May the coming year bring you and those important to you peace, prosperity and joy. We at borregomodern.com thank you for your support and look forward to 2009.

A mystery appears to have been solved.

Its been confirmed that William Kesling, is the architect who designed the Desert Club.

Kesling, who had gained notoriety in the Los Angeles area, came to La Jolla following World War II. It was believed by Borregans that a La Jolla firm was the one to do the Desert Club design.

The Desert Club is currently for sale. Elizabeth Courtier of Willis Allen La Jolla, the listing agent, says there is a picture of the building under construction, with Kesling standing in front, in the book Kesling Modern Structures, by Patrick Pascal.

Here is a link to the property profile:

http://www.willisallen.com/080079909

Here is a link to a Los Angeles Time article on Kesling and the book mentioned above.

http://articles.latimes.com/2003/apr/24/home/hm-keslingapr24

More details as they become available…

BorregoModern.com has a feature in the latest issue of “Our Heritage” magazine, from Save Our Heritage Organisation.

http://sohosandiego.org/reflections/2008_34/borrego.htm

Additional content has been added to the site - so long those “Coming Soon” pages!

Please check out the sections on: Bill Krisel, Lloyd Ruocco and Sim Bruce Richards.

We are also preparing for our first foray into online video - posting soon!

The Borrego Sun is for sale.

That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as the Copley Press and owner Mr. David Copley have been in the process of getting out of the newspaper business for several years now. It really wasn’t a matter of if, but when.

Times are tough in the media business. Newspapers have seen record decline in readers and revenue. Broadcasting (both TV and Radio) are facing similar losses of revenue.
Even with that reality, it is still sad when a change of this magnitude comes to a newspaper that, in many ways, reflects the heart and soul of the community.

The Borrego Sun is a well written and edited paper. Its staff cares about the Borrego community. It is also the single most complete repository for the modern history of Borrego Springs, having been published continuously since 1949.
The Sun, and especially Editor Judy Meier, has been supportive of this website and the efforts to educate the public about Borrego’s mid-century modern architecture.

To lose the Sun would be a disaster for the community but what will happen to the Sun’s archive is what concerns me the most. The issues and the photos must be preserved. I hope the Copley Press will take a page from the company’s own past and donate the complete archive to the San Diego Historical Society and endow a fund to support its on-going preservation.

So when I read that the Sun is for sale, this Thanksgiving, I decided to say thanks. Thank you to the Copley family for half a century of supporting Borrego.

There’s a story that when James Copley purchased the Borrego Sun from George Kuhrts, over 50 years ago, the business was sold for one dollar. Kuhrts wanted to make sure the paper was going to a booster of the community. While I know the answer, it sure would be nice if the Copley Press and Mr. David Copley would do something similar. Would I like to buy the Sun, you bet. The question is: Can you loan me a dollar?

No, that’s not a typo in the title.

Borego (with one “R”) is the original name for the community we today call Borrego Springs.

While the focus of this site is on the architecture of the town with two “R”s in its name,

 the history of what came before and how it has shaped today’s community is well worth knowing.

I won’t attempt to retell the story here as Phil Brigandi has done a much better job than I could in his book “Borrego Beginnings - Early Days in the Borrego Valley 1910-1960″. (Hint: This book would make a great holiday gift - use the “Resources” nav bar for on line ordering info.)

The original Borego townsite (now called Old Borego) will be open to the public on Sunday November 9th from 1-3pm during Borrego History Preservation Day. The event is free and sponsored by ABDNHA and the Borrego Civic Foundation.

And we’re not just talking politics.

The summer heat has broken in Borrego.

At the coast we’ve been experiencing some of the most spectacular gentle warmth and sunsets of the year.

For those transplants who say San Diego has no seasons,

there is evidence a plenty – although you may have to be quick to catch it.

Also for those who believe Borrego Springs has no weather other than hot, hot, hot!, here is a photo of a rainbow taken in mid-September, when we were out for several glorious days (yes we had rain!).

Borrego Rainbow

We also know fall has arrived in Borrego Springs because the pool cover is once again doing duty, after its summer hibernation in the garage.

We here at BorregoModern.com will also be getting rid of those “Coming Soon!” references and posting more content in the next several weeks.

Todd Pitman, BorregoModern.com Contributing Researcher and Writer, is on a treasure hunt concerning famed architect Bill Krisel’s work here in Borrego. From early indications he has uncovered some real gems – which we’re extremely excited to showcase.

If you have ideas, comments, suggestions or questions please email us using the contact page – or blog right here.

Stay tuned.

A reborn and rebranded La Casa del Zorro is set to open next month.

GH Capital, which purchased the resort from Copley Press, is taking

reservations now that this phase of the “updating” and “rebranding”

of the local landmark is close to completion.

When it closed June 30th, there was much talk, anticipation

(and some trepidation my sources tell me) about the

“improvements” the new owners were to make.

La Casa had been in a bit of a time warp – and that was part of its charm.

Although it had been expanded by the Copley’s over the years – much

of its 1960’s flavor remained. The buildings and grounds were

purchased by James Copley in 1960 and he hired Architect Dick Zerbe

to do extensive additions. Previously La Casa del Zorro was the Desert

Lodge – owned by the Burnand’s and operated by Bud Kuhrts.

(The Lodge was where Zerbe met Kuhrts). The hotel’s registration

center contains the remains of Dana Burks’ original adobe ranch house,

built in 1933. The Desert Lodge, the Valley’s first hotel was opened in 1937.

The new Borrego Ranch Resort and Spa is set to open November 8^th.

(A deluxe king room has an special introductory rate of $335/

night Saturday $295/weekday according to the website). You’ll have to “check in” to

“check out” the renovations. As reported in the October 2^nd edition of the

Borrego Sun, the resort is being taken private – only guests will be allowed

to have access to the restaurant and spa facilities.

At our “last supper” before La Casa closed, we noticed that the Kit Fox

Salad was off the menu. It was one of our favorites. If anyone has the recipe for

the lime vinaigrette dressing, please post or email in.

Borrego Spring’s mid-century modern architecture and BorregoModern.com

get a mention in the uber-hip L-A Angelino magazine

on web stands now at
http://modernluxury.com/digital.php?e=ANGE (pages 92-93).

This child has been born! I hope you find her as attractive as I do and will help guide her as she
grows and matures.

The genesis for borregomodern.com all started about 8 years ago when Suzanne and I purchased

our 2 bedroom, 2 bath “getaway” at de Anza Country Club. We’re not golfers but were intrigued

with the design, the community and the very big pool we share with our neighbors. We both love

Borrego and had wanted “our place in the Sun”. We’ve always been interested in San Diego

history and architecture and a natural outgrowth was wanting to know more about who designed

our Fairway Cottage. This led to hours in the archive at the San Diego Historical Society and

a name – Richard Zerbe.

The journey has led far beyond what I could imagine, and it’s the people I’ve met

(and continue to meet) along the way that make it special. Please take a moment and check out

their names in the “Site Credits” section. My special thanks go to Suzanne, Todd Pitman,

Keith York and my friends in Borrego and at SOHO. Also thanks to Kyna for working to get

this out as the clock ticks down to her wedding.

This child is a work in progress and we’ll have new updates in the near future. We also have a

few wrinkles to work out as well. Please check in and let us know what you think.

In the meantime - a champagne toast for everyone!