California Tumblr Diary

El Profesor Cañedo's place to post photos and articles about California history, society, and politics for the History 124 class.

[elprofesorcanedo]

The Thornton Winery has been a fixture in the Temecula Valley since 1988. John and Sally Thornton have made this place a world-class showcase for not only its wines, especially its champagnes, but also for a long-running Champagne Jazz series. Artists such as George Benson, Keiko Matsui, Boz Scaggs, David Sanborn, and countless others have been frequent performers here. And as UT-San Diego arts and entertainment critic George Varga suggests in an article he wrote for the UT last year, it is in no small part to the hard work on the part of the Thornton family that has helped to put Temecula "on the map" as a thriving center for arts, culture and music.

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Hollywood stars of yesteryear beating the Southern California heat poolside, 1930-1960

[elprofesorcanedo]

We're not the only ones struggling to beat the heat!  Here's how some Hollywood stars of the past, like Jayne Mansfield, Clark Gable, Johnny Weismuller, and Sidney Poitier, kept cool.

[elprofesorcanedo]

Here’s something happening in my little corner of Riverside County. Apparently, an algae bloom in Diamond Valley Lake is causing MWD customers, especially in San Diego, to complain of a “musty” or “earthy” taste in their water. But water district officials argue that there’s no cause for concern as algae blooms are common occurrences in these types of reservoirs in warm months, like this month!

[elprofesorcanedo]

I took a side trip from National City on my way home, and stopped at the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside.  The mission was founded on June 13, 1798 by Padre Fermin Lasuén, and was the eighteenth of the Spanish missions established in California. Named for the 13th century French King Saint Louis, the mission lent its name to the Luiseño Tribe of Mission Indians.  The famous Peruvian Pepper Tree was planted here in 1830 and the site was placed on the US National Register of Historic Places in April 1970.  Today, Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is a working mission, cared for by the people who belong to the parish, with ongoing restoration projects. Mission San Luis Rey has a Museum, Visitors Center, gardens with the historic Pepper Tree, and the original small cemetery.

[elprofesorcanedo]

In an op-ed piece for Time magazine, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar questions whether the reaction to Donald Sterling is entirely fair. El Profesor's comments: When it comes to voicing his opinions, Lakers and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has never been shy about that. He's right in pointing out how Donald Sterling has had a sordid history since he's been the Clippers' owner since 1981. Sterling has essentially operated with impunity during the regime of the previous NBA commissioner David Stern. Since the Clippers were so awful during much of their time in LA, while the Lakers and owner Jerry Buss were the "toast of the town," Sterling's antics were largely ignored. Now that the Clippers have major star power with Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and coach Doc Rivers, there's more of a media microscope on the team, and Sterling got caught in the crossfire, so to speak. I do give Sterling credit for making the moves to improve the Clippers, but the NBA had many opportunities to punish his transgressions in the past, and that's really what Kareem is pointing out.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar offers a different perspective on Donald Sterling

[theweightliftingyogi-deactivate]

#anaheimducks #duckshockey #nhlducks #stanleycupplayoffs

[elprofesorcanedo]

Hey everyone, this is just a little "sports extra" courtesy of El Profesor!  I'll post my normal article for you very soon.

[latimes]

American Meb Keflezighi won the men’s division of the Boston Marathon today. Rita Jeptoo of Kenya won the women’s.

Keflezighi is the first American man to win the race since 1983. Jeptoo captured back-to-back championships and became the seventh woman to win three marathon crowns.

As the winners crossed the finish, they were cheered on by spectators, many in yellow and blue “Boston Strong” T-shirts, who came to watch the race a year after a pair bombs exploded near the finish line. 

Photos: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images, EPA/C.J. Gunther

[elprofesorcanedo]

Here's a sports extra!  Congratulations to San Diego High graduate Meb Keflezighi for his win in the Boston Marathon.  Meb is a naturalized US citizen from Eritrea and the first American man to win the race in over 30 years.

[elprofesorcanedo]

After my National City class yesterday, I visited Shelter Island and checked out the famous Yokohama Friendship Bell.  The citizens of Yokohama presented the bell to San Diego in May 1958, and it marked the establishment of the sister city relationship between these two cities, the first such affiliation on the West Coast.  This 6-feet high bell weighs over 2 tons, and is rung by a large wooden ram.  This bell, designed by Masahiko Katori signaled an important turning point in US-Japan relations in the early Cold War era, and certainly contrasts with the American enmity toward Japanese and Japanese-Americans as we're seeing in "Farewell to Manzanar."  The bell was dedicated in a ceremony in December 1960 with 18 traditional gongs being struck for good luck.  

[elprofesorcanedo]

I've got some great photos for this week!

Hey everyone!  My photoset for this week connects perfectly with our Farewell to Manzanar readings.  After I transfer the photos from my Canon camera to the MacBook, then I'll share them later today.  

[elprofesorcanedo]

Profile of the Lakers' Jeanie Buss

"Born to the purple" means someone who comes into the world privileged and royal. That doesn’t exactly describe Jeanie Buss. She was teenager when her father, Jerry Buss, bought the Los Angeles Lakers. After he died, Jeanie stepped into the job of president, overseeing the business side (her brother Jim handles the team). The purple-and-gold glamour of the Lakers draws more Web traffic and international fans than any other team in the NBA, as does its impressive list of wins and records. The terrible season this year is just a blip on that record, she promises; for the Lakers, it’ll always be Showtime.

El Profesor's comments: When it comes to sports history in the state, the Los Angeles Lakers certainly have a special place, with “Showtime,” Kareem, Wilt, Magic, Pat Riley, Shaq, Kobe, Phil Jackson, and of course, Dr. Buss. But this year has been a total disaster, with so much turmoil and injuries, and to add insult to injury, the Clippers have pounded the Lakers mercilessly in 3 straight games, But in this interview, team President Jeanie Buss talks about her dad and expresses hope that things will get better soon.

[elprofesorcanedo]

Time for your articles this week!

This is our final week of posting articles before spring vacation, so before you head out to Cancun or Lake Havasu (or whatever is popular these days!), be sure to post your articles.  I've got a couple of LA Times articles to share with you.  Also, some of you still haven't set your blogs for accepting comments, so please do that soon.  I really want to respond to several of your pics and articles, but I don't have that option!  Please consult with me for assistance and I'll gladly help you to do that.  Have a nice evening, and I'll share my first article with you tomorrow (Tuesday).

[losangelespast-blog]

The old Los Angeles County Courthouse, with City Hall in the background, late 1920’s. The Courthouse - seriously damaged in the Long Beach Earthquake of ‘33 - was demolished in 1936.

[elprofesorcanedo]

Here's another old LA picture for you.  And as the caption indicates, this is certainly a timely topic in the wake of the recent quakes in both LA and Chile as well

[latimespast]

Downtown Los Angeles, 70 years ago: This is the intersection of Broadway and 7th as it looked in 1943.

Photo: UCLA Library / Los Angeles Times

[latimes]

PSA: L.A. Times Past is our Tumblr for vintage photography, news coverage, advertising and more from The Times’ 132-year history (also on Twitter @latimespast).

[elprofesorcanedo]

Hey guys, here's something extra from the LA Times.  Check out how downtown LA looked in 1943!

[elprofesorcanedo]

Hooray, I found that cord and I can finally share my Riverside pictures!  But yes, this is the amazing Mission Inn in downtown Riverside.  It began as a cottage hotel in 1876 by Christopher C. Miller, and then in 1902 his son Augustus began adding on to it with several architectural styles, including Spanish Gothic and Mission Revival styles.  But I kept my focus on the interior and the Presidential Lounge.  Several presidents have stayed here, including Theodore Roosevelt.  Even rock and roll guys, like the Red Rocker himself, Sammy Hagar, were here!  The giant chair was for William Howard Taft, who reported weighed over 300 pounds, and Pat and Richard Nixon married here, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan honeymooned here.  This place has certainly become one of my favorite places to visit in the Inland Empire.   

[elprofesorcanedo]

Time for your photos this week!

Hey everyone, I had some great photos I took last month of the Mission Inn in Riverside, but I can't find the cord that connects my Canon digital camera to my MacBook.  If I can't track down the cord, then I'll simply reblog some photos of the hotel from another Tumblr page.  Let me see what I can find (or not find!) and I'll be back later with the photos, whether they are mine or are someone else's.  

[elprofesorcanedo]

Here’s my article for this week. Willow Bay, who used to appear on CNN and other networks as a news anchor will be the next director of USC’s School of Journalism, campus officials announced Wednesday. I think this is definitely an important step as more women move on to these prominent positions, especially now since women have important positions with companies such as Yahoo and Facebook. (just click the "source" link at the top right to see the article)

[elprofesorcanedo]

El Profesor had a chance to visit the Leoness Cellars earlier this month. Winemakers Mike Rennie and Gary Winder founded the winery and vineyards in 2003, but winemaking has been present in the valley since the early 19th century, where vineyards connected to the San Luis Rey Mission were established But it was not until 1968 when the first commercial vineyard was established. Now, Leoness is just one of several winemaking operations in the valley, and its offerings include Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Muscat Canelli, and Cinsault Port. As you recall from Daughter of Fortune, Paulina del Valle certainly recognized the importance of winemaking in California, and this is certainly a place she would approve of!