Letters

“Your Top Doctors survey [October] fails to name one doctor associated with the care and reconstruction of the men and women who have been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past several years. With Naval Medical Center San Diego among the largest and most-progressive military hospitals in the world, it’s hard to believe not one of these doctors has been recognized.”

PET PROJECT

Thank you for the very positive article on San Diego County’s Department of Animal Services in your “Pampered Pets” issue [by Margie Farnsworth, November]. This is one of the very few articles in my 27 years of service where I can say I wasn’t misquoted!

The entire story on pets in San Diego was very heartwarming.

DAWN DANIELSON
DIRECTOR COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SERVICES

PET PEEVE

Check out the spine on your November 2006 issue. “The U.S. Gratn Hotel”? Wow, what a typo! Is the magazine running a contest of some sort to see who discovers it first? Did I win a prize? Love San Diego Magazine anyway.

JOSEPH DYAL
BAY PARK

San Diego Magazine loves you, too. But sorry, no prize.—EDITOR

TUNED IN

Congrats on the great format of your magazine. More importantly, I’m glad to see that you’ve boned up on the content. I was going to let my subscription lapse, because all I’d seen in some previous issues were high-gloss, high-fluff ads and corresponding content appropriate for a fashion magazine.

Your piece on the airport [“The Search for an Airport II” by Tom Blair, November], though clearly tilted toward your readership demographics, is the kind of reporting that gets me tuned in. Also, the stats about San Diego are good valueadded. Keep up the fine editorial work.

ROD F. HATEFI
CARLSBAD

FOOD FAVE

We read with interest your August listing of San Diego’s “Best Restaurants” and were disappointed not to find Albert’s at the San Diego Zoo among those listed. We had a wonderful meal there some weeks ago, and wondered if it was just an aberration. Back we went, and Albert’s is an unheralded gem.

The setting in the trees is pleasant; the service is cheerful and professional, and the preparation and presentation of the food is superb. Executive chef Chris Mirguet knows his stuff, and the wine list is well-chosen.

Special treat? Try the roast duck.

JAMES AND MARGUERITE KAUPP
CARLSBAD

DESERT BLOOM

While those of us who live and work in Borrego Springs are thrilled that our spectacular desert environment, the impressive Anza-Borrego Institute and La Casa del Zorro were featured in Julia Beeson’s article [“Meet the Desert,” October], we are dismayed at her assertion that our “reputation as a resort destination seems a little far-fetched.” The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park attracts nearly 750,000 visitors from around the globe annually, and most of them leave hungry for more of what we have: wideopen, natural spaces, dark night skies, friendly people and a peaceful environment free of big-box and chain outlets.

We’re sorry your writer didn’t find it necessary to dig deeper into the unique ambience of our local culture and ameni- ties. Her characterization of our business district on Palm Canyon Drive as “strip malls, dive bars and greasy spoons” demonstrates a lack of curiosity, and is unfair and undeserved. To those accustomed to the routine sameness of San Diego suburbia, I suppose our village lacks the expected surface glitz. But step inside our commercial establishments, and you’ll find committed entrepreneurs who have the courage and stamina to do business and serve residents and visitors in an isolated and extremely seasonal environment.

We invite Beeson to come back as our guest so she can experience first-hand the delightful people, good food and unique enterprise behind her breezily confident first impression. Those who know and love Borrego Springs would welcome the chance to show her around and set the record straight!

GWENN MARIE
PRESIDENT
BORREGO SPRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & VISITORS BUREAU

TAKING MEDICINE

I read San Diego Magazine’s article on “Top Doctors” [October], and it is unimaginable that the survey fails to name one doctor associated with the care and reconstruction of the men and women who have been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past several years. With Naval Medical Center San Diego (Balboa Hospital to natives) among the largest and most-progressive military hospitals in the world, it’s hard to believe not one of these doctors has been recognized among San Diego’s top doctors.

I have no idea how much effort is put into including our military community in the San Diego County Medical Society’s survey. It’s likely many of these doctors won’t be voting, since most are busy caring for our troops, while simultaneously dodging bombs and bullets on the front lines. Maybe it’s time to change the survey method, and ask the patients.

To add insult to injury, there is an article appearing with the “Top Doctors” section headlined “Mended Hero.” I guess Captain Amy Wandel—staff plastic surgeon at Naval Medical Center San Diego who treated our local “mended hero”— didn’t make the cut.

PATRICIA WELLING
SAN DIEGO

San Diego Magazine does not choose the physicians who make our list of “Top Docs”; they are nominated and chosen by their peers. The editors of the magazine have, however, chosen to chronicle the plight of our wounded war heroes—and the physicians who care for them—in three separate articles over the past year.—EDITOR

ERRATA

In the November Etc. interview with Brian Devine, he was incorrectly identified as president and CEO of Petco. In fact, he is chairman of the board (Jim Myers is CEO; Bruce Hall is president).

In a story on San Diego city politics and the pension crisis [“The Harder they Fall” by s.d. liddick, July], John Dadian was referred to as a former chief of staff to one-time Councilmember Larry Stirling. He was, in fact, a chief of staff to former Supervisor Susan Golding.

LETTERS WELCOME
San Diego Magazine invites letters from its readers. Send comments to Letters to the Editor, San Diego Magazine, 1450 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92101, or tblair@sandiegomag.com (e-mail) or 619-230-0490 (fax). Letters must be signed to be considered for publication. Please type or print your name, as well, and include a daytime phone number. E-mail should include the writer’s full name and city. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and to excerpt them.

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