Metro San Diego Edition • september/october 2017 NEW BOOK ABOUT SAN DIEGO’S KENSINGTON “Two thumbs up!” says Winnie Hanford KENSINGTON by Maggie McCann historic home tour of searching we had collected over 500 RESIDENT put on by Save Our photographs. Then we tackled the hard “San Diego’s Heritage Organisation part – putting it all together in a coherent PUBLISHES Kensington,” part of (SOHO). Kiley and and chronological order. Arcadia Publishing his wife, Alexandra, We start our story in Chapter One COOKBOOK! Company’s “Images work with Ron May with the mapping and promotion of The Goat at Legacy 106, an the first subdivision, Kensington Park. of America” series, is Farmer’s a 127-page softcover historic preservation Through the next six chapters we move Daughter is book that tells the consultancy, chronologically through the development a self pub- story of our beloved researching and of the rest of greater Kensington, including lished book neighborhood, writing nomination Kensington Annex, Kensington Manor, through rare and reports for people who Kensington Heights, Talmadge Park and written, vintage photographs. want to obtain historic several smaller subdivisions, some only one drawn and Available nationwide designation for their block long. We conclude with photographs designed on September 4th, the homes. They have and stories of people and events in our by Zoe book was authored by authored dozens of recent history, and more than one neighbor Mitchell. Kensington resident, impeccably researched will be surprised to find himself smiling Zoe is Margaret McCann, reports on homes in from the pages! 18 years and historical preservation experts, the Kensington, and I knew they were the Included among the many photographs old and husband and wife team of Alexandra and right people for the job of developing San are images of houses that no longer exist, has spent Kiley Wallace. Diego’s Kensington. There is a wealth of streetcars rolling down Adams Avenue, her entire When Arcadia Publishing approached information about Kensington in every old advertisements, photographs of life grow- me about producing a book of nomination report, so we had a good start builders, developers and promoters, kids ing up in historical photographs of our wonderful on uncovering the story. As it is a book on bicycles, dogs, families, parades and Kensington and exploring her passion for bak- neighborhood, I didn’t hesitate. Long have of historical images, our main task was proms. We finally came across an old ing. She first began over 10 years ago, selling I thought that as each day goes by, we finding 240 photographs that not only photo with a cat, but, alas, the book had cupcakes and lemonade on the side of the road. lose more and more old photos and the illustrated the story that we wanted to tell, already gone to press. Eventually she graduated from boxed mixes to memories that they represent. Longtime but also met the quality specifications of We look forward to celebrating the creating her own recipes and opening her own neighbors pass away, and out to the trash our publisher, Arcadia Publishing. launch of the book, and will keep the catering business called Zoe Cait Catering. The heap goes the shoebox of old photos and We searched the archives at the neighborhood posted about where in the business makes cupcakes for all sorts of events newspaper clippings. Kensington Community Church, Franklin local business district it can be found. In the from birthdays to weddings but Zoe still enjoyed In the first week after I moved to Elementary School, the Kensington- meantime, you will have to take Winnie’s making all sorts of other baked goods. Thats Kensington 14 years ago (a newcomer!) Normal Heights Branch Library, Hoover word on whether you should bother with when she decided to start writing down all of Betty Generoli crossed the street, knocked High School, the San Diego History it. Two days after I gave her an advanced on my door and introduced herself. She Center, and the Pacific Southwest Railway copy, she said, “It’s a good book – I’ve her (successful) recipes and compile them into handed me her copy of Dr. Thomas Museum. We reached out to neighbors already read it twice! And I will read it again, a cookbook. Right off the bat she wanted the Baumann’s book, Kensington-Talmadge, the Wallaces know from preparing historic because there is so much information in it book to stand out, so being an avid artist and 1910 – 1985. I had been a regular visitor reports, and we put up posters in the that you can’t absorb it in one reading.” illustrator, she decided to hand draw the entire to Kensington for over 30 years before windows of local businesses asking for old For more information about the book. Being able to combine her love of baking moving here, getting my chiropractic service photos. We searched Ancestry.com for book, visit www.arcadiapublishing.com/ and art was a dream come true, allowing her to from Dr. Ronald Redmond, and my hair biographic information on people who Products/9781467126724. n finish the book in just under 7 weeks. With such cut by Peter Mathews. So I knew about lived here 80 and 90 years ago, and we a fast timeline, Zoe spent each day cooking 3-5 the charming houses, walkable streets and found some photos there as well. We recipes as well as creating the corresponding convenient small businesses. I didn’t know roped Bob Sedlock into our project, and pages. After all the pages and recipes were done, the history of the place until I read Dr. he lent us his 1957 research report that he Zoe launched a Kickstarter to help fund the next Baumann’s book. After that, I wanted wrote after interviewing developers George steps: self publishing and marketing. The whole to know more, and I wanted to know Forbes and G. Aubrey Davidson. And we book process was a labor of love and when it how to preserve every inch of this unique asked Winnie Hanford, who happily gave came time to name it she looked to the recipe neighborhood. us the names of people who were sure to that started it all: “The Goat Farmer’s Daughter.” I met Kiley Wallace while we were have something hidden away that needed both serving as volunteer docents at an to see the light of day. After months Look for a sample recipe on Page Three , IN PAID U.S. POSTAGE PERMIT NO. 67 GREENFIELD PRESORTED STD INSIDE: THE INVESTMENT CALIFORNIA RECENT MARKET FISH GRILL ROLLER COASTER ACTIVITY Financial Focus Food & Spirits Page 2 Pages 8-9 Page 12 CROSSWORD, WISE HOME SUDOKU & MORE! IMPROVEMENTS Puzzles & Games - Page 4 Page 10 Discover Publications, 6427 Busch Blvd., Columbus, OH 43229 DP #21381 And More! video corner AskA column forMike! random burning WINNIE’S PICKS! real estate questions and comments by Winnie Hanford of Kensington Video video all older people should watch to and responses from … me! A DOG’S PURPOSE – This is an inspire themselves With a little touch of humor… adorable and heartwarming story about dogs to get up out of our and their owners. Also, a nice love story. Just chairs . We need to This month’s topic…Property Values and Zillow light, but a very good family movie. walk or do some kind (or as I call it…an Urban Myth!) of exercise. This does PIAF HER STORY ... HER SONGS not seem possible that Sometimes when I am invited in to a home to discuss value, the potential seller will mention – Stars Raquel Bitton. This is an excellent these older people that the Zillow estimate or “Zestimate” is such and such. Usually that figure is off. biography. Please don’t miss seeing this. So can push themselves Zillow defines their “Zestimate” as this: enjoyable! Raquel Bitton does an outstanding to do these exercises. Please put it on your job telling Piaf’s story and singing. I cannot list to see. It is a story about resilience of the The Zestimate® home valuation is Zillow’s estimated market value, computed using a proprietary say enough about this video. If you cannot human spirit, even when sadness comes. You formula. It is not an appraisal. It is a starting point in determining a home’s value. The Zestimate find it, call me and I will see that you get it. will laugh, smile and shed a tear. is calculated from public and user-submitted data, taking into account special features, location, and market conditions. We encourage buyers, sellers, and homeowners to supplement Zillow’s THE BABE – John Goodman does an CHEAT YOU FAIR – I really like this information by doing other research such as: outstanding job playing the part of the one documentary. This is about the flea market • Getting a comparative market analysis (CMA) from a real estate agent and only Babe Ruth. I had never watched that started in the early 1900s in Chicago. • Getting an appraisal from a professional appraiser this movie and if you haven’t, you need to How many of the immigrants came from • Visiting the house (whenever possible) Source: Zillow’s website put it on your calendar. It is always good to Europe and other places and began selling. know more about some of the people in our They didn’t have the permits required like Ok let’s talk about the proprietary formula. It uses the tax info and zoning in some mysterious history. Be sure and watch this one. today. It is very interesting to see how business way (kind of like how they determine your taxes for the Mills Act!) to come up with your started and thrived through hard work.