Your Holiday Plan

IN THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE BUSINESS, we have to look ahead. Very literally. October is the calendar month we’re putting the bulk of the December issue together. “Happy holidays” blows through the chasms of our editorial minds even before (in real time) we decide what to be for Halloween, or gorge on Thanksgiving turkey.

In the spirit of planning ahead, we present a thoroughly researched piece on surviving and thriving during your next holiday party. Julia Spalding scoured the county for tips to include in her “Stress Takes a Holiday” guide. She found experts who help you decorate your home, figure out what to wear and handle all the messy details—food, flowers, lighting, bartenders, entertainment and so on. And if it fits your party mode, Spalding shows how you can make it snow in your backyard. No kidding.

As we focus on the holidays, we also remember it’s the season of giving. Not just under the Christmas tree, but to those in the community in need. Seasoned reporter Bob Rowland looks into how the San Diego Foundation helps San Diegans steer their philanthropic intentions. “Someone’s Gotta Give” includes a list of local largess bestowed by the likes of the late Joan Kroc, Irwin and Joan Jacobs, David Copley and Irwin and Evelyn Rady.

OF COURSE THERE’S MORE TO THE STORY. You’ve heard of a ballplayer named Tony Gwynn. The iconic former Padres batting wunderkind is on the eve of being inducted into Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Veteran sportswriter Tom Cushman looks back at how the living legend got his start—and the accidental way Gwynn joined the San Diego State University baseball team.

After a short break, our neo-gonzo journalist, s.d. liddick, is back. Liddick, who chronicled his two-week stint living homeless for San Diego Magazine, now points us toward an eclectic, fringe group of “street” performers. His “The Other Circus” is about urban, underground arts. (Note: Do not be alarmed when you get to the seeming ethnic slur—keep reading.)

Also, find out how Escondido and National City are taking divergent routes in addressing illegal immigration in Journal. And take in our monthly installment of home design, courtesy of San Diego at Home editor Deirdre O’Shea. This issue also delivers magazine-within-a-magazine Travels. Come on the road to Washington state’s San Juan Islands, and explore the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Peace for the holidays.

RON DONOHO
Executive Editor

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