Visions 20/20 and Beyond : March 2015

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Lower left hand insert shows the present image of the Amphitheater on the Strand.

Waterfront Restaurant

The Amphitheater is occupying a space on the Beach located in the Heart of our Tourist Visitor and Community Center. It is used on a special event basis and does not generate a daily economic benefit to our City.

With one of the most beautiful Beaches in Southern California and blessed with a view of the Pier, we have a dream location for an upscale Restaurant. The crashing waves at night lighted and the sunset evenings would create an atmosphere for a World Class dining experience. The lights on the Pier at night would be a romantic prelude to walking the Pier after dinner.

The Commercial District of our down is rapidly developing with Hotels and casual dining spots. The Arts and Theater District is within walking distance from the Pier. The support for upscale dinning is inherent with the coming of more Hotels. The parking for additional use on the beach boardwalk could be addressed with multi street level structures located presently on the Strrumman F-14and. The top level roof top should be considered a Green Area and maintained as a scenic walking space enhancing the sidewalk already in place.

The image above shows vision of a multi-story parking lot with a walking tour of the Jet from Top Gun

F - 14 Tom Cat. Insert at top, The Top Gun House as it is today.

A SKY FULL OF DREAMS

The Honor Project will encompass three elements which will integrate with each other to become

an International Destination. A Third component “The Valor Center” will be the last piece of the Project and will be a Center for our Service Community with an Arts/Educational/Technology framework.

The first two, Avenue of Heroes and Walking Tour of Heroes will be introduced and be embarked upon in concert. These two elements will be independent in timing from the Valor Center.

The Jet F-16

Last week at a budget workshop, our Mayor Jim Wood suggested that for a tourist attraction he would like to see a submarine located in the Harbor. This validates my visioning the prospect of having the Top Gun House restored to its former condition, and presented to our visiting public as a Mini Museum project honoring our Service Men and Women. Hollywood has given Oceanside the lasting legacy of the world audience’s continuing attention to this film, Top Gun. We should take full advantage of this gift and even provide an additional attraction. The Jet!

In the Arizona’s Desert, there are fields of Jets just eroding in the desert sun. The Jet could be located just below the top of the view and above the parking lot below on the strand. The pedestal would have access to visitors during predetermined hours. Children and adults alike would have the thrill of sitting in the F – 16 and “fly” into the imagined sky of dreams. Many years ago, I had the privilege of sitting in a full sized mock up of the Space Shuttle. My Client of Rockwell International, Dr. Richard Edwards*, let me sit in the Captain’s chair and for a few precious moments I was in space. I did wish I was a kid again, but alas, I was a sculptor and past that imagined possibility.

The Honor Project if fully realized will give our City of Oceanside a world wide audience of film buffs, History students, and finally a lasting honor to our Service Men and Women.

Recreate “The Memories”, and They will Come!

The Movie “Field of Dreams” brings 50,000 visitors each year to the field that Hollywood built.

The field straddles the property of two farmers: Al Ameskamp who owns left and center field and Don Lansing (who owns the infield, bleachers, house, and most everything else). This split tourist attraction has two access roads running parallel a few feet apart, and two gift shops selling virtually identical stuff.

Hollywood didn't plan very well; the result is more a schizophrenic episode than a dream -- at least after 6 PM. That's when the Lansing-owned infield and right field closes in the summer; Ameskamp's left and center field stays open until sunset. Which explains why cars are crowded on only one of the narrow dirt roads during our end-of-day visit, and why kids and dads are banished to the left and center fields…

Oceanside has the benefit of being a transit hub. No going through the land of nowhere, and driving on dusty roads. We have here in short…a

“Sky full of Dreams…”

* http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sbsun/obituary.aspx?n=richard-p-edwards-dick&pid=128285351

More visions from the Ruth Jameson exhibition can be seen at the Oceanside Museum of Art in Downtown Oceanside.

The Honor Project

The Honor Project would encompass three elements which will integrate with each other to become an International Destination. A Third component “The Valor Arts Center” will be the last piece of the Project and will be a Center for our Service Community with an Arts/Educational/Technology framework.

“The Avenue of Heroes” is envisioned to be located down Mission Avenue, east to west, from the top of the hill from the off ramp of I5 to Pacific Street. Clusters of our Nations flags of the Services and the American flag would be located on the corners of every intersection of Mission. The Marine, Naval, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army and our National flag would be visible all the way down Mission. The Mission renewal project is projected to have sculptures in the several cutout areas in this project. These projected sculpture sites could have “Hero” sculptures placed there as part of the “Walking Tour”.

THE HONOR PROJECT

Memorial Garden ~ Walking Among Heroes

The White Horse “Spirit of Valor”

What does the White Horse mean? To me personally it recalls the first day I drove to the Library in Oceanside and glancing up the hill I saw a White Horse. He grazed on the Green Grass and it was a peaceful scene as the 76 Hwy and had not yet become an incessant stream of noise. Folks far and wide knew him as the Spirit of the San Luis Rey Valley.

This Horse was the last of a herd of white Arabs although I did not know this at the time. I stopped the car and got out in another world of mists and sunlight together combining into a feeling of indescribable ethereal bliss. Incredible, I thought he is a metaphor for the real and the fantasy of the world I live in. He is a symbol of our young brave Veterans and our First Responders in our Real World.

I choose the White Horse for our Oceanside Plaza to symbolize the bravery of our Service Men and Women who live and serve, some giving the ultimate sacrifice in this world of Peril so we can live in Freedom in America. This White Horse is Free, without saddle or bridle, he races with the sun and keeps us within his heart as we keep those who sacrifice for us in our Hearts.

A Symbol such as this beautiful white horse will become a powerful emblem of bravery for our Community of Oceanside, he will send this message far and wide telling the world about our Military Service and of our First Responders and the sacrifices they have made for us all.

THE HONOR PROJECT

The Memorial Garden ..."Walking Among Heroes

“To Walk among Heroes” is the vision of our Marine Community and they have been pursuing this dream for many years. Two bring to our Downtown Center, the life size bronze sculptures of our Heroes in the most visible and lasting way, the history and life story of these Men and Women who are the Peacekeepers for our Country.

The Bronze sculptures would be placed in the Central Core of the Downtown Plaza with the QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) for the Viewer to learn about the historical figure they are viewing. This would allow instant ability for the Sculpture to become an interactive venue for us to learn about our First Responder Heroes, and our Military Heroes. An Interactive venue where The Wall of Names (with the QR code) would list those who are part of our local history both past and present. The fountain part of the central plaza would be gravel instead of water and the surrounding wall would be faced with a surface suitable for inscribing the names of our Heroes. Indigenous Plants would be placed along the walking pathways to enhance the natural beauty of the Hero Installation.

THE HONOR PROJECT

The Valor Arts Center

The Third component would be the Valor Center. This Center of Art Making is the most vitally important of all my conceptual concerns. A truly integrated working place where of bridging the “gap” between our many diverse Communities of Oceanside and North County. A place where no labels are noted, no distinguishing between the professional and emerging art makers and those who wish to teach, learn, and donate time to provide a safe harbor for new beginnings.

The new digital art forms, the “art makers” movement, and the early childhood opportunities would exist between young and old. Whether Classical forms of art or the exciting forms of public art, the center could be a melding of opportunities and rewards of preparation for new careers.

My view of the San Luis Rey Valley overlooks the Green Hills of Camp Pendleton and the hearing of the sonic booms of planes and artillery are the reality of the lives of those who live there. My heart aches for the knowing that these young vital people who give us so much will be changed forever.

My heartfelt wish is to bring to our Veterans a place where there are no labels, judgments, or monetary cost to them to begin again. To become a normal Citizen of purpose and self reliance to begin the new life of success in our City of Oceanside, this, we owe them and their families who sacrifice so much for the safety of us all. The Village of “Community” will be there for New Beginnings.