This is a constantly evolving gallery of people and places around Rancho Santa Fe with special recognition for those who also serve the world a greater good!
OMG!!! Breaking news! Eco crisis hits way close to home. Eric laid off from his RSF job. Please hire him!
"I have been cast out of the Garden. Thursday, January 14, was supposed to be my first night back at work after my trip to South America, but I received a surprise, late morning call from the owner informing me, my services were no longer needed in Rancho Santa Fe. I've appealed the decision, and I await in exile. ..
One of the cool things about my job is getting to see inside people's houses. Out here, every night is like one of those fancy home tours people pay tens of dollars to attend. And this holiday season hasn't disappointed. I've seen some of tallest, most elaborately decorated Christmas trees in my life. I've seen teams of immigrant men stringing lights around trees and houses. I've seen homes where every square inch inside has some decoration, be it a nearly full-sized reindeer, a Santa, wreaths, ribbons, or what have you. I've seen a beautifully carved ceramic nativity set that looked like it costs over a thousand dollars. I think these people would probably pay to have Jesus in their houses if he weren't already dead. Their holiday spirit can't be questioned.
Not to be outdone, our Jewish friends have created their own displays: the pizzeria's neighbor had a Chanukah party in the parking lot tonight with a ten foot tall, tinfoil-wrapped Menorah and speakers blasting a mix of hip-hop and traditional music. And, of course, a man gave a maudlin speech about miracles.
In the ultimate show of American religious fusion, I saw in the foyer of a house tonight a snow-flocked, Christmas tree with large, blue ornament balls and miniature Menorah ornaments throughout. Happy Chris-hanukah!
But sometimes it's not that cool to see inside people's homes. Like the time in Encinitas when I was called into a house with the front door open. The floor was stripped of its carpet, and the residents appeared to be remodeling. I assumed that's why they called me inside––they were stuck in the bedroom painting or hanging drywall. Instead, I found the most overweight man I've seen in my life practically squatting in a room with only a bed and stacks of papers and magazines. He wore sweatpants and a dirty white T-shirt. I suddenly felt bad for delivering a large pizza and a 25-pack of chocolate chip cookies to this lone man. I felt like an enabler, like I was giving crack to a crack addict. I'm not even sure the man could fit through his door. On my way out, he called to me and asked if I would grab the newspaper out front and deliver it to him. I did. I've never been able to shake that scene.
And tonight, I deliver to an older couple, by no means elderly. I mean, maybe they're in their early 70s at most, but the scene inside their house disturbs me. Within the side door, where the man disappears to sign the credit card slip, they have two, faded La-Z-Boy recliners crammed into this small room, facing the television. On the wall hangs one of the most beautiful, vibrant paintings I've seen––a house and tree, all bright blues, oranges, and whites. It's clear this is where they spend their time, nesting among the T.V. and the painting. Along the floor, and lined up on the wooden T.V. tray (you knew there'd be one, right?) are bottles and bottles of prescription pills, vitamins, and dietary supplements, like the couple can't be bothered to put them in the cupboard. Here they are, living in one of the richest neighborhoods in the world, and their lives have been reduced to this single room, these bottles, this T.V., that painting. It depresses the hell out of me. Better to die young, I think. At least they're together. For now.
It's easy to live in a bubble in Rancho Santa Fe, even for me. While sales drop off earlier in the night, between 7:30 and 8:30, we still have good, early rushes and some big orders. When I arrive at the pizzeria tonight, the manager clocks me in early and gives me a $172.05 order. I haven't had a big order like this in some time, so I'm excited.
I arrive just before the scheduled 6 p.m. delivery time. The tall, gray-haired man, wearing a festive, red sweater, takes the items in bunches––the 16" salad bowl and dressing containers, then two trays of pasta, then another tray of pasta and a tray of garlic bread––and walks them into the kitchen while I wait at the door. When he returns for the final time, looking serious, he pulls out a money roll. My eyes widen as he releases a twenty from the wad and hands it to me, saying, "Happy Holidays." I return his holiday greeting, but am upset when I realize it's a five dollar bill, not a twenty. I think maybe he's going to tip the rest on the credit card slip, but he hands it back with a signature and a blank tip line. Happy Holidays, Mr Scrooge.
It's crazy, because some people have been holiday tipping lately: one lady gave me ten dollars for a $38 order and said, "For gas," and another man gave me $15 on a $25 order earlier this week. But just as many people have been giving the tip stiff-arm this holiday season, and I feel like I've been earning less and less this fall. It's going to be a long, cold winter if this keeps up.
I tend to forget, working my cushy pizza job in Rancho, that there's a real economic recession out there. Sure, many stocks have recovered, since companies are cutting costs and becoming more profitable, but unemployment is still above ten percent. And one of my closest friends lost his adjunct teaching job at Fresno State and is fishing around for work, trying to piece enough together to pay his mortgage come spring.
I've thought about substitute teaching for extra cash and a way to transition out of the food service industry, but when I called the local high school district about next semester, the woman told me they had 130 people at this fall's "guest teacher" orientation, and she's still processing them. When I went to this same orientation last year, there were maybe 30 people. I'm thinking about getting a teaching credential, but the programs are super impacted because of state budget cuts, meaning they're accepting fewer and fewer students. And when I called San Diego City College to check on the adjunct instructor pool down there, the department head told me she has over fifteen current instructors without any classes to teach for spring, so they're "about a year or two out from hiring." Times are tough, indeed. I feel like an ungrateful ass for complaining, but that's what life in
A group of civilly-disobedient hemp farmers and business leaders were arrested Tuesday morning while digging up the lawn to plant industrial hemp seeds at the headquarters of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
David Bronner, the president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, a more than 60-year-old company that does tens of millions of dollars of business annually, was among those arrested.
Bronner buys the hemp used in his soaps from Canadian farmers. He was arrested outside the DEA museum, which shares space with the headquarters.
“Our kids are going to come to this museum and say, ‘My God. Your generation was crazy. What the hell is wrong with you people?’” he said as Arlington County Police handcuffed him and walked him to a waiting car.
Wayne Hauge and Will Allen, farmers from North Dakota and Vermont respectively, brought shovels and seeds to the protest, where they were joined by representatives of Vote Hemp, which advocates for federal legislation that would allow states to craft their own hemp policies.
Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, [Oregon,] Vermont, and West Virginia — allow industrial hemp production or research, but federal law, which requires nearly-impossible-to-obtain-permits to grow hemp, trumps those state laws. A bill introduced by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) would allow states to craft their own policies. For more, follow this link...
MEET JOHN HERMANN
"There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval."--George Santayana (1863-1952)
(Photo left: John with Dr. Roger Rowe himself, RSF school namesake and former longtime leader, at Monday, June 15 Pre-Demolition Reunion event.)
Rancho Santa Fe School, where I attended from Second through Eighth Grades (1976 to 1983), is in the process of being demolished to make room for a larger, more modern school. The elementary school, built in 1955, and the Middle school, built in the early 1970's, served the community well. But, as the student body has grown in recent years, the old school was no longer adequate. It is sad to see it go, but the fond memories of my days there will remain.
With the news that the school would soon be demolished, my sister, Bibbi (RSF School class of 1978), the alumni director for the school, decided to plan a reunion of alumni and past teachers. Within ten days she was able to round up alumni and teachers for this memorable event.
On Wednesday, June 3, my sister organized a photo shoot of mostly alumni and teachers who still live in the area, to appear in the local paper, The Rancho Santa Fe Review. Before the photo shoot, we gathered in the gym (spared from demolition), for a school assembly to mark the end of the school year and the end of the old school. The alumni and teachers were introduced to the student body. It was nice to see my niece, Dallas, and nephews, Sterling and Stetson (RSF classes of 2013, 2012, and 2015) among the student body. After the assembly, we gathered in the amphitheater for the photo shoot. It was great seeing the different generations of students gathered together along with past teachers. The oldest alumnus was Mr. Clotfelter who attended the school in the 1930's. My niece and nephews were among the present student body in the photo. My brother, Bill (RSF School class of 1980), was down from San Francisco, to be a part of this photo shoot.
On Saturday, June 6, the much anticipated reunion was held on the grounds of the school. There were about two hundred people in attendance. This reunion was also an occasion to unearth the time capsule, buried in 1976. Since it would be covered up by the new school, the time capsule had to be recovered.
The time capsule was the idea of Mrs. Spaulding, who had students fill it with mementos from 1976. The box was filled with argon gas to preserve the contents and was buried in a spot near the flagpole. A plaque was placed over it to mark the spot. The plaque had since disappeared, so people who were present at the burial had to go by memory to try and locate it. With the help of workmen with a backhoe and shovels the area where the time capsule was thought to be buried was dug up. They kept digging and digging, but there was no sign of the time capsule. It looked as if it wouldn't be found. They dug up another spot and found something. It was the time capsule. The metal box, wrapped in black plastic, was lifted out of the ground. The plastic was unwrapped and the box was revealed. It was a little rusty, but was still intact. In the excitement many people wanted to open the time capsule then and there. But, it was decided to rebury the time capsule on the grounds of the new school, and have it unearthed and opened in 2026 as originally planned. Hopefully there will be another reunion at that time.
After the unearthing of the time capsule, everyone continued to mingle, and reminisce. It was nice to see so many smiles and happy sounds. Everyone was given permission to spray paint messages on the walls of the school....
Christmastime is upon us again. Where did the time go? This is one of my favorite times of the year. I like the spirit of giving, peace, and goodwill that is a hallmark of this season. As a child, Christmas was the highlight of the year, and I was always excited at what gifts I would get. But, as I got older, I realized that the giving of gifts was far more rewarding. Opening gifts is a short term pleasure: once they are opened, the excitement wears off. But, the pleasure of giving lasts much longer. I get much pleasure seeing the joy in the eyes of my niece and nephews when they open the gifts from me. This year again I donated toys to Toys for Tots, a wonderful charity. It gives me pleasure knowing that children, who may have gone without toys on Christmas, will get toys because of my donations. Besides the giving, this is also a time to get together with family and friends; it would not be the same without them. My thoughts go out to those who are alone this time of year and wish they can find some joy. Merry Christmas to all.
The sport of mixed marshal arts or, “cage fighting” is considered illegal in some states and cities.
Megan Gangitano is a nanny for a family in Rancho Santa Fe, but she’s also an athlete training to become a professional fighter. “My two passions in life are kids and training to fight, so I get to live my dream,” says Gangitano.
Gangitano says her passion for fighting began 2 years ago when she was inspired by her cousin, also a female fighter. “I went into a gym and I was like I want to box and they had me doing like these aerobic boxing things and I was like no I want to fight, I want to fight!”
Since that day, Gangitano has taken on strict disciplines with hopes of becoming a professional fighter. “Yes I am a nanny, so that’s why I only keep the fighting inside the cage, but I am open with the kids I nanny for and I explain to them the dangers of street fighting.”
Color me joyful.My friend, Dominick Dunne is finishing up his stem cell treatments in Munich this week and will be bound for New York next week.I had www.DominicksDiary.com made so Dominick’s friends and fans from all over the world could check in with their best wishes. If you’re a fan of Dominick’s work, you might want to leave him a note.He reads each one, and sometimes checks in himself.
On a less joyous note, what Encinitas attorney had her notary book subpoenaed last week for a hearing and failed not only to produce the book; but skipped the court appearance altogether?
Was she hoping her past representation of the conservator of the judge’s mother a few years prior would win her an accountability pass?Details later.But if you want to read more about San Diego judges, good new: you can, at www.SanDiegoJudges.com
Glen W. Bell, Jr., Founder of Taco Bell, 86, died Sunday, Jan. 17 at his Rancho Santa Fe home. For more information follow this link....
BIRDING ANYONE? RANCHO SANTA FE IS ONE OF THE BEST PLACES IN THE WORLD TO SEE BIRDS. JUST ASK BEN LIZDFAS OF MIDDLETON, WISC., WHO VISITED THE AREA IN HIS QUEST TO DOCUMENT 600 BIRDS. BEN POSTED THIS ENTRY ON APRIL 2. FOR MORE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO MORE OF BEN AND HIS BIRDS...
Here are some of the digiscoping and birding highlights from my recent San Diego trip. The San Diego area has some of the most diverse habitat and thus, ample birding opportunities. One of the more common birds in the area is the Western Bluebird, pictured above. I never tire of watching or photographing this species when the chance presents itself.
With the help of some friends, I was able to track down a number of missing species from my bird life list, including the Mountain Plover (above) that we found foraging in the short grass, agricultural fields near the Salton Sea. Another target bird that we tracked down in the same area is the eye-poping Grey Flycatcher (pictured below). This is a bird that is drab, even by Empidonax standards.
The bird pictured above is a California Gnatcatcher. Federallyendangered, this species is most easily distinguishable from the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher by the almost entirely black underside of its tail.
In the meantime, the spring weather here is still relatively cool and not enticing me to get out birding much. That's fine, as I have been spending my free time putting the finishing touches oa furniture project I've been building all winter. I think my next post will break slightly from the birding/digiscoping theme here and focus on one of my other favorite hobbies: furniture making.
For Dr. Emmanuel H. Bronner and the soap he created, then popularized along with a cleansing dose of proselytizing. Bronner may be gone now, but nowhere near forgotten given the hundreds upon hundreds of Web pages devoted to his memory.Bronner was a giant among all-natural soapmakers when he died at age 89 in 1997 after decades of building the leading all-natural soapmaker in the nation as well as creating a personal mystique that continues to inform and astound.Secreted away in an obscure industrial section of Escondido, the all-natural soap company that Bronner made after a career as a chemist for more traditional soapmakers now has passed to a second and third generation of family members.
(Update Dec. 31: RSF Filmmaker Palmedo-Smith is always working on a new project. Funded by Rancho Santa Fe auto dealer Bob Baker, P-S is making a documentary about the battle for Outpost Harry in the Korean Conflict, for which Baker, then a corporal, received a bronze star. The two producers hope to finish the doc by summer 2010 and air it on PBS.)
(Photo: Glen Palmedo-Smith gets some copies of his film at his RSF home)
Longtime Rancho Santa Fe resident, real estate developer turned film writer-director, Glenn Palmedo-Smith's San Diego-set bilingual
35mm feature film "The Hungry Woman" is uniquely poised to influence the national debate on immigration reform when it resumes.
Palmedo-Smith's film noir follows the onerous travails of an exuberant Mexican emigre and her
adolescent brother, played by 2007 Emerald Ball international dance
champion (and a producer on the film) Olivia Pena in her screen debut and
Planetal Records recording artist-actor Roberto Enrique ("Nuevo Dia," FX's
"The Shield"), as they seek the American dream from the cover of their
clandestine camp amid the specter of a real-life-inspired murder with
national security implications.
"Considering the political climate, we couldn't have programmed a more
relevant picture that boasts such a heart-warming yet gut-wrenching
portrayal of the contemporary immigrant experience," said Ivan Roman, National Association of Hispanic Journalists executive director. NAHJ
performances by "Real Women Have Curves" co-star Lina Acosta and Mexican
film icon Luis Torner -- is production designer Ido Gondelman's elaborately
recreated migrant camp, built on a scale worthy of the Kyoto entertainment
district erected in Ventura, CA, for director Rob Marshall's "Memoirs of a
Geisha." At one point during production, in fact, shooting on "Hungry
Woman" (aka "La Mujer Hambrienta") was interrupted when locals mistook the
set for an actual encampment of hundreds of undocumented immigrants.
Undocumented immigrants are unabashedly front and center in both Mr.
Palmedo-Smith's fictional and Sen. Harry Reid's real worlds, now that the
Senate Majority Leader has introduced the Secure Borders, Economic
Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 for the 110th U.S. Congress
to consider as Quail's End Distribution Co. is ramping up for a late summer
release of the emotionally charged film.
FAIRBANKS RANCH RESIDENT ROBERT FRIMTZIS WENT FROM HOLOCAUST REFUGEE TO NASAS APOLLO SCIENTIST AND SURVEYOR LUNAR LANDER MANAGER
FROM "THE ALPS" CHAPTER 18
"EVERYONE must be rested and ready to depart shortly after dawn, we were told one evening. At dawn, four youthful members of an Israeli military organization, probably the Jewish Brigade of the British Army, gathered nearly one hundred refugees for our journey across the Alps. They spoke Hebrew to each other and Yiddish to us. They knew their way through the Alps from many previous trips, and insisted on our adherence to strict discipline. We would follow their instructions to the letter, and we would observe total silence at all times. The threat of detection by the border guards sobered us all. We wore street clothes, and had no special climbing gear or attire."
FROM THE DESK OF...Robert Frimtzis
At the age of ten my peaceful town Beltz, Bessarabia (now Moldova) was destroyed by the Nazis and I survived the ravages of World War II by escaping to Tajikistan. Hunger forced me to quit school and get my first fulltime job at the age of twelve.
To escape from Soviet anti-Semitism and get to America, I crossed many borders illegally. At nineteen, I reached America where I earned a bachelor’s degree from CCNY and a master’s from Columbia University, both in electrical engineering, without finishing high school. In various engineering management positions, I contributed to the success of Apollo and Surveyor lunar explorations, defense satellites and the Gamma Ray Observatory spacecraft. I also founded RFA Associates, a software engineering company.
I am currently retired and have been married for over fifty years. My wife and I live in Rancho Santa Fe, California. We have four children and six grandchildren.
I’ve written my memoir, From Tajikistan to the Moon, an inspirational true story of the spellbinding events of the war and my escape. It brings to life my flight to freedom and my ultimate success in America. Against all odds, a boy from Beltz survived the Nazi bombs, escaped from Russia, trekked through half of Europe, and to top it all off, contributed to the accomplishments of America's space and defense programs.
1972: Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, a nurse, meet at a Houston hospital. They set out on a spiritual quest and open a metaphysical bookstore.
January 1973: Applewhite and Nettles close their bookstore and set out to find their spiritual mission.
February 1973-August 1974: Applewhite and Nettles travel around the country, camping in parks and skipping out on motel-room bills.
Aug. 27, 1974: Applewhite and Nettles are arrested in Harlingen, Texas, on charges of credit-card fraud and auto theft. The charges against Nettles are dropped, but Applewhite is extradited to St. Louis and spends six months in jail.
March 1975: Applewhite and Nettles go to Ojai. Two of their recruits are a mother and her adult daughter.
April 1975: About 80 people meet at a Hollywood Hills home to hear Applewhite and Nettles. Twenty-four people from that meeting agree to meet in Gold Beach, Ore., with Applewhite and Nettles two weeks later.
May 5, 1975: The followers meet Applewhite and Nettles in Gold Beach. The leaders now call themselves Bo and Peep.
June 1975: Applewhite and Nettles abandon several followers in Sedona, Ariz.
Aug. 24, 1975: Applewhite and Nettles make a public appearance at Cañada College in Redwood City.
Sept. 14, 1975: The group meets in Waldport, Ore., expecting a spaceship to land. No spaceship shows up, but more than 30 people agree to join the group. The cult gets its first negative publicity over the fiasco.
Fall 1975: The group camps at the Colorado National Monument, waiting for a spaceship to pick up the members.
April 21, 1976: Nettles announces that the group no longer will hold public meetings. Many people leave the group during the next year. Its numbers drop from about 100 to two dozen. Nettles now calls herself Ti, while Applewhite goes by the name of Do.
June 19, 1985: Nettles dies of liver cancer.
May 27, 1993: The cult places a one-third-page ad in USA Today and once again begins recruiting members, this time using the Internet to spread its message.
June-October 1995: Heaven's Gate members spend several months living in a compound in a remote New Mexico town.
October 1996: After living in several north San Diego County homes the year before, the cult moves into a mansion in Rancho Santa Fe.
March 26, 1997: The bodies of 39 cult members are discovered in the mansion.
May 1997: The husband of one of the dead cult members kills himself at an Encinitas motel. A member for 20 years, he had left the group in 1994. He had expressed regret that he was not with them when they died. A second former cult member who attempted death with him is revived.
February 1998: The second former cult member's body is found in a tent in the Arizona desert, nine months after he survived the earlier suicide attempt.
Nov. 22, 1999: A county auction of Heaven's Gate belongings raises $32,707. Some of the money pays for the auction; the rest goes to family members to help cover burial costs. Two former members who had tied up the estate in probate court eventually reach a settlement with the county and pay $2,000 for items of most significance to the cult.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ed Friendly, "Laugh-In" producer and thoroughbred horse owner who died in 2007 -- Long-time RSF resident.
House built on former Heaven's Gate compound. Arroyo Property, owned by the Rancho Santa Fe Association.
The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) collections are among the largest and most heavily used in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress.
Significance: In the 1920s, the Santa Fe Land Improvement Company, a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, developed Rancho Santa Fe as a community of "gentlemen's ranches" in the hills north of San Diego. Winding roads joining small farms contrast with the formal, axial commercial core. Here architect Lilian Rice designed buildings in the Spanish Revival style, a style that became standard for buildings in the community. Rancho Santa Fe's unified architectural design, creative landscape plan, and origin as a design-controlled community contribute to its important role in the history of community development. / Rancho Santa Fe, in North San Diego County, was planned in the 1920s as a community of Spanish Revival style buildings with a formal commercial and residential core.
(Photo right, AERIAL VIEW OF RANCHES. PASEO DELICIAS IN FOREGROUND, 1920s. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS)
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey
1 drawings
9 b&w photos
42 data pages
1 photo caption pages
RSF Historical Society makes its own history with new officers
The Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society elected officers Jan. 28 at its annual membership meeting. Outgoing President Chaco Clotfelter introduced the incoming President John Vreeburg. Vonn Marie May presented a short version of her “Cultural Landscape of RSF.” Your 2009 RSFHS officers:
President — John Vreeburg Vice President — Chaco Clotfelter Secretary — Sue Bartow Treasurer — Vicki Acri
Board members: Gordy Bartow Steve Cologne Gijs Hanselaar David Herrington Debi Holder Paul Johnson Vonn Marie May David Wiemers Executive Administrator: Sharon Fabry Board of Advisors: Juli Gillette Thomas Lang Rosaline Odmark
Quick Description: E. Clampus Vitus Historical Marker at the Olivenhain Meeting Hall in Olivenhain, CA. The hall is located on Rancho Santa Fe Road at 7th Steet in Olivenhain.
Long Description: Text from the plaque: "COLONY OLIVENHAIN WAS SETTLED BY GERMAN IMMIGRANTS WHO ARRIVED FROM DENVER IN 1844. EACH MEMBER WAS GRANTED FIVE ACRES AND USE OF THE COMMUNITY'S HORSE TEAMS AND EQUIPMENT. IN 1895, THE COLONISTS ERECTED A COMMUNITY HALL FOR MEETINGS AND SOCIAL EVENTS. THE ONE ROOM HALL MEASURED 28 FEET BY 36 FEET AND FEATURED A POT BELLIED STOVE, BAR, AND A MUSIC STAGE. DANCES, PICNICS AND FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS WERE TRADITIONAL MEETING HALL EVENTS UNTIL THE 1950'S. TODAY, THE MEETING HALL IS ONCE AGAIN THE HEART OF COLONY OLIVENHAIN. THE OLIVENHAIN MEETING HALL BECAME A CALIFORNIA POINT OF HISTORICAL INTEREST IN 1971 AND WAS PLACED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES IN 1993.
PLAQUE PLACED IN COOPERATION WITH THE OLIVENHAIN TOWN COUNCIL, THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO, AND THE ANCIENT AND HONORABLE ORDER OF E. CLAMPUS VITUS, SQUIBOB CHAPTER, APRIL 29, 2001."
The Olivenhain webpage about the Meeting Hall: Follow this link...
(For more from "natural history photographer" Phillip Colla, whose poppy photos from last year and Thursday's Highway 101 shot are below, follow this link...)
Here are a few more photos of California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) near Del Dios, California. I got lucky with the weather, with lots of sun and blue skies the day I shot these. Now we have leaden gray skies and its supposed to be windy and cold this weekend.
1. Meet Francisco Villa. A former officials with the non-profit North County Health Services, he and his brother own and operate several commercial food service vans that serve the agricultural workers picking strawberries and tomatoes from Carmel Valley Road through Rancho Santa Fe Farms. Construction workers, too. An Escondido musician, Villa, 37, a Oaxaca native, was outside Del Sol Nursery on his regular route this week. The van is very self-serve as customers pay for their snacks and hot meals in a marked box by the side of the van. "We just don’t have time to make lunch at home," said migrant worker Jose Perfector as he grabbed a burrito. "It’s good to gave a place nearby we can come to get something good to eat." Added Villa, "I’ve been doing this for 10 years, making all the stops...You always see different faces, but you also see some of the same faces every season."
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.
Admission: $5; no charge for children younger than 12 months
California Surf Museum
Where: 223 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside
Contact: (760) 721-6876
surfmuseum.org
Hours: 10 a.m to 4 p.m daily
Admission: Free
What: The current exhibit, “From Brown Mercury to SL8ER: A Glimpse of 100 Years of Surfing Culture in Southern California,” includes surfboards, music, clothing and photos. The museum will move to new digs this month. The address will be 312 Pier View Way, Oceanside.
Oceanside Museum of Art
Where: 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside
Contact: (760) 435-3720
oma-online.org
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays
Admission: $8 general admission; $5 for seniors; free for students
What: The museum showcases contemporary art of Southern California, including landscape paintings, glass sculpture, studio furniture and art quilts. The museum's two buildings are as much of an attraction as what's inside them. One is the former City Hall, designed by Irving Gill. Adjacent to it is the central gallery designed by Frederick Fisher.
Heritage Walk Museum
Where: 321 N. Broadway, Escondido
Contact: (760) 743-8207
escondidohistory.org
Hours: 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
Admission: $3 for adults; $1 for children
What: Located in Grape Day Park, the Escondido Historical Society's Heritage Walk Museum includes a Victorian home, a working blacksmith's shop, a train depot, two windmills and the city's first library. The museum has an extensive collection of early Escondido photos. The current exhibit is clothing from the 1800s.
Museum of Making Music
Where: 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad
Contact: (760) 438-5996
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays
Admission: $5 general admission; $3 for seniors, students and active duty military; free for museum members and children 3 and younger.
What: American popular music takes center stage with displays of instruments and exhibits about famous musicians. The current exhibit, “The Magic & Mystery of the Slide Guitar,” includes more than 70 instruments and information about the slide techniques of various cultures.
Mingei International Museum, Escondido
Where: 155 W. Grand Ave., Escondido
Contact: (760) 735-3355
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays; noon to 4 p.m. Sundays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. second Saturday of each month.
Admission: $5 adults; $4 seniors; $3 students and active duty military; no charge for museum members and children younger than 6.
What: Visitors to the North County satellite of Mingei can expect to see folk art exhibits from around the world. The museum has a multimedia education center, a gift shop and special events on the second Saturday of each month.
California Center for the Arts Museum
Where: 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido
Contact: (760) 839-4120
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Admission: $5 general admission; $4 seniors and military; $3 students; no charge for museum members and children 12 and younger.
What: Since 1994, the museum has presented a dozen shows each year featuring the work of artists such as Ansel Adams, Dale Chihuly, Greg Evans and Niki de Saint Phalle. Upcoming exhibits include “20th Century Photography,” featuring American and European photographers, and “Reel Mothers,” a video and film exhibit that explores contemporary motherhood.
San Diego Archaeological Center
Where: 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, near Escondido
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays
Admission: $2 per person; $5 per family
What: Artifacts and exhibits at the museum shed light on the life of people in San Diego County for the last 10,000 years.
The Magee House
Where: 258 Beech St., Carlsbad
Contact: (760) 434-9189
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; private tours by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Admission: Free
What: Carlsbad Historical Society's Magee House and barn is the place to learn about the history of the city. Artifacts, all donated by residents, include furniture, clothing, pianos, newspaper clippings and photos.
Oceanside Historical Museum
Where: 305 N. Nevada St., Oceanside
Contact: (760) 722-4786 (Call for admission fees.)
Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
What: Photographs, documents and memorabilia offer a window into the city's history.
Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum
Where: 2040 N. Santa Fe Ave., Vista
Contact: (760) 941-1792
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: $3 adults, $2 seniors and children, no charge for children younger than 5.
What: Established in 1976, the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum has a collection that includes a short-track model railroad, steam tractors, a blacksmith shop, gas engines, a farmhouse and a loom-filled weaving barn. The museum also hosts special events such as Civil War re-enactments, bluegrass festivals and auctions.
Vista Historical Society Museum
Where: 1315 Hot Springs Way, Vista
Contact: (760) 630-0444;
Hours: Call for times
Admission: Free
What: Visitors will be able to see some of the museum's extensive collection of documents, photos, newspaper clippings and other artifacts in the current location. The museum will move to its permanent facility at the Rancho Minerva home on Foothill Drive in March.
(Photo left: John with Dr. Roger Rowe himself, RSF school namesake and former longtime leader, at Monday, June 15 Pre-Demolition Reunion event.)
Ed Friendly, "Laugh-In" producer and thoroughbred horse owner who died in 2007 -- Long-time RSF resident.
House built on former Heaven's Gate compound. 
Arroyo Property, owned by the Rancho Santa Fe Association.
Anti-Iraq War demonstrators at Carmel Valley.
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Olivenhain Meeting Hall, Olivenhain, CA, USA
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