After restoring the L.B. Powers & Son Plumbing building (at W. Lewis & Stephens in Mission Hills) to its original historic colors last spring, it was determined that the old plastic bus bench in front of the store needed to be upgraded. Powers enlisted local historian Allen Hazard to compile three historic Mission Hills walking tours (aka “Power Walks”) to fund the bench which resembles the new street furniture on Washington Street.
With the generosity of the business improvement district, Mission Hills artists and lots of community members who donated to this cause, the bench arrived in this week’s rain without much fanfare. “It took about nine months to accomplish, but the Power Walks made a real connection back to the community,” commented Janet O’Dea, owner of L.B. Powers Plumbing. “Because of the high quality of the walking tours, we managed to capture the spirit of cooperation from so many wonderful friends and neighbors in our community and got a new bench, too.”
Allen Hazard is now moving on to another project close to his heart. He would like to continue to make his Power Walks available to raise funds for a marker at the former Calvary Cemetery (now Pioneer Park) in recognizition of the San Diego founders buried there.
