did you know: San Diego Hurricane
- 08/28/11 11:49 AM
San Diego Hurricane With a rare earthquake hitting the nation's capital, and then a rare hurricane heading up the East Coast to New York City, I wondered if San Diego had ever been hit by a hurricane. The reason I wondered is because we do have some remnants of Pacific Ocean cyclones make their way through San Diego occasionally, usually as rain storms. During the 20th Century, there were four tropical storms with tropical storm winds that affected the southwestern United States: September 25, 1939, in California October 6, 1972, in Arizona — Hurricane Joanne, at that time … (4 comments)
San Diego just got a wee bit drier The average annual rainfall for San Diego just fell from 10.77 inches to 10.33 inches. I guess that pesky global warming is drying us out. Actually, what happens is that at the end of each year ending in a big, fat 0, the National Climatic Data Center recalculates climate normals for both rainfall and temperatures. Probably snowfall, too. However, in doing their calculations, they only use the previous 30 years. Don't ask me why. Seems like they should use data records going back to however far records go back! We have … (9 comments)
Concentrix Solar to build San Diego factory with 450 jobs Concentrix Solar has announced plans to build a factory in San Diego to manufacture special photovoltaic panels that produce more solar power because they actually turn with the sun as it crosses the sky. So from sunrise to sunset, these panels are producing electricity continuously and almost always at full power. Many of the special panels will be used immediately on a solar farm on 1,057 acres of land along Interstate 8 in the Imperial … (6 comments)
did you know: Did you know? — kitty litter used to be Kitty Litter™
- 01/19/11 03:53 PM
kitty litter used to be Kitty LitterTM I'm fortunate that I only have to scoop Zoey the Cool Cat's poop once or twice a year. She prefers that someone other than me do that. Or is it that I prefer someone other than me do that? .................... I was just reading an article about kitty litter and it said that kitty litter used to be a brand, Kitty Litter™. I guess it went the way of xerox, kleenex, jello, photoshop, etc. Other interesting facts about kitty litter: The first litter materials usually included sand. So if you didn't live near … (17 comments)
The leaning chimney of Rose Canyon The first commercial brick-making company in Southern California was established right here in San Diego. It's interesting that brick structures now are far and few between. The company, Union Brick Company, was located in Rose Canyon, which we now know is one of the more active earthquake faults in San Diego County.
In 1888, the Rose Cañon Brick Company started building a brick chimney for its kiln. The tower comprised over 80,000 bricks and reached 115 feet tall when it was completed. However, during construction, when the chimney was about 100 feet tall, the … (7 comments)
Allergic to cats? You just need a light-colored female cat. According to a study conducted in 2000 on 300 patients who were allergic to acts, those with dark-colored cats were two to four times more likely to have allergic reactions than people who had a cat with a light color or had no cat at all. Hmmm. Although the study was too small to be statistically relevant to the general population, it does give one hope. Of course, an easier way to deal with cat allergies if you just have to have a cat is to use HEPA air filters, allergy … (8 comments)
did you know: Is there any way I can prevent my property tax from being reassessed when I move?
- 12/19/10 02:41 PM
Is there any way I can prevent my property taxfrom being reassessed when I move? Actually there is! One way to do it is to keep the property in the family since there are certain exclusions if you can do that. The details in doing this way should be left up to your tax attorney, your CPA, and your financial planner. However, as a very general example, if your parents have owned a home for a couple of decades or so and they simply give the home to you, the property taxes would remain the same. Parents can often do … (3 comments)
did you know: Did you know? — Top 10 holiday travel destinations (San Diego ranked #6!)
- 11/28/10 03:05 PM
Top 10 holiday travel destinations(San Diego ranked #6!) According to Yahoo! Travel, San Diego ranks as the #6 destination for travelers during the holidays. Yahoo! compiles their list based on consumer interest and activity on its travel site, which also indicates that most people will be traveling by car. Here are the top 10: Las Vegas New York City San Francisco Chicago Seattle San Diego Los Angeles Orlando Atlanta Honolulu I want to see them travel by car to Honolulu. Just saying.... But if you do get here and decide that you want to stay, or come more often, well, … (6 comments)
did you know: Did you know? — Things are looking up!
- 10/17/10 02:40 PM
Things are looking up! Since February 2008, real estate sales in San Diego County have been steadily increasing, with just a couple of speed bumps along the road. Since February 2009, the median home price in San Diego County has been steadily increasing, again with just a couple of speed bumps along the road. The Urban Land Institute said, in its 32nd annual Emerging Trends report, that San Diego ranked tenth as a real estate market to keep an eye on in 2011, and by that they mean that "San Diego will do better than other parts of the nation." … (7 comments)
did you know: We have a new cemetery in the neighborhood!
- 10/12/10 08:58 AM
We have a new cemetery in the neighborhood! On my first visit to New Orleans I took a tour of a cemetery.That just didn't sound right when I was touring, but eversince then I tend to notice cemeteries. I don't rememberone in San Bernardino where I grew up, and I know ofonly two here in San Diego. Outside of New Orleans,the only cemetery I visited is the National Cemetery inRiverside since my dad is buried there. Today, though, I found a new cemetery in the neighborhood.Seems it cropped up almost overnight:
did you know: Did you know? — Surveying land used to be a little more difficult
- 09/28/10 01:01 PM
Surveying land used to be a little more difficult Way back in 1894, Porter Perrin Wheaton was hired by the County Surveyor to measure the roads of the county and to locate every house, farm, school, bridge, or other building for tax purposes. Wheaton started on May 5, 1994, and, by December 29, he had measured 2,328 miles of roads and filled eleven notebooks with data from his work. After many delays, a survey was published on July 19, 1900. His tool of measurement? A wheelbarrow! It initially was loaded with a bedroll, a loaf of bread, a canteen of water, a … (7 comments)
did you know: Who was the first member of royalty to visit San Diego?
- 09/11/10 03:46 PM
Who was the first member of royaltyto visit San Diego? Way back on December 28, 1890, King Kalakaua of the Sandwich Islands (now known as Hawaii) visited San Diego as the first stop on a tour of California. Aboard the National City and Otay Railway, the King visited the Sweetwater Dam, orange groves, and an olive oil mill. After spending New Year's Eve at the Hotel del Coronado, just two years old at that point, he left on January 1 to visit Riverside and Los Angeles. Just three weeks after leaving San Diego, King Kalakaua died at the Palace Hotel … (13 comments)
did you know: You've come a long way, baby!
- 08/29/10 10:01 AM
You've come a long way, baby! It was this month just 90 years ago when the nineteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. That was the amendment that gave women the right to vote. Voting, however, is only part of the ongoing story of the rights of all Americans to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Back in 1878, Clara Shortridge Foltz (1849-1934) became the first woman to be admitted to the California Bar and the first female attorney on the West Coast. As with anything that is worth doing, though, it didn't come easily. Several years earlier, … (13 comments)
did you know: Don't like those gasoline taxes? Blame it on Oceanside!
- 08/27/10 04:19 PM
Don't like those gasoline taxes?Blame it on Oceanside! I've often heard it said that what starts in California does not stay in California. Instead, good or bad, it spreads throughout the nation. Way back in the early 1900s, when roads throughout the nation were somewhat primitive and even dangerous, a committee of residents in Oceanside, California, just 30 miles miles north of San Diego, proposed a half-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax. The revenue would go toward building, improving, and maintaining roads. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors liked the idea and took it to the state legislature in Sacramento, proposing it as … (8 comments)
did you know: How to impress prospective buyers
- 08/25/10 05:16 PM
How to impress prospective buyers Someone said that if you study history, you can learn from it. Perhaps we can learn something about real estate and prospective buyers from a little San Diego history. Way back in the late 1860s, Alonzo Horton was in the process of building a new downtown San Diego (New Town). By the spring of 1869, 124 houses had been built in New Town or close by. Horton offered to furnish brushes and lime if the owners would whitewash their houses. Although most of them took Horton up on the offer, they were slow to actually … (13 comments)
did you know: Which religious denomination built the first church in downtown San Diego?
- 08/24/10 05:06 PM
Which religious denomination built thefirst church in downtown San Diego? Alonzo Horton was the third person to try to move downtown San Diego from what is now Old Town San Diego State Historical Park to what is actually now downtown San Diego, then called New Town. He began his project in 1867 when he bought most of what is now downtown San Diego. They say that to everything there is a time, and the time for a new downtown San Diego had come. Horton originally sold land by the block, but as demand improved, he started selling lots, but only … (9 comments)
did you know: What famous person was the first person jailed in San Diego?
- 08/22/10 03:42 PM
What famous person was thefirst person jailed in San Diego? In the middle of the nineteenth century, San Diego decided that if it were to be considered a civilized area, it needed a jail. The first jail was a 20x50-foot room built from cobblestones in what is now Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Legend has it that the first person to spend time in the new jail was Roy Bean, nephew of Mayor Joshua Bean. Since the cobblestones were set in mortar without cement, Roy quickly dug through the soft mortar and found freedom. Many years later he … (14 comments)
did you know: What was the name of the first child born in San Diego to American parents?
- 08/22/10 03:02 PM
What was the name of the first childborn in San Diego to American parents? Considering the nationwide brouhaha over Arizona's immigration law and anchor babies, I thought digging deep down into San Diego history might be interesting. In 1846-47, a Mormon Battalion marched from Iowa to San Diego to help secure California during the Mexican-American War. Captain Jesse D. Hunter was accompanied by his wife, and in April 1847, Lydia gave birth to the first American child born in San Diego. The proud parents named him Diego in honor of his birthplace. Lydia died just a few weeks later, apparently of typhoid fever. ♫♪♫♫♪♫ … (5 comments)
did you know: Did you know? — The military in San Diego
- 08/22/10 02:44 PM
The military in San Diego San Diego claims that it has the second largest population of military personnel in the free world, behind only the D.C./Arlington area. I have seen estimates as high as 225,000 military personnel living and working in San Diego. San Diego got its start as a military location way back on July 29, 1846, when the Army, Navy, and Marines all arrived just a couple of months after the start of the Mexican-American War which was fought mainly over the U.S. annexation of Texas. United States Navy Captain Samuel F. Dupont (of the famous du Pont … (4 comments)
did you know: Did you know? — San Diego history: A different reason for a haircut
- 08/08/10 03:45 PM
For previous posts in this series, simply click on Did you know? Way back in the early 19th century, Spanish soldiers traditionally wore their hair braided as a symbol of loyalty to the King. When the Mexican War of Independence ended in 1821, California belonged to Mexico rather than Spain, so local soldiers had to swear allegiance to Mexico. Since their braids were considered a mark of loyalty to the King of Spain, the braids had to be chopped off. For many soldiers, it was a welcome act of definace, but for others it was an act of … (5 comments)
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