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Jacob Dekema Freeway, dead Sea World sharks, slugfest at museum gala, advent of 619 area code
Reader's 1981 in review
Now, coach?
Tom Kelly and Mike Smith, in turn, fell all over themselves this football season being nice to the coach on “The Don Coryell Show.” Both Kelly and Smith seemed more willing to be kicked in the teeth by Rolf Benirschke than as hosts of the show to tell the truth when the Chargers were playing like oafs. Phony laughter, verbal backslaps, and myopia were regulars on this shamelessly pro-Charger charade.
News plus what?
Radio station KSDO continues to refer to itself as San Diego’s news station, but if it’s news you want, you’d better move your dial a notch to the left — to KNX in Los Angeles. After flailing about for the proper format for a news station, the programmers at KSDO have settled on this: eight hours and fifteen minutes of news per day (KNX, in contrast, offers 22 hours a day). In place of information, KSDO provides Laurence Gross, whose inability to speak concisely is only matched by his obsequiousness; Dave Dawson, whose general ignorance of the world is unparalleled in San Diego broadcast history; and Ron Fortner, whose call-in show, “Feelings,” is a laughable caricature of mindless pop psychology.
Of mice and menu
Mouse illustration
When lunching outdoors at the Mediterranean Room patio of La Jolla’s posh La Valencia Hotel, be sure to ask the hostess for table 41, 42, or 43. Seated by lush flower beds, your party will be treated to — at no extra charge — a circus of scampering little mice that have inhabited this foliage for almost six years. Regulars refer to the dining experience in this section of the restaurant as “Rat Country Safari.”
What’s your position on holding hands?
If next year you find yourself inexplicably overcome with the urge to vote for — and maybe hug — Pete Wilson, credit should go to Bob Goodman, the media man Mayor Pete recently hired to remake his image. As Goodman said to William Osborne of the “Tribune,” “In a way you could say a campaign is an act of making love between the candidate and the electorate. They are showing love and receiving love. I think feelings like fear and hope are much more important than words like budgets or deficits.”
Loss generation
Seventy-three-year-old Paul Lott died in June wearing a $12,000 gold-and-diamond ring. He collapsed in his home near State University, and paramedics rushed him to Villa View Hospital. Later his body was taken care of by the coroner’s office and by the Greenwood Mortuary. Somewhere in transit, claimed Lott’s wife, the ring was “lost.” She also learned later that her husband’s two partial dentures, which were made of silver-colored metal, were also unaccounted for.
Just call me Jake
A resolution by State Senators Jim Ellis and William Craven to rename Interstate 805 the “Jacob Dekema Freeway” has been signed by the governor and will become effective January 1.
Simple problem, simple solution
Clarence Pendleton, San Diego Urban League president and recent nominee to head the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, told the “LA. Times” in January: “The best way to help poor folks is not to be one.”
More oatmeal, dear?
Oatmeal illustration
In January, Dorothy Mae Tutson, 33, pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter in the death of her husband, Jesse. Tutson admitted that on June 2 she beat her husband into unconsciousness, tied his feet to a bathroom doorknob, then poured a boiling pot of cereal over him, scalding her mate to death.
Most intriguing classified ad of the year (Reader, 9/10/81):
Ex-New Yorker wants roommate and friend (ex-New Yorker preferred or aggressive, together San Diegan), male or female, to share gorgeous, plush, oceanfront bachelor type apartment in La Jolla or in Scripps Ranch area, starting about October 1-15. We must decide on location, but it must be real nice and total monthly costs will probably be about $800 to $1000 total per month, for a real nice place with all the toys, maid, etc. I am a career oriented sales executive and professional, 28 years old, clean, fun loving, new to the San Diego area, love Palm Springs for sun and fan weekends, lived in LA for 2 years, responsible, recent non-smoker, non-drugger, am white and Italian, have a real positive mental attitude, love to travel, racquetball amateur, like to have parties, like exercise at health spa, beach, fishing, bicycling, am adventurous, humorous, creative, intelligent, Aries, very up and hyper, like all music, am neat and organized, good dresser and great looking. I am not gay. I love women. If you think you are compatible with my personality and want to share a real nice and probably expensive apartment or if you just want to make friends with a new San Diegan from NY, please call John at.... Have a great day.
Guns don’t kill sharks
On July 25 a group of local fishermen gave Sea World a Great White shark to place on exhibit in its new shark tank. Three days later, the shark died. The next day, another Great White was presented to Sea World; it was set free two days later because its health was failing. August 3 heralded the coming of still another shark, but like the first one, it died. We haven’t had any sharks since then because we didn’t get any more offers,” laments a Sea World spokeswoman.
Illustration of a shark in jail
And don’t look for Bonald McDonald
It had to happen sooner or later, but somehow it was surprising when it did: the city’s first Vietnamese fast-food restaurant, Viet-Huong, opened this year on the corner of 54th Street and University Avenue. Eaters on the fly can now get a plate of roast duck, pork-fried rice, or curried shrimp (among other things) to go. The place has a big red-and-white sign in front announcing its name, but you can also recognize it by the skinned ducks hanging in the window.
A fight in Monte Carlo
The largest annual fundraising event for the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art is called “A Night in Monte Carlo,” at which a casino is set up to allow wealthy participants to gamble, with the museum acting as the “house.” The September 12 gala was hosted by Neiman-Marcus, a Texas-based May Co. for the elite which was simultaneously celebrating the opening of its new store in Fashion Valley.
But money wasn’t the only thing raised. Fists were raised when an N-M honcho attending from Texas hurled some ethnic slurs at museum member Al Arias, of Mexican descent. Arias (whose wife Joan is past president of the museum’s modern art council) decked the Texan with one punch.
Withdrawals
Robber illustration
The local FBI office reports 153 bank robberies so far this year in San Diego County, a healthy increase over the 129 logged for the same period last year.
Items ad nauseam…
Neil Morgan, editor of the “Tribune,” is hands-down winner this year of the infamous Peter Principle Award for having attained his level of incompetence with such panache. Remember those good old days when Morgan was confined to his column and to the occasional travel piece? At least then you could toss the travel section and skip the column if you weren’t in the mood for sycophancy (Walter and Betsy Cronkite, Arnie Smith, Luce, Fletcher, Copley, et al.). And anyway, Morgan’s former indulgences could be dismissed as the prattlings of a mere columnist, whose Weltanschauung was restricted to the social landscape visible from atop Mt. Soledad. But when Morgan became editor in March, he apparently decided that his column needn’t be held to page B-l; he had an entire newspaper to play with. What he had once done for his chums in La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe, he could now do for the whole city— shamelessly peddle it to his audience with earnestness enough to make an ad man blanch. The result has been a cavalcade of articles touting the “renaissance by the bay,” stories written as if they derived from “news,” when in fact they could have been (might as well have been) commissioned by the chamber of commerce. If you’ve squirmed with embarrassment when reading Neil Morgan’s “Tribune,” take solace in the knowledge that you’re not alone.
And they weren’t even licked
Larry Lawrence, chairman of the Hotel Del Coronado and a wheeler-dealer in political circles, told County Supervisor Jim Bates to forget about running for U.S. Congress next year. “I supported Jim in his re-election as supervisor,” Lawrence sniffed, “but I can’t back him for Congress.” Lawrence’s “support” for Bates’s successful 1978 re-election bid reportedly consisted of a roll of postage stamps, accompanied by the caveat that Bates not list the “contribution” on his campaign finance statement.
Tune in next month, or thereabouts
Illustration of a woman watching TV
When a TV series is regularly filmed in a city other than Los Angeles or New York, that series will almost always garner ratings higher than the national norm from viewers in that city. For instance, a higher percentage of TV watchers in Cincinnati (as compared to the national average) tune in to “WKRP in Cincinnati”; the same was true with “Streets of San Francisco” and “Laverne and Shirley” (Milwaukee). Yet San Diego CBS affiliate Channel 8 thinks it can get a larger audience by not consistently programming “Simon and Simon” — a new crime drama in the 8 p.m. Tuesday time slot — even though it’s one of the few TV series ever to he shot locally. A recent substitution for “Simon and Simon” was “Celebration,” an Oral Roberts special billed as “entertainment and inspiration”
Coming up now is a man who goes without saying
Following an unsuccessful one-year stint as manager of the San Diego Padres in 1980, Jerry Coleman, master of the malaprop, was back in the booth this year. His loyal broadcast audience had gone an entire season without such gems as “National League umpires wear inside check protesters” and “How can Hector Torres and Enzo Hernandez communicate with each other? One speaks Spanish and the other speaks Mexican.” The year off apparently did not cramp his style, however. Below, some Colemanisms from 1981: “We’re at the big ballpark and excitement is waning high.”
“Danny Boone continues to spell his magic weave.” “There’s someone warming up in the bullpen, but he’s obscured by his number.”
“From the way Denny’s shaking his head, he’s either got an injured shoulder or a gnat in his eye.”
“It’s a full count. Here’s the pitch. Ball four — and the players are loaded.” (Announcing a promotional giveaway of Padre wristbands): “So be sure to come out to the stadium to see the Dodgers and pick up one of the free 10,000 waistbands.”
(When asked about his brief tenure as manager): “All that went before is in the past.”
“We pause now ten stations for a minute identification.”
Last gasp for a house of heavy breathing
Friday afternoon’s extended lunches haven’t been much fun since October, when the Pussycat Theater on Fourth Avenue was condemned and closed by the city’s redevelopment agency. There’s not another cushy, full-screen, X-rated movie house in all of downtown; the nearest is the Capri on Park Boulevard.
Let me know when the chickens hatch
The big behind-the-scenes embarrassment in this year’s San Diego Symphony financial fiasco was symphony chairman David Porter’s premature announcement of a $250,000 loan bail-out from Crocker Bank. Several ranking bank officers hadn’t learned much about the loan offer when reporters started hounding them for comment, and got so angry that the loan offer was almost revoked.
That plane’s coming in awfully low
Illustration of a bomb attack
Otto Bos, former mayoral aide and now Pete Wilson’s campaign director, when asked if there was any chance the Navy would move out of Miramar Naval Air Station so that it could be converted to a civilian airport, replied, “Well, you know the Navy. They’d rather bomb downtown San Diego than give up Miramar.”
Honest, candid, trustworthy, scrupulous, sincere
A Union reporter preparing a story on rental agencies that sell home and apartment listings to potential renters asked realtor John M. Graef how he can call a specific unit “adorable” or “splendid” if he hasn’t seen it. Graef, who runs Graef Realty on El Cajon Boulevard, responded, “It’s adjectives. Every person in every business up and down El Cajon uses adjectives. It’s part of advertising. If it wasn’t for adjectives, we wouldn’t be in business. Adjectives are what make us smarter than the average person.”
Where would you like me to pack these alfalfa sprouts?
The Gatekeeper restaurant in Del Mar’s Flower Hill will close its doors soon to remodel, revamp, and reopen as the Valle Rose. The Gatekeeper, a “natural foods” restaurant, reportedly made an effort to improve sagging business several months ago by adding red meat to the menu. The new owners will continue to serve natural food, but it will only constitute about fifteen percent of the menu.
Small world, isn’t it?
Overheard at a November seminar in Mission Valley for would-be television game show contestants: Two attractive young women in their late twenties chatting amiably. A young architect in a three-piece suit sitting two chairs away is listening in.
“What do you do?” asked the first young woman.
“I work for a school up in Linda Vista. I teach Vietnamese and Hmong children,” the second answered brightly.
“Oh,” piped up the architect in a pleasant tone. “I used to kill them ”
Hamilton Jordan nearly died for your sins
Who was that well-known county official sneaking around at a widely publicized Halloween party, trying to scare up a little toot of cocaine?
The Fido factor
Illustration of a dog as Frankenstein
After a good deal of yelping from Steve Kowit, spokesman for the San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition, and from others concerned over alleged mistreatment of dogs by UCSD researchers, the price of the dogs went up. On November 10, the County Board of Supervisors approved a set of guidelines which, among other things, raised the price of research dogs taken from the county pound, from nine dollars to $55 each.
After you count the votes, you’d better count your teeth
The real excitement at the Community Concourse on primary election night wasn’t on stage, where votes were being tallied for the city council and school board races. It was in the doorway of the Copper Room, where a livid Jack Orr shouted obscenities at fellow Republican campaign strategist George Gorton. The terrible-tempered Orr bitched aloud that Gorton had “stolen” the account of Fifth District council candidate Ed Struiksma from Orr’s PR agency, and nearly punched fellow-Republican Gorton in the mouth.
Quote of the Year Award (ex post facto)
To developer Ernest Hahn for this statement, uttered publicly in November, 1978: “You’ll be surprised what you see downtown in three years.”
Quote of the Year Award (runner up)
To — ta da! — developer Ernest Hahn for this statement, uttered to members of the Santee city council in March of this year: “We do not create people when we create a shopping center. God creates people.”
Thath eathy for you tothay
Marvin K. Brown Cadillac hired those fun-loving guys over at Knoth & Meads to write their TV commericals this year — the ones read by (lisping). Charger coach Don Coryell, who struggles his way through thcripths thwarming with tho many thibilant thounds ith almotht embarrathing. Thorry to thay tho, you guyth, but ith not ath amuthing ath you theem to think.
Happy trails
Country-western nightclubs that have either gone out of business or switched formats during 1981: Rodeo, Macho’s, Nashville West, One Night Stand, Springfield Wagon Works, the London Opera House, the Santa Fe Bar and Grill, and Cunhingham’s.
Reach, out, reach out and punch someone
Phone books illustration
It seems that phone numbers in the 714 area code — which has been shared by Orange and San Diego counties — are simply running out. So last summer Pacific Telephone declared that, come November, 1982, San Diego will relinquish its 714 area code to Orange County. No questions, no discussion, motion carries. In its place, we get a new area code: 619. But why didn’t Orange County take the new number, saving San Diegans the expense of printing new letterheads, business cards, gummed return-address labels, ad nauseam? Because PacTel says more calls are placed between Los Angeles (213 area code) and Orange County than between Los Angeles and San Diego, so the proposed switch will “disrupt the calling habits of the fewest number of people.” Any protests should be submitted in writing and mailed to Pacific Telephone, using the new nine-digit zip code.
Most dangerous pedestrian crossing
The (unmarked) path beneath the Federal Building’s overpass on Front Street downtown.
We’re talking m-e-l-l-o-w
The nod for mellowest D J of the year goes to Ken Richards of KYXY, whose breathy FM voice reportedly has been of concern to the-Highway Patrol, who claim that many drivers involved in freeway accidents over the past year had their car radios tuned in to Richards’ show, and actually fell asleep at the wheel. From the Richards repertoire: “Just lay back and groove with this next time,” and “Hey, it’s a beautiful, warm day in San Diego — keep a smile on your face.”
And get ready to kiss good-bye to Ozzie
Baseball player illustration
The Padres may have finished this year’s season with the worst record in the major leagues, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t (or wasn’t) hope. The following line-up is the stuff of All-Star teams. All of the players were once in the employ of Ray Kroc and Ballard Smith. Their new affiliations are in parentheses.
Derrel Thomas (Dodgers) 2B
Jerry Mumphrey (Yankees) CF
George Hendrick (Cardinals) LF
Dave Winfield (Yankees) RF
Dave Kingman (Mets) IB
Oscar Gamble (Yankees) DH
Bill Almon (White Sox) SS
Mike Hargrove (Indians) C
Aurelio Rodriguez (Yankees) 3B
Rollie Fingers (Brewers) P
On the bench: Jay Johnstone, Willie Montanez, and Gaylord Perry
A.J. Liebling would be proud
One of the best kept secrets in modern journalism is the talent exhibited by San Diego’s own George Mitrovich, whose column, “Shouts and Murmurs,” appears weekly in “Newsline.” The column below, attributed to Mr. Mitrovich, was fished from the dumpster outside the “Newsline” offices:
My old friend David Halberstam was in town the other day, and over a delicious fish luncheon at the Harbor House, we discussed my recent visit to Washington and the state of the media. He told me of the recent demise of another good friend, Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, and while I was very shook up about the news, it did explain why Hubert failed to return my calls to his office during my recent sojourn in the East. David’s book, “The Powers That Be,” is a scathing but fair analysis of some of the major media in America, according to book reviews I’ve read in the “New York Times,” the “Washington Post,” the “Economist,” and the “Manchester Guardian.” Kudos to Elaine Smyth for her hard-hitting interview with “glamour author” Kitty Kelley in the “Currents” section of the “San Diego Union” She cut right to the bone when she asked Kelley about plans for a visit to a fat farm. “Do you have to mention that?” Kelley pleaded. “Why not?” Smyth shot back. “You did it to Liz [Taylor].” All in all, I think too much is being made of these vituperative celebrity biographies designed to feed the ravenous lusts of the great unwashed, and I’m not just referring to Kelley’s “Jackie Oh!” although, of course, as a former friend and adviser to the Kennedys (I mention this only in the spirit of conflict-of-interest avoidance), I hate to see a wonderful woman hurt. I remember a time with Jackie and John: we were going over his text while on the flight into Berlin. (Jack always asked me to help out on detail work.) I mentioned as how I thought “I like to be with Berliners” was a little weak. “How about ‘I am a Berliner,’ ” I suggested, which was what he used. Darts to Channel 8 for a recent reference to a Highway 163 “rear-end” collision. You don’t have to be with the Moral Majority to be sick of the tasteless sexual innuendos, male strippers, cocaine snorters, sex counselors, and other debaucheries that have marked the recent television ratings competition. I don’t see why you can’t report an accident in a civil manner by referring to “posterior” or lower-back collisions. Speaking of civility, I must take time here to acknowledge that honored virtue in Barry Lorge of the “Union,” who, as readers of this column surely know, has been the target of not a few salvos from my typewriter. Lorge read my column last week (in which I accused him of using too many adjectives) and called me up to say he respected my right to complain. We then made plans for breakfast at Hob Nob Hill, where I found the man to be most charming.
Speaking of charming, I must note here that while the local media have made much of the arrival at MCC of Christopher Boyce, the convicted spy and escape artist, they’ve failed to point out that Chris is one of the most polite young men on the San Diego scene in a long time. While I do not agree with his actions, I’m impressed with his good manners. He does not indulge in drugs or loud music. His quiet hobbies include falconry, photography, and foreign travel.
The long, fishnet stocking of the law
Policewoman Maureen Lajes on posing as a downtown hooker: “It’s fun to dress up and do this work. It’s different and I like to see the reaction of the guys when they find out we’re cops.”
What a revolting redevelopment this is
Would everyone who is so sick of listening to the endless Gaslamp Quarter hype that he’s ready to throw up or move to Yuma, please stand up? Thank you.
Prediction: San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium will once again become simply San Diego Stadium within two years of Herb Klein’s retirement from Copley Newspapers.
We represent that remark
Not exactly a banner year for San Diego attorneys, a number of whom found themselves faced with unexpected court dates and the prospect of hiring their own legal counsel. The following list of ladies and gentlemen of the bar is (sadly) only a sampling: Robert Ellis McMillian pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted extortion; Robert Henry Parker was fined $2600 and sentenced to 90 days in the county work-furlough program after pleading no contest to a forgery charge; William Scott Carr was placed on two years’ probation after pleading no contest to a trespassing charge; Gerald Alfred Mailhot was temporarily suspended by the State Bar Association for issuing a check without sufficient funds; Robert and David Kronemyer (father and son) are -under investigation by the district attorney’s office following complaints they misappropriated a client’s funds; Michael Walker was successfully sued in court (and picketed at home) by a former client who claimed Walker was unethical, dishonest, and rude; Richard Crake was under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office (possible fraud) and the State Bar Association (possible misconduct) at the time he was murdered in his La Jolla home; Paul William Douglass was arrested on charges of forgery and embezzlement; and Leona M. Pfeifer was charged with misappropriating $11,000 of her client’s estate.
Wine, Women, and Justice
Not much better for judges this year. Municipal Court Judge Robert J. Cooney was publicly criticized for freely distributing to jurors a number of wallets submitted as evidence in a trial; Municipal Court Judge Charles M. Snell was accused of often being under the influence of alcohol while on the bench, of exhibiting bias and prejudice against criminal defendants and their attorneys, and of directing an ethnic slur at a Mexican-American man over whose trial he was presiding; Superior Court Judge Hugo Fisher was twice arrested for drunk driving and was recently censured by the state’s Commission on Judicial Performance for serious professional misconduct; and Municipal Court Judge Lewis Wenzell was convicted of soliciting prostitution.
Ready when you are, chief
Police chief Bill Kolender, upon making his exit from the press-level seats at the Rolling Stones concert: “Hey, when does the excitement start?”
Mr. Coggesliall’s wardrobe by K-Mart
A.W. Coggeshall is a plumbing contractor who just happens to own several million dollars’ worth of downtown property. But he always dresses in khaki work clothes, even when he appeared in court this year to testify why his land on Kettner Boulevard was worth $1.6 million, not the $950,000 the city redevelopment agency had offered him. Noting that the jury might resent him for trying to downplay his wealth, his ' attorney urged Coggeshall to wear a new, sharper outfit. The next day he turned up in freshly pressed brown work clothes, brand-new.
Criminal genius nabbed in plot to pay fine
County jail inmate Reynard Paul DeLeon managed to escape on November 19, but be should have stayed away from the law. Instead, be accompanied his girlfriend to traffic court four days later. She had DeLeon paged on the court’s public address system so be could help pay off her traffic fine. DeLeon drove borne to round up the money but when be returned to the Clairemont traffic court, Deputy Marshall Gary Mahaffey, who recognized DeLeon’s name, was waiting to arrest him.
Criminal genius, Part II
The day after Labor Day, Claude Williams drove his Cadillac out of a Grantville service station without paying for $22 worth of gas. When be saw be was being followed by a police car, he accelerated, and for nearly an hour led a posse of six police cars on a 90-mile-per-hour chase east through the College area, north to Miramar, and south to downtown. The chase ended abruptly when Williams made an unexpected, screeching turn into a garage — at police headquarters on Market Street.
Criminal genius, Part III
A Pacific Beach woman named Ann Sanders woke up early one morning in April and discovered a fishing line attached to her camper, which was parked in front of her home on Panuel Street. She followed it to a station wagon parked nearby, and found stacks of items that had been stolen from the camper — along with the sleeping suspect. She returned to a neighbor’s house and called police, who promptly arrested the surprised crook.
And now, heeere’s…
Our two young congressmen, Representatives Bill Lowery and Duncan Hunter, were tapped as guest presenters on the local Emmy Awards show in June. The show’s producers reportedly fielded calls from both congressmen’s aides, who asked what time their respective bosses were scheduled to go on the air. Both politicos, it seems, preferred to appear after 8:00 p.m., to avoid competing with the popular “60 Minutes,” exposurewise.
Maybe in 1982?
Developers, in a mad rush to beat the 100-year flood, continue construction of shops, offices, and condos in the Mission Valley flood plain.
The garbage bag, please…
This year’s winner for most ridiculous attempt at musical entertainment goes to a production called “Vim Voom Voodoo.” The show promised an evening of songs and material which “musical medium” Jenifer Whisper claims to have received telepathically from celebrities “on the other side,” which is to say, dead.
A cast of singers, musicians, and actors performed tunes sent over to Whisper by the likes of George Gershwin, Judy Garland, Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, Walt Disney, and others.
“Voodoo” ran for three nights in August at someplace called the T.I.C. Center in East San Diego, and fortunately got away.
MCBD:M No swimming.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Jacob Dekema Freeway, dead Sea World sharks, slugfest at museum gala, advent of 619 area code
Reader's 1981 in review
Jacob Dekema Freeway, dead Sea World sharks, slugfest at museum gala, advent of 619 area code
Reader's 1981 in review
Now, coach?
Tom Kelly and Mike Smith, in turn, fell all over themselves this football season being nice to the coach on “The Don Coryell Show.” Both Kelly and Smith seemed more willing to be kicked in the teeth by Rolf Benirschke than as hosts of the show to tell the truth when the Chargers were playing like oafs. Phony laughter, verbal backslaps, and myopia were regulars on this shamelessly pro-Charger charade.
News plus what?
Radio station KSDO continues to refer to itself as San Diego’s news station, but if it’s news you want, you’d better move your dial a notch to the left — to KNX in Los Angeles. After flailing about for the proper format for a news station, the programmers at KSDO have settled on this: eight hours and fifteen minutes of news per day (KNX, in contrast, offers 22 hours a day). In place of information, KSDO provides Laurence Gross, whose inability to speak concisely is only matched by his obsequiousness; Dave Dawson, whose general ignorance of the world is unparalleled in San Diego broadcast history; and Ron Fortner, whose call-in show, “Feelings,” is a laughable caricature of mindless pop psychology.
Of mice and menu
Mouse illustration
When lunching outdoors at the Mediterranean Room patio of La Jolla’s posh La Valencia Hotel, be sure to ask the hostess for table 41, 42, or 43. Seated by lush flower beds, your party will be treated to — at no extra charge — a circus of scampering little mice that have inhabited this foliage for almost six years. Regulars refer to the dining experience in this section of the restaurant as “Rat Country Safari.”
What’s your position on holding hands?
If next year you find yourself inexplicably overcome with the urge to vote for — and maybe hug — Pete Wilson, credit should go to Bob Goodman, the media man Mayor Pete recently hired to remake his image. As Goodman said to William Osborne of the “Tribune,” “In a way you could say a campaign is an act of making love between the candidate and the electorate. They are showing love and receiving love. I think feelings like fear and hope are much more important than words like budgets or deficits.”
Loss generation
Seventy-three-year-old Paul Lott died in June wearing a $12,000 gold-and-diamond ring. He collapsed in his home near State University, and paramedics rushed him to Villa View Hospital. Later his body was taken care of by the coroner’s office and by the Greenwood Mortuary. Somewhere in transit, claimed Lott’s wife, the ring was “lost.” She also learned later that her husband’s two partial dentures, which were made of silver-colored metal, were also unaccounted for.
Just call me Jake
A resolution by State Senators Jim Ellis and William Craven to rename Interstate 805 the “Jacob Dekema Freeway” has been signed by the governor and will become effective January 1.
Simple problem, simple solution
Clarence Pendleton, San Diego Urban League president and recent nominee to head the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, told the “LA. Times” in January: “The best way to help poor folks is not to be one.”
More oatmeal, dear?
Oatmeal illustration
In January, Dorothy Mae Tutson, 33, pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter in the death of her husband, Jesse. Tutson admitted that on June 2 she beat her husband into unconsciousness, tied his feet to a bathroom doorknob, then poured a boiling pot of cereal over him, scalding her mate to death.
Most intriguing classified ad of the year (Reader, 9/10/81):
Ex-New Yorker wants roommate and friend (ex-New Yorker preferred or aggressive, together San Diegan), male or female, to share gorgeous, plush, oceanfront bachelor type apartment in La Jolla or in Scripps Ranch area, starting about October 1-15. We must decide on location, but it must be real nice and total monthly costs will probably be about $800 to $1000 total per month, for a real nice place with all the toys, maid, etc. I am a career oriented sales executive and professional, 28 years old, clean, fun loving, new to the San Diego area, love Palm Springs for sun and fan weekends, lived in LA for 2 years, responsible, recent non-smoker, non-drugger, am white and Italian, have a real positive mental attitude, love to travel, racquetball amateur, like to have parties, like exercise at health spa, beach, fishing, bicycling, am adventurous, humorous, creative, intelligent, Aries, very up and hyper, like all music, am neat and organized, good dresser and great looking. I am not gay. I love women. If you think you are compatible with my personality and want to share a real nice and probably expensive apartment or if you just want to make friends with a new San Diegan from NY, please call John at.... Have a great day.
Guns don’t kill sharks
On July 25 a group of local fishermen gave Sea World a Great White shark to place on exhibit in its new shark tank. Three days later, the shark died. The next day, another Great White was presented to Sea World; it was set free two days later because its health was failing. August 3 heralded the coming of still another shark, but like the first one, it died. We haven’t had any sharks since then because we didn’t get any more offers,” laments a Sea World spokeswoman.
Illustration of a shark in jail
And don’t look for Bonald McDonald
It had to happen sooner or later, but somehow it was surprising when it did: the city’s first Vietnamese fast-food restaurant, Viet-Huong, opened this year on the corner of 54th Street and University Avenue. Eaters on the fly can now get a plate of roast duck, pork-fried rice, or curried shrimp (among other things) to go. The place has a big red-and-white sign in front announcing its name, but you can also recognize it by the skinned ducks hanging in the window.
A fight in Monte Carlo
The largest annual fundraising event for the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art is called “A Night in Monte Carlo,” at which a casino is set up to allow wealthy participants to gamble, with the museum acting as the “house.” The September 12 gala was hosted by Neiman-Marcus, a Texas-based May Co. for the elite which was simultaneously celebrating the opening of its new store in Fashion Valley.
But money wasn’t the only thing raised. Fists were raised when an N-M honcho attending from Texas hurled some ethnic slurs at museum member Al Arias, of Mexican descent. Arias (whose wife Joan is past president of the museum’s modern art council) decked the Texan with one punch.
Withdrawals
Robber illustration
The local FBI office reports 153 bank robberies so far this year in San Diego County, a healthy increase over the 129 logged for the same period last year.
Items ad nauseam…
Neil Morgan, editor of the “Tribune,” is hands-down winner this year of the infamous Peter Principle Award for having attained his level of incompetence with such panache. Remember those good old days when Morgan was confined to his column and to the occasional travel piece? At least then you could toss the travel section and skip the column if you weren’t in the mood for sycophancy (Walter and Betsy Cronkite, Arnie Smith, Luce, Fletcher, Copley, et al.). And anyway, Morgan’s former indulgences could be dismissed as the prattlings of a mere columnist, whose Weltanschauung was restricted to the social landscape visible from atop Mt. Soledad. But when Morgan became editor in March, he apparently decided that his column needn’t be held to page B-l; he had an entire newspaper to play with. What he had once done for his chums in La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe, he could now do for the whole city— shamelessly peddle it to his audience with earnestness enough to make an ad man blanch. The result has been a cavalcade of articles touting the “renaissance by the bay,” stories written as if they derived from “news,” when in fact they could have been (might as well have been) commissioned by the chamber of commerce. If you’ve squirmed with embarrassment when reading Neil Morgan’s “Tribune,” take solace in the knowledge that you’re not alone.
And they weren’t even licked
Larry Lawrence, chairman of the Hotel Del Coronado and a wheeler-dealer in political circles, told County Supervisor Jim Bates to forget about running for U.S. Congress next year. “I supported Jim in his re-election as supervisor,” Lawrence sniffed, “but I can’t back him for Congress.” Lawrence’s “support” for Bates’s successful 1978 re-election bid reportedly consisted of a roll of postage stamps, accompanied by the caveat that Bates not list the “contribution” on his campaign finance statement.
Tune in next month, or thereabouts
Illustration of a woman watching TV
When a TV series is regularly filmed in a city other than Los Angeles or New York, that series will almost always garner ratings higher than the national norm from viewers in that city. For instance, a higher percentage of TV watchers in Cincinnati (as compared to the national average) tune in to “WKRP in Cincinnati”; the same was true with “Streets of San Francisco” and “Laverne and Shirley” (Milwaukee). Yet San Diego CBS affiliate Channel 8 thinks it can get a larger audience by not consistently programming “Simon and Simon” — a new crime drama in the 8 p.m. Tuesday time slot — even though it’s one of the few TV series ever to he shot locally. A recent substitution for “Simon and Simon” was “Celebration,” an Oral Roberts special billed as “entertainment and inspiration”
Coming up now is a man who goes without saying
Following an unsuccessful one-year stint as manager of the San Diego Padres in 1980, Jerry Coleman, master of the malaprop, was back in the booth this year. His loyal broadcast audience had gone an entire season without such gems as “National League umpires wear inside check protesters” and “How can Hector Torres and Enzo Hernandez communicate with each other? One speaks Spanish and the other speaks Mexican.” The year off apparently did not cramp his style, however. Below, some Colemanisms from 1981: “We’re at the big ballpark and excitement is waning high.”
“Danny Boone continues to spell his magic weave.” “There’s someone warming up in the bullpen, but he’s obscured by his number.”
“From the way Denny’s shaking his head, he’s either got an injured shoulder or a gnat in his eye.”
“It’s a full count. Here’s the pitch. Ball four — and the players are loaded.” (Announcing a promotional giveaway of Padre wristbands): “So be sure to come out to the stadium to see the Dodgers and pick up one of the free 10,000 waistbands.”
(When asked about his brief tenure as manager): “All that went before is in the past.”
“We pause now ten stations for a minute identification.”
Last gasp for a house of heavy breathing
Friday afternoon’s extended lunches haven’t been much fun since October, when the Pussycat Theater on Fourth Avenue was condemned and closed by the city’s redevelopment agency. There’s not another cushy, full-screen, X-rated movie house in all of downtown; the nearest is the Capri on Park Boulevard.
Let me know when the chickens hatch
The big behind-the-scenes embarrassment in this year’s San Diego Symphony financial fiasco was symphony chairman David Porter’s premature announcement of a $250,000 loan bail-out from Crocker Bank. Several ranking bank officers hadn’t learned much about the loan offer when reporters started hounding them for comment, and got so angry that the loan offer was almost revoked.
That plane’s coming in awfully low
Illustration of a bomb attack
Otto Bos, former mayoral aide and now Pete Wilson’s campaign director, when asked if there was any chance the Navy would move out of Miramar Naval Air Station so that it could be converted to a civilian airport, replied, “Well, you know the Navy. They’d rather bomb downtown San Diego than give up Miramar.”
Honest, candid, trustworthy, scrupulous, sincere
A Union reporter preparing a story on rental agencies that sell home and apartment listings to potential renters asked realtor John M. Graef how he can call a specific unit “adorable” or “splendid” if he hasn’t seen it. Graef, who runs Graef Realty on El Cajon Boulevard, responded, “It’s adjectives. Every person in every business up and down El Cajon uses adjectives. It’s part of advertising. If it wasn’t for adjectives, we wouldn’t be in business. Adjectives are what make us smarter than the average person.”
Where would you like me to pack these alfalfa sprouts?
The Gatekeeper restaurant in Del Mar’s Flower Hill will close its doors soon to remodel, revamp, and reopen as the Valle Rose. The Gatekeeper, a “natural foods” restaurant, reportedly made an effort to improve sagging business several months ago by adding red meat to the menu. The new owners will continue to serve natural food, but it will only constitute about fifteen percent of the menu.
Small world, isn’t it?
Overheard at a November seminar in Mission Valley for would-be television game show contestants: Two attractive young women in their late twenties chatting amiably. A young architect in a three-piece suit sitting two chairs away is listening in.
“What do you do?” asked the first young woman.
“I work for a school up in Linda Vista. I teach Vietnamese and Hmong children,” the second answered brightly.
“Oh,” piped up the architect in a pleasant tone. “I used to kill them ”
Hamilton Jordan nearly died for your sins
Who was that well-known county official sneaking around at a widely publicized Halloween party, trying to scare up a little toot of cocaine?
The Fido factor
Illustration of a dog as Frankenstein
After a good deal of yelping from Steve Kowit, spokesman for the San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition, and from others concerned over alleged mistreatment of dogs by UCSD researchers, the price of the dogs went up. On November 10, the County Board of Supervisors approved a set of guidelines which, among other things, raised the price of research dogs taken from the county pound, from nine dollars to $55 each.
After you count the votes, you’d better count your teeth
The real excitement at the Community Concourse on primary election night wasn’t on stage, where votes were being tallied for the city council and school board races. It was in the doorway of the Copper Room, where a livid Jack Orr shouted obscenities at fellow Republican campaign strategist George Gorton. The terrible-tempered Orr bitched aloud that Gorton had “stolen” the account of Fifth District council candidate Ed Struiksma from Orr’s PR agency, and nearly punched fellow-Republican Gorton in the mouth.
Quote of the Year Award (ex post facto)
To developer Ernest Hahn for this statement, uttered publicly in November, 1978: “You’ll be surprised what you see downtown in three years.”
Quote of the Year Award (runner up)
To — ta da! — developer Ernest Hahn for this statement, uttered to members of the Santee city council in March of this year: “We do not create people when we create a shopping center. God creates people.”
Thath eathy for you tothay
Marvin K. Brown Cadillac hired those fun-loving guys over at Knoth & Meads to write their TV commericals this year — the ones read by (lisping). Charger coach Don Coryell, who struggles his way through thcripths thwarming with tho many thibilant thounds ith almotht embarrathing. Thorry to thay tho, you guyth, but ith not ath amuthing ath you theem to think.
Happy trails
Country-western nightclubs that have either gone out of business or switched formats during 1981: Rodeo, Macho’s, Nashville West, One Night Stand, Springfield Wagon Works, the London Opera House, the Santa Fe Bar and Grill, and Cunhingham’s.
Reach, out, reach out and punch someone
Phone books illustration
It seems that phone numbers in the 714 area code — which has been shared by Orange and San Diego counties — are simply running out. So last summer Pacific Telephone declared that, come November, 1982, San Diego will relinquish its 714 area code to Orange County. No questions, no discussion, motion carries. In its place, we get a new area code: 619. But why didn’t Orange County take the new number, saving San Diegans the expense of printing new letterheads, business cards, gummed return-address labels, ad nauseam? Because PacTel says more calls are placed between Los Angeles (213 area code) and Orange County than between Los Angeles and San Diego, so the proposed switch will “disrupt the calling habits of the fewest number of people.” Any protests should be submitted in writing and mailed to Pacific Telephone, using the new nine-digit zip code.
Most dangerous pedestrian crossing
The (unmarked) path beneath the Federal Building’s overpass on Front Street downtown.
We’re talking m-e-l-l-o-w
The nod for mellowest D J of the year goes to Ken Richards of KYXY, whose breathy FM voice reportedly has been of concern to the-Highway Patrol, who claim that many drivers involved in freeway accidents over the past year had their car radios tuned in to Richards’ show, and actually fell asleep at the wheel. From the Richards repertoire: “Just lay back and groove with this next time,” and “Hey, it’s a beautiful, warm day in San Diego — keep a smile on your face.”
And get ready to kiss good-bye to Ozzie
Baseball player illustration
The Padres may have finished this year’s season with the worst record in the major leagues, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t (or wasn’t) hope. The following line-up is the stuff of All-Star teams. All of the players were once in the employ of Ray Kroc and Ballard Smith. Their new affiliations are in parentheses.
Derrel Thomas (Dodgers) 2B
Jerry Mumphrey (Yankees) CF
George Hendrick (Cardinals) LF
Dave Winfield (Yankees) RF
Dave Kingman (Mets) IB
Oscar Gamble (Yankees) DH
Bill Almon (White Sox) SS
Mike Hargrove (Indians) C
Aurelio Rodriguez (Yankees) 3B
Rollie Fingers (Brewers) P
On the bench: Jay Johnstone, Willie Montanez, and Gaylord Perry
A.J. Liebling would be proud
One of the best kept secrets in modern journalism is the talent exhibited by San Diego’s own George Mitrovich, whose column, “Shouts and Murmurs,” appears weekly in “Newsline.” The column below, attributed to Mr. Mitrovich, was fished from the dumpster outside the “Newsline” offices:
My old friend David Halberstam was in town the other day, and over a delicious fish luncheon at the Harbor House, we discussed my recent visit to Washington and the state of the media. He told me of the recent demise of another good friend, Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, and while I was very shook up about the news, it did explain why Hubert failed to return my calls to his office during my recent sojourn in the East. David’s book, “The Powers That Be,” is a scathing but fair analysis of some of the major media in America, according to book reviews I’ve read in the “New York Times,” the “Washington Post,” the “Economist,” and the “Manchester Guardian.” Kudos to Elaine Smyth for her hard-hitting interview with “glamour author” Kitty Kelley in the “Currents” section of the “San Diego Union” She cut right to the bone when she asked Kelley about plans for a visit to a fat farm. “Do you have to mention that?” Kelley pleaded. “Why not?” Smyth shot back. “You did it to Liz [Taylor].” All in all, I think too much is being made of these vituperative celebrity biographies designed to feed the ravenous lusts of the great unwashed, and I’m not just referring to Kelley’s “Jackie Oh!” although, of course, as a former friend and adviser to the Kennedys (I mention this only in the spirit of conflict-of-interest avoidance), I hate to see a wonderful woman hurt. I remember a time with Jackie and John: we were going over his text while on the flight into Berlin. (Jack always asked me to help out on detail work.) I mentioned as how I thought “I like to be with Berliners” was a little weak. “How about ‘I am a Berliner,’ ” I suggested, which was what he used. Darts to Channel 8 for a recent reference to a Highway 163 “rear-end” collision. You don’t have to be with the Moral Majority to be sick of the tasteless sexual innuendos, male strippers, cocaine snorters, sex counselors, and other debaucheries that have marked the recent television ratings competition. I don’t see why you can’t report an accident in a civil manner by referring to “posterior” or lower-back collisions. Speaking of civility, I must take time here to acknowledge that honored virtue in Barry Lorge of the “Union,” who, as readers of this column surely know, has been the target of not a few salvos from my typewriter. Lorge read my column last week (in which I accused him of using too many adjectives) and called me up to say he respected my right to complain. We then made plans for breakfast at Hob Nob Hill, where I found the man to be most charming.
Speaking of charming, I must note here that while the local media have made much of the arrival at MCC of Christopher Boyce, the convicted spy and escape artist, they’ve failed to point out that Chris is one of the most polite young men on the San Diego scene in a long time. While I do not agree with his actions, I’m impressed with his good manners. He does not indulge in drugs or loud music. His quiet hobbies include falconry, photography, and foreign travel.
The long, fishnet stocking of the law
Policewoman Maureen Lajes on posing as a downtown hooker: “It’s fun to dress up and do this work. It’s different and I like to see the reaction of the guys when they find out we’re cops.”
What a revolting redevelopment this is
Would everyone who is so sick of listening to the endless Gaslamp Quarter hype that he’s ready to throw up or move to Yuma, please stand up? Thank you.
Prediction: San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium will once again become simply San Diego Stadium within two years of Herb Klein’s retirement from Copley Newspapers.
We represent that remark
Not exactly a banner year for San Diego attorneys, a number of whom found themselves faced with unexpected court dates and the prospect of hiring their own legal counsel. The following list of ladies and gentlemen of the bar is (sadly) only a sampling: Robert Ellis McMillian pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted extortion; Robert Henry Parker was fined $2600 and sentenced to 90 days in the county work-furlough program after pleading no contest to a forgery charge; William Scott Carr was placed on two years’ probation after pleading no contest to a trespassing charge; Gerald Alfred Mailhot was temporarily suspended by the State Bar Association for issuing a check without sufficient funds; Robert and David Kronemyer (father and son) are -under investigation by the district attorney’s office following complaints they misappropriated a client’s funds; Michael Walker was successfully sued in court (and picketed at home) by a former client who claimed Walker was unethical, dishonest, and rude; Richard Crake was under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office (possible fraud) and the State Bar Association (possible misconduct) at the time he was murdered in his La Jolla home; Paul William Douglass was arrested on charges of forgery and embezzlement; and Leona M. Pfeifer was charged with misappropriating $11,000 of her client’s estate.
Wine, Women, and Justice
Not much better for judges this year. Municipal Court Judge Robert J. Cooney was publicly criticized for freely distributing to jurors a number of wallets submitted as evidence in a trial; Municipal Court Judge Charles M. Snell was accused of often being under the influence of alcohol while on the bench, of exhibiting bias and prejudice against criminal defendants and their attorneys, and of directing an ethnic slur at a Mexican-American man over whose trial he was presiding; Superior Court Judge Hugo Fisher was twice arrested for drunk driving and was recently censured by the state’s Commission on Judicial Performance for serious professional misconduct; and Municipal Court Judge Lewis Wenzell was convicted of soliciting prostitution.
Ready when you are, chief
Police chief Bill Kolender, upon making his exit from the press-level seats at the Rolling Stones concert: “Hey, when does the excitement start?”
Mr. Coggesliall’s wardrobe by K-Mart
A.W. Coggeshall is a plumbing contractor who just happens to own several million dollars’ worth of downtown property. But he always dresses in khaki work clothes, even when he appeared in court this year to testify why his land on Kettner Boulevard was worth $1.6 million, not the $950,000 the city redevelopment agency had offered him. Noting that the jury might resent him for trying to downplay his wealth, his ' attorney urged Coggeshall to wear a new, sharper outfit. The next day he turned up in freshly pressed brown work clothes, brand-new.
Criminal genius nabbed in plot to pay fine
County jail inmate Reynard Paul DeLeon managed to escape on November 19, but be should have stayed away from the law. Instead, be accompanied his girlfriend to traffic court four days later. She had DeLeon paged on the court’s public address system so be could help pay off her traffic fine. DeLeon drove borne to round up the money but when be returned to the Clairemont traffic court, Deputy Marshall Gary Mahaffey, who recognized DeLeon’s name, was waiting to arrest him.
Criminal genius, Part II
The day after Labor Day, Claude Williams drove his Cadillac out of a Grantville service station without paying for $22 worth of gas. When be saw be was being followed by a police car, he accelerated, and for nearly an hour led a posse of six police cars on a 90-mile-per-hour chase east through the College area, north to Miramar, and south to downtown. The chase ended abruptly when Williams made an unexpected, screeching turn into a garage — at police headquarters on Market Street.
Criminal genius, Part III
A Pacific Beach woman named Ann Sanders woke up early one morning in April and discovered a fishing line attached to her camper, which was parked in front of her home on Panuel Street. She followed it to a station wagon parked nearby, and found stacks of items that had been stolen from the camper — along with the sleeping suspect. She returned to a neighbor’s house and called police, who promptly arrested the surprised crook.
And now, heeere’s…
Our two young congressmen, Representatives Bill Lowery and Duncan Hunter, were tapped as guest presenters on the local Emmy Awards show in June. The show’s producers reportedly fielded calls from both congressmen’s aides, who asked what time their respective bosses were scheduled to go on the air. Both politicos, it seems, preferred to appear after 8:00 p.m., to avoid competing with the popular “60 Minutes,” exposurewise.
Maybe in 1982?
Developers, in a mad rush to beat the 100-year flood, continue construction of shops, offices, and condos in the Mission Valley flood plain.
The garbage bag, please…
This year’s winner for most ridiculous attempt at musical entertainment goes to a production called “Vim Voom Voodoo.” The show promised an evening of songs and material which “musical medium” Jenifer Whisper claims to have received telepathically from celebrities “on the other side,” which is to say, dead.
A cast of singers, musicians, and actors performed tunes sent over to Whisper by the likes of George Gershwin, Judy Garland, Jimi Hendrix, Marilyn Monroe, Walt Disney, and others.
“Voodoo” ran for three nights in August at someplace called the T.I.C. Center in East San Diego, and fortunately got away.
MCBD:M No swimming.
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