B2 THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE SUNDAY • FEBRUARY 10, 2019

MEDIATE THIS ! THE UNLEASHED DOBERMAN AND THE HEEDLESS OWNER BY STEVEN P. DINKIN outdated,” says the Association of in thinking he deserves a pass Dog Training Professionals. because he is exceptional. If he Dear Mediator, “Modern scientifically-based dog feels challenged or goaded, he will I walk our dogs every morning training should emphasize team- instinctively respond with a coun- in our neighborhood. They are work and a harmonious relation- terattack. leashed, as are most other dogs ship” between dogs and people. Your neighborhood pack can we see. I don’t mind unleashed Like many neighborhood dis- bring him around by acting to- dogs if they stay close to their putes, this situation involves a gether to shepherd him. The other owners. But a neighbor down the clear transgression. Except for dog owners and parents of small street is training his young Dober- officially designated leash-free children would be your natural man to obey “off leash.” When that zones, dog owners are required by allies in this effort. dog sees us, he runs at us and law to tether their pets while on You all need to deliver the frightens my dogs. I’ve asked the sidewalks or in other public same message. Compose an ami- owner to leash his dog, but he spaces. cable group letter explaining that ignores me. Other dog owners are You and your neighbors always everyone is genuinely concerned worried. And the Doberman is have the option of filing a formal about the ongoing risk to neigh- getting bigger. How do we solve complaint about this unleashed borhood kids and pets, especially this? dog. Aside from the attack risk he his. Coming Unhinged poses to humans and other dogs, Mail the letter to his home with in Clairemont this animal is himself at risk of a copy of the pertinent leash law darting off the sidewalk and into (San Diego County Code 62.669). Dear Coming Unhinged, the path of a moving car. And keep up the positive re- Wouldn’t it be great if we could For now, let’s set aside law inforcement. The packet should train unruly dog owners to obey enforcement and look at more GETTY IMAGES include two peace offerings: a gift cues, curb impulses and behave congenial strategies borrowed This week’s question asks how to deal with a neighbor who is chew toy for the dog and an invita- well with others? from human conflict resolution training his young dog to run off leash. tion to a dog play date at the Some humans are as clueless and canine behavioral training. leash-free park. (or choose to be as clueless) as the Socialization is the first step. This brief encounter will serve tow), hand him the material and animals they love. When their At some point, approach this as an icebreaker. The owner will mention that all the neighbor- Steven P. Dinkin is a professional mediator antisocial behavior causes prob- owner (without your dog in tow) expect you to confront him about hood dogs really enjoy visiting who has served as president of the lems, the best response employs in a friendly manner and intro- his dog running loose. Instead, that park. San-Diego based National Conflict tactics used in dog training. duce yourself. you will signal to him that, like any Don’t feel stymied if this new Resolution Center since 2003. Do you have The key to that training, ac- Learn his name and the name cooperative pack animal, you overture doesn’t work. Consistent a conflict that needs a resolution? Share cording to canine experts, is a of his Doberman. Express admira- would prefer to be on good terms. reinforcement over time is the key your story with The Mediator via email at spirit of cooperation and positive tion for the dog, and ask if you can Prepare for your second meet- to behavior modification. [email protected] or as an reinforcement. pet him. Then glance at your ing by getting information on the The Doberman’s owner is fully online submission by visiting “Techniques that create a watch and say, “Oh, look at the nearest leash-free area. The next aware his dog should be leashed. www.ncrconline.com/MediateThis. All confrontational relationship ... are time, gotta go, nice talking to you.” time you see him (with your dog in Like most outliers, he may persist submissions will be kept anonymous.

NOTEBOOKS

From Union-Tribune reporting staff

ERNIE COWAN: OUTDOORS THE READERS’ REPRESENTATIVE: ADRIAN VORE Sourgrass brings back days of youth How local B section comes together Youngsters who have never experienced Readers consistently rank local news as The metro and north section editors choose the joy of lying in a field of wild spring grass, one of their top subjects of interest. thestoriesthatwillappear onthefront andin- surrounded by the happy faces of tiny wood Local news appears throughout the print side. The managing editor, Lora Cicalo, who sorrel flowers have missed one of the best ex- edition, but the A section, Business, Sports and chooses the A-section stories, and the team periences of youth. Arts also contain news from around the state, editors will often be consulted. Included in that experience would be nation and world. Except for some news service The B-section front follows a general for- munching on the sour but refreshing stems of obituaries and the “Today in History” feature mat. Most days, columnists Diane Bell and these tiny flowers. from The Associated Press, the news content in Michael Smolens will run down the left side. The experience ranks right up there with the B section is almost all generated by U-T The page usually has a story placed across the watching puffy clouds change shape in a staffers. A few stories are written by freelancers top of the page. The story stripped across the bright blue spring sky. or City News Service. top is almost always the newsiest local story As a kid who spent more time outdoors How does this print section that ranks high that is not appearing on A1. than inside, it was an event of spring that I ERNIE COWAN on readers’ interests get assembled daily? It be- The page also needs a large dominant photo only came to truly appreciate in my adult Sourgrass is most often found in gins at 9 a.m. when editors gather to discuss the andasmallerphoto,oragraphic,atthebottom. years. And I would never have called these meadows, lawns or open fields. stories their reporters plan to cover and ends at Choosing where the stories run is largely flowers wood sorrel. 5:30 p.m., when the section needs to be sent to based on how “newsy” the day is. Some days To our ragtag army of rascals, those dime- water and honey and boiled to make a lem- the press in . have lots of news, but others are slow. A B1- sized bright yellow flowers were just sourgrass. onade-type drink. A juicer can also be used to This is the working time frame for the B sec- type story could wind up inside on a heavy With tall, bare stalks that stood above the blend a cup of sourgrass flowers and stems tion. News is being reported and placed online news day, and an inside-type story might run freshgrass,theyweretoppedwithbrightflow- with sweet apples and sparkling water to from early morning to late at night. Many of on the front on a slow day. Also, location of the ers that dappled the shaded green fields. The make a spritzer that is high in vitamin C and those online stories will find their way to print. news plays a big role. The North County B leaves at the base are clover-like in shape. loved by kids. Sunday’s B section is completed Friday front will naturally lean toward news from Sourgrass was the first thing to show up af- Native Americans reportedly used the raw night, as is most of Monday’s. The Monday B that region’s cities. ter those miserable, cold and wet days that kept bulbs of the plant to control tapeworms, and section is updated Sunday, usually with story The B-section production comes together us cooped up for what seemed like forever. As there are accounts of it being cooked with sug- and photo from that day and coverage of public through the team effort of photo editor Alma we enjoyed the return of San Diego sunshine, ar as a dessert. It was considered by some Na- safety news that occurred late Saturday or dur- Cesena; a page designer, who lays out the sec- thebrightyellowflowersofsourgrassgreetedus tiveAmericanstobeanaphrodisiac,helpwith ing the day Sunday. Let’s focus on the Tuesday tion and assigns headline sizes; and copy edi- like splashed drops of spilled sunlight. sore throat or mouth sores and alleviate through Saturday B sections. tors, who write headlines and captions and, if I rediscovered sourgrass while hiking cramps, fever and nausea. The petals were necessary, trim stories so they fit within the along a damp path next to a flowing winter also used to make yellow dye. Budgets physical confines of a page. creek last week and it brought back such won- For years, hikers who know the plant have Six team editors, including the Business derful memories of my carefree youth. chewed the leaves as a thirst quencher. Call it and Arts editors, are among about a dozen edi- Page B2 I included a mention of wood sorrel in my one of nature’s electrolytes. torswhomeetat9a.m.todiscussthatday’scov- B2 features the most variety of any B section column, and a few readers wrote to ask more Sourgrass, also known as common yellow erage plans. Later those six team editors email page. It’s a home for short stories from report- about this common little opportunist. oxalis and lemon clover, is a North American to the newsroom budgets — lists of stories their ers’ beats. It also is the page for a countywide While just about every kid who plays out- native plant that is most often found in mead- reporters plan to file that day. The budgets are roundup of public safety news and “From the doors has enjoyed the novelty of chewing on ows, lawns or open fields, growing in both primarily used by those who will produce the lo- Archives.” “Today in History” from The Associ- the sour stems of this wild native grass, that’s sunny places and open shade. They tend to calprintsection.Theynotethestoryname,esti- ated Press also could wind up there. probably as far as it goes. pop up quickly after good amounts of rainfall, mated lengths and whether the stories contain This is one plant, however, where flowers, often in gardens along sidewalks, but also in a graphic or photo. The budget items also in- Adjustments stems and leaves can be eaten. Fortunately, damp grassy areas under the canopy of oaks clude the reporter’s and editor’s last names. Changes can occur throughout the day. sourgrass is easy to identify and confirmed by or along trails following shaded stream beds They send the emails anytime from 11 a.m. to News breaks, and a story must appear in the a quick nibble on the stem to discover the of San Diego County. about 12:30 p.m. Below is a budget line from next day’s B section; a story might need more sharp, sour taste. Once you’ve learned to spot them, you will Thursday for a story that ran in print Friday: reporting and it has to hold; a story rises off B1 Having said that, I must caution about have no problem finding lemon clover this sd-me-sweetwater-audit-contract. The and goes to A1; a public safety brief turns out eating anything gathered outdoors unless spring. County Office of Education has finalized its to be a longer article and must move out of the you are absolutely sure of what it is. On my drive home today, I noticed the contract with a state fiscal agency about the roundup; a reporter files a story at a longer or Even though they are fun to chew on and bright yellow flowers of sourgrass standing impending audit of Sweetwater school dis- shorter length than anticipated. It’s rare for can be eaten, ethnobotanists warn that the above the fresh wild grass next to the road to trict’s finances. Taketa/Young - 13 inches adjustments to not happen. oxalic acid that makes this plant sour is an my home on Mt. Whoville. A typical time for the final page to be trans- antinutrient and can affect the absorption of I just may have to go and find a soft patch Choosing the stories mitted to the press in Los Angeles is between calcium. For that reason, it is recommended of new grass dotted with wood sorrel and The U-T publishes metro and North 5:25 and 5:30 p.m. that only small amounts be consumed. chewonasourstemwhilewatchingthespring County B sections for Wednesdays through If any local news breaks after this time, cov- Most often, sourgrass is added to salads clouds change shape overhead. Sundays. One common countywide B edition erage for print will appear in the A section, usu- for color and decoration or to add delicate fla- None of us are too old for that. is published for Mondays and Tuesdays. (Full ally on A2, under the label “Late Local News.” voring. disclosure — I’m the metro B-section editor. At times, the print edition does indeed live The leaves have also been used to mix with Email [email protected]. Amanda Selvidio is the north section editor.) up to its nickname of “the daily miracle.”

FROM THE ARCHIVES cil was unanimous in its thinking on this point,eventhoughRossTharpandBillHart- ley voted against approving the contract. There was agreement that Balboa Sta- dium is sorely in need of repairs and remod- BARRON HILTON’S CHARGERS eling, and the plan submitted by city parks and recreation superintendent Les Earnest won rapid approval. Some doubted the wis- COME TO SAN DIEGO IN 1961 dom of granting the Chargers use of the sta- dium rent-free for one year, and Hartley pro- It’s a bittersweet anniversary. On Feb. 10, 1961, the gave Barron tested that Barron Hilton should assume Hilton formal approval to move his to San Diego. part of the remodeling expenses. TheCityCouncilandHilton,theowneroftheHiltonHotelchainandthenewlyformedAFL Tharp described it as a “lopsided con- football team, had reached a five-year deal for San Diego to spend about $700,000 to renovate tract” favoring the Chargers, and Hartley and expand at San Diego High School in order to bring the Chargers here. shared his viewpoint. Councilman Justin After 56 seasons in San Diego, the Chargers opted in 2017 to move back north to play in a Evenson, speaking for the majority, declared, 27,000-seat soccer stadium in Carson and eventually join the in their “The contract as written seems fair to me; it’s planned multi-billion dollar stadium in Inglewood. to our mutual advantage.” Mayor Charles C. Dail, who has champi- From The San Diego Union, Feb. 10, 1961: oned and led the move to bring the Chargers here from the start, once again demon- A TREAT FOR SAN DIEGO: CHARGERS strated his faith in both the football team and San Diego as a big league city. TO PLAY IN A FIRST-CLASS ARENA “We recognized that this proposal had neck Bowl game last season. That contest at- merit, that it was in the public interest,” said tracted 20,000. Now Maj. Gen. victor Krulak, the mayor. “We’re developing a stadium that By Jack Murphy, up promptly once it was hatched by engineer commanding general of the Marine Corps will be of major use. It will be a real plant.” The San Diego Union’s Sports Editor Stanley J. French. Recruit Depot, can count on a much bigger Councilman George Kerrigan expressed Iwouldn’thavebelieveditpossibleforSan This will give San Diego a thoroughly ade- house and a correspondingly larger check for agreement and touched upon an important Diegotoacquireamajorleaguefootballteam quate and respectable athletic facility, and his charities. theme. “The remodeled stadium should be and a first-class playing facility in one fell the Chargers—who will use it only 10 dates of The one sure winner of this remodeling recognized as an asset to the city,” said Kerri- swoop, but that’s the happy result of yester- each season—will be merely one of the bene- program is the paying customer at the sta- gan. “It’s a key that starts a different apprais- day’s proceedings at Civic Center. ficiaries. This opens the door to a number of dium. With a total of 18,000 seats between the al to some of the assets the city has. I think Thanks to a 5-2 vote by the City Council, excitingpossibilities,includingthestagingof goal lines, a lot of people are assured of prime we’ll be in the black regarding our future in- San Diego not only has buttoned up the the National AAU track meet, the Olympic locations. The upper deck means the addi- vestment. Chargers but found means of converting Bal- Trials and championship fights. tion of 13,000 permanent seats, including boa Stadium to a playground that will be on Archie Moore, for example could do a lot 8,000 between the goal lines. HISTORICAL PHOTOS AND ARTICLES FROM THE par with the best in the American Football worse than defend the tattered remnants of Stadium An Asset To The City SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE ARCHIVES ARE League. his tittle in an arena seating 34,000. And it will That’s a far better solution than the origi- COMPILED BY It was an inspired and ingenious idea— be a bonanza to the Navy Relief Fund and nal proposal which called for lowering the [email protected]. this business of double-decking the stadium Community Chest, organizations which re- field and installing temporary bleachers. It’s SEARCH THE U-T HISTORIC ARCHIVES AT (at a cost of $370,000) and the city snapped it ceived a total of $22,000 from the Leather- significant, incidentally, that the City Coun- NEWSLIBRARY.COM/SITES/SDUB