Young Actors Star in Fun, Quirky Musical
Plus: LVTC Meeting Announcement, Spotlight on Chair of LV Planning Group, Flag Volunteer Opportunity, Community Garden Grand Opening, Lunch at Del Mesa Deli, SDPD Inside, and Mariachi Concert
If you want to hang out with a bunch of weird, eccentric, and slightly scary people, San Diego usually offers us a number of dubious locales. However, if you want to do so in a safe and fun environment that involves lots of singing and dancing by talented young people, then I suggest you hurry over to the Linda Vista Recreation Center (7064 Levant Street) to witness the next showing of One Normal Night. This production, by the Linda Vista Theater Arts Program, features the popular characters created by Charles Addams as they spend a night trying to size up the “normal” family of Wednesday’s suitor when inviting them to attend dinner at the Addams’ creepy mansion.
Most of us are familiar with Charles Addams’ classic characters like Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley and Uncle Fester, and they all have their moments in this production put on by this talented cast and crew made up of local young people 8 to 18 years in age.
The script is a wacky one with lots of silliness and many outrageous characters that will keep you laughing, and the young cast does a great job of exhibiting fun while singing, dancing and delivering the often macabre punch lines.
Kole Cortez (Gomez) and Gina Everly (Morticia) set the tone for the play as perfect husband and wife foils. Morticia demands total honesty, while Gomez humorously tries to balance the keeping of secrets with the welfare of the family. Katelynn Vilchis as Wednesday shines in all of her character’s odd ball ways, while also showing off a powerful voice in solo musical numbers. Jolisa Samaniego as Pugsley also does well as a bizarre, bratty adolescent who enjoys being “tortured” by his older sister, and who tries to break up the relationship between Wednesday and her boyfriend. Ella Yepiz (Grandma) provides some cringe worthy humor as the elder matriarch of the family (or is she?) Leia Viray (Lucas), Janine Perry (Alice), and Carolynn Tran (Mal) are funny as the “normal” Beineke family, who end up in their own way being just as eccentric as the opposing family members. K.J. Lecesne, the program director for the LV Theater Arts Program, serves as a humorous Uncle Fester.
Also strengthening the production is the work of the ghostly ensemble cast which adds much rhythm and voice to many a scene.
The performances of this youthful cast and crew are the culmination of three times a week rehearsals/acting classes that have been going on since January.
If you are interested in seeing the Friday June 14 performance of One Normal Night, please click on this link. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friday-614-one-normal-night-tickets-903894361367?aff=oddtdtcreator
LVTC Meeting Next Wednesday
You do not have to be a member of the Linda Vista Town Council to attend this meeting. It is open to the public.
In the Spotlight
Meet the New Chair of LV Planning Board
We at the Linda Vista Update always enjoy throwing the spotlight on local residents who play an active leadership role in the community. These individuals set the example for the rest of us and provide a great service. In past issues we have featured interviews with such community leaders as Kim Heinle (Executive Director of Bayside Community Center), Kristie Buckley, (CEO of ACCESS, Inc,) and Dawn Essington (Board member, Linda Vista Recreation Group). This week we feature an interview with Felicity Senoski, the newly elected chair of the Linda Vista Planning Group (LVPG).
There are 54 community planning groups in San Diego. As indicated on the City of San Diego’s website, community planning groups are used as formal mechanisms for community input in the land use decision-making process. Community planning groups provide 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 recommendations of the planning groups are integral components of the planning process, and are highly regarded by the City Council and by staff.
Ms Senoski is a Linda Vista resident who attended the University of San Diego as an undergraduate and received her law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. She has worked at the California Attorney General’s Office for 25 years.
We recently asked Ms Senoski a few questions about herself and the LVPG as a way of introducing her to our community of readers. Here is what she had to say:
—What was your original interest in joining the LVPG? How long have you served on the LVPG?
In 2014 I became aware of plans for the development of the Riverwalk Golf Course. I also became aware of the planning group’s advisory role to the City on land use matters. Because of my interest in what was happening in my neighborhood, I helped form and joined a subcommittee of the LVPG dedicated to providing input to the developers of the Riverwalk Golf Course. In 2016 I became a member of the LVPG and have been serving on the group since that time.
—What have you enjoyed about serving on the LVPG?
I have enjoyed working with my fellow planning group members and residents of the community on issues important to them. Specific issues that come to the planning group are usually handled first through committee, where committee members can really explore a given topic, study its relationship to the community, and formulate a recommendation to the full planning group for further discussion and refinement if necessary. When the planning group understands impacts to the community and is able to reach consensus on ways to resolve or mitigate those impacts, advocacy for the benefit of the community reaches its highest level. When advocacy materializes into results, it is very rewarding.
—What are some of the major issues the LVPG has been working on the past couple of years and/or continues to work on?
The last couple of years have been extraordinary for the LVPG. The LVPG adopted its Affordable Housing Task Force’s (AHTF) report, that was based on almost two years’ worth of study, concerning the City’s affordable housing crisis, and the task force made a number of presentations to City and State leadership. The AHTF continues to network statewide with organizations concerned with affordable housing. In early 2023, the LVPG took a position on SB10, and cautioned that the state bill was not a one size fits all for housing needs. The last quarter of 2023 was dedicated to preparing and submitting the LVPG’s community engagement plan and application for recognition by the City. We also suffered the loss of my predecessor, the late Howard Wayne. Part of Howard’s legacy is the example he set to work for the common good. The LVPG continues on that path. Most recently, the LVPG weighed in on City’s general plan refresh known as Blueprint SD by providing written comments to the City.
—In the next two years, what would you like to see happen in Linda Vista?
I would like to see the promised investment in the Linda Vista Library come to fruition and greater engagement of the planning group by builders and developers who see opportunities in Linda Vista.
—What do you enjoy about living in Linda Vista?
My husband Matt and I enjoy Linda Vista’s proximity to the beach and bay, walking our dog Derby in the neighborhood, visiting the mom and pop/family establishments that still exist here, like Sardina’s and Skate World, and the new generation of establishments, such as Pizza Cassette, Zgara, and Sushi Yorimichi. Linda Vista is a wonderful place to live and call home.
***
The Linda Vista Update wishes to thank Ms Senoski for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish her good luck in the pursuit of her LVPG duties. The Linda Vista Planning Group’s next meeting, which is open to the public, will be held on June 24 at 6:00 pm at the American Legion Post 731, located at 7245 Linda Vista Road.
Upcoming Community Volunteer Opportunity
If you are looking for an opportunity to help out the community, the Linda Vista Parade of Flags and Boy Scout Troop 295 will be placing and retrieving U.S. flags in Linda Vista on June 19. You can join in on this Linda Vista tradition. Check out the above flyer for details.
LV Community Garden Grand Opening
A well attended ribbon cutting ceremony was held this past Saturday to mark the grand opening of the Linda Vista Community Garden. Ceremony participants included Mayor Todd Gloria, District 7 Councilmember Raul Campillo, City Parks and Recreation Director Andy Fields, board members of the San Diego Parks Foundation, major donor Wendy Gillespie, Kim Heinle (Executive Director of Bayside Community Garden) and Amy Zink (Program Director for Bayside’s Environmental Learning Center).
The 5000 square foot garden, located at the LV Community Park, is the first of its kind built on San Diego City Park property, and will hopefully serve as a model for future garden projects.
As indicated by Mayor Gloria in his ceremony remarks, the building of the park was “a community led effort” that required the work of many people, to include city employees and elected officials, the Bayside Community Center, the San Diego Parks Foundation, and many volunteers from the community. In his speech, Councilmember Campillo remarked on the pleasure resulting from growing one’s own food at the garden, and ultimately “enjoying the work of our hands.”
After years of planning, the groundbreaking for the garden occurred back in December 2023. This past month saw hundreds of local volunteers, to include Carpenters Local 619 and other local groups and individuals, spend Saturdays at the park, building garden beds and filling them with soil, planting trees, and moving benches and tables in preparation for Saturday’s Opening Day.
Bayside is still collecting names for an opportunity to rent a raised garden bed. The best way to apply is to get on Bayside’s email list by going to this link and answering a few questions.
Del Mesa Liquor for Deli Sandwiches
We have previously written about several places at the busy Linda Vista corner of Via Las Cumbres and Friars Road, to include Little House of Flowers, Mr. Peabody’s Burgers and Ale, Kiko’s Seafood truck (no longer there), and Los Ponchos Taco Shop. You may get the idea it is one of our favorite corners. I guess it is because we drive past it so often, on our way for example to the YMCA, or to the SD Humane Society to get our foster kittens, to name just a few frequent destinations. One place at the corner we have been going to a lot over the years is Del Mesa Liquor in the lot which houses Little House of Flowers and previously the seafood truck.
If you haven’t gone into Del Mesa, it may be because you thought it was strictly a liquor store. Well, it sells a wide variety of liquor related items, but is also much more, including a convenience store and a deli. As we needed lunch after a recent workout at the gym, and we were both craving a good deli-style sandwich, we decided to finally give it a try and perhaps write it up for the purposes of a newsletter review.
We checked out the deli and found a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, desserts, eggs, and more. They advertise Boar’s Head Meats, and though we don’t eat meat, we did, however, take note of a variety of meats, including beef, turkey and more. They also showed us their extensive sandwich list on a board behind the counter. Fortunately, they had a veggie sandwich on their menu, as well as tuna sandwich, which you know is one of my favorite things. You also have a choice of bread such as white, wheat, rye, sourdough, onion roll.
I ordered the tuna salad on an onion roll. Steve went for the veggie sandwich on sourdough. The sandwiches were $8.99 and $9.99, not too bad considering the size of the sandwich.
My tuna came with lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion, and of course tuna. It was piled high as you can see from the picture. It was very good and so filling I saved half for another meal. The onion roll was a large roll which they cut in half and which was really tasty.
Steve’s veggie sandwich had lettuce, tomato, two kinds of cheese, avocado, cucumber, onion, olive oil and vinegar dressing. Steve also passed on eating the entire sandwich so we ended up getting lunch and dinner for one low price. The person making the sandwiches was very friendly and recommended to us choices of bread, dressings, etc. Each sandwich is made separately – no prepackaged sandwiches in the display case that make you wonder how long they have been there.
We were very impressed with the service and the food. The deli display case does have some dessert selections (i.e.slices of pie) to make your lunch complete. And they feature a different sandwich special each week. The store carries a wide variety of other things, including wines, beers and liquors, candies, chips, and an amazing amount of other items neatly arranged in the store. You can check out their website and even order on line.
So give the place a try for lunch. I think you will find something you like for a quick, convenient lunchtime selection. We were told that the deli gets very busy during the lunch time hours.
Inside SDPD Provides Great Learning Opportunity
We know the hardworking members of the San Diego Police Department do a great job protecting the community. But if you want to develop an even deeper appreciation for their professionalism and what their daily duties entail, then we recommend residents sign up to attend the upcoming Inside SDPD session, which will be held Saturday, June 22. At this event, San Diego citizens can get a detailed look at the challenging tasks that are carried out by the SDPD. Check out the flyer below for details on signing up for this upcoming event.
Upcoming Community Event
Hope Lutheran Church in Linda Vista is hosting a free concert by Mariachi San Pablo followed by an outdoor movie. Everyone is welcome. This will be on the church campus located at 6749 Tait Street.
Subscribe to the Linda Vista Update
We invite everyone to subscribe to the Linda Vista Update. It’s free! Just click on the “Subscribe now” button located below. Once you do so, you will be on automatic distribution for all future posts. Join our growing community of readers. The Linda Vista Update is a weekly digital newsletter that publishes informative, interesting and fun news about Linda Vista and its neighboring communities.