LEISURE
Dog lovers mingled as they admired the sleek, gentle greyhounds at the pet-friendly Newtopia. The event served as an introduction to Greyhound Adoption Center, which is based in El Cajon. An assortment of items, such as limited-edition glasses, were on sale as a fundraiser for the private greyhound rescue organization. Attendees came from as far as Temecula for the event, according to Marilyn Golisch, one of the directors for Greyhound Adoption Center.
“It’s more of a meet-and-greet to have people meet the greyhounds, and we dispel some of the myths surrounding the greyhound breed and talk a little bit about our adoption program,” Golisch said.
She explained how the organization, which has been in existence for 30 years, rescues greyhounds from dog racing tracks and helps them get adopted.
“They are rescued from the racetracks throughout the country and as far away as Macau, China,” she said. “Over the years, we’ve rescued and saved 6,000 greyhounds. They’re the best kept secret in the dog world.”
Golisch further explained the characteristics of greyhounds as pets.
“They are absolutely sweet. And people think because they are a race dog, that they were a commodity for the industry – the second fastest land animal – that they are hyperactive, they need a big yard, they need all this exercise. And just the opposite is true,” she said. “They are a sprinter and they’re good for that short burst of energy, and then they’re done for the day, and then they kind of lay around with their legs up in the air.”
Visit houndsavers.org.
First formed in 1994 by bandleader and trombonist Mike Perreault, the band initially focused on mostly Motown songs – the popular music that came out of bands signed to the Detroit-based Motown Records. The group expanded its repertoire over the years to unlock opportunities for more gigs.
“We decided to bring in some more dance songs,” Perreault said. “We still play the older songs, but we’ll bring in new Top 40 songs if they lean the same way.”
The result is a song list with broad appeal, filled with tunes by acts like Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Kahn, Donna Summer, a few ’80s songs and modern hitmakers like Bruno Mars and Meghan Trainor.
Comprised of nine experienced musicians and singers, the band regularly plays throughout San Diego, including Humphrey’s by the Bay, Anthology, and Viejas, Harrah’s and Valley View casinos. The upcoming Scripps Ranch performance is a chance to bring the show to audiences of all ages.
“One thing we like about playing summer concerts is the family element,” Perrault noted. “We get people who can’t see us in a bar or casino, so we like to play some stuff they’re going to recognize. When you play at a club, you can advertise for your particular genre of music. But when you play at a casino or a summer concert, you’re playing to a lot of people. You want to make at least somebody happy for 3 1/2 minutes.”
The band’s big sound gets a big boost from active stage performances and a full horn section. Some bands cover horn parts with a keyboard. But as a brass player himself, Perrault is proud to feature the real thing in his band and notes audiences seem to enjoy it as well.
“People really appreciate the live horns being there, shining in the light and being in your face like the old days,” he said.
Concert attendees can expect a lively show from the band, including some up-close time with the horns.
“We pride ourselves on having a more dynamic show,” Perrault said. “We integrate a little choreography and we’ll take the horns down into the audience.”
At Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park concerts, picnics are welcome, only low-to-the-ground chairs are allowed, no dogs are allowed, and attendees cannot bring plastic tarps. For more information, visit symphonyinthepark.org.
A nonstop, nostalgia-filled and danceable show is in store when Betamaxx brings its high-energy performance of 1979-1989 music to the Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park concert series, 6-7:30 p.m., July 14 at Hoyt Park.
While the band plays at many clubs and events throughout Southern California, it also performs a number of private and corporate engagements and has traveled to the eastern United States and Canada.
Betamaxx co-founder and bandleader Eric Valenzuela explained that the band started when he and some old friends and former bandmates got together to celebrate their 40th birthdays. When they picked up their instruments for old times’ sake, most of the songs they all knew were from the ’80s.
“We sort of had a jam, and it was awesome,” Valenzuela remembered. “It was one of those ‘Want to get the band back together?’ things.”
The original goal was just to play dive bars for fun and use the band as an excuse to get together. But they soon realized there was a big demand for ’80s music. Once they settled into that niche, the band started getting bigger and better gigs.
“It just took off really quickly,” Valenzuela said. “Some folks wanted to come along, some folks didn’t want that sort of thing, so It evolved, and there’s only two of us (Valenzuela and lead vocalist Kirk Howe) remaining from the original six.”
Now, with a seven-member lineup of experienced performers, Betamaxx emphasizes not just playing the music, but presenting what its website calls an “authentic ’80s live music experience.”
From early on, the co-founders focused on honing their musical performance as well as presenting a good-looking show in terms of costumes, stage set-up and choreography.
“We’ve designed and created this show to be as if an ’80s band were performing today,” Valenzuela said. “We didn’t want to do the wigs, didn’t want to be too ‘shticky.’ Imagine how artists like Def Leppard, Duran Duran, the Go Go’s and Michael Jackson might look if they were performing today. So, it feels ’80s, but It feels modern as well.”
He noted that the music of the period now enjoys broad appeal.
“It transcends generations now. If you walk through Target now or any hotel, they’re just playing ’80s, pretty much our playlist,” he said. “It’s become ubiquitous with pop nowadays. Now our kids know these tunes!”
At interview time, Valenzuela said the set list for the Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park show was still coming together, but he expects it to include plenty of familiar tunes.
“We’ll probably go with all the hits everybody loves,” he said. “From rock to pop to new wave – we’ll just do nonstop dance party for them.”
Remember, at Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park concerts, picnics are welcome, only low-to-the-ground chairs are allowed, no dogs are allowed, and attendees cannot bring plastic tarps. Visit symphonyinthepark.org.
This year, veteran SRT and OOAL director and actor Charles Peters has taken over full production of the event from festival founder Robert May.
Among the changes this year is that the featured plays will be about 10 minutes long instead of 30, as had been the case before. Also new this year, a panel of judges and festival audiences will vote on their favorite plays, with the play voted/judged best receiving a $2,500 prize to be split among the winning playwright, the actors and the specific director who put on the play. The winning play will be announced at the end of the festival’s final Sunday.
Peters noted that shorter plays are easier for new playwrights to write than a 30-minute play, and he feels that the new format, combined with the impact of social media sharing, significantly increased the number of submissions received.
"We got about 500 submissions from all over the world," Peters said. "I got submissions from the UK, New Zealand, Australia, a lot from New York and all over the United States, Los Angeles, and, of course, San Diego. We mainly posted the notice on Facebook, and it seems to have been shared and reposted a lot."
To decide which of the 500 submissions to present, Peters had a select group of local directors read all the plays and vote on which ones they wanted to direct.
Plays selected for the festival include:
"A Semicolon Is A Double," written by Larry Rinkel and directed by Kristin Fogle, which tells the story of two seemingly different high school boys who bond over grammar and the secret they’ve both been hiding.
"Severance," a play written by Phil Darg and directed by James P. Darvas that examines what happens when job security is more important than self-respect.
"Stain," written by Oded Gross and directed by Hannah Logan, which takes a funny look at the state of affairs in the United States today.
"Rockpaperworld," written by Jaisey Bates and directed by Colette Hamilton, a two-act play that examines pressing human and environmental issues.
"Squirrels in a Knothole," an examination of the "vapid minutiae of corporate America," written by Peter J. Stavros and directed by Adam Parker.
"The Hunt(s)," written by Tori Rice King and directed by Leigh Akin, about a successful lawyer returning to her rural home out of concern for her mother’s mental health.
Peters said that the festival offers a valuable opportunity to encourage and show off new talent in theater.
"It’s a way for some actors and directors to break in and get them some confidence," he said. "You learn a lot when you jump in with both feet – myself included. I would not be where I am had I not worked on Out on a Limb originally."
Scripps Ranch Theatre is on the campus of Alliant International University, 9783 Avenue of Nations. The Out on a Limb festival begins July 12, with plays being staged Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through July 21. For ticket information, call (858) 578-7728 or visit scrippsranchtheatre.org.
An Irishman falls in love with a woman and follows her to the United States, where he earns his fortune in the ring.
At first glance, Máirtín de Cógáin’s story sounds similar to the plot for the 1992 film “Far and Away,” starring Tom Cruise. But while Cruise’s character, Joseph Donnelly, ends up in Oklahoma in the 1890s, de Cógáin ended up in Scripps Ranch in 2014. And the modern immigrant isn’t actually a fighter. He’s a singer, actor and storyteller who currently plays a heavyweight boxer (and 23 other characters) in a one-man show.
His sharp wit and humor help to soften the grueling hardships of the Irish Diaspora, yet serve to remind audiences of the pioneer spirit that newcomers have historically brought to America.
Between 1820 and 1930, driven in large part by a potato famine, an estimated 4.5 million Irish migrated across the Atlantic to make a new life here. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 33 million U.S. citizens claim Irish ancestry and today account for 10 percent of the nation’s total population.
De Cógáin’s one-man play, “Debog Man,” is based loosely on the life story of a very colorful figure from that era: boxing legend Jim Corbett, who left a small Irish village for America to become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.
“It’s a show I’ve been doing for nearly 20 years now,” said the seventh son of music teachers from Carrigaline in County Cork, “in the very south of Ireland.”
In addition to singing and playing music, de Cógáin’s father was also a politician, so there was plenty of discourse and dialog around the kitchen table.
“Story telling has always been big in my house,” de Cógáin said. “To get your story in, you had to be fairly good. You had to really speak up and learn quickly how to bring people along with your idea.”
A talented entertainer by the time he finished college in Ireland, de Cógáin was performing in a pub in Cork when he met a foreign exchange student from Los Angeles. He invited her up on stage and performed a solo dance with a broom.
“She was putty in my hands after that,” he declared. “I said I wanted tea, and she said she had a kettle. There was no turning back after that.”
The exchange student, Mitra, became his wife. They eventually moved to Kansas, and then Minnesota for “six long winters” before settling in Scripps Ranch with their two children.
The de Cógáins have been here for four years now, and much of U.S. culture has rubbed off on Máirtín. He is involved as a parent in Scripps Ranch Little League and said he and his family have made a lot of friends.
But the entertainer also added that “the Irish spirit is prevalent in Scripps Ranch” in places like St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, where the parish priest, Father Nicholas Clavin, is a national champion Gaelic football player from Ireland; and at Jerabek Elementary School, where other Irish families in Scripps Ranch send their kids.
“Debog Man” will be performed by de Cógáin in San Diego on June 26 and 27 at Lestat’s Coffeehouse in Normal Heights. He then takes his one-man show to San Francisco on June 28, and then to Los Angeles on July 9 and 10 at the Wren Theater.
He will also tour on the East Coast this summer, teaching story telling at the Swannanoa Gathering, an educational program consisting of week-long workshops in various folk arts, sponsored by Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. For more information regarding de Cógáin, visit mairtinmusic.com.
Now is a good time to mark your calendars for the full season. In addition to The Mighty Untouchables on June 9, July 14 features ’80s covers and fun from Beta Maxx. Aug. 11 brings the danceable grooves of the Detroit Underground. Sept. 8 sees the Young Guns present a tribute to the superstars of country music; and Dec. 8 is the series’ traditional holiday concert with Santa and friends. All shows will be at Hoyt Park except for the holiday show, which will be held at Jerabek Park.
The Mighty Untouchables brought their high-energy classic rock and dance show to previous summer concerts in Scripps Ranch. The band formed about 10 years ago, according to bandleader Mark Fulton, a resident of nearby Sabre Springs. The group of experienced musicians and singers includes veterans of the U.S. Navy Band. Fulton said that for the Concerts in the Park season opener, the band will bring its full 10-musician lineup, including a horn section.
“In the concert, we do a lot of dance stuff, but for this show, we’ll also do a lot of classic rock,” Fulton said. “We’ll probably do some Queen, too. A lot of people want to hear Queen these days.”
This local summer concert tradition is arranged and presented by the nonprofit, all-volunteer Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park organization. In addition to providing entertainment and an opportunity for area residents to get together and enjoy their community, Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park helps keep music alive through donations to local schools. Since 2011, the organization has donated $24,600 to local school music programs.
Those planning to attend the 2019 concerts should know that while picnics are welcome, only low-to-the-ground chairs are allowed, no dogs are allowed and attendees cannot bring plastic tarps. To find more information, including how to support the Symphony in the Park concert series, visit symphonyinthepark.org.
The “Pleasure of Your Company” music series, sponsored by Scripps Ranch Friends of the Library, presents Quartet Luminoso on Sunday, June 9, at 2:30 p.m. in the informal and intimate setting of the Scripps Miramar Ranch Library Center.
Comprised of clarinetist Robert Zelickman, violinist Päivikki Nykter, violist Francesca Savage and cellist Cecilia Kim, this virtuoso ensemble has been delighting audiences since 2015. Their program will include clarinet quartets by Respighi and Krommer, which will bookend string trios and a duet by Beethoven, Kodály and Piazzolla.
There is no charge for the concert, although donations are appreciated.
Meet the artists at a complimentary post-concert reception.
Scripps Miramar Ranch Library Center is located at 10301 Scripps Lake Drive near Miramar Lake. Overflow parking is available on Meanley Drive off Scripps Ranch Boulevard. Call (858) 538-8158 or visit www.srfol.org for information.
A busy stage and a healthy dose of British humor are in store for local playgoers when Scripps Ranch Theatre (SRT) presents “Move Over Mrs. Markham,” May 31-June 30.
Written by Ray Cooney and John Chapman, the play is described as a “hectic British farce full of laugh-inducing misunderstandings, mix-ups and mistaken identities” among a group of couples who each think they have an empty London flat to themselves.
Owners of the flat, Philip and Joanna Markham, have each, without telling the other, given a friend permission to use the place on the same date for a romantic rendezvous. As it turns out, the interior designer hired to renovate the flat decided to have his au pair friend visit on the same night. When all three sets of people converge on the apartment, chaos and comedy ensue.
Director Francis Gercke predicts the play’s unexpected twists and turns will keep both the audience and the actors on their heels, in the funniest and most entertaining way.
“The characters have a definite plan for how they want the day to go and at every turn, things go awry,” he said. “Just when it seems like something is working out like the characters intend, a wrench is thrown into the works.”
Gercke, who previously directed “Tribute” and “Loves and Hours” at SRT, added that “Move Over Mrs. Markham” is also something of a funny math problem.
“You get to the point where you wonder how this is ever going to work out,” he said. “Somehow, in true British style, it does.”
The cast includes Leigh Akin as Joanna Markham, Alex Guzman as Phillip Markham, Kate Reynolds as Linda Lodge, John DeCarlo as Henry Lodge, Colette Culbertson as Sylvie, Jill Drexler as Olive Harriet Smyth, Chris Szabo as Walter Pangbourne and Kylie Young as Felicity Jan Wilkinson. This will be the first SRT performance for Akin, Culbertson and Szabo.
Filled with laughs, the play offers a respite for those seeking an escape from their own busy, hectic lives, according to Gercke.
“A play like this provides a respite from the complications of the real world,” he said. “I think it’s an absolutely delightful day or night at the theater.”
Scripps Ranch Theatre is on the campus of Alliant International University, 9783 Avenue of Nations. “Move Over Mrs. Markham” begins its run May 31 and will play Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through June 30. To reserve seats, call (858) 578-7728. For ticket price information, visit scrippsranchtheatre.org.
In addition to being regional manager for Rocky Mountain Recreation, Jeff DeMeester also teaches a class on boat safety once a week. DeMeester is familiar with the area and knows how much locals enjoy Lake Miramar.
“I’m actually surprised there isn’t a club for paddle boarding,” DeMeester said. “We’d definitely love to see more people come in the early mornings to miss the hustle and bustle of afternoon crowds. They could really enjoy the morning silence and glassy water."
Eventually, DeMeester would like to implement summer camp-type programs with the use of these rentals.
“We hope to find community support soon,” DeMeester said. “We work with non-profits so it’s a possibility to fund these programs.”
Visitors can enjoy several types of rented equipment, such as row boats, motor boats, deluxe pedal boats, kayaks, beach cruiser-style bicycles, and bait and tackle for fishing. While weekends are the busiest at the lake, visitors can still enjoy a vast space for picnicking, running and more.
The concession stand is located next to the restrooms. To learn more about Lake Miramar and Rocky Mountain Recreation Center, visit bit.ly/2KBcPRU.
Scripps Ranch military veterans seeking fellowship with those who have served in the armed forces are invited to join the Veteran of Foreign Wars’ Fred Lewis Kent Post 7907 in Poway.
Located at 12342 Old Pomerado Road, Post 7907 is the closest VFW facility to Scripps Ranch and already includes several Scripps Ranch members, according to Post Commander and 30-year Navy veteran Bill Morrison.
“I look at our place as a treehouse in the woods,” Morrison said of the popular gathering point abutting scenic Bette Bendixon Park. “It’s nice and quaint, but somewhat hidden and out of the way. We would like more of our neighbors on the south end of Pomerado Road to know we’re here.”
Founded in 1959, the Fred Lewis Kent Post offers “a great place” for vets to connect and share a sense of comradery, said post bartender and Scripps Ranch resident Tracy Perreault.
“It’s a special place for sharing and healing with a very outstanding group of people,” she said. “Folks here will do anything and everything to support our troops. I get goosebumps just talking about it.”
The VFW is a nonprofit veterans service organization comprised of veterans and military service members from the active, guard and reserve forces, and dedicated to securing and protecting their rights and benefits. There are 30 VFW posts in San Diego County. Post 7909 is the closest one to Scripps Ranch.
“We’re the only post and canteen serving the Interstate 15 corridor between MCAS Miramar and Escondido,” Morrison Said. “There is a post in Rancho Bernardo, but it doesn’t have the capacity for entertainment that we do here.”
The Fred Lewis Kent Post boasts a bar, and an adjacent hall and kitchen that Morrison said can be rented out for weddings, birthday parties and special events. Proceeds from such rentals benefit Post 7907 and services to its members. Many events there, such as the post’s weekly “Burger Burn” on Friday evenings, are open to the public.
“It’s hard to find a better meal at a better price this close to Scripps Ranch,” said member Jason Widmer, a Desert Shield veteran and founder of KIC Restoration Inc., a general contractor serving the local area.
Attendees enjoy fresh food and beverages along with karaoke and great customer service, he added.
Named in memory of Lieutenant Fred Lewis Kent, USN, who was killed in action during the Allied invasion of the Gilbert Islands in World War II, Post 7907 is one of the leading posts in California and is “number one” in its district in terms of membership, Morrison said. It has more than 1,000 members including its associated VFW Auxiliary, and just adopted the new F-35 stealth fighter unit at MCAS Miramar. The post hosted its “Adopt a Unit Dinner,” serving an authentic Cajun supper on April 20.
“We’ve had a steady flow of younger vets from Miramar joining us in recent years,” said Post Quartermaster Alan Helton. “But a lot of our older members are passing away. We would really like to get the word out to people in Scripps Ranch who may not know of all the great things we’re doing here to serve the veteran community.”
For more information, or to join VFW Post 7907, visit www.vfw7907.com.
Dubbed the “Diamond Gala: Cheers to 10 Years in Catholic School Education,” this year’s event celebrates the 10th anniversary of STGG Catholic School’s opening in 2009. Since that time, the school has grown in its number of grades and students taught, including the most recent addition of its preschool in February 2018. The campus has also seen improvements, including technology in its classrooms, sod on its playing field, a library and a science lab.
Brie Atwater is a parent at the school, and this year’s gala chair.
“This year’s gala is special to me, personally, because it was very important for us to choose a parish that had a school connected to it. We’re very much invested in our daughter’s Catholic education,” she said.
Volunteering her time to help raise funds for both the church and school – as event proceeds are split evenly between the two – is a worthwhile endeavor for Atwater because it is an opportunity for her to give back to a parish and school community that has been very welcoming to her family.
As the event chair, Atwater works with a team of other volunteers, parish clergy, staff and school administration to organize event logistics and secure participation from the community. The gala is an evening cocktail attire affair comprised of a three-course meal, musical entertainment, dancing, a silent auction, a live auction and a raffle. According to Atwater, more than 200 items have been donated by members of the community, including parishioners, school parents and students, and local business owners.
Noteworthy contributions made by local families and STGG parishioners include the Korn family, which helped to secure the event venue; the Collins family of Collins Family Jewelers, which donated a diamond necklace valued at more than $7,000 that will be featured in the silent auction; and long-time parishioner Ray McKewon of Xceptional Music Company who will provide musical entertainment at the gala. Atwater is still actively seeking event sponsors, and will also continue to accept contributions for the silent auction up until the week before the event.
Atwater expects approximately 400 attendees. Beyond the STGG community, both STGG School Principal Maeve O’Connell and STGG Pastor Father Nicholas Clavin, wish to extend a hand of hospitality and invitation to the greater Scripps Ranch community.
“The gala allows us an opportunity to welcome people with open arms,” O’Connell said. “We are here to share the message that we are a faith-based-community and all are welcome.”
Clavin shared an even deeper emphasis on community as he reflected on the 2003 Cedar Fires when the STGG church and parish hall became a refuge and outreach center for hundreds of families in the community.
“It forged a great bond between the greater Scripps Ranch and the Catholic community,” he said. “Hospitality is the hallmark of our parish and of our school. We welcome one and all, Catholic and non-Catholic, alike.”
To learn more about the Diamond Gala or to purchase tickets, visit stgg.org or email 2019stgg.gala@gmail.com.
SPONSORED STORIES
