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Saturday, June 8, 2013

TOUR DE NORTH PARK (Top of Tank #3)

See Ya!
TOP OF THE TANK #3--Salads, Job Offers, Bargain Sofas, Beer News and Nuke closures: What Else do you need from your neighborhood column?

San Onofre Nuke Nuked
Top Story--Here’s a bit of no nukes is good news from San Diego Metro and North Park News editor Manny Cruz: “Southern California Edison announced Friday that the troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant will be shut down because of uncertainty about its future. Anti-nuclear activists rallied outside the plant Friday morning in celebration of the plant's closing. The closing comes after a 16-month battle over whether the twin reactors could be safely returned to service. The plant "has served this region for over 40 years," Ted Craver, chairman of SCE parent Edison International said in a statement. "But we have concluded that the continuing uncertainty about when or if (the plant) might return to service was not good for our customers, our investors, or the need to plan for our region's long-term electricity needs.”

No Chickens, Yet.
North Park is fortunate in having its own neighborhood owned nursery, where local greenthumbs can supply themselves with all things green, plus garden tips.
It’s called North Park Nursery and located at 32nd and Thorn.   Next door, is Ripe, an organic produce store (that also has a wonderful deli).  Both outlets have kept me in salads for the past year.   From NP Nursery, I pick up seeds and starter veggies, the latter which I transplant into my garden.  I’ve had no success with tomato growing but my south facing sideyard garden thrives with swiss chard, arugula, mint, onion, cilantro, parsley, oregano and a few strawberries.  It’s easier to pick up tomatoes at Ripe, along with any other veggies I’m not growing at home.   And, thanks to North Park Nursery and Ripe, I’ve managed to stop overwatering. 
           
Another local nursery, Green Gardens in Pacific Beach has a video out on growing tomatoes.  https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/13f1f5fdf75dc8b5

"Tour de North Park.
Bastiaan Bouma is the new Executive Director for AIA San Diego, a chapter of the American Institute of Architects.  He hails from the Chicago area, a city that loves its architecture and those who created it.  I was very proud to show Bas the bright lights of North Park last January and again over the weekend. 

“I like the neighborhood feel of North Park,” he said as we sought to find a TV screen, where we could put on the NHL hockey game during a late lunch (Chicago beat LA in game one of the the NHL playoffs).  The TV we sought ended up at Piocere Mio at Fern and Grape after checking out Burlingame.

The Italian-American owners had no problem changing channels from CNN Europe.  Plus, the panini’s were terrific.  Bouma has been exploring all the neighborhoods lately.  He wants to be in shape with his history in time for the national AIA convention arriving in town in 2015.

Craft Beer Kudos.
Thorn Street, the new North Park brewery at 32nd & Thorn just picked up an award for excellence at the recent San Diego International Beer competition.  For more craft beer news go to North Park based www.westcoastersd.com

Bargain Hunter Alert.
Need a décor quick fix? When a columnist learns something it is news.  Sort of.  Anyway, I didn’t know that Father Joe Carroll of Father Joe’s Villages has a secret.  It’s “San Diego’s best kept secret” according to Fr. Joe’s marketing department.  The hero of the homeless has a furniture warehouse outlet at 3350 E Street (East of Golden Hill).  It’s open 10 to 5 daily.  So that’s where my replica “Christmas Story” lamp has gone.

Seeking Chefs.
For those who haven’t been to Fixtures Living, it’s an appliance store that thinks it is a modern department store.  Customers are pampered and often a gourmet chef offers free bites while shopping for a new range or BBQ grill.  Fixtures Living has a new location at UTC shopping center along with other sites in SoCal.  As of this week, Fixtures Living is hiring.  Here’s a recent posting from them:  WE WANT CHEFS! We are looking for a handful of lucky chefs to join the Fixtures Family in our San Diego, Costa Mesa, & Glendale showrooms. Browse the jobs on LinkedIn and become a part of our Culinary Dream Team: http://bit.ly/ChefsWanted.

Waiting for the Parklet.
Still no parklet outside of Caffé Calabria, but it didn’t change the enjoyment one bit of sitting at the sidewalk café tables and chairs sipping a latte as the sunlight slowly faded.

On the Move.
North Park based City Beat, a successful weekly newspaper, whose coverage includes the SD region, has made staff moves recently, according to input from the 11-year-old newspaper.  Columnist/writers Anders Wright and Peter Holslin are leaving CityBeat on good terms and incoming are:
--Glenn Heath, Jr., a San Diegan, who’ll be penning film reviews.
--New music editor will be Jeff Terich and,
--News writer Joshua Emerson Smith is from the Merced Sun-Star, where he was a metro reporter and co-hosted a weekly news podcast. 

Nepotism Begins at Home.
As Holden DeMayo, I’m delighted to reporter alter ego Tom Shess has written the cover story for the June issue of San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles.  It is the second cover story in two months for the North Park writer and creative director at SDHGL.  No, there won’t be a third in a row because Shess is focused on overseeing staff production of 18 history related Back Page columns in advance of the 100th anniversary of the Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park, plus his monthly retail column, Shoptalk.

Bocce-ISM.
This column has his first Bocce Ball lesson in tow and has grandiose visions of entering a competitive team next fall in the annual St. Augustine High Bocce Ball Tourney.  And, winning, of course.  The public event is fundraiser for school scholarships and held on campus.   More news for interested Bocce readers of this column when a tourney date is set.  Or, send me an email and I’ll alert you.


Holden DeMayo is a former dining reviewer and gossip columnist for San Francisco Magazine, who now resides in District Three. 

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