Filipino Family Day Makes a Splash

Ladies man Francis Florendo (9) wowed an adoring crowd when he sang at the ninth annual Filipino Family Day held at at Knott's Soak City, 2052 Entertainment Cir., Chula Vista, July 22. Already something of a seasoned performer, he won the grand championship in the San Diego County Fair Superstar Contest (Youth Division) but he isn't ready to give up his day job as a 3rd-grade student at Hedenkamp Elementary School, Chula Vista.

Another singing star was Chula Vista's gay mayor Steve Padilla (left), who sang a duet with Councilwoman Patty Chavez. Ever a passionate karaoke performer, Padilla's spirited interpretation of the Tom Jones classic, Delilah, at Dock's bar on Chula Vista's Third Avenue after a turbulent council meeting is legendary.

Nevertheless, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Padilla's "most egregious" act as mayor may have been the rushed and flawed process to fill a City Council vacancy by appointing Chavez. It was egregious because, in a city where appointees don't lose elections, the perceived goal was to deprive voters of having a choice November 2006.

Photos by Manny Ramirez