2 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | 3

It’s time again for Winnie’s picks.

The Age Of AdalineBlake Lively, Michael Huisman

star in a very different story aboutthe timeless power of love. Adalineis guarding a secret and it does notcome to a head until she meetssomeone from her past. She is con-vinced to take hold of the situation.Very entertaining.

Days That Shook The WorldA documentary about events you

have forgotten. They are presentedin such an entertaining way that youcan hardly wait for the next event tobe shown. A 2-disc set that is cer-tainly worth seeing. Events thatchanged the way we view the world.If you are a history nut, or not, thisis a must see.

DetectoristsA BBC tale of treasure hunting.

Have you ever owned a metal detec-tor? It sounds like fun! This is afunny, little tale of plain peopleenjoying the simple things of life. Aquirky little movie.

Kidnap And RansomDirected by Patrick Harbinson.

Another thriller, which I certainlyenjoy, filmed in exotic and danger-

ous locations. If you enjoy thrillersand police stories, you will enjoy this2-disc set.

Love And MercyJohn Cusack and Elizabeth Banks

will take you back in history to enjoythe Beach Boys. The story of thesinger-songwriter, Brian Wilson, willlet you enjoy his best musical mas-terpieces. A feel good DVD that youdon’t want to miss. You will be updancing around and enjoying everyminute.

Monkey KingdomDisneynature captures all the

magic and adventure of a specialmonkey that will steal your heart.This film will make you laugh andthis monkey is so clever. You willwant to own this one. It is filmed inthe ruins of the jungles of SouthAsia. Enjoy and see you next month.

Winnie’s Picks!

COMMUNITY4 | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Sisters UnitedAcross time and distance, Sonja finds the sister she never knew she had

You know their first names andtheir dog’s name, if they are marriedor single, working or retired, friendlyor cranky. They are our neighbors,next door or down the block.

It’s customary to greet them andmaybe even befriend them, but whenare they more than previous strangers?

Consider Sonja Benavides, whogrew up on Texas Street. An only child,or so she thought, Sonja discovered asan adult that she had a half sister who,in 1982, was living in North Park at32nd Street and Ivy. Her mother,Dagny, never talked about having hada baby in Arizona, or the father, andthe difficult decision to give up thebaby girl for adoption.

This baby, named Barbara (BarbaraNye), was raised by loving adoptiveparents in Phoenix. She eventuallymoved to North Park.

Sonja, Dagny’s second daughter,knew San Diego as her home. Shesometimes wished that she had broth-ers and sisters, and at times felt a littledifferent, having older parents and afather from Costa Rica, but she madefriends at Jefferson Elementary andOur Savior’s Lutheran Church, somewho still live in North Park to this day.North Park has that homey feeling,many adults living in their same child-hood houses, with grandparents oraunts and uncles around the corner.

More years passed. Dagny neverknew that the baby she left in Arizona(Now grown up), was walking the

same North Park streets and perhapsshopping in the same local stores.

Dagny died in 2009, and it was soonafter her memorial service at theLutheran church that the connectionbetween mother and daughters was

made. Barbara went to the memorialbecause she felt “100 percent sure”that Dagny was her birth mother afterseeing the obituary and photo ofDagny.

The resemblance is striking. She sat

in the back of the church, not wantingto be conspicuous, but afterward, sheapproached the pastor and told herstory. She had documentation fromadoption records and more proof wasto come later, when Sonja found asocial worker’s card in her mother’shouse with Barbara’s date and time ofbirth. Furthermore, one of Dagny’sclose friends from Phoenix affirmedthat Dagny had had a baby and puther up for adoption. Sonja was ofcourse at the memorial service forDagny, and needed to tend to mattersin the family home. A meeting wasarranged between Sonja and Barbaraand they shared photos, stories, mem-ories, tears and laughter.

The two women are daughters ofthe same mother, and now goodfriends. Sonja’s personal journey tookher to San Francisco for college, andthen to Los Angeles. Today she liveson 29th Street in North Park andworks at The Office on 30th Streetwhile continuing to make and sell jew-elry, some of which is showcased inthe gift shop at the Mingei Museumin Balboa Park. She is 44 and motherto Charlotte Rose, age 4. Barbara is52 and lives with her husband in Mis-sion Valley. She has had a long careerin biotech, accounting and adminis-tration.

The relationship has enriched bothlives. Sonja has discovered familysecrets, good ones, that strengthen thelove she will always feel for Dagny, who

she describes as adventurous, fun, andsupportive. “I cannot fully explain howmuch the unconditional love mymother gave me growing up made mefeel safe heading out into this judg-mental and critical, yet exciting worldwe live in…I only hope I can give asmuch to my daughter,” says Sonja.

Barbara, who early on had acceptedthe fact that she might never find herbirth mother, now has a sister in Sonja,and an understanding of the kind ofwoman her mother was. She haslearned from Sonja that Dagny was adedicated secretary for 30 years for thecity of San Diego, and a loving wife toJaime for 35 years. She faced a hardchoice in the ’60s, leaving behind ababy, moved to San Diego in 1963,and raised a strong, successful daugh-ter, a person willing to embrace ashared past with a stranger whoappeared at their mother’s end of life.

Dagny loved road trips, and Sonjaremembers feeling secure as they vaca-tioned together. She still likes to headout on the open road, and togetherwith Barbara, she visited Phoenix andSedona last summer and met many ofBarbara’ Arizona relatives. Eachwoman has a larger and stronger fam-ily now, and they are grateful to havebeen united. Sonja and Barbara, andSonja’s little girl, Charlie (CharlotteRose) will undoubtedly continue themeandering journey that now con-nects their lives.

Sisters Sonja Benavides and Barbara Nye (seated, holding photo of their motherDagny). Photo by Jim Childers

BY SUSAN TAYLOR

The Registrar of Voters is sendingout 1.4 million postcards to registeredvoters in San Diego County this weekasking if they’d like to receive thoseelection materials in their inboxinstead of their mailbox.

At one time, state and local lawsrequired the Registrar to mail a copyof the sample ballot and voter infor-mation pamphlet to each registeredvoter. Now the Registrar is allowed tooffer those materials online instead.

In the 2014 election cycle, the Reg-istrar mailed County residents morethan 3 million pamphlets adding upto 281 tons of paper. Voters who signup to get the materials electronicallywill allow the Registrar’s Office to savemoney and help the environment atthe same time.

Voters who opt in to electronicmaterials will see another advantage,too. They’ll get the sample ballot andvoter information pamphlet immedi-ately after they are released while othervoters must wait a day or so beforethe information shows up in their reg-ular mailbox.

The postcards will also give voterswho usually cast their ballots at thepolls the opportunity to sign up tobecome a permanent vote-by-mailvoter.

Whether they are mailed oremailed, sample ballots and informa-tion pamphlets are available uponrequest in Spanish, Filipino, Viet-namese and Chinese.

For more information, call (858)565-5800 or visit sdvote.com.

Get Election Materials Emailed to You

The season of giving has begun!Annual secured property tax billsfrom our office were sent out inSeptember. So by now, all of youwho are property owners shouldhave received your annual securedbill.

This year, 2,269 additional billswere sent out — bringing thetotal to 986,858. These securedbills will generate more than $5billion for county operations tohelp our schools, our communitycolleges, our libraries, and somuch more in our community.

This year, we’ve improved ourmobile-friendly platform to makeit easier for taxpayers like you topay online through your phoneor tablet. We are always strivingto provide you with more stream-lined payment options. You canalso sign up for our e-notification

system to get a friendly e-mailreminder when your taxes are dueat www.sdtreastax.com.

Here are some tips for payingyour annual secured tax bill ontime to avoid any penalties.

Mark your calendar. The TaxCollector’s office sends one annu-al secured bill only. The firstinstallment is due on Nov. 1 andthe last day to pay on time is Dec.10. The second installment is dueon Feb. 1 and the last day to payon time is April 10.

Prepare financially. There is nolegal provision to defer taxes dueto financial hardship. If you areunable to pay your taxes whendue, a penalty will be assessed. Ifyour taxes are still unpaid by theend of the fiscal year, your taxeswill default and additional penal-ties will apply. At that time, youmay qualify for a payment planto pay the taxes over a five-year

period.Check with your mortgage

company. If you have recentlyrefinanced or purchased a prop-erty, contact your lender to deter-mine who will be paying the taxbill. If you have an impoundaccount, make sure your mort-gage company pays the bill ontime.

Check your travel schedule. Ifyou plan to be out of town, makearrangements beforehand. Andremember, you can always payonline! It’s fast, free, and easy.

Don’t confuse your supple-mental bill with your annualsecured bill. Supplemental billsare separate from your annualsecured tax bill. They are sentwhen there’s been a change ofownership or new construction.

If you are in the military, youmay be eligible for deferred pay-ment. If you’re on militarydeployment, you may be able todefer paying your taxes until youreturn. Call our office at (877)829-4732 to check.

Thank you for allowing us toserve you!

COMMUNITY MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | 5

The Tax Man Cometh Property tax bills are due

Ask Dr. Z

I am traveling on a plane withmy young child this winter.What precautions should Itake?

Planes can be little petri dishes ofinfections, so your most importantprecaution is to take care of yourselfand your infant with lots of goodfood, vegetables and fruit and sleepin the days and weeks before travel.Babies tend to get ill from their par-ents and those closest to them, somake sure you are well enough tofight off any illness that comes yourway from the plane. Then, keep yourlittle one close to you — front carrier,on your lap, etc. Try not to let themwander around touching everything.When they do, this would be the maintime I would recommend a hand san-itizer. Use it on your little one afterthey touch things and before they puttheir fingers in their mouth or on theirface, and on your own after you touchthe ticket counter, the chairs, etc. Feelfree to be neurotic. Next up, sanitizingwipes for your immediate chair, traytable, plane wall, etc. Wipe it all downas soon as you get on the plane andbefore you let your child down. Andfinally, make sure your child has hadimmunizations. The most importantfor U.S. travel if you selectively vacci-nate are the DTaP and the PCV(pneumococcal). If they are over 6months old, look into the flu shot,and if over 1 year old, an MMR is alsoappropriate. These are the most dan-

gerous and common diseases caughton planes that are at least partially pre-ventable by a vaccine. Given the extentof travel these days, assume anyonefrom any country can be on the plane.If your child is under 2 months old, Ido not recommend plane travel.

Can you get the flu from theflu shot?

In a word, no. There is no activevirus in the flu shot, only proteins.However, there are two ways that youcan feel ill after a flu shot. The first isthat you breathed in the flu virus (oranother virus, like the common coldor stomach flu) in the few days beforeyour shot. Then your immune systemhas to deal with both the infectionand the flu shot proteins, thus weak-ening the response to both. In a pinch,the body will fight the more danger-ous one and let you get the other.That’s why you might get that cold orstomach virus, while the body mountsthe immunity to the flu. The otherreason you may feel ill after a flu shotis the immune response to the shotitself. This is what makes the flu shotwork. When the body is exposed toflu proteins, it fights it the same wayit fights the flu — fever, body aches,cough, mucous, fatigue. With the vac-cine, however, the response is mildand short because it is not the fullvirus you received. If you are still feel-ing poorly after three days, you reallyare ill and got sick in the day or sobefore your shot, so take care of your-self!

Dr. Tara Zandvliet welcomes your ques-tions. Send them to questions@ south-parkdoctor.com. She practices at 2991Kalmia St. Phone: (619) 929-0032.

BY DAN MCALLISTERS.D. COUNTY TREASURER/TAX COLLECTOR

Treasurer/Tax Collector Dan McAllister

NEWS6 | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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Letters/Opinion PiecesNorth Park News encourage letters to the edi-tor and guest editorials. Please address corre-spondence to Manny@sandiegometro.com ormail to Manny Cruz. Please include a phonenumber, address and name for verification

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North Park News distributes copies monthlyto residents and businesses of North Park,

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ADAMS AVENUE NEWS

Golden Hill NeighborhoodNonprofit One San Diego seeks to bridge city’s north-south divide

From a small office in San Diego’sGolden Hill neighborhood, MayorKevin Faulconer’s year-old nonprofitOne San Diego is trying to bridgethe gap between the city’s wealthiestand most impoverished neighbor-hoods.

“One San Diego was really one ofKevin’s campaign platforms. Hiswhole concept is that every neigh-borhood has to be doing well if SanDiego is going to do well,” said hiswife, Katherine, who serves as hon-orary chair of the nonprofit.

The organization’s office is in anold building with graffiti on the door.That’s on purpose to underscore acommitment to address whatFaulconer calls “the divide betweenthe communities north of the ‘8’ ver-sus south of the ‘8.’”

Faulconer sees her role as foster-ing partnerships that bring togethercompanies and other sponsors toprovide very specific kinds of helpto San Diego neighborhoods. Andin her role as first lady of the city, shehas many opportunities to see wherehelp is needed.

“We’ll find a sponsor who wants

to do something and we’ll sit downwith them and create a program,”she explained. “There’s plenty ofthings that need help funding.”

Over the last year, One San Diego’sneighborhood projects have includ-ed:

• November 2014 — Provided 60laptops for students to do homeworkat public libraries. Funding was pro-vided by the Walmart Foundationand the San Diego Public LibraryFoundation.

• August 2015 — Distributed 300backpacks filled with school suppliesto low-income students in BarrioLogan in partnership with the Mar-low B. Martinez Foundation.

• August 2015 — Organized ablock party for residents ofSouthcrest with police officers andfirefighters on hand in an effort toincrease neighborhood cooperation.

• September 2015 — Provided 60Chromebook laptops for use by stu-dents in the San Ysidro and Valencia

Park/Malcolm X Branch libraries.Funding came from Cox Commu-nications and the San Diego LibraryFoundation.

In addition, the nonprofit hasorganized a series of communityforums to discuss issues facing par-ticular communities from Otay Mesato City Heights.

The block party was a major suc-cess, and another one is planned forthe Webster neighborhood on Nov.21. The police department is helpingOne San Diego pick the communi-ties, with a goal of improving rela-tionships in high crime areas.

Faulconer, who foundedthe event-managementcompany Restaurant Events nearly20 years ago, is using her organiza-tional skills to bring resources fromall over the city to improve commu-nities.

“We’re not trying to re-invent thewheel,” she said. “We’re trying tobring people together to do morethings.”

Excellence in Journalism AwardsFreelance writer Delle Willett

won a first place award in the SanDiego Press Club’s 42nd annualExcellence in Journalism Awardslast night for a story on Asset-Backed Loans in the April 2015issue of SD METRO Magazine. Theaward was in the Magazines, Busi-ness & Financial category.

Willett’s story, which alsoappeared in the North Park News,described a new source of capitalgaining in popularity -- asset-backed loans. Personal-asset lenderstake personal luxury assets like gold,jewelry, classic cars and the like ascollateral for a short-term personalor business loan.

Freelance writer Thomas Shesstook home a second place award for

an architecture story for the NorthPark News, and a third place awardfor a travel story, also in the NorthPark News.

Shess penned the winning designfeature for May 2015’s “C StreetPanorama,” a Richard Requadesigned vintage home in SouthPark owned by the Schoeffel fami-ly. Shess was singled out for his Junearticle “North Park to Cuba” featurein North Park News.

Veteran writer, Shess has 14 PressClub Awards for Architecture &Design from the San Diego PressClub, however it was his first awardin travel writing.

Katherine Faulconer in front of One San Diego’s office in Golden Hill. (Photo byChris Jenenewein)

Delle Willett Tom Shess

BY TIMES OF SAN DIEGO

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | 7

BALBOAPARK:THE

FUTURE

The San Diego Automotive Museumannounces the opening of its new exhibit —“Balboa Park, the Future” — the final chapterin the museum’s tribute to the 2015 Centennial.

The exhibit will run through Jan. 29, 2016. It features advanced technologies, concept

design, and presentations about what the drivingexperience will be in the next generation.

SDG&E is the community partner for thisexhibit. Its special display about plugged in carshas been included. The exhibit also features afilm display of Terrafugia’s flying car prototype.This Boston-based company is making the 1962vision of the Jetson’s flying car something that isreal and on the horizon.

This exhibit features 2000 Nissan Hyper Mini,a locally designed and built 3-Wheeler, a 1999Tango, a 2016 Electric Smart Fortwo, a 2012Fisker Karma, a 1981 Delorean DMC 12, a 1924Ford Model T converted to hydrogen, a 2015Polaris Slingshot, a 2000 24.7 Ford Concept Pick-up Truck, a 2015 BMW i3, and a 2015 StromerSTI Electric Bike.

Exhibit partners are Nissan Design, MinhDuong, Richard Woodbury, Peter Pickslay,Denise Botticelli, Motoworld of El Cajon, SmartCenter of Kearny Mesa, Electric Bike Central,Bryan Thompson Designand BMW of SanDiego.

Regular hours are 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. The muse-um is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.Admission prices are as follows: $9 for adults,$6 for seniors (65 and over), $5 students withID, $4 children ages 6-15. Children under theage of 6 are admitted free of charge. The museumis free to all San Diego County residents andmilitary with ID on the fourth Tuesday of eachmonth. Phone (619) 231-2886.

PHOTOS BY PAULA BRANDES

2015 Polaris Slingshot

AUTOMOTIVE

MUSEUM’S

FINAL TRIBUTE TO

2015 CENTENNIAL

2012 Fisker Karma

2000 24.7 Ford Concept Pickup Truck

1999 Tango

8 | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

The San Diego Museum of Art announcesthe opening of two exhibitions — “East Coast,West Coast and In-Between: Harry Sternbergand America,” and “James Hubbell: CaliforniaWildfire Watercolors.”

The exhibitions feature a variety of paintings,drawings and prints by the respective San Diegoartists, Harry Sternberg and James Hubbell,who each found artistic inspiration throughnature and life.

“East Coast, West Coast” (on exhibitthrough May 8, 2016)

The exhibition features some of the moststriking works produced during the variousstages of Sternberg’s 75-year artistic career.

Before settling in Escondido, Sternberg spentthe first 62 years of his life in New York City,working as an instructor in etching, lithographyand composition at New York’s famous Art Stu-dents League. During these years, Sternbergbecame known for his psychological characterstudies, industrial landscapes, socially focusedsatires, self-portraits and prints.

Combining realism and aspects of abstrac-tion and surrealism, Sternberg created dark,dramatic works, often with a distinctly dream-like impact. He also documented the terribleworking conditions in the Pennsylvania coalmines. In 1936, he received a Guggenheim fel-lowship, an annual grant awarded to those whohave demonstrated exceptional capacity forproductive scholarship or exceptional creativeability in the arts.

During the 1950s, Sternberg frequently vis-ited the Western U.S. to see his wife’s familyand teach courses at Idyllwild Arts Academyand Brigham Young University, where, in 1957,he painted the magisterial landscape Mountainsand Birches of Utah. The piece is part of themuseum’s permanent collection and will be ondisplay in the rotunda throughout the durationof the exhibition.

In 1966, Sternberg was given approximatelysix months to live due to lung damage after

having worked with toxic paints for severaldecades. The artist rebelled against this cate-gorical verdict, quit his long-standing job at theArt Students League, and set up a studio onEast Valley Parkway in Escondido. There heproceeded to create his signature portraits andprints for another 35 years though now adaptedto color schemes inspired by the bright Cali-fornia sun.

The exhibition is curated by Bram Dijkstra,professor emeritus of UC San Diego and authorof many published books; including “AmericanExpressionism: Art and Social Change, 1920-1950” (2003).

“James Hubbell: California WildfireWatercolors” (on exhibit through Feb.9, 2016)

This exhibition features 10 watercolor paint-ings by renowned architect and artist JamesHubbell. The works were executed in the after-math of the 2003 Cedar Fire, which ravagedthe San Diego region and destroyed part of theartist’s home. The house, which Hubbell builtin 1958, was widely recognized for its uniquesculptural pieces and whimsical appearance.After the most destructive fire in San Diego’shistory, Hubbell rebuilt the home, which heand his wife still occupy near Julian. This is thefirst time these works have been displayed since2003.

Hubbell’s influence on the artistic culture ofthe San Diego region transcends his work asa painter, sculptor and designer. His buildingsand public park projects have garnered inter-national interest and recognition, and have beenfeatured in numerous articles and books, tele-vision programs on the Travel Channel andHome and Garden TV and two documentariesproduced by KPBS.

“James Hubbell: California Wildfire Water-colors” is curated by Ariel Plotek, Ph.D., asso-ciate curator of Modern Art at The San DiegoMuseum of Art.

Museum of Art Exhibits FeatureWorks of Harry Sternberg andJames Hubbell

James Hubbell, Untitled, 2004, watercolor on paper.

Harry Sternberg, ‘Mountains and Birches of Utah,’ 1957, oil on board.

Kathleen Hansen is New Director of San Diego ChorusThe San Diego Chorus has

welcomed its first new direc-tor in 30 years. Music educa-tor and choir director Kath-leen Hansen takes over the61-year-old award-winningchorus of more than 80women, who perform andcompete singing a cappella inthe barbershop style. Hansentakes over from Kim Vaughn,

who was director from 1985to 2015.

Hansen has been workingin the field of music educationsince 1998 with students of allages and backgrounds. Sheholds a Bachelor of Musicdegree, specializing in musiceducation and trumpet, a sin-gle-subject teaching credentialand a Master of Music degree,

specializing in conducting. Hansen also is director of

the San Diego Women’s Cho-rus, a nonprofit communitychorus that strives to use thepower of women and thepower of music to entertainand inspire audiences. Sheserves as director of the SunHarbor Chorus and the NorthCounty Tremble Clefs (a ther-

apeutic chorus for people withParkinson’s and their care-givers/loved ones). She alsooperates Serenity Sound Heal-ing, where she uses traditionalTibetan instruments as a ther-apeutic modality.

Kathleen Hansen

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | 9

By Bart Mendoza

November 28Scott Russo’s Staying PowerUnwritten Law, one of San Diego’s favorite rock bands, circa the1990s, returns to the House of Blues on Nov. 28. The band has neverhad a stable lineup and it’s been four years since the release of theirmost recent disc, “Swan,” but that only goes to show the stayingpower that frontman Scott Russo has. His manic performing stylehas certainly won him fans, but perhaps the secret to the band’slongevity is Russo’s melodic sense, which has resulted in a string ofclassic, anthemic, sing-a-long singles such as “Save Me,” “Nevermind”and “She Says. ” With no new album to push, this show promises tobe all about those hits. www.houseofblues.com/sandiego

December 13The Formidable Newcomer Josie DayOn Dec. 13, Tio Leo’s will be site of “Roni Lee Rocks Christmas,”an annual event hosted by the hard rock queen. While the entiremusical lineup was not set at press time, among those confirmedare former Mamas & Pappas/Buckinghams singer, Laurie Lewis,Andrews Sisters tribute, The Sisters of Swing and newcomer,Josie Day. The latter is a formidable talent, known for her stintswith such popular local covers-based combos such as WildRumor. Day recently released her debut EP, “About Time,” withradio friendly tracks such as “No Plan B,” surely making her anearly contender for the 2016 SDMA’s. Meanwhile, Lee is a terrificguitarist best known for co-penning the Runaways classic song“I Wanna Be Where the Boys Are,” as well as membership inpunk pioneers, Venus & The Razor Blades. One of the bestfrontwomen in town, Lee never gives less than 200 percent,with a stadium-ready band to back her.www.ronileerockschristmas.com

November 21Stellita Marie Stands Out in Jacobs Center FundraiserOn Nov. 21, the Jacobs Center will be the site of a special fundraiser,“Three Debonair Dudes and a Leading Lady,” with proceeds fromthe night benefitting two local charities: Father Joe’s Villages andSecond Chance. On hand will be comedian Jahmaine, along withsingers Bizz, Don Johnson and Stellita Marie. All are impressive tal-ents, but it’s Marie that is the clear standout, with a powerful voiceand stage presence to match. Marie is a major talent and has beenpart of several local groups, including Detroit Underground. Anyonewho likes jazz, blues or R&B will find this a chance to hear greatlocal talent while also helping two worthy causes. www.jacobscenter.org

November 27-28Rocking With Punk Rockers XThe Casbah has a number of two-night residencies this time out,including Little Hurricane, Dec. 4-5, and Mariachi El Bronx on Dec.16-17. But the one that will get the adrenaline pumping the most issure to be legendary Los Angeles punk rockers, X, appearing Nov. 27-28. The band hasn’t released a new album since 1993’s, “Hey, Zeus,”but the audience will be cheering loudest for tunes from their firsttwo seminal albums, “Los Angeles” (1980) and “Wild Gift” (1981).Fans will be happy to hear that guitarist Billy Zoom will be touringwith the band following recovery from cancer treatment earlier thisyear. www.casbahmusic.com

December 9Nik Turner Gig a Promo for New BookA co-founder of the space rock movement, Nik Turner appearsat the Til Two Club on Dec. 9, with his current version of Hawk-wind. Turner left the band circa 1984, but continues to play themusic with a new band of musicians. Unusually, on this tour,Turner isn’t promoting a new album. Instead, the show is tospread the word about a new book he’s penned, “The Spirit ofHawkwind 1969-1976.” Though Hawkwind is not a householdname by any means, at least in the U.S. it is a true cult band,inspiring generations of musicians, from the Sex Pistols to Min-istry. While it’s unlikely any new material will be aired, thebook’s focus on the band’s early years pretty much guaranteesa set based on nothing but the band’s crowd pleasers. www.tiltwoclub.com

November 28El Debarge Loses None of His EdgeSoul and modern R&B aficionados won’t want to miss an appearancefrom ’80s hit-maker, El Debarge at The Music Box on Nov. 28. Hescored several hits with his family, including “Rhythm of the Night”(No. 3, 1985) before embarking on a solo career that has seen himremain a chart artist through the decades. His most recent single,2010’s “Lay With You,” made the R&B Top 20 and proved that hehad lost none of his edge. With his sweet, smooth voice and suavestage presence, plus an arsenal of romantic hit songs, Debarge’s setpromises to get the ladies in attendance swooning, while keepingthe dance floor packed.www.musicboxsd.com

10 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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We also have loan options for condo complexes in litigation!

Some say music isn’t as importantas it used to be. They argue that songsdon’t contain the same social, culturaland political charges as they did in ear-lier decades. But according to SethMallios, an anthropologist at San DiegoState University, popular entertainmentremains a catalyst for social change.

“The acts that have played at SDSUhave defined crucial moments in his-tory -- and they continue to do so,”Mallios said.

Mallios has spent the last five yearsstudying SDSU’s rock ‘n’ roll historywhich dates back to the early ’60s. Morethan 3,000 concerts have taken placeon campus, featuring big names suchas Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, TheRamones and Lady Gaga.

Although genres have shifted overtime, messages in music are a constant-- stories of love, heartbreak, loss, upris-ing and revolution are present in thesongs, regardless of the decade.

Many of these songs were echoed ina tiny concert venue located in unfin-ished lanes in SDSU’s old bowling alley.The Backdoor served as the stage for anumber of classic acts, many of whomunknowingly walked past a vibrantpainting located near the rear stageentrance.

Mallios has been instrumental inrestoring the Backdoor Mural, whichis one of the most important culturalartifacts of SDSU’s rock ‘n’ roll history.With the support of donors — such asAztec Parents, Steve and Susan Weber,the President’s Leadership Fund anddozens of supporters through SDSUStrive — the now infamous Backdoormural received its second chance in thespotlight.

The mural was unveiled at an Oct.29 ceremony that explored SDSU’s rolein chronicling musical history. Theevent included a release of a five-vol-ume book anthology on the history oflive popular music at SDSU, and fea-tured a performance by famed song-writer, SDSU alumnus and Backdoormainstay Jack Tempchin.

About the Backdoor Mural

Painted in 1976 by students in Pro-fessor Arturo Anselmo Roman’s Chi-cano art class, the artwork serves as aglimpse into the height of SDSU’sbustling music scene which simulta-neously coincided with pivotalmoments for Chicano activism.

“SDSU’s rock ‘n’ roll history isextraordinary; yet most San Diegans

have no idea,” Mallios said. “So manyof us have had favorite musicalmoments on Montezuma Mesa, butvirtually no one knows how they all fittogether to make this campus the rock'n' roll epicenter of the region.”

“Let it Rock!” will be available inhardcover and eBook formats.

Mallios and his co-author Jaime

Lennox’s anthology titled “Let it Rock!”details SDSU’s concert repertoire.According to their research, SDSU hashosted more live music shows thannearly any other college campus. Thebooks include an array of perfor-mances, from Joan Baez to the GratefulDead, Ray Charles to Adele.

Each book contains pictures andpersonal accounts from concert atten-dees.

ARTS12 | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

A mural celebrates the importance of artistic and musical history on campus

The Backdoor mural

SDSU’S ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HISTORYBY HALLIE JACOBS

‘Let it Rock!’ will be available in hardcoverand eBook formats.

San Diego State University heldgroundbreaking ceremonies on Nov. 6for its Engineering and InterdisciplinarySciences Complex, a facility aimed atenhancing the university’s teaching andresearch capabilities and boosting itsability to attrack top researchers andgraduate students.

The complex will host several estab-lished research centers, including TheViromics Institute, The Smart HealthInstitute, and an imaging laboratory forbrain research.

Other research areas will includebiomedical engineering, renewableenergy systems, and wireless commu-nication.

The William E. LeonardEntrepreneurship Center will containprograms designed to bring faculty andstudent innovations to market. TheZahn Innovation Platform will bringbusiness mentoring and prototypingand design experience to researchers.

The Lavin Entrepreneurship Centerwill bring industry experts to offer cur-riculum guidance and an insider lookat how markets are evolving.

“A common theme among theseprojects will be engineers and scientistsrecognizing opportunities for takingresearch and transforming it into real-world solutions,” according to a pre-pared a university announcement.

SDSU Begins ConstructionOn Engineering Complex

HISTORY MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | 13

The American Society of Civil Engineers San Diego Sec-tion has proclaimed the North Park Water Tower a LocalHistoric Civil Engineering Landmark.

The local section of the national professional engineeringorganization, which is celebrating its centennial this year,has selected the Water Tower for honors due to its robustand unique design, towering presence and contribution toSan Diego's early urban growth.

The designation adds to the Water Tower’s national recog-nition in 2013 when the North Park Historical Societyachieved listing of the structure on the National Registerof Historic Places.

Officially named the University Heights Elevated Tank,the riveted steel plate structure was built in 1924. Towering140 feet above the west end of El Cajon Boulevard, theWater Tower is an iconic part of the community. It is a rareexample of early 20th century technology for supplyingwater at adequate pressure and held more than 1 milliongallons of potable water until the 1990s.

Without municipal water for fire protection and com-mercial and domestic uses, development of UniversityHeights, North Park, Hillcrest and other streetcar suburbs

expanding from Downtown San Diego in the early 1900scould have stopped.

The Water Tower’s landmark status was celebrated at aNov. 5 ceremony in North Park Community Park involvingthe ASCE, the North Park Historical Society, El Cajon Boule-vard Business Improvement District and San Diego cityand county officials.

Councilman Todd Gloria with youngster.

North Park Water Tower ProclaimedLocal Historic Civil Engineering Landmark

The Jacobs School of Engineeringand Division of Social Sciences at theUniversity of California, San Diegohave launched the ContextualRobotics Institute to develop safe anduseful robotics systems. Theserobotics systems will function in thereal world based on the contextualinformation they perceive, in realtime. Elder care and assisted living,disaster response, medicine, trans-portation and environmental sensingare just some of the helpful applica-tions that could emerge from tomor-row’s human-friendly robots.

The Contextual Robotics Institutewill leverage UC San Diego’s researchstrengths in engineering, computerscience and cognitive science and

work collaboratively across the cam-pus and the region to establish SanDiego as a leader in the research,development and production ofhuman-friendly robotics systems.

“This is an extremely exciting timefor robotics researchers,” said UC SanDiego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla,who is also a world-renownedroboticist. “Many robotics subfieldshave seen incredible advances in thelast few years. The time is right forUC San Diego to step up and take aleadership role in the future of

robotics.”More than 40 UC San Diego pro-

fessors and research scientists haveelected to be a part of the ContextualRobotics Institute at its launch. Theseresearchers and their teams are per-forming $10 million in robotics-related research this year.

The UC San Diego Jacobs Schoolof Engineering is currently workingto hire a faculty director for the Insti-tute as well as three additionalrobotics faculty. This comes on theheels of four robotics hires at theJacobs School over the last two years.

“One of my goals for this Instituteis to ensure that San Diego developsinto a world-class center for thedesign, development and production

of useful consumer robotics that actbased on a real-time understandingof the world,” said Albert P. Pisano,Dean of the UC San Diego JacobsSchool of Engineering. “Now is thetime to focus on systems integrationand assemble ever more perceptiverobotics systems.”

Achieving this goal will require sig-nificant collaborations betweenresearchers at the Jacobs School ofEngineering, the Division of SocialSciences and across the entire cam-pus.

“We are seeking to enhance col-laboration between scientists fromdifferent fields so that the next gen-eration of machines we build aremachines that humans can use bet-ter,” said UC San Diego Dean ofSocial Sciences Carol Padden. “Whatsocial scientists bring to the enter-prise is a deep understanding ofhumans—our behavior and brains,and our emotional and social needs.Social scientists also investigate thepublic space and cultural infrastruc-ture. By designing more responsiverobots that are compatible withhumans and in sync with social prac-tices, we can build machines to servehumanity.”

The future of robotics at UCSan Diego

“What’s powerful about the newContextual Robotics Institute is hav-ing researchers with a whole spec-trum of expertise working together,”said UC San Diego cognitive scienceprofessor Zhuowen Tu.

Computer vision, artificial intelli-gence, neuroscience, electronic actu-ators, dynamic controls, materials,nano- and micro-machines, sensorsand sensing, controls systems,human-robot interactions, chips,wireless communications, new mate-rials, biomimetics, batteries andpower management are just a few ofthe research strengths at UC SanDiego that will converge in futurerobotic systems.

A wide spectrum of expertise willbe necessary to give robotics systemsthe ability to not only perceive con-text, but to make use of it.

“Context enables situationalawareness and is essential to achiev-ing true autonomy in robotics sys-tems,” said Rajesh Gupta, professorand chair of the Computer Scienceand Engineering Department at UCSan Diego. Gupta served as facultychair of the visioning committee forthe Institute.

There are many different kinds ofcontext including physical, emotionaland sociological, Gupta explained.“Contextual robotics systems willunderstand context and applyknown capabilities. These systemswill also derive new capabilities fromcontext and even change the contextin a controllable manner by applyingnew capabilities,” said Gupta.

Getting to this level of autonomywill take significant work at the inter-section of engineering, computer sci-ence and the social sciences.

iRat, a robotic rodent, may helpresearchers develop robots betterequipped to interact with humans.Photo by Andrea Chiba

“The Institute is not completeuntil we have core laboratory spaces,”said Pisano. These labs will facilitatethe cross-disciplinary systems inte-gration work, in partnership with

industry partners that will be key tothe mission of the Institute.

These dynamic environments willhelp ensure that UC San Diego trainstomorrow’s robotics workforce inboth engineering and social sciences.

Robotics-related researchprojects sampler

UC San Diego cognitive scientistsand engineers are using iRat, a robotrodent, in social neuroscienceresearch that could lead to robotsthat are better equipped to interactwith humans. The researchers, led bycognitive scientist Andrea Chiba, bio-engineer Todd Coleman and com-puter scientist Janet Wiles at the Uni-versity of Queensland, are studyinghow their robotic rodent interactswith and triggers responses from ratsequipped with state-of-the-artdevices that record heart rate, respi-ration rate and brain activity.

UC San Diego mechanical engi-neering professor and recent roboticshire James Friend specializes in gen-erating motion. His research teamshave built microrobots that allowcatheters to navigate through thehuman body. He has also developedrobotic finger joints and a silent, fullyarticulated neck motor that exceedshuman capabilities. At UC SanDiego, Friend plans to collaborateacross disciplines to create groups ofmicrorobots that work together, sim-ilar, for example, to the crawling spi-ders in the movie “Minority Report.”

Computer science professor Man-mohan Chandraker’s research focus-es on self-driving cars. Some of thequestions he is helping to answer canhelp robots navigate the real world.Chandraker is a computer visionexpert. His work converts 2D imagesto 3D maps of the world that allowself-driving cars to pinpoint the loca-tion of traffic participants such aspedestrians and vehicles. The dataare combined with informationabout the car's surroundings such aslanes, roads and traffic signs. Theultimate goal is scene understanding,especially in crowded environments,that allows the cars to plan their pathor predict potential dangers to takeevasive action. In addition to cars,the research also could apply tounmanned ground or aerial vehicles.

Context-sensitive robotics systemswill come in all shapes and sizes. Pic-ture hundreds of sensor balloonscommunicating via inexpensive cell-phone technology that can bereleased into a developing hurricane,self-distribute, and track the stormover several days to improve theaccuracy of track and intensity fore-casts. Mechanical engineer ThomasBewley and his team are developingthis system, which relies on complexcontrols algorithms. This is just oneof many examples of how controlsalgorithms can be used to open newapplications for advanced roboticssystems.

EDUCATION14 | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Ph.D. students Benjamin Shih and Dylan Drotman monitor a computer while Ph.D.student Adriane Minori gets ready to remove a 3D-printed object from the softrobotic gripper.

UC San Diego Launches Robotics InstituteThe aim: to develop safe and useful robotic systems

Snake-like robot for navigatingwithin the human body for mini-mally-invasive surgery. (Photo byMichael Yip)

iRat, a robotic rodent, may help researchers develop robots better equipped to interactwith humans. (Photo by Andrea Chiba)

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | 15

St. Augustine High School has start-ed construction of a new StudentCommunity Center that will includea gymnasium, 1,500-seat event venue,locker rooms, offices and teachingareas.

For the first time, Saints will be ableto host regional and state playoffgames and host community events,alumni receptions, fundraising galasand graduation ceremonies.

The Oct. 30 groundbreakingmarked the end of a decade-long cap-

ital campaign — Building FutureSaints — that was initiated by the lateFather John Sanders, former Saintsprincipal.

The Student Community Centerwas designed by domusstudio archi-tecture.

“One of our core values is Unitas,or unity, and that’s what we’ve strivenfor in creating this Student Commu-nity Center,” said St. Augustine Presi-dent Ed Hearn. “It will allow our stu-dents and the local community ample

space to increase programming andin doing so, increase the sense ofschool pride and adding to “TheSaints Experience.’”

The school added new classroombuildings and library in 2007. In orderto respect their neighborhood loca-tion, Saints has instructed that thebuildings be built below grade toreduce height and visual impact upontheir North Park neighbors.

Rendering of the Student Community Center at St. Augustine High. (Photo courtesy of domusstudio architecture)

St. Augustine High Starts Constructionon New Student Community CenterWith new gymnasium, school will be able to hostregional and state playoff games

Dr. Paul Goldfarb, a longtime onco-logic surgeon with Scripps Health andresident of Mission Hills, has beenelected to a three-year term on theAmerican College of Surgeons (ACS)Commission on Cancer (CoC). Gold-farb is the medical director of theO’Toole Breast Care Center at ScrippsMercy Hospital San Diego and is a Fel-low of the ACS.

The CoC is a consortium of cancercare professionals dedicated toimproving survival and quality of lifefor cancer patients through standardsetting, prevention, research, educa-tion and the monitoring of compre-hensive quality of care. CoC member-ship consists of more than 100individuals from 56 organizationsnationwide, representing the multi-disciplinary professionals that com-prise the cancer care team.

The CoC’s cancer center accredita-tion program encourages hospitals,treatment centers and other facilitiesto improve their quality of patient carethrough various cancer-related pro-grams. There are currently more than

1,500 CoC-accredited cancer pro-grams in the U.S. and Puerto Rico,representing 30 percent of all hospi-tals. CoC-accredited facilities diagnoseand/or treat more than 70 percent ofall newly diagnosed cancer patientseach year.

“The Commission on Cancer is theleader in advocating for improvementsin care for cancer patients, and theyshare Scripps’ commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care,” saidGoldfarb, who will represent the ACSFellowship as a CoC member. “I’vebeen involved with the commission

my entire career and have seen thevalue they bring firsthand, includingScripps’ successful network accredita-tion process.”

Goldfarb currently serves as chair-man of the Scripps Health Breast Can-cer Task Force. His medical practicehas focused exclusively on oncologyfor the past 25 years. He specializes ingeneral surgery and surgical oncology,performing biopsies, gastrointestinaloncology and breast cancer surgery, aswell as sentinel lymph node mapping.

Earlier in his career, he was a clinicalprofessor of surgery within the Uni-versity of California system and servedon the teaching faculty at Balboa NavalHospital.

As a volunteer, Goldfarb has servedas president of the American CancerSociety’s (ACS) San Diego unit andCalifornia division. He has also servedon the ACS’ state and national boardsand developed the ACS’ first camp inCalifornia for children with cancer.

Scripps Mercy Surgeon Paul GoldfarbElected to Commission on Cancer

Dr. Paul Goldfarb

16 | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

The Lacey House A dignified presence on a shady corner

Designed by renowned architect SylvanusMarston, the 1912 Lacey House is a dignifiedpresence on a shady corner in Pasadena.

Framed by a massive century oak, draped inwisteria, the 1912 Lacey House is the quintessen-tial bungalow by the versatile Pasadena architectSylvanus Marston. Thanks to an exhaustive effortby Phil and Nancy Naecker and family, the househas, once again, a sound infrastructure and itsstately beauty. They’ve been at it since 1991.

A wide front porch — truly a verandah —beckons visitors. Held on battered pillars madeof boulders, it serves as an outdoor living roomwith a seating area and outdoor fireplace. Theromantic bungalow seems to grow right fromthe boulder-strewn ground. The interior is dra-matic with barrel-vaulted ceilings, a Batchelderfireplace, and a long, built-in dining room buffet.The courtyard, enclosed on three sides, is a loggiawith a pergola roof where the wisteria climbs.

It took a while to get here. Phil Naecker saysthe exterior work was the most costly and diffi-cult. Past remodeling and weather damage hadtaken their toll, so the porte cochere needed tobe rebuilt, beams and arbor made new, and raftertails resawn. New brackets were fabricated tomatch the one that remained. The difficulty (andexpense) came from the need to custom milleverything — the old (“standard”) lumber stockwas beefier, so new stock items do not match.Also, the original beams and rafters had a heavygrain pattern and had been cut with a very largecircular saw no longer in use today. Surface treat-ments were used to “age” the wood to matchweathered original pieces. In a few cases, woodsalvaged during a major repair was reused to

replace a weather-damaged component else-where.

With the removal of a failed internal guttersystem under the edge of the rolled roofing, wateris no longer the enemy. Now a shingle roof capsan extensive, hidden drainage system well inte-grated with the house. Sheltering eaves, well artic-ulated rafters, and Japanesque brackets reminis-cent of Greene & Greene are secure thanks tothe Naeckers’ meticulous work.

Besides a seismic upgrade for the foundation,the owners replaced heating, electrical, andplumbing systems. Alterations had left the inte-rior in dire need of restoration. The wall-to-wallcarpeting had caused a huge headache: for clear-ance, all the doors had been shaved. With thecarpeting removed, dozens of doors wereshort—some rooms, typical of Marston’s houses,had five doors. All were fixed to furnituremakerstandards. (Because they are painted, the exten-sion patches — carefully matched for grain andthickness — are virtually invisible.) Air-condi-tioning units had been mounted into the wallpaneling, and hot-water radiators placed in theflooring. With their removal, walls and floorsneeded patching, so Phil and Nancy searchedout matching fir and oak.

The original billiard room was the least altered,its Port Orford cedar paneling still wearing theoriginal varnish. (It has patinaed to an orange-peel texture in exposed places, but the finish isnear-perfect inside cabinets and window seats,and that will guide refinishing at some point.)Just off the living room with direct access to thefront porch, the room provides an interestingglimpse of gender dynamics in the Arts & Crafts

period. This room, where men retired after din-ner to drink and play billiards, has six separatedoorways (including those that open to thecourtyard and front porch, for smoking) and itsown bathroom. Pocket doors could be pulledshut to close this room off from the ladies.

The room is well detailed yet informal, with arustic brick fireplace and unique ceiling beamscarved with a Southwest-style motif. When Philand Nancy pulled up the carpeting, they founda well-worn foot track in the floor finish, point-ing to where the billiard table had stood.

The remodeled kitchen featured dingy flooringand accents in avocado green; the butler pantryhad been incorporated, probably in the 1970s,too. Nancy and Phil went with the modified floorplan but enlarged the room by taking a bit ofspace from the laundry room. A unique buffetpasses through into the original dining-roombuffet, the back of which had been removed atsome point. The new hinged window admitsmore light into the kitchen, and facilitates serv-ing.

For more than two decades, the Naecker familyhas lived and breathed restoration. Thanks togreat craftspeople, they say, their house has itsessential Craftsman features and yet offers mod-ern comfort. “We’re not purists,” Nancy insists,“but maybe you can’t really tell.”

Sylvanus Marston, 1883-1946Although his work in Southern California ran

from San Diego to Santa Barbara, architect Syl-vanus Marston made a special mark on Pasade-na. When Marston established his firm in 1908,he joined an elite group of contemporaries,

including Myron Hunt, Frederick Roehrig, andCharles and Henry Greene; together they estab-lished Pasadena as an “epicenter of architecturalcreativity” and a wildly popular winter resort forpeople from the Midwest and East Coast. In1914, he hired Garrett Van Pelt; Edgar Mayburyjoined the team in 1921 to form the influentialand prolific firm Marston, Van Pelt & May-bury. Marston is associated with more than athousand structures in the Pasadena area.

Marston created fine homes in styles thatincluded Tudor and Mediterranean Revivals, buthis early work centered on Craftsman design.He is widely credited with creating the conceptof the bungalow court, multi-family housingthat involved groupings of small one-storeyhouses or duplexes oriented around a commonlandscaped courtyard. His St. Francis Court, builtin 1909, was the city’s first.

The Lacey House exhibits Marston hallmarks.Barrel-vaulted ceilings were one of the architect’sfavorite motifs. He favored the use of gracefularches, seen here in the ceiling beams craftedfrom Port Orford cedar (a favored material),mirrored also in the arched west window frameand the doorway leading to the billiard room.Marston also used leaded glass and often incor-porated a concentric circle design, present herein the built-in buffet and the bookcase. Finally,he embraced the Arts & Crafts ideal of blendinginterior and exterior space to support good ven-tilation. Here, numerous windows, a peacefulloggia, patio gardens, and the grand front porchsupport the enviable lifestyle of Southern Cali-fornia.

BY SARAH HILBERT | PHOTOS BY JAIMEE ITAGAKI

Framed by a massive century oak, draped in wisteria, the 1912 Lacey House is the quintessential bungalow by the versatile Pasadena architect Sylvanus Marston.

It is hard to argue with 435 hp —whether behind the wheel or in thenext lane over.

The new Mustang GT may havethe smallest V8 of the three pony cars(the other two being the ChevyCamaro SS and the Dodge Chal-lenger R/T) but its 5 liter V8 actuallymakes more hp than either of them.

The Mustang is Ford’s perennialpony car — in continuous produc-tion since 1964. Unlike its two cur-rent rivals — the Chevy Camaro andthe Dodge Challenger — both ofwhich have been retired and resur-rected like obsolete battleships.

The Mustang is also the only oneof the three that’s truly a pony car. Itis smaller and lighter than the hulk-ing Camaro (and the even morehulking Challenger, which is nearlya foot longer overall and weighs 400pounds more). Those two, especiallythe Challenger, are muscle cars.

When Ford updated the Mustangfor the 2015 model year, it did so

with the world market in mind —not just the American market. Thisis why it is smaller, lighter and moreexport friendly (including an avail-able turbocharged four-cylinderengine) than its Born to Run (andborn to drink gas) American mar-ket-only competition.

And yet, it still has every qualitythat makes a Mustang an Americancar.

Base price is $23,895 for the V6coupe; $29,395 for a coupe with thestronger (and more fuel-efficient)“EcoBoost” turbo four. A GT coupewith the 5 liter V8 and six-speedmanual transmission stickers for$32,395 to start. The convertible GTwith the optional six-speed automat-ic I test drove starts at $41,895.

What’s New For 2016A bunch of packages, including

California Special for the GT (blackpowder-coated 19-inch wheels, big-ger trunk spoiler and different trim)and a Pony package (also with spe-cial 19-inch wheels) for Mustangs

with the mid-level turbo four-cylin-der engine.

There’s also a new retro-inspiredintegration of the secondary turnsignal indicator lights into the rear-facing hood vents —a feature lastseen in classic Mustangs of the late’60s and early ’70s. You can alsoorder all but base V6 coupes with acontrast color black painted roof.

But the biggest update is the ditch-ing (thank the Motor Gods) of thesmash-it-with-a-ball-peen-hammerMyFord Touch LCD interface infavor of a redesigned and much eas-ier-to-use Sync3 system.

What’s GoodMore engine options than the

competition. More engine than thecompetition. Less bulk (and weight)than the competition. Electric line-lock (GT) and in-car 0-60 and quar-ter-mile timer (all trims, even baseV6).

AUTOS MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | 17

The 2016 Ford Mustang GT

SEE MUSTANG, Page 18

NEW CAR REVIEW

BY ERIC PETERS

Black model Mustang GT.

The 2016 Ford Mustang GT

Mustang GT interior

What’s Not So GoodPull-up emergency brake is on the wrong

side of the center console and set up to beuseless (not enough tension on the cable)for making 90-degree course corrections.

Performance Package (with more aggres-sive final gearing, firmer suspension settings,upgraded brakes and cooling system, plusextra gauges, not available with the base V6.

GT’s optional six-speed automatic doesrev-matched downshifts, but doesn’t barkthe tires on full-throttle upshifts. All musclecars with automatics should do this.

Under The HoodThe Mustang is an unusual bird (er,

horse?) in that it alone offers three availableengine choices. Camaro and Challengercome with either of two engines — neitherof them unexpected or unusual for cars oftheir kind.

Base Mustang coupes (and convertibles)come with what you’d expect: a biggish V6(3.7 liters) that makes a pretty solid 300 hp.You should re-read that.

The base Mustang’s V6 engine makes asmuch or more horsepower as most classic-era Mustang V8s made, back in the day. Forinstance, a 1965 GT’s 289 (5 liter, roughly)

“High Power” V8 made a rated 271 hp.The turbo’d 2016 Mustang is a high-line

street car, with AC, power windows, cruiseand plenty of insulation. It’s also capable of32 on the highway, and its city number (22with the six-speed manual, 21 with theoptional six-speed automatic) is better thanthe old SVT Cobra R’s highway number.

On The RoadThe first thing you notice, from behind

the wheel, is that you don’t feel as thoughyou’re commanding a U boat and viewingthe world from a periscope. In the Camaro,you do. You sit hunkered low, your eyebrowsjust barely parallel with the door tops, theclaustrophobic feel enhanced by the Chevy’s“chopped” roofline. In the Mustang, you canrest your left elbow on top of the door sillwith the window down.

Thanks to deep overdrive gearing, theMustang is as relaxed at highway speeds asyour spinster aunt’s Camry, and if you don’tindulge yourself too much, the car is capableof better than the EPA rated 15 city/25 high-way (manual; automatics score 16/25).Which is astounding, when you stop to thinkabout it.

At The CurbThe designers did a top drawer job mak-

ing a modern-looking car that’s also instant-

ly recognizable as a Mustang. Inside, too.Check the dual breadbox dashpad; the retrofont on the gauges. The chrome ball ventsand metal-finish toggles. But what you reallynotice is that nothing looks cheap or cheesy.This is a nice car, pony car or muscle car.

It’s also a well-packaged car. It has adecent-sized trunk (13.2 cubic feet vs.Camaro’s 11.3) and significantly morelegroom up front, for the driver (44.5 inch-es) than the Camaro’s got (42.4 inches). Eventhe back seat is more accommodating in theFord, especially width-wise. It gives yourpassengers 52.2 inches of shoulder roomback there vs. 50.4 in Camaro.

Bottom LineThere’s an old country song — about a

different car — that could just as easily besung about the Mustang: Long and lean,every young man’s dream... she turned everyhead in town!

Eric Peters is the author of “Automotive Atroc-ities” and “Road Hogs” and a former editorialwriter/columnist for The Washington Times.

AUTOS18 | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

MUSTANGCONTINUED FROM Page 17

Base price: $23,895 as tested (GT convertible) $41,895.Engine: 5 liter V8, 435 hpTransmission: six speed manual or six speed automatic.Length: 188.3 inchesWidth: 75.4 inchesWheelbase: 107.1 inchesCurb weight: 3,705 lbs. Luggage capacity: 13.5 cubic feet EPA fuel economy: 15 city/25 highwayWhere assembled: Flat Rock, MI

2016 Ford Mustangspecifications:

FUN & GAMES MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 | 19

20 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP