COHN/ GARFIELD VOLUME 13 Pg. 23 ISSUE 12 Luncheon December 2012 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Columbia • Core/Civic • Cortez Hill • East Village • Gaslamp/Horton Plaza • Little Italy • Marina ➤➤ NEWS P. 6 Mr. A’s Christmas Lights: A Holiday Beacon David Moye Downtown News One of San Diego’s most be- loved holiday traditions is celebrat- ing its 47th year: The “Mister A’s Holiday Display” high atop the Mr. Lamplighter Awards A’s building on Fifth Avenue and Laurel Street. On clear nights, the lights ➤➤ THEATER P. 10 Bill Swank as Santa, surrounded by children from the Jackie Robinson YMCA. (Photo by Morgan M. Hurley) can be seen all the way down to Tijuana, as far north as La Jolla and even over in Point Loma -- which is what the display’s creator, original building owner John Alessio, in- tended – according to his son, Bud Alessio, the current owner. And he’s not your typical mall Santa Over the years he’d been approached by people, other professional Santas and even companies, always Morgan M. Hurley asking him he he’d like to make some money by put- Downtown Editor ting on that big red suit. He always turned them down. Then one year, he was filling up his plate at Hometown The official Balboa Park December Nights Santa Buffet when he felt something around his leg. will be the first to tell you that he isn’t your typical He moved his tray and peered over his midsection. A Dancer’s Journey “mall” Santa. But once you meet him, that fact is obvi- “It was a little Mexican girl, really tiny, and she had both ous. Not only does he not need to hang a fake white arms wrapped around my leg and she said, ‘I love you beard over his ears, or stuff two pillows under his shirt, Santa,’” he said. “I patted her on the head and said, ‘I ➤➤ DINING P. 11 he finds ways to make children happy all year long and love you, too, honey.’” he is one of the jolliest fellows you will ever meet. A year later when he was approached by two In fact, he exudes jolly. women at a friend’s house about working as Santa for Bill Swank wears a lot of hats besides the one the Community Christmas Center, the organization that recognized around the world as the cap of good old St. runs December Nights, he remembered that little girl. Nicholas, but being Santa Claus in Balboa Park three “It’s one thing for adults to tell you to be Santa,” he said. The holiday lights at the top of Mr. A’s can nights out of the year makes him happier than a child “But when a kid sees you and they have that reaction, be seen from Point Loma. on Christmas morning. (Photo by Anulak Singphiphat) “It’s the last thing I ever thought I’d do,” he said. see Santa, page 3 “There wasn’t much up here Jsix warmth in Uptown back in 1965,” Alessio said. “So it made us stand out even more.” ➤➤ FASHION P. 2 5 Padres’ outfield walls come in The senior Alessio created the display as sort of a beacon for the Distance changes should make way for ‘fun baseball’ area’s children. And every Thanks- giving night since 1965 the lights Morgan M. Hurley was needed. Petco will still be a have gone on – often covered live Downtown Editor pitcher’s park; however, it will no on local news – and are taken down longer be the outlier.” a week after New Year’s Day, like Since opening up to much Local resident and longtime Pa- clockwork. fanfare in April of 2004, Petco Park dres fan Gary Miller peered down Getting the lights ready isn’t a has been known as one of the “most from his perch at the Gaslamp simple task, Alessio said. extreme pitcher-friendly parks in Marriott’s Altitude Bar on Thanks- “We had one man start putting major league baseball” due to the giving Day and got a bird’s eye up the lights four weeks ago,” he location of its outfield fences. view of the current construction. said. “For the last three months, In April of 2013, that will no He quickly grabbed his camera 90 percent of his job was checking longer be the case, because after and went to work, and later said he out the lights, making sure they eight years, Padres management was “thrilled” at the changes. worked.” decided to make a change and “The Pads have been my team Don’t ask how many lights were this week those changes are well since 1978 when I got here and View of progress from Gaslamp Mar- checked or how many are on the underway. we’ve never had a reasonable right riott’s Altitude Bar. (Photo by Gary Miller) building. Alessio has lost count. Fashionistas “Our goal is to move Petco field wall,” he said. “There are so “That’s the question I’m always Park away from being the most many great reasons to bring in that power hitters that want a shot at asked, but they’ve been changed so extreme run suppressing ballpark wall. The game will be more excit- the new wall, similar to Yankee many times and I’ll sometimes say, Index in Major League Baseball,” said ing now with more home runs and Stadium’s short right field porch or ‘Add another strand there,’ but I Padres Executive Chairman Ron close plays at second base. the Green Monster in Boston. can’t tell you how many,” he said. Opinion………..….……8 Fowler in a released statement. “Af- “The Pads have been last in “The fans will be closer and The lights themselves have Briefs……………………9 ter an extensive study, it became homers for years,” Miller said. “We Calendar………………16 clear to all of us that some change will be able to attract left-handed see Padres, page 24 see Lights, page 3 Town Voices..…………18 Balboa Park…..….…. 20 Holiday Rock Events…22 Contact Us Editorial/Letters 619-961-1960 [email protected] Advertising 619-961-1958 [email protected] www.sdcnn.com San Diego Community News Network 2 San Diego Downtown News | December 2012 www.sdcnn.com www.sdcnn.com NEWS San Diego Downtown News | December 2012 3 FROM PAGE 1 can see it on their faces. a lot to these families and I never The excitement in his own voice thought it would.” SANTA as he tells his stories make it clear Last month the Friends of Bal- he loves his job. “I have a lot of boa Park gave him an Inspiration it’s meant to be.” fun,” he said. Award at their annual luncheon. Eleven years later, this retired It’s hard to believe but there “I didn’t even know they handed probation officer is still having a is an even more rewarding job he out awards,” he said. “I think Balboa blast. performs as Santa, but it is not at Park is such a treasure, we’re so “It’s interacting with the kids Balboa Park and it’s much more lucky we have it in San Diego. It and their families,” he said, standing personal. For the last several was a great honor.” in the middle of the Balboa Park years he has been one of the Santa Swank’s other hats include his Organ Pavilion. He seemed to get a Clauses for San Diego Hospice, longstanding position as the local little choked up over this revelation. spending his time in the homes of baseball historian and that include “I’ve never had my beard pulled. terminally ill children throughout his heavy involvement with Balboa Little babies put their fingers in it, the county during the holidays. It is Park’s Hall of Champions. Once but that’s not intentional.” a challenging job but he sees the joy every couple of months he also gets His annual gig starts with his he brings these families. all the retired, professional old- lighting of the huge Christmas timers together for lunch so they Tree at the Organ Pavilion, this can talk shop. year on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 5:30 In 1997 he personally com- – 6 p.m. pleted construction of a 1/128 He sits with kids for a short scale model of the Lane Field, the while after lighting the tree, but it official field of the Padres Pacific is the following weekend, Friday, Coast League, that is currently Dec. 7 and Saturday, Dec. 8 where housed and on display in the Hall’s he really puts the hours in, but he baseball section. He was also looks forward to every minute. instrumental in the recent docu- His perch is located at the eastern mentary, The First Padres, based vestibule of the Organ Pavilion and on the same team that debuted on last year he made his grand en- KPBS in October. trance by way of a historical SDPD For years he was the Baseball 1930s paddy wagon with detectives Santa on the House of David hoisting “tommy” guns. baseball team. They were a team “I’m not a mall Santa,” Swank that travelled the country much said. “I’m not sure how they like the Harlem Globetrotters, work [today], but when I would performing as they played. He take my kids to the malls when is currently working on another they were kids, there wasn’t too project, the “Eisenhower Base- much interaction. I don’t want to ball Controversy” – regarding disparage other Santas, but I talk Bill Swank with visitors to Balboa Park.