Back to lobbying: Bilbray (R) concedes to Peters (D) in Cal's 52nd Cong. Dist.

Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) has conceded defeat in his San Diego-area district, handing Democrats another pickup with just two intra-party races yet to be determined.

Bilbray trails San Diego Port Commissioner Scott Peters (D) by 3,877 votes. He called Peters to congratulated him and issued a statement acknowledging Peters’ victory.

Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.). (AP photo)

“While Scott and I differed sharply on how to handle the issues facing our nation, now is the time to put those differences aside and find common ground to address our country’s many challenges,” Bilbray said, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Bilbray has served more than 12 years in Congress, returning to the chamber in 2006 by winning a hotly contested special election to replace jailed Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.). California’s citizen redistricting commission drew Bilbray a swing district this year.

With the win, Democrats have now gained six House seats in the 2012 election, with the GOP’s House majority reduced to 234-199.

Democrats also lead in the last two undetermined races, with Reps. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) and Ron Barber (D-Ariz.) holding small leads.

Reps. Charles Boustany (R-La.) and Jeff Landry (R-La.) will compete in a runoff next month in a merged district, but that race has no implications for the partisan balance of the House.

The Peters campaign released this statement:

“This afternoon, I received a very gracious phone call from Congressman Brian Bilbray. He wished me luck and offered his support. We agreed that while it was a tough, hard-fought campaign, now is the time to put it behind us. I thanked him for his service and look forward to his support as I transition into office.

“I’m in our nation’s capitol this week, working hard, and getting ready to hit the ground running on behalf of the people of the 52^nd District. I am very grateful to the hundreds of people who walked, called, contributed and gave me their support; it was their energy and enthusiasm that put us over the top in this close race.

“There’s much to do.  I’m encouraged by the tremendous group of colleagues I’ve met here so far: freshman members of Congress, because like me, they all heard loud and clear during their campaigns that voters are tired of the partisanship, tired of politicians who put party over people.  I look forward to working with everyone to get things done for San Diego and the American people.”

Peters said in a brief phone interview with the San Diego Free Press that Mr. Bilbray was very gracious when he called to concede.  ”He said something like ‘I’m making that phone call you’ve been working so hard to get.’”  He said that Bilbray suggested that he find a place close to the Capitol to live while in D.C., and offered to assist in any way he can to ease the transition.

Peters said he would “absolutely” carry on the work that Bilbray had touted in the closing days of the campaign on cancer research.  ”Not only is it an important cause, but it’s critical to the San Diego economy.  We need to continue to promote basic scientific research, and hopefully San Diego will be the place that finds a cure for cancer.”

Asked about his experience at the orientation in Washington for newly elected members of Congress and the reception he had received despite not yet having been officially declared the winner, Peters said “I’m just here trying to learn this job so that we can hit the ground running,” adding  ”I can’t wait to get back and visit Ocean Beach.  It’s cold out here!”

Peters (D) near win; lead widens to 2,660 votes over Bilbray (R) in 52nd Cong. Dist. tilt

WED. MORNING UPDATE: Democrat Scott Peters is near an official, and hard-fought, victory over Congressman Brian Bilbray in the 52nd Congressional District race with a 2,660 vote lead that continues to expand as more votes are counted. Results must be finalized by Dec. 4,  according to state law. Peters traveled to Washington D.C. this week where he took part in the orientation sessions for new members of Congress.

As of Tuesday night’s update from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, with approximately 210,000 mail-in and provisional ballots from around the county yet to be counted -- about 40 percent of the vote -- Peters’ lead grew to 2,660 votes, further dimming Bilbray’s re-election hopes. Workers have been able to get through approximately 60,000 to 90,000 ballots per day, the Registrar’s office said.  Mail and provisional ballots should be counted by the weekend. However, election results for San Diego County might not be certified until Dec. 4, the deadline by which the final results must be turned in to the California Secretary of State, sources said.

(For more visit I-Newsource and KPBS Investigations Desk .)

Spark Photography

Congressional candidate Scott Peters (D) speaks with reporters at the Westin Gaslamp, November 6, 2012.

Port of San Diego Commissioner Scott Peters continues to pad his lead over Rep. Brian Bilbray, in their close congressional race.

Peters led by 1,899 votes out of about 235,000 cast for the general election, a net gain of more than 500 votes since Friday.

Bilbray has been a top target of Democrats for years, but survived previous attempts to oust him. However, redistricting moved him into some unfamiliar inland territory for this re-election bid.

"I didn’t see us quite this good. I think it’s going to really tighten up," Bilbray said after early results were announced showing him in the lead Tuesday night.

Then, when he spoke to supporters several hours later, he warned them it may take days to iron out the race.

After many San Diegans went to bed, Peters pulled ahead with a slight lead and held on until all precincts were in.

The fight for California's newly-drawn 52nd was targeted with some of the most campaign cash and coverage nationwide.

“This district was drawn to be the battleground for the Congressional seats the other Congressional seats are pretty darn safe,” Bilbray told NBC 7 San Diego. “I think this is a great process even though I happen to have to be in the battleground again.”

Bilbray is a Republican has represented the 50th District since 2006 as well as the former 49th District for three terms ending in 2001.

Bilbray voted Tuesday morning with his daughter, who was featured in one of his many campaign ads. Before voting, Bilbray went surfing. He told NBC 7 San Diego that if the warm reception he received from fellow surfers was any indicator of the night’s results, he felt confident in a win.

Peters is a Democrat who represented District 1 on the San Diego City Council for two terms, serving as Council president in his second.

In the region's other close race, Solana Beach Councilman Dave Roberts maintained a lead of 2,641 votes over Bilbray's chief of staff, Steve Danon, in their election for county supervisor. That's an increase of about 400 for Roberts since Friday.

The winner will replace the retiring Pam Slater-Price to become the first new supervisor in 17 years.

Peters only won 13 more precincts than Bilbray in the 420 precincts where votes were cast, including the vote-by-mail. If vote-by-mail locations are excluded, Peters only took four more precincts than Bilbray.

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The 52nd congressional district stretches from Poway west to Del Mar and then down the coast to Coronado. A slice of its voters also live in the city of San Diego.

The district is known for its fairly even numbers of Republicans, Democrats and Independents, and when when it comes to political tastes, many don’t appear to mind crossing party lines.

While they’re still counting ballots in the congressional district because it’s too close to call, I-Newsource analyzed the unofficial returns in precincts that overlap the congressional district and the city. We found that nearly two-thirds of the precincts that favored Democrat Scott Peters favored — Republican Carl DeMaio for mayor.

A lot of those voters were in neighborhoods such as La Jolla, Bay Park, Bay Ho, North Clairemont and University City south of UCSD.

It probably stands to reason precincts that favored Republican Brian Bilbray within the city limits almost perfectly favored DeMaio as well.

Here’s the breakdown for the non-vote-by-mail precincts:

- Of the 189 precincts Scott Peters carried, DeMaio won 120.
- Of the 157 precincts Brian Bilbray won, DeMaio carried 156 — almost a perfect match.
- Filner carried only 69 of the precincts Peters won, and one of the precincts Bilbray won.

So why did Peters do so well in areas that wanted to elect DeMaio?

Political scientist Carl Luna says this is a textbook case of all politics being local. Peters served two terms on the San Diego City Council representing the first district, which included some of the neighborhoods that turned out for him in the election.

“When you have a choice between voting for somebody you know and kind of thinks like you, or somebody you don’t know that you’re not quite sure how they’re going to think, you go with the guy you know,” Luna said. “And Scott Peters was a known quantity to many of his voters. And Carl DeMaio, coming from the city government, was a known quantity.”

Luna also said Bilbray’s campaign might not have gotten as much mileage out of some attack ads as they’d hoped.

“The (National Republican Congressional Committee) ad about Scott Peters’ performance on the city council probably played well in areas outside of (Peters’) council district, but obviously did not sway voters within it.”

As for mayor-elect Bob Filner, a lifelong Democrat?

Luna said, “Bob Filner comes from South Bay, he has no real play in that part of the city.”

-- I-Newsource and KPBS Investigations Desk

Congressional candidate Scott Peters (D) speaks with reporters at the Westin Gaslamp, November 6, 2012.

Bilbray-Saldana (Peters, Stahl) square off in first debate for new 52nd. Cong. Dist.(spans La Jolla to Rancho Bernardo)

The newly redrawn 52nd Congressional District offers candidates a challenge: its voters are neither predominantly registered Republicans nor Democrats.

The four main candidates in the 52nd Congressional District race talked gas prices, illegal immigration, small business and bailouts during a debate at the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo on Tuesday.

The lunchtime crowd at the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo provided a welcome setting for Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad), who is competing against Democrats Scott Peters, a port commissioner and former president of the San Diego City Council, and Lori Saldaña, a former state assemblywoman and educator.

The debate, hosted by the Conservative Order of Good Government, brought together three challengers—Peters, Saldaña and John Stahl—and the incumbent, Bilbray, who is fighting to retain a seat after redistricting shifted him out of his current District 50.

The new 52nd covers several communities. In addition to Rancho Bernardo and nearby Poway, it reaches west to include La Jolla and Coronado.

Bilbray was at the center of several barbs against Washington, with all of the challengers arguing it is time for someone different to head to the nation's capital.

Bilbray, who first ran for Congress in 1995, has been in and out of the House for more than a decade. He lost his seat to Democrat Susan Davis after redistricting in 2000.

But in 2006 he won the 50th congressional seat after Randy Cunningham resigned, and he has represented it ever since.

"We need a new approach in Washington," said Democratic candidate Scott Peters, a former city councilman who represents San Diego on the Board of Port Commissioners. "Let's get the right person and stop worrying so much about the party."

The candidates answered a series of questions on a variety of topics, with one-minute each to respond. A couple of questions were targeted for specific candidates, with one providing Peters the chance to respond to Bilbray's characterization of him as the "father of San Diego's pension mess."

Peters, who admitted he made mistakes as a councilman, said the pension problems didn't begin with him but rather in the 1980s. Since then, he has worked to end pension underfunding and make city employees pay more for their benefits, he said.

Saldaña, a former Democratic state assemblywoman, focused on education and green energy during the debate, arguing that investing in education and reducing costs for small businesses by better energy efficiency are the keys to protecting the American Dream and turning the economy around.

Stahl, a Republican who served in the U.S. Navy and worked in the semiconductor industry, said he will work to balance the federal budget within the next three to five years and reduce the nation's dependency on foreign oil by the end of the decade.

"I have lived the American Dream and I'm not going to watch it die," Stahl said.

On illegal immigration, the candidates agreed that something must be done.

"If we do not have the rule of law in this country, we have nothing," said Stahl, who said benefits should not be provided to people who are not citizens.

Bilbray said while many focus on border security in illegal immigration talks, it is not the problem; it's just a symptom of the real problem which is people hiring illegal immigrants and the government providing benefits for them. 

Peters said the U.S. needs to be "tough, fair and practical" with its illegal immigration and border policies, making legal crossings more efficient and looking at the income disparity between this country and Mexico which entices people to come here.

Saldaña said there needs to be an improved path to citizenship, with deportation for those who break the law, as a way to bring in the high-tech expertise this country does not have because of a subpar education system.

On gas prices, which recently climbed above an average of $4 per gallon locally, Peters said anyone who claims an ability to lower prices quickly isn't being honest. It's going to take a while, he said, so the focus should be on developing an alternative energy plan and creating incentives for conservation.

To raucous applause, Bilbray said the government needs to permit a pipeline between Canada and the U.S. to bring in oil, a nod to the stalled Keystone Pipeline project recently delayed by President Barack Obama.

As for the 2008 bailout of the financial industry, Bilbray proudly said he did not vote for it because of the financial burden it would place on his grandchildren.

While Saldaña argued that she didn't like the rushed process to create the bailout plan, most of the money has been paid back, she said.

"The process was flawed, but the outcome remains to be seen," she said.

Peters said he was surprised no one has gone to jail in connection with the fiscal crisis, and the government needs to regulate banks in a new way.

"No more bailouts," Peters said.

Stahl, who said he would not have voted for the bailout, said it wasn't right that banks made bad bets but still got their money back.

Saldana v. Bilbray in newly reconstituted 52nd Cong. Dist. (Oh yeah, Scott Peters, too, but who cares.)

 

Former California state legislator Lori Saldaña, a Democrat, is seeking to represent San Diego's redrawn 52nd District in the U.S. Congress with a campaign based on her work in education, environmental causes and the defense of immigrants.

The daughter of Frank Saldaña, a Marine veteran who pursued a career as a reporter at the San Diego Evening Tribune, she grew up in the city's Claremont neighborhood.

Lori Saldaña will compete in the June 5 open primary against fellow Democrat Scott Peters, chair of the Port of San Diego; Republican Rep. Brian P. Bilbray, who currently represents the 50th District in Washington; and two other GOP hopefuls, John Stahl and Wayne Iverson.

Under California's new election law, the top two vote-getters in June regardless of party will face off in the November general election.

Saldaña was elected to the state Assembly for the first time in 2004, was reelected twice and also has been an instructor for San Diego Community College, associate dean at San Diego Mesa College and is an acknowledged expert on water quality.

"Traditional Democrats and Republicans don't know what to do with me. I'm not a traditional Latina, since instead of participating in established organizations I directed the Sierra Club and grew up in the middle class neighborhood of Claremont," said Saldaña in an interview with Efe, adding that she is very proud of her Panamanian and Mexican roots.

Her work in the state Assembly led her to sponsor bills to reduce greenhouse gases, make solar energy cheaper and train small businessowners to take advantage of development opportunities.

"I was married to an oceanographer, and so for many years I crossed over to Ensenada every day so that I learned the trans-border dynamics," said Saldaña, who has a B.A. and M.A. in education from San Diego State University.

"After college I taught at the community college where I also administered the scholarships for the technical training of students by the Labor Department. Due to budget cuts, those scholarships disappeared, which made me take note of the need to do legislative work to restore them," she said.

The 52nd District, where the population is about 15 percent Hispanic, is facing challenges mainly associated with the high cost of education and the reduction of well-paid jobs.

"The Republicans accuse us Democrats of wanting to raise taxes and spend, while they are borrowing and spending. Our position is more responsible," Saldaña said.

The candidate, who opposes walls along the border arguing that she considers them costly and inefficient, said that it is key for the regional economy to implement an intelligent immigration policy that recognizes the contributions of undocumented immigrants.

She also said that she believes undocumented foreigners should be able to obtain U.S. citizenship if they prove that the only laws they have violated are the immigration statutes.

Saldaña received the support of Emily's List, a non-profit political organization supporting women candidates.

"This shows my popularity among the organizations of the Democratic base and activists. It's paradoxical that the traditional sectors of my party, including Hispanic organizations, have supported Peters. However, I believe that my platform is the most progressive and the best," said Saldaña.

Lee DeWyze is trending this week. Remember him? Really. Really?

  Lee DeWyze is trending this week. Remember him? Really. Really? Lee DeWyze was last year's winner of American Idol. No kidding. Huh. What. When?

Fame is so fleeting. Cyberspace was abuzz this week with the fallout from last year's American Idol winner either not being invited to take part in the big Wednesday Finale or being asked at the last-minute, and refusing, depending on the source.

DeWhodat was there alright and quite square, according to many sources, including zap2it, reporting Dewyze twitter feeds -- how 2011 -- saying he "was not asked to be involved in the finale. It wasn't until about 2 minutes before they announced that Nigel (Lythgoe, executive producer) had approached me and asked if he could 'borrow' me for a second. I didn't feel a last second jump on stage was right. It was Scotty (McCreery)'s moment."

One year after being No. 1 with a bullet star of America's top-rated TV show, DeWyze already is a where-is-he-now type story. Did he actually release any music last year. Dunno. Where did he tour - New York, Chicago, Los Angeles? Nope, Malaysia.

The DeWyze DeWhodat story raises so many issues on so many levels about American culture and society though. Despite reality show popularity, nobody remembers 99 percent of the cast members as soon as the shows end. Even the winner of the most popular reality game show in America, circa. 2010 is almost unrecognizable a year later, a cyber of an afterthought.

Since this is the case, might not a reasonable person argue reality shows are evil and part of the reason for a general decline in cultural values and social achievement. The reality shows promote narcissism and instant gratification in lieu of principles such as hard work and talent that once were important in America.

Wouldn't America be better off without these abominations, and Americans be better off with, say Shakespeare plays, more cultural, educational and nature programming or other real, non-reality programming.

Lee DeWyze and America's demise

Who is choosing all these reality shows anyway? News flash: Corporate flunkies with no true connection with really real people, and not the Real Wives franchise of their imaginary kind. (Guess the network yes-people greenlight these shows because they are cheap to produce, but at what cost to society and even America's future.)

It also goes to the Idol experience. The namby-pamby non-criticism of judges Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy ??? instead of Simon Cowell's over-the-top honesty meant the voting public had no clue how to vote. So, the best talent went weeks before two country western mediocrities competed for the top spot.

Even DeWyze on his twitter feed figured he needed to do some reminding. The feed proclaims: "American Idol Season 9 Winner!" just to let people know. The twitter feed had 92,717 followers this week, nor exactly mind-numbing figures on a social media outlet where celebrities routinely get hundreds of thousand of followers.

If DeWyze is so easily forgotten, where does that leave country cornball Scott McCreery. Never was Idol's artificial promotion machine so obvious as the propping up of this kid as some sort of heart-throb, usually surrounding him with several clueless teenage girls. Come on man. And since when did American Idol become American Country Idol?

The real question amidst the whatever happened to Lee DeWyze American Idol finale confusion isn't what happened to American Idol, but what happened to America. What do you think?

Fashionlush XXX with Cardiff's Erica Stolman - Get out of that funk and into those Charlotte Olympia kicks; Followed by Nylon at Fashion Week '11 Jeremy Scott Video...

“I love the youngster hippies reppin’ their personal style way better than I ever did when I was growing up. If our beautiful city starts to evolve and appreciate the art of fashion, originality, and creativity — then we could really make our way up in the fashion food chain.”

 -- Erica Stolman http://www.fashionlushxx.com/

Erica also is manager of Pret A Porter clothes, 673 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach, CA 92075, (858) 481-5114, Hours: 10 am - 6 pm Mon-Fri 10 am - 4 pm Sat. 

Dreamin' of Charlotte Olympia kicks

Well, lately I have been in a funk...

Don't you just have those days where you just can't figure out what to wear... and you end up leaving the house looking way less cute than you thought?

Well, that is how I have been feeling lately. I have been searching for an answer to this "so-so" fashion approach my life has take. More clothes is definitely not the issue (you should see my closet), too many choices?

Maybe... gotta go through my closet soon. Yet, as none of these are the issue- I think I figured out the real quick fix to this problem. I am sure all of you know this, but the best way to spice your look up is definitely some awesome shoesies!!

You are out and about, and if the girls outfit is jeans and a white tee, some killer shoes always make you drool and identify her as "best dressed". You know you do it, we all do. So I think I will allow myself to browse some outfits based around shoes- and tomorrow, rain or shine, I am putting my flat over the knee boots in the back of the closet, and slip into my most fun pair of sky highs.

Now, only if I had some Charlotte Olympia kicks (most notably- the fruit shoe), I'd be set... but I don't- so therefore I improvise.

xx, fashionlush

MILK KILLS

thanks to NYLON, we were given this fabulous snippit of Mister Jeremy Scotts' fashion week 2011 show. Wish I were there, one day!!

Scenes from a Region: Ben Sever sees what he can see - Coastal Leucadia, Torrey Dusk, Pier Cafe, Balboa Park, USS Midway, Coming Home etc.

COASTAL LEUCADIA

English spiritualists settled Leucadia in 1870 and are reputed to have danced, in diaphanous white robes, in the little Roadside Park.

The spiritualists are the reason so many of the streets are named after Greek gods and goddesses. Leucadia is Greek for "a sheltered place."

Heritage Eucalyptus trees, planted in the 1880s, still grace the highway. When President Roosevelt passed through Leucadia in an open car during the Depression, local children climbed the Eucalyptus trees to wave to him.

Change happens slowly in this nostalgic little California beach town. In lieu of fast food restaurants and franchise chain stores, Leucadia has two miles of Mom 'n Pop businesses, and that's the way everyone likes it.

It's most memorable bumper sticker is "Keep Leucadia Funky."

The town played an active role in the rebirth of the classic Highway 101 shield, restored by the city in 1997, and was part of the successful 101 Campaign to have Highway 101 declared an historic route.

-- J.P. St. Pierre, Leucadia, The Blog at http://www.theleucadiablog.com/

TORREY DUSK

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is located within San Diego city limits and yet remains one of the wildest stretches of land on our Southern California coast.

Because of the efforts and foresight of the people in this area, 2000 acres of land are as they were before San Diego was developed -with the chaparral plant community, the rare and elegant Torrey pine trees, miles of unspoiled beaches, and a lagoon that is vital to migrating seabirds.

One can imagine what California must have looked like to the early settlers, or to the Spanish explorers, or even to the first California residents here, the Kumeyaay people.

Torrey Pines is visited by travelers from all over the world and by local residents who come daily to rest at the stunning overlooks, walk a peaceful trail, or exercise in a clean, beautiful environment. Spend some time at this web site, then come spend some time at beautiful Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.

Special care has been taken to preserve it and keep it for now and forever.

-- Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve http://www.torreypine.org/index.html

PIER CAFE (Seaport Village)

The San Diego Pier Cafe, a San Diego landmark, established in Seaport Village since 1980 is a quaint New England-style full-service restaurant serving beer, wine and liquor.

The San Diego Pier Cafe is actually more than an Icon , it is a San Diego landmark and a top rated restaurant. Talk about a view on the water- tables are set so that everyone enjoying the great food and libations here also get an amazing view. When the ships and the boats come under the Coronado Bridge and pass by your window, you will be pleasantly entertained with the sights, be it day time or evening. And if you catch the timing just right, you can also see the the most stunning of sunsets that are simply breathtaking.

There is no more of a better San Diego experience than that of being right here on the edge of the San Diego Bay. Life just get any better than this!

-- San Diego Real Estate Voice authored by William Johnson http://therealestatetextbook.com/

BALBOA TOWN

Hi! My name is Aaron Roiz. I’m a junior at High Tech High School, and for three weeks, I was an intern at the Balboa Park Onlie Collaborative. During that time, I wandered around the park andtook notes on what there is to do for different types of people with different budgets. After I was done with that, I created a tourist’s guide that featured activities in three price ranges: free, cheap, and expensive. At 16 years old, this served as my introduction into the working world, and I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction. This is an excerpt from my guide.

Who Says Nothing Good in Life is Free?

A great place to start (after you’ve picked up a map from the Balboa Park Visitors Center) is the Botanical Building, home to more than 2,000 plants, all beautiful and interesting in their own way. Not to mention kids love the carnivorous plants that are on display. When you’re done enjoying the plants, both of the ponds are perfect places to enjoy lunch. If you happen to have a camera handy, take a photo of the Botanical Building from the edge of the lily pond, one of the most photographed scenes in Balboa Park. 

Once you’re done with the Botanical Building, you should take a look at the awesome International Cottages. The cottages— as the name suggests—each represent a different nationality, which is reflected inside. There are 32 cottages and they are open to the public every Sunday. If you visit during an event like St. Patrick’s Day, one cottage (in this case, the House of Ireland) will have a celebration of traditional performances and ethnic foods (in this case, an Irish jig and delicious soda bread).

Aside from the sites to see, there are also the numerous hiking and walking trails around the park. Florida Canyon is easily the most popular. As it has sagebrush, cacti, and other flora growing alongside it, it makes for a great hiking or mountain biking trail. However, there are multiple trails through Balboa Park and all are different in their difficulty levels. By that, I mean that they are harder to traverse, and longer then the last.

-- Aaron Roiz http://tiny.cc/lqlr2

USS MIDWAY AIRCRAFT CARRIER

CLASS - MIDWAY 

Displacement 45,000 Tons, Dimensions, 968' (oa) x 113' x 35' (Max) 
Armament 18 x 5"/54AA 84 x 40mm, 68 x 20mm, 137 Aircraft. 
Armor, 7.6" Belt, 3 1/2" Flight Deck, 2" Deck, 6 1/2" Conning Tower. 
Machinery, 212,000; SHP, Geared turbines, 4 screws 
Speed, 33 Knots, Crew 4104. 

Operational and Building Data

Built by Newport News. Designation changed from CV 41 to CVB 41 15 July 1943. 
Laid down 27 Oct 1943, launched 20 Mar 1945, commissioned 10 Sept 1945.

Replaced as forward deployed carrier by Independence in 1991 and returned to the US for decommissioning. Decommissioned to reserve 11 April 1992; retained as a potential replacement training carrier. Inactivation overhaul included stripping all electronics and weapons systems. Stricken for disposal 17 March 1997.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hansford T. Johnson announced, 8 July 2003, that this historic ship would be donated to the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum.

On 30 September 2003, Midway began her journey from the Navy Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, Wash., to San Diego where she would be a Museum and Memorial. She was docked at the Charles P. Howard Terminal in Oakland, Calif., in October, while the construction of her pier in San Diego was completed. The carrier arrived in San Diego in January 2004 and is now the nation's newest Naval Aviation Museum.

-- NavSource Online: Aircraft Carrier Photo Archive http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/41.htm

COMING HOME

"Coming Home"

A father waits upon a son

A mother prays for his return

I just called to see

If you still have a place for me

We know that like took us apart

But you're still within my heart

I go to sleep and feel your spirit next to me

I'll make it home again

I pray you'll fall in love again

Just say you'll entertain the possibility

I learned enough from my mistakes

Learned from all I didn't say

Won't you wait for me

It may be long to get me there

It feels like I've been everywhere

But someday I'll be coming home

Round and round the world will spin

Oh, the circle never ends

So you know that I'll be coming home

We fight to stay alive

But somebody's got to die

It's so strange to me

A new year, a new enemy

Another soldier gone to war

Another story told before

Now it's told again

It seems the wars will never end

But we'll make it home again

Back where we belong again

We're holding on to when

We used to dare to dream

We pray we live to see

Another day in history

Yes we still believe

It may be long to get me there

It feels like I've been everywhere

But someday I'll be coming home

Round and round the world will spin

Oh, the circle never ends

So you know that I'll be coming home

I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming?

You know that I'll be coming home

It may be long to get me there

It feels like I've been everywhere

But someday I'll be coming home

Round and round the world will spin

Oh, the circle never ends

So you know that I'll be coming home 

-- John Legend,  "Coming Home"

San Diego Botanic Garden 9/11/10 Gala: Paul Ecke III birthday, Dave Scott, Rita Sweeney, Salli Sachse... Raye Anne Marks photos...

Surprise! Julian Duval introduces and Sabrina Cadini presents the cake to Paul Ecke III who celebrated his birthday on Sept, 13. Ecke was about to introduce UC Riverside botanist Jody Holt as recipient of the Paul Ecke Jr. Award of Excellence at the San Diego Botanic Garden Gala. (For more on the gala, visit http://tiny.cc/xerka and   http://tiny.cc/1o9dq...

RAYE ANNE MARKS REPORTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: KUSI's DAVE SCOTT, SONGSTRESS RITA SWEETING:

Salli and Fernanda and I arrived at 5 and immediately met Dan Weisman from www.AhHaRSFnews.com who was at our Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild reception for Sebastian Capella the previous evening.

It was meant to be.

 We were missing Charles Pinkney in our group who just got an important portrait commission for a congressman and had to fly out that morning.  So, Dan Weisman joined our part.

 We next met this pretty singer, Rita Sweeting, email godslittlegarden@yahoo.com if you are interested. Fernanda knew her and introduced us to her.  I bought her CD.  She is lovely and she posed for us several times. She did two costume changes and is very paintable.  She was a special guest and had two songs with two of the different bands.

First, we saw the band starring (KUSI) Channel 9/51 weatherman, Dave Scott. I could have just stayed there all night they were so good.  I took 400 photos and many are from this band that are worth painting. These band members had the best character to paint. The steel drum guy was playing with an apple. The bongo player was intense. They were all just too good to be true.  I can not say enough about these guys. Rita sang an Astrud Gilberto song with them and she was a star.

 Then, we went to several food stations and did not avoid the champagne servers. Our friend, and fellow artist, Elisa had a painting there that was auctioned.  We went to a few of the food stations which were scattered throughout the park, bands playing everywhere, wildlife encounters (see the parrot) and there was glitter on everything!  I cannot get it off my face. I have taken two showers and there are still little pink and white diamond glitters on my face.

After roaming the food stations we sat at a reserved table purchased by Ruth and Ed Evans, who gave us these tickets and are big supporters. Ruth is a former board member of Quail Gardens. It was an auction and dessert table where we sat with the people who have the lilypond that many of us have painted from photos I took at a fundraiser from Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild a couple of years ago.

 Ruth has the best lilypond I have ever seen in my life, just outside Rancho Santa Fe. She told me it is because she has the best gardener who was just out there that day wading in the pond.  I will try to send her some of the things we have painted, including Elisa's that was auctioned at the event.  While we were at the table there were special guests and the silent auction and Dan's video is the best source for that at http://tiny.cc/cmqn9 or http://ahharsfnews.com.

 After that only a few people stayed for the last band and they danced their pretty shoes off. I think there are some things for the gossip columns and you will see Francesca Filanc, and our own Movie Star, Salli Sachse along with  Fernanda Natale Reynolds dancing with sparkles. 

 Fernanda has a nice photo with Lauren Nancarow, the weatherman and conservator.

 The dancing lady in white was amazing all of us and we would like to know who she could be? I took her photo earlier with our favorite singer Rita.  I still have sparkles tonight.

Thank you so much Ruth and Ed for our tickets!  And I think everyone else should go to this event next year.  It was magic!  I will be going next year.

XOXORaye Anne Marks. 

More Ben Sever photography, view his images at :

http://tiny.cc/w7gkd

 And if some god should strike me, out on the wine-darksea, I will endure it, owning a heart within inured to  suffering. For I have suffered much, and laboured much, in war and on the seas: add this then to the sum.’

 -- Homer: The Odyssey Bk V: 192-261 Odysseus builds his raft

My companion and I were alone with the stars: the misty river of the Milky Way flowing across the sky, the patterns of the constellations standing out bright and clear, a blazing planet low on the horizon.”

 -- Rachel Carson

SAN PASQUAL VALLEY -- Organic farming pioneer and consultant, resource conservation leader, and now agricultural educator, Scott Murray hoped his back-to-the-future efforts will keep farming viable in California and the nation.

Murray was doing it, in part, at a groundbreaking venue, the San Pasqual Academy, an institution supported in large part by Rancho Santa Fe patrons as well as San Diego County education funds. He was laid off earlier this year, but hopes he also laid the foundation for the academy's farming future.

Located in the San Diego Agricultural Preserve about 35 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, San Pasqual Academy is a  first-in-the-nation residential education campus designed specifically for foster teens. The program began in 2001 with a bed capacity of 135 teens and will house 250 once an expansion is competed next year.

With grants, donations, volunteers, and students contributing, Murray has created a seven-acre virtual experimental farm and real-... (more)