When Ed Finn opened his San Diego Gas & Electric bill last month – he was shocked at the nearly $4,000 statement. "Most of the May-June bill was for the gas portion – like $3,400 …

Birdwatchers need not despair now that the winter migrants are gone. Plenty of shore birds can be found on summer evenings in the natural coastal wetland areas of San Diego County. From south to north, …

Like your road widened, Mister? In the pre-dawn gloaming, the roadbuilding machines are just black shapes lined up beside the southbound lanes of Interstate 15. From the overpass at Miramar Way, only the light from …

Dock Totals 7/23 – 7/29: 5087 anglers aboard 216 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 1 albacore, 29 barracuda, 3575 bluefin tuna (up to 220 pounds), 35 …

Otay before 50,000 homes In 1954 I sat on the school bus every day next to my best friend, Mark Robson. The ride home from Montgomery Elementary School in Otay was a straight shot east …

I ran drugs for Uncle Sam . Fifty-two-year old Robert “Tosh” Plumlee, who has lived in the San Diego area off and on since 1976, has decided to come forward with the details of his …

My kids and I drove up to the Irvine Spectrum in order to see *Oppenheimer* in the full 70mm IMAX format. I had previously encountered J. Robert Oppenheimer in the opera *Doctor Atomic* by John …

Last week, San Diego’s City Council voted 3 to 1 to approve the SDPD’s smart streetlight surveillance program, despite substantial public opposition. “Well of course they’re opposed,” said Council spokesman Tom Peeping. “Nobody wants to …

“She’s lovely, but honestly, it’s like she’s not even trying,” whispered one of the judges to another at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con Costume Contest as Rachel Zegler hit the stage in her yellow and …

Shortly after Mayor Gloria’s recent press conference announcing the creation of a parking lot sleep space for San Diego’s homeless, reporters from the Latino newspaper LaPrensa San Diego attempted to gain access to the site …

Hey, Chels was founded by Jacque Mendez (New Way On) on vocals and electric piano, Stephanie Presz (the Newports) on drums, Kevin White (Squarecrow, Londons Falling) on guitar, and Ricky Schmidt (Western Settings, Caskitt) on …

Kevin Grossman — formerly of Rat City Riot, now with LoudMouth — shares a memory of touring with tonight’s headline act, GBH. “There’s nothing like being in a poor punk touring band, going to Paris …

Indie pop singer-songwriter Tamar Berk grew up playing piano and started writing songs on guitar as a teenager. While living in Chicago, she played in regional bands — like her first, power pop group Starball, …

We don’t have a public restroom,” the lead employee at a discount store tells me. “Yes, you do.” I shoot back. “No, we don’t,” she repeats, not looking at me. It’s December of 2022, I’m …

Fear and loathing at SDSU San Diego State University — back among the ranks of the Mountain West college athletic conference last week after agreeing to fork over legal fees resulting from a brief showdown …

It has been ten years since a food truck hit the road with a small yet memorable menu of made-from-scratch sausages. In the time since, Mastiff Sausage Company has gone on quite a roll (pun …

According to longtime dealers and cosplayers, the 2023 Comic-Con International, San Diego was hot. The people I interviewed on location on July 22 blame the heat inside the main hall on the SAG-AFTRA strikes — …

Ryan wore a T-shirt and jeans when he testified, he looked as if he might have come straight from his mechanic job to the courthouse on July 5. Ryan said he paid $18,000 when he …

The May-October sea lion pupping season closure at Point La Jolla may become year-round. Last week, the environment committee voted unanimously to send the recommendation to the full City Council. A history of humans harassing …

Orioles, the bright yellow or yellow- orange-and-black birds seen flitting among the palm trees, are summer residents of San Diego County’s coastal areas. A century ago, they preferred to nest in sycamore trees, which were …

Huero walks On July 2, 1988, at 2:30 a.m., Rudolpho “Nene” Rios was shot twice in the head while he was in the 2000 block of National Avenue, at Chicano Park. He died two days …

Dock Totals 7/16– 7/22: 5193 anglers aboard 219 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 92 barracuda, 3087 bluefin tuna (up to 255 pounds), 90 bocaccio, 117 bonito, …

Every dive around San Diego yields discovery One of the oddest of these noises, an irregular bumping sound heard frequently in the rocks and ridges off the beaches from the La Jolla Caves south to …

Departure It was not like your great and gracious ways! Do you, that have naught other to lament, Never, my Love, repent Of how, that July afternoon, You went, With sudden, unintelligible phrase, And frighten’d …

Sequester yourself in the Secret Ranch Welcome to “The Secret Ranch,” a 12-acre estate with more than 12,400 square feet of living space under roof located in the exclusive Covenant of Rancho Santa Fe. “This …

One of classical music’s greatest “what could have been” stories is that of Hans Rott, a highly talented and promising composer of the late 19th century. Although his life was tragically short, his contributions to …

Departing Dystopia is an interactive, immersive, post-apocalyptic-themed cyberpunk theater-nightclub hybrid featuring displays and performances, including a live musical EDM rendition of Romeo & Juliet. The Hillcrest event will include performance art featuring elements of dance, …

A writer must take care in this, the golden age of branding. Mention any particular subject more than once, and you risk becoming That Guy, the one who writes about X. After that, should you …

It’s good to get out of the city sometimes. This is something I tell myself frequently as I wander with my dog through the abundant urban canyons east of Downtown. But the background drone of …

Gideon Prior, guitarist and singer with the progressive alt-rock band A Lens To the Sun, grew up in Los Angeles, until a quest for his Ph.D in electrical engineering took him in another direction. “I …

June 10th began gray and damp, the way it had been all spring. But by the afternoon, the concrete at the Rancho Peñasquitos skatepark was dry, the DJ was spinning, and you could hear the …

U-T’s culture wars The long-predicted sale of the Union-Tribune by Los Angeles billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong to vulture fund Alden Global Capital heralds an almost certain change to the once-mighty San Diego paper, including no more …

Old Town is known for a lot of things: shops and tourist traps, Mexican food of varying quality, mariachi, haunted houses and graveyards…. One thing that has been lacking, however, is the presence of a …

Alas for the bass The article by Daniel Powell (“Half Day South”, Cover Story, July 13, 2023) included a picture of a 75 lb. black sea bass (possibly too young to reproduce) that he killed …

A classified ad appeared in the February 3, 1977 edition of The San Diego Reader. It read, “Creative writers, artists, freaks with ideas for avant-garde journal wanted. Contact Cabaret Voltaire c/o Steve Hitchcock 626 Madeline …

Caryn White of Point Loma was heading to a concert recently, she hopped online to find a dog sitter for her four-month-old puppy. "I was only going to be gone for four to five hours," …

At some point, we had to stop talking about ramen. I mean, we’re not that many years removed from the days San Diego could count its number of reputable ramen shops on one hand. Then …

Where are most of the short-term rentals in Del Mar? Near the shoreline in the North Beach and in the South Bluff area – residential neighborhoods where vacation rentals aren't allowed. Yet the city doesn't …

Dennis wears his brown hair short and has a light beard that is carefully trimmed. He looks tall and fit and wore a black polo shirt and khaki pants when he testified in court on …

Cumulonimbus Clouds, or thunderheads, are most likely to form over San Diego County’s deserts and mountains during the latter part of the summer season, beginning around late July. The clouds appear by mid-afternoon — often …

Our new garden up on Fire Mountain, in Oceanside, looked like hell I grew up in Southern California suburbia and hated gardening. It was called yard work, which pretty much explains why any kid would …

Dock Totals 7/9– 7/15: 4803 anglers aboard 192 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 85 barracuda, 3200 bluefin tuna (up to 270 pounds), 72 bonito, 923 calico …

Destination Lindbergh; destruction Old Town "It would transform the way travelers use our airport, reduce traffic congestion around [Lindbergh Field] and take advantage of the airport’s close proximity to Interstate 5 by providing access right …

The girls of summer Right after the Fourth of July, a series of perfect days unrolled across San Diego County beaches. Sun sizzled away the coastal low clouds by no later than eleven, and girls …

Surprisingly, the homeless — who until now have lived freely in San Diego’s bucolic canyons and along its picturesque Downtown streets — have proved less than eager to camp out on a patch of asphalt …

One of my early tactics for exploring music was to simply find recordings with orchestra and chorus. I was in choir all through high school and college, so I was into works that featured a …

Embattled Presidential candidate Jabba the Trump has revealed that one of his most devoted online critics has actually been in his employ for years, and credited her with helping to launch his third presidential campaign …

According to area homosexual Scott Rowin, he was assaulted by multiple men in Hillcrest during Pride Month, men who doused him with flammable liquid and set him on fire while shouting gay slurs. He suffered …

Horizon SouthBay Church Contact: 3737 Sweetwater Rd., National City, 619-500-2663, www.horizonsouthbay.com Membership: 100+ Pastor: Eric Martin Age: 51 Born: Charleston, SC Formation: San Diego State University; Horizon Christian Fellowship-School of Evangelism, San Diego Years Ordained: …

Is it safe to have dental work done in Tijuana?This is a question that many people ask themselves when considering dental tourism. Tijuana is a popular destination for Americans and Canadians seeking affordable dental care, …

Psych/blues rock group Lead Pony released their debut EP Eclipse in 2017, followed the next year by a double-single, “Two Love Songs.” The band toured behind the records and landed a song on the TV …

“Some guy jumped from the top balcony onto the speakers and then down onto the floor. And then some other guy dove off the stage onto his face on the floor and had to go …

David McHank of Styrofoam Records is an artist whose 30-year career includes illustrating posters and album covers, as well as venturing into animated shorts around a decade ago. Mike Molina is a videographer for Robles …

Moving to the San Quintin area in 2015 was more accident than planned, but it wasn’t entirely random. Whenever I’ve pulled up stakes and moved on, for whatever reason — work, family, relationship, or a …

Cops step out San Diego cops are readying a barrage of TV spots and digital attacks against their Democratic city council nemesis Monica Montgomery Steppe, who is currently running to fill Nathan Fletcher’s vacated seat …

There are quite a few reasons to visit the new location of Havana Grill, but two features in particular convinced my wife to join me for lunch. Bear in mind, she’s tagged along on enough …

In San Diego and Tijuana, dozens of crimes happened on #GoSkateDay, June 21. The perps and victims were skateboarders. Between 4-5 pm, an unidentified "dog walker" lay on the cement of Balboa Park with blood …

It's not like moving trains or houses away from the edge of crumbling cliffs. But plans to move a small Leucadia parking lot and access trail have faced stiff opposition. Last week, the Encinitas City …

Colorful Foliage along San Diego’s coastline lingers, despite the lack of rainfall and warmer, drier days. In the older, landscaped neighborhoods of Coronado, Point Loma, Pacific Beach, and La Jolla, you’ll find oleander and hibiscus …

Don't be surprised if UCSD School of Medicine turns you down Maria Lofftus, manager of the admissions office at the UCSD School of Medicine, had just finished explaining to an irate father why his son's …

Dock Totals 7/2– 7/8: 4852 anglers aboard 190 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 150 barracuda, 2737 bluefin tuna (up to 240 pounds), 85 bocaccio, 29 bonito, …

Santee – where everyone wants to live Most people who drive past the old green and white Dutch-style barn on North Magnolia Avenue in Santee, on their way to one of the freeways or to …

Where demons thrive Like city cops, the BLM rangers spend most of their time observing the human race at its worst. You might think the desert would be a place where you could get away …

With the Mainly Mozart Festival now over, the 2022-2023 season has come to an end. It is possible to view Mainly Mozart as the beginning of the summer festival season, which is fair, but to …

Summer sunlight illuminates the room at Fort Oak, where Bar Manager Jess Stewart offers a warm welcome. Royal blue surfaces pop against crisp white tile, gold details, and earthy accents such as a vase of …

Classical Salsa guitarist Israel Maldonado moved with his family to Carlsbad when he was 14, learning percussion on the drum line at Carlsbad High and playing in guitar ensembles at Palomar College and SDSU. A …

Back in May, a Keanu Reeves sighting at the Casbah during a punk rock show featuring locals Doc Hammer lit up social media. I know this because one of my pals posted an Instagram selfie …

The bar at the corner of 30th Street and Adams Avenue is named Polite Provisions. The outfit that runs it, Consortium Holdings, bills it as “an ode to the extinct neighborhood institution that is the …

Raiding accounts The acting replacement for ex-San Diego County Counsel Lonnie Eldridge, who mysteriously exited his post almost a year ago after only twelve months on the job, has been called out by county chief …

Did Ed Bedford drop his fork? Hey, I noticed Ed hasn’t written anything for Tin Fork in a while. I’ve been reading it since I was a teenager and it’s become somewhat of a comfort …

It’s not often that we tour condos here at Unreal. A lot of that is due to the relative newness of San Diego. With the bulk of West Coast development occurring after the advent of …

This has to be the most salad I’ve ever eaten at a mall. I’ve walked a couple circuits around the food court of Plaza Bonita, the big shopping center at the border of Chula Vista …

Shooting marbles nowadays is not the same as when we'd flick them at our opponents' marbles in the 1980s. Nowadays, glass-marble play is for more than keeps. Throughout June, local vandals shot marbles at car …

The undergrounding of unsightly wires around San Diego has resumed but not only has the number of projects been slashed in half, but costs have increased by over 100 percent. "This cost is insane, this …

Grunion Open Season is happening again this week (evenings of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, July 3-6) roughly between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am, following the nocturnal high tide. The small, silvery …

Bodysurfers from Oceanside to the IB Pier A little further up the coast from Cartwright and Bye is the hermetic Boomer Beach crowd of La Jolla, with guys like "Dolphin" Don Riley, "Freeway" Dave Freeman, …

Dock Totals 6/25– 7/1: 3408 anglers aboard 149 half-day to 3-day trips out of San Diego landings over the past week caught 370 barracuda, 3045 bluefin tuna (up to 150 pounds), 45 bocaccio, 5 bonito, …

Movie lover's paradise Meanwhile, Blockbuster and Hollywood Video have shuttered their local outlets. Owner and buyer Guy Hanford understands why. “When you went into a Blockbuster or Hollywood to rent a film, you never engaged …

Singer-guitarist Rick Froberg “passed away suddenly last night [June 30] from natural causes,” posted longtime bandmate John Reis, who also said “His art made life better.” “The only thing he loved more than art and …

Florence Chadwick in and out of the water Many years earlier, on her return to San Diego from a trip abroad, Chadwick had been greeted by city officials with considerably more pomp - a jubilant …