The lady at The Lunch Box

Megan Custeau opened her little restaurant, The Lunch Box, about 2 1/2 years ago in La Mesa. It's been busy from the start as customers took to the good food and home-like atmosphere. Her story for "A Living in La Mesa": http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/cheers-without-the-beer-megan-custeau-packs-them-into-the-lunch-box#c

And the Oscar goes to ... the Oscars

Who deserves an Oscar more than someone named Oscar? A look at the sports folk most deserving, which ran on ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6158829

"The Show" is at SDSU

San Diego State's Viejas Arena has become one of the best home-court environments in the NCAA, thanks in part to the SDSU student section, "The Show," that can be wild, wacky and loud. The Aztecs have fed off the energy on their way to being one of the top teams in the nation. My story on ESPN.com's Page 2: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=williams/110225_san_diego_state_aztecs_fans&sportCat=ncb

She has the answers ... or knows where to get them

Erin Zocco, a research librarian in Carlsbad, is part of a new wave of librarians who work to keep libraries relevant in the digital age. She teaches social network, manages the library's Web resources and helps patrons with job searches. Her story, for the "On the Job" series in the San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/19/north-county-job-erin-zocco-research-librarian/

Keeping the wheels spinning

Chad French's dad taught him to know his way around a toolbox. If something needed fixing, French learned how to fix it. Now -- as he waits to launch his career as a firefighter -- he is the head mechanic at a bicycle shop in La Mesa. His profile for my "A Living in La Mesa" series: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/if-your-bike-is-broke-trek-mechanic-can-put-out-the-fires#c

Meatloaf, soda cracker pie and pop cakes ....

We all have recipes we carry with us through our lives, handed down from moms, dads, aunts, uncles or the back of boxes and cans. My story on those "handed-down recipes" for the Union-Tribune's Food section: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/15/theres-no-taste-like-home/

The globe trotter

Phyllis Dorfman has owned her own travel agency for 35 years, and when she tells a customer about Hong Kong, Argentina or Thailand, she knows what she's talking about. She's been to 150 countries and all seven continents. Her profile for "A Living in La Mesa": http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/where-in-the-world-is-carmen-sandiego-trying-to-keep-up-with-phyllis-dorfman#c

Not everybody's a fan of spring training

Baseball fans love spring training. Every team is starting over and every fan is an optimist. But spring training is almost two months long, so the players and managers can sometimes get a little tired of it all. How some players have complained about their time in Arizona and Florida in years gone by, in a piece for ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6102608

Mission Trails Park volunteers

Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego is a large section of open space in the middle of a highly populated county, one of the biggest urban parks in the U.S. The San Diego River, several peaks, 40 miles of trails and the Old Mission Dam are part of the park, which had about 600,000 visitors in 2010. Of the many volunteers who make the park work, four from La Mesa talk about the park and what they do for it, for my "Places and Faces" column on La Mesa Patch: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/four-la-mesans-help-make-mission-trails-a-happy-experience-relaxing-and-educational-too

Here comes the Year of the Rabbit

The coming year might be good for a few folks, including Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall in this Sunday's Super Bowl, if the Rabbit Year brings good luck. My contribution to ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6085888

Is it "back to the future" in 2011?

This sports year has begun with a retro renaissance of sorts, including this matchup of NFL bluebloods in the Super Bowl. My post on ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6077236

Stories from a veteran cop

Lt. Dan Willis has been with the La Mesa Police Department for 21 years and done almost every duty imaginable. He's been involved in homicides, cold cases and the famous "Bumfights" saga. His profile, for "A Living in La Mesa": http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/seeking-bad-guys-and-balance-21-year-veteran-policeman-dan-willis

Baseball's most ardent fans

The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a group of more than 7,000 fans worldwide who like to crunch numbers, analyze the game and study its trends, characters and personalities. My feature on national SABR Day 2011, that ran on ESPN.com: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=6063583&sportCat=mlb

Student of the Civil War

Bob Bell of La Mesa has spent nearly 50 years studying about the American Civil War, visiting battlefields and taking part in San Diego's Civil War Round Table. As the 150th anniversary of the start of the war approaches, he hopes Americans pay more attention to the people who were a part of it and the causes, issues and ramifications of the conflict. http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/civil-wars-slaughter-taught-la-mesan-the-preciousness-of-life

Strong in his faith

Mark Menacher's goal was to study science and become a doctor. But his faith stepped in and pointed him in another direction. Now the pastor of a small congregation in La Mesa, Menacher has helped heal past wounds. His profile for "A Living in La Mesa":  http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/pastor-mark-menacher-rebuilds-st-lukes-with-quiet-strength#c

It's been a long time since Jets' super season

Will the New York Jets return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969? Maybe, maybe not. But a lot has happened since Joe Willie Namath and the Jets upset the Colts in Super Bowl III. My item on ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6030237

She has a way with dogs

Aleita Downer found a talent she didn't know she had -- for training dogs -- when she lost her longtime job as a telephone operator. Her profile, for "A Living in La Mesa": http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/golden-opportunity-how-summerdog-retrieved-a-life-for-out-of-work-operator

A teenage digitial dinosaur ...

More on Dennis Enarson, this time from a post on ESPN.com's Page 2. He's a 19-year-old kid who isn't into Facebook and Twitter, but would rather meet people face-to-face: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=6019190

Personal trainer provides the "push" that many need

Stacia Weisbach is part coach, part teacher, part psychologist and part "pusher" when she works with a client. As a personal fitness trainer, her goal is to reach her client any way she can. Her story, in my "A Living in La Mesa" column: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/no-screaming-jillian-michaels-impersonation-for-this-personal-trainer#c

Where's the "delay of game" penalty?

When Oregon and Auburn meet for the championship of college football Monday night, it will have been 36 days since the Ducks and Tigers last played. That's a big gap. What can be done in 36 days? Read my piece that ran on ESPN.com's Page 2: http://espn.go.com/espn/page2/index?id=5998194