CHULA VISTA — A club of classic car owners that hosts weekly summer shows on Chula Vista’s Third Avenue is threatening to cancel its popular exhibitions because of what members say is police harassment.
Organizers claim that during the last two shows in August, officers stepped up enforcement and liberally ticketed for expired meters, jaywalking and lack of front license plates on show cars.
Robert Naranjo, a board member with South Bay Cruisers, a charitable car club, said that in years past the organization had a verbal agreement with former Police Chief Rick Emerson that parking meters would not be enforced on the Tuesday afternoons of the show and that display cars could park on a grassy area outside of Fuddruckers restaurant.
Emerson, who retired last summer, confirmed the agreement last week. “The parking meters were not enforced from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.,” Emerson said. “We did not enforce that because otherwise there would be no car show.”
Naranjo said police now won’t waive the parking meter enforcement and won’t allow the classic cars to park on the grass because of what some say is damage to the lawn and sprinkler heads.
The mission of the Blast from the Past car show is to stimulate commerce in downtown Chula Vista. On an average Tuesday night, up to 2,000 people flock to Third Avenue to view the cars, eat, listen to music and frequent the businesses, said Vince Jacket, president of the South Bay Cruisers.
“We’ve been doing the show for nine years and have never had a problem,” Jacket said. “It’s petty stuff that I don’t understand.”
Car clubs from around the county also show their cars during the 12-week summertime Blast from the Past function. On the busiest nights, up to 400 cars are on display.
Police Chief David Bejarano, who said the city is working on a solution, said he was unaware of the verbal agreement Emerson had with the car club. Bejarano said he could not specify why enforcement was stepped up last summer.
“There were some issues in the past based on complaints from the neighbors,” he said. “We want to make sure we have a safe environment.”
According to police records, two calls were made the last night of the show, on Aug. 18, for vehicles driving over park grounds and loud music.“We cannot ignore complaints,” Bejarano said.
Merchants are hoping a solution is found. The added foot traffic was instrumental in boosting sales for Third Avenue businesses, many said.
Ana Maria Rico, who recently moved her hair salon, Rico’s, to Third Avenue, said she began doing hair outside on Tuesday nights to showcase her business.
“People made appointments,” Rico said. “Financially, it meant booking weddings and quinceañeras. We had MTV exposure and a crew came into my salon for a reality show.”
Down the block at Fuddruckers, general manager Donato Domaguin said business doubled on Tuesday nights, which are normally the slowest of the week.
“I wish we could have the car show every week,” Domaguin said. “People aren’t just going to come here to Third Avenue for nothing. (The car show) is a big attraction. All ages and races come. It’s a melting pot for all to come and enjoy their hobby.”
Naranjo said last summer was the car show’s busiest ever, which he attributed to the bad economy. “When money is tight, people come out to free events.” Councilman Rudy Ramirez said he wants the car club to continue its event. If the Police Department and South Bay Cruisers can’t come to an agreement, Ramirez said the issue should go before the City Council.
“God knows we need traffic downtown,” Ramirez said. “Restaurants are closing because they don’t have enough business, so we should do everything we can to keep them in Chula Vista.”
Jacket, the president of the South Bay Cruisers, said his group will meet today to discuss what the club needs from the city to continue the shows. It will present those findings to the Police Department later in the week.
“As of right now, if we don’t see some cooperation I don’t see how we can do the show,” Jacket said.
Tanya Sierra: (619) 293-1705; tanya.sierra@uniontrib.com
A Mexican official says the slaying of a teenager from a prominent Tijuana family who attended high school in California was a targeted assassination.
Jose Fernando Labastida, 17, was shot in a late-model Audi car with California license plates near his home on Monday. Initial investigations indicate he was shot six times, and nearly 60 shell casings were found at the scene, most from assault rifles.
Attorney General Rommel Moreno of the Mexican border state of Baja California said Wednesday that Labastida was the victim of "a direct attack to assassinate him," apparently not a botched kidnap attempt.
Labastida resided in Tijuana but attended the Catholic Mater Dei High School in Chula Vista, California. A U.S. consular official says Labastida was a U.S. citizen. His grandfather, Gilberto Fimbres, is one of the owners of the Calimax supermarket chain.
