitimate title and the existing Mexican legal system to unfairly evict the poor folks irrespective of how much they had invested. Although this horrific event got an inordinate amount of press coverage in southern California that continues to cloud our region to this day and devastated the lives of many foreign residents that were either retired or getting to retire, it did prompt the Mexican government to create a legal vehicle, the Fido Comiso. This is actually a bank trust, in which a certified Mexican bank acts as trustee and hold the title for the foreign resident in question. Since all Fido Comiso’s require that all of the property’s title and ownership documentation be verified prior to its acceptance, it offers a rock solid vehicle for foreigners living in Mexico to enjoy virtually all of the rights associated with outright ownership. The Fido Comiso can also be inherited by a pre designated heir. Additionally, foreign corporations can now be legally formed in Mexico without a partner who is a Mexican citizen. This offers a great opportunity to have your company’s name on the actual title, but it is an option that is only available to those who are truly operating a business. In regard to leasing land, Mexican law now only allows leases to run 10 years in length; not less, not more. Remember, all contracts in Mexico must be written in Spanish to be valid. Using a reputable real estate attorney in Tijuana or Ensenada is also highly advised. Just as it is north of the border, caveat emptor is a phrase that is essential to remember when purchasing anything. Thanks for your very valid comments, I hope that my response clarifies the range and limitations of the ethereal microscope that I employed when originally writing the piece. ~ Tom
— March 23, 2012 12:46 p.m.

Rock Fishermen do it with Mussel!

Of course anyone who has lived in California for any length of time knows that I wasn’t referring to taking mussels there within the last lines of my response to your previous comments, but rather, I was alluding to the ‘citation’ oriented mindset of California’s authorities working with the general public out in the field, as opposed to those who perform the very same job in Baja Norte. Once again, irrespective of your quotations, the casual use of a few mussels taken for bait by visiting anglers is not really a burning concern for Conapesca, they fully realize that the practice exists. They are FAR more focused on true threats to the ecosystem by those Mexican nationals fishing commercially who harvest valuable resources like spiny lobster or abalone illegally, out of season or without a valid license and then sell the product on the black market for a lower price. Of course, if you possessed very much knowledge about the way things really work on a day to day basis down here, you would have already known that. By the way, my numerous writings that promote Baja as a great place to travel, recreate, vacation or eventually retire are well known and are very much appreciated by many of those who are in prominent positions within Baja California’s governing body. They fully realize that my work is important, because it offers a viable counterbalance to the negative barrage of comments that generally come from folks such as you.
— March 21, 2012 2:09 p.m.

News & Politics Neighborhood News News Ticker Under the Radar

Food & Drink Beverage News Booze News Drinks All Around Feast! San Diego Beer Tin Fork

Movies Big Screen Movie Archives Movie Reviews Movies@Home

Happenings Fishing Report Outdoors Reader Travel Roam-O-Rama Surf Diego Theater Your Week

Music Blurt Classical Music The Gonzo Report Live Five Musician Interviews Of Note Upcoming Shows

Comics Famous Former Neighbors Obermeyer Overheard in San Diego

Archives Reader by issue date Today’s stories All of the latest stories

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

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