Society Shows It Has a Heart, Cautiously Loans Out Tin Man

The Tin Man returneth. Or maybe not.

For four decades, the Tin Man stood as a beacon of boosterism for North Park: smiling, masculine, 12-feet tall, modeled after the character in “The Wizard of Oz.”

His origins were suitably noble: Tin Man was built for the 1941 North Park Christmas Parade, forerunner to the modern-day North Park Toyland Parade.

Soon after the 1941 parade, Tin Man was repainted red, white and blue, outfitted with a huge wrench and hoisted atop an auto repair shop on University Avenue. A working landmark, visible for blocks.

Finally, in the early 1980s, Tin Man followed his owner into retirement in Poway. A few years ago, he was bequeathed to the San Diego Historical Society and taken to the Museum of San Diego History in Balboa Park.

Now we flash-forward to this Saturday’s 28th annual North Park Toyland Parade (which starts at 11 a.m.).

What a great thing to have Tin Man return to North Park in glory by being part of the parade, thought David and Carol Hopkins, two of the organizers.

Not so fast, said the Historical Society. The society has a strict policy against loaning historic artifacts. At first the answer was no; later there was a change of heart.

“We weakened and made an exception,” said Barbara Pope, registrar of collections at the Historical Society.

Tin Man, presumably to be hauled on a truck, was quickly assigned a place of honor between Councilman John Hartley and State Sen. Lucy Killea (I-San Diego).

David and Carol Hopkins made plans to accompany Tin Man, dressed as Scarecrow and Dorothy. Their dog, Fred, a bull mastiff, would come as the Cowardly Lion.

Not so fast, said the Historical Society,

The society ruled that Tin Man can participate only if he is stationary and well guarded at the parade terminus at the North Park Recreation Center. No riding allowed.

“We cannot take chances on Tin Man being injured,” Pope said. “A collection that is loaned out soon looks like a collection that has been loaned out.”

Carol Hopkins sees it differently: “Tin Man will not crumble. We think the Historical Society is taking historic artifacts a little too seriously.”

David and Carol Hopkins are set to take temporary custody of Tin Man from Pope early on Saturday.

If I knew what was going to happen, I’d tell you.

Toes Aglow for Christmas

Now that Thanksgiving is history, let’s get down to some serious Christmas shopping.

May we interest you in something in a pair of slippers with headlights?

Light on your feet. No more smashing your toes when you get up in the middle of the night for a darkened trip to the refrigerator, baby’s room or loo.

Meet NiteMates, the ultimate walking night light, the brainchild of two San Diego go-getters, Peter Altman and Yuval Shenkal.

Altman, 28, started thinking of slippers with lights while working as a product manager for Black & Decker.

He knew that 30% of American homes have a flashlight in the bedroom. And that slippers are always big at Christmas and birthdays.

“I thought: there has to be a way of putting them together,” Altman said. “Not just another boring pair of slippers! Not just another boring flashlight! The best of the best.”

Two Double-A batteries in the heel fueling a krypton bulb. An easy flip switch. Cost: $29.95.

You’re laughing, of course, yuck, yuck, who would buy slippers with headlights? Well try this on: NiteMates are being sold at Macy’s and Nordstrom.

They’ve apparently seen the light.

Lifetime of Secrecy

Names and deeds.

* Duane Clarridge, the General Dynamics-Convair executive indicted for his role in Iran-Contra, was said to be eyeball-deep in super secret stuff during 30 years at the Central Intelligence Agency.

How secret?

Oliver North jokes that Clarridge’s official CIA biography consists only of his name and three blank pages.

* San Diego Tribune editorial cartoonist J.D. Crowe is out with a collection of his cartoons, “Daze of Glory: Images of Fact & Fantasy Inspired by the Gulf War.”

* For the fourth year, Martin and Cindy Blair provided free Thanksgiving dinner for lonely military personnel at their Kansas City Barbecue in downtown San Diego.

Among those volunteers serving the turkey and trimmings this year: Rolodex Madam Karen Wilkening.