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Articles written by Elizabeth Youngman-westphal


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  • Kicking It with a 'free' device

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to the Village News|Updated Dec 5, 2024

    Through the power of advertising, I contacted our television provider to get our ‘free*’ device. I called to order this unit not really understanding what it was because my only motivation to order it was the one word “free” that kept appearing whenever I tapped the pause button on pre-recorded shows. A curious customer, I called and the service rep assured me that it was indeed ‘free” for us. Furthermore, once this dandy new device is installed, as I understood the gent wi... Full story

  • Just two girls from Fallbrook

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Nov 28, 2024

    It's been decades since anyone has uttered these famous words, "Hey, let's put on a show." And then did it. That is until Tiffany and Rebekah Brannan, two sisters from Fallbrook, who have been performing from a young age and have gone from their living room to the stage. "Cinballera" is the name of their 501c3 organization, pronounced (cheen-ball-era). Cine named for their love of old movies, ball for ballet, and finally opera. Cinballera. Appropriately, their new home is the...

  • Kicking It around San Juan Islands

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Nov 28, 2024

    As recently as last month, the stars aligned to make it possible to meet my kid in Seattle. Our flights landed about the same time, hers from Anchorage and mine from San Diego. Initially we were going to splurge and enjoy a few days in Victoria, B.C. by pampering ourselves at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. While we both enjoy being spoiled, we also like afternoon tea and planned to indulge daily during our stay. It was all set until I called to book the float plane tickets to cro... Full story

  • Theatre Talk for the holidays

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Nov 22, 2024

    Take a look and see what is happening nearby. Broadway San Diego is dark until Jan. 14 when it will open the new year with "Back to the Future." For tickets, call 619-564-3000 or go to www.broadwaysd.com. You won't want to miss this limited engagement. Performed by City Ballet of San Diego "The Nutcracker" opens Dec. 20 to 23 at the California Center for the Arts at 340 N. Escondido Blvd. in Escondido, 760-839-4149. For tickets visit either www.artcenter.org or 858-272-8663 or...

  • Kicking It

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Nov 17, 2024

    Whoopee! Oh, my gosh! Whew! The world is safe again. And that is all I have to say about the Nov. 5 results because America has spoken. Celebrating Veterans Day last Monday was a reminder of the high price of war. Like this new administration, I, too, believe our armed forces should never have to leave our shores to save anyone else’s hide, ever again. It’s up to the rest of the world to manage without us. Now that worry has lifted its ugly fingers from my brain, I can foc... Full story

  • Theater Talk

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Oct 27, 2024

    Looking for a date night idea? Check out the California Center for the Arts. Something is popping almost every night and they are close by at 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido,760-839-4149, www.artcenter.org. City Ballet of San Diego has an upcoming performance you won't want to miss: on Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. "Dracula" at the Balboa Theater downtown, 858-272-8663, www.cityballet.org. Get your freak on by going to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in Old Town at the Cygnet Theatre....

  • Kicking It: Au Revoir Lucette

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to the Village News|Updated Oct 27, 2024

    In just a few days, Lucette Moramarco, Editor for the Village Newspaper (VN) will be moving away. Lucette has had two careers. The first as a preschool teacher and the second job spanned the last 18 years – at the newspaper. A celebration was held in her honor on Tuesday, Oct. 1 in the office lobby. That said, there was a wee delay caused by a minor calamity. As it happened, the electric tea pots knocked out the breaker that powered the computers during the online t... Full story

  • Theatre Talk: 'Looped' ends Oct. 20

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Oct 18, 2024

    Note to Readers: To avoid night driving, The Roustabouts granted an exception to catch the final matinee preview performance in lieu of attending Opening Night on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Consequently, this is not a formal review. Matthew Lombardo's play "Looped" catches up with Tallulah Bankhead at the end of her illustrious career. She had just finished filming her last movie, the British horror film "Die. Die, My Darling," when the director called her back to loop the...

  • Kicking It: Now that I'm retired….

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to the Village News|Updated Oct 17, 2024

    Every day is Saturday now that I’m retired. Wouldn’t ya know, just when I can finally stay up late, I can’t stay awake. Which aligns with a lot of other things I have difficulty doing. It’s dangerous to even try to stand and put on my britches. To keep from toppling over, I now must sit and extend one leg at a time when putting anything on my lower half. That said, on a good day, I can still stand in a yoga-tree stance. Though not for long. Furthermore, I am well past the day... Full story

  • Theatre Talk: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to the Village News|Updated Sep 26, 2024

    "Oh, what a night"! Only you can decide if it's a concert or an American anthem to Rock 'n' Roll. "Jersey Boys" rocked the stage at the California Center for the Arts in downtown Escondido opening night Sept. 14. The crowd cheered, stomped, and jumped to their feet as Frankie crooned "Sherry". If you don't know the story, it all started when "little Frankie" joined his buddies Tommy and Nick DeVito to sing on stage in 1952. As it happened, the then 16-year-old Francesco...

  • Kicking It Around the Swamp

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Sep 26, 2024

    And he was still building the wall. What happened during the final months of 2019, no one could have imagined. What the DC Mob’s Dark-Money-Donors did to Americans makes George Orwell seem like a wanker. To keep their dirty secrets about their underhanded recount, the Dem-Mob released the deadliest bacteria in two hundred years just to regain political power. Oh. My. Gosh. I just figured out why the plague called COVID-19 was developed in a Chinese laboratory. America had r... Full story

  • Kicking it Around the Swamp Part 3

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Sep 12, 2024

    What happened next was unimaginable. But. It was the bottom of the ninth, two men on base, and the best batter was in the box. Heading into the final year of his presidency, President Trump was ahead in every poll. Although they still had some blue strongholds like California, Oregon, Washington, New York; it seemed every place else was Trump country. He was going to win the reelection. And he was still building the wall. They couldn’t attack his record because s... Full story

  • Kicking It around the Swamp, Part 2

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Aug 30, 2024

    Apparently, Trump didn’t get the slam. Because unafraid of threats, he climbed on Air Force One, flew across the Pacific, and met with North Korea’s leader Kim Jung Un. The threats to bomb California stopped. In the last year of his presidency, none of their bogus accusations stuck to DJT. Worse still, after three years of his government, Americans started believing they were endowed with inalienable rights to govern themselves. Clearly, he would win reelection and this time,... Full story

  • Theatre Talk: Upcoming shows

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Aug 22, 2024

    There is no time like the present to book tickets for any of these great shows. Broadway San Diego will present "Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse" in concert Oct. 22 and 23, at 3651 Fourth Ave. For tickets, call 619-564-3000 or visit www.broadwaysd.com. California Center for the Arts brings "Jersey Boys" Sept 13-Oct. 6 at 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Preview prices for Sept. 13 and 14. For tickets, call 760-839-4149 or visit www.artcenter.org. The Cygnet Theatre in...

  • Kicking It Around the swamp Part 1

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to the Village News|Updated Aug 15, 2024
    1

    Over the coming weeks, I invite readers to withhold comments until the end of this series. Hear me out. Open your mind to consider my summary of the past four years. Is it fact or fiction? This hypothesis is strictly mine. Only time will prove me very wrong or right. Just don’t send me hate mail. If you believe me wacko, crazed, or top lofty, get your revenge by using my columns to line the bottom of your bird’s cage. There seems to be two groups of Americans. My group wor... Full story

  • Theatre Talk – Magician Hernandez is now at The Welk

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Aug 8, 2024

    Now appearing at The Welk Resort Theatre – the engaging magic of Anthony Hernandez. A longtime favorite, Anthony is back for a limited run after a stint at The Magic Castle in Los Angeles and club dates in Palm Desert. Audiences are always amazed by his dazzling prestidigitation as he conjures doves from nowhere and even a bunny from thin air. Wait, you ain't seen nothing until he delivers a beautiful Pomeranian right before your eyes! While the darling animals are coddled, h...

  • Kicking It around the garden again

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Aug 1, 2024

    About 10 weeks have passed since my home garden was planted. Happily, this year’s bounty fulfills the promise every gardener dreams about. You may recall, this year we chose to forego tussling with hungry gophers, deciding to use tubs and a horse trough for the tomatoes and avoid ground-level planter boxes. It was one of our better decisions. Not really a gardener, I’m what could be called a planter, the garden management is primarily left to my husband. VJ has the green thu... Full story

  • Theatre Talk - Around the county and through the summer

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Jul 18, 2024

    Kids of all ages won't want to miss "Peter Pan" on July 30 to Aug. 4 downtown at Broadway San Diego in the Civic Center. It's followed by "Spiderman" on the 22nd of October. For tickets, call 619-564-3000 or visit www.broadwaysd.com. Meanwhile, the California Center for the Arts has a full calendar of events and on the main stage until July 21 is "Every Brilliant Thing." Check out https://artcenter.org for details. Located nearby at 340 N. Escondido Blvd., 760-839-4149, in Esc...

  • Kicking it, Around the White House

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Jul 17, 2024

    In light of the recent attempted assassination of President Trump, I’m reminded of a vow I made on Nov. 3, 2020. I promised myself I’d stop talking about politics. I vowed not to watch the news. I vowed not to comment on the outcome of the election or the political atmosphere across this once-great Country. As a citizen with only the power of a single vote, for the first time in my life, I felt powerless. I have ‘taken this crap’ for the past 3 years, 7 months and x-numbe... Full story

  • Kickin it: In my lifetime, I've witnessed…

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Jul 4, 2024

    I keep thinking of Kipling’s poem “If” and have come to admire it more each year. Because in my lifetime I’ve witnessed some things that are amazing and others that are downright immoral. And every time I think I’ve seen it all, something proves me wrong. It seems corruption has become the new normal. I’ve lived through tragedies like the death of my son, watched the execution of JFK followed by his brother Robert, and then Martin Luther King, Jr. I’ve watched in horror whi... Full story

  • A 70-year love story, Connie & Rex Gordon

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Jun 20, 2024

    There wasn't a dry eye in the room as Rex and Connie Gordon renewed their wedding vows on Father's Day Sunday as Pastor Jerome Marroquin of SonRise Christian Fellowship Church officiated. Surrounded by their three daughters, grandchildren and friends, the Gordon's platinum anniversary was filled with happy tales when Rex watched Connie stroll across the quad at San Jose State College and into his heart. It was love at first sight for him. He retells it something like this....

  • Kicking It Around the Garden

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Jun 20, 2024

    When I think about planting a garden today, I’m thinking about a few pots of herbs for the kitchen along with an Early Girl tomato plant or two. It’s a modest effort compared to my youth when growing up on a Kansas farm. Just the thought of planting a few veggies takes me back to the one-acre garden my mother planted every year. At 12, I was too self-centered to realize the work she put in to feed our family of three. She planted rows and rows of tomatoes, sweet corn, pot... Full story

  • Santa Fe: The End of the Road

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated Jun 6, 2024

    Santa Fe is a treasure trove of history preserved within the old Adobe walls of a 250-year-old UNESCO city. At first glance, it’s easy to see the beauty of the well-maintained plaza, surrounded by exquisite art galleries and museums, a visitor can be swayed by the quaintness of Navajo vendors selling their goods on blankets strewn on the sidewalk in front of the Palace of the Governors. It’s so very, very picturesque. This is the vision City fathers and the Chamber of Com... Full story

  • Theatre Talk on what's going on around San Diego

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated May 30, 2024

    Grab your calendars and save a seat for the best shows coming to town. “Mrs. Doubtfire” hits downtown June 4-9 at Broadway San Diego followed by “Peter Pan.” Check out the season for a chance to get tickets to “Wicked” when the girls fly back in, 3651 Fourth Ave, San Diego, 619-564-3000 or www.broadwaysd.com. California Center for the Arts at 340 N. Escondido Blvd. in Escondido has something going on almost every night. Weekends are packed. For more information, call 760-83...

  • It Must Be Tuesday

    Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal, Special to The Village News|Updated May 23, 2024

    It snowed again this morning! Even so by 10:00 AM, the sun was out and that's when we took a brisk walk back to the Museum of Art after being told yesterday by security guard Mike Saiz that all government-run museums are closed on Mondays. With limited time in town, we could only explore around the plaza in the heart of downtown. Santa Fe maintains its charm because of their strict building code which mandates that all structures be made in the Adobe style. Which no doubt is...

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