February 2009 Issue | Download the Full Issue

I have two daughters ages 26 and 21. Sometime in the next few years, with a little luck, they will both meet their Prince Charming and mom and I will be planning a wedding or two.
When Shirley asked me to write an article on weddings— given that it is fast approaching that time of the year when most couples get married—I replied, “I write golf articles, what do I know about writing a wedding article?”
She answered, “Well it’s about time you learned. It won’t be long before we’ll be planning one.”
OK! So off I went. The first thing I thought about was that I need to speak with a baker, photographer, florist, musician, and locate a place for the ceremony and reception.
Pretty overwhelming.
Then someone in the office said, “Why don’t you make this a lot easier and talk to a resort about a destination wedding?”
Good idea.
I went pen in hand off to our friends at the Pala Mesa Resort. Kat Jackson is the Director of Catering at the resort. If you choose Pala Mesa for a wedding, she is the lady that you will begin your journey with.
Jackson has been in the business for over 30 years and has seen it all, including a golf ball that flew into a wedding cake. She is, as they say in the trade, “cool, calm, and collected.”
“At Pala Mesa we want to give everyone—whether it’s a large wedding of 350 people or a smaller intimate gathering—a wedding to remember and cherish,” she said. “We hug ‘em and love ‘em.
“We will work with the bride and her family to customize whatever their wants and desires.”
She added, “This is the bride’s wedding, not ours. A bride usually has a vision of her wedding. It is up to us to realize that vision for her, no matter what the budget.”
Pala Mesa doesn’t do weddings as a hobby, fitting them into the resort between other conferences and seminars. They DO weddings, about 80 to 100 a year.
I asked when is a good time to get married at Pala Mesa? She told me anytime of the year, any day of the year. They do most of their weddings in May and September, their two busiest months.
“Valentine’s day is the second most popular day of the year for popping the question but not a big busy wedding day,” she said.
“What is the MOST popular day for popping the question?”
Christmas Eve.
This year September is shaping up to be a very busy month because it’s the ninth month of 2009, something about 09-09-09.
Last year it was August, 08-08-08.
If you get married at Pala Mesa, famous for their championship golf course, do you have the wedding on the golf course?
Kat smiled. “We can accommodate couples who want to get married on the golf course, but Pala Mesa has a dedicated wedding pavilion complete with a thirty foot water fall, one of three water falls surrounding the ceremony and reception area, a classic grand staircase, and a seven hundred pound antique mission bell that the happy couple rings when they are proclaimed man and wife.”
What a unique and wonderful feature, I thought. I wonder if the father of the bride could ring the bell as well.
There is also a private white rose garden for the ceremony, and a choice of reception areas for large weddings up to 350 people and more, to a smaller more intimate wedding area for groups of 30 or less.
“Our wedding pavilion is a very serene and romantic location. Just imagine reciting your wedding vows amidst a garden of white roses and tranquil waterfalls, it’s a beautiful place.”
When you come to Pala Mesa for your wedding, Jackson will work with the family—usually mom, dad, and the bride—to discuss their hopes and desires for the wedding and what kind of a budget they have.
“Our job is to turn they’re hopes and desires into reality”.
The trend, especially in these trying economic times, is for Mom and Dad to give the bride a dollar amount and if the bride wants something more the couples pitches in the extra.
Pala Mesa also has two talented chefs, Sean Sullivan and Wade Cottrell, who can design a reception dinner, whether sit down or buffet, that will be memorable.
“What we do is take the worry off of the bride and her family and do all of the coordinating. We have an extensive vendor list that includes florists, musicians, DJ's, photographers; make up artists, hair stylists, and cake makers,” said Jackson.
“About the only thing that we don’t do is choose the wedding dress. That is a personal decision of the brides.”
How far in advance do you have to reserve the wedding pavilion at Pala Mesa?
“We can do a wedding in two weeks if necessary. We have reservations here at the inn from everything for a few months up to a year. Once the couple has decided on Pala Mesa, we will have them in for a sampling of our dinner items so that they can choose a reception meal that they and their guests will enjoy.”
In addition, Jackson provides suggestions and other helpful information about wedding colors, mood styles or themes for those couples who come to Pala Mesa but have no idea what they might want.
“We have one hundred and thirty guest rooms here at the inn so if the wedding includes guests from out of the area or even locals who wish to get away for a special weekend we can accommodate them,” said Jackson.
A really special weekend, for a special occasion could include a stay at the inn that includes a Friday night dinner rehearsal, golf on Saturday morning or a visit to the spa, the wedding in the afternoon and reception in the evening, a buffet on Sunday and some local shopping or relaxing around the pool.
“Of course, we have as part of the package here at Pala Mesa a wonderful suites for the happy couple to spend their wedding night in,” she added.
As the special day draws nearer, Pala Mesa’s wedding coordinator, Kendra Koenig becomes the best friend of the bride and makes sure that she remains calm and carefree.
Koenig watches over the final preparations for the ceremony and the reception and handles last minute emergencies (like rips in bridesmaid’s dresses).
I asked about new trends in weddings these days.
I was stunned that Pala Mesa has a separate grassy area outside of the reception area for gentlemen’s cigar smoking, martini or cognac drinking, which is very popular, and she has also seen it used for poker games.
As I left Pala Mesa Resort, I called my wife and told her I found the place for our daughters’ weddings and had planned everything!
Jackson added, “We here at Pala Mesa are really prepared for any reasonable request of the wedding party or their guests. Call Jackson, at Pala Mesa at 760-731-6810 or email her at kjackson@palamesa.com.

Making Beautiful Music Starts With A Superior Instrument

Bob Gravlin is a luthier, someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. In his case, the instrument is the violin.
Gravlin got into the business of making violins the old-fashioned way. His wife, Diane, took up the instrument and needed someone to repair it.
So, naturally, Gravlin, who doesn’t play any instrument himself, decided to learn how to repair, and then how to make the instrument—which is still pretty much made almost exclusively with hand tools the same way that the Italian masters Stradivarius and Guarneri made their legendary violins 400 years ago.
You can get lots of information from book-learning, but to learn how to make a violin, you need many months of hands-on experience, supervised by a master—which is what Gravlin did.
Gravlin, a Bonsall resident, is a 30-year firefighter who became disabled and had to find another career. He researched a number of careers and learned that most violin-makers don’t need large workshops to do the job. So he could do the work at home.
He had been a woodworking hobbyist for many years and naturally gravitated towards working with wood with his hands.
“That’s my forte, using my hands!” he says.
He had some planks of eastern curly maple and was going to make some faux-antique wooden furniture and also thought about going into guitar making.
But then his wife took up the violin, which helped him towards his ultimate decision.
He first learned how to repair violins from a repairman in La Jolla. That’s a first step. You don’t have to know how to make a violin to do repairs. He learned one technique at a time.
Then he attended the folk music festivals in Clairemont and began making friends among the musicians. One day he found a serious stringed instrument shop which was owned by James Brown, the current president of the Southern California Association of Violin Makers, a San Diego-based organization.
Brown got both Bob and Diane involved with SCAVM.
Gravlin began attending meetings of the group, whose members all encourage each other in the craft and art. He took a beginner’s series and eventually Brown took him on as an apprentice.
During his apprenticeship Gravlin stayed with Brown and his family 3-4 days a week for several months.
“That is pretty intense training,” Gravlin observes. During that period Brown contracted to repair instruments for a school district and his apprentice was by his side the whole time.
“Until you start doing things under someone’s watchful eyes you can fumble,” says Gravlin.
He also took a four-week violin-making workshop at Pomona College which is held every year in June, the Southern California Violin Makers Workshop.
He made his first violin at that workshop. He got so much feedback and experience that making the second one was significantly easier.
The next workshop will be held June 1 - June 26, 2009. For more information visit: http://jbviolin.com/workshop/
“I’ve been spending my Junes learning violin-making,” he says. Now he has advanced enough to where he will be assisting in putting on the workshop next June.
Recently at a meeting of SCAVM, Gravlin assisted Brown in making a presentation to the members on the techniques for carving scrolls (that’s the spiral-shaped part of the instrument near the top of the neck).
“For anyone out there who is really serious about wanting to build violins that workshop is the only game in town for the West Coast,” he says.
“We have taken people who knew woodworking but didn’t know violins from a toothpick and in three weeks had most of a violin completed!”
There are no accredited schools on violin-making on the West Coast—nor any licensing. Gravlin’s path is about the best way of pursuing this type of education if you are in this part of the country.
“The apprentice system is really still the best way to get the training,” he says.
Bow-making, by the way, is a separate skill. Gravlin doesn’t make bows, although he does repair them.
Violins react differently to different bows and a musician will usually try several bows to see which will work together synergistically.
It takes about 100 hours of labor-intensive, close work to make a top notch instrument once you know what you are doing. That includes the time devoted to varnishing.
Unlike what many people believe, the varnish has nothing to do with the sound the violin produces. It simply preserves the wood from moisture. Too much varnish can affect the sound in a bad way, however.
“I’m at the point where I can make a decent violin,” says Gravlin, but he’s aiming a lot higher than just “decent.”
He wants to make an instrument that a concert violinist would be proud to own. Such instruments typically sell for about $11,000.
“When I reach that point, that’s when I will put one of my violins for sale. I don’t want to have one of my violins floating out there until it’s something that someone who plays at the Los Angeles Philharmonic will say, ‘I want that.’”
He figures he’ll be ready next year. In the meantime he has put out his shingle to repair violins. He’s one of the few people in North County who does this.
You can reach him at 760-271-0069 or email him at bobsviolins@gmail.com.

Brandon Gallery is a Living Thing

“A co-op gallery is a living thing that keeps growing and changing,” says Mary Tomaskevitch, who co-founded the Brandon Gallery in 1978.
In those days Fallbrook had no supermarkets, mall or place for artists to show their work.
Mrs. Tomaskevitch got Jeanne Shanahan to go in with her and they began showing at a kiosk on Brandon Street. Soon a closed in room became available on Brandon Street and seven more artists joined to form the co-op. Eventually 20 artists joined.
“That’s when we really started going,” she recalls. “We were called the Art Center Gallery but that sounded kind of boring so we eventually called it the Brandon Gallery.”
Artists had to be available to sit and welcome visitors. Eventually artists had to be approved by a “jury” of their peers. That rule continues today.
“Every time we brought in someone we wanted them to be as good as or better as the artists we had. We don’t take anyone in who isn’t the level we seek,” says Mrs. Tomaskevitch, who does mixed media, including oil and watercolor, plus some collages.
Although it has had three locations, and is now at 105 N. Main Ave., it remained the Brandon Gallery. In time it became a non-profit. Besides paintings and sculptures, it has baskets, gourd art, hand-blown glass, wood turnings, ceramics and jewelry.
A small space called “the etcetera gallery,” is for new artists. People can rent it and twice a year children’s shows occur there.
The cooperative includes artists from Fallbrook up to Murrietta. The exhibit “menu” changes frequently—there are always new things to see.
Members pay a fee and a 25% commission. Many private galleries charge 45%.
Each member has a specific job, besides showing artworks.
For instance, there’s Noreen Ring, a relatively new member of the gallery, who works in textiles.
Ring, a Fallbrook resident, has many contacts in the art community and recruits new members and guest artists to show—and works with them if they want to become members.
“I’ve been with the Brandon Gallery for a year. It’s been a very enlightening experience being able to show my work and have a home for my work. It’s been very satisfying,” she says.
She uses textile art quilts as other artists use canvas. Her paint and brush is needle and thread. She creates images with pieces of fabric.
Her unique handsewn pieces are framable. She does landscapes and “astral abstracts,” of stars, worlds and galaxies.
“Because they are more three dimensional than normal artworks I frame them in shadow boxes so they don’t get squashed,” she says.
“The advantage of showing at the Brandon is being involved in a group of artists. It is a huge advantage personally. I interact with professional artists and we do a lot of sharing of ideas. It’s helped me tremendously with my art,” Ring says.
This is an advantage for the gallery’s customers too. “They get a variety of art that they don’t normally get in most galleries because we have such an open policy of bringing in new artists.
“We also invite seven to ten guests into the gallery each month,” she says.
There are 28 members, but no ceiling. Numbers are self-limited by the rigorous criteria.
Kay Kalar, a member for three years, sells large format mixed media and watercolors. She has wide contacts among local merchants and organizes some of the gallery’s outreach programs.
“We moved here three years ago. As soon as we did I got juried into the gallery,” she recalls.
“It was an instant support group of very talented, high-level artists. It was my intro to Fallbrook. Through different jobs I’ve had with the Brandon I’ve become integrated with downtown Fallbrook, downtown merchants and gotten a lot of publicity, commissions and places to show my work. It’s all been very positive!”
Kalar does big bold watercolors, but she recently got into oils and pastels and is taking her work in a new direction by adding metallics.
She does commissions, including what she calls “favorite things,” where she takes part of a person’s life, their favorite colors and special mementoes and designs a painting using them.
She also organizes fund-raisers. Last year she organized the Art of the Chair. Members found chairs at thrift stores and decorated them as art pieces—then auctioned them off.
She is also the liaison of the Brandon to the Historic Downtown Merchants Assn. and helps plan events to benefit the whole Main Street Downtown.
Feb. 13, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. the artists will handmake personalized valentines. That evening the association will have a valentine event when stores will be open with special sales.
Kalar feels that the quality of art at the gallery is high because of the juries. “I feel pretty privileged to be part of it. It helps me to feel an integral part of the downtown.”
Rita Miller, former publicity chairman for the gallery, is a printmaker. Her job these days is supplies for the gallery.
She was a featured artist in January.
Miller does linoleum block and woodcuts.
“I’m having this exhibition because I’m so pleased with how this printmaking is coming along,” she says. “A lot of people around here didn’t know what a fine art print was. There are still people very curious about it.
She does all kinds of prints: etchings, monotypes, monoprints, collographs (textural print, where the artist assembles textures on a plate and pastes them to make a composition and then seals it and prints from it).
“I tend to go abstract because I really like design,” she says. Miller also does combined prints and acrylic paintings.
What one might call a “late bloomer,” she was 60 years old when she graduated with an art degree from UC Riverside. That was 15 years ago.
Years before that when she was a military wife stationed in Japan, she learned about print-making from the country considered the heart of printmaking. But it wasn’t until she moved to Fallbrook, and after 1992, when she retired from selling real estate, she returned to school in earnest.
Today she is, “having the time of my life,” she says.
“We have a great variety of juried work. Other members have to approve their work. And artists try out three months before they are voted in as members.
“We sustain ourselves. We all have jobs and we all have to work together to make it work,” Miller says.
This June members will take part in the Art by the Inch promotion.
Each member will contribute to a section of very long piece of heavy watercolor paper.
Patrons will then be able to put a framing square over a part that they like and buy it.
Sounds fun!
To learn more, visit the gallery’s Web site: www.brandonartfallbrook.com.

Kathy Machir Can Make Your Space Feel Like Home

Longtime Hidden Meadows resident and award-winning interior designer Kathy Machir keeps her philosophy simple: “I believe that everyone’s personal space is just that—personal. Whether incorporating existing furniture pieces or purchasing new products, I know that ultimately everything should reflect my client’s tastes and personality.”
Get to know Kathy Machir, and it is plain to see that her enthusiasm for meeting the desires of her clients matches her wondrous interior decorating talents.
Operating the franchise INTERIORS by Decorating Den out of her home office, she has over 134,000 décor samples on site, ranging from fine art pieces to a multitude of luxuriously appointed fabrics.
She is an Allied ASID (American Society of Interiors Designers) member, belongs to the INTERIORS by Decorating Den Century Society and Platinum Club, and has achieved Lifetime President’s Club for business excellence.
What originally started as a hobby many years ago has become big business for Kathy, who previously worked as a corporate finance executive in the airline industry.
“My aunt operated an interior design franchise in Carlsbad, and I came to appreciate the artistry and creativity involved within her design process. That appreciation translated into my business,” she says.
Now, as a Decorating Den top 10 franchise owner for the last 17 years, her eye for design has taken her around San Diego County—and the world. “I was recently referred to a wonderful project in China, where I designed interiors for an exclusive country club,” she says.
She notices the trends and changes that are always present in the design process. According to her, “clients are now interested in making their homes warm and comfortable, with lots of soft fabrics, warm colors, and overstuffed furniture pieces.” This “cocooning trend,” as she refers to it affectionately, is in direct contrast to the most recent high-tech, minimalist design trends.
When beginning the search for a new look, whether for one room or for a complete home, Machir recommends scouring magazines first for examples of decorating preferences.
At the initial appointment she conducts a home tour to determine the client’s lifestyle, decorating priorities, and to get a feel for the personality of each space. “I really like to get a multi-layered feel of a design project through the client’s eyes,” she explains.
After this initial consultation, client and designer sit down at her office to establish budgetary and design priorities. Utilizing her masterful eye for design and incorporating her plethora of suppliers, she then coordinates everything from start to finish in the interior design process.
“Putting the design together, to take the client’s concepts and turn it into reality, that is my favorite part of the process,” she says.
According to Machir, “Every day is wonderful and different,” and she loves it that way.
To contact Kathy Machir of INTERIORS by Decorating Den, email kathymachir1@hughes.net or call 760-751-8607.

What's In A Name? Fallbrook: From Pennsylvania Westward

The naming of nearly every town and community is often deeply steeped in local folklore, overlaid with cultural variances and geographic landmarks.
Fallbrook, now a bustling and diverse community of over 45,000 residents, traces its naming origins to Pennsylvania and a deposit of coal.
Prior to 1870, the land now known as Fallbrook was near the original land grants of Rancho Monserate and Santa Margarita, and had been inhabited for millennia by native peoples, as evidenced by the morteros still visible in Live Oak Park and the surrounding Gird Valley.
Tioga County, Pennsylvania
In the midst of the U.S. Civil War, John Magee and his son, who were residents of Tioga County in Pennsylvania, discovered a large deposit of coal along the shore of a small babble of the Tioga River named Fall Brook Creek.
Within a few years, the Magees had developed the area into a significant mining operation called the Fall Brook Coal Company. Magee then took his new enterprise one step further with the creation of the Fall Brook Railroad, which would soon haul coal to the Erie Canal for passage throughout the eastern United States.
With the successful growth of the Fall Brook Coal Company came the necessities of a small community. Small stores and dozens of homes sprung up, and by 1862 the mining and railroad community of Fall Brook had over 1,000 residents, most of whom were employees and their families.
San Francisco, California
Young entrepreneur Vital Reche, a native Canadian who had been raised in western New York, opened the Niantic Hotel in the burgeoning city of San Francisco. Despite a devastating fire in 1851, the Niantic Hotel was a financial success. During his tenure as co-owner of the Niantic, two of Reche’s tenants were brothers John and Henry Magee.
In 1852 the Niantic burned again, this time ending Reche’s venture in the hotel industry. For a short time before his planned return to New York, Reche stayed in a Sacramento gold camp where he crossed paths again with the Magee brothers. Reche was very intrigued by the tintype of the Magees’ sister, Amelia, and agreed to take the brothers’ fortune back east to be delivered to Amelia and the family. Within one year, Vital and Amelia were married in Angelica, New York.
San Jose to Temecula to New York… and Back Again
Shortly after their union, the young couple moved west to California, where they opened and operated the Reche Exchange Hotel in San Jose for five years. During this time Amelia Reche gave birth to a son, Charles, and four years later, to a daughter, Amelia. In 1859, they sold the hotel and moved south to Temecula, where they lived for eight years and Vital operated a small store.
The year 1867 found the growing Reche family back in upstate western New York, where they reunited with the Magee family in nearby southern Pennsylvania. Vital Reche invested in the Fall Brook Railroad and established the Reche Coal Company. Between 1867 and 1869, the Magee and Reche families worked in close contact with one another and further cemented their strong familial bond.
However, Vital was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1869, and he moved Amelia and their three children back to California late in the year.
A Creek Amongst Ancient Oaks
In 1870, the United States Land Commission began to survey the land between Rancho Santa Margarita and Rancho Monserate, in an effort to make land ownership available to homesteaders. Vital Reche had coincidentally encountered a beautiful creek-laden area just to the north of the San Luis Rey River, and he determined to build his family home amongst the land’s ancient oaks. In deference to his in-law’s Pennsylvania roots, Reche coined his homesteaded land and the surrounding area “Fall Brook,”—and the name has stuck for nearly 140 years.
Vital Reche, although diagnosed with terminal cancer, lived another 25 years after his doctor’s diagnosis. He died in 1894 at age 69.

Great Entertainment This Month!

February music and theater lovers will be able to sample three very different cultural offerings, one in Fallbrook, one in Escondido and the other in Temecula.
Jon Robertson, conductor of Redlands Symphony Orchestra, will perform an eclectic symphony concert Feb. 8 for the Fallbrook Music Society at 3 p.m. at the Bob Burton Center for the Performing Arts, 2400 S. Stagecoach in Fallbrook.
Brenda Montiel, president of the Fallbrook Music Society noted that the program will center around Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, which is considered one of the most difficult and challenging piano compositions in the literature.
“Very few people can play this piece and we have a fantastic soloist, Stephen Prutsman,” said Montiel.
Moving easily from classical to jazz to world music styles, Prutsman is a pianist, composer and conductor.
In the early 90's he was a medal winner at the Tchaikovsky and Queen Elisabeth piano competitions and from 2004-2007 was Artistic Partner with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
As a composer, Prutsman’s long collaboration with the Kronos Quartet has resulted in over 40 arrangements for them.
In 2007, he was appointed Associate Artistic Director of the Cartagena International Festival of Music in Colombia.
According to Montiel, “One of the hallmarks of the Redlands Symphony is they provide us with a varied program and this time is no exception.” They play three times a year in Fallbrook.
The program also includes Verdi’s overture to La Forza Del Destino, the adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and Rimsky Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol.
“It’s a remarkable program because we have music from the very sensitive to the strong. The wide variety is a hallmark of the Redlands orchestra and they play many pieces that are not often heard on the local scene,” said Montiel.
She noted that the orchestra will be playing in the 532 seat Burton Hall, which gives “a different feeling when you are almost in the orchestra and really see and hear it really well. We’ve noticed that a lot of people who attend feel they can really hear the music quite well,” she said.
The Redlands orchestra is a professional orchestra of exceptionally talented performers that has been playing for 25 years.
Prior to that time it was a community orchestra.
When Robertson took it over 28 years ago he led it to become a professional orchestra.
“It has been a wonderful building process. The community of Redlands, that is not dissimilar to Fallbrook, people of varying cultural outlets became very committed to the orchestra,” said Robertson.
“We have been able to build a really first rate orchestra. We have received some of the finest marks as one of the best orchestras in the state and one of the best in the country,” he said.
“It is somewhat rare for a community as small as Redlands to have an orchestra of this stature,” he said.
For more on the Fallbrook Music Society visit www.fallbrookmusicsociety.org or call 451-8644. Tickets to this concert are $38 for adults and $10 for students.
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On Feb. 20, the Old Town Temecula Theater will have its Friday Night Groove Series with the Derailers, which National Public Radio has describe as “Hangdog honkey-tonk at its best.”
It was their mutual love for the music of legendary country artist Buck Owens that originally brought The Derailers together back in the ’90s. Their music is designed for bringing the listener to the dance floor.
They have created a sound that mirrors the shuffle of happy boots on a hardwood floor, combining classic country beats and a 60s pop sensibility, what the Austin-based band likes to think of as its Beatles-meets-Bakersfield sound.
In terms of sound, The Derailers have gotten smoother with age. Their music celebrates the legacies of Buck Owens, George Jones, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich and the Beatles, while still being on the edge of today’s country music.
Their latest release, filled with their tried-and-true blend of honky-tonk, rockabilly and good ol’ Texas-flavored rock ‘n’ roll, is guaranteed to hit even more sweet spots.
One of the band members describes their view of country music as, “finding out what love really is, versus what you thought it was when you were a kid.” Learn more about the band by visiting www.derailers.com/
For more information, visit www.TemeculaTheater.org or call 866-653-8696.
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Also playing this month at Welk Resorts Theatre is The Scarlet Pimpernel. With hilarious dialogue, daring rescues, and a thrilling sword fight, The Scarlet Pimpernel is a literary classic. Take a classic "potboiler" of world literature; stir the delicious plot with lush music, the flowering of English aristocracy and the excesses of the French Revolution; add a dash of vigilante heroism; and you've entered the world of The Scarlet Pimpernel. To purchase tickets call 760-749-3448 or visit www.WelkTheatreSanDiego.com

Welk Hostess Adriene Edwards is the "Evita" of the Resort

Since the mid-1960s Adriene Edwards has been one of the most visible symbols of the Lawrence Welk Resort.
To the many thousands of people who have attended Welk shows over the years, Mrs. Edwards is the face of the resort, a woman whose friendliness and devotion to customer service makes her as much a part of the entertainment experience as the shows or the dining.
“I want to make everybody who visits here feel good and to know that I care about them being here,” she says. “I’m the voice of the people, the Evita of the Welk Resort!”
Her current title is Director of Guest Services, but she has had many jobs over the years.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Mrs. Edwards started as a waitress in a little 56-seat restaurant at what is now Champagne Village, but which was then a small mobile home park with a par three 9-hole golf course and a small hotel.
Lawrence Welk, the celebrated “Champagne Music Man,” was looking for farm land in the area and discovered the park. He bought the park and put in a restaurant, which he called the “Welk-ome Inn.” Mrs. Edwards was a waitress in that restaurant.
In those days the Welk-ome Inn was in a very remote part of San Diego County. This was before I-15 was built, when the windy Hwy 395 was the road that connected Riverside and San Diego counties.
In 1965 Welk introduced this area to his musical family and taped a show there. He put the show on the air and during the show invited his “neighbors” to come over to the Welk-ome Inn.
“The next day five hundred people showed up!” recalls Mrs. Edwards. “That was the beginning of the success of this place.”
The spaces on the mobile home park filled up as people lined up to move there.
Later Welk bought land to the north and built a 175 seat restaurant and added another nine holes to the golf course, and a 26-room hotel, which opened in 1968.
She became the head waitress at the new restaurant.
In the early 70s people wanted to start doing weddings and banquets at Welks, so the resort added banquet rooms and the restaurant’s capacity was increased to about 500 people at a time. The hotel increased its size at the same time and Welk bought more land to the south and added 257 spaces to the mobile home park, which filled up rapidly.
In 1980 Welk divested himself of the park and put in the shopping plaza and the dinner theater.
During those years Mrs. Edwards was the restaurant manager. At the same time Welk was buying up land that would eventually become the site of timeshares. They were built in late 1984-89 along with the three recreation centers.
Welk retired from TV in 1982 and his son Larry took over operations of the family’s holdings.
Mrs. Edwards continued as the restaurant manager during this period until the 1990s, when she took over the recreation centers for several years. But she was soon back managing the restaurant and added the duties of Director of Guest Services for the timeshares.
During this period the hotel was replaced by the Villas on the Green and the restaurant was torn down three years ago to be replaced just recently by the Canyon Grille.
Now, as Director of Guest Services, Mrs. Edwards oversees the Grille, the pizza restaurant and all food and beverages.
A true people person, she lives life, “one day at a time. I want to touch a lot of people along the way and give them that one minute of happiness!”
She lives in Vista, which she has called home for 46 years. Her husband died 12 years ago but she has three children.
Her daughter, Jennifer Edwards Northover, is the lighting director and production manager for the theater, which was initially Mrs. Edward’s idea.
In their response to her idea, she was told, “If you can feed everyone we’ll get the people here!”
That first show was Barefoot in the Park, which starred the legendary Dorothy Lamour.
Mrs. Edwards is an unceasing fountain of those kinds of stories. All you have to do is slow her down long enough to sit down and talk about them.
“I feel very blessed that I happened to have been in the right place and at the right time to have worked here. I really enjoy coming here every day. I love the Welk philosophy and I love the Welk family. They are humble, without pretense. They are people giving to people.”
She doesn’t plan to retire anytime soon. “This work keeps you young. I love working with young people. I’m still learning something every day.”
She adds, “I don’t burn bridges. I can call the first chef that I worked with and we can laugh together about the things that happened!”

Best Places for Romance: Romantic Rendevous Recommendations For All Lovers

With Cupid’s arrows flying throughout the month of February, new romances will spark, and long-lasting flames will be rekindled.
With the nature of love in mind, we present to you just a few of the most romantic places along The Boulevard. Whether you enjoy fine dining, a relaxing hike, or a fabulous resort getaway, there is something for all lovers here.
Pala Mesa Resort has a a magnificent seven hundred pound Mission Bell at the foot of their waterfall that creates the perfect atmosphere to steal a kiss.
Romantic Recommendation: Take your sweetie out to dinner at AquaTerra to sample their amazing new menu and then stroll through their private white rose gardens to the waterfalls. Contact Information: (760) 731-6802 or www.palamesa.com
San Diego's Premier Golf and Country Club, Vista Valley Country Club, is the perfect place for the golf loving couple to escape to and spend some quality time together. Book a later tee time that will allow you to find yourself on hole #6 at sunset.
Romantic Recommendation: Grab your sweetie’s hand and walk slowly across the beautiful rock bridge on hole #6. Half-way across the bridge, take a moment and enjoy the view. Contact Information: (760) 758-2800 or www.vistavalley.com
Mission Theater: Built in 1946 as a movie house and restored to its original Art Deco design in the mid-1990’s by the Hornsveld family, the Mission Theater is a definite romantic landmark for young and old alike.
Now serving as host to the CAST Players, Fallbrook’s venerable theater troupe, the Mission Theater has prospered for over 60 years as the capstone of the charming downtown district.
Romantic Recommendation: Arrive early for a CAST Production and spend time enjoying the old Hollywood ambience of the restored 1946 movie lobby.
Contact Information: (760) 731-2278 or www.missiontheater.com
Rio Rico Restaurante y Cantina provides guests with old-world romance paired with sumptuous Mexican cuisine. Located in Bonsall’s River Village shopping center, Rio Rico’s ample menu choices entertain the palate with award-winning taste.
Romantic Recommendation: Get dressed up and slowly enjoy a sumptuous feast. Afterward, stroll hand in hand to the nearby movie theater for a late-night film.
Contact Information: (760) 951-1250.
Mission San Antonio de Pala: Founded in June of 1816 as an eastern outpost to Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside, Mission San Antonio de Pala has served its native population without interruption for nearly 200 years. When originally constructed, cedars from Palomar Mountain were used as ceiling beams, and the freestanding bell tower is the only one of its kind in all of California and Baja.
Romantic Recommendation: Explore the chapel, ancient cemetery, and romantic courtyard over a Saturday afternoon. Sit silently inside the chapel and feel the whispers of history envelop you.
Contact Information: (760) 742-3317 or www.missionsanantonio.org
Welk Resort: Lawrence Welk’s 600 green acres have been a North County fixture for decades, yet the property has retained, and even expanded, its panache for resort living.
Once the seasonal home to John Wayne, Welk and his family, and a host of Hollywood escapees, the resort offers today’s guests entertainment choices aplenty, all within the legendary bandleader’s secluded valley.
Romantic Recommendation: Enjoy a romantic dinner for two at the Canyon Grille, then catch a Broadway-quality show at the intimate Welk Resort Theatre.
Contact Information: (760) 749-3000 or www.welksandiego.com
Santa Margarita River Trail: Located just north of Fallbrook off Sandia Creek Road, the wondrous Santa Margarita River Trail was established by the Fallbrook Land Conservancy in 1996. Within moments of leaving the trailhead, hikers will be rewarded with lush greenery, the meandering Santa Margarita, and shaded oaks galore.
Romantic Recommendation: Find one of the many sandy spots along the Santa Margarita River for a secluded backcountry picnic.
Contact Information: Fallbrook Land Conservancy at (760) 728-0889.
Oak Creek Manor: Most recently in the news for serving as host location to Tori Spelling’s reality show, Oak Creek Manor is a four-star, plantation-style bed and breakfast located off Olive Hill Road between Bonsall and Fallbrook. Be sure to relax amongst the Manor’s eight luxuriously landscaped acres and the Monticello-inspired architecture.
Romantic Recommendation: Spend a lazy afternoon with your loved one on your very own private patio.
Contact Information: (949) 230-3560 or www.oakcreekmanor.com
Falkner Winery: Situated on a high bluff overlooking the grand valley that is Temecula’s wine country, Falkner Winery has been providing outstanding wine and romance for nearly a decade. Take in the view that makes Falkner Winery a truly romantic spot along The Boulevard.
Romantic Recommendation: Gather some of the Falkner’s award-winning wine in your basket, and then locate a secluded spot on the grounds for the ultimate wine and cheese sunset.
Contact Information: (951) 676-8231 or www.falknerwinery.com
Tango Restaurant & Wine Bar: The art of intimate dining is defined through an evening at Tango, located in downtown Escondido on Grand Avenue. With an ever-changing menu and unrivaled food, Tango Restaurant & Wine Bar delivers with ultimate romantic ambience.
Romantic Recommendation: After enjoying your dinner, ask for the chef’s dessert and paired wine recommendations. You will not be disappointed!
Contact Information: (760) 747-5000 or www.tangoongrand.com

Allie's Tapas au Vin: The Passion and Artistry of Cuisine and Wine

With a flair for creating the perfect ambience combined with authentic California-Spanish tapas cuisine, Steve & Alicia Hamlin, the engaging proprietors of Allie’s Tapas au Vin in Temecula, revel in the cultural celebration of food.
The couple, both native San Diegans, operated Allie’s at Callaway for five years, but decided to create their own environment with the opening of Allie’s Tapas au Vin in early 2008. According to Steve, “Allie’s is warm, comfortable and relaxing. The feel here completely represents us and what we enjoy.”
With a private wine room, wide-open main dining area, luxurious wine bar and piano lounge, accompanied by dark wood throughout, the interior of Allie’s gives off a very convivial and organic atmosphere. “We share our artistic tapas cuisine and warmth of customer service with each guest that shares their evening with us,” said Alicia, “and believe that this combination of food and friendship will bring them back.”
Sharing an appreciation for the cultural (and mouthwatering!) aspects of Spanish tapas, the Hamlins worked together for many years to create their shared vision of great food and wine combined with genuine hospitality.
“Our wine club goes beyond the normal experience of club memberships,” said Steve, “as we share gourmet recipes coupled with our very unique wine collection from around the world. We make the process of learning about wine a very fun and engaging social experience.”
Yet another winning aspect of the Hamlins’ vision is their passionate dedication to charity and mixing that with their restaurant business.
In fact, according to Steve, “Charity is at the heart and soul of our time here at Allie’s.”
Having lost a dear grandmother to Alzheimer’s disease, Alicia feels very passionate about raising research funds towards a cure for the various forms of Alzheimer’s disease.
“If the restaurant can help us give back, then it is truly a worthwhile venture,” she said. She has created her own Alzheimer’s-based charitable fund, “Put Your Hand in Mine,” and is heavily involved with the George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers, through which the couple have donated more than $250,000 since 2000.
Veterans of the hospitality industry, the Hamlins host a weekly Industry Night every Tuesday evening from 8-11 p.m. as a special thank you to their peers. The ever-engaging Happy Hour runs nightly Tuesday –Saturday from 3–6 p.m., and the piano lounge runs Tuesday–Saturday from 6 p.m. to close.
Allie’s Tapas au Vin is that perfect place for a special meal, whether it be a romantic dinner for two or a night out with friends. According to Steve, “we consider our guests and staff as part of our family.”
To experience the artistry and passion of California-Spanish cuisine in nearby Temecula, contact Allie’s Tapas au Vin at 951-695-8620, or visit them online at www.alliestapas.com.

Hart Winery

The Hart family has been in the wine business since 1974 when they planted their first grapes in the Temecula Valley.
The Hart Winery became the third winery in the valley in 1980. At that time Joe Hart was still teaching in Carlsbad.
The winery is a case of man’s passion transferred to a business that some people prefer to think of as an art.
Joe Hart describes himself as the “black sheep” of his family, the first member to get into the wine business.
The winery operates on ten acres, 8 1/2 acres of which are vines. They produce three white ones, one rose and 8–10 dry red wines a year.
We asked Joe Hart to pick out one of his best wines to profile and he chose the 2005 Cabernet Franc. One of the winery’s most popular sellers, and a frequent award-winner, it is produced from a 2.5 acre block of the family’s vineyard.
Joe describes how this was produced using a grafted wood that came from a test vineyard at UC Riverside.
“It’s kind of a mystery clone,” he says with a smile. “It did so well that we converted two and a half acres to its production.”
They currently grow syrah, viognier, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc grapes.
They produce 400 cases of the Cabernet Franc a year. The planting is relatively young and has only come into its full production recently.
It’s a consistent medal winner, and has collected both gold and silver medals at several California competitions.
The Cabernet Franc grape is an ancient variety. In the Bourdeax region of France all wines are blended. The Cabernet Franc, which is also grown in the Loire Valley, is one of the grapes used in those blends. It is an ancestor of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.
The flavor is a little more herbal than a merlot or cabernet sauvignon and is more varietal in character than those wines.
It is, says Hart, nice in terms of PH, acid and sugar. “It’s a flavor that is hard to argue with,” he says.
You can find the wine at a handful of outlets, such as BevMo! and Barons—and you can always buy it at Hart.
The winery is that and nothing more. You won’t find a gift shop or a restaurant. Just great wines.
All of the wines are produced on the premises. If it has a Hart label it means they crushed the grapes and made it right there.
“Our focus is completely on locally grown grapes, all from the Temecula or San Diego valleys, with ninety-nine percent from Temecula,” says Hart. “Within that context I produce the very best wines I can. I’m convinced that if we use the best varieties we can produce world class wines.”
Competition judges would appear to agree with that assessment.
The winery recently won a ribbon for Best White Wine at the Los Angeles County Fair, and has had a long winning streak with its rose wines and dry reds.
“We’re not a producer of sweet wines. We produce food compatible wines and in most cases dry wines are the best for that,” says Hart.
For the featured Cabernet Franc wine, the foods that would pair well would be anything that you would eat with a merlot, such as beef, lamb, portobello mushrooms, braised beef, beef burgundy, short ribs, or a good hearty beef stew!
The winery is open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. seven days a week except on major holidays.
You’ll find the winery at 41300 Avenida Biona in Temecula.
Call the winery at 951-676-6300 or visit their Web site: www.thehartfamilywinery.com/

Journey at Pechanga

The people at Pechanga Resort and Casino have a reputation of doing things world class and their new championship golf course, Journey at Pechanga, is certainly no exception.
This 7,219-yard layout carved into the hills surrounding the resort was designed by golf architects Arthur Hills and Steve Forrest, and they must be very proud parents.
You immediately get the feeling that this is something special when you arrive at the 62,000 square feet upscale clubhouse that opened in November 2008.
The pro shop is almost a golf shop, the restaurant looks and feels and tastes like fine dining, there is a relaxing bar and grille area, plenty of locker room space and a 30 foot waterfall just outside the lobby doors.
The driving range is complete with Adirondack chairs for spectators and looks like the 18th fairway of a private club. The granite hole markers, the state of the art golf carts with GPS, the 14 wooden bridges, and the seven miles of cart paths, all make a statement of quality that is consistent with the Luiseño tribe’s way of doing things. The views of the Temecula Valley, wine country to the east, and the snow capped San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains in the distance tell you that you’re at someplace special.
Journey does not have a lot of water, water comes into play on only three holes, it is not particularly well bunkered, it does not have a lot of undulating fairways and greens, and if you play the course where most golfers will, the white tees, the track is about 6200 yards, not particularly long.
But what this course does have is a fantastic mixture of target golf, shot making risk and reward, and plenty of opportunity to slam away with the big dog. You really need to be good off of the tee at Journey, as there is lots and lots of elevation, I don’t mean slope, but elevation, strategically placed deep bunkers, and it has as well manicured and well-maintained fairways and greens as you will find in Southern California.
And the piéce de résistance, a trio of golf holes: number 5, a scenic challenging water hole, number 6, where hitting your tee shot is like standing on top of a high rise building, you get enough hang time on you’re drive on number 6 that you could strike the ball, hop into your golf cart and drive down 175 ft to the fairway below and watch your ball land, and number 7 where the most perfect place to hit your tee shot is into a 100-year-old California Oak.
As they say in show business, these three holes are, “worth the price of admission,” themselves.
What is also unique about Journey is that it was not built to accommodate a housing project, except for the remains of the Luiseño tribe ancestrally buildings that add some history and charm to your journey through Journey.
And speaking about your journey, there are seven miles of cart paths and more scenic driving between holes than any course that I have ever played—which gives you adequate time to forget the bogie on the last hole and prepare for the birdie on the next.
You begin you’re climb on the front nine on the third hole and don’t descend to sea level until your second shot on the ninth hole. Holes 5, 6 and 7 are three of the most “fun” golf holes that you will find anywhere.
Number 5 a 298 yard from the whites (Journey has 5 tee options) par 4 up hill with water everywhere is a beautiful and challenging golf hole. Your landing area off of the tee is generous, the real challenge is on your approach.
A running stream in front and on the left of this undulating green and a deep bunker in the rear means you must be precise with your approach. Of course, you could drive the hole about 233 yards, carry from the whites,, but my advice, don’t mess with the water. Number 5, with a well placed tee shot and a solid approach is a birdie hole.
The 6th hole is a 441-yard Par 4, the number one handicap hole.
If you have been playing from the whites, this in the one hole that you will want to move back and, in this case up, to the blacks or copper tees.
The views are fantastic and the tee shot is the most fun in all of So Cal golf.
It will take you about 250 yards to carry the terrain and reach the fairway from the very back tee box. Given the down hill slide on Number 6, a long drive just might put you on the green, that’s right you could drive a 441 yard par 4.
The green is long and oval shaped and the fairway on both sides rises to give you adequate protection on your approach. A tough green to hit in regulation, you will do very well to walk away with a 4 on Number 6.
Number 7, a short 309 yard par 4 will really test your shot making abilities. Number 7 has a similar aerial tee shot, but off to the south.
The perfect landing spot for your tee shot is, (sorry!) already taken, by a large 100-year-old California Oak. Go long and right and you will have a nice approach into a small tight green surround by more oaks, and again very little margin for error on this approach shot.
Unless you are playing from the back tees, this is not a hole to use your driver on. You could find yourself in the ravine in front of the green. Very little room for error on Number 7, a great golf hole.
After the front nine and before starting the back nine, treat yourself to a Pechanga Dog at the Midway Grille, the best $4 hot dog I ever had.
The back nine doesn’t have the slope of the front nine but nonetheless is equally challenging.
You can reserve a tee time at 866-991-PARR (7277) or visit the Pechanga Resort and Casino web site for more information at www.pechanga.com.

 

The Boulevard Magazine
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