Who's the mayor? A month after the general election in November, incumbent Dick Murphy was sworn in for a second term as San Dieg mayor. This after numerous ballot recounts and controversy with his write-in opponent, councilwoman Donna Frye. Technicalities made Murphy the winner, though Frye appeared to have more votes. Still, the controversy goes on as more challenges continue to surface in court. Which makes this the top San Diego story for 2004, along with these others.
1) San Diego Mayoral Race
Who's the mayor? Well, for now, it's Dick Murphy. But the San Diego mayoral race has become such a bizarre saga, that who knows if it will even be resolved in 2005. Write-in candidate Donna Frye appeared to have more votes cast for her, but thousands were not counted due to technicalities. Lawsuits were filed and dismissed. And as the year winds down, another formal challenge has been filed. And Frye still has not conceded. To be continued in 2005.
2) Chargers Win Division, Go To Playoffs
Who woulda thunk it? After last year's dismal season, the Chargers were poised to be NFL's worst team in 2004, according to most pundits (including myself). They even drafted a top quarterback to replace Drew Brees. So what happens? Brees is having an MVP and Pro Bowl season, the Chargers came out of nowhere to win the AFC West division and they make the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. We'll see if they go all the way, and I'll gladly eat my plate of crow.
3) Scott Peterson Murder Trial
It was covered ad nauseum by the media, and for the life of me I don't understand what all the fascination was. But the end result was what we all thought: he did it. So what is the San Diego connection? Peterson was from Solana Beach and his parents still live there and he was arrested on the Torrey Pines Golf Course (with blond hair and a wad of cash...hmmm). What to do now that he awaits death? We have Robert Blake and Michael Jackson on the horizon. There must be a San Diego connection.
4) Petco Park Opens
It was to be the savior of the Padres and an economic boom to downtown. Petco Park opened to much hype in spring and though vastly imrpoved to Qualcomm Stadium, it had its share of first year woes: shoddy food, sketchy sightlines, higher prices and an air of coldness and exclusivity. Downtown businesses saw no uptick, and the Padres still didn't make the playoffs. Worse, the team seemed awfully stingy with the checkbook in the offseason. So where'd all this magic dough go?
5) Housing Prices Keep Going Through The Roof
Housing prices in San Diego continued to hit all-time highs, though they seemed to slow in the last half of 2004. To underscore the fact that it's too damn expensive to live here, many people sought homes in, gasp, El Centro (i.e. boondocks), willing to trade affordable housing for a miserable two-hour commute on I-8. Meanwhile, homeowners sat on their equity lines of credit: what else can explain the expensive SUVs and crowded shopping malls. Or is it high-paying salaries? In San Diego? Nah.
6) Old Spaghetti Factory Closes
It's pretty sad when the first trailblazer into the Gaslamp (it opened in 1974, when the area was still seedy) has to make way for a Hard Rock Hotel. Worse, this place was still extremely popular and successful to the end. The food was simple but good, the prices great, and families loved to have a place to eat that wasn't intimidating. It's another example of the price of gentrification. Sure, there's still a location up in San Marcos, but it's not the same as heading downtown.
