Thirty-Five Years Ago
[T]he walnuts in the walnut chicken were burned and hence inedible, the Peking duck consisted of squares of apparently canned, fat-riddled duck, and each and every dish, regardless of how it had been described in the menu, came in an identical sauce. Overdone celery and canned bamboo shoots floated on a gray ubiquitous sauce whose monotony was occasionally punctuated by a leathery snow pea. By definition a snow pea cannot be leathery, but the masters at the Hong Kong achieved this by first overheating the canned mushrooms. In desperation, we chewed on Chinese dried noodles and avoided each other’s eyes.
— “NEVER TRUST A STRANGER,” Eleanor Widmer, June 3, 1976
Thirty Years Ago
The city’s Miramar site is about one year away from reaching its capacity. The South Chollas landfill, currently servicing only small amounts of municipal waste, will reach its limit sometime this summer. The new location at North Chollas — object of vehement citizen protest and allegedly the cause of 16 cancerous deaths due to ash deposits uncovered in its excavation — would have a life span of five years and three months. Its present status, according to Mary Slupe, who works on the city’s engineering staff, is “up in the air.”
— “JUST FILLING IN,” Jeff Smith, June 4, 1981
Twenty-Five Years Ago
Amid the sounds of popping champagne corks and the smell (and, in some cases, the feel) of fresh paint, the San Diego Repertory Theatre’s “ship in a bottle” Lyceum Stage was launched last Saturday night. Just as the Rep’s two new theaters at Horton Plaza are proof that our city is sincerely committed to rebuilding downtown culturally as well as economically, the opening night gala also proved something else: San Diego is capable of real glamour.
— “TAKE COVER,” Jeff Smith, June 5, 1986
Twenty Years Ago
Last month the federal antidrug agency raided several local garden supply outlets and subpoenaed the names of their customers.
Civil libertarians may grouse about the unconstitutionality of digging through the customer lists of garden supply stores, but shop owners say they are more amused than upset by the inspection.
Officials at the garden supply companies say they do not know whether agents have contacted customers; if so, none have complained about it. But DEA agents now believe the local stores were just as they appeared to be — legitimate.
— CITY LIGHTS: “THE PINHEAD IS NEXT,” Colin Flaherty, June 6, 1991
Fifteen Years Ago
Wherever you stand on the abortion debate, the issue will be impossible to ignore during the Republican National Convention in August.
Republicans for Choice will stage a pro-choice sailing event on San Diego Bay, out of the jurisdiction of San Diego Police. And Phyllis Schlafly’s group, Republican National Coalition for Life, secured a venue within Sea World over a year ago.
— CITY LIGHTS: “ABORTION AUGUST,” Jamie Reno, June 6, 1996
Ten Years Ago
In America, once Julia Child taught home cooks of the ’70s to duplicate the Gallic classics, traditional French restaurants gradually faded away, replaced by those cooking the lighter, faster, less-reproducible “nouvelle” style.... With the departure of René Herbeck from Twins and the retirement of Don Coulon and closing of his Belgian Lion, suddenly this mode of cooking is starting to seem as endangered here as the future of Alaskan caribou. But if you love this cuisine, never fear; Vincent Grumel is still cooking your old favorites in Escondido and he’s still a ways from retirement age.
— RESTAURANT REVIEW: “A STUDY IN BROWN,” Naomi Wise, May 31, 2001
Five Years Ago
Michael D. and Berhand M., both cab drivers, argued over a stolen fare. During the argument, M. removed a golf club from his trunk and swung it at D. seven or eight times.
D. said he was at the taxi stop with M. behind him (both in their cabs). D. noticed a male getting in M’s cab out of turn. D. walked back to complain, and M. went to his truck and removed a golf club. D. said he was able to avoid the blows.
— IT’S A CRIME, Michael Hemmingson, June 1, 2006
Thirty-Five Years Ago
[T]he walnuts in the walnut chicken were burned and hence inedible, the Peking duck consisted of squares of apparently canned, fat-riddled duck, and each and every dish, regardless of how it had been described in the menu, came in an identical sauce. Overdone celery and canned bamboo shoots floated on a gray ubiquitous sauce whose monotony was occasionally punctuated by a leathery snow pea. By definition a snow pea cannot be leathery, but the masters at the Hong Kong achieved this by first overheating the canned mushrooms. In desperation, we chewed on Chinese dried noodles and avoided each other’s eyes.
— “NEVER TRUST A STRANGER,” Eleanor Widmer, June 3, 1976
Thirty Years Ago
The city’s Miramar site is about one year away from reaching its capacity. The South Chollas landfill, currently servicing only small amounts of municipal waste, will reach its limit sometime this summer. The new location at North Chollas — object of vehement citizen protest and allegedly the cause of 16 cancerous deaths due to ash deposits uncovered in its excavation — would have a life span of five years and three months. Its present status, according to Mary Slupe, who works on the city’s engineering staff, is “up in the air.”
— “JUST FILLING IN,” Jeff Smith, June 4, 1981
Twenty-Five Years Ago
Amid the sounds of popping champagne corks and the smell (and, in some cases, the feel) of fresh paint, the San Diego Repertory Theatre’s “ship in a bottle” Lyceum Stage was launched last Saturday night. Just as the Rep’s two new theaters at Horton Plaza are proof that our city is sincerely committed to rebuilding downtown culturally as well as economically, the opening night gala also proved something else: San Diego is capable of real glamour.
— “TAKE COVER,” Jeff Smith, June 5, 1986
Twenty Years Ago
Last month the federal antidrug agency raided several local garden supply outlets and subpoenaed the names of their customers.
Civil libertarians may grouse about the unconstitutionality of digging through the customer lists of garden supply stores, but shop owners say they are more amused than upset by the inspection.
Officials at the garden supply companies say they do not know whether agents have contacted customers; if so, none have complained about it. But DEA agents now believe the local stores were just as they appeared to be — legitimate.
— CITY LIGHTS: “THE PINHEAD IS NEXT,” Colin Flaherty, June 6, 1991
Fifteen Years Ago
Wherever you stand on the abortion debate, the issue will be impossible to ignore during the Republican National Convention in August.
Republicans for Choice will stage a pro-choice sailing event on San Diego Bay, out of the jurisdiction of San Diego Police. And Phyllis Schlafly’s group, Republican National Coalition for Life, secured a venue within Sea World over a year ago.
— CITY LIGHTS: “ABORTION AUGUST,” Jamie Reno, June 6, 1996
Ten Years Ago
In America, once Julia Child taught home cooks of the ’70s to duplicate the Gallic classics, traditional French restaurants gradually faded away, replaced by those cooking the lighter, faster, less-reproducible “nouvelle” style.... With the departure of René Herbeck from Twins and the retirement of Don Coulon and closing of his Belgian Lion, suddenly this mode of cooking is starting to seem as endangered here as the future of Alaskan caribou. But if you love this cuisine, never fear; Vincent Grumel is still cooking your old favorites in Escondido and he’s still a ways from retirement age.
— RESTAURANT REVIEW: “A STUDY IN BROWN,” Naomi Wise, May 31, 2001
Five Years Ago
Michael D. and Berhand M., both cab drivers, argued over a stolen fare. During the argument, M. removed a golf club from his trunk and swung it at D. seven or eight times.
D. said he was at the taxi stop with M. behind him (both in their cabs). D. noticed a male getting in M’s cab out of turn. D. walked back to complain, and M. went to his truck and removed a golf club. D. said he was able to avoid the blows.
— IT’S A CRIME, Michael Hemmingson, June 1, 2006