Sweet!! New Bakery Opens
Plus: LV Resident Honored for Fair/Parade, Kittens Soon Available for Adoption, Local Animal Shelters in State of Emergency, Carson Elementary Family STEAM Night, and the LV Update at the Fair
Not long ago we reviewed a couple of new establishments that sprang up between the Business Center Costco and Target in Kearny Mesa (on Othello Avenue just off Convoy)- a Ramen restaurant and a Mediterranean restaurant. We liked both very much and at the time we noticed there was a sign that a bakery would be opening soon. We were excited about that, and now that establishment has finally opened. It is called the Sunmerry Bakery and is one of several locations throughout California and New Jersey. They started in 1986 in Japan and then moved to Taiwan, where they are a household name. They specialize in fresh Asian pastries and desserts. We decided we needed to give it a try as Steve is famous for his sweet tooth. Their website says they have over 80 kinds of bread, as well as cakes baked fresh daily. Hours are 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.
When you walk in your breath is taken away by the wonderful smell and the beautiful look of all the pastries. It is hard to know where to start. You pick up a tray and tongs, and are on your way. Each item is marked clearly and individually wrapped in see-through bags. The first thing that caught my eye was an Ube concha. Steve loves conchas and ube, so a perfect choice—an interesting fusion of Asian and Mexican culture. The next thing I saw was an Almond croissant, so in my tray it went. There were brioche buns, taro bolos, raisin buns, Nutella cookie buns (Carnivore sidekick’s favorite so of course on the tray it went), custard Danish, green tea croissants, tarts, garlic parsley rolls (on my tray), as well as many savory items such as shitake mushroom cheese, shredded pork puff pastry, and too many more to mention. They had wonderful looking donuts, and they had a section of day old pastries that were heavily discounted.
In addition, they had a cold case which contained many tarts, custards, cream puffs, and the like. They have many cakes such as cheesecake, roll cakes, cream cakes, chiffon cakes and more. The pictures on the website will make your mouth water. They also have hot and cold drinks and a small space for eating indoors.
After you have made your selections, you get in line to pay and have your items bagged. My only complaint was there was only one register and the place was packed, but all in all, it was worth the wait. The prices were very reasonable and I think our bill for the pictured items was about $12.00.
We waited until we got home to try the items. I had the almond croissant with my tea and it was so scrumptious. I heated it a little, but it really didn’t need it. The dough was melt in your mouth delicious. We gave the Carnivore Sidekick the Nutella pastry and a creampuff, and he ate them in one sitting with no hesitation between them. He raved about how good they were though I don’t know how he had time to taste them. Who doesn’t love nutella. Steve’s raisin bun was large, so he ate half for breakfast, and the other half with his nightly cup of tea. He said it was tasty and he would get sgain. We ate the garlic parsley bread with a spaghetti dinner. The concha had ube filling inside and was sweet. He didn’t offer me any, of course, so we will take his word that it was good.
I think you should try this bakery. The Linda Vista area was without bakeries and recently has gotten two - The San Diego Bakery which has a great variety of Mexican pastries, and now this Asian-themed bakery, so lots of choices. Enjoy.
2024 LV Multi-Cultural Fair/Parade a Big Hit
Linda Vista Resident Honored by City Council
This past Saturday the Linda Vista community enjoyed the 39th edition of the ever-popular LV Multi-Cultural Fair and Parade. Over 8,000 people were in attendance to take in all the activities, music, food, and beautiful sunshine. And the person most responsible for the continued success of the Fair and Parade—one of two original event co-founders—was rightfully honored Saturday for her many contributions over the years as a community leader. During the opening ceremony of the event, Janet Kaye, a long-time resident of Linda Vista was recognized by the City of San Diego with an official proclamation from the City Council making April 27 Janet Kaye Day in San Diego.
The proclamation noted how Ms Kaye has served as a committed leader who has served to uphold her community’s values pertaining to diverse ideas and cultures by co-founding the LV Multi-Cultural Fair and Parade, serving as the event’s Director and Board member for over thirty years, and her continued work with other local organizations for the betterment of the Linda Vista community.
The proclamation was presented on behalf of the City Council by Councilmember Raul Campillo (District 7) .
Ms Kaye, who has served as a board member for several Linda Vista civic and non-profit organizations first became active in the community “Because I didn’t want a new condo development in Tecolote Canyon. I embarrassed myself in front of the City Council and vowed that would not happen again. I quickly learned about the Linda Vista Planning Group and Linda Vista Town Council and eventually joined these organizations.” She has also served as a board member for the Linda Vista Recreation Advisory Council, and Access, Inc.
She credits her success working with different local organizations to her being “outspoken” and the fact that she “likes working with people.”
Her work with the Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair and Parade began in the mid-80’s. As described by Ms Kaye, “When the Pan-Asians immigrated to Linda Vista and City Heights, we didn’t know what to do, since we could not talk to each other. It was not easy for any of us. The annual Fair and Parade was the direct result of attempting to share food, music, dance, costume, artistry, etc., with one another. Fellow Linda Vista resident Reggie Smith (parade co-founder) and City Council representatives and I went to work, received a grant and the first fair was held in 1985. It’s been a work in progress ever since.”
Ms Kaye continues to look forward to the future of the Parade and Fair. “Next year will be our fortieth, which will be extra special.”
As for this year’s highly successful event, she added, “We are indebted to the University of San Diego for being the Title Sponsor again this year. Fair coordinator Lauren Garces is an incredible leader. She does all the hard work while the Board of Directors oversees the process. There are many folks who deserve the same accolades I receive, which I more than appreciate.”
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The Linda Vista Update congratulates Janet Kaye on her recognition, and thanks her for taking the time to field our questions.
Two Foster Kittens Soon Available for Adoption
If you or someone you know are thinking about adopting a couple of wonderful kittens, we happen to have two specifically in mind for you to consider. We are currently fostering the two awesome kittens shown above for the SD Humane Society. Their names/ID numbers are Jack (# 902613) and Sally (#902614). They are approximately 7 weeks old. Both of them are extremely playful and super friendly. They love to run around and chase each other, but when tired they enjoy falling asleep on your lap. We can tell they will grow up to be very sociable pets. They are both currently undergoing the rigorous Rodriguez Kitten Training Regimen, which will eventually mold them into highly intelligent, obedient, and socially responsible animal companions.
We anticipate they will be up for adoption sometime next week. If you are interested in both, or either one of these kittens, please let us know, and we can fill you in on what needs to be done to adopt them.
SD Humane Society Issues a Call to Action
This Tuesday (National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day) San Diego’s leading animal welfare organizations came together at the SD Humane Society facility located on 5500 Gaines Avenue to raise awareness about the critical state of animal shelters in San Diego County. During a press conference, a coalition of eleven organizations implored the community to join them in saving lives by adopting, fostering and spaying and neutering their pets, before the situation becomes even more urgent during the busier summer months.
At the press conference, SD Humane Society President and CEO Dr. Gary Weitzman commented that the SD Humane Society’s commitment to Zero Euthanasia is being challenged by the current state of emergency confronting the organization. This state of emergency is the result of a dramatic increase in dogs and small animals being housed not only at the SD Humane Society’s facilities, but also all the other animal shelters in the county. He described the SD Humane Society as “maxed out” in regard to its capabilities to take care of these animals. He sought to warn San Diego residents of the impending crisis projected for this summer, which is traditionally the time of year when stray/abandoned animal populations increase, and when July 4th fireworks separate pets from their owners. This is also the time when the kitten population explodes.
Weitzman gave some startling figures to back up his claim about the current state of emergency.
Animal shelters are at 150% to 200% of capacity
45,000 animals come to rescue shelters each year
A couple of years ago SD Humane Society used to average taking care of 440 dogs per day
This year SD Humane Society is averaging 640 dogs per day
There has been a 12% increase in the number of stray dog rescues
Only 35% of stray dog rescues are re-claimed by owners
Weitzman gave several reasons for this record increase in the number of animals at animal shelters to include unplanned litters, the rising price of taking care of pets, and the unavailability of rental housing. He asked residents throughout SD County to help avert the impending crisis by doing the following:
Get your pets spayed/neutered
Help by volunteering to foster animals in their homes (each fostered animal makes room for more animals at animal shelters)
Think about adopting an animal
If any of our readers are interested in fostering an animal from the SD Humane Society, we encourage you to click HERE to learn more about become a pet foster. It is not a complicated process, and the experience of being a foster is a very rewarding one.
Students Showcase Knowledge at Carson Family STEAM Night
Carson Elementary STEAM Magnet, located at 6905 Kramer Street, recently held a Family STEAM Night to showcase the talents and knowledge of its students. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Approximately 500 family members, students, and community members attended this after-school event. The Family STEAM Night provided an opportunity for parents to engage with activities that demonstrated certain facets of the school’s STEAM curriculum, and showed that subjects like science can be fun.
Each of the school’s 18 classrooms set up tables that featured hands-on, researched-based, STEAM-related activities. Some of these activities included the simulated building of molecules, architectural projects, the growing of succulents, and spool craft.
Assisting the classrooms with the night’s activities were 80 volunteers from the University of San Diego. Some of the students participated as part of community service while others did so as part of the University’s School of Education.
School Principal Lucille Ciudad Real commented that the Family STEAM Night was “Lots of fun. It is meant to be an experiential event that helps students envision going into science careers.”
Carson Elementary holds two STEAM Nights per year. In addition to the one held in April, the school holds another in November. The public is invited to attend these events to see first hand the school’s interdisciplinary approach to learning.
Linda Vista Update at the Fair
Once again the LV Update staffed a booth at Saturday’s LV Multi-Cultural Fair and Parade. We even had the Carnivore Sidekick and his sidekick join us to the delight of the many folks who stopped by our booth.
It was good to see in person so many of you who faithfully read our newsletter every week. We were happy to have Councilmember Raul Campillo and his staff stop by to say hello.
Many of you mentioned how you have tried the restaurants we reviewed and enjoyed learning so many things about Linda Vista. One person related how she got involved with Bayside Community Center and the Community Garden project after reading about it in this newsletter. We enjoyed speaking with everyone and are grateful to those who signed up to begin receiving the newsletter. It was gratifying to learn that we are reaching so many people, so thank you for stopping by, thank you for reading, and an advance thank you for any stories you would like to recommend or interesting local people you would like us to spotlight.
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