11-2012 Village Voice

[email protected] Vol. XXI, No. 11 | November 2012

The Village Voice is a publication of the OHCC Journalism Club

EditorialThe DecliningState of Media

How many of us get most of ournews via television? Some will sayall; others, a small portion. In anycase, most of us have noticed a sub-tle, but dramatic change. Turn onyour 5, 10 or 11 o’clock news fromthe major channels and what do youget? Blood and Guts: someone shotsomeone else in the outskirts of SanDiego, a house burned down inChula Vista, hold-up at a donut shopin Imperial Beach. And worst of all,“Breaking News” with a helicoptertrailing a car chase into Tijuana.

If you ever called the TV stationto complain about the quality ofnews, their response is “We don’tfeature news, we feature entertain-ment.” In other words, entertainmentis now cloaked under the guise ofnews. An official of one of the fiveleading TV stations said that “bloodsells, news does not.” And if bloodsells, that attracts more advertisers.More advertisers mean more rev-enue. More revenue means the par-ent company gets to dictate thedirection of what is being telecast.And the direction is not good.

How we, as seniors, yearn for thepast newscasters: Walter Cronkite,Edward R. Murrow, Lowell Thomas,Chet Huntley/David Brinkley, DanRather, John Cameron Swayze andTom Brokaw to name just a few. Allof us received vital news from them

EDITORIAL, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

OHCC BluntHigher Water Rates

During the past year, efforts to con-serve water is now beginning to payoff, this according to Tom Hogan,OHCC Landscape Director. Faced witha 6% higher water rate from Oceansidefor the coming year, Tom feels that withour 20% cutback on water usage, land-scape changes on Cannon Road and atthe Park and the 80 newly installed sen-sors located throughout the golf course,our water costs could remain about thesame.

The new ground sensors from TurfGuard can relay temperature, moistureand salinity information every five

minutes to a central control in Tom’soffice. With this information, he cantake immediate action in the event thereis a rise in temperature and salinity or adrop in moisture. During the hottesttwo weeks of August, the sensors indi-cated there was no need for watering ofthe golf course. This represented a sav-ings of 5,614 units or $12,000. (Oneunit of water equals 748 gallons.)While the final figures of water usage atCannon Road are not in, Tom estimatesa savings of 90% to 95% in that areaalone.

Our lush landscape, a major appeal atOHCC. Right, Tom Hogan monitoringwater central.

WATER RATES, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

The Village Voice — November 20122


and we believed what they had to say. And what they had tosay formed the foundation of our good judgment, reasoningand a sincere feeling of what was important to our lives, ourcountry and the international scene. But alas, newscasters suchas those are gone…gone perhaps forever. The major stationsare now providing us with good-looking reporters with good-looking suits, ties and dresses. They provide us with excite-ment and we are enchanted with sex, murder and scandal, alldelivered to us on a silver platter called “news.”

Another source of news is our morning newspapers.Although readership is declining nationwide, there remains astrong readership in the Village. Our newspapers go hand-in-hand with our morning coffee. Now that the North CountyTimes has been purchased by the U-T San Diego, it will beinteresting to see if the editorial agenda of the U-T will creepinto our local paper. Our reporter, Russ Butcher, contacted amember of the NCT staff who confirmed that a couple of NCTreporters still remain, namely Deborah Sullivan Brennan andPaul Sisson, both of whom write about the environment. Thestaff member assured Russ that the number of reporters willincrease and the coverage will be better, but for now and in theindeterminable future, the NCT will be redundant.

(An alternative source of good news reporting is KPBS onChannel 11 and their sister radio station KPBS 89.5 FM. Formore in-depth news reporting and analysis, many readers haveswitched to The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal.There is one thing you won’t find there: car chases.)

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EDITORIAL, Cont’d. from Page 1

At the meeting with the Master Board, Tom revealed thatGolf Course operations for the year to date is $51,000 underbudget due mostly to water savings. Landscape costs for com-mon areas also reflect $119,000 under budget due to reducedtree trimming and water savings.

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WATER RATES, Cont’d. from Page 1

Palm TreesGet Trimmed

Members of theO’Connell Landscapingstaff are often seen scal-ing our palm trees in theVillage seemingly with-out effort. It takes themonly seconds to climb thetrunks, secure them-selves at the base of thebranches and hack awayat the seeds and lowerlimbs.

According to GlenForemen, Director,O’Connell Landscaping,there are three workerswho are assigned toclimb these trees. He saidthat it is a common joband they frequently perform this throughout the area.

First a line with a led ball on the end is slung across the topof the tree. A heavy rope is then fastened to the end and ishoisted over the top and secured. He merely jimmies himselfup and places his body in a comfortable but secure position,

High tree balancing act.


For information, call Sandra @ 760-295-1993

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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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Marileen Johnson



Holiday Gift FundAs the holiday season rapidly approaches, it is time again

to remember those who work in the Clubhouse, in theHomeowners’ Office and in the Community Patrol Services.The Ocean Hills Holiday Gift Fund (OHHGF) was establishedover 20 years ago to recognize the many services these staffmembers perform for the benefit of the residents of OceanHills Country Club.

Contributions by residents are voluntary.From October 25 until December 18, the Collection Box

will be on the Clubhouse Front Desk for your checks (please,no cash), made out to “OHHGF.” Please help to brighten theholidays for staff members and show your appreciation fortheir loyalty and hard work.

Should you have questions, please place a note in theCollection Box. You will hear from an OHHGF Committeemember.

Thank you!********

Deadline for submissions forarticles in the Village Voice is the

28th of each month. No exceptions.

then commences to saw. These climbers do not use cleats ontheir shoes that can injure the tree. When one was asked aboutthe possibility of falling, he replied that it doesn’t hurt whenyou fall; it hurts only after you strike the ground. Residents arediscouraged from trying to trim their trees themselves.

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Residents Be Aware: Danger inDiscontinuing Landline Phone

With the widespread and convenient use of cellphones,many residents have decided to discontinue their landlinephones. While this may be a way of reducing monthly bills, itcan also be a danger to your security and safety. Your tele-phone is connected to the alarm system in your home. (Thealarm system is now referred to as EMS or EmergencyMonitoring System.) So by disconnecting your landlinephone, you have unwittingly disconnected your EMS. Thiswarning was revealed by Len Weinstein, head of Security,now referred to as Community Patrol. Residents who discon-tinue landline phones are warned to consider the unintention-al consequences. For additional information, call the frontgate, (760) 758-7111. A Community Patrol Service officer willeither answer your questions or meet with you, in your home,to review the system.

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Woodchucks at Work toCompete Toys for CampPendleton Families

The task of planning and manufacturing toys began in earlysummer. Spokesman Bob Mellman estimates that when com-pleted, there will be over 600 wooden toys that will be donat-

ed to the families at Camp Pendleton. These toys, in additionto the bikes, plush animals, games and other toys donatedthrough the generosity of residents in the Village, will makehundreds of children of military families very happy.

The craftsmanship of the toys is amazing. Many toys arearticulated, others are carefully painted by the ladies whodevote many hours to accomplish the task. Many of the wood-chucks have been former engineers in the defense industry andhave utilized their knowledge and experience to plan and engi-neer these toys.

The assembly of donated toys by residents will beannounced shortly. This year, with the increased number ofreturning Marines, the demand for toys for their families willbe greater than ever.

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Woodchucks Bob Haugen, Bob Mellman and Carl Strelingshowing toys for Camp Pendleton.

Carl finishing his 1937 Pontiac.

Say you saw itin The Village Voice!


16-Year-Old Gazebo ReplacedOn the corner of Demeter and Thebes way stands a bright

new gazebo. While the old model appeared to be satisfactory,closer inspection indicated there was dry rot and infestation oftermites.

The small park is often the scene of parties and block gath-erings and the structure adds to the beauty of the Village.

The former gazebo was part of the Ryland Constructionmodel home displays on Malea. When the sales of homes werecompleted, the structure was scheduled to be removed. But itwas the late Dan Merkow, who persuaded the company torelocate the gazebo to its present location, much to the glee ofthe residents. But after 15 years of usage, it was necessary toreplace it. It stands as a tribute to Dan and his insistence ontransforming an ordinary corner into a beautiful park.

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A shiny new gazebo in Portofino.


After listening to all the speeches by the winners and los-ers, all cheering crowds, the disappointing losers, the minute-by-minute analysis by commentators, I am still sitting by thetelevision, patiently anticipating a long- awaited concessionspeech from Roseanne.

She’s not given up yet; she wants a recount.

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Watching WildlifeBy Russ Butcher

Head BangersHave you ever thought about animals that deliberately and

repeatedly bang their heads into things? For example, it’samazing how woodpeckers persistently use their strong beaksto drill holes into tree trunks. Their industrious hammering hasa number of purposes. They forage for food such as ants, bee-tles, wood borers and insect larvae; gouge out cavities forroosting or nesting sites; and create a granary of holes inwhich to store acorns. In addition, resonant drumming, as ona hollow tree limb, is an important part of a woodpecker’s wayof attracting a mate and declaring its nesting territory.

What about bighorn sheep rams that engage in ferocioushead-smashing? Such contests involve a pair of dueling ramsarmed with their massive, curved horns. They suddenly risenearly upright on stiffened hind legs and dash straight towardeach other at speeds of 15 to 20 miles per hour. At the lastmoment, they drop to all fours and lower their heads for thecrash. The horrendous impact often briefly dazes the rams, butthey repeat the contest in a battle that may last only a few min-utes or may drag on for an hour or more. Why? Researcherstell us that these violent battles are an integral part of courtshipand establishing territorial dominance over another male.

American bison (buffalo) bulls duel in much the same way.Standing about 20 feet apart, they suddenly lunge toward eachother – their combined two tons of weight crashing head-on

The CrustyCurmudgeonBy Bob Wong

The UnderdogThank goodness, the election is final-

ly over. It was not an easy task to selectone of the candidates for the president ofthis country. But I always like to pick theunderdog, the one person who can upset the entire applecart.

The choice was easy. It was the only woman on the ballot:Roseanne Barr. Yes, that Roseanne who received Brooklyncheers during her performance at a baseball game whilesinging the national anthem. Her platform was simple, butdirect: legalize marijuana, weaken the power of the FederalReserve and she wants clean water, too.

I did offer to man her election headquarters here in SanDiego, but alas, the PAC could not afford to rent a suitablestorefront location. I was prepared to donate a sizeable amountof money toward her election; say about $3.50, provided theremight be a matching fund. There were no takers.

I was all set to host a prep rally in front of the Village, butthe response was less than enthusiastic: two dogs beingwalked could hardly contain their excitement, jumped all overme but mistook my legs for fire hydrants. I couldn’t tell whatparty they belonged to.

I waited until the late hours for the final results. By 9 thatnight, I could see that most counts were in, except for Floridawhich was about to announce the Bush/Gore results. In theSouth, they take their time about counting.

While the major networks failed to report the popular countfor Roseanne, I searched the internet; she didn’t do very well,but actually garnered over 8,000 votes.

features

Rams engaged in head-on clashes.


“like a couple of pile-drivers,” as one observer has describedit. Elk bulls and deer bucks, armed with their rack of antlers,wage similar head-to-head contests.

But how in the world are these animals able to accomplishtheir relentless head-banging without knocking themselvesout or seriously harming their brains? It seems impossible thatthe brains of these animals can survive unscathed from theirpowerful wood-pounding and head-on clashes. If we humansexperience even a single bang on the head, not to mentionrepeated bangs, we seriously risk major headaches, skull frac-tures, or even permanent, long-term brain damage.

What’s the difference between the human head and that ofsuch hard-headed critters? Unlike us, these small-brained,head-banging animals have exceptionally dense, strong skulls.The narrow space surrounding their brains, filled with only arelatively small amount of fluid, reduces the amount of jarringmovement caused by the forces of sudden acceleration anddeceleration. Also, the inner surface of their skulls and the sur-face of their brains are smoother than ours, apparently helpingreduce friction. Woodpeckers, rams, bulls, and bucks all haveexceptionally powerful neck muscles. And of major impor-tance, their forward head motion is deliberately and preciselydirected toward a specific target, which scientists say tends tominimize side-to-side twisting or wrenching that in humanscan cause whiplash and/or serious brain damage.

The wonders of nature do indeed never cease to amaze andsurprise us.

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Village HappeningsBy Selma Leighton

I sat down to write my article for this month and for the lifeof me, I couldn’t think of anything funny. I know, living inOcean Hills, that’s hard to believe. So, I decided, well, I’ll geta list of all the clubs in the village and write about them. Tomy amazement and pleasure, I discovered there are 44 clubs.Well, there went that idea. So, instead, I threw the names ofthe clubs into a hat (actually it was one of my mixing bowls),yes I cook, and came up with two clubs to write about. So Icalled each of their presidents, and did a little interview.

Firstly, the Sailing Club is celebrating their 25th anniver-sary. Their leader goes by the title Commodore. The presentCommodore is Wayne Strunk, and he has filled that role forfuve years.

Although the club owns no boats, they are permitted tocharter sail boats from the Harbor Island Yacht Club. I went onone of their sails. Don’t ask, I don’t think I am cut out to be asailor. But it was fun.

The club has nine captains and eleven first mates. They areall highly trained to sail. Being a novice, I didn’t know whomto salute. The club runs several multi boat sails each year,including a Regatta. Commodore Strunk has participated in 10of 11 Regattas, and has won 6 times. No wonder he’s aCommodore. Congratulations to all 163 members celebratingyour 25th anniversary, and good luck to Bob Kopolow, next


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

I’ve Got an App for That!Sometimes the apps I write about are terrific and some-

times they’re not. But this month’s is: a real money saver andit’s free. Interested? Then go to the app store and downloadGasBuddy.

GasBuddy gives you near-real time prices of gasoline inyour area. Open it up, select “Find Gas Near Me.” and you willget a listing of gasoline stations and their current gas prices inthe local vicinity. That’s what I just did and I’m looking at ascreen that shows Costco the lowest price for regular., but thereis a 76 station on College Blvd. with almost equally low prices.The station I use the most is the Circle K on Shadowridge withlow prices (comparable to Costco). Besides a listing you canalso get a map of the stations and their prices. Select a stationand you’ll get its address and directions to get there. You cansee how useful this is when travelling in an unfamiliar area andare looking for low-price gasoline stations.

How does GasBuddy keep up with prices that change sofrequently? It relies on its users. People submit price updatesthemselves when they see something different than is current-ly posted on GasBuddy. Here is a great example of what

year’s incoming Commodore.Now on a more sedentary note, but no less entertaining, I

spoke to the president of the Library Club, Alice Robeson. Shehas 26 volunteers, who work two days per month. Monday,Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Tuesdayand Thursday 2 to 4 p.m. I asked Alice if she could share withme some funny anecdotes. With a chuckle in her voice, sherelated the story of the lady who took her shoes off, and wentto sleep on the library couch. When awakened, she said, “Whydid you wake me, it’s my birthday.” True story. Who couldargue with that logic.

She also told me there is a major renovation going on, andthey have a huge dilemma. There is a horse lamp, to the left ofthe door. Yes, a horse lamp. No one knows where it came fromor why it is there. But it has to be moved, and between thepresident, 26 volunteers and the art committee, there are 50opinions where to move it. I think I will take a look tonightand add my two cents.

I wish I had room to write about all the clubs and their pres-idents. They are all such hard workers. But one thing I can tellyou, they are all having fun, and events keep happening thatare funny, and you know I like funny.

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• Flexibility• Balance• Speak with good purpose• This is it!

The teachers have developed plans to incorporate the sys-tem in a way that easily coincides with daily academic lessonsthe students receive. The Community Partners involved are,Wells Fargo, UPS, Marriott, Legoland, SDG&E, Titleist,California Bank and Trust, Walmart, QLN, One Source,Gilead and others. Steve Lombard, Director ofCommunications for OUSD, says, “This is a life-changingendeavor that is already making a difference in our Oceansidestudents, inside and outside the classrooms and Outside OurGates.”

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makes the internet so useful, so democratic. People informingthe world of what’s going on around them. Well, maybe justgeeks letting us know gasoline prices. But you get the idea.

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Outside Our GatesBy Marileen JohnsonCommunity Reporter

The Business of Kids, CommunityPartners

Ocean Hills Country Club has been honored and celebrat-ed for our commitment to and our support of public education.As a community of active seniors, we focus on the future ofchildren and youth. Some call this “The Business of Kids.”

With that thought in mind, let’s explore a new venture ofOceanside Unified School District, called Kids First, auniquely character-building initiative. Tim Ware, OUSDSchool Intervention Manager, enthusiastically introduces theprogram saying, “Focusing directly on character education,Kids First is a potentially life changing OUSD programdesigned to enhance our district’s quest to educate the wholechild. “It aims to bring about positive changes on our 23 cam-puses and in our community of Oceanside.” The goal of thisprogram is to enable students to pursue excellence in everyaspect of their lives 365 days a year. It is a comprehensivecharacter-building system that is fully incorporated into thedaily schedules of students, teachers and staff.

School districts and strong community ties go hand-in-hand. Each elementary, middle and high school is aligned in apartnership with a community business in a monthly planfrom Sept. 2012 through April 2013 called “Eight Keys toExcellence” Through constant use, students develop strongcharacter traits and begin to take responsibility for their ownlearning. The keys include:

• Integrity• Commitment• Ownership• Failure leads to success

Call Richard @ 760-724-4091to advertise in the next

Village Voice Newsletter!


The Golf ColumnBy Pete Russell

The rules of golf have changed a lot over the last 150 years.That includes the way our “old” handicap system used towork. Now we have an “index” that provides the higher hand-icappers with some equality on the various courses throughoutthe country. This topic is extracted from the July/August 2012FORE magazine, highlighting Dean Knuth, President of theSan Diego Country Club, (the Pope of Slope) and is sharedwith our golf audience. Another change which will be present-ed in a future golf column, although discussed for over 70years, is the most likely banning of the longer putters, oftencalled the “belly putter” or the “broomstick putter.” I’d like toconcentrate on these nostalgic issues in my ruminations one ata time in this and future columns, primarily due to size con-straints of the magazine.

This topic is about using the phrasing of the now common“index” system, or the “slope” system. I still find it commonamong the golfers I talk to who continue using the word“handicap.” I suppose it may be grammatically correct to con-tinue the use of the old system word even though in actualityit has been surpassed with advances with the index. This takes

into consideration a much more complex computation toensure that all golfers are on an equal footing when playing avariety of courses. This new system is now used in all of the50 states, and 59 countries worldwide. For example, I can gothe Oceanside Muni course, find my SCGA index on the sheetin the office, and convert my index to the course equivalentwhich I can use for playing in tournaments at that course.Believe me, when you are talking about money with a golfer,it is a very serious conversation. Am I right?

To put it into a historical context, consideration was givento assigning a “balanced” scoring system as early as the 1870sin the British Isles. They referred to this new idea as the“Colonel Bogey” method. Then in 1971, the SCGA developedthe “first obstacle rating” system. The system evolved over theyears by key SCGA members who helped alter the way theSCGA rated its courses. But Knuth’s system, which the USGAcame to adopt, forced further change. One key differencebetween the system the SCGA was using and the USGA sys-tem that Knuth developed was that the USGA did it hole-by-hole, whereas the SCGA rated courses as a whole. The SlopeSystem reflects course difficulty from each set of tees.

The Slope system started out as an option for golf associa-tions in 1987, and here we are 25 years later and it’s beingused in every state and 59 countries. The SCGA is one of thelargest golf associations in the country and was the last to con-vert to the new Slope System.

My hat is off to you, Dean Knuth, for your career efforts tocontinued improvement to the game.

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Health, Exercise and YouBy Andy Truban

Magnesium Plays an Essential Role inthe Body

The mineral magnesium is essential to all living cells, anda vital component for the body’s activities such as: maintain-ing a healthy heart rhythm, regulating blood sugar, promotingnormal blood pressure, bone maintenance, proper nerve and

Golf, after almost 150 years, tempers still flair.


muscle functioning, and for maintaining a healthy immunesystem. Magnesium is involved in energy metabolism andprotein synthesis, and is important in more than 300 chemicalreactions that help the body to work properly.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include musclecramps, muscle weakness, fatigue and can cause an irregularheartbeat.

Worried you are not getting sufficient Magnesium? This iseasily remedied. Magnesium is an element found in wholegrains, nuts, beans, and dark vegetables. Foods that are highin fiber are generally high in magnesium. Fiber is the indi-

gestible part of plant foods that pushes through our digestivesystem absorbing water and easing bowel movements. Fibersare either soluble or insoluble. Foods rich in soluble fiberinclude oat bran, fruits, vegetables, brown rice, barley andnuts. Foods rich in insoluble fiber include wheat bran, andwhole-grain breads and cereals.

The daily recommended magnesium dietary allowance is320 milligrams for women and 420 milligrams for men.Dietary sources of magnesium include:

Bran (rice, wheat and oat)Start your day with a healthy bran cereal for breakfast. One


cup of crude rice bran contains 922 milligrams of magnesium,wheat bran 354 and oat bran 220.

Squash and pumpkin seedsGreat as a snack or in salads, and provide 738 milligrams

per cup.Flax, sesame seeds and sesame butter (Tahini) They are great sources of magnesium and heart-healthy

unsaturated oils. Per tablespoon flax seed contains 39 mil-ligrams of magnesium, sesame seeds 32 milligrams andTahini 58 milligrams. Portion control needed since these seedsare high in calories.

Brazil nutsThis large high-caloric nut provides 500 milligrams of

magnesium per cup. Portion control needed.Almonds, cashews, mixed nuts and pine nuts Nuts are great as a snack or in salads, yogurt or pasta dish-

es. Per cup, almonds provide 395 milligrams of magnesium,cashews 352, and pine nuts 339. Mixed nuts in general pro-vide 361 per cup.

Sunflower seeds Good source of vitamin E and thiamine that also provide

455 magnesium milligrams per cup. Place them in a cabbagesalad, trail mix or homemade healthy muffins.

Molasses A good substitute for refined sugar in cakes and breads,

molasses provides 816 milligrams per cup, 48 milligrams pertablespoon.

Cocoa powderIt has no added sugar, so it can be used to give a chocolate

flavor in recipes without all the calories and fat found in otherforms of chocolate. Cocoa powder contains 429 milligramsper cup.

Soybeans: Dry roasted and shelled soy-proteinEdamame

Dry roasted soybeans are great snacks or in salads and pro-vide a great source of magnesium, and 392 milligrams percup. When boiled, edamame provides 99 milligrams per cup.

References:• Halle Elbling, Registered dietitian and educator at

Palomar Health • From San Diego UT May 8, 2112• Encyclopedia Wikipedia

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Out & Aboutin San DiegoCountyBy Jack Shabel

Most people know thatwhen you visit Julian upin the mountains, it’s allabout wonderful giftshops and apple pie. TheHikers Walkers Club justcompleted a very nice tripto Julian and we prettymuch all did a lot of hik-ing and a little bit of shop-ping. I don’t know aboutthe others, but, I also had afew slices of apple pie.But, we also had a won-derful guided tour of the Eagle and High Peak Mines. Ourguide was one of the owners of the property and was veryknowledgeable about gold mining in the area as well as min-

Ore cars used to remove rocks.

ing technol-ogy. Thetour takesyou into theEagle Mineshaft wherethe guidestops atabout five orsix differentlocations toexplain theworkings ofthe mine.Then the

tour continues into the High Peak Mine. The two mines wereconnected after World War II so that they could share the samestamp mill. Once in the High Peak Mine there is a ladder upone level to the supervisor’s office right in the mine. It seemsto be standard procedure in mine tours to turn the light out todemonstrate what total darkness is like, but, this only lasts forabout five seconds until the guide lights a candle.

After the lights go back on, the tour continues until youexit, up one level from where you entered the Eagle Mine, atthe entrance to the High Peak Mine. A walk down to the hillbrings you back to a wonderful collection of old machinery

and the stamp mill where the rock was crushed and the goldextracted. If one ounce of gold could be extracted from oneton of rock, the mine could make money. The guide gives anice explanation of the operation of the mill as well as themine. I definitely would not recommend this tour to anyonewho is claustrophobic as the shafts are tight and dark. Thereis a steep ladder to climb, and the walking is uneven in spotswith the rails from the ore cars along the outside edge of themine floor. There are a few spots where anyone over 5 foot, 6inches tall will have to duck their heads. Obviously, this tour


A collection of old machinery and cars.


is not handicap accessible. I think that this tour would beexcellent for kids as it teaches a bygone era in an excitingmanner. So check this one out on your next trip to Julian, andby the way, don’t forget to get a slice of apple pie.

The cost of the tour was $10. Operating hours of theMuseum are 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. From Main Street inJulian, head up the hill on C Street and follow the signs up toOld Miners Trail. Their phone number is (760) 765-0036. Iwasn’t able to find a website, but there is various informationregarding the mine on the web.

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BridgeBy Dan Neilson

Removing Takeout DoublesHow many times have you heard the saying, “I have to trust

my partner” after opponents made a doubled contract. Bridgeis a partnership game and most of the time partner is relyingon you to provide some of the setting tricks. There are toomany different hand types to cover in one article but somegeneralizations apply. If you bid, unsupported, you need tricksin your suit, otherwise two or three side suit tricks are needed.If your partner supports you, discount winners in that suit. If

you have a misfit with partner it probably is a good double.Here are hands to .consider when you open one Spade and itis followed by a 3 Club overcall.1S 3C D P?

1. KJxxx Axx AJxx x2. KQJxxx KQx Qx xx3. AJxxx KQJxx xx x4. Qxxxxx AKx Ax xx5. AKQJxx xx Kxxx x

1. Leave the double in. You are a little short of the threewinners partner expects, but it is close.

2. Bid 3 Spades. You do not have enough defensive tricks.3. Bid 3 Hearts. You could have a Heart fit and an easy

game. Again, you are short on defensive strength.4. Pass. Though Spades are weak you have the expected

three outside winners.5. Bid 3 Spades. On defense you may take only one trick

with this hand.All penalty doubles are optional. With six card suits, con-

sider removing the double unless you have outside winners.

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to our hotel, passing the Esplanade where an open market wasbusy. After checking in, we searched for a restaurant for lunchand found the Iguana Restaurant where they served a goodbroiled chicken salad. Afterwards, we strolled outside andmilled around the many stalls looking for a few souvenirs.Most items were very expensive. A Chinese juggler drew ourattention and I contributed a few euros for his performance.The day ended when we met a number of tourists who joinedour group for the remainder of the tour. We enjoyed a tastysalmon dinner, then proceeded to our rooms for a good night’ssleep.

TravelsWith JoeBy Joe Ashby

HelsinkiJudy and I both awoke

prior to our 6 a.m. alarm. Iwanted to return our rentalcar before we headed off toHelsinki, but was delayedwhen the people at the caragency couldn’t discoverhow to reverse my 4,000kroner deposit with my Visacard. I wished I had broughtmy other charge cards, butthey were finally able tocomplete the transaction.

We had to board a ferry atthe terminal, but were angry at the lack of accommodations forpeople with disabilities. We had to lug our luggage a long dis-tance for there were no porters or trolleys.

Our arrival at Helsinki was met with the same disappoint-ing accommodations: the long line of luggage trolleys waslocked together outside the terminal. An awaiting bus took us

A Russian orthodox churchdominates the city profile.

Crowded interior of the train station.



Shopping AroundBy the Phantom Shopper

Trader Joe’sWhile most of us in the Village make our weekly grocery

shopping at the local markets, a special effort is occasionallymade to Trader Joe’s. And what is the allure that makes ustravel across town to this rather small market with limitedselections?

The bus tour was conducted by alocal tour guide, Marietta. We foundout that five million Finns live inHelsinki. Finns speak both Finnishand Swedish as they were a part ofSweden until 1809. Traveling downMannerheim, we saw pedestriansalready using the walkways. Theopen market was bustling and somevendors were already selling straw-berries and cherries while otherwere selling everything from furs tot-shirts. The bus made a stop at theBank of Finland where we could seesigns of chipped marble from theheavy bombing by the Russians in

WWII. We visited the university that boasts some 37,000 stu-dents, 65% of whom are women. The tuition is free. Finlanddepends on its forest for paper and wood exports, along withthe oil in the North Sea. The prevailing religion is Lutheran(85%), but most Finns are not particularly active with thechurch.

Judy and I were to take a harbor cruise, but we opted tovisit a gorgeous Russian Orthodox Church instead. An hour-long trolley trip around the city ended our day as we headedback to our hotel. Our evening’s entertainment was the lasthalf of the movie, “Patton.”

Steel pipes, amonument tocomposer Sibelius.

Trader Joe’s, a great place for unusual food at unusuallygood prices.


Deadline for submissions forarticles in the Village Voice is the

28th of each month. No exceptions.

Visiting Trader Joe’s is an experience in a new life style.The aisles are filled with exciting items: French wines,Chinese dim sum, unusual foreign cheeses, organic fruit andveggies, and a huge range of hors d’oeuvres. The selectionchanges our eating habits and especially at our cocktail partieswhere the new and unusual are always in demand. They arenoted for their famous, “Two-buck Chuck” wines.

It was Joe Coulombe who, in 1962 founded the companyand sold it a few years ago to a German businessman namedTheo Albrecht who assembled the company into the brand aswe know it today. There are about 362 stores nationwide witha gross income of $8 billion a year. While the average marketbrings in around $30 million a year, a Trader Joe’s one-fifththe size of a supermarket can make $1 million in a week.Square foot for square foot, Trader Joe’s outperforms the aver-age Walmart.

There are two Trader Joe’s in this area: • 2570 Vista Way, Oceanside.• 2629 Gateway Rd, Carlsbad, in Bressi Ranch.

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The Season of FallBy Tom Fuller

Leaves changing colorsAre a sight to behold;Livestock of all kindsAre safe in the fold.

Schools are in session,Students learning fine;

Preparation for the futureIs on everyone’s mind.

Days grow still shorter,Thanksgiving draws near;

It’s beginning to get colder,Soon Christmas will be here.

Whether winter or springtimeSummer or fall —

All follow in sequenceAnd obey nature’s call.

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Treats For The TroopsBy Phyllis Ward

It was so gratifying when I received an e-mail from Sgt.Chris “Cheese” Limberg:

“Greetings from Sunny Afghanistan!I would like to thank each one of you and the rest of your

supporters on behalf of my team. We took over a small firmbase that is in the process of being turned over to theAfghanistan National Army, so the U.S. presence and supportwas starting to dwindle and become less frequent. With all thecare packages you have sent we are able to get away from theMREs and enjoy a little taste of home. Every time we get amail drop, its like Christmas, morale skyrockets every time. Itis almost guaranteed there is a package from one of the manysupporters. The words “Thank You” cannot express howgrateful we are for all of you.

The operation tempo is starting to slow down a bit, we arefocusing a lot more on the training of the Afghan NationalArmy. They are in the driver’s seat, and we are just givingthem directions. It is a lot different than the other deploymentsI have been on. A lot safer, and more comforts of home, nocomplaints there! Most of our days we spend with them work-ing on anything from basic infantry tactics to medical trainingand other various skills we have. They take to everything fair-ly well and are a lot smarter than they are perceived to be. A


little about myself:I am in my 7th year in the Marine Corps, currently on my

5th deployment. I was selected for Staff Sergeant back inSept. I married the love of my life back in 2006. We have twoboys, Connor (5) and Camden (1) and two dogs, My wife getsthe luxury of having a house full of chaos every time I leave,I don’t know how she does it, but she does. She’s the strongestwoman I know! We are from a suburb of Chicago and plan onmoving back late next year. The plans for re-enlisting are stillup in the air and most would say I was insane for getting outafter getting promoted to SSGT. But after being away fromyour family for so long, it doesn’t seem like it’s too insane. Itry my best to keep in touch with everyone as much as possi-ble.

Thanks again for all your support! We love you all!Semper Fidelis, Sgt. Chris “Cheese” Limberg”

Once again our wholehearted thanks to so many kind andgenerous people — Ken H, Jeanette Y, Barbara S, Jeanne G,Felice B, Kat & Don, Bernie V, Connie S, Fred Z, Lillian A,Fred & Ginnie, June B, Ruth & Seymour. Our last order forthose green Anti-Microbial boot socks have been sent to Sgt.Limberg and his group.

Due to Thanksgiving, our next packing date will be theFriday, November 30, 2012 at 9:30 a.m., still earlier enoughfor packages to arrive before Christmas. God bless our troops.

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20%DiscountEveryWed.4-9pmENTREEONLY


Veterans ProfileLyle Bergeson

Although Lyle was born in Lisbon, North Dakota, he andhis family moved to Wisconsin, then to Estherville, Iowa. Heattended high school during the Depression years with theworst drought and dust storms of the century. He had twomore years to go before graduating when he decided to jointhe artillery unit of the National Guard. Lyle was only 15 yearsold but lied to the recruiting officer in order to join.

During his training, he was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas,where he underwent a leadership course that could lead toOfficers Candidate School. Although graduating as the secondhighest in his class, prospects of becoming an officer dimmedwhen his unit was ordered into active duty in Korea. This was1951 when the U.S. was fully engaged in the war.

Upon arriving in Korea, his group was given three day’straining before being sent to the front lines. The trucks wereable to transport them only part of the way to the combat zonecompelling them to walk the remaining distance under the badconditions of cold, rain and wind over treacherous hills andmountains.

Arriving at the front lines, they dug foxholes where theycould survive. They ate C rations and slept with little protec-tion from the elements. It was the day before Christmas whenthe North Koreans lobbed the first mortar at them as a signal

for the foot soldiers to advance. The mortar struck nearby Lyleand shredded his outer clothing and shrapnel fragments toreinto his left shoulder. He didn’t realize he was hit, but hadturned his attention to the approaching enemy. Armed with anM1 rifle and with others of his unit he fought off the NorthKoreans causing about 45 enemy casualties. Lyle escaped

Lyle Bergeson joined theArmy at 15 years old.

Lyle recalls his time inKorea.


The Movie SceneBy Joan Buchholz

ArgoIn 1979, the Iranians stormed the American embassy in

Tehran and held 52 American hostages for 444 days. But therewere six members who were able to hide themselves secretlyin the Canadian embassy. How they were able to escape fromIran is the basis for this very suspenseful movie.

A CIA operative Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) has a plan torescue these six people using a scam. He persuades his supe-rior that by passing off the hostages as Canadian filmmakersworking on a new science fiction flick using Iran as the back-ground, this bad plan is the best of bad plans. He gets the sup-port of a Hollywood make-up artist. John Chambers, playedperfectly by John Goodman who in turn gets the backing of aproducer. Together, they hatch the plan carefully, even placingads for the “forthcoming” movie in Variety. Mendez coacheseach person carefully in order to deceive the guards and secu-rity at the airport.

The suspense is terrifying even if Affleck doesn’t resemblean Hispanic, his unsmiling demeanor provides the seriousnessof his job. While Hollywood takes dramatic liberties, the storytakes on a documentary aura, especially when formerPresident Jimmy Carter’s voice-over at the credits explainsthe mission was a top secret until it was declassified byPresident Bill Clinton some 16 years later, Argo (Short forArgonauts) is a nail-biter. The scenes of rioting Iranians(played by Turks) appear to be all-too-authentic. I give it foursmiles out of four. It undoubtedly will be a chief contender forthe Oscars.

********

The Financial PageBy Bob Barnes

The Adaptive Lazy Man Portfolio Last month we introduced the “Lazy Man” portfolio... a

simple six ETF (Exchange Traded Funds) model that allo-cates capital in equal dollar amounts and simply holds thosepositions indefinitely.

This month we integrate some of the concepts introducedover the past few months, including relative strength, momen-tum and tactical asset allocation in order to improve the per-formance of our model portfolio and substantially reduce riskexposure at the same time.

Why do we call the portfolio adaptive? Because it adaptsto strengths and weakness in the markets, focusing capital onthose sectors that are performing well and shunning those thatare weak or in a downtrend. Hold your winners, sell your los-

death when an enemy charged at him with a rifle aimed direct-ly him and his weapon jammed.

At the end of the engagement, his face and body were com-pletely covered with blood caused by the fragments of ice andsand that flew into him from enemy bullets striking the protec-tive sandbags. They rushed him to a Marine MASH unit wherethey patched him together before sending him out into thefield again.

Lyle’s second term in Korea was not as vicious as the first,merely patrol work. But he was glad when he was dischargedlate in 1952 and returned to Estherville. He worked in con-struction, then became an electrician’s apprentice and wentinto the electronic field. Eventually, he moved to SouthernCalifornia and soon became a fireman for the City of Pasadenawhere he rose through the ranks and became a captain.

Lyle married, had two sons and in 1986, he and Jane movedto OHCC where he spends his time in real estate, insuranceand finances. Lyle recognizes his life started out living in a logcabin without electricity or water and now, well, now he livescomfortably in OHCC where there is running water right intohis house. He’s come a long way.

********

A group of frozen soldiers in Chosin, Korea.

Say you saw itin The Village Voice!


ers is a basic axiom of successful investing and the adaptivetactic puts that plan into action in a simple and easy to man-age way.

The original Lazy Man portfolio results looked like thisand our strategy was very simple… deploy our capital in 6equal amounts to each of the six ETFs.

This month’s version demonstrates a better control ofdrawdown and also manages to eke out another 6% totalreturn.

How do we accomplish that improvement? It’s really quiteeasy. We simply examine the relative strength of each compo-nent of the portfolio every Friday afternoon and then rotateour capital for the next week in four equal portions into thefour ETFs with the highest relative strength. So, while wehave six ETF candidates in the portfolio we are only investedin the top 4 at any given time.

How do we measure the relative strength for each of ourETFs and how do we determine what constitutes the top 4ETFs on a weekly basis?

In fact, this is less trouble than it might first appear andnumerous technical analysis packages can deliver relativestrength rankings in a few seconds. Several free finance pro-grams also enable you to accomplish this ranking task or youcan purchase canned software for about $100 that will do allthe work for you and track your incremental gains, drawdowns and momentum rankings.

Of course the Lazy Man is just one sample portfolio. Wecould diversify risk even further by deploying our capital intoseveral different top three or top four portfolios, for exam-ple… one composed of world currencies such as the U.S. dol-lar, the yen, the British pound, the Swiss franc, the Euro andthe Mexican peso or one composed of countries such as

Canada, Russia, Brazil, China, Germany and Austria. There are now robust ETFs representing all the major cur-

rencies and countries to help construct such model portfolios.The ETFs all behave somewhat differently but a rotationalmodel based on the strategy of the Adaptive Lazy Man canhelp to skim the cream of the crop, avoid losing trends andimprove on what would otherwise be mediocre portfolioreturns.

In periods of volatile market conditions like we are current-ly witnessing, it’s important to be aware of potential risks toyour net worth, especially if your money is held in managedaccounts about which you have little knowledge or transparen-cy. For those with the inclination and ability to participate inmanaging their assets a simple investment strategy like theLazy Man can produce returns equal to or better than mostprofessional money managers.

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Melrose, it is a bit awkward to get intotheir parking lot. But the reward can be worth the effort.

The interior is as austere as any restaurant can be and thedoor dividers topped with artificial greenery, does little toembellish the establishment. A large flat-screen TV at the backappears to be perfunctory in most Asian restaurants and Phó-ever is no exception. It’s annoying, to say the least. Therestaurant is small with about a dozen and a half tables andceiling fans in full operation.

My partner and I were seated by a young Asian waiter whoprovided us with small menus. Like most inexperienced help,his silence was deafening

As in all phórestaurants, theprimary dish isthe basic beefnoodle soup towhich slicedbeef, beef ten-don, meatballsor even tripe isadded. My part-ner chose eggrolls accompa-nied by lettuceas a starter. Wewrapped theegg roll with lettuce anddipped it into a bowl ofsweet sauce. Delicious!I chose the flank steakwith brisket, the smallportion, please. I seri-ously doubt if I couldmaster the large bowl inone sitting. The steam-ing bowl of soup cameout with slices of beefand brisket on top ofnoodles, garnished withcilantro. The combina-tion was perfect and Iwas able to consumemost of it. The beef-based stock requiredhours of simmering toacquire the deep tasteneeded for the broth.

My partner asked forwon-ton soup and itarrived shortly with noodles and a half-dozen won-tons float-ing on top. The won-tons were made of won-ton wrappersfilled with ground pork and other ingredients that enhancedthe flavors. Their soups were priced from about $6 to about$7.

The menu lists choices other than soups: rice plates with avariety of toppings, chow mein and my favorite: theVietnamese sandwich that consists of a French bread bunfilled with barbecued pork, cilantro, shredded carrots and jica-ma and slices of jalapeno peppers. (Omit the peppers; it willnumb your mouth for the next six hours.) But at $3.99, thesandwich is the best deal in town.

For a small neighborhood restaurant, business was hum-ming. Parking could be a problem during the weekends, butwe attended mid-week and had no problem. Phó-ever is open9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

(Gilda Spiegl is a member of the Southern CaliforniaWriters.)

********

Phó-ever485 S. Melrose Drive, Vista, CA 92081760-630-3837

Phó-ever occupies a corner of abuilding behind El Pollo Loco restauranton Melrose. While the store front faces

Won-ton soup with shrimp.

Hot egg rolls to be wrapped withlettuce leaves.

Phô-ever, a clever play on names.


From The Journalism Club

HappyThanksgiving!


1/4 tsp sugarSalt and pepper to taste

Servings: Eight

Cook lima beans in simmering salted water covered in adeep sauce pan for 15- 20 minutes until not quite tender, drain.Set corn cob vertically and cut down the sides with a chef’sknife. Add corn, butter and cream, bring to a simmer and cookcovered about 7 minutes until corn is tender. Add salt and pep-per to taste. (This dish can be held several hours at room tem-perature and re-heated.)

****

Grandma Small’s New England SummerSquash

1-1/2 cup Green, Patty-pan squash (6-8), also known assummer squash

3 tbs butter1/3 cup whole milk or creamSalt and pepper to taste

Scrub squash, cut each into 4-6 pieces, place in simmeringsalted water and cook covered about 15 minutes, until fairlytender. Drain, add butter and milk and slightly mash with a

Cooking With BeverlyBy Beverly Nickerson

The Wampanoag Indians made the tradition M’sickquatashin the winter, but prepared a simpler version for the summer.Ann Brewster gave me a copy of the “Plimouth Colony CookBook” that contained the following recipe which was handeddown in her husband Ben’s family. Ben is a direct descendantof William Brewster who sailed on the Mayflower

Plymouth Summer Succotash1 (12 oz) frozen baby lima beans2 cups fresh corn kernels, cut off the cob.1/2 stick (4 tbs) butter1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream


Great side dishes for Thanksgiving — summer squash (left)and Plymouth succotash.

potato masher until it is chunky, not a fine puree. Add salt andpepper to taste. This dish can be held several hours at roomtemperature and re-heated. (Many New England vegetablerecipes like English versions, call for a bit of cream. Theyserved vegetables in “Sauce” dishes because of this liquid.)

Legends BistroLa Costa Resort & Spa2100 Costa Del Mar RoadCarlsbad • 760-438-9111

It was one of those perfect days for al fresco dining at LaCosta Resort & Spa’s Legends Bistro. Here choices rangefrom gourmet comfort foods with international flavors,Ayurvedic-style and gluten free dishes, plus a separateHealthy Kids menu. Seating is either inside in the comfortablepub-like dining room with its large picture windows or outsideon the terrace. Indoors or out you have views of the lushchampionship golf course and rolling foothills beyond. Onbeautiful days, I recommend outdoor terrace seating.

Legends is located downstairs from the main lobby whereyou can take the staircase down or an elevator to the terracelevel. La Costa’s restaurants are open to the public.

By CharlottePichney


cucumber, blue cheese, bacon, avocado and mixed fieldgreens. The assorted toppings covered the base of greens andfilled the bowl so high that blending them together withoutspilling took a steady hand. Salads were priced from $10 andup.

Lunch time, two soups are offered — classic French Onionsoup and their Chef’s Creation Soup of the Day. The lunchmenu selections are changed from time to time. Starters caninclude Carpaccio Bruschetta, Flatbread, Crispy Korean styleBBQ Beef Tacos, and Short Rib sliders.

The six “Lighter Side” sandwiches are offered with achoice of French Fries, coleslaw or fresh fruit, and the soup ofthe day was accompanied with either turkey or tuna sandwich.

Deciding on what to order from so many tempting disheswas our next chore. We went for the Starter Crispy Calamari,served with marinara sauce and chipotle aioli. They werelightly battered, moist and tender. The portion was largeenough for two ($15).

My guest ordered the Classic Chopped Caesar – romaine,aged Parmesan cheese, and creamy Caesar dressing withgrilled shrimp ($21). The extra large shrimp were nestled atopa bed of crunchy greens accompanied by 2 slices of Frenchgarlic bread. This delectable salad filled the bowl and was ameal that you had to eat slowly to savor the blending of ingre-dients.

I had a classic Cobb Salad, diced chicken, tomatoes, egg,

The view from the restaurant is spec-tacular.

Crispy calamari rings. Caesar salad with large grilled shrimp.

big flip, not only in the U.S. but abroad. She also reports onher review of the literature, scientific and reputed experts,about the rise of women in economic power and the emotion-al consequence of this. She makes many predictions aboutwho will marry, who will remain single, how sex will change,how children will respond, and how evolutionary psycholo-gists will reframe their concerns in light of the big flip. Willmen react constructively, defensively, or aggressively? Allthese possibilities can already be discerned.

About 20 people have reviewed the book on Amazon.com,awarding in every category, 5 ,4, 3, 2, and 1 star. Amazingly,three reviewers who gave few stars to the book because, theysaid openly, they didn’t like it because it disagreed with theirconclusions. One reviewer, who uses a female pen name, tookcare to reveal he was a male. However, I did not find anyonewho disputed the facts that Mundy reported.

Mundy was not writing as a scientific sociologist. She is ajournalist and undoubtedly wanted people to wake up to whatis coming, and perhaps did go overboard with some predic-tions. Most of the book reports on the finding of her inter-views. Even if one doesn’t agree with her predictions, herreporting of what real people are doing and saying is veryworthwhile reading. Her reputation as an award winningreporter will not suffer as a result of this book. Read it.

********


Listed on the menu is a variety of panini, grilled or club sand-wiches. Try their hand-cut potato chips special side; they’reespecially good. For your sweet tooth finish your meal withone of their Sweet Endings homemade desserts such asBanana Rum Cake, or Valrhona Chocolate Layer Cake ($10).

Legends also features an extensive beer and wine list. Forrestaurant patrons valet parking is free. I recommend LegendsBistro at La Costa when you want to enjoy an extra speciallunch in beautiful surroundings, colorful gardens and lovelyviews.

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Book ReviewBy Tom Lynch

The Richer Sex: how the new majority of female bread-winners is transforming sex, love and family, 2012, by LizaMundy, formally a long time award-winning reporter for TheWashington Post and currently a fellow for the New AmericanFoundation.

The focus of the book: “We are entering an era wherewomen, not men, will become the top earners in households.”(p. 6). In the U.S., 40% of women now out earn their hus-bands, and soon the majority of women will do so. The bookcovers Mundy’s view of how men/women relationships arechanging and reports interviews she had with hundreds ofwomen and men about the coming change, which she calls the


A Time to Give ThanksBy Russ Butcher

For openers, how about our typically fabulous weather? Wedon’t have snowstorms or ice to worry about, it rarely gets toohot or too cold, and we seldom get too much rain or wind.

What brought this to mind was all the recent news aboutHurricane Sandy that tore through much of the northeasternstates, hammering especially hard parts of coastal New Jerseyand southern New York State. News reports have told of thegreat numbers of homes and businesses badly damaged ordestroyed, multitudes of people made homeless or jobless,millions of people going without power for days or weeks, andtransportation systems such as trains, buses, and city subwaysdisrupted. In short, lives upended.

And then I read an article in The New York Times head-lined: “Storm Inflicted Beating on Trees in New York City.”The article stated that, “One of the strangest monuments toHurricane Sandy’s lethal power is an ever-growing mound inCunninghamPark in Queens, an unwieldy heap of tree trunks,splintered limbs and leafy branches. Next to it rises an evenlarger pile, about 25 feet high, representing the fate of all the

fallen oaks, silver maples and London plane trees: wood chips.“As the city continues to right itself from the storm, the toll

on the natural landscape is coming into clearer focus. Perhapsnot surprisingly, it turns out that the storm struck the city’strees like a chain saw on methamphetamines, toppling morethan 8,000 street trees and destroying thousands more in parksand woodlands. Unofficially, the storm laid waste to more citytrees than any storm in memory.” And that was just within thecity of New York, where the rapidly climbing costs of cleanupof trees alone had already exceeded $12 million, as ofNovember 11.

At the end of the news article, the writer added an after-thought: “If there was any upside to the mass casualties, it wasthe cycle of death and life that the storm accelerated. As trunksand boughs were fed through a grinder in Cunningham Park,they added to a mountain of wood chips. Those chips wouldbecome next spring’s mulch, which the parks department willuse on tree and flower beds to keep moisture in and weedsout” – recycling nutrients from the old to the new.

And then I get my head out of the newspaper and lookaround at Ocean Hills with its beautiful landscapes of treesand colorful flowers. This is indeed a good time to give thanksthat hurricanes and other extreme weather events, such as tor-nadoes, are virtually unheard of in our corner of America.

So many times I’ve heard residents of Ocean Hills expresstheir gratitude that they live here, where the weather is moreideal than perhaps any other place on the planet. It is indeed agood time to give thanks.

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By now regular readers will know that Jo Nesbo’sNorwegian detective Harry Hole is one of my favorite sleuthsdespite his drinking and constant bouts with depression. In“Phantom,” Harry again is trying to solve a series of gruesomekillings. Returning from three years in Hong Kong to hisnative Oslo, Harry is shocked by the deterioration of oldneighborhoods, the aggressiveness of street prostitutes and thegrowing numbers of foreign drug pushers. Gang wars lead tothe death of a 19-year old pusher and the arrest of a teenagerHole is quite close to- the son of a woman he loves and hashad an off and on relationship with. Although barred fromrejoining the police force, Harry sets out on a solitary investi-gation that takes him deeply into the world of the most noto-rious drug ever to hit the streets of Oslo.

********


I Love a MysteryBy Ira M. Landis

The author of “Mystic River,” Dennis Lehane’s latest novel“Live By Night,” is about a Prohibition-era gangster. It isfilled with dynamic action scenes that probe the Jazz Agedecadence through the actions of a protagonist who rose froma bad-boy punk in South Boston to become a Florida crimeboss. Joe Coughlin, the youngest son of a highly placed com-manding officer in the Boston police department, makes anenemy for life when he and two other hoodlums rob aspeakeasy owned by a local mobster, Albert White. To com-pound the ill-will, Joe steals White’s girlfriend. It’s no wonderthat White arranges for Joe to participate in a botched bankrobbery that causes Joe to be sent to the worst prison in theNortheast.

In prison an untouchable mafia don becomes his mentorand grooms him to take over his bootlegging operations inwestern Florida. His mentor arranges for Joe’s early releaseand makes him his main man in Tampa. Having survivedprison by forging strong political alliances, Joe ignores localrivalries and teams up with Cuban rum suppliers and in only afew years establishes an empire that covers much of the entireGulf coast. However, with the end of Prohibition and the loveof a good woman, Joe sees the light and walks away from hislife of crime. This may be too sentimental and tidy for somereaders.


Scams and SpamsBy Ira Landis

By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with Snopes.comand/or truthorfiction.com for determining whether informa-tion received via e-mail is true/false or fact/fiction. Both areexcellent sites.

1. Any time you see an e-mail that says “forward this on to‘10’ (or however many) of your friends,” “sign this petition,”or “you’ll get bad luck” or “you’ll get good luck” or “you’llsee something funny on your screen after you send it” orwhatever — it almost always has an e-mail tracker programattached that tracks the cookies and emails of those folks youforward to. The host sender is getting a copy each time it getsforwarded and then is able to get lists of ‘active’ emailaddresses to use in SPAM e-mails or sell to other Spammers.Even when you get e-mails that demand you send the e-mailon if you’re not ashamed of God/Jesus — that is e-mail track-ing, and they are playing on our conscience. These peopledon’t care how they get your e-mail addresses — just as longas they get them. Also, e-mails that talk about a missing childor a child with an incurable disease “how would you feel ifthat was your child” — email tracking. Ignore them and don’tparticipate!

2. Almost all e-mails that ask you to add your name andforward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago

that asked people to send business cards to the little kid inFlorida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Recordsfor the most cards. All it was, and all any of this type of emailis, is a way to get names and “cookie” tracking information fortelemarketers and Spammers — to validate active emailaccounts for their own profitable purposes.

You can do your Friends and Family members a GREATfavor by sending this information to them. You will be provid-ing a service to your friends. And you will be rewarded by notgetting thousands of spam e-mails in the future!

Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) tothese types of listings regardless of how inviting they mightsound! Or make you feel guilty if you don’t! It’s all about get-ting e-mail addresses and nothing more.

You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but youare NOT!

Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later and verypossibly a virus attached! Plus, we are helping the Spammersget rich! Let’s not make it easy for them!

ALSO: E-mail petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress orany other organization — i.e., Social Security, etc. To beacceptable, petitions must have a “signed signature” and fulladdress of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste oftime and you are just helping the e-mail trackers.

********


commentaryual in particular.

However, I must admit that I was aggravated to find the tiretracks on every green. I was disappointed that the individualdid not appear to be taking his responsibilities to the care ofour course and his fellow golfers seriously. Common courtesyand golfing etiquette dictate that every player has responsibil-ity in care of our course.

It is easy to become aggravated when we encounter situa-tions where a small minority of citizens impose dictates thatappear contrary to the will of the majority. Those intentions dosometimes lead to outstanding results such as the SpecialOlympics, Paralympics, and expanding many sporting eventsto include disabled races.

However, I would argue that wheelchairs on a basketball ortennis court do not have the same impact as a large specializedgolf cart on a putting green. The putting greens of golf cours-es, and ours in particular, are difficult and expensive to main-tain under normal circumstances. The added pressure of alarge specialized golf cart on the surface of our putting greenswill either add significantly to the maintenance of the greens,or if not cared for, result in less enjoyment (and increased put-ting challenge) for golfers.

I would request that our HOA that approved this individ-ual’s atypical cart use will remind him of his responsibilitiesto respect the care of the course and to also respect the enjoy-ment of the game by his fellow golfers.

Golf Cart on Green AreasBy Daryll Brose

I am in the habit of playing a round of golf nearly every dayas part of my exercise regimen.

I have always been delighted by the care taken with ourcourse. Of course there are those few who forget to fix ballmarks on the greens, but that is minor and easily repaired.

I was playing the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 10, andfound tire tracks on every green. My immediate reaction wasdisappointment that the course maintenance crew were nottaking more care. My next reaction was frustration since thetire tracks just added to my normal putting challenge.

Imagine my surprise when I saw several holes ahead a fel-low in a large green golf cart driving on the tee and greenareas.

Then I recalled that I had seen a message in a recent month-ly newsletter that the HOA had approved an individual todrive a specialized cart anywhere he desires on the course. Ican appreciate that our community, similar to the USGA, havemade accommodations for disabled persons, and this individ-


Our Corner Signs on LeisureVillage Way to be Removed?Submitted by Mike & Joyce Malloy

At the last Master Board Meeting, it was mentioned that thenew Landscape Architect Company, Van Dyke, has stated thatALL of our charming 50 stucco and tile corner signs with thestreet names should be replaced! Van Dyke stated that thesewere old fashioned and suggested something more modern!What is next? Our quaint lamp posts? We urge homeowners towrite to our Master Board of Directors and tell them how youfeel about changing our existing street signs to something“more modern.” This proposal will not only change theappearance of OHCC, but will also end up costing quite a bitof money should these unique signs be torn out and replaced!Little by little, our beautiful and appealing MediterraneanVillage look that we all admire is disappearing and will even-tually affect our property values, if this has not happenedalready.

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ANNOUNCEMENTSToiletries Needed

Once more, I remind you people that there are families whohave very little with which to celebrate the holidays. If youwould like to leave comfort items and any toiletries on mypatio table at your earliest opportunity, baskets will be filledwith needed items and some surprises, too. No matter howinsignificant you donations can be, all will be useful. Thankyou for sharing your gifts with those in need. My patio tableis still in place and awaits your contributions.

Many thanks, Jeanne Bartman, 4706 Adra.

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Cell Phone andLandline Users Beware

Scammers have been making phone calls claiming to rep-resent the National Do Not Call Registry. The calls claim toprovide an opportunity to sign up for the Registry. These callsare not coming from the Registry or the Federal TradeCommission, and you should not respond to these calls. Toadd your number to the Registry you can call 888-382-1222from the phone you wish to register. You can go on line to reg-ister at https://www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx. Your reg-istration will not expire. Telephone numbers placed on theNational Do Not Call Registry will remain on it permanentlydue to the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007, whichbecame law in February 2008. Remember, you must call fromthe phone number you wish to register.

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classifiedsKATHIE'S PATIO MAINTENANCE — Your patio can be a

botanical garden. I create beautiful flower containers,trim branches, clean patio furniture, decorate for parties.

FBI clearance. (936)-537-8325

EXPERIENCED HOME CARE PROVIDERIncludes personal care, driving, cooking, light houswork.

Village refs. Flex. hours. Ann, 760-431-9338

COMPASSIONATE CARE GIVINGCertified Nurse Assistant, Certified Home Health Aid, PersonalCare, Light Housework, Driving, Pet Care & Healthy Cooking.

Janet Cornell 760-845-5425

DENNIS "THE COMPUTER DOCTOR"Computer Repair at your home. Servicing Ocean Hills for over

10 years. Hundreds of happy customers. 760-598-6222.

AVON - Shop for the Holidays!Beauty, Anti-Aging, Unique Gifts, Jewelry & Clothing.

Free delivery. Call for a book 760-936-1305 or shop online:youravon.com/robinr

COMPUTER PROBLEMS? NEED HELP? LESSONS?Audio/Video/TV/DVD. Call Tim O'Bryan: 760-305-8095 or my

cell 619-955-3646. Resident of OHCC.



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RemembrancesOur deepest condolences are extended

to the families of the following:Laverne Duker • Rich BuehlerDonald Fox • Patricia Moore

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.)

Thank YouTo my friends and neighbors;I wish to thank you for your expressions of condo-

lences upon the passing of my husband, AllanSchummer. He was the loving husband and devotedfather to his six children and ten grandchildren. He wasan avid UCLA fan and supporter and enjoyed manyactivities offered at OHCC. Throughout his life, heextolled the virtues of hard work and honesty. He isloved and will be greatly missed.

— Nancy Schummer


Documents

11-2012 Village Voice