This Ailing Pet Was a Study in Shelling Out

Since three of Jim and Donna Bowersox’s children are allergic to animal fur and animal hair (there’s a difference, you know), there was some problem coming up with a family pet that could be tolerated.

The answer was a California desert tortoise. Not terribly cuddly but, on the other hand, they do have their moments of charm and personality.

Indeed, the Poway family got quite attached to Jed T. (as in “The”) Tortoise.

The other day, Jed got a case of the sniffles. They took him to a veterinarian in Escondido. It cost $50 but the sniffles didn’t go away. They took him back again. Another $50. And a third time and another $50.

“The doctor listened to his breathing to hear if Jed had a rumbling chest,” Bowersox said. “But we weren’t quite sure what to think when he put a stethoscope on his shell. We said, ‘Oh, you’ve got to be kidding!’ ”

The sniffles just got worse. Bowersox paid another $50 (total tab, $200) and had Jed T. Tortoise put to sleep.

“Oh well,” Bowersox mused. “That’s life in the fast lane.”

Semi-Perfection Needed

In Escondido, they’re looking for someone to direct construction of a $52-million civic center and performing arts complex. The City Council hired Korn/Ferry International, which specializes in matching qualified executives with challenging jobs.

The council members told head-hunter Bob Slavin that they’re looking for someone who is facilitative, cooperative, can build consensus from a myriad of perspectives, be an adept analyst, develop feasible policy options, develop a good working relationship with different politicians, work independently but be cooperative, be an effective but tough-minded negotiator, translate issues into “win-win” situations, be diplomatic, be able to handle several complex projects at one time, be honest, be creative, develop public-private business partnerships, be results-oriented, handle stress, be flexible, be non-combative, be team-oriented and have a sense of humor--among other qualities.

Mulling over the traits, Mayor Ernie Cowan told Slavin, “Add to the list, ‘Walk on water.’ ”

Slavin replied: “Well, at least not get wet above the knees.”

Heavy Competition

San Diego Police Officer Rick Carlson entered a photography contest sponsored by the Gayzette. The theme was “Hillcrest,” and Carlson entered his three best pictures of Hillcrest.

Carlson won the first-place prize of $50. He also won second place and got $14.95. And he won third place, for another $10.

To take nothing away from the pictures, Carlson was the only person who entered the contest.

Catch for the Heart

When 60-year-old George Hoover suffered a heart attack, his doctor told him to settle back and rest for a while.

The other day, after three weeks of hospitalization and four months’ rest at home, the doc told Hoover it would be OK to go fishing.

That sounded safe enough.

“He said he didn’t think he’d have to worry about me catching anything,” Hoover said.

So he and his wife drove down from their home in Ontario to Lake Henshaw, near Palomar Mountain, pulled up a couple of chairs on the dock and threw out some mackerel.

Hoover landed a 21-pound, 6-ounce channel catfish, the biggest ever caught at Henshaw.

Was Hoover worried about stressing his heart while bringing in his prize catch? “Nope. I was too excited,” he said. “The wife kept asking me, ‘Are you having any chest pains?’ And I told her, ‘Don’t bother me!’ I just wanted that fish.”

Ad Rankles the Chief

Don Reierson spent 23 years on the San Diego Police Department, retiring in 1981 as deputy police chief.

Lately, he’s been showing up in a television commercial endorsing a particular brand of security shutters. But his endorsement comes with slightly exaggerated credibility: He’s identified as “former San Diego police chief.”

The folks at Chesney Communications in Newport Beach, who produced the commercial, say it was their error. (A convenient one at that.)

Reierson said he has written the company, telling them to fix the mistake. But he’s not the only one who has complained.

Police Chief Bill Kolender has too.

“It’s not an ego thing,” said Kolender. “But I just think they should get their facts straight.”

Holiday Hints

In our It’s-Getting-to-Look-a-Lot-Like-Christmas Dept., we bring you these closing items:

- Moving through downtown Monday morning was a large delivery truck; its back cargo door carried the message, “Xmas Is Coming. Drive Carefully. Be Here to Enjoy It.”

The sign on the side of the truck elaborated: “Pozner Produce--Vegetables, Fruit, Christmas Trees.”

- Neiman-Marcus has brought out its Christmas book. And if, in all honesty, you can’t really afford the his (56-carat)-and-hers (21-carat) yellow diamonds ($2 million, setting not included), then maybe you might consider his-and-hers thoroughbred polo ponies, starting at $37,500.

Please indicate color: chestnut, brown, black, palomino, bay or gray.