Tuesday was a great day for Steve Castañeda.
Castañeda is the Chula Vista councilman who was acquitted in April of perjury charges related to accusations that he used his position to seek free rent or a reduced price on a condominium.
On Tuesday evening, Castañeda was endorsed for re-election in November by the San Diego County Democratic Party. A lifelong Republican who became disillusioned with his party, Castañeda switched his affiliation to Democrat last month.
Also on Tuesday evening, the Chula Vista City Council voted in closed session to pay Castañeda's legal defense expenses, which are more than $100,000.
The council vote was 3-0, with Castañeda and Mayor Cheryl Cox abstaining and not in the room during the discussion. Cox has made no secret of her feelings, saying taxpayers shouldn't pay legal fees for an elected official accused of a criminal act unrelated to his office.
Castañeda confirmed that he got word that payment of his legal expenses had been approved, “but I haven't seen the check yet.”
Luxury yacht in town
If you told friends you saw a yacht as long as a football field at the Embarcadero downtown, you wouldn't be too far off.
A 252-foot mega-yacht owned by Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Peralta is anchored in front of the County Administration Building. It's the first to visit the port's newly christened mega-yacht anchorage, designed to moor up to eight yachts perpendicularly, but the stop hasn't gone perfectly.
The owner alerted the Coast Guard yesterday morning that the yacht spilled about 30 gallons of diesel fuel. The spill was contained and the Coast Guard was supervising the cleanup.
Next week, the ship will head to the Knight & Carver Yacht Center in National City for a refit.
Yachting Web sites and magazines say the six-deck Princess Mariana, named for Peralta's wife, has a master suite with a wall that opens, turning it into a terrace. It contains five additional bedroom suites, a 13-seat cinema equipped with 1,600 movies, a wine cellar, a 13-meter-long pool and a party deck with a dance floor and grand piano.
Its helicopter pad turns into a driving range where players can hit into a screen that depicts the world's greatest golf courses. All is kept ship-shape by a crew of 23, including three chefs.
Oh, and if you have money to spare, the Princess Mariana is available for charter through www.charterworld.com for 610,000 euros a week. That translates into more than $1.8 million for a two-week minimum rental.
The name game
Despite a campus booze ban, SDSU criminal justice professor Tom Gitchoff once had students named Martini, Corona and José Cuervo – all in the same class. Gitchoff has since retired and now plays in the La Mesa Senior Softball League, where he noted another unusual name sequence. Three fellow players are Hughie, Dewey and Louie.
Thankfully, Hughie McMillan, Dewey Ellington and Louie Lopez don't play on the same team, or it might be difficult for the coach to get his ducks in order.
A taste of San Diego
Flamboyant chef Guy Fieri brought his Food Network road show to San Diego last week. On Thursday, Fieri's personalized chefmobile was parked in front of Tioli's Crazee Burger, a North Park restaurant, where he taped a segment for his TV show, “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”
Crazee Burger Chef Lothal Menc said Fieri took a fancy to their exotic burgers – made from alligator, Australian kangaroo, ostrich, buffalo, Chinook salmon and venison.
Fieri also took his show to the historic Hob Nob Hill diner near Balboa Park on Thursday and Saturday and to Corvette Diner in Hillcrest and Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill in Mission Hills. The episodes will air sometime between October and January.
Diane Bell's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Fax items to (619) 260-5009; call (619) 293-1518; e-mail to diane.bell@uniontrib.com; or mail to The San Diego Union-Tribune, Box 120191, San Diego 92112-0191.
