Enjoying SDHS Dog Day Out Program
Plus: LV News Briefs, New SDPD Community Relations Officer in the Spotlight, District 7 Town Hall Announcement, Zab Linda Restaurant Review, and Valentine Event for LV Families
The Linda Vista Update
San Diego Humane Society (SDHS) has designed a fantastic program that enables local residents to help adoptable dogs get exercise, expend some energy, and at the same time help them find a new home. SDHS’s new Dog Day Out program is a fun way for people to pair up with a dog and spend an afternoon together around San Diego. The program is open to residents of SD County. After spending one day as a participant in the program, I wholeheartedly recommend LV Update readers sign up and participate as well. I guarantee you the dog will appreciate the time spent with you outside the confines of his/her enclosure, and you will enjoy the pleasurable experience of accompanying a friendly, eager companion on a memorable afternoon outing.
SDHS is currently housing a record number of dogs awaiting adoption. On top of the stellar job the organization has carried out during this post-COVID time in taking care of these dogs and getting them ready for adoption, great work had been recently accomplished in accommodating dogs from animal shelters in the fire ravaged LA County area. This new Dog Day Out program is an excellent way of giving some of these adoptable dogs the opportunity to get some physical and mental stimulation and allow them the chance to advertise themselves to prospective adopters. The program involves scheduling a day to take a dog for the afternoon (scheduled about two weeks in advance), thus giving the dog an opportunity to get some quality time with people. As described in the SDHS website, “You can take the dog on an adventure, such as hiking or a long walk by the ocean, or just simply hang out at home!”
I recently signed up to participate in the program by going to https://www.sdhumane.org/adopt/dog-day-out/. I had to try several times on the web site before an appointment time opened up for my Dog Day Out at the local SDHS campus (located at 5500 Gaines Street), though it is possible to sign up at other sites in El Cajon, Oceanside, and Escondido. When signing up, I was given a chance to express my preference for a small, medium-sized, or big dog. Being more familiar with serving as a long-time volunteer kitten foster, I asked for a small dog, though I was well aware most of the dogs awaiting adoption were big-sized ones. No matter, I figured any dog would do.
Two weeks later, when I arrived at the SDHS campus for my scheduled Dog Day Out appointment, I was informed the dog selected for me was a medium sized female part pit bull terrier. I looked forward to meeting her and beginning the outing. I was given instructions, a back pack full of water and treats, and told to return the dog no later than 4:00 pm. Unfortunately, after a couple minutes of waiting, a SD Humane Society employee informed me that particular dog was no longer available. Fortunately, the reason was because she was in the process of being adopted. I was then told the next dog available was Bradley, a 7 year-old male Carolina American Dingo. Bradley was a 55 pounder who readily jumped into the back seat of my car. And so off we went to begin the outing.
We first went to Mission Bay where we walked for a little more than an hour. The dog was an enthusiastic walker who seemed to be enjoying himself. In fact, he was tireless. We then went to my house for a brief rest (mainly so I could rest). Next, we went to the Linda Vista Farmers Market so I could purchase some oranges. He remained well behaved and very comfortable around all the market customers. I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly and calm he was while being amongst the crowd. Finally, we went for a visit to the Linda Vista Community Park where he continued to demonstrate his love of walking, sniffing around, and taking in the sunshine.
I returned Bradley before the 4:00 pm deadline. Upon his return, he was warmly greeted by several SDHS employees who were very familiar with his friendly and charming ways. He proved to be an excellent companion for me, and the experience left me thinking how such a wonderful dog deserves a permanent home with a family that can take him on walks every day. I hope to once again participate in the Dog Day Out program in the near future. When I do, I hope to get Bradley assigned to me, though I really hope he will not be available due to his being already adopted.
You can check out Bradley’s adoption information, as well as information for other dogs at the SDHS by clicking HERE.
LV News Briefs
—New Home at Levant Senior Cottages: Check out the happy story provided by the County of San Diego pertaining to a new local resident at the Levant Senior Cottages in Linda Vista. You can view the one-minute video HERE.
—Athlete of the Week: Caleb Fluhr of Kearny High School was recognized as one of four SD County Athletes of the Week in this Tuesday’s issue of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Below is an excerpt from the article. The Kearny Komets boy’s basketball team currently sport a 15-7 record:
—Linda Vista Planning Group Election: The Linda Vista Planning Group (LVPG) is looking for LV residents to run for LVPG membership. The election for the LVPG will be at the Group’s meeting in February. The Linda Vista Planning Group provides citizens with an opportunity for involvement in advising the City Council, the Planning Commission, and other decision-makers on development projects, general or community plan amendments, re-zonings and public facilities. The LVPG meets on the fourth Monday of each month. Check out the below flyer for details. You can complete an application to run for membership in the Group by clicking HERE.
—Lunar New Year Celebration: Bayside Community Center is teaming up today January 30 with the Linda Vista Farmers Market to celebrate the 2025 Lunar New Year. Check out the below flyer for details.
Officer Harris in the Spotlight
Meet New SDPD Community Relations Officer
The community of Linda Vista is experiencing a major change affecting the long standing continuity of a key law enforcement position operating in the area. Officer David Surwilo, who has served as the San Diego Western Division’s Community Relations Officer since 2008 and has become well known to many local residents, is retiring. However, we are pleased to know Surwilo’s position has already been filled by two individuals—Officer James Harris and Officer Tiffany Adamek. Harris has been assigned to this position since the last couple months of 2024. Officer Adamek was assigned more recently this month. We first met Officer Harris at the Coffee with a Cop event held back on December 5 at the Linda Vista Library.
Together, the two officers will serve as liaisons to such Western Division communities as Ocean Beach, Old Town, the Midway District, the Point Loma peninsula and of course our own Linda Vista. The job entails communicating with community members and organizations, attending community meetings, posting to the Division’s social media account, conducting problem solving with community members, and setting up community engagement/outreach events.
We recently met with Officer Harris to ask him a few questions as a way of allowing the LV community to get to know him a little better. His background includes three years on the job with the SDPD. He is a graduate of San Diego State University where he majored in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to beginning his service with the SDPD he ran his own construction company that built custom homes in Mission Hills. Though he enjoyed operating his own successful business from 2005 to 2021, he was eventually drawn to law enforcement as his chosen profession. “I used to watch the police performing their duties while driving through parts of San Diego,” he said, “and I thought that’s what I’d like to do.”
While serving in his new job as Community Relations Officer he has especially appreciated the variety of the tasks involved in this type of assignment. He commented “I like not knowing what my job will be like each day,” adding “I like change.” Insofar as to what he likes about working in Linda Vista, he mentioned “Getting to work in family neighborhoods made up of multi-generational residents who take pride in their community. That’s one of the things that makes Linda Vista unique.”
In terms of the current safety level of the Linda Vista community, Officer Harris expressed a generally positive tone with a few concerns saying, “There is mild narcotics activity compared to other communities”…and “residents should display caution at night in certain areas like parks that are not well lit.” He added there are neighborhoods in which college age students and older citizens engage in a way that presents some challenges, “but nothing out of the norm,” and in circumstances “not necessarily involving criminal activity.” He acknowledged the availability of parking and the narrow width of some of the LV streets also present challenges for certain LV neighborhoods.
In communicating Community Relations Officer advice to our readers, he emphasized they should “Report anything you see that’s unsafe or out of the norm,” feeling it is important for residents to “remain united to stay engaged with the community.”
In his spare time Officer Harris can be found “running, surfing or playing with his kids.”
In closing, he expressed the following about the community relation role played by himself and Officer Adamek. “We are here as a non-stop resource. Reach out to us if there are neighborhood issues and we will try to point you in the right direction to resolve them.”
Officer Harris can best be reached at this email address: harrisjb@pd.sandiego.gov while Officer Adamek can be reached at TAdamek@pd.sandiego.gov
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The LV Update wishes to thank Officer Harris for taking the time to answer our questions. We hope to interview Officer Adamek next month.
Upcoming Community Event
District 7 Town Hall on February 6
District 7 Councilmember Raul Campillo will hold a Town Hall for residents of Mission Valley and Linda Vista on February 6 (6:00 pm) at the Bayside Community Center. Please read the below flyer for further details. This is a great opportunity to express your concerns to the Councilmember. Please RSVP for the Town Hall HERE.
Visiting Zab Linda for Lunch
Steve and I were preparing articles for this issue of the Update, and we were lamenting that there have been no new restaurants open in Linda Vista for a while. We’ve been writing the Update for about 4 ½ years, and we got to thinking that we have gained many hundreds of new subscribers monthly over the years and maybe it would be okay to revisit restaurants we already wrote about so those new subscribers can catch up. One restaurant that is well loved in Linda Vista came to mind – Zab Linda, formerly known as Sab-E-Lee and is located in the Linda Vista Plaza Shopping Center. Although we didn’t really review the food in a previous newsletter issue, we did publish an article when it changed hands.
Zab Linda’s hours are Mon – Thurs 11 AM – 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM – 9 PM
Friday – Sunday 11 AM – 9 PM
Zab Linda kept many of the original Sab-E-Lee recipes and has mostly Thai food. The website says their chief has over 20 years’ experience, and like its predecessor, Zab Linda has a very large following. After reviewing their on-line menu, which is very extensive, we decided to go there for lunch and see if there were any changes since our last visit. Although we made reservations, it was not very crowded, but more customers started coming after 12:00 PM.
We took a nice seat by the window facing Linda Vista Road. The restaurant is very nicely appointed and has a peaceful feel. After perusing the large menu, I was a little conflicted. I usually get the yellow curry when we go there, but this time the eggplant with vegetables spoke to me. Steve was immediately set on the crab fried rice. The menu consists of appetizers in the $10 to $15 range, soup and salad about the same, curries $14 to $18, and entrees from about $14 to $18 and up, depending on the protein in the rice or noodle dishes. You can check out the menu online as there are too many dishes to name, but you will recognize that all of your favorite Thai menu items are there. The one thing I did notice was that the prices were higher than our last visit, but that is true of any place you go now it seems. They have beverages including alcoholic and desserts. There are many meat and seafood dishes and also gluten free and vegetarian.
Steve’s crab fried rice included stir fried rice with crab meat, eggs, onion, green onions and carrots. It was a very full plate and enough for Steve to take half home for another meal. He said it was very good and would be even better the second time around. My spicy eggplant was delicious and included fresh basil, red and green pepper, onions, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, green beans, and garlic with a brown sauce. Although it is called spicy, I asked for it to be not spicy and they accommodated. They have a numbering system for spiciness from 0 to 10 but advise that 3 is medium, so you figure it out. Since I don’t eat meat, I asked for added vegetables and also had enough for another meal. Perhaps the price is not so high when you think that each meal will feed you twice.
We noticed that folks at other tables tended to order a few things and then put the dishes in the middle for all to share. This is customary in many Asian cultures not only in restaurants, but in families where sharing food and serving others before yourself is considered a sign of respect and fosters community. On the other hand, I grew up in an Italian family of 9 and have always been used to one thing being on the table – usually some form of pasta – and every man (person) for themselves. I cannot ever remember there being multiple items other than perhaps salad, so I did not grow up with the custom of communal sharing. When Steve and I got stationed in Hawaii for the first time and went to lunch with a group, I was shocked to see the food was put on a Lazy Susan and everyone got a go at what you ordered, perhaps before it got to you, and you might be stuck with items you don’t even like. I really liked eggplant, which most did not, so that worked in my favor. Being a non-meat eater helps also. We tend to not frequent buffets – even before the pandemic virtually eliminated them. The sense of sharing is admirable and I enjoy watching it, but I like to eat one thing at a time, off my own plate.😋
We enjoyed our lunch at Zab Linda. The staff is very friendly and accommodating and we will certainly go back and we hope you try it again if it’s been a while since you’ve been there.
Upcoming Community Event
Valentine Event for Local Families
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The Linda Vista Update is a weekly digital newsletter that publishes informative, interesting, and fun news about Linda Vista and its neighboring communities. We welcome ideas for stories. Let us know about any interesting people, places, or upcoming events.