November 2008 Issue | Download the Full Issue

"Bonsall school district has all of the attributes of a high performing district. It is a good district, but it could be a great district,” says Supt. Justin Cunningham, who plans to do what he can to make that happen.
The superintendent and the new elementary school arrived on the scene about the same time.
For 13 years working at the County Office of Education, Cunningham’s job was to help small school districts to improve their test scores. Now he has a school district of his own where he can try to make that happen.
It’s a school district that doesn’t operate under the handicap of many districts: declining enrollment.
This is Cunningham’s first crack at being a permanent superintendent, although he has been an interim one several times. For several years he and a colleague had a head-hunting company that specialized in matching school districts with superintendents.
When Bonsall’s previous superintendent, Jeff Felix, was hired away from Bonsall, the board president approached Cunningham and asked him to begin the process of finding the district a new head.
He regretfully told the board president that he was no longer in that business.
“Would you be interested in the job?” inquired the board president.
“Let’s talk about it,” was Cunningham’s reply.
He started in July.
Part of Bonsall’s problem, Cunningham believes, has been a lack of continuity at the top. There have been several superintendents over the past decade, with the most recent one, Felix, leaving after about a year.
“If you want to take a district upward you need continuity,” says Cunningham. “I thought that this could be a great opportunity.”
Cunningham first wants to make sure that all four of the district’s schools are working on the same page, i.e. the district’s strategic plan.
“When I arrived no one could say what the vision or the mission of the school district was,” he recalls.
In the past each school had its own plan for success. That often extended to individual teachers.
Cunningham wants them to all begin pulling in the same direction, guided by the need to teach all of the children the state requirements and by board policy from the superintendent on down.
He boils the mission statement down to: “academic excellence and support for all students.”
Support for “all” students means exactly that, not just support for good students.
He talks about making sure that English learner students learn “academic English.” That is the English used in explaining math problems, for instance, in such a way that it is possible to tell if the student actually comprehends the problem. If a student can’t understand the problem, it’s hard for him to work it out.
That’s what Cunningham means when he says he wants to align instruction to students. He also wants to make individual teachers accountable for achieving success with all students.
“If you can’t measure it you can’t improve it,” he says.
He also wants to make sure that instructional materials are “written” in the same language that the students speak.
You would think that would be obvious, but Cunningham notes that textbook publishers often publish books that they hope will be used in both California and Texas, where English learners have considerably different ways of speaking.
Cunningham wants to produce students who are ready to compete in the global economy. “They will need to be able to compete far more than we ever had to,” he notes.
“My focus is kai zen,” he says. Kai zen a Japanese philosophy that stresses continuous improvement throughout all aspects of life and had its origins with the American Edward Deming, who basically invented quality control in the 1940s.
You don’t often hear an educator citing Japanese industrial philosophy, but he also cites books like Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don’t by Jim Collins.
He is a strong advocate of the philosophy of management known as “leadership by walking around,” which means that teachers will see their chief frequently dropping in to see how they are implementing the new vision..
The new school has lots of features that will help Cunningham achieve his goals.
People who have lived in Bonsall awhile say they love the way the architecture for the new school blends in with the agricultural feel of the community. It looks like it has a “connection.”
The 45 classrooms, for grades K-5 will, once they come on line be at the cutting edge of teaching technology. Each classroom will have computer drop stations.
Projectors will drop from the ceiling in each classroom and will be able to display streaming video. A contraption called a “docucam” will allow teachers to project a page from a book onto a screen.
“Security at this school is at a whole ‘nother level,” declares Cunningham, noting that instead of traditional keys, staffers will use magnetic strip cards similar to what you are given when you check into a hotel.
Students and their parents will be able to access homework assignments, even entire textbooks, by accessing a thin client platform, which is like a miniature dedicated Internet. Students can access school related materials using this “portal,” but they can’t use it to surf the net.
All this high tech, combined with the new demands of Superintendent Cunningham, should create some excitement.
So how are the teachers reacting to the new way of doing things?
Cunningham smiles. “A lot of them are very enthusiastic about it. A few are looking to see the earliest date that they can retire.”

Start Decorating For The Holiday Season

With December just around the corner, it’s time to dig out your holiday decorations. Perhaps you have a special collection of child-made ornaments to adorn your tree, or maybe it’s a nativity set your grandmother gave you.
Regardless of your current décor, a little touch of color can liven up your home for the holidays.
According to designer and florist Roslyn Nelson, one trendy color combination this year is crimson and bronze.
“The crimson with bronze colors are so beautiful together, it’s one of my favorites,” said Nelson, who owns Charming Flowers in Fallbrook. “The red and copper tones are striking. I just love it.”
Nelson has done holiday and floral décor for homes, hotels, entryways, and Christmas trees from Los Angeles to San Diego for more than a decade. In addition to crimson and bronze, she believes we will also see red with lime green, black and white, black and gold, chocolate with royal blue, and peacock colors.
As far as style and themes, Nelson says to think traditional and reflective.
“Reflective materials and shiny metallics like chrome and silver are always popular,” Nelson said. “Eighteenth Century Chinese is popular this year, too. People like the cultural style and the Asian feel.”
Another timeless style is an earthy, natural theme for a calm, country feeling. This can be achieved with pinecones, ornamental birds, dried fruits, mistletoe, ribbons and seasonal fruits like kumquats.
And of course, there is always the candy theme.
“Kids love candy canes, gumballs and lollipops,” Nelson remarked. “Anything with real candy just makes it all so magical.”
For an even more magical feeling, don’t forget the flowers! Studies have proven that flowers make people happy. What better time of the year to be happy than during the holidays! From poinsettias to wreaths to a bouquet of red and white roses—bring some additional cheer to your home this year.
Madonna Wilson, owner of Abigail’s Flower Company in Fallbrook, recommends traditional-colored flower arrangements for both special orders and holiday parties.
“I do mostly red and white flowers with lots of greenery during the holidays,” Wilson said. “Poinsettias and bromeliads are also common, and of course wreaths. I have grapevine, evergreen and silk wreaths.”
Wilson has owned Abigail’s for five years. Her shop offers everything from flowers, to balloons, to chocolates, to gifts, to cards and more. While much of her business consists of online orders, she recommends coming in to take a peek. If nothing else, being around the flowers will put a smile on your face.
“Website orders are quick and hassle-free, but I love the foot traffic, and people love smelling flowers,” Wilson said.
Besides, sometimes you just need to see the real thing (like real roses and real ornaments dipped in real gold).
“The biggest thing to remember about flowers is that they don’t have to be expensive to look good,” says Wilson. “There are lots of flowers that will uplift people’s moods and invoke a holiday spirit.”
Abigail’s Flower Company is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, and from 9 a.m. –4 p.m. on Saturday. The shop is closed on Sundays. Call 760-723-1956 for more information, or see www.abigailsflowercompany.com.

Magic of Christmas High Tea

The Bonsall Woman’s Club’s 16th annual The Magic of Christmas, a high tea in the style of the Victorian age, will take place in that celebration of Victorian architecture, Fallbrook’s Grand Tradition.
The high tea (high tea means that it occurs just after lunchtime) will take place on Dec. 9 & 10, at 1 p.m. It is always very well attended, with women coming from communities far and wide.
It is the Woman’s Club’s largest and most successful fund-raiser and they start planning it in January.
“It’s a wonderful afternoon for the ladies,” says Jane Johnson of the club.
This year’s theme is “winter wonderland,” and the Grand Tradition will be decorated with ice blue netting.
Members set the tables with their own crystal, china and silver, so each of the dazzling tables is unique, showcasing different sets.
All tables have the same centerpieces: miniature Christmas trees. There are 18 tables and each centerpiece is created by committees of three or four members. Eight guests are seated at each table.
Each of the two days there are six or seven miniature professionally decorated trees that are donated by town citizens, who sponsor the trees. Drawings are held for the trees.
There are also exquisite theme gift baskets. For example, one basket’s theme might be “an evening for two,” and which might include champagne, chocolates and tickets to a dinner.
Live entertainment is provided by the Sullivan Middle School Show Choir, under the direction of Stacey Sharp. Their performance has been described as “absolutely dynamic!” and “almost ready for Broadway!”
They have been the featured live entertainment at the last five high teas.
The high tea costs $50 per person and the menu includes Earl Grey tea, scones, miniature croissant sandwiches with favorites such as cucumber, and, of course, decadent spreads such as clotted cream and lemon curd.
Money raised goes to local charities that are supported by the Woman’s Club. Last year the club contributed $50,000 to the community, especially the Boys & Girls Clubs of North County and the Fallbrook High School scholarships. The event’s title sponsor is the Arlyne Ingold and the Ingold Family Foundation, although there are, of course, other sponsors.
In addition to the above-mentioned attractions, the high tea also includes a small shopping boutique, with items such as purses, clothing and Christmas decor provided by local merchants and artists.
There is also a silent auction.
You’ll see the occasional gentleman at this event, but it’s really intended to be an exquisite afternoon out for the ladies, their daughters and children.
For more information about the tea and the Bonsall Woman’s Club, visit their Web site at
www.bonsallwomansclub.org or e-mail them at BWC@vcweb.org.

Stan Kruml: A Walking, Talking, Real-Life Cowboy

From the tip of his ten-gallon hat to the toes of his trail-worn boots, the 65-year-old Kruml is a walking, talking, real-life cowboy, the likes of whom even John Wayne would have trouble portraying.
Everything in Kruml’s life has unfolded like a box-office hit, right down to the story of his birth in the spring of 1944.
“I was brought home from the hospital in a horse-drawn buggy,” he says. “My mom was out riding horses the day before she had me.”
From day one, Kruml’s love for horses grew stronger. One of his early memories is getting to school with a little help from his equine friend.
“I rode my horse to school when I was about eight years old,” he says. “But I got in trouble once, because I was showing off for some of my friends, and my mother drove by in the car, and she saw what I was doing. I lost my horse for about a month after that.”
To get out of practicing the piano, Kruml says he would escape any way he could.
“One of my friends, our neighbor, would come over and get my horse out, and then come knock on the window while I was practicing,” he says. “So I’d crawl out the window, and we’d go off riding. Sooner or later, Mom would notice that I wasn’t in the other room practicing, so she’d come out and honk the car horn three times. That was my signal to get home quick, or else I’d be in big trouble.”
When he wasn’t horsing around with his friends, Kruml recalls working on his family’s ranch.
“It was my job to shuttle horses between ranches,” he says. “I’d have three or four horses tied together, and I’d lead them along behind my horse to the next ranch. I couldn’t do the real cowboy work, so I did what I could.”
Since then, Kruml has spent time “every day, with few exceptions,” with horses. Because of his lifestyle and the knowledge he has amassed in his lifetime study of the majestic animals, Kruml has earned the title “The Horse’s Friend.”
“I’m not a trainer, and I am not a horse whisperer,” he emphasizes. “I am a student of horses. Even though I’ve spent my whole life around horses, I am still a student because I haven’t seen it all. I always say that if I spend an hour with a horse, that horse is going to teach me something, or at least remind me of something I’ve forgotten.”
What Kruml is is hard to summarize beyond his title. Much like the cowboy heroes of the silver screen, the Horse’s Friend can come across as a simple man—but his list of talents is extensive. Along with his work with the behavioral aspect of horses, Kruml’s titles include educator, motivational speaker, actor, model, spokesperson, poet and storyteller.
And like the cowboys in the movies, Kruml has had his share of harrowing experiences. While working as a stuntman in Hollywood, Kruml was badly burned while attempting a stunt. Both of his hands were severely injured and had to be surgically repaired. After two years in the hospital and two more years learning to use his reconstructed hands, Kruml went back to his first love.
In 1986, Kruml started a business with the goal of sharing his insight with all horse lovers. The Horse’s Friend is Kruml’s way of introducing horse owners to the psychology of the horse.
“It’s about getting people to understand what the horse needs,” he says. “The majority of people want to train their horse the same way they train their dog. It’s the exact opposite – dogs and cats are predators, and horses are prey, so they’re going to respond completely differently.”
One example of this difference is exhibited in what most observers call “play” within a group of horses.
“People will see a group of horses romping around and say ‘Oh look, they’re playing,’” he says. “Predators play to sharpen their hunting abilities and practice attacking. When horses are ‘playing,’ they’re actually practicing survival, trying to get away from a predator. When predators are done playing, they all lay around. When horses are done ‘playing,’ they break and run away, because running away is a horse’s last defense.”
Kruml also points out the potentially harmful mindset of superimposing human emotions onto horses.
“Walt Disney wants us to believe that our horses are our friends, and that they love us,” he says. “But they don’t have a human brain, so they’re incapable of having human emotions. It’s unfair to expect something from your horse that he can’t deliver.”
One of the most common mistakes horse owners make, Kruml says, is the use of pain as a teaching tool.
“You can’t use pain to force a horse to do what you want,” he says. “When a horse’s level of anxiety goes up, his ability to learn is gone. He has to be relaxed. We all learn better when we’re relaxed.”
Kruml’s treasury of equine information has many more valuable nuggets, including a number of stories that could have come straight out of a classic western. One such story involves Kruml winning ‘a lot of money’ on a bet involving how acute a horse’s senses are.
“I won a bet for teaching a horse to respond to the movement of my head,” he explains. “I would sit on the horse’s back with the reins on the saddle, my feet out of the stirrups, and my hands not touching anything. I turned my head towards an oak tree, the only tree in the pasture, and the horse turned and headed for that oak tree. A horse can feel a fly on his back, so of course he can feel your head turning when you’re on his back.”
And much like the profoundly simple gems of wisdom imparted by the cowboys in our favorite stories, Kruml’s philosophies range from “Slow is the fastest way to get there” to “If you own a horse and you were him, would you be glad to see you?”
“I’m no different than anybody else, I just have some knowledge and a lot of patience,” he says. “When it comes to training horses, I always say that it’ll take the time that it takes. If you want to do it the right way, it’s going to take however long it has to take.”
And no matter how his story unfolds, Kruml already sees it as a happy ending.
“I’ve lived a real cowboy life,” he says. “I just hope that people will get to know me and hopefully, that they’ll care about what I care about.”
To find out more about Stan Kruml, The Horse’s Friend, visit the Web site at www.thehorsesfriend.com or contact him by phone at 1-800-554-4199 or by e-mail at stan@thehorsesfriend.com.

Furniture Medic To The Rescue

Is your dinner table visually fit to host your holiday party? How about your china hutch or your family heirloom buffet?
Scuffs, water rings, gouges and dents are just a few things that can happen to furniture, and once your favorite table or chair is damaged, it cannot be 100% restored.
However, with today’s advanced repair services, you can get awful close.
“Our goal is to make the damage inconspicuous from 3 feet away—that’s a good repair,” says Myron Wooley, owner of Furniture Medic by Artisan’s Touch, Inc.
Wooley is a woodworker with more than 30 years of experience. He joined the Furniture Medic franchise (one of the world’s largest furniture repair and restoration companies), this past July.
“We provide an alternative to replacing damaged furniture,” said Wooley. “It’s nice being involved in this business. I didn’t have to give up my hobby as a woodworker, and I get paid for what I love to do.”
Specializing in furniture and wood repair for antiques, specialty items, paneling, doors, banisters, cabinetry and more, Wooley and his son Tommy are professionals at re-facing, resurfacing to refinishing.
“We do it all,” Wooley says. “About half of our business consists of structural repairs and touch-ups for commercial repairs. We rejuvenate furniture for law offices, hotels, banks, restaurants, libraries and other businesses.”
Wooley adds that he has a fully-equipped wood working shop so he can also make new parts and match the original wood color.
To impress for the holidays, Wooley recommends water ring removal and a deluxe polish job for a beautiful, clean finish.
“Water rings are very common, but we can release the moisture and take the ring right out so it’s unnoticeable,” Wooley said. “The deluxing process takes about three hours and removes any old wax, polish, food, etc. from the surface.”
Using a German-made mechanical polish system with highly refined polish and various grout abrasive pads, Wooley goes over the surface several times. When all is said and done less than 1/3 of 1/1000th of an inch is worn.
“It just removes the oxidized layer at the top so there is no harm done to the table,” Wooley explains.
Wooley said they do a thorough inspection of each potential project beforehand to ensure they will be able to make a repair.
“We check for cracks and flaking,” said Wooley. “If it’s not in good shape, we may not be able to repair it, but for the most part we can do anything. We keep up on new techniques by taking furniture classes and attending franchise training which also helps.”
Their next workshop is on leather and motion-furniture repair.
If you have a need to buff up furniture for the holidays, call Furniture Medic at 760-751-2646, or visit the Web site at www.artisanstouch.biz. They do free inspections, estimates and damage reports, and can work on-site or pick up the furniture.
“The most important thing we do is guarantee our work,” Wooley claims. “Our customers will be happy or we’ll do it again.”

Dr. Clayton Cooke, D.D.S.: The Aesthetic Dental Professional

Dr. Clayton Cooke, D.D.S. is not your common, “fix a hole and cavity filler” reparative dentist but a provider of unwavering comprehensive dental care.
Upon an initial interview of a prospective patient Dr. Cooke meticulously and with great care analyzes the entire unique condition of each patient, paying particular attention to both function and fit.
Longevity, cost effectiveness with lasting and comfortable restorations, improved appearance and superior dental structural and physiological function is his mission.
He will inform you of any mistakes you might be making with your teeth. He will give you simple, but wise, everyday practices which you can adopt for stronger lasting teeth so that they remain unscathed for decades.
Our teeth are vulnerable to horrendous damage. They are the only structures in the human body that do not have the ability to regenerate, and are subject to daily abuse in the hostile environment of the mouth.
Your smile is your most important and greatest asset. It affects your business and your social life and says a lot about you.
Having healthy gums and beautiful teeth is not an accident and doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to make and maintain. Simple solutions such as regular checkups and cleanings usually produce the best results. Simple, effective and reliable solutions are the cornerstone of Dr. Clayton Cooke’s Restorative Aesthetic Dental practice.
For over 30 years Dr. Cooke has specialized in these technical skills. They have enabled him to inform his patients of conditions they are totally unaware of, such as a bite that may be off—a fairly common problem in about 80 percent of adults—and may possibly be a symptom of TMJ or Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction, facial muscle disorders, headaches and clenching and grinding of teeth.
Dr. Cooke is committed to keeping up with advanced training and education to maintain his current expertise which also allows him to stay ahead of the curve and to interface with some of the best clinicians in the world.
He constantly strives to perfect his art. With the aid of an intra-oral camera the patient is taken on a “mouth tour” via closed circuit television highlighting areas of concern that may become a problem that impact the longevity of his or her teeth.
Using only the highest quality materials and equipment coupled with over 30 years of experience and constant advanced dental science study and training it is of no wonder that Dr. Clayton Cooke is considered one of the most experienced aesthetic dentistry professionals in San Diego County.
The Fallbrook office of Clayton Cooke, DDS is located at 425 East Alvarado St., Suite A in Fallbrook. He can be reached at 760-728-5011.
Directions are as follows:
From Oceanside take the 76 east to Mission Road, turn left on Mission, proceed about 7 miles to Main Street. Turn right on Main to Alvarado, turn right on Alvarado to 425 E. Alvarado.
From Escondido take I-15 north to Fallbrook Mission exit, turn right onto Mission, proceed approximately 3.5 miles to N. Brandon Road, turn left on N. Brandon Road, then turn right onto E. Alvarado Street, proceed to 425 E. Alvarado.

Don't Miss The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

A funny, ingenious show that combines musical, spelling bee, and audience participation is coming to the California Center for the Arts, Escondido Nov. 8 & 9—in a total of three performances.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a Tony-winning musical comedy that the Wall Street Journal called, “that rarity of rarities, a super-smart musical that is also a bona fide crowd-pleaser. An ingenious blend of simplicity and sophistication, it’s not merely funny, it's wise.”
In the play six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grownups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser.
Spelling Bee is directed by James Lapine, the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner (Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods) who also directed the Broadway production.
The show has an interesting gimmick: audience members can become part of the show by becoming “spellers” on stage.
I was able to interview actress Nikki Switzer who plays the role of Rona Lisa Peretti, who has, in the play, been the host of the bee for many years.
As Switzer described her, “The character won the third annual bee when she was 11 years old. She’s a real estate agent and she has never been able to let go of what was the most important glory day of her life.
“Throughout the course of the bee she realizes that this life that she has been leading is sad and that there are more important things than this spelling bee and that she needs to move on with her life,” says Switzer.
Switzer also plays the mother of one of the spellers, who is off in India. Each child at some point has his or her little vision moment of how they wish things were. Switzer is the vision of Olive.
Switzer is a young actress who seems to be on the road to a successful Broadway career. She performed in Tony and Tina’s Wedding in Chicago for two years after graduating from college. After that she moved to New York and did regional theater in New York, Indiana, and several other states. She’s also done some benefit concerts with Rosie O’Donnell and Ben Vereen all over the place. She’s done some benefit concerts with Rosie O’Donnell and Ben Vereen and other Broadway lights.
“I am just now getting to the age where my career should be taking off.” she says. “This is actually a dream role I saw this show four years ago and said to myself, ‘This is me! I’m hoping to grow into rolls like Mama Rose from Gypsy.
It’s good that she likes the part of Rona Lisa Peretti since she has contracted to play it for the next year. After playing in Escondido the cast of Spelling Bee will be off to Washington and Oregon and much of the rest of the West Coast, then to Florida. Switzer will be playing in her home town of Joliet, Ill. in March.
“This is a musical unlike any other musical. It’s not a standard book show. It works for kids and for adults. I think everybody knew a child or was a child like those that we are portraying on the stage,” says Switzer.
It’s especially unlike anything you’ve seen if you are used to musicals such as Oklahoma or South Pacific.
“It is interactive,” says Switzer. “We actually do a spelling competition and the plot moves in and out of the actual world of the spelling bee. Four volunteers, adults and kids, from the audience are screened before the competition.
“We do try to get people who won a spelling bee when they were a kid. They come from all kinds of walks of life. They don’t know the words they will get. We could get to a point where there are two people left or one person left.”
The show is partially improvisational. If one of the contestants misspells a word the cast sings a song and the contestant is gone!
The show is based on C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, an original play by The Farm improv group in New York City.
The musical version opened in February of 2005 and eventually made its way to Broadway.
Tickets are on sale now by calling 800-988-4253 or online at www.artcenter.org.

Filmmaker Visits

Recently Hidden Meadows resident Mike Richman hosted independent filmmaker Jeffrey Goodman at his home.
Goodman was in town because his first full length feature, The Last Lullaby played at the San Diego Film Festival.
The indie film captured the People’s Choice Award for best picture and for its lead female star, Sasha Alexander.
The Last Lullaby is a complex storyline starring Tom Sizemore, who plays a hitman named Quarry going out on a job that is getting a little complicated—when he begins to like the woman he is supposed to whack, played by Sasha Alexander.
It’s based on a short story, A Matter of Principle, by Max Allen Collins, whose graphic novel The Road to Perdition, was made into a very successful movie by Steven Spielberg starring Tom Hanks.
Goodman, a filmmaker from Shreveport, Louisiana—which has in the last few years become one of the most used movie locations—shot the movie in his home town, after raising the capital himself from community members.
Goodman was able to persuade Collins to let him film his short story, but only on condition that Collins would write the screenplay.
“What sold him was that we both had a similar vision of how the story should be made into a movie,” Goodman said.
He directed a short version of the film, took it on a tour of film festivals, to good reviews, and then raised the capital for the feature version.
Now the feature is making the rounds of the film festivals. Its next stop will be Palm Springs.
Local Mike Richman helped the young filmmaker publicize the film locally.
The movie has allowed filmmaker Goodman to both utilize his hometown, Shreveport, and also to be a booster for it. He raised under $5 million from 30-40 local investors, each at $50,000 a pop.
Thanks partially to the damage that Hurricane Katrina dealt New Orleans, Shreveport has become in recent years something of a filmmaker’s Mecca.
Goodman, who lived in Los Angeles from 1998-2004, knew that he wanted to direct, but didn’t consider himself much of a writer.
To learn his craft he made a series of short films until he felt competent to take the next step.
During that period he read a lot of short stories, looking for something that he could mine for a screenplay.
He came across Collins’s A Matter of Principle, and in 1998 contacted him through his publisher. Originally written in 1987, it is one of the most reprinted stories that Collins has written.
Collins was intrigued in Goodman’s proposal, but at that time was writing the book that would eventually be filmed as The Road to Perdition.
Goodman continued to make short films but couldn’t shake the desire to make something out of Principle.
In 2001 he contacted Collins again and the author remembered him.
To Goodman’s delight, Collins also stipulated that he do the adaptation. Goodman did a short film version of the story and took it to several film festivals, to generally good reviews.
Ready to do a feature length movie, he talked to Collins again who suggested expanding the story into a full-length feature, with him doing the screenplay.
Goodman had heard about the burgeoning film industry in his hometown. To pay the bills he was selling furniture as a day job.
He hadn’t been home in several years—but in 2004 returned for a visit and then moved back there in 2005. He spent the next few months putting together a business plan and selling shares to investors.
His goal, which he achieved, was to make the entire movie in Shreveport with local investors.
“A big part of my pitch was that this would bring all the south parts of the state to Shreveport.
He was halfway done raising his money when Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.
Soon after, the town government of Shreveport got a call from Kevin Costner who had been filming The Guardian in New Orleans and now needed a new location.
Soon other filmmakers were shooting there—which was remarkable given that until that time a major motion picture had never been filmed there.
“Movie making has really put Shreveport on the map,” says Goodman.
“What’s unique about my scenario is the fact that I returned home and put a business plan together and raised money from 48 oil and gas men, doctors and dentists. Most indie films raise their money in traditional ways. This is unique,” he says.
Because his parents have lived in Shreveport for 48 years, the first few times he called prospective investors he would introduce himself as their son.
“There’s a lot of pride in Shreveport,” he says. “It used to be exclusively an oil town, and now we have gaming. But there was a feeling in the town that it needed to do something different—although I wasn’t consciously capitalizing on that.”
The first seven minutes of The Last Lullaby covers the plotline from the original short story.
Its main character, Quarry, has been the subject of five other novels and several short stories.
Goodman is an admirer of Collins. “Max is a pretty amazing figure. An authority in film noir.”
The movie is a riveting, taut drama that will surprise audiences with its ending.
You can find out more about the film by visiting www.thelastlullaby.com.

Joan Van Ingen: Active & Activist

Life is Joan Van Ingen’s passion. “Absolutely! I enjoy living every single day. My nature is not to look at the problem, but the solution,” she says.
Her mother used to tell her, “You’re nothing but a Pollyanna!” But that has never bothered her.
A resident of Champagne Village for the last 25 years, when she first moved there with her husband she was too young to live there!
But for the past two decades she has been one of the most active, well, activists in the area.
She serves on the Deer Springs Fire Protection District board and on the I-15 Corridor Design Review Board.
She is also the chairman of the F.O.R.C.E. Coalition, which has monitored growth and proposed land uses in the area in conjunction with other businesses and homeowner associations.
F.O.R.C.E. was instrumental in fighting the siting of a landfill that would have been across the freeway from Champagne Village, a proposed water park a dozen years ago, and a proposed quarry and asphalt batch plant, also just a few miles from the Village and Hidden Meadows.
Fighting the quarry was her first experience in organizing politically to oppose a project. The quarry was eventually stopped because the proponent wasn’t able to find a way to mitigate the dust that would have been carried across the freeway and could have impacted the lungs of the seniors living in the Village.
She never really intended to get involved with any of these groups. “It just kept happening!” she recalls. “I don’t look for any of it!
“I never in my life joined anything. I was never an activist. Now, you can’t shut me up!”
Because of her activities fighting the quarry, her fellow activists realized that she could, as she recalls, “do stuff,” and they found her a valuable ally.
“I have to say that I have met more wonderful people on both sides of these various controversies,” she says. “I just love it!”
When a vacancy came up on the fire board two years ago (because two members unexpectedly quit), she was asked to take one of the seats. At that time, as now, the fire district was at the epicenter of opposition to the Stonegate development.
She and her friends and many of her neighbors were involved in the Stonegate opposition, although, as she says, “I have no problem with development but it should be safe. I have no problem with it as long as it fits in with the area and it doesn’t change it.”
She got to meet a lot of people who shared her feelings. “People said ‘You can’t stop it.’ But you know, the first thing that kids learn to say is no. But when we are adults we forget how to say no.”
As of this writing she was running for full term on the board, although by the time you read this the election will probably be over.
During those years on the board she has widened her interest from just the Stonegate development aspects of fire protection to being involved in all levels of fire safety.
“My goal is to be a good steward of the public’s money. To see to it our firefighters are well-equipped to protect both the public and themselves in times of wildfire. Most importantly, to never allow development without an approved evacuation plan to be built.”
“My interest is the whole area—keeping the quality,” she says.
When she’s not involved in making her community a better place, Mrs. Van Ingen likes nothing better than to sing (she’s an alto)!
She is a member of the Champagne Village Chorus, which puts on two shows a year.
She starts her day by sitting down to read a little and to listen to some music.
Her reading varies between fiction and non-fiction. She’s currently engrossed in a mystery by Susan Brockman.
“I have certainly enjoyed living here all this time,” she says. “It’s a neverending joy. In our little village there’s everything you want to do!”

Waking Up and "Wine-Ding Down" at the Country Farmhouse

With coffees, teas, cappuccino, mochas, lattes, tasty salads and sandwiches, the Country Farmhouse in Fallbrook is a great location for a morning wake-up call or an afternoon pick-me-up.
However, since Oct. 3, it’s also become known as a great place to wind down after a long week.
‘Wine-Ding Down’ is a new event at the Country Farmhouse that features wine-tastings, art shows, jewelry expos and other fun festivities. Owners (and sisters) Debbie Estrada and Frances DuBroy said they wanted to offer a unique, relaxing experience for guests to unwind at the end of the week in a comfortable, friendly setting.
“One of the things we loved about this place when we bought it was the warm, country feeling,” the owners said. “It’s cozy, which makes it a perfect fit for the ‘Wine-Ding Down’ nights.”
Estrada and DuBroy purchased the Country Farmhouse (previously Farmhouse Coffee Co.) in April 2008 and turned the coffee, tea, pastry and smoothie shop into a full-service café.
“The thought was we liked the coffee, but we also liked to cook and added a variety of sandwiches and salads to our menu,” the owners said. “We kept the coffee and smoothies, and incorporated a wine lounge with food. It’s a panini and Vino café.”
But it’s more than just bread and wine. Imagine a country-style deli with a touch of international flair. There are tasty breakfast items like bagels, wraps, croissants, quiche, muffins, scones and pastries.
Lunch choices include a variety of sandwiches such as Italian subs, salami & cheese, roast beef & cheddar, turkey swiss, tuna salad or veggie, ham & cheese or BLT croissants.
And if you’re a panini and salad fan, you’ll love the menu. From a turkey, brie or margarite panini to a cranberry walnut or mandarin chicken salad, you just can’t go wrong.
The Country Farmhouse is open Monday–Friday from 7 a.m.–4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. However, for ‘Wine-Ding Down,’ the restaurant is open extended hours from 4:30–7:30 p.m. on Fridays, and 11:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
“We have a separate menu of appetizers and salads for the wine event, and a selection of wine and micro-beers,” the owners said. “We think it adds to the wine and beer lounge atmosphere.”
There is a definite ambiance during ‘Wine-Ding Down Times.’ Along with the great food, great coffees and great wine, there is also a great vibe as you experience live acoustic music on the outdoor patio.
Did I mention desserts? What better way to enjoy a glass of wine than with a delicious crème brulee or chocolate eclair? The restaurant also picks up fresh tiramisu, lemon/chocolate mousse and pastries from a French bakery every morning.
Estrada points out that they are not a fast food place.
“Our food is fresh and cooked to order,” the owners said. “We grill the chicken and steak for each order, and we use a panini press. Those things take time. You have to have patience for quality.”
Whether it’s the down-home name, the goodness of the food, the appealing country décor, or the outgoing, friendly owners, The Country Farmhouse is a treat morning, noon or night.
For more information, call 760-728-6000 or stop by 622 S. Mission Rd. in Fallbrook.

Leonesse Cellars

Fall is by far the best time to visit a vineyard. The Leonesse Cellars winery is no exception.
With the autumn sun shining down benevolently, and morning fogs kissing the ripened grapes with pearl drops of moisture, the fruits of the vine are ready for harvesting. The intense fragrance of the grapes vies with that of the rich loam, fanned by breezes from the ocean at the end of the day.
This boutique winery is a bit off the beaten path in Temecula. You have to go looking for it, like chasing an elusive dream. Which is appropriate, since Leonesse is Gaelic for “Village of Dreams.”
Harvesting is done all night during the early autumn hours. This is to avoid the picked grapes overheating in the sun and beginning to lose their flavor.
If you have never tasted a wine grape just at the point where it is to be harvested, I highly recommend it. You may never eat a table grape again! Although where you would get a supply of wine grapes, I don’t know!
Wine connoisseurs can skip this part, since I’m probably rhapsodizing about things that they find mundane—but the rest of you, those who are just beginning to educate yourself about wine might find it interesting.
Wine grapes are very small compared to the grapes you buy in the store. About a third of the size. Almost as small as raisins.
Crush their skins between your teeth and your mouth will be flooded with an intense sweetness and a variety of flavors, almost as varied as you will find in the finished product.
Joel Reese of Leonesse Cellars tells me this is because the winemaker deliberately deprives the grapes of water to stress them out and force the sugars to concentrate.
A grape that doesn’t have to struggle to maturity is not a grape that you would want to later find in your wine glass.
Or that a true wine fanatic, an oenophile, would appreciate.
Reese took me for a ride in the golf cart to visit some of the vineyards near the winery. When you are this close to the grapes, you can notice subtle differences in their look, fragrance and taste.
As we topped a rise and looked out towards the west and many acres of ripened vines, he pointed out differences in the shades of green of the leaves, depending on the variety of grape.
The winery grows 19 different kinds of grapes: pinot grigio, viognier, chardonnay, merlot, syrah, zinfandel, riesling, and the list goes on.
The owners of Leonesse Cellars, Mike Rennie and Gary Winder, are wine fanatics. It is their passion.
They had been growing wine grapes for many years when, back in 2000, they decided that they wanted to try their hand at making wine.
They came up with what Rennie calls a “unique” family of wines that are all estate grown on the 450 acres that they own or manage.
“If we don’t grow it, it doesn’t go into our bottles,” says Rennie. “That gives us one hundred percent viticulture and winemaking control.”
The focus is on quality rather than quantity.
It is rare for a winery to produce wines that are all entirely within its control, but Leonesse, a self-styled “boutique” winery, prides itself on this distinction, and on the three series of wines that it produces: the Cellar Selection Series, the Vineyard Selection Series and the Signature Selection Series.
The Cellar Selection Series is for those who enjoy a reasonable value. They are a collection of white and red wines and offer something for all tastes, from the viognier, syrah, cabernet sauvignon to the sweet muscat canelli and the cinsault port (both are dessert wines). They are blended from different vineyards and spend less time in the barrel, although they are still handcrafted.
Although the vineyards could produce ten tons per acre, the winemaker cuts off bunches of grapes a few weeks before harvesting to concentrate the flavors into a yield of five tons. That’s true even of the Cellar Selection Series.
The Vineyard Selection Series is created from selected lots of wine which the winemaker feels showcases the unique characteristic of a varietal from a particular vineyard.
They are the best grapes of a selected vineyard. The wines for this series are aged longer in new oak barrels to produce a more complex flavor and aroma and are produced in small quantities.
The Signature Selection Series focuses on the art of blending different varietals from small carefully selected lots harvested from mature vines. Also aged for a long time in oak casks, this series is very limited and is available only to Signature Selection Club members.
In 2004 the winery earned a nearly unheard score of 90 points from the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine for its 2004 Signature Series Merlot and in the same year earned 90 points from Wine Enthusiast for its 2004 Vineyard Selection Series Syrah.
Connoisseurs' Guide described the Merlot as “bursting with ripe cherries and shot through with vanilla and sweet cream, it is a fleshy and mouthwatering wine to be sure, but not overripe and it keeps its alcohol nicely in check and never lets go of its fruit.”
The winery produces about 30,000 cases a year for a few high end restaurants and, of course, for the buying public.
Speaking of restaurants, the winery has its own, the Block Five, which is open Wednesday–Sunday and serves such morsels as rib eye medallions, grilled lamb, Monterey Caesar salad, and honey curry chicken with flat bread.
The tasting room is open daily from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., excluding major holidays. It is located at 38311 De Portola Road, in Temecula.
Call them at 951-302-7601 or visit www.leonessecellars.com.

An All-Around Golf Experience at Welk Resort San Diego

Welk Resorts San Diego is a one-stop shop for any golfer and their family. You have your choice of two 18-hole public golf courses that are scenic masterpieces offering challenging play for experienced and novice golfers alike, live Broadway-style theatre, a water park for the kids and several different dining choices all just steps outside of your luxurious villa accommodations.
Recently my daughter had the opportunity to stay at one of the new villas, attend a show, enjoy the water slide and dine at Canyon Grill. Lucky for me, she invited the old man over to experience all Welk Resorts have to offer. In a previous edition of The Boulevard Magazine I wrote about The Fountains course and while Welk Resort offers two excellently laid out golf courses that create a challenging game for experienced and novice golfers, this time I want to feature the “total package” experience you get with golfing at Welk Resort San Diego. Both The Oaks Course and The Fountains Course were designed by David Rainville (Fountains) and Jim Brown (Oaks). Golf Digest has called both “Best Places to Play”.
On the last day of my daughter’s relaxing stay she asks her old man to meet her for breakfast in the new Canyon Grill before hitting the green. After a filling breakfast with some of the freshest fruit I have ever had, we head over to The Oaks Course. The first thing we do after checking in at their expansive Pro Shop is get the keys to our cart. I think she enjoys driving me around in the cart almost as much as out driving me. She loves the 18 hole, par 3’s that The Oaks Course offers here because it’s challenging and fun for her at the same time.
The Oaks course at Welk measurers 1837 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 54. This course is beautifully designed and the over 100-year-old oaks that line this course provide just the right amount of shade for my daughter, but for me, the oaks provided one more obstacle. There is no water on the course but there are a few bunkers. The fairways and the greens are undulated and the greens are well bunkered. If you make the accurate club selections and the precise tee shots, this course will be very rewarding. It’s a beautiful and easy course to walk along so my suggestion would be to avoid the cart, unless it’s at your daughter’s request.
Welk Resort is pleased to announce the Charitee Hole-in-one Monitoring System. This Charitee golf system that Welk Resort is offering can be found on The Fountains Course which is the first golf course in San Diego County to offer the new system. Featured on hole 14, this system allows the golfer to purchase a $5 voucher prior to playing and if they make a hole-in-one they can receive a cash award of $10,000 or a two-year lease on a 2008 H3 Hummer. In addition to the hole-in-one awards, each golfer who is within 2 feet of the hole earns a $100 pro shop voucher. A percentage of all proceeds goes to Escondido’s North County Serenity House. Don’t worry, if you’re like me and it’s once in a lifetime that you make a hole-in-one, we will still receive a $5 off Pro Shop merchandise or the next round of golf.
If that hole-in-one is a dream of yours, stop by the Pro Shop for a private lesson and make it into a reality. Regardless of your skill level or learning style, Welk Resort San Diego is staffed with some of the finest Pros that offer you personalized, hands-on instruction that simplifies the complexities of the game. You can choose between the half hour and the one-hour private lessons that begin at just $25 for a half hour with the Assistant Pro. (Junior golf instruction is 50% off the adult prices so start your children early. You never know, maybe one day your son or daughter will out drive you too.) For more information on private lessons or Welk Resorts golf clinics, call the Pro Shop at 760-749-3225.
Welk also has some wonderful “Welk Green Days” specials, which include staying at the resort, dining and theatre. Check out their web site at www.welkgolf.com. Their villas include granite countertops, stone floors, exposed beams, stainless steel appliances, Jacuzzi tubs, fireplaces in the family room and master bedroom, full kitchens with cookware and dishware and the much-needed relaxation from your busy world. Remember, you don’t have to own a timeshare at Welk Resort San Diego to enjoy their villas, golf courses, dining or theatre but I will warn you, once you visit this vacation getaway spot, you will become as hooked as my daughter and I are.
So grab the family, check on room availability, save a tank of gas driving to the desert, see a great Broadway type show, swim, and have fun at one of the best family fun places in San Diego County, Welk Resort.
The Oaks Course and The Fountains Course are open daily from 6:30am – 5:00pm. In addition to the 36 holes of play, golfers can practice their short game on one of two practice greens or on the chipping green. Free golf clinic are available to Welk Resort Guests and Welk Resort Members. To reserve a tee time, call Welk Resort Pro Shop at 760-749-3225, or to work with an experienced group tournament coordinator to plan your next event call 760-749-3000ext. 22192. For more information visit www.welkgolfsandiego.com.

The Boulevard Magazine
P.O.B. 1529, Valley Center, CA 92082
Tel. 760.749.1112 Fax 760.749.1688