10 Questions with Point Loma Association Chairwoman Sandy Hanshaw

Ten Questions is a series in the Point Loma-OB Monthly that shines a spotlight on notable locals we wish we knew more about. This month’s featured personality is Point Loma Association Chairwoman Sandy Hanshaw.

Sandy Hanshaw spent more than 20 years in the hotel business in sales and marketing and was part of the opening team at the Omni in downtown San Diego. Before that, she was with the Sheraton Harbor Island.

For 12 years she owned The Wine Pub and five years ago opened the Coffee Hub, both in Point Loma. “These were passion projects of mine because they created a sense of community in our neighborhood, served amazing food and drink, and I got to make it happen with the best crew ever,” she said.

In December, she sold both restaurants and is now enjoying some “me time,” traveling, reading, exercising and spending time with friends.

She also is the new chairwoman of the Point Loma Association, a nonprofit that plants and maintains local green spaces; installs community signs, lights, benches and banners; facilitates public art; cleans up litter; removes graffiti and more.

She is married to her husband of 28 years, Andy Hanshaw, who is executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. They recently adopted a 4-year-old beagle and named him Shortstop.

Now on to the 10 Questions:

Q. What attracted you to the Point Loma-Ocean Beach area as a place to live?

A. Twenty years ago we moved back to San Diego and settled in Ocean Beach. We loved it! We rented a beautiful home with an ocean view; we thought we had hit the lottery! But we really wanted to purchase a place, so less than a year later we found a great townhouse in the village of Point Loma and haven’t left since. We like the fact that we can park our car for the weekend and walk or bike anywhere we’d like to go. The village of Point Loma has everything we need.

Q. What are your favorite places to go in Point Loma and Ocean Beach?

A. I love to go to the cliffs and walk. I try to take different routes each time I walk and always make some new beautiful discovery. And my treat once I’m done with my walk is a bite/drink at Little Lion. It is my longtime favorite. It’s where I drew up my business plan for the Coffee Hub.

In Point Loma, I love walking the La Playa path right by our house or taking out our SUP [stand-up paddleboard] there. I love having any meal at the Vessel restaurant at Kona Kai Resort. I feel like I’m looking out at the French or Italian Riviera. It is so pretty!

Q. If you could snap your fingers and have it done, what might you add to improve Point Loma or Ocean Beach?

A. I think we are really lucky to live in a place that has more to offer than improve upon. But in Point Loma, I would work on beautifying Rosecrans [Street] from the freeway to the end of the Point. Point Loma deserves a beautiful entry and I think someday we will be able to deliver that.

Q. Who or what inspires you?

A. I am inspired by young people who want to do good. While we don’t have kids, I find a lot of hope in the adults of tomorrow. Many of my friends’ kids have a high level of compassion, acceptance of diversity and intelligence to do good things with both.

Q. If you hosted a dinner party for five, who (living or deceased) would you invite?

A. I love having dinner parties, so it’s a common occurrence in our house, but this is a tough one for me because I wouldn’t want to limit it. I would invite some of my favorite people from different areas of my life: Dave Matthews (musician), Curtis Stone (chef), Amanda Gorman (poet), my great Aunt Minnie, who lived to 102 but my husband never met, and my husband, Andy. Aunt Minnie would enjoy meeting current talented individuals. She was a schoolteacher in the early 1900s.

Q. Tell us about what you are currently reading or watching on TV.

A. I’m reading a good summer fiction, “The Lost Apothecary,” and I’m watching “Ozark.”

Q. What would be your dream vacation?

A. I am fortunate to have already had many dream vacations, but currently on my list is a trip to Portugal, Greece and Iceland. However, we are fulfilling a dream of mine in October in Vermont, checking out the fall color on bikes.

Q. What are your five favorite movies of all time? Or if you prefer, what are your five favorite apps?

A. “The Sound of Music,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Field of Dreams,” “Bridesmaids.”

Q. What is your most prized possession?

A. I have two. One is a note my late dad wrote to me on an airline cocktail napkin. He was on a flight with me and Andy when we took off for our honeymoon. He was in first class and we were in coach. He asked the flight attendant to deliver a note to us, which she read to the cabin before delivering. Sweetest thing ever! And I have a very loving handwritten note from my late mom, too.

Q. What is your motto or philosophy of life?

A.: I have many, but here’s probably the one I live each day: Be grateful and kind. If you cover those two things every day, life is good!

Do you know someone you’d like us to ask 10 Questions? Send an email with your suggestion to robert.vardon@lajollalight.com.