12-2014 Village Voice Newsletter

The Village Voice • December 2014 1

Founded in 1991 Vol. XXIII, No. 12 | December 2014

The Village Voice is a publication of the OHCC Journalism Club

Christmas Tree,Oh Christmas Tree

Ahem. This is a true story about the Christmas tree, according to my daddy:

“Once upon a time a hundred years ago, no maybe it was a thousand years ago, a prince and queen lived in a palace in England. His name was Al and her name was Vickie.

Together they had nine children. Al in-vented a Christmas tree in order to keep them happy. He brought in a tree from

the nearby forest and told them to deco-rate it with candy canes and candles. Vick-ie thought it was a good idea and told them to gather all their gifts and put them un-der the tree so they couldn’t peek into their presents before Christmas day. The tree was guarded by a hundred palace guards who marched back and forth by the front door. And Daddy says they still do it today.

EDITORIAL, cont’d. on Page 3

EDITORIAL

ParadiseIt happens all the time. Resi-

dents who, upon returning from an extended vacation, “Ah, home again; home to paradise.”

How often do we arise in the morning, open the shades and gaze into the clear blue skies and think, “Another day in paradise”?

Most of us take for granted the lush environment in which we live. The trees and expan-sive landscape along with the ide-al weather help make this a liv-ing paradise. Mix together the fact that friends and neighbors who live here are some of the nicest people on earth.

We’re lucky to live here and we take it all for granted. No it’s not cheap, but in our golden years, we have worked hard most of our working years… and each of us deserves living here.

Turn on your TV and see the other parts of the U.S. We haven’t had any snow. Flood warnings are non-existent. Tornados are what we read about in the newspapers. Few of us have actually lived through a hurricane. Some might complain the SantaAna winds cause dry and itchy skins. But try living in the San Fernando Valley during a SantaAna just to feel the impact of Mother Nature. Others

L to R: Jo Wichary, Bob Wong, Joan Blumeyer, Elaine Kowalik, Alayne Smith,Ann Nussbaum (not shown: Else Offersen).

CHRISTMAS TREE cont’d. on Page 3

2 The Village Voice • December 2014 The Village Voice • December 2014 3

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tell us that living in California can be dangerous. They fear our earthquakes can cause buildings and freeways to crum-ble. And there is always the fear that any moment now, the California coast will drop off into the Pacific Ocean. Not too many residents in OHCC worry about that; we’re some 700 feet above sea level and about four miles from the Pacific. One worry wart claimed that all the tunnels and holes being dug along the Mexican border by illegals, would eventual-ly weaken the ground under us and maybe, just maybe, San Diego would slip into the sea and find itself connected to Catalina Island. No way; Hawaii might be a better choice. n

EDITORIAL, cont’d. from Page 1

Pool Area ConstructionUpdate

Toward the end of November, progress was being made in the reconstruction of the pool area, despite certain bumps along the way. According to Bob Pfankuch, superintendent from general contractor, Good & Roberts, LLC, most of the work included replacing utilities that were installed 30 years ago and did not meet current code requirements. A gas line that failed to meet code was cracked during the removal of one of the trees forcing the gas leading to the Clubhouse to be shut off temporarily. Only cold showers were available for a day or so. Most of the queen palms were simply dis-carded because they could easily be replaced and because they were relatively inexpensive. Other trees and plants had to be shifted to other locations until the construction could be completed.

Some of the heavy work was done by bulldozers that leveled the ground near the Palm Court. Thirty years ago, the builders seeking to dispose of the soil excavated from the area to build the pool, merely dumped the dirt along-side the Palm Court, raising the ground level — not realiz-

When the people of her kingdom saw what the prince and queen did, they thought they should copy them and so they chopped down trees in the forest and brought them into their homes too. Soon there were no more trees in England and they had to buy trees from Oceanside. Eventually we cut down all our trees, and had to buy plastic trees from China.

Nana and Grandpa live in a small town called Ocean Hills. Every year, we get to visit their palace they call the clubhouse to see their Christmas tree. I don’t know how they get such a big tree into their palace. There is snow on the tree, but it’s stiff and doesn’t melt. But that’s OK, because it stays pretty for a long time. Nana and Grandpa don’t decorate the tree because other people do it for them. They call themselves elves of the Garden Club. And they do it every Christmas. For free!

It’s pretty; they should leave it there all year long and maybe they could have a palace guard to watch it. I think that would be a neat idea, yeah, a very neat idea.” n

CHRISTMAS TREE, cont’d. from Page 1

We’reBIG on Bacon!

BreakfastSandwiches

TOO!

Heavy machinery levels the ground.

Deadline for article submissionsis the 21st of the month for

the next month’s issue.Send articles to: [email protected]


Editor-in-ChiEf: Bob Wong: [email protected], 760-806-1310rEPortEr: Helen Nielsen: 760-305-7557distribution 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 dirECtorsMarileen Johnson, Vice 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 • Theresa Howell • Ellen Kippel • Ira M. LandisSelma Leighton • Timothy Lynch • Dan Neilson

Beverly Nickerson • Helen NielsenPeter Russell • Jack Shabel • Andy Truban

Dora Truban • Bob Wong • Virginia McConnelladvErtising info/dEadlinEs

The 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 sub-mitted 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 inclusive-

ness and professionalism, providing information and articles that are useful 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 Jour-nalism Club for the purpose of communicating information of inter-est 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 sub-mit 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 publicity.

The Village Voice reserves the right to decline submitted material that does not meet standards for accuracy and objectivity. Editori-als 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 Jour-nalism Club, publisher of The Village Voice.

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

The Village Voice

ing the consequences. Dur-ing the rainy season, water drained directly to the Clubhouse that caused a number of problems. Now the planners think the so-lution lies in leveling the ground.

Interesting enough, as the revamping of the pool was taking shape, the con-tractor also was involved in solving the water seep-age that permeated up through the Clubhouse floor. This problem was thought to be solved a number of years ago, but even as the condition lessened, the problem nevertheless persisted. In the plan, a four-foot trench will be dug surrounding the en-tire Clubhouse. This trench will be dug about two feet away from the building itself. Thus any existing water and residue will drain into this trench and then pumped off.

Much of the work in the past month has been spent in removing the concrete sidewalks and the area around the pool. In order to allow heavy equipment to have access to the area, the flag poles in the flag court, the court itself and the adjoining walls had to be removed. Heavy trucks were seen busily hauling away broken material. It took several days to accomplish the job. The pouring of new concrete is scheduled for early January, depending on weather condi-tions. n

Bob Pfankuch, superintendent, oversees operation.

Broken concrete awaits hauling.


Robert “Smitty” SmithAppointed to OHCCMaster Board

The vacancy created by the departure of Shirlee Sampsel was filled by Bob Smith. Bob is the president of the Village of Portofino, a position he will retain concurrently.

Bob was born in De-troit and earned his de-gree in education from Tennessee State Univer-sity, then spent four and a half years as a medi-cal corpsman in the Ma-rine/Navy Fleet Marine Force in Vietnam. He re-members the most fright-ening day occurred while serving aboard the USS Forrestal. The ship was landing planes while the deck was on fire.

Before moving to OHCC in 2007, Rob-ert lived in the San Fran-cisco area with his wife, Alma, for 18 years. He was a hospital administrator and to-ward the end of his career, was responsible for four hospi-tals. They have three children, one son an attorney, another son a sound engineer for Sony and a daughter, a film anima-tor for which she won three Emmys. Roxie, a Finnish Spitz dog carefully watches over the Smiths.

Upon coming to this board, Robert promises he has no agenda. He says he is proud to be selected to the Master Board and will continue to support other members in main-taining the high standards they have established. n

Smoke in Clubhouse Library Creates Alarm

When the 5 a.m. Clubhouse cleaning crew and main-tenance personnel came in Tuesday, Dec. 2, they became alarmed when they detected the smell of smoke in the li-brary. They notified the management and very soon electri-cians and air condition people could be seen scrambling into the attic searching for the source.

It was later discovered that the wiring connected to the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) had fused and created the smoke. The unit above the library is but one of several located throughout the clubhouse. As of this writ-ing, the problem was solved and only fragrance of Noble fir Christmas tree in the lobby could be detected. As one per-son, who was decorating the Christmas tree, commented, “We’re wasting our time on this tree if the Clubhouse burns down.

It didn’t. n

Robert “Smitty” Smith

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Proposed Buffet Counter andTable Storage for AbravanelBy Helen Nielsen

Currently, every time a buffet counter is needed in Abra-vanel Hall, three-foot-wide by six-foot-long tables are car-ried into the hall from various places at the clubhouse and placed beneath the AV booth to provide for buffet service. This table set-up requires time and effort by our workers, and often disrupts other activities in the clubhouse. And when one use of the hall is quickly followed by another, it can be very difficult for the workers to accomplish the set-up in a short time.

At the November 17 meeting of the Master Board, its members reviewed a proposal to upgrade the Abrava-nel’s buffet-and-table storage system and approved obtain-ing construction costs for installing an efficiently function-ing buffet and table-storage unit. A detailed model, built to a 1-inch scale, depicted the unit showing an efficient buffet counter, with space provided to store 24 six-foot round ta-bles that are continually used in the hall for a wide variety of activities.

It is important, especially for our large-group clubs and events, to provide as much floor space in the hall as possible for their events. The area just below the AV booth is always used for the temporary buffets. This proposal offers a per-manent buffet counter plus convenient storage for the 24 ta-bles close to where they’re used -- without sacrificing space currently used for the hall’s activities. Setting up the tables would be far more efficiently and quickly accomplished by the workers and would also avoid disruption of other activi-ties in the clubhouse.

The buffet table itself would consist of three rectangu-lar tables, each measuring 9 feet long by 26 inches wide, pro-viding a total length of 27 feet of buffet table space. Those three tables would be securely hinged along the back side for wall support and each table would have hinged, sturdy, drop-down front legs offering suitable support for the buf-fet service. With these three tables erected in place for buffet service, only 26 inches of floor space beneath the AV booth would be occupied – far less than is currently used by porta-ble tables.

When these three tables are folded downward for stor-age, four storage units, each holding six round tables can then be set in place: two three-foot-deep end walls and at-tractively designed folding doors across the front of the stor-age structure would enclose the unit, all fully contained un-til needed.

The scale-model of the buffet-table storage unit could be placed on display so that residents could better understand how it would look and function. Many residents who at-tended the recent Arts and Crafts Fair in Abravanel Hall saw the model and expressed enthusiastic approval of the con-cept. If the cost turns out to be reasonable, Abravanel may soon have an efficient and attractive system for providing buffet services and table storage. n

Scale model of proposed buffet.


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Toys Delivered toCamp Pendleton

A few days ago, over seven hun-dred toys were delivered to Camp Pendleton for children of mili-tary families. The Camp Pendle-ton YMCA supervised the distribu-tion according to age groups. About five hundred wooden toys were de-signed, assembled and decorated by members of the Woodchucks. For the past five years, toys have been sent directly to our neighbors in Camp Pendleton rather than to oth-er organizations that distribute toys from an eastern warehouse center.

Many residents ask, “Who makes these toys? Did they get their exper-tise in their professional career?” According to Bob Mellman, Wood-chucks spokesman, the volunteers come from all walks of life: truck drivers, corporate executives, com-

Donated toys and Woodchucks’ wooden toys on display ready for delivery.


A close-up of wooden tanker and surf buggies crafted by our residents.

puter experts, electricians and business people. “Murf” Hau-gen, for example did all the cars and alligators while John Manning made those puzzles with pieces no larger than your thumb nail. And he did it only with a scroll saw. Carl Streling spent his summer months making toy station wag-ons that rivaled any sold at expensive toy emporiums. On display was a wooden foot-long oil tanker created by Lar-ry Bowers. An admirer was so engrossed by the toy, he pur-chased it, then returned it, donating $300 to the Wood-chucks.

The residents at OHCC were again generous and donat-ed several bicycles, plush animals, games, balls and dolls. Ocean Hills has become synonymous with its gift-giving generosity at Camp Pendleton. Those military families real-ize those toys came from a group of hard working elves at Santa’s workshop located right here in Ocean Hills. n

TSA Increases FeesTransportation Security Administration fees on plane

tickets increased in July and travelers used to non-stop flights or long layovers will notice the biggest change. The past fee was $2.50 for a non-stop flight or $5 for a connecting flight. The new fee will be $5.60 for all flights, with any con-nection longer than four hours counting as a separate flight.

Most residents have not protested the increase, noting that the TSA makes air travel safer since Sept. 11. But even with the new increase, most feel they have been “fee’d” to death by the airlines already, so that this new fee is nothing new. n

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featuresfeaturesGetting To Know Our SantaBy Helen Nielsen

Our delightful resident, Larry Bowers, was taking on the roll of Santa Claus just a few short years after learning there were many Santa Clauses in many different places around the world! Larry had an older brother in high school who weighed in at 325 lbs. and was asked if he would accept the roll of Santa for a company Christmas party. He accepted the roll but became ill shortly before the holiday. Larry was asked to step in so he “filled in” with a couple of pillows to help fill the suit and thoroughly enjoyed the roll of San-ta with the young children. That was the beginning of a life-time of being Santa Claus to the wondering eyes of a child.

Larry was born and raised in Ohio. They lived in a farm-ing community and had a lovely hilly view behind their home. As a young boy, managing on his own quite a bit, he

Larry: a full-time craftsman and a part-time Santa.

would make himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and head to the hills. He learned a great appreciation of the wil-derness along with the wildlife he would see along the way. He was also fortunately exposed to the old traditional farm values where everyone had concern for their neighbors, got together to harvest each others crops and had a festive barn dance on the following Saturday night. He was about ten years old when a very creative teacher challenged her stu-dents to construct a village similar to those of the first set-tlers at Plymouth Rock. He had a grandpa who used those very long big matches to light his pipe. Larry carefully col-lected them, realizing they could work well in the construc-tion of a log cabin. He enjoyed the challenge and developed an early interest in the intricacies of Architecture. Later in high school his class was involved in building cut away ver-sions of a model of a home, again increasing an interest in architecture. He served a term in the Army, got married and worked at several different jobs before going to work for an architectural firm. At one time, he worked for a large pottery factory –-- that created the beautiful china used for service on the Queen Mary. He also spent a few years with Knoll In-ternational Furniture Co., a very high-end builder of tradi-tional furniture and the first American company asked to exhibit at the Louvre in Paris in 1972. He was invited to as-sist with the Parisian display and developed a deep love for travel. Larry has an amazing collection of beautiful “collec-tors” items that depict so exceptionally man’s creative abili-ties.

Through all his adventures he continued to keep a con-nection with old Santa! Larry had two very nice Santa outfits custom built, bought the shiny black boots and a real hair wig and beard. He was a yearly Santa at private and corpo-rate Christmas parties, spent evenings and weekends being photographed with children on his lap, (remembers a few accidents with timid children) did Santa on a Cleveland TV station and spent time with many children who were in hos-pitals and orphanages. He even did Santa for the sisters at a


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Catholic nunnery. The sisters would become “ little girls,” sit on his lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas! He continues to be Santa for his relatives and friends, and his own grandchildren are puzzled that their Grandpa is never able to make it to their “visit from Santa” party. In a scrap-book he has many wish lists, drawings and some heart-breaking letters from the children.

Now Larry is Santa Claus at Ocean Hills along with many others working diligently thru the year in the Wood-chucks toy shop, still fulfilling children’s wishes delivered to Camp Pendleton children from our many wonderful Santas here in OHCC. n

Village HappeningsBy Selma Leighton

By the time this article appears, Thanksgiving will have come and gone.

I got nostalgic and started looking back at some of my own past Thanksgiv-ings. Some were wonderful and some so-so.

At one point, I had been divorced from my first husband

and remarried. We had four children between us. Every year brought on the same dilemma. Who would have the kids for holiday dinner? Each parent wanted them, so Norman and I worked it out and made it easy for everyone. We got in the car and drove to Atlantic City and spent the night gambling. The other par-ents got the kids and ev-eryone was happy. I think we even won.

But my memories got me thinking. What memories do other people have?

Irwin Schenker had one that was very “botanical.” He was driving with his daughter upstate from Long Island to spend the day with family and friends, when “nature called.” He was amazed to realize how far you had to travel to find a rest room. Finally, he said “pull over,” jumped out of the car and ran into the woods. As his daughter sat wait-

Katherine Fitzwilliam with Jello and mold.


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ing for him, she couldn’t help thinking, “don’t let the bears have dad for their Thanksgiv-ing dinner.”

I was talking to Pat Ber-man about holidays past and found out some interesting things about her unrelated to the holiday. She was presi-dent of the American Needle Point Guild and to this day, teaches needle point at Ocean Hills. Not being able to sew on a button, I was quite im-pressed. As for Thanksgiving, she remembers that her first turkey was so undercooked, that it practically walked into the dining room on its own.

I wanted to get first impressions from someone from an-other country. Kathryn Fitzwilliam is from the U.K. and loves our American tradition. However, her biggest surprise came when the cranberry mold arrived with the turkey, her first reaction was “gee, we always served Jello at the end of the meal.”

Joe and Monica Harris usually have friends for the holi-

Pat Berman showing her embroidery.

day. She is a veg-etarian, and a great cook. I know; I’ve eaten her food. Only Monica could make a bunch of carrots look like a turkey.

Now my kids are all grown up, and it’s no longer a prob-lem with who eats where. See, sometimes getting older makes life easier, and certainly more fun. And you know, I like fun-ny. n

Irwin Schenker in the Library.


Guess Who?Can anyone guess who

this handsome, wild and wooly looking guy is? He grew up in Orange County, loved the beach and body surfing, friends, motor cy-cles and cars, earning a few speeding tickets to show for it.

Can you identify this law-abiding citizen? The an-swer is revealed in the Pot-pourri Section. n

What’s New On The OutsideBy Shannon Johnston

BevMo in Vista VillageA smiling face will greet you as you walk in the door —

maybe it will be Michael Saavedra who says “Welcome to BevMo.” This new, 10,000 square foot store opened in Au-gust on the same property as Lowe’s. They have a huge se-lection of wines (3,000 varieties), spirits (1,500 kinds) and beers (1,200 labels, including the newest craft beers). They stand by their offer to sell you a select-label wine with the same label second bottle for 5 cents.

If you’re not sure what to buy, attend one of the wine-tasting lessons that happens every Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. and every Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. Or, find out when Bruce Williams will be there. He’s their expert on all things wine at the Vista store.

You’ll notice that they also carry a selection of snacks, and beautiful glasses for anything you want to serve.

BevMo (originally Beverages & More) is based in Con-

A store with 3,000 varieties of wine, 1,500 kinds of spirits and beer (1,200 labels).

cord, California. It currently has 154 stores mostly in Cali-fornia, but also some in Nevada and recently a few in Wash-ington state. Their 100th store was opened in Torrance, California in 2009.

Until this year, Wilfried Wong was their chief wine tast-er at their Concord office. He recently retired after 19 years, having tasted about 8,000 wines each year, some days sam-pling as many as 40. You can still find his current advice on the Internet.

If you like on-line shopping you can do it from your easy chair, then pick up your selections at the store in an hour. If you’re planning a party with an open bar, they will tell you what to buy and how much.

Interesting that you must be 21 years old to even enter the store, much less buy something. For those of us who live here, that shouldn’t be a problem. n

Guess who?


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Military Chronicles

USS Gerald R. Ford,New DesignedAircraft Carrier

The Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the first new design for an aircraft carrier since Nimitz (CVN 68). The ship is equipped with two newly designed nuclear de-signed reactors that will produce 250 per-cent more electrical power than previous carriers. The improvements will allow the ship to load weapons and launch aircraft faster than before.

The island, the flight command center for the ship, is completely redesigned. It is shorter in length, but stands 20 feet tall-er than previous aircraft carriers’ islands. It is positioned 140 feet farther aft and three feet farther outboard than its prede-cessors. It contains the latest technology in flat panel array radar systems and dual band radar.

With the island being shifted aft, the result is a launch rate of 220 planes a day for the 75+planes stationed aboard. To accomplish this, the carrier has three aircraft elevators in-

stead of four. The increase launch rate is also the result of an electromagnetic catapult system that is more efficient and gentler on the multi-million jets.

At a cost of around $14B, critics question the construc-tion of this new carrier class, now that drones are replacing manned aircraft and construction faces a longer timeline for completion and burgeoning costs. n

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The CrustyCurmudgeonBy Bob WongThe Squeeze by Airlines

As the holiday season is upon us, most everyone finds a way to gather with families and friends to wish one another joy and happiness. And once again, the most convenient way to travel across long distances is by airlines.

That’s where they (the airlines) have us up a tree; we have few alternatives. Once again the airlines have found away to squeeze more money from our wallets and cred-it cards.

Nevermind the $25 to $75 fees they charge for checking in your luggage. Nevermind the fee they charge you when you want to select a certain seat. Nevermind the 6 bucks they charge you if you want a box lunch (two Oreo cookies a sealed package of dry crackers with a side of cheese and one crab apple). Now they have something called Economy Plus. This will entitle you to two inches more for legroom but you gotta pay: fourteen bucks for those two inches.

But in order to squeeze more people in the same amount of space, Spirit Airline has something new: Economy Minus. The CEO of the company reduced the distance from the seat ahead to your seat from 35 inches to 28 inches. (I read he had his identity changed but we soon discovered he is hiding in the woods with DB Cooper.) When the person ahead of you leans his seat all the way back, this gives you an opportunity to examine his hair for dandruff or even lice. On top of that, the CEO reduced the width of the seat to 17.75 inches, so now you can be very cozy with your neighboring seat part-ner. Sitting on your neighbor’s lap might be another mon-ey saver.

I feel that an extension of all these economy measures, the airline should provide grab poles all along the aisles for those who wouldn’t object to standing all the way to their

destination…just like an overcrowded bus. Or maybe elim-inate goodbye the pilot makes at the end of the trip who thanks you for traveling with him and hope you enjoyed your trip. Malarky! I can see the day where they will charge you for oxygen. I wouldn’t be surprised if they force us to exit the plane using emergency chutes then charge us an amusement fee for entertainment.

And perhaps coming around the corner might be a charge to use their restrooms. Who knows, we may have to carry along four quarters in order to gain entrance. Toilet pa-per could be extra. n

Scams UpdateBy Ira M. Landis

Holidays can be a key opportunity for crooks to target veterans and their families, so the Better Business Bureau is warning them to look out for scams around the holiday.

BBB officials say often times, elderly veterans tend to be the targets.

“It’s unconscionable that one of the most dedicated and selfless segments of our population would be targeted by unscrupulous businesses, but they are,” said Brenda Lin-nington. She is the director of BBB Military Line.

Nationwide, the BBB says the number one complaint filed is identity theft: 22,000 cases of ID theft by current or former military members were reported.

Here are some of the scams the BBB says veterans should watch out for:

• Posing as the Veterans Administration and contact-ing vets to say they need to update their credit card, bank or other financial records with the VA.

• Charging veterans for services they could get for free or less expensively elsewhere, such as military records.

• Fraudulent investment schemes that convince veterans to transfer their assets into an irrevocable trust.

• Offering ‘instant approval’ military loans (no credit check, all ranks approved) that can have high interest rates


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and hidden fees.• Advertising housing online with military discounts

and incentives, and then bilking service personnel out of the security deposit.

• Trying to sell things like security systems to spouses of deployed military personnel by saying the service member ordered it to protect his or her family.

• Selling stolen vehicles at low prices by claiming to be soldiers who need to sell fast because they have been de-ployed.

• Posing as government contractors recruiting veterans and then asking for a copy of the job applicants’ passport (which contains a lot of personal information).

• Posing on online dating services as a lonely service member in a remote part of Iraq or Afghanistan, and then asking for money to be wired to a third party for some emer-gency.

To check if a charity is legitimate, search for it on www.bbb.org/tucson. n

(Editor’s comment: www.CharityNavigator.org is also a trusted source for finding legitimate charities.)

The Golf ColumnBy Peter Russell

I found this draft column in my computer but can’t re-member whether I submitted it before, but realize that I don’t care! It is still a very important concept that should never be swept under the rug. Therefore, hopefully, you’ll enjoy this updated version… again.

I recently read Dr. Bob Rotella’s book entitled Golf Is NOT A Game of Perfect. In so many ways it reminds me of a book by Timothy Gallwey titled The Inner Game of Tennis that I read 40 years ago when I was an active tennis player. He has since written another Inner Game book on golf which is no surprise in that the two sports have similar characteristics in many ways.

The first is a book written by a Sports Psychologist writ-ten about golf, the 2nd by a Davis Cup champion in regard to tennis. They both focus on a similar theme in that they fo-cus on mind over matter, or as I often summarized my game as “learn the mechanics of each game, then let your mind focus entirely on the object of your attention,” which is the ball, and let your mind control all of your practiced actions thereafter. Highlighting points taken from Rotella’s book:


People by and large become what they think about them-selves. This concept may strike a golfer as being a little strange; however, it is at the essence of free will. We all have free will which in a real sense means we control our own lives. On the golf course it means that a player can choose to think about his ball flying true to the pin, or go elsewhere! And heaven help us if we are thinking about “Do not go into the trap/water/etc.” as the last thought as we stroke the drive off the tee. We’ve practiced the shot, we’ve used the shot a thousand times, so why don’t we just let our muscles and developed skill take over and just concentrate on the ball. He calls this concept, Train It and Trust It, and likens the idea to a baseball pitcher, and the basketball free thrower. After you have developed a routine for each of the pre-shots above, when you’re actually preparing to hit/throw the ball just watch the ball, and/or the target and think about noth-ing else. Don’t think about what you did the last hole. Let your trained and brilliant mind control the stroke and follow through. Train it and trust it. I think that you’ll find that you will address the ball much more consistently if you do so.

You cannot hit a golf ball consistently well if you think about the mechanics of your swing as you play. You might want to consider thinking about the mechanics of the swing only in the practice environment, but certainly not during

play. And don’t try to second guess your current game and to adjust your stroke during the game in play because you’ll start to forget to watch the ball every time. n



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Home Décor InThe VillageBy Theresa Howell

White can be effective with both con-temporary or traditional décor. With tra-ditional décor, the use of vivid colors can be very effective and exciting. But with traditional decors, various shades of white with various tex-tures can be equally effective. Most people believe that white will make a room look larger, but while this may be true, the scale of furnishings and accessories must be considered when you wish to get the illusion of space.

White, while it is an implication of freshness and cleanli-ness, if it is not coupled with some kind of relief, the sterility can leave you with a feeling of incompleteness.

If you have a killer view of the ocean, trees, or moun-tains, white is a beautiful canvas to use as a backdrop for your gorgeous vista. If you love artwork, sculptural pieces or any element that commands attention, consider display-ing it on an all-white wall, over an all-white fireplace man-tle or over your all-white bed. All eyes will go right to your one-of-a-kind artwork without your having to try.

If your room is lacking personality or warmth, consid-

er layering whites in similar shades of white, warm whites. Use patterns, textures and varying materials in similar white hues to create a room that has depth and interest. This es-pecially works well in bedrooms. Textiles, an upholstered headboard, window treatments and bedding can all work together in harmony in varying shades of tone-on-tone white varieties.

White creates a canvas for you to decorate in different ways all year. Whether you love to usher in autumn with gorgeous rustic tones of red, yellow, and burnt umber or change to bright colors and pastels in spring, an all white in-terior gives you the versatility to change at a whim. Swap out accent rugs, throw pillows, window treatments, bed lin-en to create a seasonal home that is versatile all year. Carpet-ing can offer you relief from white by using looped, textured and twisted yarns instead of straight cut plush carpet. Ber-ber looks good with a more modern décor. In summer time, an all-white interior is cool and refreshing and may not need seasonal colors at all. n

Interest is generated through the use of patterns, textures and var-ious shades of white.

An all-white bedroom focuses the attention to the picture.


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On DiningBy Voice Staff

Cafe de Thai and Sushi4196 Oceanside Blvd # B, Oceanside, CA (760) 945-5533

From the outside, the sign reads “Thai & Sushi” al-though the full name is Café de Thai and Sushi, combining a bit of French, Thai and Japanese into mix. There was no doubt there was a certain touch of thought in the design of the interior of carefully covered walls with Asian art figures and designs. A faux palm tree adds a bit of interest to the

dining area.Upon entering

the restaurant, we were greeted by a waitress dressed in a pseudo Jap-anese outfit who led us to our ta-ble. The menu of-fered an exten-sive selection of appetizers, soups, seafood, chicken and beef.

Dinner start-ers could best be described as ex-otic. Several su-shi rolls, shrimps coated in coco-nut, fried with tempura compet-ed with famil-iar chicken wings and calamari deep fried with plum sauce and mayo.

The salad of-ferings were also

different from the ordinary: seafood in a lime-chili dressing, Larb Kai with ground chicken with lime-chili dressing, and a beef salad (ground beef) with lime-chili dressing. Those Thai must love lime-chili. I must try it on our next visit.

There were a number of curry dishes based on shrimp, beef or chicken with your choice of red, yellow or green cur-ry.

The last page of the menu listed two or three dozen of sushi and judging from the sushi bar, sushi was the main at-traction. Two jolly sushi chefs were busy at their trade much to the delight of an entranced audience.

From the entrée listing, my partner chose Pad Thai that

consisted of rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, tofu, egg, crushed peanuts, bean sprouts in a Pad Thai seasoning and tamarind sauce served in crispy shell. Fancy shmancy. I se-lected the Fried Chicken Sa-Tay. Four generous pieces of chicken deep fried with a wonderful crispy coating of bread crumbs were served on skewers. Four wedges of tomatoes placed neatly on cucumber rounds and a bowl of steamed

The sushi bar is the main attraction.

Breaded fried chicken with sa-tay dipping sauce.

Pad Thai covered with sliced chicken in a fancy shell.


rice (the menu specified fried rice) completed the dinner. Most entrees were priced around $12.

As with most Asian restaurants, desserts, as Westerners know desserts, is not their strong card. There is a sweet rice with mango, a dish of fried banana with ice cream or a vari-ation of sweet rice and coconut ice cream (a very popular combination at Swenson’s Ice Cream Shops in Thailand.)

Thai and Sushi can be described as an upscale Asian res-taurant. Service is adequate, not overbearing, but service-able. Annoying TV screens dominate the sushi bar as in most sushi bars throughout the world. The prices are higher compared to other local Thai restaurants while the sushi se-lections are perhaps a bit higher than other Japanese estab-lishments. But it’s a nice place to enjoy dining out.

There were no notices about opening hours, but the best guess is lunch from 11 a.m. to about 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. daily. n

Cooking WithBeverlyBy Beverly Nickerson

My gift to you this holiday season are three favorite cranberry recipes, a relish as an accent to your entrée, a sor-bet to serve between the soup and main course as a “refresher” or as a light des-sert and old fashioned cranberry muf-fins, today muffins are too sweet and taste like cupcakes.

Fresh Cranberry Relish, 1 quart2 cups fresh cranberries, rinse and dry1 Navel orange, peel off skin in big pieces, remove white

pith, discard. Cut orange in 6 pieces.1 Fuji or Gala Apple wash, dry, core and cut in 6 pieces1 rib celery, cut in 6 pieces1/2 cup walnut halves or large pieces,1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice or 1-1/2 Tbsp. Eureka or Lisbon (grocery store types)

Place cranberries in food processor and pulse to small chunks between 1/8 and 1/4, remove to a plastic bowl. Place orange rind piece in processor, pulse into small piec-es, add, orange, apple, celery and walnuts and pulse until chopped the same size as the cranberries, add to cranberries in bowl. Stir sugar into lemon juice, add to cranberry and stir. Cover, refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Cranberry Sorbet1-12 oz. pkg. fresh or frozen cranberries (about 4 cups

whole berries)2-1/2 cups water1-1/4 cups sugar1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice or ¼ cup Lisbon or Eureka

(grocery store lemons)¼ cup orange juice (fresh or frozen)Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large pot, cook at a

light boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cool in the pan then purée with an Immersion Blender moving it around bottom of the pot (do not lift or it will splatter). Pour through a coarse sieve into a ceramic or glass bowl, chill sev-eral hours or overnight. Pour into ice cream machine and process. Spoon Sorbet into a plastic container, cover top with plastic wrap and freeze up to 2 months.

Clockwise from the top: sorbet, cranberry muffins and cranberry relish.


Cranberry Muffins(Red Cottage Restaurant, Dennis on Cape Cod)

1 cup fresh cranberries, cut in half or 1 box of blueberries1/2 cup powdered sugar (omit if using blueberries)2 cups flour2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 cup sugar1 lg. or x. lg. egg1 cup homogenized milk1/2 stick butter melted or ¼ cup Canola oilEquipment: 1-12 hole muffin tin (2-3/4” across top).

temperature: 350°Combine cranberries and powdered sugar in a bowl, let

set. Sift 4 dry ingredients together then sift them into a large bowl. Whisk egg, milk and butter in another bowl. Add liq-uids to the dry ingredients, partially mix add cranberries and just barely combine. Spoon into greased muffin holes 2/3 full, bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes. Turn out on a cake rack. 12 medium size.

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.

Millenials and the Housing MarketThe housing market has always been affected by the be-

havioral patterns of generational demographic groups. As we stated in an earlier column, baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) have become an integral part of the fluctuat-ing real estate market throughout the U.S.

In this month’s article, we will focus on the entry level home buyers (the millennials, ages 18-34) whose home buy-ing power has hit a 27-year low according to the Nation-al Association of Realtors (NAR). Supporting this proposi-tion, the Wall Street Journal recently reported that thus far in 2014, only 33% of primary residences sold were purchased by first-time buyers (typically this number is about 40%). The factors most often attributed to this decrease in purchas-ing power have been well documented:

1. higher student loan debt. According to Feder-al Reserve economists, following the 2007 recession, home-ownership declined more for young adults with outstand-ing student loan debts than for those without such debts. In many instances, these debts can be substantial ($100,000 to $250,000) and can be exacerbated by the inability to find full-time employment upon graduation. A large number of economists feel that debt exerts a much greater influence on the reason why many millenials move into parental co-res-

idence arrangements than any other single economic con-dition, with the magnitude of the total effect of debt, on av-erage, about twice as great as the effects of any other single economic condition.

2. rising rents. The overall increase in the cost of leas-ing has lessened the ability of many millennials to accumu-late sufficient funds to provide for the required down pay-ment on a new home. This factor is but another reason many


adult children have moved in with their parents (from 30% in 2007 to 37% in 2013).

3. lack of ability to obtain Credit. Millennials, bur-dened with large educational debt, find it exceedingly dif-ficult to qualify for mortgage loans. Hence, living at home provides an umbrella against incurring further debt and en-ables these young adults to more rapidly reduce their out-standing indebtedness.

An unintended consequence of sharing a residence with parents is that such an arrangement often causes the parents to delay retirement and the downsizing of their own living accommodations, thereby removing them from the senior housing market – at least temporarily.

Despite the pessimism invoked by many real estate pro-fessionals regarding the plight of millennials, most econ-omist view this phenomenon as temporary. For example, in 2014, millennials saw a 60% greater employment gain than was found in the overall US economy, with unemploy-ment falling to just 6%. It is believed that this employment growth, coupled with improved economic opportunities, in-cluding favorable interest rates, will encourage millennials to form households and enter the homeownership market in the near term.

Millennials are currently the largest generational group

in the US and potentially represent 60% of first-time buy-ers. Surveys conducted by NAR have found that millennials are still very interested in purchasing homes but because of the woeful economic conditions in the recent past have de-layed entering the market. Ironically, another group that will be competing with millennials for dominance in the hous-ing market in the near future are baby boomers. It would seem that with young adults searching for new homes and more baby boomers retiring and downsizing, an increased demand for smaller, less expensive homes is likely which should benefit the overall real estate market. n

Santorini, an island 120 miles from the Greek mainland.

The Street Where You Live:Santorini WayBy Dora Truban

Santorini’s traditional village of Oia is one of Greece’s most visited sites. Its iconic white homes capped with roy-al blue domed-roofs have been built over multicolored cliffs soaring 300 meters above a sea-filled caldera. Delighted beachgoers, sunning on red, white, or black volcanic sands, taste local wines. Sunsets over an indigo Aegean Sea are un-forgettable.

The mighty force behind Earth’s inner geological forces created ancient volcanic explosions that pulverized sections of Santorini but also created its unusually beautiful scenery. A Minoan settlement at Akrotiri was entombed in 200 feet of ash. A tsunami followed that centuries later led Plato to say: “portentous earthquakes and floods swallowed the Island of Atlantis.”

This crescent-shaped 34,000 square mile archipelago is officially called “Thira,” but is better known as “Thera” or “Santorini” – a contraction of “Santa Irini.” The Greek main-land is about 120 miles away. Santorini’s population of 15,500 is constantly enhanced by countless enchanted tour-ists.

Suggest a field trip for our Santorini neighbors. n


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Out and About inSan Diego CountyBy Jack Shabel

On a recent trip to the Carlsbad City Library on Dove Lane, which my wife visited to check out an exhibition of children’s book illustrations in the Cannon Art Gallery, she picked up a flier for the City of Carlsbad Sculpture Garden. She is great at coming up with suggesting topics for this se-ries of articles, so we decided to check out the garden. It is located adjacent to the Georgina Cole Library on Carlsbad

Village Drive. The Sculp-ture Garden itself is very small and I wouldn’t rec-ommend a trip just to see it alone, but what I did discover was the wealth of other things that are going on at both library branches in the Carls-bad system. It’s not that the garden isn’t interest-ing, it’s just that it takes about five minutes to walk through it and ap-preciate the art on dis-play. If you are at the li-brary for other reasons, take a few extra minutes and check it out. They have two different displays per year. The one there through January 2015 is entitled “Landsailers” and features ten different sculptures of imaginary land and sea transportation machines.

We went in to the office at the Sculpture Garden and found out a wealth of information about the various pro-grams offered by the Library and Cultural Arts organiza-

Cannon Art Gallery is adjacent to the Dove Library.

Garden sculpture at the gallery.


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tions. At the Dove Library there is the William D. Cannon Art Gallery — an excellent gallery with a myriad of differ-ent exhibits. For example, this past year they had an exhibit of photography chronicling America’s Greatest Generation, a display of a world renowned wood sculpture artist, and the aforementioned “Celebrating the Fine Art of Children’s Book Illustration.” Just across the plaza at the library’s front entrance is the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium where they host such programs as author talks, Cinema Series of Carls-bad, Foreign Film Fridays, and Holiday Concerts. Author talks and concerts are also held at the Georgina Cole Library. Both libraries host a variety of monthly book clubs. A third location offering concerts is the Library Learning Center. There is so much going on that it is impossible for me to list it all in this short column. To check out that is going on, go to www.carlsbadlibrary.org and www.carlsbadca.gov/arts.

the three locations are:• Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane, 760-602-2049• Georgina Cole Library, 1250 Carlsbad Village Drive,

760-434-2870• Library Learning Center, 3368 Eureka Place,

760-931-4510Library hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday - Thurs-

day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday & Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Learning Center is open one hour less on

Monday-Thursday, closing at 8 and is closed on Sunday. The Sculpture Garden is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and closed Friday - Sunday. n

BridgeBy Dan Neilson

Honors Cover HonorsIn the continuing battle at the bridge table, both sides are

trying to destroy the others assets. There are three methods of accomplishing this goal. You may cover an honor, trump out losers, or discard on a long side suit. These procedures reduce the enemies strength and produce additional tricks.

Covering an honor is the most direct form of this de-struction. A classic example might be an opening lead of a Jack from J109x which is covered by the Queen, King and Ace. It is true that your side has given up four points to their six but they have gained only one trick and your 109x now controls the suit.

As a general rule it is best to always cover unless you know it will help the enemy. The major exception to this rule is when you are confronted with a sequence on your right. If the Queen is led from QJ9x, do not cover the Queen. You plan on covering the Jack if the suit is continued, hoping your partner has the ten and can stop the suit. Wait and cov-er the lowest card in a sequence!

It is best not to lead an honor unless it is the head of a se-quence. If you like to lead Aces, you won’t take many Kings. Keep your honors to confound the opposition and make passive leads.

If partner leads a suit with Qxx on the board and you are holding AJ10, do not play the Ace. Declarer most likely has the King and you will give them two tricks. However, if you play the 10, you will win two tricks in the future. The ulti-mate test is when a singleton is led from the board and you refuse to play your Ace. This play, when effective, will win you the grand prize. Don’t waste your honors on thin air. Save them to destroy something! n


Watching WildlifeBy Russ Butcher

The Graceful andStately Cranes

Among the most graceful, most stately and most admired birds are the world’s 15 species of cranes. All of them have long necks and long, straight beaks and walk on tall, slen-der legs. Cranes of one kind or an-other are native on all continents ex-cept South America.

The Sandhill Crane is one of two kinds in North America. It is about 4 feet tall with predominantly gray plumage and a distinctive bright-red patch on its forehead. Large flocks of these cranes are really noisy, vocal-izing with their loud, throaty, rolled trumpeting or bugling calls that can be heard across great distances.

It is the only crane that spends part of the year here in Califor-nia. Sandhill Cranes migrate as far north as the interior Pacific North-west, Alaska and northern Canada to breed. They return southward in the autumn to spend the winter on agricultural lands, grasslands and marshy wetlands in such places as California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Valleys and Imperial Valley. They also winter along the lower Colora-do River, southeast Arizona, along the Rio Grande Valley of southern New Mexico, and parts of Texas and northern Mexico. Sandhill cranes are seldom seen here in coastal Southern California.

As for North America’s other na-tive crane, it is the 5-foot-tall Whoop-ing Crane. Its plumage is predomi-nantly white, with contrasting black wing tips, and boasts a bright-red patch on the forehead. It nearly be-came extinct in the 20th century. Its population in the wild dwindled to a mere 21 cranes in the 1940s, due to unregulated hunting and loss of habitat. Thanks to federal protection under the En-dangered Species program, the population in recent decades has climbed to around 600 birds. Most of those birds migrate 2,400 miles between nesting habitat in Canada’s Wood Buf-falo National Park and the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

on the Gulf Coast of south Tex-as. Establishment of another, smaller population that migrates between national wildlife refuges in Wisconsin and Florida is a work in progress.

Beyond North America, there are 13 other kinds of cranes. A couple of the better-known species are: the 5-foot-

Top, family of Sandhill cranes. Above left, a Grey Crowned crane. Above right, a Japanese painting of Red-Crowned cranes.


tall Red-crowned Crane (also known as the Japanese Crane), which has often been depicted in exquisite works of art in Japan, China and Korea; and the 3-foot-tall Grey Crowned Crane of Africa that inhabits grasslands from Kenya and Tanzania to South Africa. Cranes have often been revered as symbolic of good luck, long life and fidelity.

So, while you are very unlikely to see even one sandhill crane in the wild here in San Diego County, it is possible to observe Africa’s beautiful Grey Crowned Crane and maybe get a glimpse of the extremely rare 3- to 4-foot-tall Mississip-pi Sandhill Crane at the San Diego Zoo. n

Travel ReflectionsBy Joe Ashby

Italy (Part 3)Siena is but seventy kilometers from Venice, but another

world as well. Italians are more likely to identify with a re-gion, e.g. Tuscany, than with the country, but in historic Si-ena, one identifies from birth to death first with their con-trada. A contrada is a unique region within Siena which has its own culture, traditions, logo, and flag. Each contrada has its own church and museum. There remain seventeen con-

tradas, and they compete vigorously with each other. Sie-na flourished as a prime location for pilgrims between Rome and Canterbury, England. That is until the Black Death end-ed the pilgrimages and caused the population to plummet from fifty thousand to less than ten thousand, either from death or causing people to flee to rural areas. It was here

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The heart of the city: The Piazza del Campeo.


that Europe’s oldest hospital (hospitality) was started by a young Dominican nun. Saint Catherine, daughter of a leath-er merchant, also convinced Pope Gregory II to return to Rome from France in 1377. Only four feet tall and one of 26 children, the admiration for this woman resulted in her be-ing interred in Rome. Her contrada, the goose, was one we had the pleasure of visiting.

Competition among the contradas is nowhere greater than in the palio, a horse race that originated in 1550 and is run twice each year in the Piazza del Campeo. It pits hors-es and riders from the contradas resulting in utmost hon-or to the winner and their contrada. Hardly the setting for such a race, it is in the heart of the city paved with cobble-stones amid thirty thousand screaming spectators in the in-field. The many injuries and upset riders only intensify en-thusiasm for the event, which occupies four days, but lasts a mere two minutes. All glory and honor of flying the flag (paoli) lives on with the victor’s contrada. Each horse is ush-ered into the contrada church for a blessing by the priest pri-or to the race. The panoply of drums, flags, marching and screaming observers makes this at once a festival of music, food and human emotion.

Unique as the palio may be, Siena is also home to its ca-thedral, said to be the most beautiful in all of Europe. Tak-ing more than 200 years to build, the cathedral merges Ro-

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The building of the Siena took 200 years.

manesque and gothic architecture into vaulted ceilings and dramatic carved marble floors that are only uncovered two months each year. Fortunately, this was one of those months! The biblical stories in pictures were meant to communicate to the more than ninety-percent illiterate people of the Mid-dle Ages. Four of the many sculptures are by Michelange-lo, and 171 carved busts of popes, seven of whom were from Siena, that look down on parishioners below. The black and white striped marble and waves of arched ceilings is tru-ly magnificent! The vibrant colors of the frescoes in the Pic-colomini Library challenge the mind to accept that they date back to Columbus.

We were fortunate to visit the Selva (forest) Contra-da where its animal is the rhinoceros, its colors orange and green and its museum filled with laurels of past victories in the palio. Siena is truly a must for any visitor to Italy. A won-derful wrap to this day was a visit to the Florence.



Italy’s tribute to American fallen heroes.

Post Script

American Cemetery & MemorialWhile there, I paid homage to those who paid the ultimate price

for our freedom: 4,398 headstones that mark the turning point of our Nation at war in WW II, and the rebirth of Italy under free-

dom. This beautiful military cemetery hosts many of our nation’s heroes who gave their all in the liberation of Italy, many who were members of the 5th Army. These 70 acres are carefully watched over by 13 professional gardeners. I, along with other volunteers, had the privilege of retiring the flag to the sound of taps. It sur-prised us to not only hear, but see the admiration and sincere grat-itude of Italians for American involvement. n

Health, Exercise and YouBy Andy Truban

For Optimal Health, Befriend Nutritious Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

For at least 6,000 years, the olive tree has rendered its nu-tritional benefits to humanity. An olive branch being an in-ternational symbol of friendship invites us all to befriend it again. Your health will definitely appreciate it.

The benefits of olive oil consumption includes: preven-tion of cardiovascular disease, other chronic health prob-lems such as stroke, metabolic syndrome, inflammation and some cancers. The “British Journal of Cancer” published a 2011 study citing Greek population consuming daily ap-proximately three tablespoons of olive oil in their tradition-


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al Mediterranean diet significantly reduced their risk can-cer risk.

Many grades of olive oil are sold in the market. Extra-virgin olive oil (Evoo), being the first natural extraction from the olive fruit, is the best and least processed of all ol-ive oils. EVOO is especially healthful because it is especially rich in polyphenols that provide anti-inflammatory and an-tioxidant properties, as well as omega-3s, flavonoids, vita-min E, etc.

Beware when a label simply states it is a “blend of re-fined and virgin olive oils”! EVOO is the first extraction; Vir-gin oil is the second pressing; light oil comes from the third pressing. The more refining the olive oil undergoes, the more it loses its many healthy benefits, although it will al-ways retain its high heart-healthy monounsaturated fat com-position.

For optimal health, make versatile EVOO your number one choice in the kitchen. Like fine wines, different brands of EVOO now contain various flavor profiles. Try your favorite extra-virgin olive oil in dressings, sauces, marinades, sauté-ing, as well as grilling.

Contrary to popular belief, EVOO can be used at high-er temperatures, although due to its higher cost and more intense flavor, some people do not use it for this purpose.

According to the American Olive Producers Association, EVOO’S smoke point is 410 degrees Fahrenheit. The tem-perature needed for most cooking is 250 degree Fahrenheit. “Regular” olive oil is better suited for frying while “extra light” is excellent for baking. They also have higher smoke points and may make better for normal cooking.

Remember that “light tasting or extra light” olive oils do not mean their content is “light” in calories since it is the most highly refined grade of olive oil. Use only small amounts of olive oil. Remember, at 120 calories per table spoon, benefits can vanish if you drown your food in it ol-ive oil.

When purchasing olive oil, use a discerning eye. Unfor-tunately, fraud and product adulteration are inherent in the olive oil business. Many unscrupulous producers and sup-pliers increase profits by diluting olive oil is with cheaper vegetable oil. EVOO is more expensive since its production costs are more than the lesser grade olive oils. The Interna-tional Olive Oil Council (IOC) was established in Madrid, Spain, to help set standards for the definition of olive oil. They may help ensure that you get what you pay for.

Make olive oil your number one oil! nRef.: Environmental Nutrition, June 2014, Jennifer Neily,

MS, RDN, LD.


Bird of the Month

Belted KingfisherNorth America’s most common species of kingfisher is the Belted Kingfisher. It is a 13-inch-long, stocky bird, roughly the size of a pigeon, and has a large, heavy beak. Its plumage is bluish-gray on the head, back and

wings, plus a broad band between its white throat and breast. This is one bird in which the female is surprisingly more colorful than the male – boasting a prominent rusty-brown band around the breast. When the kingfisher perches on a tree branch or power line, its bushy head feathers are raised – giving the bird a comical appearance. When flying or diving, the feathers are tightly lowered against the head. Your best chance to see one of these birds is along rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, and harbors and coastal lagoons such as Oceanside Harbor and San Elijo Lagoon near Cardiff-by-the-Sea. When a kingfish-

er is hunting for fish, it typically hovers in the air before div-ing into the water. Your attention may first be drawn to a kingfisher by its distinctive call -- a rapid series of emphat-ic, loud, rattles. Kingfishers use their dagger-like beaks to dig a tunnel into a mud or gravel bank, where the female lays her eggs. Belted kingfishers range from coast to coast in the United States, and northward into Canada and Alaska. Worldwide there are nearly 100 kinds of kingfishers. n

Photos by Ray Spencer

I Love A MysteryBy Ira M. Landis

In Michael Connelly’s The Burning Room his latest Harry Bosch mystery, Bosch is in his mid-’60s, the oldest detective in the Open-Unresolved unit, starting his final year on his Deferred Retirement Option Plan. He is paired with 28-year-old Lucia Soto who is smart and a hard worker. This is Con-nelly’s 19th novel featuring Bosch.

The plot focuses on two cold cases with ties to the pres-ent day. The first involves the recent death of Orlando Merced,a paraplegic ex-mariachi, caused by blood poison-ing from the bullet lodged in his spine when he was shot 10 years earlier. The shooter was never found and it was as-sumed that the deceased was shot by a stray bullet in a gang confrontation. The bullet offers the only clue to surface over the years — it came from a rifle.

Bosch learns that Soto is spending time on another cold case, an apartment fire that killed a woman and eight chil-dren in an unlicensed day care facility. When he learns that Soto was one of the children who survived, he finds a

way for them to work both cases together.The Burning Bush will more than satisfy Connelly’s fans.

The writing is simple and effective, and the story is original and interesting.

****

The Son by Joe Nesbro takes place in a dark, corrupt Oslo, and it centers on a protagonist out for revenge. Son-ny Lofthus has been in prison for the last twelve years, serv-ing time for two murders he confessed to as a teenager. Of course, he is innocent, though not of conspiring to keep the real killers out of prison. He is content to cop to heinous crimes in exchange for a steady supply of heroin.

As a reliable murder scapegoat, he is a pawn in a compli-cated network of corrupt actors — police officers, lawyers, prison officials, one desperate pedophile priest — controlled by Oslo’s crime overlord, a terrifying man known as the Twin. Before becoming a heroin addict, Sonny was a bright student, a model boy who worshiped his father, a model po-


liceman. His father died in disgrace when Sonny was 15, leaving a suicide note in which he confessed to being a mole for the Oslo criminal element. His death and shame devas-tated his family, driving his son to addiction and a career as Oslo’s go-to fall guy.

When a dying inmate with a guilty conscience tells him the truth about his father’s death, Sonny kicks his habit and breaks out of prison. As a confessor for hire and habitu-al jailhouse confidant he has always known too much, and now becomes a nightmare for the criminal elite.

Nesbro is clearly the new Stieg Larrson. This latest work is a stand alone book with no Harry Hole involvement. It is very easy to get caught up in and not want to put down. n

A Win Over Wiley CoyoteBy Morris Kaufmann

Coyotes are rather clever creatures and use all of their lu-pine wisdom to stay alive and prosper. About a fortnight ago, I heard a commotion outside my home. It sounded like Saturday Night Live. Rattling garbage cans and various oth-er sounds echoed in the night air. It was late and I did not bother to check.

The next morning I found a mess with my upended gar-bage receptacle and a mass of garbage strewn with a large entourage of ants. After cleaning up the mess, I checked with some folks at the Clubhouse for some suggestions to stop the lupine garbage-can mugger. One of the suggestions was to secure the lid which is hinged to the body of the trash receptacle. I noticed a series of holes on the lid that matched holes on the lower lip. That sparked an idea. If I could some-how tie the lid to the lower lip, a solution would emerge.

Checking in my garage, I chanced upon a repurposed shoelace. I tied it to the lid and lower lip of the can with a double-knot.

Last night the lupine garbage-can mugger struck again. This time, I confronted the commotion with a flashlight. The eye of the creature appeared in the reflection of the light beam. It left when I caused the light to flicker brightly in his eye.

The garbage can had been tossed akimbo, but the lid re-mained secured, thanks to the double-knotted shoelace. No mess or unsightly chaos ensued this round.

Conclusion: Shoelace…1; Wylie coyote…0 n(A Footnote: Be sure to remove the shoelace

before the trash truck arrives.)

commentary

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The Answer to Guess Who?By Virginia McConnell

In case you weren’t able to guess, the mys-tery man is Steve Ward. He was born in Los Ange-les, the oldest of four ac-tive boys to Phyllis Ward, one of our favorite long time residents. He ma-jored in political science at Cal State Fullerton and later earned an industrial electrical degree. After working in banking for five years, he

potpourripotpourri

spent the remainder of his career as a sales engineer dealing with power generation, transmission and training, finishing with wind and solar farms.

He met his lovely wife Marcia at a hotel in Denver (Mar-cia states emphatically it was at a dance!) They moved to Ocean Hills in 2010 and he retired in 2012. Both are co-pres-idents of the Village Squares. Steve enjoys golf, the beach, square dancing and ballroom dancing. He won two gold medals at last summer’s Swimming Olympics. Their current love of their lives is a 6 month old grandson, Zack, who lives in San Jose.

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

Steve Ward

Deadline for article submissionsis the 21st of the month for

the next month’s issue.Send articles to: [email protected]


Sig-alert on Village WayRecently, a first-time visitor coming into the Village saw

this line-up of cars on Leisure Village Way and exclaimed, “And I thought the tie-up on the 5 freeway was bad, but that was nothing compared to what you have here!”

“No,” I said, “It’s four o’clock and they are all headed out of the village with coupons for restaurants with early-bird specials.” I didn’t tell her people in one village had their street paved over and had to park their cars on Village Way for a few days. She spent the next day clipping coupons. n

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

again to remember those persons who work in the club-house, in the homeowner’s office and in the property pro-tection department making our life here more pleasant. The Ocean Hills Holiday Gift Fund (OHHGF) was established over 25 years ago to recognize the many services these per-sons perform for the residents of Ocean Hills Country Club.

Contributions by residents are voluntary, of course.Until December 18th, a box will be on the front desk in

the Clubhouse lobby for your checks (please, no cash) made out to OHHGF. Please consider making a donation.

If you have further questions contact Dorothy Miller ([email protected]). n


ColorfulRed-Hot Poker

Among the many walkways in the Village, few can compare to the beau-tiful path adjoining the tennis courts by the Clubhouse parking lot. Here, among the flourishing tropical foli-age, is a large plant called the red hot poker. Dramatic red-hot pokers create an impact in midst of this beautiful-ly landscaped area. Their bold spikes of brilliantly colored tubular flow-ers are set among the sword-shaped leaves. Known also as the torch lily or poker plant, it is native to Africa and first described in 1794. It belongs to the family Xanthorrhoeaceae and there are over 70 species that exist in the world. The upright spikes often vary in various shades of red, orange and yellow and are attractive to bees, hummingbirds and orioles. n Red-hot Pokers adorn the tennis walkway.


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12-2014 Village Voice Newsletter

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Transcript of 12-2014 Village Voice Newsletter