Time for a Linda Vista Sign?
Plus: Upcoming Access Job Info Session; Linda Vista in the Spotlight; Vive le Croissant; and News Briefs
Who wants a sign?
Let’s be serious. A better question might be…Who doesn’t want a sign?
After all, as far as San Diego is concerned, if you want to claim you live in a cool community, you must have a sign.
For many San Diegans, a sign is considered the ultimate form of community prestige. You might say that a sign is indeed a sign that your community has arrived.
What kind of sign am I talking about? I’m referring to those iconic street signs that hang over the respective main drags of several San Diego communities. We’ve all seen them in places like Hillcrest, North Park, City Heights, and Little Italy. Even the newly built community of Civita over in Mission Valley has their own street sign.
Which brings us to Linda Vista. Our community has been around since 1941, and yet, for whatever reason, we’ve never managed to have a sign arching over our own main drag. Why no sign? Why haven’t we qualified for the ultimate San Diego community element of distinction? Yes, we do have the attractive “Welcome to Linda Vista” monuments that sit on Genesee Avenue, Ulric Street, and Morena Boulevard. But sign purists, of which there are many, argue that the vertical, hanging over-the-street sign style is necessary to make Linda Vista stand out as a trendy community.
Several of our newsletter readers have written in asking why we have no such sign. They rightfully believe our LV pride would be greatly enhanced if such a sign were to hang over Linda Vista Road, in between the Linda Vista Plaza Shopping Center and John Baca Park. It would be such a show of pride, and also help promote our area as a destination.
I warn you, though, that I recently conducted some research about street signs in San Diego. The answer to why Linda Vista doesn’t have a sign may all come down to money. It turns out street signs are quite an expensive proposition. I found one Union Tribune article from 2020 that discussed how the nearby Convoy District has plans to have their own street sign installed; however, the article went on to state that the cost for such sign is estimated to be around $500,000. That’s quite a bit of money! Another article mentioned that “The Boulevard” street sign on El Cajon Boulevard, erected in 1989, cost $200,000. It looks to me that the Civita sign, which is much smaller and much less gaudy than the El Cajon Boulevard sign, could be the way to go. Yet, a similar North Park sign, also positioned on a pedestal, cost $35,000 to build and install way back in 1993. Considering the harsh reality of inflation, who knows how much such a sign would cost today?
In order to maneuver around the anticipated exorbitant expense associated with a Linda Vista street sign, I suggest we review the following cost-minimizing options. These options ask us to scale down our ambitions, and/or swallow a bit of our pride, but check them out and determine which ones you see as workable. And then let’s start thinking of putting together an aggressive sign fundraising campaign.
Option 1: We erect a sign, but instead of spelling out “Linda Vista,” we will economize by limiting the lettering to an “L” and a “V”. This is sure to bring down the cost of the project, and people will still get the point. And who knows…maybe “55” will become our community’s new nickname.
Option 2: We make the sign and the pedestal totally out of the cardboard that comes from our used Amazon boxes. We could thus have a sign and earn a lot of good will amongst environmental groups by labeling this a Community Recycling and Sign Project.
Option 3: We ask Oprah Winfrey to pay for all the costs associated with building, installing, and maintaining the sign. If she requires us to change the name of our community to “Oprah Linda Vista”, we won’t object. After all, she’ll have to pay for the extra sign lettering.
Option 4: Rumor has it there is a wealthy village in Costa Rica called Linda Vista. We can educate their civic leaders on the benefits of having a “Linda Vista” street sign, and then ask them to fund half the cost for such a sign. They can then utilize the sign from January to June, while we would keep it the rest of the year. A “seasonal” street sign is probably better than no street sign at all.
Option 5: Instead of a fancy, expensive sign built on a pedestal, we could just build the pedestal part, then request civic-minded volunteers to stand on top and spin a “Linda Vista” sign, similar to the sign spinners you’ve seen that are employed to attract customers to a new housing development.
If you have any other ideas as possible options, let us know and will publish them in a future issue of this newsletter.
Upcoming ACCESS Youth Job Training Info Session
Do you know a young person currently attending school who might benefit from an opportunity to gain some job experience and career skills? Or, do you know a young person looking for a job who might benefit by receiving one-on-one support from a career navigator? If so, you many want to direct that young person to an upcoming event sponsored by Access, Inc, a non-profit agency based in Linda Vista which is focused on workforce development.
On February 25 at 3:30 pm (right after school), Access, Inc—located at 2612 Daniel Ave, off of Linda Vista Road—will conduct an informational session, complete with free ice cream for all session participants, to help familiarize those young people with Access, Inc, job training opportunities.
Below is the news about the upcoming info session that Access, Inc would like disseminated to interested job seekers within the 16-24 age group:
Young People - Do You Want to Get a Job in the New Year?
Hmmm… What will I be when I grow up? What does it take to get a job today or this summer? How do I even begin?
Have you been asking yourself these questions? If so, you are in luck. If you are between the ages of 16 and 24 you can sign up for a two hour on-line training course designed just for you. You will learn what you can do to get a job now (employers are hiring all over San Diego) - or keep the information in mind for the future.
This is a special program made possible through the San Diego Workforce Partnership, and everyone who finishes gets a $50 gift card. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is intended to give you a taste of what it is like to earn some money and motivate you to look for work to keep the wages coming. If you decide to just take the course and not look for work now, no problem - you still keep the gift card.
Oliver, who finished the course, said this about the training, “I didn’t know what to expect but my basketball friends and I did it together at school. It was easy to understand and we will definitely use the info when we apply for jobs. We were doing high fives when we got the gift cards!”
It takes less than 15 minutes to sign up. All you need is access to a computer with internet - and if that is a problem we can find a convenient place for you to take the course with others your age.
Any questions, or ready to sign up today? - Contact Kimya Crawford at kcrawford@access2jobs.org, or sign up online https://www.access2jobs.org/connect2careers
By the way, to learn more about Access, Inc. visit our website www.access2jobs.org where you will learn about our very cool youth programs!
The above information can be obtained in flyer format, for posting or for handing out to individuals, by clicking here.
Check out some more details about Access training programs by reviewing the posters below. You can also refer to a previous post of the Update that featured an article on this great organization.
Help get the word out about the February 25 event. We hope to see many young people at this info session!
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Linda Vistan in the Spotlight
LV Resident Coordinates UCSD Black History Month Activities
While scanning the pages of last week’s San Diego Union Tribune, we were pleasantly surprised to find one of our neighbors—Pam Frugé—featured in an advertisement for a Union Tribune-sponsored Livestream event to discuss upcoming Black History Month activities being held on the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) campus. It turns out Ms Frugé, a long-time employee of UCSD, is serving as Chair for the school’s 2022 Black History Month Planning Committee, which is composed of staff and faculty. We watched the livestream event, and came away impressed by Pam and all the great events going on this month at the UCSD campus. And once we realized a local celebrity was in our midst, we quickly arranged to sit down and interview her so that other Linda Vistans might get to know about her and this month’s activities on the UCSD campus. Here is what she had to say:
—How long have you lived in Linda Vista?
Five years.
—Where are you originally from?
Los Angeles.
—What do you like about living in the Fashion Hills neighborhood of Linda Vista?
It’s a hidden gem. Super quiet. So nice. Central to everything. You feel like you’re in the middle of the city, but you’re not.
—How long have you worked at UCSD?
Thirty years.
—What is your job title at UCSD?
I’m the Chief Administrative Officer for the Undergraduate Colleges’ Business Office.
—What’s the most interesting aspect about your job?
Seeing the positive impact on the students. We oversee student hiring, and we eventually get to see them serving as resident advisors and as part of student orientation.
—What are some of the highlights of UCSD’s Black History Month?
The Black History Celebration and Scholarship Awards ceremony on February 25, the “Healing Our Communities” lecture series on Zoom (sponsored by UC San Diego Centers for Integrative Health Center for Mindfulness), and the African Dance and Drumming Workshop on February 24.
—Please complete this sentence…When you are not working, people will find you…
Walking my dog, at the driving range, or learning how to roller skate at Skateworld. I attend weekly skating instruction at Skateworld, and I’ve moved up from beginner status!
—What changes would you like to see in Linda Vista or the neighboring communities during the next two years?
This might make me sound a little crotchety, but I don’t want to see more high-rise buildings because it’s already so dense. I like preserving the natural aspect of the area.
—Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?
If you find any events to attend during Black History Month, be curious, get out there, and meet new people. We are better together, when we get to know people, and when we are part of a community.
***
The Linda Vista Update wishes to thank Ms Frugé for taking the time to answer our questions.
Vive le Croissant…and Other French Pastries
We have written about many food establishments in previous posts of this newsletter, to include a couple of good donut shops like Yum Yum and Christy’s. In the area, we also have Rose Donut, Krispy Kreme, and Dunkin Donuts. However, something that I had not been able to find in Linda Vista was a bakery that could satisfy my craving for French pastries, including authentic croissants and brioche.
Of course, you can buy croissants at the local supermarkets, and even Costco, but they do not have the consistency or taste of a real French bakery croissant. (I speak with authority because I once took a 4-hour croissant baking class in Paris).🧑🏻🍳😂
A few days ago, while wracking my brain to recall the existence of a French bakery in the area, I finally remembered that before the pandemic I had gone to Zion Market, and I vaguely remembered they had a French style bakery. So, off we went on a mission. Sure enough, there it was, beckoning to us. It is called the Paris Baguette. You can see the sign and entrance as you park your car , We donned our masks and ran in and were met with gleaming bakery cases filled with croissants (plain, chocolate, almond) and cheese pastries, and many other baked goods too numerous to mention. Since the pandemic, they have changed the presentation somewhat, and many of the items are individually wrapped. However, trays are available, as well as tongs and gloves, to assure the process is sanitary. The prices are reasonable, though a little more expensive as is everything else in the world. The bakery is identified as an Asian infused French concept. Of course, Zion Market is a Korean market located on Clairemont Mesa Blvd near the corner with Convoy, which is an incredible store with many stores inside the store, including jewelry, insurance, and more. Their meat and fish selections cannot be beat. Besides French pastries, the bakery sells breads, cakes,pies, and even has sandwiches and drinks. We bought croissants, both chocolate and plain, and a cheese pastry. All were very delicious, flaky and many layered.
After thinking things over, I also remembered that Ranch 99 Market had a good bakery section with French type pastries. I knew of only one Ranch 99 on Clairemont Mesa Blvd, but when I Googled it, I found another market had opened up at Genesee and Balboa near the Target store, so off we went again. If you haven’t been to Ranch 99, you should go just to see the number and quality of Asian items they sell. I wandered around the different departments including fish, meat as well as canned and frozen goods, cooking utensils, and more. The bakery department was not all in one place, but rather spread out in the same section as the food-to-go such as dim sum, spring rolls, dumplings and Asian meals. If you’ve been to Vietnam and especially Saigon, you will know there is a French bakery on every corner, a wonderful leftover from when the French were in the region. So, it is not surprising that many Asian markets carry French pastries such as croissants, flaky danishes, brioche and more. Again, the pastries were individually wrapped and reasonably priced. They also had breads, rolls, and cakes. We bought a couple of pastries to try (as well as some dim sum) and everything was really tasty.
Thirdly, eveyone’s favorite sandwich shop, K’s Sandwiches on Convoy and Mesa Drive, has a wonderful bakery section which carries baguettes, croissants, other French pastries plain and filled. In addition, they carry our favorite sandwich—spicy mayo shrimp on baguette. We bought some baguettes which I use for garlic bread, and a sandwich, but forgot to buy a croissant, so I guess we will have to go back and get one. We have had their pastries before and can attest to the home-made goodness of everything they make. I especially like the chocolate croissants with my tea in the morning (or anytime, for that matter).
So, if you want to get your fix of French pastries, you don’t have to go to Paris, Vietnam, or even Hillcrest. You can pick up a wonderful flaky croissant at one of the above-mentioned nearby establishments or if in a pinch, Costco…12 for $5.99. Can’t beat that price.
News Briefs
—The Kearny High Boys Basketball team was victorious in the opening round of the CIF San Diego Section 4 playoffs. This past Wednesday night (February 16), they scored a 66-39 victory over Vincent Memorial. The Komets now go on to play Escondido Charter school on February 19 at 7:00 pm.
—The San Diego Loyal Soccer Club plays the Club Tijuana Xolos this Saturday (February 19) at USD’s Torero Stadium. Game time is 7:00 pm. If you want to buy tickets, please go here.
—As part of her Community Recognitions Program, State Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber is recognizing women leaders during Women’s History Month. Her office is asking constituents to submit nominations for women leaders in three different categories (Arts, Education, and Health Sciences). Nominations are due by February 25. Check out details on how to submit nomination by clicking here.
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I am all for a sign--if it'll get people to slow down on Linda Vista Road! Haha! I bet speed bumps would be a much more cost effective solution. Maybe speed bumps with reflective paint that read, "LVTC"?! I am joking, not joking. I live right off Linda Vista Rd and the noise from the people who drag race down the street makes me crazy. While I am on Linda Vista Rd rant and fast cars, I live across from USD and due the lack of crosswalks and car centric design of Linda Vista Rd drunk college kids are always running across the street at night. It's very scary to witness. I vote more crosswalks, speed bumps and a LVTC sign! :)
Thanks for letting us know where we can get some croissants. I am going to try your recommendations and enjoy some delicious treats!