On 12/30/2008, the San Diego Union Tribune (
visit link) ran the following story:
"Paint makeover spruces up aging Mount Soledad cross
Help offered year ago; volunteer work ends today
By Matthew T. Hall, staff writer 2 A.M.DEC. 30, 2008
LA JOLLA — Professional painter Jim Codde would say a prayer whenever he drove past the aging Mount Soledad Cross in La Jolla – that one day he would be able to restore the landmark to its original glory.
Someone listened – to his pro bono pitch, if not his prayer.
Today, Codde's crew will apply the final touches of paint to the 29-foot cross, realizing a dream that took root more than a year ago, when Codde heard that the federal government had taken ownership of the site in a bid to end long-standing legal questions over the cross's presence on city land.
Brothers Jim and Dave Codde, principals of Oceanside-based Bay Cal Painting, offered that day to refurbish the cross for free.
This month, to their delight, they were asked if the offer still stood.
“It was a long shot, but every time you drive by, you'd think about it,” Jim Codde said. “I can't imagine anybody going up there and saying this thing doesn't need a paint job.”
Its white paint had been worn away by wind and sun and rain to the point where mortar was exposed and had deteriorated in some places. Now the cross has its first new coat of paint in more than 40 years.
The difference is striking. The cross is lustrous and the wrought iron fence around it is unbroken black.
The Mount Soledad Memorial Association, which erected and maintains the cross, will recognize the effort at the memorial atop Mount Soledad today at 11 a.m.
Its members say the cross restoration is part of a Navy-approved makeover for the entire veterans memorial, which includes 2,400 granite plaques to honor those who fought in wars from the Civil War to current conflicts in the Middle East.
“When this proposal came in front of us, we leaped for joy,” said association president Ed Ward. “This was probably the most gracious offer we've had in terms of helping us complete the site.”
Ward said that once he was made aware of the offer, the project came together in less than 30 days. The work itself took about two weeks.
Workers used a 60-foot boom to power-wash the monument and re-weld parts of the steel interior. They used 25 gallons of paint on the cross and applied another four to eight gallons to the fence and green base around the cross.
Codde said the project, done by his company and several others, could have cost $40,000 at market prices. That's excluding the maintenance the company has said it will handle for the next 20 years.
The company has taken on other renovation projects, including the Hollywood sign, the Hillcrest sign and missions in San Juan Capistrano and San Luis Rey.
Codde said he is grateful the Mount Soledad Memorial Association accepted a proposal that seemed as if it had been lost in the shuffle a year ago.
“Maybe it is a God thing,” he said. “But the biggest, coolest thing about it is it's the best feeling in the world.”
Matthew Hall: (619) 542-4599; matthew.hall@uniontrib.com"