The abundance of breweries, beer halls and drink joints along Third Avenue in downtown Chula Vista makes for lively evenings. Is there anything that gets you in the spirt of the holidays more than a healthy nip — or two — of 8 percent alcohol holidays spirts?
Maybe a holiday family-friendly festival and a parade?
The annual Starlight Parade will chug along and make its way down Third Avenue this Saturday, Dec. 7, around 6-ish in the evening.
Undoubtedly there will be a collection high school marching bands blowing their horns as they herald the arrival of grinning participants waving from convertibles and, ultimately, the Big Guy in Red.
It will be the culmination of a celebratory afternoon spent in Memorial Park as part of the city’s Children’s Faire, where kids can work off energy bounding in bounce houses or sliding down “snow” covered knolls.
Maybe the only thing that could dampen the festivities is the weather. There is a good chance of rain projected for Saturday. But the aforementioned brew pubs and bars ought to be able to warm up even the chilliest and dampest holiday reveler. As for the kids in tow — an entrepreneur might be able to turn a quick shilling or two by creating a pop-up babysitting service. And then double their earning by soliciting tips for a makeshift roving band of carolers.
It should all be fitting preparation for next weekend’s Kimball Park holiday in National City where an ice rink, ferris wheel, food trucks and more will be keep the holiday cheer flowing in South County.
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I wouldn’t describe it as humbly — I don’t know any Donald Trump supporting, vape sucking, East County politicians whom I could lasso with that descriptor — as much as I would call it mild.
That’s the way current East County Congressman Duncan Hunter sounded as he stood outside of the federal courthouse Tuesday morning and told the media and the public that he was, in fact, guilty of misusing campaign funds.
It was a little more than a year ago that Hunter minor (his father by the same name preceded him in the Congressional seat) and his estranged wife were indicted by federal authorities for misusing thousands and thousands of dollars for things like family vacations overseas, private school tuition, date nights and casual walking shorts.
Initially Hunter blamed his wife, stating that she was the campaign manager. But over the last year Hunter appears to have rethought his position. His wife Margaret pleaded guilty earlier this year and was cooperating with authorities in their prosecution. And so he found himself at federal court Tuesday changing his plea from not guilty to guilty and giving, perhaps, an early Christmas present to his political rivals who are running to replace him in Congress — among them Eastlake High School and Southwestern College alum Ammar Campa-Najjar.
