3-2013 village voice

[email protected] Vol. XXII, No. 3 | March 2013

The Village Voice is a publication of the OHCC Journalism Club

Editorial

What Is Van Dyke?Van Dyke Landscape Architects,

Inc., of San Diego, is a private firm thathas been providing professional land-scape design services for 35 years toclients such as the San DiegoConvention Center, CalaveraCommunity and the Hyatt Regency.Van Dyke has been hired by the OHCCMaster Board – to initially offer sever-al design options for reworking,upgrading and enhancing the land-scapes along the Main Gate entranceroadway and the area in front of theclubhouse and around the parking area.

Some residents have questionedwhy we need to revamp these and othercommon areas of Ocean Hills. Chiefamong the reasons are (1) our commu-nity must find ways to more efficientlyuse water, which will certainly becomemore scarce and far more costly in thefuture, (2) some of the trees and otherplants have reached or are reaching theend of their life cycle and a few havealready been removed), and (3) withprofessional advice, we may learn ofways to make both the main entranceand the area in front of the clubhousemore welcoming and aestheticallyappealing.

The OHCC Landscape Committee,chaired by Linda Strohm, is hosting aseries of meetings at which Van Dykerepresentatives have already begunpresenting preliminary design conceptsand answering questions raised by res-idents in the audience. By the time thisissue of the Village Voice is published,

EDITORIAL, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

By Russ ButcherThe next few weeks will likely deter-

mine the fate of a valuable stretch ofBuena Vista Creek Valley, in the City ofCarlsbad. This land lies immediately westof the Quarry Creek Shopping Center(Walmart, Kohl’s, Albertsons, etc.), in theCity of Oceanside. Will hundreds of high-density housing units – the so-calledQuarry Creek project – be squeezed ontothe 156-acre property? If so, how willsuch a large-scale development impactalready congested Oceanside intersectionsat College and Lake Blvds., College andthe 78 Freeway, and College and VistaWay? And how will such developmentimpact the Lake Blvd. fire station in

Oceanside, if it has to shoulder newresponsibilities?

Or will an existing ecological reserve(see map) be expanded to protect at leastthe most scenic and historically significantpart of these lands? And will beautiful ElSalto Falls cascading below the northwestcorner of Kohl’s parking area be saved?

In 2007, a nonprofit conservationorganization, Preserve Calavera, success-fully led the effort to acquire the westernhalf of this stretch of valley as protectedopen space, now the Buena Vista CreekEcological Reserve. Adjacent to thereserve is a 56-acre part of the QuarryCreek property of similarly undisturbed

El Salto Falls considered sacred by Luseño Indians.

BUENA CREEK, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Protect or DevelopBuena Vista Creek Valley

mailto:[email protected]

The Village Voice — March 20132


land known as the “panhandle.” The City of Carlsbad’s OpenSpace Committee and state and federal wildlife agencies haveidentified this area as a top priority for protection. Protecting thisparcel from development would save its wildlife habitat and thescenic panorama as seen from one of California’s most treasuredand most endangered historic properties – the Marron-HayesAdobe. The land on which the adobe sits was granted by Mexicoin 1842 to Juan Maria Romualdo Marron and has been continuous-ly owned by the Marron family for the past 171 years.

The other part of the Quarry Creek land, containing 100 acres,was for many years the focus of an aggregate rock-mining opera-tion, reclamation of which is now nearly complete. The entire 156-acre property is presently zoned by the City of Carlsbad for 293housing units. The city wants a minimum of 506 housing units,while the developer has applied for a zoning increase to 656 units.Will the City of Carlsbadapprove such developmentdensity, without regard toresulting impacts on theCity of Oceanside? WillCarlsbad agree to protectthe 56-acre panhandle par-cel?

As Diane Nygaard, thepresident of PreserveCalavera, points out,“Carlsbad gets all the taxrevenues from this devel-opment, but Oceansidegets 100 percent of thetraffic, since both ends ofthe project’s proposed looproadway connect toCollege Blvd. The huge

EDITORIAL, Cont’d. from Page 1

BUENA CREEK, Cont’d. from Page 1

all residents should have received a brief survey, by which theymay express their preferences among three preliminary designconcepts and among elements within each concept – notably theredesigning of Ocean Hills CC’s main entrance signage. Theresults of the survey will be tallied and presented to the MasterBoard for discussion and approval or amendment. While costshave not yet been established for each of the three options, a need-ed next step in the process will be to determine cost estimates.

From the general consensus of many residents who attended aworkshop, Van Dyke has determined the following general goals:

1. Support existing community theme andMediterranean architecture.

2. Support the active community lifestyle.3. Develop a resort feeling; it is a country club.4. Maintain a clean and lush appearance.5. Add more color to the landscape.6. Conserve water.7. Maintain the structure of trees.

8. Update the appearance and continuity of thecommunity.

9. Technical aspects:a. Improve irrigation system to more efficiently

use water.b. Test soils for water retention.c. Adjust grades to prevent runoff.

10. Plant the right plants in the right areas.11. Raise the height of the OHCC signs at the

main entrance.12. Replace some of the aging plants.

13. Replace (at least some areas of) turf with fescue andadjust plants for more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

The survey that has been distributed to everyone’s tube con-tains pictures of design choices. Each resident is encouraged toselect the design element that he or she considers the most accept-able. We urge readers to fill out the survey and return it to theHomeowners’Association office as soon as possible.

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size of the development will cause traffic failure in Oceanside. AndOceanside’s Lake fire station will be the nearest first responder formedical and fire emergencies in the new housing development.”

It’s understandable that the City of Carlsbad wants to increaseits tax revenues and that the development company wants toincrease its profits. But good land-use planning also requires fac-toring in other values such as protecting important ecological andhistorical resources and setting reasonable limits to growth as itimpacts transportation, emergency services, and other communityneeds.

Readers may express their views on this issue by contacting theOceanside and Carlsbad mayors and city councils. At 10 a.m.,March 16, Preserve Calavera will host a mini-tour of the areaaround the Marron Adobe, accessed from College Blvd., turningwest on Haymar Dr., passing the Nissan dealership and parking atroad’s end. More information is available on the website:www.preservecalavera.org.

http://www.preservecalavera.org


For information, call Sandra @ 760-295-1993

Village Voice4716 Agora Way, Oceanside, CA 92056

Advertising E-mail: [email protected] information, call Richard Travis

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Patronize the businessesyou find in the Voice.

Mary Jane Matthews, PresidentGilda Barnard, Vice PresidentCharlotte Pichney, Secretary

Bob Wong, EditorRuss Butcher, Managing Editor

Marileen Johnson, DirectorDebbie McCain, Director

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Editor: Bob Wong, [email protected] address: 4935 Thebes Way, Oceanside, CA 92056Distribution Coordinator: Jack Collar, 598-0580

Village CoordinatorsUpper Cordoba . . . . . . John Hanna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 940-1874Cyrus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Betty Theel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .945-4588Hydra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seymour Prell, Ruth Leader . 945-7631Majorca . . . . . . . . . . . . Betty Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758-1960Mykonos . . . . . . . . . . . Betty Collar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 598-0580Portofino . . . . . . . . . . . Werner Rind, Mary DuarteSantorini . . . . . . . . . . . Chuck Barlow . . . . . . . . . . . .758-0625Zante . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alan DeCarle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 631-0179

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Ira LandisAndy TrubanDan NeilsonGilda Spiegl

Joan BuchholzJoe Ashby

Phyllis WardTom LynchTom Fuller

Selma LeightonCharlotte Pichney

Russ ButcherBeverly Nickerson

Peter RussellJack ShabelBob Barnes

Marileen Johnson





Landscape Designs for Villageof SantoriniBy Linda Wass, Landscape Chairperson

The Village of Santorini is striving to find a balance of beingresponsible water users while, at the same time, not compromisingthe beauty of our lush, green landscaping. In 2011, three demon-stration yards were designed as a pilot program in which all of thegrass was removed and drought tolerant plants and ground coverswere planted. We were exploring possible alternatives to our tradi-tional landscapes of grass and shrubs in an effort to be more waterconscious.

We waited and watched as the plantings matured while active-ly involving our homeowners in determining further direction. TheBoard had developed a three part process which would incorporateactive resident input.

1. We had a ‘Village Walk-About’ in which all residents wereinvited to join the Landscape Committee in a walk through theVillage to discuss changes and provide suggestions. We were verypleased with the turnout and received a great deal of input.

2. A Landscape Workshop, held during one of our board meet-ings, enabled the residents to further voice their concerns and sup-ply direction to the Board. Glenn Foreman presented informationregarding the benefits of new water efficient sprinkler heads andTom Hogan discussed water usage, grass and plantings.

3. The Landscape Committee then developed a short surveyrequesting the residents to give us very specific directions regard-ing the development and implementation of our Village landscapegoals. The four point survey focused on: the overall usage of grassin our Village (including the return of grass to the demo yards), theuse of “sculpting” the planter beds, the installation of water effi-cient sprinkler heads and, finally, possible options for the landscap-ing of the driveway medians.

Our residents voted unanimously to return the demonstrationyards to a more traditional design with the returning of grass in theyards and more traditional water wise plants. These yards havealso incorporated more “sculpting” of the planter beds, giving amore flowing appearance to both the grass and planter beds. This

Three examples of creative landscape designs.

was completed in January and the results have been very wellreceived. The Board has also authorized the installation of newsprinkler heads, so that the water that we do use will be used moreefficiently.

We are now anxiously awaiting the final design concepts beingdeveloped by Van Dyke for our OHCC community. Van Dyke willbe presenting a new plant palette and various types of grasses tomaintain the lush, green country club feel while still being waterwise. We would like to compliment and extend the new designconcepts by continuing with a unified and consistent visual flowinto our Village at a later date.

For the present, we will continue to replace and refresh ourplantings until we have more direction from Van Dyke. Our resi-dents have told us they want to maintain the use of grass in ouryards, they find the use of sculpting to be attractive and, eventhough the Villages do not have the stringent water restrictions thatthe common areas have, they wanted to utilize our water more effi-ciently with new sprinkler heads. As a Village, we have learnedthat residents must be very active participants in developing anylandscaping if it is to be successful.

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the mop, shovel, the dust bin and the Hoover.Me: The Hoover? Wife: Yes, you start Hoovering the front room, the den and the

dining room. I’ll do the bedrooms.Me: (My gosh, who could we be expecting? Her sister? Her

nephews? Cousins?)Wife: And don’t forget the edges of the carpet. I saw them and

they were dark with dust.Me: OK, OK, I’ll get the edges and the corners.Wife: And when you finish with that, wipe off the chandelier

with that special chandelier glass cleaner I gave you for your birth-day.

Me: Yes, dear. But remember, the last time I cleaned it, I acci-dentally broke off three crystal tear drops and you said I was neverto handle that chandelier again. Remember, dear, remember?

Wife: Yes, I remember, but that was then and today is now. Thistime I’ll allow you to use a ladder, but don’t scratch up the floor.By the way, there are a few scratches on the wood floor I wouldlike you to patch up.

Me: Patches on the floor? What scratches on the floor? I don’tsee scratches on the floor.

Wife: Honey, if you get on your hands and knees, you can seethose scratches in the reflection of the windows.

Me: Easy for you to do. For me, it will take a pair of para-medics to get me back up.

Wife: Don’t worry about it. The paramedics are nice andbesides, we’re insured. Hmmm, that’s a thought; maybe they couldhelp me finish the floor.

Me: By the way, you didn’t tell me who this VIP is and why allthis trouble.

Wife: You know how word spreads in the neighborhood, espe-cially about a dirty house and I will not allow that to be spreadaround…even if it’s only by a Fed-Ex delivery man.

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Say you saw itin The Village Voice!

Writers Club Is FormedThe Writers Club, OHCC’s newest club, held its first meeting

on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The group has been established to offerwriters or would-be writers the chance to participate in a forumwhere they can encourage and be encouraged by one another andto offer opportunities for positive critiquing of each other’s writ-ings or ideas for writing. Club meetings offer opportunities toexchange ideas about writing – whether it is a magazine article,poetry, a play, or a fiction or nonfiction book. Writers are, ofcourse, inspired and motivated by passion to write about some-thing or someone. Anyone interested in gaining insights into writ-ing is welcome to attend the meetings at the Clubhouse onWednesdays at 9 a.m. For further information, please call MaxineFeller at 858-472-0123 (cell number).

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The CrustyCurmudgeonBy Bob Wong

Cleanliness is Next toHappiness… Maybe

For those of you who have spouses fromEurope, you may understand the following.For those of you who haven’t, skip this partand go directly to the want ads.

Having been married to the same woman from Ireland for thepast 48 years, I have been accustomed to her customs, habits andquirks. The best thing to do is just to keep quiet and just go alongwith her demands, orders, desires, suggestions. For example theother day, I awoke with an urgent call to get this house cleaned.

Wife: We have three hours to get this house in order, so grab

features


Outside Our GatesBy Marileen Johnson

A Brief History ofBuena Vista Lagoon (Part2)

By 1939, the newly formed BuenaVista Lagoon Association made an effortto maintain and control the lagoon, first tomaintain the water level by allowing seawater into the lagoon. That failed, then aseries of pipes with gates was sunk into thesand in 1940 to keep the water in and allowwater to be released during the rainy season to avoid flooding. The“dry lake” ended when another series of pipes was installed on theCarlsbad side at the Army and Navy Academy.

The cities surrounding the lagoon were allowing sewage intothe lagoon causing abundant algae blooms and rapid growth of cat-tails and bulrushes. There were questions as to how to restore thelagoon, but in the 1950s the Buena Vista Association obtainedabout 80 acres in the lagoon and land owners donated land titles toThe Nature Conservancy. Some wetlands were lost to land fillwhen the Interstate 5 and Hwy. 78 exchange was built.

Later, efforts by citizens and conservation agencies to make thelagoon a state park never came to fruition. But their efforts did cre-

ate California’s first ecological reserveand eventually the care of the lagoon wasgiven to the State Department of Fishand Game.

The brutal winter storms of ‘68 and’69 destroyed the drainage system.Families and the Army and NavyAcademy ceded property and The NatureConservancy, the cities and donors paidfor a type of dam called a weir, a systemcurrently in place. Then the devastatingstorms 10 years later led to more studieswith the Buena Vista Association dis-solved and its funds going to the New

Lagoon Foundation. A Nature Center was built by the VistaAudubon Society and the “faithful weir” was expanded.

Millions of dollars have been spent in the last 20 years onrestoration studies. Their studies concluded that if nothing weredone, the lagoon will turn into a meadow. Suggestions to make thelagoon a “salt water estuary” met opposition along with the sug-gestion to use napalm to rid the cattails and bulrushes. The currentplan is to “do nothing.” So now is the time to visit the lagoon toskip stones, catch pollywogs and launch a raft to create your ownmemories. The dreams and ventures for the lagoon await ourinventions. History is still being created.

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The lagoon, under the care of the“New Lagoon Foundation.”


WatchingWildlifeBy Russ Butcher

The AmazingPeregrineFalcon

One of SouthernCalifornia’s resident birdsof prey is the PeregrineFalcon. For many of us,the mere mention of “fal-con” may trigger thethought of falconry – thecenturies-old practice oftraining these intelligent,powerful, fast-flying birdsin the hunting of gamebirds for humans.

Peregrines are mastersof acrobatic flight andpowerful dives in pursuit of prey. Their remarkable dives, knownas “stoops,” have been measured at speeds of well over 200 milesper hour. I once witnessed a Peregrine as it plunged hundreds offeet from the top of a high-rise office building in downtownPhoenix, catching a pigeon in mid-air. It was a breathtaking per-formance of the bird’s amazing acrobatic skill. Closer to home, itis not uncommon to observe one of these awesome birds swoop tothe top of a tall power pole, from which it scans for prey on theadjacent San Dieguito Lagoon near Del Mar.

An unusual use of falconry was recently reported in The WallStreet Journal – chasing away enormous, dense flocks of starlingsfrom oil refineries. Just imagine: everything else, such as poisonpellets, setting off fireworks or creating other disturbances, hadfailed to get rid of these colossal “clouds” of avian pests.

Out of desperation, oil refinery officials decided to try some-thing new. A falconer, who was hired by an oil refinery inMontana, turned his prized birds loose to scare off the many thou-sands of starlings from their warm, night-time roosts among therefinery’s intricate network of towers and pipes. The droppingsfrom these vast wintertime hoards were corroding and seriously

Peregrine population on therebound.


Travels With JoeBy Joe Ashby

NorwayWe awoke to the reversing of the screws on the ship as we

arrived in Trondheim. It is the third largest city in Norway with apopulation of 150,000. We enter the city by crossing a canal strad-dled by old large wooden warehouses. Each is painted in variousbright colors. Driving through the main street of town, we areawed by the gothic Nidaros Cathedral and the Archbishop’s vastresidence. A bright red streetcar called trykk (short for electric)

damaging the refinery’s structure and creating a foul-smelling,slippery, hazardous mess for refinery workers to clean up everymorning. During the course of several weeks of nightly falconflights, the starlings’ numbers steadily dwindled until all of themwere finally scared away.

Who would have ever thought there could be a cooperative pro-gram bringing together bird enthusiasts and oil companies? Otherrefineries in California and Texas have also employed falconers torid their facilities of these aggressive, non-native starlings. Similarefforts have succeeded in driving avian pests from vineyards andfarms and scaring pigeons from a soy processing plant.

As for the four kinds of falcons that live in our region, thesmallest is the common American Kestrel with a 23-inch wing-spread. The Merlin is slightly larger and the Prairie Falcon evenlarger. But the largest and fastest flier of these is the amazing pere-grine that boasts a 36- to 44-inch wingspread. The most obviousphysical characteristic of all 38 falcon species worldwide, unlikeother raptors (except kites), is that their graceful wings taper to apoint.

During the 20th century, peregrines were nearly wiped out inNorth America by DDT and other chemical pesticides. In the nickof time, those products were banned and the peregrine populationhas since rebounded. How great it is that not only are these birds awonder to behold, but they are adept at scaring away starlings andother avian pests from places like oil refineries.

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Colorful houses along the river banks.


preceded us by ahospital builtaround 1200 a.d.Trondheim used tobe an agriculturalarea with farmsand forest, but nowthe city has takenover the area. Thecity was not heavi-ly damaged duringWWII when theNazis build sub-marine pens forhousing U-boatsthat preyed onAllied shipping.

Norway isdivided into com-munities, each governed by an elected mayor and council thatdecides which projects and services get funded. Health care is paidfor by the government and each citizen has a retirement incomewhether they paid into it or not. The state also pays for funerals,supplying a white coffin, a silk shirt and a tombstone. The statechurch is Lutheran and Lutherans support the church with one per-cent of their income. All others don’t pay. The most serious crime

Nidaros Cathedral.


is of tax fraud,incurring more seri-ous sentences thanmurder or of evendrug peddling. Theirjails have TVs andcomputers and pris-oners earn nearly$18,000 a year andhave a bankaccount. They even

receive time off and are entitled to a summer vacation. Heroin traf-fic is among the greatest in Europe, but mostly in Oslo. Many serv-ices, e.g. operas are subsidized by the government as they are seenas a part of education, which is free.

People lament that they pay high prices for fuel, but the govern-ment knows the money from oil and gas from the North Seas willnot last forever and they have precious few other exports exceptfor fish.

Returning to the ship, we were given a lecture on Norway andits famous sons and daughters: Trygve Lie, the UN GeneralSecretary; Henrik Ibsen, the writer; Sonya Henie, Olympic skaterand film star; composer Edvard Grieg; and explorer ThorHeyerdahl.

After dinner, our eyes were weary and we prepared for a rest-ful evening in our cabin.

The Street Where You Live:Barcelona WayBy Dora Truban

From its humble beginning as a Roman city, 2000-year-oldBarcelona presently ranks as Spain’s second wealthiest and secondlargest city. This busy Mediterranean port located on Spain’snortheastern coast is also the capital of the autonomous and fierce-ly independent region of Catalonia. The preferred language isCatalán, not Spanish.

Barcelona has always been a mecca for artists. Among its

The Archbishop’s residence.

Barcelona, Spain, a very cosmopolitan city.


thing to do with those bottles marked 100 proof. But I did start to ask questions about who makes these bingo

nights work. And that brought me to Ron Stogdill. Ron told mehow, seven years ago, he was helping Bob Melman repair thebingo board. Jack Cain was retiring and they asked Ron to takeover. The rest, as they say, is history. His wife Margie is in chargeof the money box and arranging payouts. That means the moneybox is in her hands. Want to be my new best friend, Margie? Iasked Ron if he remembered any funny incidents. He did recall acouple who had a difficult time pre marking the card. They yelledbingo 5 times and never actually had one. SLIGHTLYEMBARASSING. Ron wanted to give them a prize for persever-ance.

Besides the volunteers on the floor, an integral part of Ron’steam is Bill Smith. One of Bill’s roles is “bad joke teller.” I thinkBill’s jokes are funny, and you know I like funny. I’m even goingto tell you one of my bad jokes.

An elderly obnoxious man dies and at his funeral the religiousleader gives a eulogy and then asks if anyone in the audience hasanything nice to say. Naturally nobody got up. Please, he begged ,doesn’t anyone have anything nice to say. Finally a little old manin the back row stood up. “Ah yes,” said the leader, “what wouldyou like to say about this man?” And the little man in the back ofthe room said “his brother was worse.”

I told you, I like funny.

worldwide known landmarks are: Gaudi’s unfinished SacredFamily Church, as well as “La Rambla”— a tree-lined pedestrianstreet and mall famous for its motionless living statues. Gaudi’siconic Church is often described as having a “melting” appearancedue to its innovative Spanish Gothic and Art Nouveau construc-tion.

Catalonia’s eccentric native son Salvador Dalí and his surreal-ist “melting clocks” painting are as universally known as Dali’scharacteristic upright pencil-thin mustache.

Visit Barcelona, Spain; but reside in our lovely Barcelona Way.

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Village HappeningsBy Selma Leighton

I had such a good time last month atbingo. There were so many players and itis always fun to see my friends andneighbors. It was also fun to see myfriend win the first door prize and a $45bingo. What wasn’t fun was when herefused to share.

I always enjoy a group of bingoladies whom we sit with. Gloria Lipitz,Trish Jackson and Rose Carrier. They laugh the entire evening.They make me laugh. Why are they so happy? Could it have any-


Computer Tips(From the Club Connection, the publication of the Computer Club, with permission from JimKaminsky, President.)

A Computer or a Tablet;Which is Best for You?By Bill Jones

The development of the tabletcomputer, such as the iPad, hascaused them to rival the traditionalcomputer in capabilities. Is it real-istic for you to use a tablet insteadof a traditional computer? Is itgood to use in addition to yourcomputer? Let’s look at some fac-tors to consider.

A tablet computer, or simplytablet, is a mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or a per-sonal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and pri-marily operated by touching the screen. Instead of using a physi-cal keyboard it often uses an onscreen virtual keyboard.

Here are some factors to evaluate when considering a tabletinstead of a computer.

1. A tablet is more portable than even a laptop

computer. (smaller, thinner and weighs less)2. A tablet is less powerful than most computers.3. You can only operate one program at a time on a tablet.4. Tablets do not have CD/DVD drives.5. A tablet does not run full-feature soft ware but

rather “Apps” (short for applications).6. A tablet screen is smaller than most computers.7. A tablet is cheaper than most computers.8. A tablet is far handier as an electronic assistant than a com-

puter (use apps to find restaurants, cheaper gas or as a GPS aid).9. A tablet is not very customizable.10. You cannot enhance the specifications such as adding

memory to a tablet.11. The keyboard on a tablet is virtual, although you can use a

separate Bluetooth (wireless) keyboard.There are two major categories of tablets based on their oper-

ating systems: Apple and Android. Apple comprises 88% of themarket in the U.S. and Android is 10%. The only Apple tablet isthe iPad and the smaller iPad Mini but there are several Androidtablet brands.

The top selling Android tablets in the U.S. are the AmazonKindle Fire (54%) and the Samsung Galaxy Tab (7%).

Starting prices:Apple iPad — $399Apple iPad Mini — $329Kindle Fire — $159Galaxy Tab — $500Shop around for the best deal.

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The Movie SceneBy Joan Buchholz

“Silver Linings Playbook”This movie contends that all of us are a bit screwy one way or

another, but some more than others. This story is about Pat(Bradley Cooper), a former teacher, who is released from a men-tal hospital after an eight month stay and returns to regain theaffection of his cheating ex-wife (Brea Bee). Meanwhile, I am fas-cinated by the characters who play a part in Pat’s life: Tiffany, who

Kindle Fire, a hot seller.


is distressed by her capricious sexual life, Pat’s father (Robert DeNiro), who is not only a compulsive gambler, an obsessivePhiladelphia Eagles fan, but is superstitious to the extreme. Enter:Ronnie, Pat’s best friend, whose domineering wife has shreddedhis confidence completely. All these characters fit together into alarger story.

Bradley Cooper is perfectly cast with just the right amount ofstress and panic. De Niro is as decidedly a screwball as is Tiffany.Whether this film is serious about mental illness or a comedy aboutnutty people is left up to the viewer to decide. But the charactersare certainly reflective of many people I find very interesting inreal life. I give this film a solid 3 smiles.

“Quartet”Who could possibly miss another movie with Dame Maggie

Smith? She comes into our homes almost every Sunday eveningon the TV screen in “Downton Abbey.” At 78, she still is in herprime as Jean, (not Jean Brody) a former famous diva, who entersthe posh, stately Beecham House, a retirement place for musicians.There she is greeted by three septuagenarian opera singers, playedby Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins who arebusily engaged in rehearsals for a big fundraising concert celebrat-ing Guiseppe Verdi’s birthday. They are preparing to sing theirbeloved four-voice showpiece from Act 3 of Verdi’s “Rigoletto,”which our characters made famous in their heyday. So you canimagine their excitement when Jean enters the picture, hoping she

will make up the fourth singer. But Jean is shocked to find her ex-husband also residing at

Beecham. She revolts, refuses to sing and even takes her mealsalone in her room.

Each of the other singers has their own demons to conquer andwhether they overcome them and persuade Jean to join them issubject to the final scenes.

Beecham House is an idyllic place for a retirement home. Itrests amidst the rolling green hills of England. And the home itselfis so grand, it almost upstages the entire movie. I took note that theaudience consisted primarily of seniors. Was it possible they

Scene from “Quartet.”


avoided other movies showing car crashes, explosions, gun fightsand gratuitous sex and come to be entertained by real actors por-traying real characters? I think so and hand this film 3 smiles forus seniors.

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Treats For The TroopsBy Phyllis Ward

Shortly after mailing our boxes last month, I received a verynice e-mail from one of the groups and Iwant to share it with you.

From LCpl Hosea Harveygreen inAfghanistan:

“First and foremost thank you for yoursupport. The care package was greatlyappreciated. I wish you could have seen theMarines’ faces when the items came in. Itwas like Christmas all over again.Everybody was surrounding the care pack-age, smiling. It even brought a smile to myface just to see my Marines smiling and hav-ing something to look forward to. Apparentlywe have been removed from the “any Marine” website due to anoverload and Marines that don’t need items taking advantage.Your support does not fall on deaf ears and I wanted to take five

minutes out of my busy day to thank you just as you have done forme. Thanks again, and May God bless you and your loved ones.”

We had a little typographical error last month and it startedwith me. When typing the amount of money contributed by all yougenerous people over the many years, $3,000 was incorrectlyprinted. For the 6-1/2 years, you have contributed approximately$38,000, plus many donations of articles which were also includ-ed. This money was used to fill approximately 400 boxes. Thisalso paid for the many boxes of the green anti-microbial boot

socks that we have sent. Ken was agreat helper for most of those months,and regularly gave us a monthly check,knowing that 100% went to buyingsupplies and mailing. Thanks Ken.

One of the boxes we sent last monthwas filled with supplies that we didn’tusually send. SSgt. Cecila K. Johnson’sname came up. She and her group weresupporting this “Kat in the Hat” groupof Afghan children who needed thingslike: pens, pencils, erasers, crayons,markers, writing tablets, books, socks,

hats. I immediately called Gail — did she have a good supply ofused childrens books that we could come and buy inexpensively;yes. Then I called Kaye — being a reader and a retired teacher,you must come with me to pick out good childrens books; yes.Then I headed to Walmart where I was able to purchase some ofall of the above. I have been checking my e-mail daily hoping tohear from her. I’ve got more books waiting to be mailed.

Once again I want to thank so many of you who have faithful-ly and regularly supported our Treats for the Troops project. It hasbeen so rewarding working with and getting to know you all. I amso happy to report that both Muriel and Ruth are feeling better.They have been such dedicated workers. Seymour hardly misseda month sealing all those boxes. Jacque brought huge supplies ofcandy. Pat was always here if she was in town. So were Lillian,Vivian, Kaye and Jeanne. There were so many over the years andso many who regularly gave generous checks and those whoslipped a $20 bill into my hand – “this is for the Troops.”

God bless our troops and God bless you.

Most of our troops are under 22 years old.


The FallenBy Tom Fuller

In the prime of their livesThey answered the call

To gladly serve the publicAnd to give it their all.

They loved their professionAnd had so much to give;

They prepared for their serviceFully expecting to live.

They fought in the warsOr policed the street —

The finest young servantsOne could possibly meet.

For crimes of all sortThey risked their all;

When dangers surroundedSome, indeed, had to fall.

To these fallen heroesGreat tribute is due;

They gave up their livesFor me and for you.

So thank you, our dear ones,Your honor is great;

We’ll never forget youFor love conquers hate.

********

Cooking WithBeverlyBy Beverly Nickerson

Irish ColcannonIrish student Lindsay Novey gave me

her old family recipe. In Ireland, theyused to cut the cooked cabbage with theedge of a dinner plate. I have modernized her recipe.

1 medium size green cabbage cut in 4ths, remove core fromeach piece.

1 cup water3 medium-large Russet potatoes (2 lbs.), peeled, cut in thirds.1/3 cup homogenized milk1/2 teaspoon salt1/3 cup bacon drippings OR 3/4 stick butter (5 tablespoons)l large onion, peel, cut in half, cut horizontally almost through,

cut vertically almost through, slice vertically in 1/4 inch dice. 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Special equipment: Corning dish, Microwave, 4 quart potwith lid, 10 inch buttered pie plate OR shallow Gratin baking dish.

Temperature: 400Servings Six.Place cabbage and 1 cup water in a Corning baking dish, cover

with plastic wrap and heat on “high” in microwave about 15 min-utes or until very soft. Remove wedges to a colander, press downwith a small plateand drain well.Place cabbage oncutting board andslice 1/2 inch thick,cut slices cross-wise, so you have acoarse 1/4 inchchop, set aside.

Bring saltedwater to a boil in alarge pot, add pota-toes, cover andsimmer with lidajar 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain well in a colander, placepotatoes back in the saucepan and mash with a potato masher, addmilk and salt mix well, set aside covered.

Prepare onions while cabbage and potatoes are cooking. Heatbacon fat or butter in a large skillet, add chopped onions and cookover very low heat 5 minutes, cover and “sweat” onions over verylow heat 10-15 minutes. Stir often, do not let them brown.

Add cooked onions with fat and cabbage to warm potatoes, stirwell to combine, taste and correct with additional milk and salt ifneeded. Spoon mixture into buttered pie plate or Gratin dish. Thedish can set on the counter several hours or be re-heated immedi-ately. Press mixture flat and smooth. With the tines of a fork, runthe fork around the top in a spiral starting in the center ending at

Colcannon, perfect for an Irish dinner.


the outer edge. Spoon melted butter over the top, place on rack inupper third of pre-heated 400° oven and bake 15 to 25 minutesuntil mixture is warm. If necessary, heat under broiler a few min-utes until top is golden.

NOTE: For 12 servings double all ingredients but use l largecabbage.

Beverly Nickerson is a second generation Californian born inRiverside; graduate of UCSB; high school teacher, cooking schoolteacher 20 years; Certified Culinary Professional in IACP; char-ter member of S. CA Culinary Guild; member AIWF; attended

cooking schools in Paris, Bologna, Italy and James Beard inSeaside, Oregon.

Book: B J’s CAL-MEX Cook Book, 107 tested recipes of CAinfluenced Mexican food.

********

Patronize the businessesyou find in the Voice!


Uncle Tony’sItalian Cuisine & Ale House770 Sycamore Ave., Ste 121, Vista760-598-6669Hours: Mon-Thurs 11 am – 10 pm; Fri 11 am – 11 pm;Sat 4 pm – 10 pm; Sun 4 pm — 9 pm

If you have shopped at Stater Bros. or Big Lots on Sycamore,you have seen this delightful eatery. The entrance is through aswinging gate into the fenced patio area. Your first view of the inte-rior is of its full-length bar lined with swivel barstools. The baroffers 14 ales and beers on tap including Guinness, Stella Artois,Blue Moon, Bass, Stone Brewing Co., Aztec and Iron Fist to namea few; all served exactly the way they are supposed to be. Also fea-tured are their imported Italian family wines.

The dining room has a casual sports bar atmosphere with a mixof cloth covered tables and booths. One wall highlights a mural of

Italy while the otherwalls are decorated witha variety of old photosand framed sayings.

This is a familyowned restaurant andhas been at this locationsix years. Originallyfrom Sicily, the couplenow lives in Vista with their four children. Their extensive expe-rience in the restaurant business includes working as chefs in theMGM Grand Hotel-Las Vegas. The menu overflows with a largevariety of delicious classic Italian dishes that are prepared to order.

A Lunch Specials menu ($7.99) is available from 11 a.m. to 3p.m. There are 10” cheese pizza with one topping or calzone withtwo cheeses and one topping. Sandwiches are served with fries,select from Italian sausage with cheese, Torpedo, turkey, ham &cheese Torpedo, meatballs with cheese or eggplant Parmigiana.Pasta dishes include lasagna with meat or veggies, ravioli withmeat, cheese or spinach, and spaghetti with meat or marinarasauce. Garlic bread accompanies these dishes. The salads areAntipasto, Greek or chicken Caesar ($4-$11).

I opted for the lasagna with meat sauce and was delighted with

By CharlottePichney

Uncle Tony’s, a delight-ful neighborhood restau-rant.

A delicious order of lasagna withgarlic bread.


its blend of multi-layered flavors, rich creamy cheeses and pasta ina savory tomato sauce.

The menu overflows with the chef-owners creative classicItalian dishes. Starting with appetizers there are garlic fried cala-mari or shrimp, bruschetta, sautéed eggplant or zucchini with gar-lic, ($7-$16). Pick a salad from a list of nine, ($4-$11).

Highlighting the list of five soups is their Italian Wedding soupwith zucchini, small meatballs, chicken broth and herbs ($6).

Select from a list of twenty-three sandwich (10”) variations, allinclude fries, ($9-$11). Signature specialty pastas all include garlicbread plus either a dinner salad or soup ($12-$21). You chooseyour pasta and your favorite sauce. Baked pasta dishes include gar-lic bread, dinner salad or soup, ($14-$30). Dinner Specials areavailable daily ($9.99).

Seventeen varieties of gourmet pizzas are available in 12”, 14”,16” and 18” sizes with prices ranging from $15- $34, plus extra foradditional toppings.

Dessert ($7) selections include New York baked cheesecake,cannoli, tiramisu, chocolate mousse cake and Tartuffe gelato.Uncle Tony’s is a casual, unpretentious wine bar and alehouse fea-turing authentic Italian cuisine. The next time you crave real home-cooked Italian food stop in.

********Colorful interior.



Pacific Coast is spectacular, especially when at sunset. Neutralbeige rooms in the dining room are accented with brilliantly col-ored furniture. A floor-to-ceiling wine rack is exposed for full vis-ibility to diners. We were greeted warmly at the door and seated ina comfortable booth. I noticed there was al fresco dining forwarmer weather.

I was excited to learn that French-born Pascal Vigneau is nowthe executive chef in the kitchen. He was a former chef at theAviara Four Seasons and more recently owner and chef at Savory.

The menu listed a number of soups, but I couldn’t resist theclassic French onion soup ($9) while my companion had soup dujour which was a butternut squash ($7). Both were delicious. Weordered the appetizers they call “Share,” (meaning the portion wasenough for two) that boasted lobster and rock shrimp tacos withavocado and shredded lettuce. The six offerings were priced from$9 to $16.50.

There are five unusual salads listed. One we had was ChipotleCaesar salad with Cotija cheese and croutons. Salads ranged from$10.75 to $12.75. I didn’t expect pizza to be on the menu, but sur-prise: six were offered, one of which was duck confit with garlic,onions and pearl tomatoes; goat cheese. Another was with applesand prosciutto. Pizzas ranged from $13 to $14.

I found the entrees to be fascinating such as pretzel-fried skin-less chicken breast accompanied with buttermilk mashed potatoesand an unusual mushroom sauce ($22.50). However, I chose thebeef tenderloin, blue cheese-crusted scalloped potato, green beans

Chandler’s Restaurant &LoungeHilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa1 Ponto Road, Carlsbad, CA 92011760-683-5500

Chandler’s is located in the new HiltonResort on Ponto Road. The view of the

with red winesauce ($29.50) Mycompanion had thebacon-wrappedpork filet withstacked bakedpotato and BBQsauce. He said itwas very flavorfuland tender and heloved it. Our guesthad no difficultyselecting the filletof salmon, warmgreen beans with blackolive vinaigrette. Entreesranged from $17.50 to $29.Along with the entrees, sidedishes such as macaroni andcheese with Black ForestHam were offered. Sweetpotato fries looked verytempting also. Side disheswere priced from $4.75 to$11.

The dessert list wasextensive with such offer-ings as apple tarte tatin,yogurt cheesecake, choco-late cake and layered pralinealmond cake, all priced at$8.

The restaurant is openfor breakfast at 6:30 until 11a.m.; lunch from 11 to 2:30p.m.; Happy Hour from 4:30 to 6:30 and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m.Sunday through Thursday and remains open an additional hour onFridays and Saturdays. There is self-parking or valet service. If youwant incredible dinners and outstanding service in a dining roomwith fantastic views, you must visit Chandler’s.

(Gilda Spiegl is a member of the Southern CaliforniaRestaurant Writers.)

********

Chandler’s interior, beautiful & functional.

Dessert, beautifully plated.

Fillet of salmon with beans.


take before making a stroke on the next teeing ground or, in thecase of the last hole of the round, fails to declare his intention tocorrect his mistake before leaving the putting green, he is disqual-ified.

Strokes made by a competitor with a wrong ball do not countin his score. If the wrong ball belongs to another competitor, itsowner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball wasfirst played.

I’m assuming that all of that is clear now, right? Firstly, the ballyou tee off with should be the ball you use to hole out with. Thereare a few exceptions. Also the definitions of WRONG BALL andBALL IN PLAY are critical to the above discussion. See above forsome clarity. And there are severe penalties for breaking this rule!Enjoy your golf game!

********

BridgeBy Dan Neilson

Problems Over One ClubA One Club opening bid by partner sometimes presents inter-

esting bidding problems. The two things you know are that theyhave at least thirteen points and rarely possess a five card, or longermajor suit. Holding the following hands, here are a few biddingproblems you might encounter.

1. xxx QJxx Axxxx x. Bid one Heart. It is true the Diamondsare longer and partner could have a Heart suit, but with your min-imum hand, if the opponents overcall with a Spade bid, your sidemay be shut out.

2. xxx QJxx Axxxx K. Bid one Diamond. The addition of theKing of Clubs elevates this hand to a two level bid. You can raisea Heart bid to three, or a Spade bid to two Spades, or two No trumpdepending on your preference. Over a one Spade overcall, a twoHeart bid is reasonable, while you should double a two Spadeovercall.

3. Qxxxx AJxx xx xx. Just bid one Heart. It is true that you maymiss your eight card Spade fit, but if partner has less than seven-teen points, they cannot make a reverse two Heart bid. With lessthan four Spades they have to settle for one No Trump and youmay miss a Heart fit.

The Golf GameBy Peter Russell

Rule 15: Actual Ruleand Related Decision

In my brief history of playinggolf here at OHCC there have beennumerous occasions that havewhetted my appetite for trying tounderstand the rules of golf. Arecent occurrence was when a fel-low golfer pulled his “favorite putting ball” out of his pocket andreplaced his “favorite hitting ball” on the green. Fortunately Frankplays by the rules as often as he can and corrected the situationbefore it occurred by citing Rule #15. Live and learn!

So what is Rule #15? Rule 15-1 “A player must hole out with the ball played from

the teeing ground unless the ball is lost or out of bounds, or theplayer substitutes another ball whether or not substitution is per-mitted (see Rule 15-2). If a player plays a wrong ball, see Rule15-3.

Rule 15-2 If a player substitutes a ball when not permitted todo so under the Rules, that substituted ball is not a wrong ball,it becomes the ball in play! If the mistake is not corrected as pro-vided in Rule 20-6 and the player makes a stroke at a wrongly sub-stituted ball he loses the hole in match play and incurs a penaltyof two strokes in stroke play under the applicable Rule and, instroke play, must play out the hole with the substituted ball.

Rule 15-3 WRONG BALL:• a. Match Play. If a player makes a stroke at a wrong ball, he

loses the hole. If the wrong ball belongs to another player, itsowner must place a ball on the spot from which the wrong ball wasfirst played. If the player and opponent exchange balls during theplay of a hole, the first to make a stroke at a wrong ball loses thehole; when this cannot be determined, the hole must be played outwith the balls exchanged.

• b. Stroke Play. If a competitor makes a stroke or strokes at awrong ball, he incurs a penalty of two strokes.

The competitor must correct his mistake by playing the correctball or by proceeding under the Rules. If he fails to correct his mis-


4. KQxxx AJxx xx xx. Now a one Spade bid is called for. Thereare now enough points for a two Heart bid, which also shows thefive card spade suit. Whenever you bid a second suit it implies youhave five cards in your first bid!

If you have a minimum hand you have only one bid so pick theone which will be most effective. If you have enough points for atwo level bid, choose the longest suit.

********

Health, Exercise and YouBy Andy Truban

Tools and Tips for Cleaner FoodMany households being cognizant of the alarming frequency of

food recalls search for better ideas that will improve their foodhandling and preparation.

Linda Harris, Ph.D, Food Safety and Microbiology at theUniversity of California, Davis says: “friction and running waterare enough to help remove soil from many foods.”

Instead of washing fruit and vegetables in the sink, use a colan-der or strainer to lessen cross-contamination risk left by otherfoods such as raw meat that might have been placed in the sink ear-lier. A self-standing model will allow you to rinse with one handwhile tumbling food with the other.

Use a vegetable brush for washing hard-skinned fruits such ascantaloupe and watermelon as well as for potatoes and other rootvegetables since it reaches into crevices that running water andpaper towels can’t. Drying fruit and vegetables with a paper towelwill remove more surface bacteria.

Wash refrigerator bins and drawers with dish detergent in warmwater. Crisper drawers hold more bacteria than any other part ofthe refrigerator. After drying with a paper towel, spray the binswith a sanitizing solution and let stand for at least 15 minutes; then,dry them with paper towels again.

When pondering: to wash, or not to wash, the followingadvice will help:

Bagged pre-washed greens? Yes.Bacteria indicating poor sanitation were found during tests of

bagged, prewashed greens, and ready-to eat-salads. Discard theleafy green’s outer leaves where dirt and insects lurk the most. Agood rinse in a colander and a whirl in a salad spinner can removesoil and hidden insects.

Wash Cantaloupe? Yes. Bacteria easily hide in cantaloupe’s crevices. Prevent food-

caused illness by scrubbing it under running water. This will pre-vent the bacteria from traveling inward contaminating the fleshypart when the knife cuts through it.

Wash eggs? No. Commercially produced eggs are cleaned as part of the packag-

ing process making washing unnecessary.


Wash herbs and loose leafy greens? Yes. Herbs and smaller loose leafy greens are best cleaned in a

colander under running water. In case of excess dirt and grime,before rinsing them, it is helpful to swish them in a bowl of water.For leafy greens such as lettuce, discard the outside leaves wheredirt and bacteria lurk most.

Wash raw meat and poultry? No. Rinsing meat might get rid of some bacteria, but then the bac-

teria will be transferred into the sink or elsewhere in the kitchen. Itis best to simply cook the meat thoroughly, which can kill bacteriaonce and for all.

Wash tender produce? Yes. To remove soil and pesticides from produce such as peaches,

plums, and tomatoes, rinse them under briskly running water for30 to 60 seconds while rubbing them with a nylon vegetable brush.Cut away damaged or decayed areas and dry with a paper towel.

Remember: safer food for a healthier life.Reference: Linda Harris, Ph.D., Specialist in food safety and

microbiology, University of California, Davis.

********

The Real EstateCornerBy Tom Brennan

(The Village Voice welcomes TomBrennan as a new monthly writer on allaspects of real estate. Tom has beeninvolved in real estate for the past 40 yearsboth as a lawyer and a real estate agent.Currently, he is associated with Ocean HillsRealty.)

The topics to be discussed in this section involve matters relat-ing to the acquisition, maintenance, financing, use and dispositionof real estate. Today, we will highlight some of the features ofhomeowners insurance.

Homeowners InsuranceHomeowners insurance (HOI), like most insurance, is a form of

risk sharing. HOI provides for indemnification from the multitudeof risks inherent in home ownership for a stipulated premium. HOIhas progressed from a simple framed paper in 1752 to the moremodem policies which had their origin in the early 1950’s. Themodern multi-paged, legally-binding contract, with inclusions andexclusions, provides compensating damages and monetary remu-neration “as protection against varied acts of nature and the unnat-ural acts of man.”

The protections sought by homeowners in their HOI policiesrelate to potential damages and losses that affect their property.The exact terms of coverage will depend on the particular policy.In most instances, the insurance policy will cover perils, such asthunderstorms, fire and theft. Virtually all policies include protec-tion against third party injury on the homeowner’s property.

Most HOI policies are flexible in permitting the homeowner tochose the particular policy that best suits their individual circum-stances. However, homeowners whose homes are subject to a

mortgage are required by their lenders to obtain adequate coveragefor the dwelling since the home provides the primary security forthe loan and the lender is entitled to assurances that its collateral iscovered. The Ocean Hills HOA does not provide HOI but main-tains liability insurance coverage on the common areas within itsjurisdiction (clubhouse, storage facilities, HOA offices, etc.).Individual homeowners must procure their own HOI policies andmust advise the HOA of the carrier’s name.

Some geographical areas are more prone to certain perils

Our beautiful neighborhood.


(flood, fire and earthquake) and consequently, the levels of insur-ance required will reflect the threats of the home’s location. Inthose locations, the lender normally will require the homeowner topurchase additional or separate coverage to compensate againstsuch risk.

Most HOI policies are multi-lined, meaning that they includeboth property insurance and liability coverage paid for with a sin-gle premium. The cost of HOI often depends on the cost to replacethe house and what additional coverage is attached to the policy.Many HOI policies are adjusted regularly to reflect currentreplacement cost, usually by application of an inflation factor or acost index.

Insurance companies are regulated by the states within whichthey operate. Most states have very strict terms on cancellation andnotification of cancellation (the minimum period is usually 30 daysother than for non-payment of premium which could be as little as10 days). Cancellation notices are required to be in writing andusually sent by certified mail. Cancellation of a HOI policy (with-out re-instatement or replacement) could constitute a default underthe homeowner’s mortgage loan. Insurance carriers are alsorequired to give timely notice if they do not intend to renew thepolicy upon its expiration.

As a final thought, homeowners are cautioned to review theirpolicy upon receipt and regularly during the course of its term.Most importantly, it is a necessity that individual owners under-stand what is included and what is excluded from the policy (e.g.,earthquake, flood, certain breeds of dogs, etc.) before a disasteroccurs. Moreover, if a homeowner has any questions regarding thescope, limits or restrictions of their policy, they should call theirbroker or carrier for an explanation.

********

What’s New With the ScammersBy Ira Landis

I received a report from an OHCC resident about one of herfriends going to a gym and placing his belongings in a locker. Afterhis workout and shower, he came out and saw his locker open. Hethought that he had locked the locker. He dressed and just flippedthe wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay,all the cards were in place.

A few weeks later his credit card bill came in the crazy amountof $14,000. He called the credit card company and told them he didnot make the transactions which were on the bill. Credit card per-sonnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and askedif his card had been stolen. When he looked in his wallet andpulled out the credit card, he discovered a switch had been made.An expired card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thiefbroke into his locker at the gym and switched cards.

The credit card issuer said that since he did not report the cardmissing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them.He had to pay $9,000. Why didn’t the company call to alert him tothe amounts swiped. Small amounts rarely trigger a “warning bell”with some companies. In this case all the small amounts added upto a big one.

Remember I heard this story third hand. Most of us carry morethan one credit card so it may not be that unusual for the switchedcard not to have been noticed sooner. In the past, I have receivedcalls from credit card companies questioning charges to my cardfrom out of the country or out of state charges, or unusual charges.These calls were all satisfactorily resolved.

I also would have contacted a consumer advocate at a majornewspaper (NY Times or LA Times) or contacted a lawyer to obtaina better settlement amount.

********

Book ReviewBy Tom Lynch

The Last Lost World: ice ages, human origins and the inven-tion of the Pleistocene (2012) by Lydia Pyne and her father,Stephen Pyne, who served as sounding board, first-draft writer,and editor. Lydia, who has done extensive fieldwork in archaeolo-gy and paleoanthropology, is a lecturer at Drexel University, witha Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of science. Stephen is aRegents Professor in the School of Life. Pyne traces the inventionof naming the Pleistocene Epoch, first called the Ice Age in the19th century. From time to time, geological societies have changedthe times the epoch existed. And they are not sure it has ended; thatis, we may be in a warm interlude and another episode of glacia-tion may occur in the future. Atmospheric scientists appear to haveconcluded we are now in an "Anthropocene" era where humans,not "nature," are a major influence on global climate. Thus, themost recent glaciation ended around 12,000 years ago. The currentestimate as to when the Pleistocene began is about 2.6 millionyears ago, and that around 50 periods of glaciation have occurredwith brief warm periods in between. When something occurs 50times, it is reasonable to assume the 51st is down the road, exceptthat our human-caused rapid increase of greenhouse gases mayhave broken that cycle.

The Pleistocene is of great interest since our ancestors were stillevolving in the Homo genus, of which we are now the sole sur-vivor. Pyne traces the findings and squabbles over fossils in the last200 years or so, with all sorts of narratives and metaphors appliedto make sense of very fragmented and incomplete data. Many ofthe narratives smack of “scientism” rather than science. Pyne's def-inition of scientism is trying to impose the methods of exact sci-ences beyond the realm of their competence. Pleistocene studies,


therefore, remain controversial.It seems that Pyne's central concern is to illuminate the process

by which narratives of our origins and nature are developed. Thisarea received funding to investigate what's what from the quests,she says, that "involves the definition by people of what makesthem what they are." Consequently, the invention of thePleistocene should not be regarded solely as a scientific investiga-tion.

Pyne is of the opinion that while science has a powerful inves-tigation community, once it tries to weigh in with "facts" to settlepolitical or moral questions, it descends into scientism. As she seesit: "…philosophy, literature, and history can help explain how thesciences work and they can turn the data excavated by natural sci-ence into prisms of meaning . . . . [They can show] how sciencemust operate within limits or succumb to scientism."

Of course a particular scientist can also be a practitioner in thehumanities as well, but needs to identify which voice he or she isusing in regard to pronouncements. This is not a new controversybut surely an enduring one. Science, at least natural science, at themoment seems to have the credibility edge over other voices. Pynedoes not comment on social sciences as such. Should we turn toscientific findings to define appropriate behavior? Pyne thinks not.She does not pretend she has the last word but has articulated avery important point of view in developing meanings of what weare.

The Financial PageBy Bob Barnes

Currencies as anAlternative Investment

In past articles we’ve looked at some strategies to protect yourcapital by using momentum modeling and timing cycles. Here’sanother approach to avoid putting all your financial eggs in onebasket. Use a completely different set of correlated financialinstruments as your focus and then just invest in the top perform-ing instrument on a rotating weekly basis.

One way to accomplish this goal is by using FX, or the foreigncurrency exchanges which pair divergent currencies against oneanother to create a kind of built in hedge for each trade. Unlessyou’ve got the time each day to watch the currency markets at mid-night and 4 in the morning, short term FX investing is not foryou…I’ve been there, I’ve done that.

The good newsis that there’s aLazy Man solu-tion. We justinvest in currencyETFs that featuregood volume, lowspreads and theycan be traded anytime during mar-ket hours by anybroker or yourselfon your homecomputer.

Here’s a list of the most popular currency ETFs. Note that I’veadded SPY (S&P) for comparison sake as well as silver, gold andoil ETFS, which are actually still used in world commerce as cur-rency proxies, especially in those countries where inflation hasdecimated the currency value or political unrest has made theunderlying currency very unstable.

If we just apply our simple relative strength momentum modeland rotate our investment capital in the top 2 ranked ETFs eachMonday we get a bumpy chart that still beats the S&P handily overa two year look back.

This is a quick look at how this simple model fared relative tothe S&P.

The currency model is a bit more volatile than the S&P, but aswe have seen in previous articles, applying simple moving averagerisk management stops to the T2 model can reduce the drawdownby 50% or more. You just have to pay attention and act according-ly. There were clearly some periods when the currency model faroutpaced the S&P and those were great opportunities to lock insome gains.

The idea of trading currency ETFs is intimidating to many folksbut it’s an easy way to invest capital in search of returns that arenot correlated with the equity and bond markets. Schwab has justintroduced 105 ETFs that can be traded commission free, includ-ing most of these currency ETFs. It doesn’t much easier or cheap-er than that.

EFT disclaimer: This is not a pitch for Schwab. I do not ownSchwab stock and I get no remuneration for this reference. Thegoal in mentioning their name is simply to provide an information-al update.

On a separate note: Anyone interested in forming an invest-ment club here please let me know. I get a lot of questions and callson these articles and maybe a monthly meeting would allow aquestion-and-answer opportunity as well as the chance to exploreinvestment ideas, both long and short term, that are not presentedwithin my monthly 600 word limit. Bob Barnes 760-295-3112


took us at least a month or more to undo what a couple of guestsdid in a few weeks.

When ignoring does not work, try the following:1. Feed the dog before you eat.2. Re-direct his attention to a favorite toy or puzzle that

rewards him for his effort.3. Provide food-based or food-dispensing distraction

to slow his eating and help satiate hunger.4. Put your dog in a crate or in another room when

you are eating.As a last FYI, cats will sometimes beg for treats and if you find

that annoying as well, ignoring the whining does eventually solvethe issue. This has worked for our cat Frizz when she got spoiledby getting treats. Now I only give her treats when I want to and notwhen she “asks” for them.

********

Kippel’s KornerBy Ellen Kippel

I love all animals, but find the most frustrating thing in domes-tic pets is begging for food. I found an article in the DogWatchnewsletter I receive that gives the easy way to stop begging. Dogswho beg for food have learned a simple lesson: their barking,whining or pawing results in a reward. That training is often unin-tentional, however. You are teaching a dog to “speak” or “beg” ifevery time he comes to the table he gets a piece of toast as areward. Dogs are very food motivated, so they learn when a behav-ior works to get a treat. Even when you purposely train dogs to sit,stand and beg, those cute tricks can lead to undesired beggingbehaviors when you give repeated tidbits from the dinner table.The moral is: be careful what you teach your dog.

To stop the unwanted habit of begging, the best things to do areto ignore the dog and stop giving food as reward. It could takeweeks to retrain your pet, but you will be satisfied in the end whenyou no longer have to see the sad pouting dog face while you areeating.

If you find begging annoying, train your dog to stay away fromthe table. Dogs can be trained to stay at the edge of the dining areadoor. However, they still look pitiful, but at least they are fartheraway!!!!

We had two dogs that were spoiled one summer by houseguests who, unbeknownst to us, fed the dogs at the table when wewere not home. They continued the begging after the guests left. It

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

ORT MeetingRetired Brigadier General Carmelita

Vigil-Schimmenti, a resident of OceanHills, will be the speaker at theTuesday, April 2, luncheon and meetingof ORT at Shadowridge Country Clubat 11 a.m. General Vigil-Schimmentiwas the first Hispanic female to attainthe rank of Brigadier General and wasChief of the U.S. Air Force NurseCorps. She is the recipient of manyawards and commendations. If youwould like to attend please put yourcheck for $20 in the tube of Shirley Merkow, 4881 Thebes Way.Please indicate your choice for lunch: Pan Fried Sole orVegetarian Pasta with either chocolate cake or fruit for dessert. Iknow we will enjoy hearing about the General’s life and history inthe military.

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Village VeteransMeeting

Col. Cliff Myers III, (USMC (Ret.)will be the speaker at our March meet-ing. Col. Myers will speak on“Warriors and Quiet WatersFoundation,” an organization thataccepts men and women who havebeen wounded in Afghanistan and Iraqand flies them to the beautiful moun-tains of Montana to learn fly fishing.The quiet ambience and solitude actu-ally changes the outlook of these veterans. A film tells it all withCol. Myers narrating and answering any questions.

The meeting will start at 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 28 atAbravanel Hall. Refreshments will be served.

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Wounded Warriorslearn to fly fish inbeautiful Montana.

Deadline for submissions forarticles in the Village Voice is the

28th of each month. No exceptions.


Annual Garden TourThe Ocean Hills Garden Club has scheduled its annual Garden

Tour and Luncheon for Wednesday, May 8, 2013. The tour willbegin at 10 a.m., end at 12 p.m., and include seven to eight gardenswithin the community. If you would like to feature your garden,please call Else Offersen at 760-477-7370 or call Sylvia Carson at760-941-9376. The luncheon on the Lanai will begin at noon.Tickets will go on sale on March 13, 2013, at the Garden ClubGeneral Meeting; checks can also be left at the Clubhouse desk.The tickets are $18 for members and $20 for guests.

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Ocean Hills Society for thePerforming Arts

OHSPA’s second show for 2013 is May 4th 2013 at 7:30 pmin Abravanel Hall. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, March 26th inthe Galeria at 8:00 a.m. The first show of the season, Oh What ANight! brought close to 100 people to the Clubhouse in the morn-ing on the first day of ticket sales so please get in line early onMarch 26th if you want the best seats unless you are a Star Donor!Bring your newspaper, book, breakfast and join in the fun withyour neighbors—some you know and new ones you have not met!

Ballroom with a Twist is the critically acclaimed internationaldance production choreographed by ABC-TVs Dancing with the

Stars, Emmy-nominated, Louis van Amstel. This ground-breakingshow, starring two Dancing With The Stars celebrity prosJonathan Roberts and Anna Trebunskaya, finalist Randi LynnStrong from TVs So You Think You Can Dance and AmericanIdol singers David Hernandez and Gina Glocksen pushes theboundaries of ballroom dance, infusing it with the energy andintensity of the latest contemporary and “hip-hop” styles. Thedancers will include the Samba, Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep andJive, just to mention a few! There will also be approximately 12dancers throughout the performance who will be doing all the siz-zling dance moves as well as the celebrity pros. Ballroom with aTwist is an evening of top notch entertainment highlighted by stun-ning costumes, magnificent music and breathtaking performances.This is another top-flight show from OHSPA subsidized for only$25 a ticket.

Check the Bulletin Board for the latest poster and mark yourcalendars now for ticket sales: Tuesday, March 26th at 8:00 am!Please bring a check made out to OHSPA for purchasing tickets. Ifyou have any questions, please call Donna Russell, 760-945-5558.

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About Depression Everyone feels blue or sad now and then, but these feelings

don’t usually last long and pass within a couple of days. When aperson has depression, it interferes with daily life and normal func-tioning, and causes pain for both the person with depression andthose who care about him or her. Doctors call this condition“depressive disorder,” or “clinical depression.”

Depression in Older AdultsImportant life changes that happen as we get older may cause

feelings of uneasiness, stress, and sadness. For instance, the deathof a loved one, moving from work into retirement, or dealing witha serious illness can leave people feeling sad or anxious. After aperiod of adjustment, many older adults can regain their emotion-al balance, but others do not and may develop depression.

Depression is a common problem among older adults, but it isNOT a normal part of aging. In fact, studies show that most olderadults feel satisfied with their lives, despite having more physicalailments. However, when older adults do suffer from depression, itmay be overlooked because they may be less willing to talk aboutfeelings of sadness or grief, or they may show different, less obvi-ous symptoms, and doctors may be less likely to suspect or spot it.

Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish grief from majordepression. Grief after loss of a loved one is a normal reaction tothe loss and generally does not require professional mental healthtreatment. However, grief that lasts for a very long time followinga loss may require treatment.


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It is widely believed that suicide more often affects young peo-ple, but older adults are affected by suicide, too. Adults age 65 andolder have a suicide rate that is higher than the national average. Infact, non-Hispanic white men age 85 and older have the highestsuicide rate in the United States.

Source: NIH, Senior Health

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Sleep Needs, PatternsChange With Age

Sleep needs change over a person’s lifetime. Children and ado-lescents need more sleep than adults. Interestingly, older adultsneed about the same amount of sleep as younger adults — sevento nine hours of sleep per night.

Unfortunately, many older adults often get less sleep than theyneed. One reason is that they often have more trouble fallingasleep. A study of adults over 65 found that 13 percent of men and36 percent of women take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.

Also, older people often sleep less deeply and wake up moreoften throughout the night, which may be why they may nap moreoften during the daytime. Nighttime sleep schedules may changewith age too. Many older adults tend to get sleepier earlier in theevening and awaken earlier in the morning.

Why These ChangesThere are many possible explanations for these changes. Older

adults may produce and secrete less melatonin, the hormone thatpromotes sleep. They may also be more sensitive to — and mayawaken because of — changes in their environment, such as noise.

If You Have Trouble SleepingMany people believe that poor sleep is a normal part of aging,

but it is not. In fact, many healthy older adults report few or nosleep problems. Sleep patterns change as we age, but disturbedsleep and waking up tired every day are not part of normal aging.If you are having trouble sleeping, see your doctor or a sleep spe-cialist. There are treatments that can help.

Source: National Institute of Health, Senior Health

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Eating Well As You Get OlderShould I limit the amount of sodium I consume?Sodium is consumed in the diet as part of salt. Older adults

should limit their sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams (mg) daily(about 2/3 of a teaspoon of salt). This helps to keep your bloodpressure under control and lowers your risk of heart disease,stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease.

Ways to cut back on sodium include keeping the salt shaker offthe table and replacing salt with herbs, spices, and low-sodium sea-sonings when you cook. Also, eat fewer snack foods, and ask for


low-sodium dishes and for sauces on the side when you eat out.When you shop, choose foods labeled “low sodium,” “reducedsodium,” “sodium free,” or “unsalted.”

Read the Nutrition Facts label on food packages to find outhow much sodium a product contains. Different brands of foodsthat look the same can contain very different amounts of sodium.

A diet rich in potassium can reduce the effects of salt on bloodpressure. Older adults should consume 4,700 milligrams of potas-sium daily from food sources. Sources of potassium include fruitsand vegetables such as sweet potatoes, white potatoes, greens,beans and peas, and tomato products. Potassium is also found inall yogurt and milk — including low-fat and fat-free versions —and in fish such as halibut, Pacific cod, yellow fin tuna, and rain-bow trout.

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Driving at NightDriving at night makes us seniors nervous—and with good

reason. There are fewer drivers on the road at night than dur-ing the day, but about half of traffic fatalities happen afterdark, according to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to make night driv-ing safer. Here are a few measures you can take:

• Keep it clean. Make sure your windows, headlights, tail

20%DiscountEveryWed.4-9pmENTREEONLY

lights and signal lights are clean so they are easier for otherdrivers to see.

• Switch your rearview mirror to the night setting. Flippingthe small lever at the bottom of your mirror changes the angleof its reflective surface. You’ll still see the lights from the carsbehind you, but they will be less bright in your eyes.

• Make sure your headlights are aimed properly. If yourheadlights are misaligned, it can make it harder for you to seeand it can disturb other drivers on the road.

• If the lenses on your vehicle are cloudy or hazy, replacingthe bulbs may not be enough. Consider a headlight restorationkit, which restores headlights to like-new condition and per-formance light output. Available is the Sylvania HeadlightRestoration Kit that includes a UV Block Clear Coat that pro-tects headlights from UV rays and offers long lasting results.

• Don’t get caught in the glare. If light from an oncomingvehicle shines directly into your eyes, look down and to theright.

• Use your high-lights appropriately. When following othervehicles, use your low beams so you don’t disturb other driv-ers.

• Increase the distance between you and the cars ahead ofyou. It’s harder to judge the speed of other vehicles at night,so you need to give yourself plenty of room to stop safely.

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Shopping Around

LED Light bulbsJust when we have completed changing our household

bulbs to the CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps recognized bytheir spiral design), along comes the next generation of bulbs:the LED light bulbs. You may not recognize the presence ofthese new Light Emitting Diode bulbs, but you may recognizethem on the tail lamps of the newer cars and their use onChristmas tree decorations.

The LED bulbs consume far fewer watts to deliver thesame level of brightness as traditional bulbs, save energy andalso dollars off your electricity bill. These bulbs featurelonger life spans estimated between 15,000 and 40,000 hours


depending on the bulb. This canamount to approximate averageof 25 times longer than tradi-tional bulbs. According to theU.S. Department of Energy,the use of these bulbs canreduce that light’s energy useby up to 85 percent. This meansreplacing 15 bulbs in your homecan save an average of $50 offyour energy bill annually—or up to$1,800 on your energy bill over thecourse of your LED bulb’s lifetime.

The price of the bulbs is not cheap.The least expensive bulb sold at HomeDepot starts at around $10 apiece andhigher for the more powerful versions. Itis estimated that the price will gradually diminish as theybecome more popular.

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Thank YouDear Friends:Your visits, prayers, cards, donations and phone calls made

my recent knee replacement much easier to deal with. “Yourfriendship promotes healing.” May this new year bring us allgood health and lots of happiness.

— Thank you, Joyce Gerber



What Is Birdwatching?By Russ Butcher

Birdwatching is many things. It can simply be casuallylooking at birds as they fly around us in Ocean Hills or watch-ing the birds that are attracted to a patio feeder filled withseeds. Such observations can provide entertainment, withouthaving to know anything about the various kinds of birds. Orbirdwatching can be a more ambitious endeavor of going onfield trips that offer opportunities not only to learn how toidentify many of the species we see, but also to gain insightsinto their varied habits and the diversity of habitats in whichthey live.

I’ve just completed two years of participating in the OHCCBirdwatchers Club’s monthly excursions to an impressivearray of birding “hotspots.” The majority of these day tripshave been to a number of coastal lagoons and inland lakes thatattract numerous waterfowl and other waterbirds. Others havefocused on valleys of oak woodlands filled with a diversity ofsongbirds, or expanses of boulder-studded grassland where hawks and eagles hunt for prey.

The majority of these destinations are located here in north-ern San Diego County — eastward from the sea to the lowerreaches of the mountains — some just minutes from OceanHills. We have occasionally ventured farther afield — northinto Riverside County where wildlife management areas havebeen populated with large quantities of waterbirds. Once-a-year overnight excursions have introduced club members toecologically rich desert oases that are a mecca for an amazing

A Birdwatchers field trip.

Deadline for submissions forarticles in the Village Voice is the

28th of each month. No exceptions.


diversity of species.Our club trips also offer the pleasure of sharing the out-

doors with others, developing a spirit of cheerful camaraderie.Does everyone who participates in these trips have to knowhow to identify birds? Absolutely not. There have been manyindividuals who joined the club who freely admitted they hadlittle or no birding experience. Those who have developedbirdwatching skills over a period of years are more than happyto help those who’d like to learn.

Our trips generally draw about 15 to 25 members, occa-sionally more, rarely less. Our several-hour bird-identificationtotals over the past two years have varied from a low of 24species to a high of 53, with totals typically in the 30s and 40s.But of greater importance than the numbers is the quality ofthe birding experience, encompassing the natural beauty of theplaces we visit; and the excitement we feel when focusing ourbinoculars on some special bird – like a bald eagle or pere-grine falcon, a flock of wild turkeys or white pelicans, or theeye-popping color of a vermilion flycatcher, summer tanager,or oriole.

So what does it take to join the fun? Club members wel-come anyone who would like to take a trial run at birding.Come on a field trip to see whether you enjoy the experience.Bird walks are not strenuous hikes; they are leisurely walkswith frequent stops to look and listen. The club recommends

sturdy shoes, a hat, sunscreen, water, a walking stick if youuse one, and binoculars. Trips are offered on the secondTuesday of each month (weather permitting). Participants areasked to meet at the overflow parking area across from theclubhouse at 7:45 a.m., with car-pooling departure at 8 a.m.The club also hosts meetings four times a year at the club-house, featuring a guest speaker or special video presentation.For further information, please call club president AndyTruban: 760-631-0029.


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Village Voice Newsletter!

RemembrancesOur deepest condolences are extended

to the families of the following:

Edward Weiner • Bob Sushel • Betty DeAinza

SOURCE: Ocean Hills Community Patrol(To acknowledge the passing of the deceased, a family mem-ber or close neighbor is requested to report the name of the

deceased to the Community Patrol.)

FIRST CLASS PROFESSIONAL AUTO DETAILINGRAPHAEL 760 453-3057

Mobile Service 7 Days A Week.

The Village Voice — December 201239

3-2013 village voice

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