Hi-Tech Aerial Fun in Linda Vista
Plus: Linda Vista apartment complex protest; JOY lighting in Mission Valley; Francis Parker runner competes for national prep championship, and holiday season book reviews
If you’re looking for an unusual Christmas gift for a member of your family, or if you’re interested in buying yourself the latest in hi-tech gadgetry (and you’re willing to spend a little money), you may want to pay a visit to Drones Made Easy. This store sells some of the most interesting items in the Linda Vista area.
After recently seeing a drone mysteriously hovering in my neighborhood, I decided to visit Drones Made Easy, hoping to satisfy my curiosity about what capabilities drones possess and why people might purchase them.
Drones Made Easy is located at 5390-B Napa Street. Just a half block away from the SD Western Division Police Department headquarters. The store contains an interesting showroom of various-sized drones that runs the gamut from novice-type small drones to larger, more expensive drones capable of taking high quality photos/video from numerous angles. The drones all have a bit of a sci-fi element to them as they resemble big robotic bugs unleashed from a distant galaxy.
On a recent visit to Drones Made Easy, a store salesperson took me on a quick tour of the showroom, pointing out the features and capabilities of several drones to help satisfy my curiosity. The drones ranged in price from $449.00 to $10,599.00. He quickly summed up the difference between the more and less expensive drones by explaining that spending more money will get you more and higher quality cameras on your drone, greater durability, and the capability for obstacle avoidance (as a result of more cameras).
He advised looking at drones as “flying cameras” that come in handy when you need a device that can give you a different perspective. He also said that Drones Made Easy customers are split about 50-50 between drone hobbyists and those seeking a more practical/job related purpose for their drones. In addition to being used for fun, drones can be used for such tasks as mapping, construction, surveillance, security, and by first responders for keeping an eye on fires and conducting search/rescue operations.
When I asked which drone a beginner might want to purchase he pointed me toward the DJI Mini 2 model which sports one camera. It sells for $449.00.
I was amazed by the more advanced MATRICE 300 RTK model which sells for $10,599.00. It looked ominous, in a very cool way. It is surrounded by cameras and sensors. It is advertised as having applications for firefighting, search and rescue, law enforcement, powerline inspections, and oil and gas pipeline inspections.
My visit to Drones Made Easy cleared up a couple misconceptions I had about the use of drones. For example, I previously thought that the more expensive the drone, the greater the capability to fly vertically, imagining expensive drones flying higher and higher above the ground in near Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos orbital fashion. However, I was informed that FAA regulations prohibit drones from flying higher than 400 feet to avoid collisions with manned aircraft, so the higher a drone can fly doesn’t factor much into its price or demand.
I was also informed that most drones, no matter the size, fly about 30 to 40 miles per hour. There was one drone in the showroom designed for acrobatics that can fly much faster, but most drones are built for their ability to take photos/videos from angles not accessible via hand-held cameras, and not for speed.
There is also a common misconception that drones can be routinely used for delivery purposes. We’ve all read stories about Amazon’s futuristic desire to eventually deliver their products via drones, but your average drone customer isn’t there yet. For example, I was told of one woman who visited Drones Made Easy looking for a drone that could possibly be used to help deliver Christmas cookies in her neighborhood. Unfortunately, she was told that such drones aren’t sold yet by Drones Made Easy. Perhaps in the future.
Speaking of futuristic, I can foresee a time when residents in my neighborhood will want to use drones to walk their dogs, though I have a hard time envisioning a drone cleaning up after a dog…maybe one with robotic arms programmed to do the dirty work will someday be available. That would indeed be quite a technological development! To paraphrase Neil Armstrong, the ability to clean up after a dog would be “one small step for a drone, one giant leap for mankind.”
In addition to selling drones, the Drones Made Easy store also offers 30-minute introductory lessons at their site. This instruction runs beginners through the drone apps and a hovering demonstration in the back room. One can also become familiar with their new drones via numerous YouTube videos. I was told that drones are generally very user friendly, and that the biggest learning curve is related to determining how the cameras work.
If you are in the very least curious about drones, I suggest you pay a visit to Drones Made Easy to check out their showroom collection. You just might find yourself taking on a new hobby.
Linda Vista Residents Face Eviction
On December 2, a residential development located in the 6700 block of Kelly Street in Linda Vista was the site of a demonstration to protest an upcoming eviction. The demonstration was coordinated by the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and led by residents of an apartment complex who were recently given 60-day eviction notices. The notices mean the 26 families that make up the apartment complex must leave their residences at the end of the holiday season. Many of these residents have been long term tenants of the development.
Of course, with the shortage of affordable housing units in the area, these residents face tough choices in finding suitable new housing, especially during the holiday season.
According to the ACCE, “On Nov. 2, the new landlord, Nicholas Davison of Sterling Investment Group, sent the residents 60-day notices to vacate their homes. Davison is listing “substantial remodel” and “withdrawal of all rental units” from the market as reasons for the evictions, both being loopholes in state law that ACCE says must be closed to protect tenants from unscrupulous landlords who use them as a pretext to substantially raise rents. Taking units off the rental market is a loophole in the Ellis Act, the California law which allows landlords to evict tenants from rent-controlled properties if they are planning “to go out of business.” ACCE organizers say Davison is an investor trying to flip the property for a profit.
One of the residents who spoke at the demonstration was Ean Hernandez, an articulate 17-year-old high school student who has resided with his family at the apartment complex his entire life. Hernandez expressed the struggle the residents are facing when he commented “I’m 17 years old and I’m a senior at University City High School. My only worry this season should’ve been college applications, not housing applications.”
He went on to say, "It was one of those things that we didn’t want to happen. When we knew our apartments were being sold we thought hopefully they just do some repairs and up the rent."
The ACCE is urging “Mayor Gloria and the Council to enact stronger local reforms to protect San Diego tenants left vulnerable by these loopholes in state law. Further, ACCE is also urging the Mayor and Council to strengthen the city’s ‘tenant right to know’ ordinance, which is simply a weak version of just cause, only coming into effect until a tenant has lived in their home for two years and provides no relocation assistance for no-fault evictions.”
The demonstration was covered by most of the major local media sites.
The Linda Vista Update hopes to keep you informed on the plight of these residents.
Spelling Out JOY in Mission Valley
There are several local holiday traditions that San Diegans associate with this time of year. The lighted Christmas Tree at Sea World, December Nights at Balboa Park, the Holiday Bowl football game and parade, and long lines of traffic entering the Fashion Valley mall parking lot are but a few traditions that readily come to mind. However, there is one other local tradition I especially enjoy because I can see it at night from my window, and that’s the lighting spelling out JOY from the guest room windows at the Hilton Hotel in Mission Valley. It’s a very festive and comforting sight!
We asked the Hilton’s general manager—Michael Murrell—if he could elaborate a little for our readers on the hotel’s unique holiday tradition. He was happy to provide us with some interesting information. First, he explained that “There is a total of 83 rooms that have to work in coordination to pull this off. There are a total of 352 rooms that we have so that is roughly around 25% of the hotel. Each room has a reading lamp and each lamp has the shade removed to show the lights - each room has 2 bulbs on the lamp. Thankfully with modern LED bulb technology, the amount of energy consumed certainly has decreased over the 30-year tradition.”
Next, he said that the tradition “starts every year just after Thanksgiving, and continues through the New Year. Guests are encouraged to participate and offered one of the JOY rooms if they would like. Unless you know about the tradition, some find it interesting, while others would just prefer to not have to worry about keeping their drapes opened or closed. We have not had too many this year that have specifically asked to have one of the rooms, but just before we lit the hotel, we did receive numerous calls to confirm that the tradition would continue this year. Like most years, it seems that with the local support and positive feedback that we receive encourages us to continue to do it every year.”
As a native San Diegan, Murrell expressed great pride in being able to continue in “sharing the spirt in the valley as well as to all those who pass our hotel on Interstate 8.” He went on to say that “Our hotel ownership group took over management of the hotel mid-June 2021. One of my first questions then was to make sure that we continue this year with the hotel's attention to the holiday season. This (year) and a half plus has been a challenge on everyone, and even something as small as turning on the lights, I know does bring some "joy" to all those who look up to pay attention.
On behalf of all the Linda Vista Update readers, I wish to express our appreciation for this great holiday tradition, and to thank Mr. Murrell for taking the time to answer our questions.
News Brief
—Redistricting Process Once Again Favors Linda Vista
In last week’s edition of this newsletter, we expressed concern that the San Diego Redistricting Commission was entertaining an option to once again split Linda Vista into two city council districts (districts 2 and 7) by keeping the Morena area in District 2. Fortunately, at Tuesday night’s redistricting meeting, the commission decided to reject that option and approved the original preliminary map plan to keep all of Linda Vista intact in Council District 7. Kudos to Linda Vista Planning Group interim president Howard Wayne for providing valuable public input to the Commission at the meeting; he was able to express the importance of keeping Linda Vista intact in one district. You can take a look at the most current redistricting draft map by clicking here. The next redistricting meeting will he held tonight (Dec 9) at 5:00pm. Click here for details on how to attend this Zoom meeting. The Commission’s deadline for completing a new redistricting map is December 15.
Francis Parker Runner Aims for National Prep Championship
Kenan Pala, Francis Parker School’s star distance runner, will attempt to claim national championship honors this Saturday morning (Dec. 11) at Morley Field (Balboa Park). The Eastbay National High School Cross Country Championship Race for boys and girls will be held to crown individual national champions on the 3-mile course. Elite runners from across the country will be participating in the race (formerly referred to as the Footlocker National Cross Country Championship), and Pala is definitely a strong contender for this prestigious title.
Pala qualified for this race by winning top CIF San Diego section cross country honors three weeks ago at Morley Field, then winning his division at the California CIF state championship race near Fresno two weeks ago, and finishing second at the regional race held last Saturday at the grueling Mt SAC cross country course in Walnut. Last week’s race was the first time Pala has finished second this season, though he explained after the race that he held back and did not pursue the leading runner to ensure he was healthy for this Saturday’s race. With the top ten finishers at the regionals qualifying for the national championship race, Pala was mainly interested in running good enough to qualify. With his knowledge of the San Diego course, and his aggressive habit of preferring to run at the front of the pack, Pala is sure to run an exciting race.
The girls’ championship race will begin at 9:15 am with the boys’ race scheduled for 10:00 am. If you plan to attend, make sure you get there early to find parking. Check out the race and see for yourself if Linda Vista can claim to have the top high school distance runner in the country!
You can read one of this newsletter’s previous article about Kenan Pala by clicking here.
Book Reviews
Here are two books we thought you might enjoy for some personal reading, or if you’re looking for some gift giving ideas for your favorite readers.
One of our favorite book reviewers, Martha B. writes…Jonathan Franzen’s new book Crossroads was released in early October, 2021. Franzen has long been a lightening rod for both intense criticism and high praise. He won the National Book Award for The Corrections in 2001 and appeared on the cover of Time under the headline “Great American Novelist” after the release of Freedom in 2010. In 2001, The Corrections was an Oprah Book Club pick and Franzen famously criticized some of Oprah’s picks as so schmaltzy and one dimensional that he cringed. He was promptly disinvited by Oprah, and enhanced his reputation as a pompous jerk, which he has seemed to intentionally and/or inadvertently polish over the years. In later years he mended fences with Oprah.
Crossroads is set in 1970’s suburban Illinois, and is told in different segments from the wildly different perspectives of Russ and Marion Hildebrandt and their four children. Franzen writes beautifully, sympathetically, and sometimes with outrageous humor, about the inner lives of ordinary people grappling with marital problems, first love, drug addiction, religion, mental illness and other issues.
Crossroads is meant to be the first book in a trilogy which will eventually take the Hildebrandt family through the present day, though each book is intended to stand on its own. As is typical of Franzen’s work, although Crossroads has received rave reviews, critics are far from unanimous. I highly recommend Crossroads to anyone who has read and enjoyed Franzen’s writing in the past. I provisionally recommend the book to readers who are new to Franzen. With luck you will find a new author to love.
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B.R. writes…This book was recently suggested to me by a fellow book club member. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow it on the library site Libby right away.
This book is based on a true story, though somewhat fictionalized. It is the story of the early life of legendary Hollywood star, Hedy Lamarr. She grew up in pre-war Austria as Hedy Kiesler. Hedy Kiesler was a young, beautiful theater actress, and part Jewish. She is seen and admired by the richest man in Austria, Friedrich Mandl, who is an arms dealer. Although very young, her father encourages the relationship believing that Friedrich, may be able to keep them safe should war erupt in Austria. The book takes us through her life married to this man who becomes more possessive and physically abusive every day. At the same time, she becomes aware he is meeting with people, including Adolph Hitler, and that he is selling arms to the Nazis. She tries once unsuccessfully to escape, but then ultimately does escape in disguise.
Her goal in escaping to America is to become an actress and she manages to charm Louis B. Mayer, of MGM. However, she is still haunted by what she learned during her marriage, and feels she wants to try to help the war effort. Here her scientific prowess is uncovered, and she attempts to invent a device that will keep German torpedoes from hitting their intended mark. She is met with opposition from the male dominated defense establishment and her invention is not used in WWII. The thinking, though, is that the technology she developed could have helped the engineers and researchers who developed the GPS system we all know.
I think Benedict did a fine job in exploring both sides of Hedy Lamarr. Her beauty and her intelligence cannot be denied. Benedict is excellent at historical fiction, and you might be interested in reading other books by her such as The Personal Librarian, a story of J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian, and Lady Clementine, the wife of Winston Churchill.
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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.
Dear Steve and Betty,
I so enjoy the newsletter and as a new resident of Linda Vista it is a very useful resource for my family and I. I have a few stories for you though perhaps that you may be interested. First of all a new coffee/Tea place just opened where Panda House Café used to be and I would be curious to see how you may review it. Secondly, and this is a larger story, I believe we should launch a public campaign proposing to SANDAG to extend the blue line down Genesse to Linda Vista. Think about it, if you look at the map at the current stopping point at UTC the trolly points right down genesse and if it were to be extended all of the way down to us this would drastically increase mobility in our area, make us less car-reliant and more connected to the university (UCSD), the UTC mall and downtown. I strongly believe you should look into this considering how much of a sway you have in the community and our city, as well as the ability to start conversations within our own community. I love this newsletter, thank you both so much, please consider writing a story about this and how this could do so much good for our community, and please keep doing the important work you are doing.