12-2015 Village Voice Newsletter

The Village Voice • December 2015 1

Founded in 1991 Vol. XXIV, No. 12 | December 2015

The Village Voice is a publication of the OHCC Journalism Club

Toy Donations for Camp Pendleton Families Overwhelming

The kindness and generosity of the residents of OHCC was never so ap-parent than this year’s toy donations for the children of families residing at Camp Pendleton. Although half of the Greenery Lounge was put aside for the accumulation of toys, it soon became apparent that this was not adequate EDITORIAL, cont’d. on Page 3

EDITORIAL

Water Police Are Watching

We may joke about it; we may laugh about it…but it’s happen-ing. The City of Oceanside Water Authority has issued warning ci-tations to over 150 home owners in violation to the current drought restrictions. Most of the violations consisted of water flowing into the storm drains from excessive watering in back yards and front yards.

The City of Oceanside has just assigned two more code en-forcement officers to its staff. Two have been on our campus look-ing for any traces of violations. They were able to detect recent traces of flowing water in the gut-ters. While the front yard water-ing is under the control of the var-ious villages, back yard watering is the responsibility of the individ-ual home owner.

David Manley, manager of Oceanside’s Neighborhood Ser-vices said most of the calls were handled with a courtesy call or a warning and rarely resulted in fines because most violations are due to problems that residents were not aware of such as broken sprinklers or watering on days when they were not supposed to. They typically comply once they are notified.

DONATIONS cont’d. on Page 3

space for toys that began pouring in beginning at the end of November. Toys included bicycles, games, dolls, plush animals, puzzles and a variety of other toys that rivaled any toy store.

Five years ago, our donations were sent to the Toys for Tots Organization.

Pictured L to R: Valerie Farrar, Karen Webb, Else Offersen, Bob Wong, Ruth Bertel, Jo Wichary, Lou Gordon.

2 The Village Voice • December 2015 The Village Voice • December 2015 3


DONATIONS, cont’d. from Page 1

EDITORIAL, cont’d. from Page 1

Having discovered the toys were sent to a central distribution cen-ter on the East Coast, the Wood-chucks organizers decided it would be far better to send the toys direct-ly to Camp Pendleton. Since then, our donations have been directly to Camp Pendleton families.

In addition to our own volun-teers, O’Connell supplied a truck along with several of their work-men to load and transport the toys. This year it required five truckloads to accomplish the task. The task of distributing the toys was placed in the hands of their YMCA. The toys were then segregated into groups according to the age-interest. Every year, OHCC represents the major donor of toys to Camp Pendleton.

Congratulations and thanks to all who donated. n

While the price of the fines was not specified for resi-dents’ violations, the City of Oceanside could follow the ex-ample of surrounding cities. The fine could be as high as $100 for the first offense and $200 for each subsequent occur-rence.

Watering is allowed only on Tuesdays and Saturdays for only 10 minutes before 10 a.m and after 6 p.m. Those not fol-lowing this watering schedule are in violation of the drought regulation and can be subject to fines.

Remember, the only water allowed to flow into the storm drains is rainwater. And if weather prognosticators are cor-rect, we should get plenty this winter. n


Editor-in-ChiEf: Bob Wong: [email protected], 760-806-1310distribution Coordinator: Jack Collar: 760-598-0580advErtising: Richard Travis: 760-724-4091ProduCtion: Sandra Powers: 760-579-9330Printing: Advanced Web Offset, Vista: 760-727-1700

board of dirECtorsMary Jane Matthews, President

Charlotte Pichney, Secretary • Gary Baur, TreasurerBob Wong, Editor-in-Chief • Richard Travis, Director

Selma Leighton, Director Shannon Johnston, Director

Russ Butcher, Director

Contributing WritErsJoe Ashby • Tom Brennan • Joan Buchholz • Russ Butcher

Tom Fuller • Bev Gillett • Theresa Howell • Bob KerberEllen Kippel • Ira M. Landis • Selma Leighton

Virginia McConnell • Phyllis McNeese • Jim MulveyDan Neilson • Peter Russel

Jack Shabel • Andy Truban • Bob Wong

advErtising info/dEadlinEsThe deadline for advertising in the Voice is the 1st of the month, for publication on the 15th. Advertising copy, accompanied by a check to the Journalism Club, must be in by the 1st of the month and submitted to: Village Voice, 4716 Agora Way, Oceanside, CA 92056

Advertising E-mail: [email protected] information, call Richard Travis, 760-724-4091

Ad Rates: Full Page $140 (Add $75 for color)Half Page $85 (Add $50 for color)

Quarter Page $45 (Add $25 for color)Eighth Page $25 (Add $10 for color)

Mission statEMEntWe stand for integrity and truthfulness in writing, all inclusiveness

and professionalism, providing information and articles that are use-ful and innovative; and ever ready to listen and understand the views and needs of the community at large.PoliCY statEMEnt

The Village Voice is published monthly by the Ocean Hills Journal-ism Club for the purpose of communicating information of interest and/or concern to the residents of Ocean Hills Country Club.

All costs are borne by the Journalism Club.We request submissions to The Village Voice be limited to 500 words

and be received by the 21st day of each month. Distribution will be on or about the 15th day of each month. Please do not submit materials that have been previously published in other sources.

Photographs may be submitted, with a note to have them returned if so desired.

Special events and functions of clubs will be considered for public-ity.

The Village Voice reserves the right to decline submitted material that does not meet standards for accuracy and objectivity. Editorials reflect the opinion and judgment of The Village Voice ’s editorial board. Letters to the Editor, and Commentary, are the opinions of the signers of the material and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Village Voice and its publisher, the Journalism Club.

Advertising matter that appears in The Village Voice implies neither endorsement nor recommendation by the Ocean Hills Journalism Club, publisher of The Village Voice.

The Voice reserves the right to edit all letters and commentary and submissions.

The Village Voice

Did You Know You’re Drinking Ocean Water?

Yes, that’s true. Water from the Pacific Ocean has been desalinated and pumped into our local reservoir.

This project has been on the burner for the past 30 years resulting in the agreement between the San Diego County Water Authority and Poseidon Water for the purchase of 50 million gallons per day of desalinated seawater. The plant, adjacent to the Encina Power Station in Carlsbad, pumps the potable water 10 miles to the Twin Oaks reservoir in San Marcos.

The facilities at the plant include an intake pump station and pipeline, desalination plant, product water storage, con-centrate discharge pipeline, treatment facilities and a water pump station. Up to 108 million gallons of sea water will be diverted from the Encina Power Station and directed to the desalination plant where the water will be pre-treated and sent through the reverse osmosis system resulting in high-quality drinking water. The saline by-product with twice the

The reverse osmosis plant removes the salt from ocean water.

Pumps and pipes move purified water to Twin Oaks Reservoir in San Marcos.


salt content of ocean water is diluted with water from the power plant cooling water and discharged into the Pacific Ocean.

The desalinated water, sent to the Twin Oaks reservoir, is blended with the agency’s main water supply and delivered to communities throughout San Diego County.

The technology has been available for decades and has been in operation in many arid areas of the world including the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. n

Notice From CoxRecently, most of our residents received a notice from

Cox telling of their TV transmission is “going all digital” and that “your TV service will be affected.” It announced the new service will commence December 15, 2015.

This notice has confused many residents who are con-vinced that our cable transmission had already been digi-talized.

What should residents do now? General Manager Becky Groenewold has suggested we do nothing…not until the matter is settled with Cox. Becky and our legal represen-tatives are negotiating with Cox. The results could be re-vealed as soon as Dec. 14 at the Master Board meeting.

Meanwhile if residents have any questions, please call Becky at her office. n

Christmas Carolers at Your Door

The NuBees Christmas Caroling party can come to your home and serenade you on Monday, December 21 from 4:15 to 6:15 pm. All you need to do is to call Jean Hefler at (760) 724-8108 or put your name on the list in the NuBee’s enve-lope at the Clubhouse. Give your name and address so the carolers will be able to find you. Please turn on your porch light and if possible open your garage door. n

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ed a plaque honoring Ramon. He blushed with a suppressed smile when residents applauded, hugged and kissed him. He thanked all those present, sipped some orange juice, downed a donut and scurried back to work anxious to es-cape the limelight. n

Are We Losing Our Eyesight?By Jim Mulvey

Since the Los Angeles Times bought the San Diego Union-Tribune, many of us have noticed that the size of the U-T font is more difficult to read. The U-T changed from the Benton Modern 9.6 font to the LA text of 8.5 matching the LA Times format. The sports scoreboard agate is now even more mi-croscopic than before. Yes, we might need a magnifying glass to see that the Chargers lost once again. The reason of-fered for this font reduction is that both papers can now share content more easily. As a point of comparison, our own Village Voice employs a 10/12 font for body copy, and an 18/20 for the headers. So, if you have difficulty reading this text, well, it’s time to see you know who. n

Ramon Vidrio HonoredIt was an early November morning when a large group

of residents gathered at the Greenery Lounge to honor Ra-mon Vidrio, Clubhouse maintenance director for 25 years of faithful service. PCM General Manager Becky Groene-wold and Master Board president Angela Takemoto present-

General Manager Becky Groenewold witnesses Ramon receiving plaque from Master Board President Angela Takemoto.



multi-wheeled cater-pillar scoots down a tower staircase. Green wooden grasshop-pers have legs that cause the grasshop-per to hop. For old-er children there are trucks, not ordinary trucks, but truck-trail-ers that carry lumber, pipes and fire ladders. There are 1960 woody wagons that carry surf boards on their roof tops. The detailing of the wood paneling on the doors is amazing.

With the expertise from members of the Sewing Club, the dolls are kept warm under small blankets in their cra-dles. Other dolls are in tiny highchairs that have been artis-

Highly Crafted Toys Sent to Camp Pendleton

In the past several years, toys have sent to the children of military families at Camp Pendleton. And each year, these precious toys have been a highlight of the year for the recip-ients.

The most valued of these toys are those made by the combined efforts of the Woodchucks and the Sewing Club who crafted well over 700 toys and accessories.

Most observers might glance over them and think that the toys are merely wooden pull-toys. A closer look will re-veal craftsmanship that rivals the finest wooden toys at the best stores in the U.S. and Europe.

Every year, the Woodchucks manufacture something new on the toy field. This year are highly detailed two-inch vehicles complete with wheels that compete with hot-wheels. One-hundred-fifty of these tiny cars have been meticulously painted and decorated.

Many of the toys are articulated. The multi-jointed and

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Above: Luke and Braeden (grandsons of Mitch and Ann McCarroll) examine toy displays. Above right: Woodies with surf boards.

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tically embellished in the “Clean Room” of the wood shop where most of the painting and decorating takes place. An-other ingenious toy is a wooden cut out of a small duck with wheels that is perched on top of another, which is in turn sits up a larger duck. One could never find such an assortment of finely crafted toys any where in the world.

Thank you Woodchucks, who have been working on this project for over six months. And thank you Sewing Club for your skill and expertise. And thank you residents who every year donate such beautiful toys. Together, you make OHCC proud! n

the toy builders:Bob Allen Bob MellmanLarry Bowers Kathy MoskovitzRoger Freeman Dean MurphyPatricia Haugen Holly RadziwonMurph Haugen Daniel SansoniPat Henry Carl StrelingCarolyn Hollander Gary WebbJerome Hollander Lois WebsterMitch McCarroll Goldie WeisJohn Manning R.J. Witt

Errata:The phone number reported in the November Voice to

complain about aircraft noise was incorrect. The correct phone number to call Palomar Airport to report excessive aircraft noise is (760) 431-4646.

For additional information, call Jessica, Palomar Airport Community Public Relations Officer at (760) 966-3273. n

Do Dues Day Scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 9

This year, Chris Bessey announced the Do Dues Day has been moved a later day to Saturday, Jan. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This was probably due to the fact most people were re-covering from the New Years parties that occurred on the previous week.

Ocean Hills Country Club continues to be a vibrant com-munity with active residents. There are more than 40 clubs and organizations that range from Ballroom Dancing, Cho-ral Society, Garden Club, Sewing and Woodchucks and doz-ens of other groups all anxious to sign you up for their clubs. Moreover, this day is a social gathering where friends meet friends. It’s a time to join. The various club dues are very modest and you will have fun the rest of the year. The

Thank you to all my clients for making this a great year!If you or your neighbors need a Real Estate Specialist,

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Feeding Songbirds Risks Eye DiseaseBy Russ Butcher

An international team of researchers, led by scientists at Virginia Tech and Iowa State universities, has been study-ing the feeding and social activities of the House Finch, a common avian spe-cies here in Ocean Hills. This study has revealed that an infectious pink-eye-like disease, Mycoplasmal con-junctivitis, is more likely spread, not by the sheer num-ber of birds that are in contact with each other, but by those frequent-ly congregating at seed-dispensing bird-feeding sta-tions. The research-ers tagged the birds with little transponders that enabled them to track the birds’ activities. The study, which was reported in a recent issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, revealed that the finches spending the most time at feeding stations exposed them to a heightened risk of contracting the infection. The scientists say this disease can lead to blindness and prema-ture death.

To reduce the risk of infection, the researchers recom-mend continuing to provide seeds for the birds, but strongly urge routinely cleaning the feeders with a disinfectant when it is time to refill them. n

Pink Eye Disease spread by house finch.

Cheaper Salmon for DinnerJudging from the number of dinner parties held at the

Clubhouse, one of the more popular entrees is salmon, with beef as number two and chicken in last place. Despite the fact that 2015 represented a large harvest of salmon, the mar-ket price continues to be stratospheric.

But now AquaBounty Technologies has developed a type of genetically engineered Atlantic salmon to be farmed for human consumption. The company developed the salm-on by altering its genes so that it would grow to market size in half the time of conventional salmon. The fish is essen-tially farm raised At-lantic salm-on with a Pacific sa-lon gene for faster growth and a gene from the eel-like gene pout that pro-motes year-round growth. These salmon can reach adult size in 16 to 28 months instead of 36 months for regular Atlantic salmon. They eat 25 percent less feed and are about 20 per-cent more efficient at converting food to flesh. This could means the price of salmon could easily drop.

Dr. William Muir, professor of genetics at Purdue Uni-versity, said there is no credible evidence that these geneti-cally modified fish are a risk to either human health or the environment. He said the use of wild-caught salmon is not sustainable because our oceans are overfished. AquaBoun-ty developed the variety by a group of Canadian public uni-


versity scientists a quarter of a century ago and has been try-ing to get regulatory approval for two decades. Five years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared the product to be as safe as conventional farm-raised Atlantic salmon.

Certain activist groups have concerns that genetically modified foods may pose risks to the environment or pub-lic health. Ralphs Markets, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market do not intend to carry the product. But don’t look for it at the grocers soon; it will take about two more years to reach the market as it works out distribution. n

A Compendium of Useless Information

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew announced the picture of the woman to replace Thomas Jefferson on the $10 bill has been delayed until later in the coming year. This delay was due to the response of hundreds of suggestions from the public that required “careful review and consideration.”

Did you know our local Carlsbad Mall has been sold to Rouse Properties, a New York City developer for $170M? Whether they intend to continue Westfield’s plan to remove the mall’s roof to turn it into an open-air shopping center is up in the air.

Yes, it’s true. Colonel sanders may soon be delivering buck-ets of fried chicken to your doorstep. This followed the long tradi-tion of pizza kitchens that made delivery for years. The trial run has taken place in two U.S. cities: Los Angeles and San Francisco. Who knows, wait till Chicken McNuggets finds out.

Grocery Stores Snippets: The Fresh & Easy Stores have all been shuttered due to poor sales. That will probably not affect our residents since the closest one was about 4 miles from the Village. Two dozen Haggen Stores have been sold locally with Gelson’s, Albertsons, Smart & Final picking up the majority of the stores while 99 Ranch Market picked up two and Bristol Farms, one. It is doubtful that this will alter the local market scene.

The latest craze is the forthcoming star Wars movie. Every merchant is latching onto this daft phenomenon. Along with the hundreds of toys aimed at children, come items for adults. Yes, you can purchase Star Wars stockings to hang by your fireplace Christ-mas Eve. Expect Darth Vader to come down the chimney any time soon.

Hobby Lobby, the company that made headlines lately, has opened a new store in the Creekside Marketplace on the corner of Grand Ave. and San Marcos Blvd in San Marcos. Spies have re-vealed the store is humongous, carrying every item a crafter or hobbyist might ever wish for.

PURPLE is the name of the company that will deliver and fill your tank no matter where you are located whether you are at a meeting, a local restaurant or home. Many residents are reluctant

to go to gas stations because they are not familiar with the routine. All one needs is a Smartphone to place your order via the Purple App. While this service is currently limited to the northern part of Los Angeles, it will be a matter of time before it becomes available in San Diego County.

CDs in your car may be a vanishing breed. This follows the demise of those in-dash cassette players popular five years ago. Ac-cording to the U-T, several automobile companies have already produced cars without CD players. With the rise of 17-inch in-dash monitors that stream music, and the use of personal iPods and Smartphones, CDs may be a relic. Hey, some of us still have the 8-track tapes. n

Tax Time: Free FileIf your income was less than $60,000 in 2015, you can

file your taxes online for free by using IRS’ freefile.irs.gov – which walks you through each line of a return, helps you find tax breaks and electronically files your federal return. While the federal file is free, the state will charge you $12.95.

IRS Free File is a partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, a group of industry-leading private-sector tax preparation companies that have agreed to provide free commercial online tax preparation and electronic filing. The information sent to the IRS is protected from any unauthor-ized access. The information you provide to the IRS will not be retained; they are deleted when your Internet visit ends. n

What’s On At Our Local Movie House?

When our closest movie theater was called Krikorian Theater, it was a simple task to look at the movie section of the Union-Tribune and discover the selection of movies and the time.

Since taken over by Cineopolis, the movie directory no longer carries the program selection for the theater. A mys-tery? Yes, indeed. To discover what’s playing, you must go to the computer to find out. A bit awkward to say the least.

Fandango.com has all the movies in your area at your fingertips. It even lets you buy your tickets before you get to the theater.

By the way, the Edwards Theater in Escondido offers tickets at $6.50 for those willing to attend a range of current movies shown before noon. n


(Emory Cohen), at an Irish dance.

But despite a few cultural obstacles, Ei-lis manages to pro-vide her a reason to stay. But she is called back to her home-land due to a family death but discovers that what she left be-hind isn’t so bad af-ter all. She finds ro-mance, a new job opportunity and comforts of home. But despite all this, she still loves Tony.

This movie reveals the life and times of any new immi-grant facing the challenges of culture and language. Our heart bleeds for Eilis who left a small town for the lure of big city life. She lunches alone and is isolated even in the crush of a commuter rush. And she is caught between two totally different lives, but she never takes anything lightly.

This movie reveals the innermost feeling of any immi-grant entering this country. I hand it three smiles after wip-ing away my tears. n

The Movie Scene

BrooklynThe story begins in Enniscorthy, Ireland, in the 1950s

where a young Eilis Lacey (played by newcomer Saoirse Ronan) has no job or marriage prospects and sees America as the only option to escape. In actual life this scenario has been repeated a thousand times over by immigrants

She comes to America, Brooklyn to be exact, lives in a boarding house with other Irish women and finds a job in a department store. She is homesick for her sister and every-thing else familiar in her former life. However, things begin to change when she meets a sympathetic immigration spon-sor, Father Flood (Jim Broadbent), who gets her into an ac-counting class. She also meets a charming Italian guy, Tony

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The Real Estate CornerBy Tom Brennan

(Tom has been involved in all aspects of real estate for more than 40 years, both as a lawyer and a realtor.)

The Contingency Clause (Part 2)As stated in last month’s article, contingency clauses are

most often utilized by the Buyer. It helps to think of such clauses as a form of insurance policy for the Buyer. Most of these clauses protect against important elements of a home purchase, such as appraised value and financing, but there are several other contingencies, discussed below, that are useful tools for Buyers in limiting their risk in purchasing a home.

1. inspection Contingency.The inspection contingency gives the Buyer the right to

have the property inspected within a specified time peri-od (usually 7-10 days after escrow is opened). This clause gives the Buyer the right to cancel the Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA), if the Seller refuses Buyer’s request to re-

pair significant defects to the property. This request is based upon the written findings of a professional home inspector employed by the Buyer. The inspection should cover the in-terior and exterior of the property seeking to locate any sig-nificant defects.

The Seller usually has between 3-5 days after receipt of the inspection report to do one of the following:

(a)Approve the inspector’s report and commence with the requested repair of significant defects.

(b)Refuse the request for repairs and allow the Buyer to terminate the transaction.

(c)Negotiate the request with the Buyer and upon mu-tual agreement commence the repairs or provide a price ad-justment.

2. homeowners association (hoa) rules and regulations.In most communities governed by an HOA, it is man-

datory for the Buyer, prior to closing, to be provided with a current copy of the HOA’s rules and regulations. Buy-ers often include the right to withdraw from the sale, if in the Buyer’s sole judgment (i) the rules, are considered over-reaching or onerous or (ii) if the financial viability of the HOA is not deemed satisfactory. The Buyer should be given a short but sufficient time to make the decision regarding the rules and/or financial condition of the HOA (i.e., 5-7 days after receipt of the documents). Consequently, it is impera-tive that the Seller direct escrow to provide a copy of these documents to the Buyer as expeditiously as possible. Sell-ers need to be cautious with this contingency as Buyers have been known to attempt to use this clause as a frivolous ex-cuse not to purchase the property.

3. Early occupation of home.This contingency is intended to allow the Buyer to store

personal property at the Seller’s home (which is more of a request than a contingency) prior to closing. From a Seller’s perspective, this is not a good idea and, absent compelling reasons, should be resisted (it raises issues such as liability

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for damage, insurance, etc.). Under no circumstances should the Seller permit the Buyer to make structural or non-struc-tural changes to the property before the close of escrow. It should be noted that a more frequent request is made by the Seller to remain in the property post-closing. In such event, the parties can agree to a written sale/leaseback arrange-ment as a likely solution.

In summary, the RPA is a legally enforceable agreement that defines the roles and obligations of each of the parties, and the contingencies included therein are part of the con-tract. Accordingly, these provisions should be read carefully and understood by each of the parties. As always, it is sug-gested that the Buyer and Seller seek professional advice pri-or to executing the RPA. n

The Golf GameBy Peter A. Russell

GOAT HILL PARK…Sounds a lot to do about nothing, but to a lot of local

golfers in the Oceanside area this topic is a dream come true! A little background first; in 1952 the Oceanside/Carlsbad

Country Club, originally built in 1952 as a regulation length 9 hole par 36 layout, which subsequently became the Cen-ter City Golf Course, was the first golf course in San Diego County. The course was redesigned in the early ’90s by Lud-wig Keehn into an 18 hole short course and became known as “Goat Hill” to locals. In its new life, John Ashworth of the famous Ashworth clothing fame, is playing a major role in bringing the course back to its new life at a time when we are still seeing many other golf courses close their doors to the public. This is an especially critical time in Southern Cal-ifornia when the water situation is so critical that they will

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his continued dedication to the golf community he now vol-unteers at the “1st Tee” youth school located at the Oceans-

ide Muni course by the back gate to Camp Pendle-ton. Dana Albert more recently was one of the sponsors for our first annual “Fall Golf

Classic” at Ocean Hills, with special recog-nition for the $10,000 hole-in-one offer on the number 4 hole. Incidentally, although we fielded almost 125 golfers, no one was able to claim the grand prize. I guess that it is still out there somewhere.

I am informed that the NEW “Goat Hill Park” will open to the public sometime this

year, but certainly before the new year of 2016. We can all look forward to a new and exciting venue to compete on another short golf course. In its final form it will be a par 66 at 4,797 yards.

Hit them long and straight, and make a good chip and an easy putt. n

Village HappeningsBy Selma Leighton

This is such a nice time of the year. The weather gets a little colder, so we can change over our closets from summer to winter clothes. For me, that’s very im-portant because I’m from New York. Why should that mat-ter, you ask? Because, we don’t wear white after Labor Day in New York. Now that I’m a Californian, I wore white until Nov. first. My friends back East would be horrified.

More importantly, I love this time of the year, because of the holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Chanakuh, Christ-mas and New Year.

This year, I went to an outdoor Halloween tailgate par-ty, in the overflow parking lot. We danced to the music of D.J. Donald Vlasnik, and we all brought delicious food. Bob

have to be very clever in their adaptations to accommodate the water crises.

This amazing and nostalgic piece of land might have become concrete parking lots and buildings. The community won the fight to keep this a green space for recreation, enjoy-ment, a safe haven for kids, and a place for the community to gather. Now the work con-tinues, and the team feels a responsibility to the local community and to the game of golf to restore this beautiful park. “With a clean conscience, we could not stand by and watch a landmark golf course be destroyed. Goat Hill Park will become the permanent home of the North County Junior Golf Association and eventually a Caddie Academy, providing positive leadership and helping to cultivate edu-cation and job opportunities for Oceanside’s youth .”

I recently met with a young golfer who has an intimate relationship with the Old “Goat Hill” Country Club. At the tender age of 15 he took his first golf lesson at Goat Hill. To-day he has attained the coveted level of golfdom: his PGA ticket. He ultimately graduated from the Golf Academy of America (GAA) here in Oceanside by the Palomar Airport, and even taught there for awhile. He now works for Mer-rill-Lynch as a financial professional, and to demonstrate


Berthel won best cos-tume in a colorful ladies summer ensemble. He and Sy Singer, who was a Kosher butcher made a lovely couple. I was Sel-ma the chef, Natalia and Rick Pedigo looked great and Ernie and Susan Pick were outstanding. Kate Butler was a sexy “20’s” debutante.

At some point, a mo-torcycle gang came roar-ing in. Well, it wasn’t ex-actly a gang; it was two great guys, Russell James

and Michael Majzel, who live here in the Village. The best part was the fact they brought dessert. So tell your grand-children, even at our age (none of your business), we had a good time.

Then came Thanksgiving! I celebrate every year at my dear friends, Steve and Nysa’s home. The main dish, of course, is predictable: turkey. But so are the people Uncle Ir-ving and cousin Billy argue every year about something that happened in 1947. Of course, it never gets resolved. This year was especially lively, being an election year. The right and the left sides came prepared for battle while I just sat back and smiled. I knew who was going to win, but I’m not telling.

Now we have Chanakuh, Christmas and New Years to look forward to. If anything exciting happens, I’ll tell you about it next month. I hope everyone has fun over the holi-days. You know, I like fun—ny. n

Military Chronicles

Raising the Flag Over Mount Suribachi“Raising the flag on Iwo Jima” is a historic photograph

taken on 23 February 1945 by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising an American flag atop Mount Suribachi. It has become to be regarded the most significant and recognizable image of the war.

But was this the flag that was raised that day, the flag that was to become so famous? The answer is no.

By the morning of 23 February, Mount Suribachi was cut off from the rest of the island. Two four-man patrols were sent up the volcanic mountain to reconnoiter routes on the north face. They encountered small groups of Japanese de-fenders on Suribachi. The majority of the Japanese troops stayed in the tunnel network. Reporting back to the Ma-rine commander, Colonel Chandler Johnson. Johnson then called for a reinforced platoon from E Company (led by 1st Lt. Harold Schrier) to capture the summit and with them, he sent a small American flag to fly to signal its capture if they

Kate Butler, a “20s” debutante.

Was this photo staged?

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Don’t forget to check Potpourri for the answer to Guess Who?

On Dining

Pho-Ever485 S. Melrose Dr., Vista, CA 92081(760) 630-3837

If you consider this tiny restaurant a “hole in the wall,” then it must be the busiest hole in town. With fewer than a dozen booths and a half-dozen tables, the over-worked staff runs frantically to take and deliv-er orders. On top of that, custom-ers dash in and out for take-out meals. It’s a mad house.

If you over-look the worn and scarred seats and chipped ta-bles, dining there can be an adven-ture. The menu, as in most Vietnamese restaurants, is based on Pho, the national dish. It’s essentially a deep flavored beef broth with noodles and an assortment of sliced flank steak

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reached the summit. They encountered no resistance. They located a length of steel water pipe they found in the wreck-age, attached the flag to it and raised the flag, the first for-eign flag to fly on Japanese soil. The “first flag raising” scene was taken by Marine photographer Louis R. Lowery (the photos weren’t released until 1947).

As the flag went up, Secretary of the Navy James Forrest-al had just landed on the beach and decided that he want-ed the flag as a souvenir. Colonel Johnson however believed that flag belonged to the 2nd Battalion 28th Marines, so he sent a messenger to take a larger flag up the volcano to re-place the first flag. It was the replacement flag attached to another heavy pipe that Rosenthal took the famous photo-graph “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.”

The flag flew on Mount Suribachi until it was taken down on March 14 when an American flag was officially raised at Kitano Point at the northern end of the island.

It became the only photograph to win the Pulitzer Prize for photography. and this second flag remains one of the most reproduced photographs of all time. n

A noodle-nest filled with veggies and fried tofu.


with an op-tional choice of beef tendon, tripe and/or brisket. What distinguish-es the broth is the process of boiling the beef bones for 24 hours to bring out the very es-sence of beef flavor. Other se-

lections on the menu are a variation of Rice Vermicelli, Rice Dishes and a dozen or so of specialty dishes such as Viet-namese crepe, lettuce wraps and those wonderful French bread sand-wiches stuffed with BBQ pork.

It was on a Sunday eve-ning when we went there ex-pecting a qui-et evening. Not so. It was crowded with two turnovers, one at 5 and another wave an hour later. I shared the deep fried vegeta-ble egg rolls as a starter. They had just come out of the fryer blazingly hot. Delicious! My partner ordered the fried rice. It was enough to provide dinner for at least two other peo-ple. Filled with chicken and flecked with diced carrots, peas, corn and chives, the dish was judged to be excellent. I or-dered a dish of pan-fried noodles, vegetarian version, and it came with fried tofu, broccoli, bok choy and celery atop a dish-sized fried noodle pancake with a delightful sauce. Yum.

Pho-Ever is a play on words (I’ve heard worse: Pho-Get It, Two-Three-Pho), but as a local restaurant, it is relative-ly inexpensive (pho dishes are under $7 and nothing in the menu is over $12). Parking during dinner time can be scarce. Lunch time is even worse. They are open every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The wait staff, is young, inexperienced, but makes every attempt to be helpful. n

Travels With JoeBy Joe Ashby

Cartagena, ColombiaCartagena is the fifth largest and oldest city in Colombia.

A wall surrounding the old city was built in the 1600s to de-fend itself against pirates and later the British. The city was founded in 1533 by Spaniard Pedro de Heredia.

The city is a historical gem, a symbol of modern Colom-bia, and a spectacular beach destination. The old town is surrounded by thick walls and a maze of cobbled alleys bor-dered by apartments with balconies covered in bougain-villeas. We walked past tiny shops and walls with carved doors. Beyond the doors are spacious courtyards complete with columns and potted plants on beautifully patterned floors surrounded by a number of lovely restaurants. This has to be the most colorful city I have seen. The buildings were painted in bright oranges, reds, yellows or peachy pink or sky blue. The city is divided into the Centro and Geste-mani where the poor and working class live. It is also an in-dustrial city of cement, steel and paper products. Half of the

Egg-fried rice, enough for three people.

Eggrolls, hot and delicious.

Castle of San Felipe de Barajas.


street traffic are motorcycle drivers, some of whom actual-ly have licenses. There are busses and they stop arbitrarily along the way to pick-up and discharge passengers.

Our tour began at Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, the strongest and greatest castile fortress ever built by the Span-ish. A maze of tunnels connected strategic points of the for-

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Above: Colorful houses line the streets of Walled City.

Right: The Church of Saint Peter Clever.

tress to distribute provisions and facilitate evacuation. From there we ventured up to the highest point in the city to visit the convent of Our Lady of Candelaria, the patroness of the city. The view of the city below was outstanding.

A tour through the old walled city had us drinking in the beauty of the streets, their colorful houses and balconies.


We entered the Church of Saint Peter Claver, one of Catage-na’s most iconic churches. St. Peter Claver was canonized for his work caring for slaves brought into Cartagena. He worked in the squalor of the holding pens and slave ships, delivering food and medicine. We ended our city tour and returned to the old city for dinner on a veranda overlook-ing the streets. The night was warm and we were serenad-ed with live music interrupted by the frequent clip-clop of horse drawn carriages along the cobblestone streets below.

The last day in Cartagena was spent strolling along the beachfront where sunbathers hid beneath rented umbrellas. We wandered from the tourist area and into the street where the locals shopped. The streets were dirty and crowded and the congested roads were lined with cheap stores. The next day we boarded our flight to Bogota, where the computers were down creating a massive tie-up of unbelievable chaos and confusion. But we made it to the gate and we were off to Miami, another adventure realized! n

Guess Who?Can you guess who this

adorable little Dorothy is? I wonder where Toto is hiding? He must be back in Oz along with the Wizard!!!

INSERT OLD PHOTOThe answer is revealed

in the Potpourri Section, on page 35.

(Continued on separate page). n

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The Street Where You LiveBy Russ Butcher

Pylos WayPylos Way takes its name from the attractive seaport

town of Pylos that is located on the southwestern coast of Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula, which was an important

kingdom of Mycenaean Greece (1600 to 1100 B.C.). In 425 B.C., the town was the site of the Battle of Pylos in one of several phases of the Peloponnesian War, in which the Spar-ta-led Peloponnesian League defeated the forces of Athens.

With the Frankish conquest of the region in the early 13th century, Pylos was given a French name, Port-de-Jonc, for the nearby marshy lagoon. In the 1280s, the Franks built a fortified castle atop a rocky promontory, adjacent to the la-

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Pylos, home to beautiful beaches. Visitors get a good view of the town from a 16th century fortress.


goon. The ruins of the ancient structure contain massive stone walls and towers. It is now called the Paleokastro, the old castle, from which visitors who hike the steep trail to the summit can enjoy panoramic views of the lagoon, bay, town and surrounding countryside.

When under control of the Venetians (Italians) in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, the town and its bay became known as Navarino. From 1423, Ottoman (Turkish-Muslim) forces began launching attacks on Navarino (Pylos) and the rest of the Peloponnese. By 1460, only Pylos and two other Christian-held areas of the peninsula remained under Vene-tian control. But during the second Ottoman-Venetian War (1498-1503), the Venetian forces were ultimately forced to surrender even those outposts. The Ottoman Empire then used the town and its sheltered bay as a key naval base and built a new, stronger fortress, the Neokastro, at the southern entrance to the bay and adjacent to the town. Today’s visi-tors can enjoy viewing the town and bay from the fortress’s restored ramparts.

In 1685, the Venetians briefly regained control of Navari-no (Pylos) and most of the Peloponnese peninsula, until they were forced to surrender to the Ottomans in 1715. The new fortress remained under Ottoman control until 1827, when the allied Ottoman-Egyptian forces were finally defeated in the Battle of Navarino by the combined naval fleets of Brit-ain, France and Russia. This pivotal victory opened the way for the independence of Greece in 1832.

One description of Pylos says that “The surroundings are not only of great historical and archaeological interest, but also is a little piece of paradise that offers nature. Some ex-amples: the olive groves that cover the landscape; the most beautiful beaches with fine sand,” and the lagoon wetlands of Gialova, which is “the southernmost stopover of birds mi-grating from the Balkans to Africa,” attracting more than 270 bird species, including osprey, spotted and imperial eagles and flamingo.

We send best wishes to our Pylos Way neighbors. n

From Bev’s KitchenBy Bev Gillett

Zucchini Walnut and Raisin Bread

My husband Tony and I visited the U.S.A. from our home in South Africa in 1975, never dreaming we would be citizens a few years lat-er. We tasted Zucchini bread for the first time during that trip and acquired this recipe from friends in Milwaukee. We have been making and enjoying it ever since. It is particu-larly good at this time of the year when there are so many parties here in our Village and gifts are given to friends and neighbors. The loaves freeze well, so double the batch and you will have them on hand when needed. Yes, there are a

lot of ingredients, but gather everything together before you begin and it all comes together very easily.

Turn your oven to 350°. Spray and flour two regular loaf pans or buy five small aluminum pans from Albertsons (5-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 1-7/8 inches) if you are planning on giving the loaves away as gifts. They cost about $2.50 for a pack of five. You will need two packs. Don’t forget to spray and flour them too.

Recipe2 cups grated, unpeeled Zucchini (packed) - use a coarse

cheese grater or a Cuisinart if you have one.1 cup walnut pieces, lightly chopped1 cup chopped raisins4 eggs2 cups granulated sugar1 cup Canola oil3-1/2 cups sifted flour3-1/2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon vanilla essence1-1/2 teaspoons salt3 teaspoons cinnamon1 teaspoon baking powder

MethodBeat the eggs in a large bowl and gradually add the sug-

ar to the eggs and then the oil. Make sure your sugar is well dissolved.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the egg mixture alternating with the grated zucchini. Add the vanilla essence. Lastly, stir in the raisins and nuts. Divide between your loaf pans filling them 3/4 full, and bake as fol-lows:

Small loaf pans — 45 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Large loaf pans — 1 hour or until a test comes out clean.

Leave in the pans for ten minute, then turn out to cool on a rack. n


parking spot alone at the far end of Penny’s. She didn’t like the idea of a shopping cart of another car door dinging the paint on her new car. Shopping didn’t take that long…may-be three or four hours when she headed home with bundles of goodies. She attempted to open the trunk lid with the fob on her keychain, but nothing worked. She tried to unlock the front door, but the fob failed to do the job. Frantically, she asked a fellow shopper to see if he could help. Nothing worked. “It’s my husband’s fault. He bought the cheapest model on the car lot and see what happens? Nothing!”

A parking lot officer, seeing what all the fuss was all about, came to see if he could assist. “My husband bought this cheap car and even the keys don’t work. I’ll give him a piece of my mind!” A strolling Oceanside police car wan-dered by and the two officers rushed to avert what appeared to be a hi-jacking. “No officer, it’s just that I can’t get into my lousy car made in Korea. I told my husband to buy a good Detroit car and he wouldn’t listen. Now look at me…stuck in a parking lot!”

“Lady, let me look at your key. Hmmm. Lady, this is not your car.” n

Driving With Seniors, Part 2Work with your doctor to manage any chronic conditions

— especially those that might impact driver safety, such as diabetes or seizures. Follow your doctor’s instructions for managing your condition and staying safe behind the wheel. This might include adjusting your treatment plan or restrict-ing your driving.

It’s equally important to know your medications. Many drugs, including pain medications, sleep medications, an-tihistamines and muscle relaxants can affect driver safety, even when you’re feeling fine. Read your medication labels so that you know what to expect from each one. Don’t drive if you’ve taken medication that causes drowsiness or dizzi-ness. If you’re concerned about side effects or the impact on driver safety, consult your doctor.

Consider your physical limitations and make any nec-

The Crusty Curmudgeon

My New Car, Part IIIt’s not my car; it’s my wife’s car.

The old Buick had seen its last days when GM no longer had spare parts for antiques. But that was OK, it was a gas guzzler anyway.

“Where are you going?” I asked.“I have go get something for the

kids. Afterall, they expect something from Grandma and Grandpa. I’ll find something at the mall.”

“Why don’t you just slip them twenty bucks and let them buy what they want?”

“You men are all the same: no imagination. Our kids wouldn’t know what to do with money. And besides, money at that age is not very exciting.”

So on a bright morning she headed out for a day at the mall. Women like to scan all the shops to find something clever, interesting and inexpensive, especially for children. My wife is no exception.

The parking lot was not full so it enabled her to find a


essary adjustments. For example, if your hands hurt when gripping the steering wheel, use a steering wheel cover that makes holding and turning the wheel more comfortable. You might ask your doctor for a referral to an occupational therapist, who can offer assistive devices to help you drive or suggest exercises to help you overcome your limitations.

You might also adjust your vehicle or choose a different vehicle to better meet your needs. For example, vehicles that feature larger, easier-to-read dials on the dashboard are often popular with older drivers.

You can improve driver safety by driving during the daytime, in good weather, on quiet roads and in familiar ar-eas. If visibility is poor, consider delaying your trip or using public transportation. Beyond road conditions, make sure you’re in optimal condition to drive. Don’t drive if you’re tired or angry — and never drive after drinking alcohol.

When you get in your vehicle, be prepared. Plan your route ahead of time so that you don’t need to read a map or directions while driving. If you use a GPS device, enter your destination before you start driving. If necessary, call ahead for directions. While you’re driving, don’t do anything that takes your focus from the road — such as eating, talking on your cellphone, texting or adjusting the radio.

Consider taking a refresher course for older drivers. Up-dating your driving skills might even earn you a discount on your car insurance, depending on your policy. Look for courses through a community education program or local organizations that serve older adults.

If you become confused while you’re driving or you’re concerned about your ability to drive safely — or others have expressed concern — it might be best to stop driving. Consider taking the bus, using a van service, hiring a driv-er or taking advantage of other local transportation options. Giving up your car keys doesn’t need to end your indepen-dence. Instead, consider it a way to keep yourself and others safe on the road. n

Clever Credit Card Scambeware of people bearing giftsA week ago, I received a phone call from an outfit called

“Express Couriers,” telling me that a delivery would arrive at my home within the hour.

Sure enough, a uniformed delivery man turned up with a beautiful basket of flowers and a bottle of wine. I was sur-prised since there was no special occasion. I inquired as to who the sender was. He responded, “I don’t know. I’m only delivering the package. There is a ‘delivery verification charge’ proving the he had made the delivery.

He indicated he could only take a credit or debit card, so I provided him with a credit card that he swiped on his mobile card machine. I was asked to enter my PIN number which I did and a receipt was printed out. He said every-thing was in order and wished me a good day.

Four days later, I discovered $4,000 had been withdrawn from our accounts at various ATM machines. Apparently the “delivery man” had enough information to create a “dum-my card” that was used to withdraw the money.

I notified the police and the credit card company and had the account closed.

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(The above information was sent by an unidentified person. Thank you Bob Kerber and Barbara Haslett for the warning.) n

Scams UpdateBy Ira M. Landis

November 3rd is a day that will live in infamy in OHCC. We were under attack by “IRS” scammers starting at 6:30 a.m. who followed up again later in the day. I have writ-ten about these scammers before but the egregiousness of this attack warrants special attention. I received four phone calls and the following E-mail, all describing this brazen ap-proach to intimidating our community members and extort-ing money from them.

“Hi Ira, “I just got a voicemail message about some tax file of

mine from an office that didn’t identify itself I only heard part of the message, just the phone number to call. When I called the number, 509-383-4068, to find out what it was

about, the individual who answered asked me for my name, which I gave, and then he handed the phone over to some-one else claiming to be from the IRS and threatened me with a lawsuit on back taxes over the past 7 years — yet asking for my SS # etc., as if the IRS wouldn’t have that already! Of course, I knew it was phony as soon as he said he was from the IRS and I told him the IRS never calls. Since the back-ground noise was of a busy office, they could have been call-ing from any other phone number as well. “Just thought I’d add this little tidbit to your scam collection.

Roxanne”

I believe we need to focus on at least two problems: (1) Our telephone directory clearly has been compromised, and (2) what can we do to prevent similar calls in the future. Per-haps Cox can provide our community with special assis-tance in dealing with these issues. Surely Cox has encoun-tered similar problems with the many communities it serves. We also need to draw upon the knowledge and expertise of our residents to satisfactorily resolve this ongoing attack upon our community. Do you have any ideas or knowledge that could help us in our time of need? Speak out! Special thanks to Roxanne Fand, Pat Kirby, Laura Mazloski and the many others who provided valuable input to the above com-ments. n


BridgeBy Dan Neilson

When opponents have opened, the big question is, “Do I have enough points to bid?” There are several risks here. Will partner think I have a better hand and bid too much? Will I go set on my own, or is my suit too weak for a lead? The last item is a matter of style. Since I tend to overcall with junk, I expect partner to be cautious when leading my suit. Historically, the first two problems were solved by needing a five card suit for an overcall (eight points or more) and close to an opening bid for a takeout double.

The most important rule in competitive bidding is “If they open, you can’t make the game. “The reasoning is very simple. There are 40 points in a deck and it takes 26 to make game. Since the opener has already shown up with 13 points, if their partner has more than one (quite likely!) you will be a bit short. Now I know you have all made game with less than 26 points, but the hands were distributional to achieve this. So look for singletons and voids before you get too eager. Never expect to make more than three in a suit if only opener has bid and limit that to the two level if both opponents have made a call. I will cover sacrifice bidding in a later article.

Limiting yourself to five card suits at the one level is too restrictive. After all you did come to bid. Holding KQxx or K10xx in either major and eight points try a one bid. I like to have five cards for diamonds. Partner should be careful of raising your major with three cards and a square hand. The rule is you promise four cards at one level, five at the two level and six at the three level. For take out doubles, follow the rule ”You can’t make game.”

Reducing your required count to 10 points will produce many more competitive bids. In bidding competitively, fol-low Chicago voting practices. Bid (vote) early and often. n

The Seasons in ReviewBy Tom Fuller

Winter rains come downAnd the flood waters come up

The snow descendsTo fill nature’s cup

The winds blow strongUprooting many trees

When at last they ceaseNaught remains but a breeze.The Spring cheers the world

With its sunshine and flowers,The human race marvels

Watching closely for hours.The mountains and valleys

Are all in bright bloom,Their fragrance so sweet

Can permeate every roomThe rivers are teeming With all kinds of fish

While anxious fishermenGet everything they wish.

The crops have been plantedAs Summer moves in

Food staples and fruitsAre in every glen.

Fall brings big changes And the harvest is great

Enough for people and livestock,And enough to quell hate.

When Winter returnsThere’s a rhyme and a reason,

So take in the strideAnd enjoy the season. n


Watching WildlifeBy Russ Butcher

ZebrasIt’s no surprise that the boldly black-and-white-striped

Zebra is in the same family, Equidae, as the horse. Zebras are defined as “perissodactylous” mammals. Derived from the Greek language, this strange word means “odd-toed” or “odd-hoofed,” referring to the fact that their feet have evolved to a single weight-bearing toe or hoof. There are three species of zebras native to eastern and southern Africa. Each has its own characteristic pattern of stripes.

The Plains or Common Zebra has broad stripes that are vertically aligned from the front to about the middle of the body, where they merge with somewhat broader horizon-tal stripes on the rear part of the body. Stripes also extend across the belly. This species lives primarily in grasslands and savannas, has the most extensive range, and is by far the most abundant. Roughly 70 percent of the Plains Zebra’s current population of about 660,000 animals live in east Afri-ca’s Tanzania and Kenya.

The Mountain Zebra has narrower vertical stripes, ex-cept for prominently much broader horizontal stripes on the rump (haunches), and no stripes on the white belly. It is native to southwest Africa’s Namibia and several areas in South Africa, inhabiting mountainous slopes, woodlands and grasslands. Its population has been gradually increas-ing, thanks to effective conservation programs, and now to-tals about 2,700 animals in the wild.

grevy’s Zebra resembles and is closely related to the donkey (mule). It has overall narrow vertical stripes, large ears, a long, narrow head, and is a slightly larger animal than the other two species. It inhabits arid and semi-arid grasslands and shrublands in parts of Ethiopia and north-ern Kenya. The population of this endangered species has alarmingly declined by 50 percent over the last two decades, with fewer than 2,000 animals now remaining in the wild.

Each individual zebra has a unique stripe pattern, like each human’s unique fingerprints. Why are zebras striped? One theory is that the pattern may help camouflage the ani-mals as they graze among grasses or may confuse predators by visually disrupting a group of zebras in what is called “motion dazzle.” Another theory suggests that the pattern of stripes may help zebras recognize each other.

Zebras are always on the lookout for lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and other predators. When attacked, ze-bras can run in a zig-zag course, reaching speeds of 30 to 40 miles per hour.

If cornered, they defend themselves with powerful kicks and bites. When a family, harem or herd of zebras sleeps, at least one zebra stays awake and alert for predators. Another danger is from crocodiles that attack zebras while they drink from or cross rivers.

The biggest threat to Africa’s zebras, however, comes from the encroachment of increasing human populations: from overgrazing of grasslands by livestock, clearing of land for agriculture, and overhunting.

If you’d like to see all three zebra species close to home, we recommend a visit to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. n

Above: Plains zebra native to Tanzania and Kenya. Top right: Mountain zebras number 2,700 in Namibia. Bottom right: A profusion of confusion confuses predators.


peror Hirohito was shown to be quite a force for peace who was manipulated/ignored by the military for their own self-aggrandizement.

Without giving away too much of the plot, I found three characters of special interest: Hedy Lamarr, Charles Lind-bergh and Moe Berg. Moe was a major league catcher who is well known to have contributed much to the war effort through his spying activities, in this case through pictures he took of Tokyo from the roof of a hospital.

Hedy is best known for her role as a “sex kitten” but is little known for her role in aiding in the development of a U.S. torpedo that she obtained a patent for, with the assis-tance of Colonel Mashbir. As a celebratory gesture when she obtained the patent, she invited Mashbir to her apartment for champagne. She offered him much more but he declined. Even when he told her he was happily married she contin-ued to aggressively pursue him. What willpower!

Lindbergh was well-known to be a Nazi-sympathizer in the early stages of Hitler’s rise to power, but what was not as well known was his role in fostering U.S. air-power, pri-marily through facilitating the development of the Lockheed P-38, with the assistance of Colonel Mashbir. This fighter plane was a critical component of U.S. superiority in the air battles over the Pacific and in Europe.

Mashbir’s linguistic skills in Japanese, Chinese and many European languages were an integral part of his overall suc-cess in dealing with America’s enemies. He shared much face-to-face time with many of Japan’s elite, in their homes and in the U.S. Katz is to be commended for bringing this unrecognized (to date) American hero to life for the recogni-tion he has earned. It is only a matter of time before this sto-ry will be presented as a film. It would be wise for produc-ers/studios to make their move ASAP.

I also urge interested readers to get on the OHCC library waiting list or order a copy from Amazon or your favor-ite bookseller. This is the first nonfiction book I have read in over ten years and I am glad I did. n

Bird of the MonthBy Russ Butcher

Photo by Joan Comito

Wood DuckOne of the world’s most colorful waterfowl is the Wood

Duck. The male boasts a distinctive green, black and white facial pattern, large downward-curving iridescent-green crest behind its head, and contrasting white throat, dark reddish-brown breast, white belly and tan sides. Eyes and base of its beak are bright red. The female has predominant-ly grayish-brown plumage and a broad white eye-ring. This 18- to 20-inch-long duck ranges across much of North Amer-ica’s wetland habitats, such as forested swamps and forest-bordered rivers in the southeastern states. Here in Southern California, it can sometimes be seen on lakes and ponds in wooded places, such as an island-dotted lake in the Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, near San Diego.

This species nests in tree cavities or in man-made nest-ing boxes mounted up in trees. When only a day or two af-ter hatching, the fuzzy little ducklings courageously leap from their nest cavity or box, landing on the water and im-mediately begin feeding. This duck’s favored foods in-clude aquatic plants, seeds, acorns, small fish, frogs and in-sects. The Wood Duck is typically seen only in pairs or small groups, but seldom in flocks. By the beginning of the 20th century, this species was nearly wiped out by unregulated hunting and habitat destruction. Since then, managed hunt-ing, habitat restoration and nesting-box installation pro-grams have made its rebounding population possible. n

I Love A MysteryBy Ira M. Landis

OHCC is home to another writer of special note :Stan S. Katz, author of The Emperor And The Spy. Colonel Sidney Forrester Mashbir was a real-life master spy who had direct access to the Japanese Royal Family and other top leaders of Japan during the early 1900s through the 1940s attempting to prevent war between the United States and Japan. Katz used a treasure trove of research to bring this hero and his actions to life. I felt like I was with Mashbir throughout his adventures and encounters with those pursuing peace and those determined to bring about war. Top U.S. generals, in-cluding Generals Pershing and MacArthur, relied heavily on Mashbir’s advice and his handling of special assignments to acquire vital information. He was doing what we expect to-day’s CIA to be doing in terms of information gathering.

The cast of characters provides invaluable insight into major events of the times and the author seamlessly weaves them into a gripping drama that kept the suspense level for this reader quite high, even though I was quite aware of events that actually occurred. It gave me a behind the scenes perspective that was most enlightening. For example, Em-

A male Wood Duck.


Balance Problems

Have you ever felt dizzy, lightheaded, or as if the room were spinning around you? These can be very trouble-some sensations. If the feel-ing happens often, it could be a sign of a balance problem. Balance problems are among the most common reasons that older adults seek help from a doctor.

In 2008, an estimated 14.8 percent of American adults (33.4 million) had a balance or dizziness problem during the past year.

Why Good Balance is Important

Having good balance means being able to control and maintain your body’s position, whether you are moving or remaining still. An intact sense of balance helps you:

• Walk without stagger-ing

• Get up from a chair without falling

• Climb stairs without tripping• Bend over without falling.The part of the inner ear responsible for balance is the

vestibular system, often referred to as the labyrinth. To maintain your body’s position, the labyrinth interacts with

other systems in the body, such as the eyes, bones and joints.

Good balance is important to help you get around, stay in-dependent, and carry out daily activities.

When People Have Problems with Balance

As they get older, many people experience problems with their sense of balance. They feel dizzy or unsteady, or as if they or their surroundings were in motion. Disturbances of the inner ear are a common cause.

Vertigo, the feeling that you or the things around you are spinning, is also a common symptom.

Balance disorders are one reason older people fall. Falls and fall-related injuries, such as hip fracture, can have a se-rious impact on an older per-son’s life. If you fall, it could limit your activities or make it impossible to live independent-ly. Many people often become more isolated after a fall.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly more than one-third of adults ages 65 years and older fall each year. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths. n

(Source: National Institute of Health, Senior Health)

Barb Stojanovicnow at

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Vista • Across from Albertsons

Master Hair Stylistfor Men & Women

For appt: 760-297-0580

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dear Editor:I recently received and read the November issue of The

Village Voice. After bemoaning the degree of crime in our country and the societal changes that have evolved over the life of we seniors, the Editor then chose to take a swipe at the current political climate. Personally, I respect the right of the Editor to say whatever he believes, be it privately spoken by him or contained in his own letter to an editor. Howev-er, I also believe that any delving into today’s political can-didates and their dignity or lack thereof should not appear on the editorial page of any senior community’s newsletter. Let’s leave that subject to the professional media... regardless of what we may think of their present day degree of professionalism!

David Demarest6051 Dassia Way

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE:

Budding Writersand Columnists

The Village Voice is looking for someone who enjoys writing and is willing to have their work published in our periodical on a regular basis. Your expertise may be in any field that would be of interest to OHCC read-ers such as finances, gardening, computers, and local live theater events.

You are invited to meet with me over lunch to dis-cuss your possibility of joining our staff. Please give me a call and we can make arrangements convenient to both of us.

— Bob Wong, Editor-in-chief, OHCC Village Voice




Joinnow and2016 free!

Make checks payable to:The Ocean Hills Journalism Club

(Leave at the Clubhouse for Journalism Club Folder)The O.H. Journalism Club is a tax-exempt, non-profit public benefit corporation.


potpourripotpourri

The Answer toGuess Who? By Virginia McConnell

Have you guessed? It’s BETSY JEAN MILLER! As soon as I saw the framed picture on her kitchen wall of the pas-senger list naming all those who were on the Mayflow-er, I knew Betsy’s story would be unique. Eleven genera-tions back on her father’s side was an Edward Doty (Betsy’s maiden name). He served as an indentured servant to a Ste-phen Hopkins, thereby securing his passage with Mr. Hop-kins on the Mayflower, which landed at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts in 1620. After a very difficult trip where many were sick and didn’t survive the crossing, and many didn’t live through the long, difficult winters, he served his seven year obligation to Mr. Hopkins. He was then free to marry and become a landowner. After a shaky start, and

with lots of hard work and determination on his part and that of his wife, by 1640 he owned considerable land and had a very comfortable homestead in the new world.

Fast forward to 1859, and we meet Betsy’s great, great grandparents on her mother’s side. Joel and Patsy Estes and their six unmarried children, joined the rush for gold in Col-orado. Instead of gold, they found a beautiful green moun-tain valley full of game and trout and thick grass for their cattle. “We had the whole valley to ourselves,” wrote a son. According to the Homestead Act, if you lived on the land


Dirk Frowein • Diane BeardsleyDonald Gross • Harriet McCawley

Lois Allensource: Ocean Hills Community Patrol

Words, Words, WordsHOODLUM, a ruffian or a street mobster. This moniker came about due to illegible handwriting. A

San Francisco reporter, in an attempt to coin a name for a lo-cal gang, took the name of a gang-leader, Muldoon, and re-versed it—making it “Noodlum.” The typesetter couldn’t read his writing and set it up as “Hoodlum.”

handKErChiEfThe word, “ker” comes from the Old French covrir,

meaning “to cover.” The “chief” comes from chef, meaning “head.” A”kerchief” was originally a “head covering,” es-pecially the bit of cloth used by women to cover their heads when entering a Catholic Church. A “handkerchief” was one carried in the hand.

lEathErnECKThis is a nickname for the U.S. Marines. It was the sail-

ors who gave them that name—from the fact that in 1805, a stout leather collar was sewed on the Marines’ coats to ward off enemy sword strokes. The nickname stuck. n

for three years, it became yours. The Estes family remained on the land for seven years, but after living through the se-vere winters, they decided to move on. They sold their love-ly valley for a yolk of oxen, which enabled them to start anew in Texas. To this day, the valley is still known as Estes Park, which is at the east entrance to Rocky Mountain Na-tional Park.

Betsy grew up in Southwest Iowa where she met and fell in love with Don Miller who attended the same high school. She attended Drake University. Don joined the U. S. Air Force in 1949 and served in the Korean War. They married in 1951 and have two daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Don worked with the Federal Air Administration in Air Traffic Control. Over the years they moved 22 times. In between raising her family and moving, Betsy worked as a “Kelly Girl” temp receptionist. This ar-rangement worked out beautifully for her and her family, who always came first. In 1989, when Don retired from his 40-year career, he and Betsy arrived in Leisure Village from Manhattan Beach. Once they saw the beautiful clubhouse and the model homes, they were sold. After a few months of total retirement, Don was persuaded to apply for a posi-tion in Security. Not only did he become a guard, but shortly thereafter, he was asked to become the head of Security. He worked in that capacity for two years. Unfortunately, Don passed away in 2012. Betsy enjoys living in her beautiful home in Ocean Hills, and her activities in the Bridge Club, Square Dance Club and a Book Club.

If you are interested in joining in on the Guess Who? fun, dig out those old photo albums and please call me, Virginia McConnell 760-295-1979 or e-mail me at [email protected]. Who knows, maybe we’ll be seeing you in a future issue of the Village Voice. n

Defoliation of Coral TreesSeveral Coral trees at the exit of the Clubhouse parking

lot have been defoliating, creating a blanket of brown leaves on the lawn and roadside. While falling leaves are a com-mon sight in the rest of the United States, it is somewhat a rarity here in Southern California where most of the trees are evergreen.

The species at OHCC is the Erythrina variegate that re-tains it leaves better than other species, especially in Hawaii. However, low temperatures and drought combined with windy conditions will accelerate leaf drop. These trees are leafless a good part of the year and tend to produce a lot of leaf litter. n


Fending Off the Blues with a Hearing Test

Need a mood boost? Maybe it’s time to check your hear-ing.

Here’s why: Hearing loss is linked to a greater risk of de-pression in adults of all ages, especially in 18 to 69 year olds. But studies show treating hearing loss can boost quality of life.

People with hearing loss who use hearing aids are less likely to feel down, depressed or hopeless, research from the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) shows — and they get more pleasure from doing things.

Luckily, the vast majority of people with hearing loss can benefit from hearing aids. And tremendous advances in technology - even in just the last couple of years - have made today’s hearing aids better than ever, motivating many to get a full hearing test from a hearing healthcare professional.

Sleek, cutting-edge, present-day hearing aids allow peo-ple to hear more clearly the richness of sounds and conver-sation from all directions while filtering out background noise. Many sit discreetly and comfortably inside the ear ca-nal, out of sight. And many are wireless, so they can stream sound from smartphones, home entertainment systems, con-ference-room speakerphones, hearing loops and other elec-tronics - directly into your hearings aid(s) at volumes just right for you. Some are waterproof, and others are recharge-able.

So if you’ve been fighting the doldrums, make sure it’s not unaddressed hearing loss that’s been weighing you down. Get a hearing test from a hearing healthcare profes-sional. And be inspired by these five ways that treating hear-ing loss may help put some spring back in your step:

Keeping a positive outlook: People with hearing loss who use hearing aids are more likely to be optimistic and feel engaged in life, BHI research shows. Many even say they feel more confident and better about themselves.

Getting out and enjoying life: People with hearing diffi-culty who use hearing aids not only get more pleasure from doing things, but are more likely to exercise and meet up with friends to socialize, BHI research reports. Most even say it has helped their overall quality of life.

Cultivating relationships and social connections: Using hearing aids can have a positive effect on your relationships and ability to participate in group activities. In fact, people who wear hearing aids are more likely to have a strong so-cial network.

Communicating effectively: Using present-day hear-ing aids can help people with hearing loss in their over-all ability to communicate in most situations. Most who bought their hearing aids within the past five years say they’re pleased with their ability to hear in the workplace; at home with family members; in conversations in both small and large groups; when watching TV with others; in lec-ture halls, theaters or concert halls; when riding in a car; and

even when trying to follow conversations in the presence of noise. Maintaining a can-do attitude at work and at home: BHI research shows that those with hearing difficulty who use hearing aids are more likely to tackle problems active-ly. And most hearing aid users in the workforce say it has helped their performance on the job. In fact, earlier BHI re-search found that using hearing aids reduced the risk of in-come loss by 90 to 100 percent for those with milder hearing loss, and from 65 to 77 percent for those with severe to mod-erate hearing loss. People with untreated hearing loss can lose as much as $30,000 in income annually, the study found.For more information on hearing loss, and to take a free, confidential, online hearing check to determine if you need a comprehensive hearing test by a hearing healthcare profes-sional, visit www.BetterHearing.org. n

Take Your Medicine: 5 Steps to Make Sure You Don’t Miss A Dose

Did you remember to take your medication today? If the answer is no, you’re not alone. People all over the country make the same mistake every single day. Research shows more than 50 percent of prescription medication users fail to take their medications when they are supposed to. And if you’re taking more than one type of medication, it gets even harder to remember.

As people’s days have gotten busier than ever, it’s not surprising regular medication doses are forgotten. At the same time, traditional helpers such as pillboxes, calendars, alarms and plastic bags simply aren’t effective reminders. They just seem to add more stress.

“The entire system puts so much burden on the individu-al,” says TJ Parker, co-founder of PillPack, a full-service, on-line pharmacy. “They’re not only stressed about their con-dition but are also keeping track of multiple refills, calling their doctors, coordinating with their insurance companies, constantly having to remember to take their pills - it’s a lot for anyone to have to manage. And then their chronic condi-tion isn’t just a life hurdle, it’s all-consuming.”

Nothing is more important than your health and that means you can’t afford to miss a dose. To help you over-come your lapses and stick to the schedule, here are five tips to make your medication an effective, not forgotten, part of your day.

1. Have your medication delivered. Eliminate the week-ly or bi-weekly trips to the pharmacy and have your medi-cations shipped directly to you, even while you travel. There are many online, mail-order and local pharmacies that of-fer delivery service. Make sure to choose a pharmacy that of-fers free delivery and will overnight your medications when needed.

2. Pre-sort your medications. Organize your medications by the date and time you take them. Your pharmacy can do


this for you with individual dose packets. Presorting your medications will make it easier to establish a dependable schedule and get you in the habit of taking your medications on time.

3. Make sure you don’t run out of your medication. To avoid missing a dose, you can keep track of your medica-tions yourself or you can turn to a pharmacy for help. Some pharmacies, like PillPack, will contact your prescriber eight weeks before your last refill and take the necessary steps to get your new prescription in place, including working with your doctor and insurance company to obtain authorization so you have everything you need.

4. Set pill reminder alarms on your phone. By having an alarm reminder, you’ll remember when to take your pills. If you have a smartphone, an even better option is to down-load a medication reminder app for your phone that syn-chronizes with your medications and keeps track of the meds you’ve taken and the meds you’ve forgotten.

5. Utilize your pharmacist. Your pharmacist is your most knowledgeable resource when it comes to understanding your medication. They understand not only how your med-ication works, but how it will interact with other medica-tions or anything else you may consume, such as alcohol. If you have a question about your medication your pharmacist is available to help, especially with many pharmacy services being available 24/7.

To learn more about making your medication easier to manage and how PillPack, a full-service, pharmacy focused on simplifying medication management, can help you, visit www.pillpack.com.

5 Ways to Make Sure Your Pet Has a Safe Holiday

Though everyone cherishes the holidays as an opportu-nity to catch up with friends and family, they don’t always feel like a vacation. AAA estimates that more than 98.6 mil-lion people travel over the holidays each year - meaning that neither trains, planes, or automobiles are going to protect you from the crowds.

Hosting guests isn’t a breeze either, and no amount of online shopping seems to eliminate the need for a last-min-ute trip to the mall. Whether you’re traveling across the country to visit in-laws or staying close to home, it’s impor-tant not to forget about your pets. To ensure a safe, enjoyable season for your four-legged friends, keep these five pet safe-ty tips in mind from the experts at DogVacay.

1. Be smart about stocking stuffers. Filling up your pet’s stocking can be fun, but it’s important not to get carried away. When buying special treats for the occasion, remem-ber to check for any recalls. When shopping for toys, avoid items that have stuffing or fuzz that pups can get into and eat. If you live in a city or have neighbors, you should also be careful when buying anything that makes a lot of noise in case your pet gets carried away with the holiday spirit. Fi-

nally, remember your pet can overeat, too - keep treats in moderation to avoid an upset tummy.

2. Don’t celebrate with a bang. New Year’s Eve is a pop-ular time for fireworks, and as pretty as they are, many ani-mals are frightened by the loud noises. Shield your pet from these outside distractions by closing the curtains and play-ing some familiar background noises - like the stereo or tele-vision - to dampen the fireworks outside and soothe your pet’s anxiety.

3. Research your boarding options. When it comes time to travel, many pet owners have no choice but to leave their pets at home. Kennels can be expensive and a poor fit for your pet, while family and friends may not be dog-and-cat people. DogVacay is a convenient and inexpensive alterna-tive that helps pet owners find local, qualified and insured caretakers near them so their pet can get the love and at-tention it deserves. No matter what option you choose, be sure to read online reviews and talk to other pet owners that have used the service.

4. Decorate without the dangerous decor. Decorations in homes with pets must be planned with care. Poinsettias, for example, are a holiday staple, but unfortunately they are highly toxic for cats and dogs alike. Tinsel can also be harm-ful if swallowed, and causes digestion problems in both dogs and cats. Before hanging any decoration, make sure other pet owners haven’t experienced complications. If you do find poinsettias and other holiday ephemera irresistable, make sure it’s placed high and out-of-reach. Same goes for holiday sweets and things like chocolate. No one wants to spend Christmas dinner at the vet.

5. Keep an eye on doggie-doors. When guests arrive at your home, doors will be opening and closing constantly. If you’re worried about a potential jail break, it may be helpful to download a pet tracking app like Tagg, which attaches to your pet’s collar and lets you track them. That way you can find your pet at any point in the festivities, even if they do manage to get loose outdoors.

The holidays are an exciting time for families everywhere and with just a little extra planning on your part, you can make this season enjoyable for all.


Thank you to all my clients for making this a great year!If you or your neighbors need a Real Estate Specialist,

please be sure to give me a call.


Documents

12-2015 Village Voice Newsletter