Oceanside Study Takes Hard Look at ‘Love’

I San Diego. I Lemon Grove. I La Jolla. I Chula Vista. I Del Mar. I O.B. I P.B. I the Padres. I (used to) the Chargers. There’s lots to in San Diego, but not enough of it seems to be getting bumper-stickered. Blame the lack of space, otherwise we’d probably be seeing more “I The San Diego Historical Society” stickers, or (our favorite) “I the San Diego County Podiatric Medical Society.”

Well, is blind, and hurts, and in Oceanside, is a many-splintered thing. Several years ago, some -crazed civic boosters saw to it that a “We Oceanside” road sign was erected near the Mission Avenue exit, on the northbound side of Interstate 5. The sign replaced one with the thunderingly original legend, “Welcome to Oceanside.” But in this case, hasn’t conquered.

The sign has been graffitied, damaged, knocked about by -less vandals, and now the unkindest cut of all: A consultant suggests that the sign may not be doing Oceanside any good where it counts.

“The consultant felt that some other kind of signage could be more effective in creating an image for Oceanside, and for directing people to the tourist facilities we have,” explained Dana Whitson, special projects director with the Oceanside city manager’s office.

Apparently, as we all learn sooner or later, is not enough. According to Whitson, the main reasons tourists might come to Oceanside need better billboard expression.

“For some people, believe it or not, it’s hard to even find the beach,” she said. “We need better directional signage. And it seems too many people aren’t aware of our harbor, our sport fishing, things like that.”

Whitson adds that the city will be making a -felt pitch to Caltrans to allow additional highway signs that really detail Oceanside’s appeal. But may we argue that the old “I “ approach still has its merits, and might be a warm way of trumpeting the city’s other hidden attractions, as listed in the North County phone directory? Consider: “I Oceanside Hearing Aid at Home Services,” “I Oceanside Golf Course Maintenance,” “I Oceanside Cactus and Succulent Nursery,” or “I Oceanside Motorcycle Recyclers.”

Skyrocketing Into History

There are national monuments and national parks and national landmarks, but don’t think that’s where the designations end when it comes to national treasures. On Friday, for example, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers will hold a ceremony at the General Dynamics Missile Park to designate the Atlas Launch Vehicle as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.

It may not sound like the sort of thing for which tourists pack extra film, but consider where the U.S. space program would be without those big Atlas rockets to boost John Glenn and the rest of the Mercury astronauts heavenward. Built by General Dynamics in 1960, the 68-foot-high Atlas that will be designated on Friday has been the centerpiece monument of the company’s Missile Park since 1963.

“It’s actually the Atlas 2E, and it was used to provide test data on countdowns and engine firings,” explained General Dynamics spokesman Jack Isabel. “This particular rocket became the most tested of all, registering nearly 1,500 seconds of static test firing.”

Isabel went on to explain that the Atlas rockets originally had been developed as improved ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles), but were deactivated as weapons by the mid-1960s, as they became the workhorses of the space program.

“Three hundred eighty-nine thousand pounds of thrust, propelled by a fuel called Rocket Propellant 1 (RP1) and liquid oxygen,” detailed Isabel. “And quite a list of historical flights--an Atlas launched the first communications satellite in 1958, the first U.S. manned orbital flight (John Glenn’s) in February of 1962, the first spacecraft to achieve lunar impact (Ranger 4) in April of 1962, and the first Jupiter fly-by and photos, in March of 1972. This is the 100th work of engineering to be designated a national landmark by the society. We’re proud.”

Spring in the Airwaves

Always room for one more Padre booster song--especially for a worthy cause. The latest is a sing-along called “You Are the Stars,” and it will be recorded at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at a Kearny Mesa studio. The tune, to be released as a single, is yet another promotion by official Padre radio station KFMB-AM (760), and will feature the voices of Padres Steve Garvey, Garry Templeton, Alan Wiggins, Graig Nettles, Kurt Bevacqua, Tim Flannery, Kevin McReynolds--plus Linda (Mrs. Ballard) Smith, Jack McKeon, and KFMB sportscasters Ted Leitner, Jerry Coleman and Dave Campbell.

“You Are the Stars” is less a Go-Padres anthem than a tribute to “The 10th Man” (that’s us, sports fans). Records will go on sale April 9, at $1.76 apiece, all proceeds to benefit the Leukemia Society.