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Field of View: City Farmers Nursery in City Heights

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Family owned and operated, City Farmers Nursery is the lifelong and ever expanding passion of Bill Tall — a man who’s on site daily in his signature blue jeans, forest green company t-shirt and yellow measuring tape suspenders to help customers, share stories and offer sage gardening advice.

Bill Tall has spent most of his life on the property, and currently lives in the house he built there in 2001 — a handcrafted upgrade from the trailer that used to be called home. His three children, Rebecca, Sam and Sara, grew up on the nursery property. They are currently each pursuing their own careers, but are never too far from the nursery for too long.
  [Read more…]

Field of View: The Liberty Station Esplanade

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Formerly the Naval Training Center, Liberty Station in Point Loma continues to exude an undeniably heavy military presence, from the USS Recruit — a landlocked dummy of the famous naval training vessel — to the large caliber training guns lining parts of the road.

The Liberty Station Esplanade is a windy path found along the canal that is shared by bikers, joggers, dogs and their owners.   [Read more…]

California Welcomes 876 New Laws With the New Year

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Rules, rules and more rules! Jan. 1 sees a total of 876 new laws signed into effect, covering a wide range of issues from social media to universal healthcare.

  • AB 1844 prohibits an employer from asking for or requiring an employee or applicant to provide their username or password to any social media outlet. It also prohibits employer retaliation for not complying with such a request.
  • AB 2020 removes the option of choosing a urine test to determine the drug content of blood. Instead, those suspected of driving under the influence will only be given the option of a blood or breath test. If a blood test is unavailable, a urine test will be administered in its place.

Field of View: SDFP Contributor Meet-and-Greet, Round 2

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On Sunday, Dec. 9, the San Diego Free Press held its second contributor meet-and-greet at the home of Patty Jones and Frank Gormlie in Lemon Grove. Approximately 10 contributors attended for a pleasant afternoon of introductions, brainstorming and food (because the former isn’t impossible without the latter).

Come inside for all the photos!   [Read more…]

Field of View: Bob Filner’s Mayoral Inauguration at Balboa Park

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There was standing room only at the Balboa Park Club as Bob Filner was sworn in as San Diego’s 38th mayor on Monday, Dec. 3.

Mayor Filner thanked City Council members and outgoing Mayor Jerry Sanders for “reforming city finances and for getting us on the track to financial stability” before reaffirming his campaign promise to focus on San Diego neighborhoods, eliminate homelessness, protect our beaches and expand maritime operations.

“For the first time in a decade, we can see the possibility of restoring city services, of rebuilding our neighborhoods and of planning for our future,” Filner said. “Because the real heart and soul of our city are its neighborhoods. They define our city’s character and our residents’ quality of life.”   [Read more…]

Field of View: Old Town San Diego

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Old Town happens to be my very first home in San Diego. As a baby, I lived on Conde Street in a house that has since been torn down. In fact, a lot has changed in the (muffled)-something years since then. Much of the surrounding area has become a tourist hot spot that is faithfully avoided by the locals, but Old Town proper still remains a charming a step into the past for me literally and emotionally.   [Read more…]

Field of View: A Cloudy Day at Dog Beach

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It’s been chilly at Dog Beach lately, but the pups don’t seem to mind. Located at the end of Voltaire Street in Ocean Beach, Dog Beach offers a place for the pooches to unwind, socialize and get their feet wet all at the same time.   [Read more…]

Field of View: Flowers at the Balboa Park Botanical Garden

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The Balboa Park Botanical Garden is a delicious reprieve from politics. There are more than 2,100 permanent plants on display, so this is really just a snippet. I focused on the orchids this trip because I find their complexity fascinating from an evolutionary standpoint. The Garden, which is open Friday through Wednesday and is free to the public, also features cycads, ferns, tropical plants and palms, among other varieties.

All photos by Annie Lane.   [Read more…]

Don’t Expect the Hundreds You Spend on an iPhone to Buy You Customer Service – At Least Not Without a Fight

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I’ve been a loyal iPhone customer since the first one came out in 2007. That is to say I have spent what amounts to thousands of dollars when you consider the cost of the phone and various paraphernalia, too – the chargers, a Bose stereo, protective cases, apps, songs, ringtones, etc.

Since purchasing the iPhone 5, I can only say I’ve never been more disappointed in the Apple company, product or customer service than I am now.   [Read more…]

Field of View: Election 2012 at Golden Hall

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An animated crowd gathered at Golden Hall to watch live election results, many cheering when President Barack Obama won re-election with 303 electoral votes to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s 203. Florida continued to remain an electoral toss up and both candidates were nearly tied in the popular vote when the race was called.   [Read more…]

Field of View: Kayaking Along La Jolla Shores

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If you’re looking for something fun to do that gets you beyond the beach but not soaking wet, kayaking is one such activity.

La Jolla Kayak offers a 2-hour tour in a single or double kayak along the La Jolla shoreline. Each tour is led by two guides that are great at a little educational humor, and offers the opportunity to enter a sea cave and learn about the wildlife inhabiting our local natural reserve, which is a part of University of California system. On this trip I saw sea lions galore, cormorants and pelicans–but turtles, Garibaldis (California’s state fish), tiger sharks and dolphins also frequent the area.

All photos by Annie Lane.   [Read more…]

Field of View: Michael Jackson’s Lead Guitarist Holds Multimedia Workshop (Videos)

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Guitarist Jennifer Batten led a multimedia workshop Saturday in Rancho Santa Fe for an intimate crowd of fans and aspiring musicians. The former lead guitarist for Michael Jackson during his Bad, Dangerous and HIStory tours played several songs, describing the techniques she used in detail.

Batten was candid and charmingly quirky, offering up show biz advice when asked and stories about her time spent with the King of Pop as well as Jeff Beck. She went well past the scheduled two hours for the event, and made sure all questions were answered. Pictures and autographs followed the workshop.

The workshop was hosted by The Fine Tune Academy, a music school that caters to North County musicians and strives to provide access to big-name entertainers. Big Fish Studios provided the venue, and has been used by bands from Switchfoot to Blink-182.

Photos and videos by Annie Lane.   [Read more…]

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