Gazing at Grazing Goats in Serra Mesa
Plus: One Normal Night Theatre Production at LV Rec Center, Friday Dinner Special at IKEA, Volunteer at LC Community Garden, New Park Along the River, and Community Yard Sale this Saturday
Talk to any long-time Linda Vista resident about the olden days—prior to the 70’s—and he or she will invariably say the following words…”I remember when Mission Valley was full of dairy cows.”
Yes, it may be hard for new residents in the area to envision dairy cows roaming around Mission Valley when one is used to the current-day dense collection of freeways, roads, malls and apartment/business buildings that comprises this land. In fact, things have become so congested all around Linda Vista and its surrounding neighborhoods we now find it hard to imagine that any farm animals could have ever inhabited this area.
Those bucolic rural farm days may be gone forever, and your secret dream of owning a herd of cows may require you to move east to Ramona. However, we recently discovered there is one patch of land just off the busy I-805 freeway in nearby Serra Mesa that remains the last bastion of farm animals living anywhere near Linda Vista.
While paying a visit to Holy Angels Byzantine Catholic Church (2235 Galahad Road) to purchase some of their great ethic food, we stumbled across a rather large herd of goats, enclosed in an area that is tucked in between quiet residential streets and busy I-805. We are talking about A LOT of goats! Needless to say, we were amazed to discover this wavy sea of goats stuck right in the middle of what we consider typical suburban life. It was quite a sight to see. For a second, I thought we had been transported back to that pre-70’s era in time—I half expected to look across the 805 freeway and see the extensive Civita development and the rest of Mission Valley once again inundated with cows.
But after conducting a little bit of research, we discovered the truth, which is that these goats belong to San Diego Gas and Electric’s (SDG&E) Brush Abatement Goat Program. The area which they inhabit (nine and half acres) happens to be a SDG&E transmission corridor, and the goats (about 150 of them) are used to clear vegetation that could fuel a fire. As explained to us by an SDG&E spokesperson, the brush abatement goat program, which was originally piloted in 2021, is “a component of SDG&E’s Land Services Abatement Program and was developed as part of their sustainability & zero emissions initiatives.” It has proven to be “an effective and climate-conscious method of mitigating wildfire risks, protecting communities, and promoting a climate-conscious approach to environmental stewardship.”
The program is managed by experienced herders who rotate a total of 650 goats throughout transmission corridors in Oceanside, Escondido, Chula Vista and this site in Serra Mesa. According to SDG&E, the benefits of goat grazing include:
• -keeping corridors open
• -preventing the spread of noxious weeds
• -promoting the growth of local vegetative species
• -reduced abatement sessions
• -reduction in flammable fuels, reducing the risk of wildfires
Goat grazing is seen as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional vegetation management methods, such as mechanical clearing or herbicide use. It minimizes machinery and chemicals, reducing carbon emissions and environmental impact.
Watching the goats was fun. They were butting heads and chasing each other. And there were a number of kids (baby goats) frolicking in the distance. We were also fascinated by the large dogs that guard the herd. They kept a suspicious eye (and a loud bark) on anyone who got near the fence. We found out they are Great Pyrenees, a breed that long ago established its reputation for guarding herds from wolves.
We were so captivated by this herd of goats and their grazing capability that we now plan on going to our homeowners association (HOA) board of directors to ask them about employing goats to take care of the brush surrounding our townhouse development. Of course, their usual hostile, ill-conceived HOA management actions usually get our goat, but in this case, that might be okay.
Upcoming Community Event
One Normal Night Coming to LV Rec Center
The Linda Vista Theatre Arts Program is getting ready for its next production at the Linda Vista Recreation Center (7064 Levant Street). As described by director K.J. LeCesne, “One Normal Night is a delightful romp that celebrates the creepy and kooky nature of family dynamics. In this lively musical adaptation inspired by Charles Addams' beloved characters, chaos ensues when Wednesday, the mischievous force of nature, finds herself head over heels for a charming, intelligent young man from Florida. As the Family prepares to host a dinner for Wednesday's "normal" boyfriend and his parents, the stage is set for a night filled with laughter, surprises, and perhaps a few near-death experiences. Secrets will be exposed, marriages threatened, delicious chaotic anarchy! Will they all make it out of this dinner alive?”
Get your tickets now for the June performances. Don’t miss out. Each performance is expected to sell out.
The Linda Vista Theatre Arts Program always delivers with a highly entertaining production full of great acting and singing.
Check out the below flyer for ticket purchasing details.
IKEA Half-Price Friday for Dinner
We continue on our quest to find meals that don’t require a second mortgage on your home. Many of you have been giving us ideas, and one such idea came from an unexpected source. None other than the Carnivore Sidekick! CS texted us and said he and his Sidekick had stumbled across a great deal while shopping at IKEA in the Fenton Parkway Center (next to Lowes) in the form of 50% off hot entrees on Fridays in their 2nd floor restaurant. He bragged about eating 16 meatballs for $6, mac and cheese for $1.50, and said that Salmon entrees were about $5.
Well, it sounded too good to be true, but since Friday had already passed, we had to wait a week to see for ourselves, but eventually off we went to IKEA. I tend to stay away from this store for several reasons. One, it is too big and I often cannot find what I am looking for. Secondly, I often get lost in this store and can’t figure my way out. Thirdly, things I have purchased at IKEA in the past seem to have assembly instructions in some foreign language, and involve more parts than seem to be required to put the piece together, or not enough, which sometimes means the product falls apart or is not very stable. We once tried to put a bedframe together which took approximately 2 weeks and still would not support the mattress. Must have been a million individual slats.
But I digress. We were here to try the restaurant, which we had never done. In fact, I knew there was a little Swedish marketplace on the first floor, but did not even know there was a restaurant on the 2nd Floor. Thankfully, there was an elevator, and the restaurant was easy to find. It is open daily from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM except Sunday when it closes at 7:30 PM.
We checked out the menu and noted there were some things besides Swedish meatballs which we could eat. They had plant meatballs, and also veggie meatballs, but I really could not tell you the difference. The server let me taste one (I don’t know which one), but I did not like it so I ordered the Salmon Plate which included a nice sized piece of salmon and two sides. I chose the vegetable medallion and mashed potatoes with vegetarian gravy. Steve got the salmon but with two vegetable side dishes. The price was $5.49 each. It is cafeteria style where you go through a line and pick out your selections and then pay at a cash register. Although we knew what we wanted, we did note excellent prices on the meatballs and they had desserts, beverages and bread. You then find your seat in an open seating area, with some long tables and some smaller tables. I would describe the décor as IKEA style.
The food was enjoyable, made more so by the price. And also it felt very healthy. You don’t often see an overweight Swede. We also were celebrating the 50th anniversary of ABBA‘s Eurovision Song Contest win (with their hit Waterloo), so we thought that dinner at IKEA was highly appropriate.
If you happen to be at Lowe’s or Costco and don’t want a slice of pizza or a cheap hotdog from Costco, hop over to IKEA, (especially on a Friday) and enjoy a sit down dinner of salmon and healthy vegetables. They also have even cheaper hot dogs at the downstairs Bistro – in the $.69 to $.79 range and have veggie dogs there too. And you can pick up some granola or frozen items similar to what they serve in the restaurant. As they say in Sweden, Smaklig maltid!
Community Volunteer Opportunity
The River Center at Grant Park
New Park Along the River
As mentioned in last week’s issue of the Linda Vista Update, the San Diego River Park Foundation is currently hosting a number of events to observe its River Days 2024 celebration (May 11-19). We recently took advantage of one of these events to learn about the latest new park along the river by attending a “River Days Wine, Walk & Mingle” activity held at the still-being-constructed River Center at Grant Park.
The River Center at Grant Park is a project in the heart of Mission Valley, being built along the banks of the San Diego River. It is located across the River from the Mission Valley Marriott Hotel. The 17 acre area that used to be a sand quarry (located at 2450 Camino Del Rio North at Qualcomm Way) is being transformed into a place where kids can receive hands-on nature learning experiences. The River Days event we attended included an informative presentation of the on-going project and a walking tour of the prospective park area. We learned that when completed, the park will include an outdoor stage with seating for 100 students, a butterfly garden and three other gardens, a bicycle trail, a building with program space, interpretive elements, a natural lands research area, along with restrooms and parking.
The goal of the Center and Park will be to inspire kids of all ages to be passionate about the San Diego River and nature through hands-on STEAM programs, and to focus on the 70,000+ kids that go to school within 15 minutes of the park.
The River Center at Grant Park, which is close to completion of its first phase of construction, is expected to have a soft opening in July and an official grand opening in September.
We are happy to see this new Center and Park join the other new park additions along the river, to include the Town and Country Neighborhood Park in Fashion Valley, and the new River Park adjacent to Snapdragon Stadium.
You can still attend upcoming San Diego River Days 2024 events. Check out the remaining schedule of activities by clicking here.
Upcoming Community Event
The Village community in Linda Vista will hold a Community Yard Sale this Saturday May 18. Please check out the below flyer for details.
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Is there anything else you can talk about besides where to go to eat? Or going to Fashion Valley mall.
Considering Linda Vista is a low-income community.
Maybe low-income housing. Or helping with the homeless situation.
And maybe stopping all these eyesore apartments being built. Especially the apartments that were built facing Ulric Street across from Holy Family church. It's happening all up Ulric Street.
Of course, the owner took advantage of the housing shortage with government assistance now because of the housing shortage. He started when he first purchased Astro Vista apartments.
He doesn't live in Linda Vista, to see what an eyesore those apartments are!
All there is to see now is tall cement walls!!!
Long time Linda Vista resident.
Estella Morales
Maybe SDG&E would let you bring a goat, or two, to the next meeting to introduce them to the concept of environmentally safer ways to clean up the mess around here 😉