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sdconnection-blog · 8 years ago

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By Doug Curlee | Editor at Large

The April 12 meeting of the Navajo Community planning board has been hearing this plan, in one form or another, longer than anyone currently on that board can remember.

It’s the plan that would build homes — in this case, 24 of them — in what is generally considered a gully along the east edge of College Avenue from Interstate 8 west.

Del Cerro residents are opposed to the proposed ColRich development along College Avenue. (Courtesy of ColRich)

In this incarnation, it’s called the ColRich residential project, and the proposal has drawn the ire of Del Cerro residents for many years. The number of proposed homes there has been reduced from 28 to 24, but it’s not making the Del Cerro people any happier that way.

The main stumbling block is that no matter how the Marburn Corporation developers lay the plan out, there is still only one possible way in and out of the area, and that plan makes it impossible to access or egress the area without at least one illegal U-turn on or around Del Cerro Boulevard.

Marburn spokesman Seth Dorros admits this, and pleaded for help from the community.

“Look, we know the access is a problem we haven’t yet solved,” he said. “We’re asking you, the community, to help us figure it out. Please propose some solutions. Any ideas you have would maybe help.”

Dorros got a lot of suggestions, but none of them offered any help for the developers’ problem.

Del Cerro Action Council President Jay Wilson says he can’t understand how it even got to this point.

“I can’t believe the city’s traffic people would even think about agreeing to this. They never have before,” he said.

Maureen Champion echoed that concern.

“This would just create a major choke point in our area — we just don’t want this in our area.”

Rosemary Ghosn said it would disrupt life in Del Cerro.

“How do I get home every day, if this happens?,” she asked. “Even now, it’s almost too hard to get to Windmill Farms. This would make it impossible.”

There wasn’t even a formal vote on approval of the project at the April 12 meeting — that happens next month. But, given the fact that most of the planning board expressed the same reservations the Del Cerro residents did, the final vote result isn’t at all hard to predict.

SoccerCity

More than a little skepticism was expressed about the other big issue of the night — again, this was informational, and won’t be voted on until a future meeting.

But what was supposed to be a brief informational presentation about the proposed SoccerCity redevelopment plan for the Qualcomm Stadium property in Mission Valley, instead turned into a bit of an argument.

FS Investors representative Nick Stone pointed out the financial benefits of the city selling the property to his group to build SoccerCity, and all the tax revenues that would accrue to the city when the development of stadium, housing, offices and retail properties are built and up and running. It was a breakdown to talking points of the 55-page ad the SoccerCity folks ran in the Union-Tribune some weeks ago.

The proposed SoccerCity development for the Qualcomm Stadium site would include housing, a park, soccer stadium, retail and commercial buildings. (Courtesy of FS Investors)

The audience, though, had concerns that have been expressed elsewhere before, specifically about the role, if any, of the San Diego State Aztec football program.

Stone could only say: “We’re still talking with State.”

Terry Cords, a planning group member and a mover and shaker in youth soccer in San Diego, loves the idea, but is more than a little worried about the execution of it.

“Reading this 55-page ad tells me that once the deal is done, you folks are in total control, and we have nothing to say about it,” Cords said.

There wasn’t a real understandable answer to that.

Joe LaCava, a community activist and leader of a group called Public Land, Public Vote that is opposed to the SoccerCity development, said the idea of Mayor Kevin Faulconer setting the price for the Mission Valley land is ridiculous.

“That land is city-owned property, and something that big should never be sold without a public vote,” he said.

Nick Stone assured that there will be one, and he couldn’t stop it if he wanted to.

“We know the City Council will not just approve the sale — it’ll be on the special election ballot in November, and we’ll go from there,” Stone said.

Other business

In other action on a busy night, Liliana Caracoza of the San Diego Housing Commission reported that her commission would like input from taxpayers on how to spend the $74 million the commission has in its 2017-2018 budget.

She also needs those comments by April 26.

And keeping the roster up to date, Matt Adams was re-elected planning group chairman, with Jon La Raia as vice chair, and Rich Burg as secretary.

After this meeting, they may be asking themselves again why they wanted those jobs.

—Doug Curlee is Editor at Large. Reach him at [email protected].

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Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

Religious Institutions in La Jolla

Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

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Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

seven bridge walk

bridge balboa park

bridge balboa park walk

balboa park bridge

banker hill walk

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Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: MissionTimesCourier.com Development plans dominate NCPI meeting By Doug Curlee | Editor at Large The April 12 meeting of the Navajo Community planning board has been hearing this plan, in one form or another, longer than anyone currently on that board can remember.

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sdconnection-blog · 8 years ago

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By Doug Curlee | Editor at Large

July 4 event still short of its goal

The on-again, off-again saga of Fourth of July fireworks at Lake Murray are apparently back on again, but there are “ifs” involved.

The fireworks went away in 2012, after a 2011 lawsuit against them was filed by an environmental group upset about setting off fireworks over water — especially over water that is to become drinking water.

Since then, all of those legal questions have been answered, the lawsuit has been resolved and now the road is clear to once again put on the popular event.

“We’re good to go legally”, said Tracy Dalkamp, the leader of the effort to reinstitute the afternoon-long music festival and fireworks show.

The Lake Murray Fireworks and Musicfest committee: (l to r) Owen Dahlkamp, Melissa DeMarco, Gil Koury, Tracy Dahlkamp, Diane Sipe, Robert Hotz, Jay Wilson, and Brandy Kern (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

“What the big ‘if’ is now is, can we raise the money to make it the event we want to put on for the community? We want to put on a day’s entertainment of music, food, refreshments and everything else such a party needs to have to be a success. What we don‘t want to do is just have a 15-minute fireworks display and call it good. Right now, we’ve raised enough money to take care of a few expenses, but we’re way short of what we need to put on the full afternoon.”

There are a number of fees the organizers need to take care of — things like the bill for police and fire and public safety officials to be there from both San Diego and La Mesa. There’ll be port-a-potty rentals to pay for, and a host of other expenses. Paying bands who play will eat up a lot of money.

As of this writing, the committee has raised a little over $56,000 for the effort. That’s a nice little total, but it won’t pay for the whole event. Despite the enormous generosity of those major donors, the operational budget the committee has come up with — to do the festival the right — way is $76,000.

There has been pretty good support from businesses and companies in the San Carlos-Del Cerro-Allied gardens area so far, and more is hoped for. There are several levels of business sponsorship. Star sponsors who donate $500 will appear on the event website and receive a certificate of sponsorship.

Liberty Sponsors who donate $1,000 will, in addition to the same rewards as the Star Sponsors, also be promoted in print materials, be verbally recognized at the event and promoted on social media.

Freedom sponsors who donate $2,500, get all the same perks as the other levels plus a space at the festival to place a large banner near the music stage and a space for company presence.

American sponsors who donate $7,000, get all the perks as the other sponsors plus a VIP viewing area and a reserved parking space.

Major donors so far include Stormberg Orthodontics (who is the title sponsor for the event), FBS Property Management, Precision Concrete Designs, High Dive San Diego and Windmill Farms and Life Deck. Other major donors include Orchard Supply Hardware and Ideal Plumbing.

Although business sponsors are starting to come in, unless a more substantial amount is raised in the fairly near future, the whole effort may be doomed, or at least scaled back dramatically.

Dalkamp, for one, is not willing to sign contracts until the money is actually in the bank.

“I wouldn’t be comfortable signing anything just hoping the money will come in to make those checks good,” she said.

She believes people will come through with donations to make up a lot of the shortfall, because a lot of people have really missed the Fourth of July at the lake, and will be willing to help guarantee its return.

But heartfelt faith and belief isn’t negotiable at the bank.

Volunteers are going through the communities, passing out fliers with return envelopes asking people to donate, which has so far raised around $3,000. And on April 22, local sports is getting in on the donation action.

“The board at San Carlos Little League and Navajo Softball have unanimously agreed to donate 50 percent of the [Lake Murray ballfield] snack bar earnings from this Saturday, April 22 to the Lake Murray Fireworks and Musicfest event,” wrote San Carlos Little League president Sheila Gigante in an email to festival organizers. “It’s also closing day for Navajo so we expect it to be pretty crowded at the lake. We will also plan to put collection jars on the counters for anyone who’s not interested in buying at the snack bar.”

There are also other ways to contribute. The website, lakemurrayfireworks.org, offers a form to make your donation, and there is a GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/lakemurrayfireworks. All donations are tax deductible and are processed by the San Carlos Lake Murray Recreation Council.

Where all this will wind up is an open question right now. The committee will meet again in mid-May to assess where they stand with the effort.

That may be the pivotal decision time.

No one is quitting on this — the fireworks were always popular in the past, and they may be again. But the final decision will be up to the result of that constant obstacle:

Show me the money.

For more information about the event, visit lakemurrayfireworks.org.

—Doug Curlee is Editor at Large. Reach him at [email protected].

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

Religious Institutions in La Jolla

Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

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Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

seven bridge walk

bridge balboa park

bridge balboa park walk

balboa park bridge

banker hill walk

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Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: MissionTimesCourier.com Final funding push for Lake Murray festival By Doug Curlee | Editor at Large July 4 event still short of its goal The on-again, off-again saga of Fourth of July fireworks at Lake Murray are apparently back on again, but there are “ifs” involved.

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sdconnection-blog · 8 years ago

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By Doug Curlee | Editor at Large

When local politician and Navy pilot Jim Ellis died on April 10 at the age of 88, his passing inspired tributes in various media because he was the kind of man you could respect.

In the course of my time as a television reporter in San Diego, I ran across a lot of politicians I could say that about. I also ran across a lot of politicians about whom that could never be said.

Former District 7 city councilmember and longtime Allied Gardens resident Jim Ellis (Courtesy of Carol Ellis)

I like to think that Jim sort of respected me as well. We talked now and then about past experiences we’d had. Jim was a highly decorated Naval Aviator and what he learned becoming one seemed to bleed over into civilian life.

We were probably as good friends as a politician and a reporter covering him were likely to ever be.

Jim stayed behind the controls of a plane long after he took off the uniform, often flying his own plane back and forth between San Diego and Sacramento.

He actually gave me a ride once. I was heading up to Northern California to see my mother in Lodi and he was kind enough to drop me off in Stockton, not far from the family home.

He was a great pilot, quick and sure in his moves in the cockpit. He had a great airplane — a Beechcraft Bonanza. They fit well together.

En route, we talked some about politics. Jim was a Republican, and a conservative one in a time when that meant something.

“Are you one of those commie liberals we always see?” he asked me.

He was joking and we both knew it. After all, I had come to San Diego from San Francisco, where the “commie liberals” have seemingly always been in power … still are, I suppose.

As I got to know him better, through covering him, I saw that Jim was a man who’d talk to you — would tell you what he was thinking on an issue and why he was thinking that.

He was a somewhat low-key guy who knew what he didn’t know, and who got things done without yelling and screaming.

When politics began to lose his interest — after serving District 7 in the City Council; after serving in both the State Assembly and State Senate — he quietly walked away from it, rather than try to stay in office doing something he no longer cared about. Some of his accomplishments during his time in office include helping establish the regional park that became Mission Trails and getting State Route 52 started.

He served one term on the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, appointed by Gov. George Deukmejian.

Some of the old instincts eventually tried to kick in and Jim ran for his old senate seat in 1992, but lost to the late Lucy Killea.

Then he came home for good.

He and Carol Bentley, who once ran his San Diego office and then became his wife, settled in Mission Beach after living in Allied Gardens for many years.

“We had 20 wonderful years married,” Carol told me. “He was the best.”

I’d have to agree.

—Doug Curlee is Editor at Large. Reach him at [email protected].

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

Religious Institutions in La Jolla

Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

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Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

seven bridge walk

bridge balboa park

bridge balboa park walk

balboa park bridge

banker hill walk

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Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: MissionTimesCourier.com We lost a good man By Doug Curlee | Editor at Large When local politician and Navy pilot Jim Ellis died on April 10 at the age of 88, his passing inspired tributes in various media because he was the kind of man you could respect.

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sdconnection-blog · 8 years ago

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By Jeff Clemetson | Editor

Planning group objects to initiative process

The decision whether to turn the Qualcomm Stadium site into a commercial, residential and entertainment hub centered around a Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium will be turned over to the citizens of San Diego on a special ballot this November.

An artist rendering of FS Investors’ SoccerCity proposal to replace Qualcomm Stadium (Courtesy FS Investors)

And just like previous initiative proposals involving professional sports stadiums, the SoccerCity proposal is generating controversy.

On April 5, FS Investors representative Nick Stone returned to the Mission Valley Planning Group to talk about the new initiative before the planning group voted on what action they would take about the proposal.

“As of [April 3] our group asked for the City Council to place us on the ballot for the Nov. 7, 2017 election to allow the people of San Diego to vote,” Stone said. “It’s something we’ve actually been working on the last two months and so it’s really nice to that it’s all kind of come together here.”

Stone said his group changed its strategy for getting the SoccerCity proposal passed after MLS changed its deadline for San Diego to have a plan in place to build a stadium. Previously, FS Investors would have had to pass the proposal through the San Diego Planning Commission and then a vote by City Council by the fall, prompting critics to point out the rushed timeline for such a large project.

On March 28, a group of San Diego community and business leaders launched the Public Land, Public Vote coalition to force a public vote on the proposal.

One of the coalition’s leaders, Joe LaCava, spoke at the meeting and urged the planning group to reject the SoccerCity proposal, pointing to the fact that resistance from the coalition had already helped pressure MLS to change its deadline.

“So there apparently are opportunities to play on the deal points,” he said. “As a taxpayer, that’s where I think there is an opportunity to make a real difference. How much is still sitting on the table that we as taxpayers can claw back from this deal?”

LaCava wasn’t alone in criticizing the proposal. Planning group member Marco Sessa questioned whether an initiative process would allow for public input on the issues in the proposal because once the initiative is written and voted on, very little can be changed. He also pointed out legal language in the proposal that troubled him.

“I think there is really interesting language associated with affordable housing and whether any of the affordable housing will be built,” he said. “I think the traffic mitigation is really concerning. I don’t necessarily see that mitigation will occur as the development occurs — even though it’s implied that it will, but there is legal language that allows an out.”

Stone agreed that the initiative process is locked, but there are still aspects of the project that can be changed depending on public input.

FS Investors representative Nick Stone addressed the Mission Valley Planning Group on April 5. (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

“What is locked is that there is a $40 million park. What is not locked is how we spend the $40 million. What is locked is the total entitlements; what is not locked is where on-site housing exists versus where retail exists, et cetera,” He said. “So there is wide room on some level to move things around. There are also laws with respect to the total entitlements that we cannot go over. The answer, sadly, is not straightforward.”

Stone further defended the initiative process by pointing to the electoral process of campaigning for votes.

“At the end of the day, this is a process that allows the city of San Diego to vote and [groups] will actively spend money campaigning against us … but that is the beauty of the citizen initiative process,” he said.

Sessa, who acknowledged to campaigning against the proposal, said that hiring consultants and lawyers to read the initiative and figure out what is legally binding is one of the problems with the process.

“You’ve put us in a situation to where we had to do those things,” he said. “If you went through the regular public vetting process, the city of San Diego traffic engineers would be reviewing your studies, identifying the fact that the trip distribution is not consistent with the study that was done, identifying the fact that road classifications in your study are not consistent with the future of our community plan, identifying the fact that there are no assurances that those improvements are going to get built.

“Yes, we’ve had to spend money. And, frankly, I believe the money we spent today has forced you to now say that you are going to do a public vote. I think it has also helped drive the language about $40 million instead of $20 million that you’ve committed to do parks and so if us spending money makes Mission Valley a better place, we’re going to continue to do it.”

Stone said that even though the initiative process will sidestep the regular entitlement process, FS Investors is not ducking CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act.

“The work is the same,” he said. “The work was done by the same engineers that do CEQA analysis all over the city of San Diego. They follow the same CEQA guidelines and I think that the important thing to remember about the initiative process is that our threshold is higher. We have to clear a vote of the people, not just a vote of nine people on City Council and not just a vote of a planning group.”

During public comments, planning commissioner Theresa Quiroz said the public is being “misled” by the initiative’s claim that there is no public subsidy involved in paying for the project.

“The devil is in the details. Right now, the property is zoned not very dense and it’s just commercial and there’s not much that can be done. This initiative is going to really, really upzone it. And the value of the property once you upzone, it is huge,” she said. “But the actual initiative says that it will be sold and leased to FS Investors at today’s value; that’s $200 million. But it’s going to be worth somewhere around $500 million, so they’re getting a $300 million subsidy.”

Stone said the price of the property is fair market value determined by the mayor’s process.

Planning group member Allan Grant took issue with how the initiative process will circumvent the planning group’s input while the group is in the middle of updating the community plan.

“Every other development in the valley, every other redevelopment that may come forward would now need to take into account what you’re doing, which is outside the community plan and that to me is troubling in the very least,” he said.

Grant said that even though the regular vetting process for projects is “sometimes challenging,” it is one that works for most people, most of the time.

“Never is anything going to be right for everybody but I would like to see the community have been consulted from day one,” he said. “I think it’s a better process.”

After comments were done, the planning group voted to take two actions on the SoccerCity proposal. The first was to form a subcommittee to study the initiative and look for places where the planning group would still have some input, such as the design of the proposed park and the look of the buildings.

The second action was to pen a letter to the City Council expressing the group’s concern over the initiative process that “trivializes” the work of the planning group.

—Reach Jeff Clemetson at [email protected].

The post Public will decide SoccerCity appeared first on Mission Valley News.

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

Religious Institutions in La Jolla

Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

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Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

seven bridge walk

bridge balboa park

bridge balboa park walk

balboa park bridge

banker hill walk

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Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: MissionValleyNews.com Public will decide SoccerCity By Jeff Clemetson | Editor Planning group objects to initiative process The decision whether to turn the Qualcomm Stadium site into a commercial, residential and entertainment hub centered around a Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium will be turned over to the citizens of San Diego on a special ballot this November.

#92108 #Mission Valley #San Diego

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sdconnection-blog · 8 years ago

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By Margie M. Palmer

Event features culinary treats, craft breweries, food drive

The annual Taste of Morena brings people from all over San Diego to the up-and-coming Morena District. (Photo by Selden Photography)

The 10th Annual Taste of Morena will take place on April 26 and as with Tastes of the past, this year’s event will feature an array of savory food samples, drink specials and delectable sweets from several local eateries.

For just $25, attendees will be able to partake in a culinary adventure that spans 23 restaurants, breweries and bars including Bay Park Coffee, Pita Pit, Andres Restaurant, Baci Ristorante, Bay Park Fish Company, Siesel’s Old Fashioned Meats, Bull’s Smokin’ BBQ, Dan Diegos, JV’s Mexican Food, La Gran Terraza, Luce Bar & Kitchen, Tio Leo’s, Offshore Tavern & Grill, Sardina’s Italian Restaurant & Bar, zPizza, Fiji Yogurt, Home Brew Mart by Ballast Point, The Clutch Bar, Side Car Bar, and Poseidon Project.

New participants include the cafe and bar at San Diego Tennis and Racquet Club, Pho Kitchen and tastes from Waters Fine Foods, which will be featured at Morena Storage.

Siesel’s Old Fashioned Meats deli manager Robert Cabanas and Ballast Point Brewing Company Home Brew Mart general manager Jim Johnson said that being part of the Taste of Morena is something they enjoy doing for the community.

Restaurants like Off shore Tavern and Grill will offer up tasty bites from their menus. (Photo by Selden Photography, courtesy of Morena Business Association)

“We’re part of the Bay Park community and if people don’t know about us, they can come out and try some of the stuff we make here. It’s all in good fun,” Cabanas said.

“We participate because we are part of the local business community here, and have been for 25 years,” Johnson said. “The Morena district has seen fantastic growth in the diversity and quality offered by its local businesses, and the ‘Taste’ is a great chance to showcase that.”

Taste of Morena event coordinator Barbara Oulette agrees, adding that it’s a great way for attendees to see what the area has to offer.

“It’s a pretty hip area and it’s becoming very popular. It’s fun and people love having a good time with their friends while being able to discover what’s here,” Oulette said.

She also encourages would-be attendees to get their ticket early, as Taste of Morena usually sells out.

“We sell about 600 tickets and we limit ticketing otherwise it makes it really hard for the restaurants if too many people show up,” Oulette said. “We encourage everyone to come out because many people don’t realize all the restaurants we have in the area. There is a lot of variety that spans from barbeque to pho. The Poseidon Project has a tasting showroom and the San Diego Tennis and Racquet Club has a café and bar, which most people don’t realize is open to the public. The area has Mexican food, Italian food and seafood. Whatever you want, you can get it there.”

Complimentary Old Town Shuttles will be off ered to Taste of Morena guests (Photo by Selden Photography, courtesy of Morena Business Association)

For the third year in a row, Taste of Morena will also serve as a food drive that will benefit the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. Anyone who drops off non-perishable food items, diapers or baby formula at the donation bins at Morena Storage will be entered to win four tickets to the San Diego Blues Festival in September.

Food drive participants will be provided with raffle tickets, Oulette said, adding that the winner will be announced within a week.

The Taste of Morena will take place on Wednesday, April 26, 5–9 p.m. The event will be held in the Morena District along Morena Boulevard, W. Morena Boulevard, Linda Vista Road and the surrounding side streets.

Complimentary Old Town Trolley shuttles will take guests to the participating restaurants and a special tram from University of San Diego will be on hand to shuttle guests to La Gran Terraza on the USD campus.

Tickets are available for $25 and can be purchased with cash or credit at Jerome’s Furniture and Morena Storage. Cash tickets are available for purchase at Max Folkers RE/MAX Pacific. Online ticketing is not available. Tickets are expected to sell out. For more information call 619-892-8037 or visit exploremorena.com.

—Margie M. Palmer is a freelance writer who has been racking up bylines for over a decade. Reach her at [email protected].

The post Taste of Morena turns 10 appeared first on Mission Valley News.

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

Religious Institutions in La Jolla

Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

Missing Attachment

San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

Missing Attachment

Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

seven bridge walk

bridge balboa park

bridge balboa park walk

balboa park bridge

banker hill walk

Missing Attachment

Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

p-89EKCgBk8MZdE

Original Article Provided By: MissionValleyNews.com Taste of Morena turns 10 By Margie M. Palmer Event features culinary treats, craft breweries, food drive The annual Taste of Morena brings people from all over San Diego to the up-and-coming Morena District.

#92108 #Mission Valley #San Diego

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sdconnection-blog · 8 years ago

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By Frank Sabatini Jr.

In the week leading up to the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, my spouse and I sated our corned beef desires over brunch at McGregor’s Grill & Ale House, which opened a stone’s throw away from Qualcomm Stadium, 20 years ago.

The kitchen serves the brined beef with cabbage every March 17, but also offers it seven days a week in half-pound sandwiches and as hash from 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. It’s sourced from the lauded Tarantino’s in San Diego.

Corned beef hash and eggs

McGregor’s is first and foremost a sports bar that happens to offer a decent selection of burgers, sandwiches, tacos and other pub grub. Hence, its lack of table service can evade first-time customers once they settle into their chairs or high-top stools in any of three large seating areas.

Food must be ordered and picked up at the bar, which is misleading because the place feels very much like a full-service restaurant amid billiard tables, flat screens and laminated menus placed at the tables.

An arrow hanging over one end of the main bar marks the spot to place the food orders. But there is no other signage indicating this is how it’s done and customers might feel neglected at first until a drink server swings by to explain the system.

Managing partner Ian Linekin assures the staff does its best to greet customers and explain the process to them, adding that when the bar first opened the food menu contained only four or five items.

Grasshopper pie

Since the choices expanded, he said discussions have been held about installing a sign at the entrance stating more clearly how to order the meals. Based on our initial confusion and that of fellow customers I witnessed — it would be a wise decision.

Fortunately there was no food line during the quiet time we visited and only a few peeps were ahead of me when returning one late afternoon a couple days later.

We shared two dishes, the half-pound corned beef sandwich on buttery, grilled rye, and the corned beef hash crowned with two gorgeously poached eggs. In both cases the spiced meat was much to our liking, free of gristle and sliced appropriately thin.

The sandwich featured a layer of melted Swiss cheese and deli mustard on the side. We converted it into a Reuben of sorts by piling in some of the fresh, semi-sweet coleslaw served alongside and then fetching from the bar a plastic cup of Thousand Island dressing.

Corned beef sandwich

Much like the corned beef sandwiches at Milton’s and D.Z. Akin’s (when paying for extra-lean meat), our choppers glided effortlessly through the sandwich’s interior.

From the short brunch menu, which includes “hair o’ the swine” carnitas with eggs and red sauce, and the extra-hearty “Murphy’s spuds” mixed with ham, bacon, cheese, avocado and sour cream, we chose with sober heads the “hangover hash.”

Here, the lean corned beef was coarsely chipped and strewn with sautéed onions, tender potatoes and slightly undercooked green bell peppers. The poached eggs on top sported uncommonly large yolks, adding extra richness to everything below them.

Lamb stew in Guinness gravy was in the offing on the specials board, as well as a calamari club sandwich and street tacos. But we came hell-bent for the protein that was introduced to New Yorkers in the mid-1800s by Irish immigrants, and ended our meal with a fat slice of minty, creamy grasshopper pie.

Amid the scent of Guinness and other beer (served in true pints) that endures inside of McGregor’s, hubby opted for a bourbon-infused cocktail ($9) with basil and muddled strawberries. Though boozy, we felt the price was a bit high for its size, which we estimated measured about four or five ounces.

Fish tacos (Photos by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

When dropping in for a weekday lunch, I discovered some of the best fish tacos in Mission Valley — beer-battered pollock and grilled mahi. Purchased a la carte, the former was draped in addicting “white sauce” that I later learned is house-made ranch dressing. The fish in both tacos was flakey and substantial.

McGregor’s is a favored haunt among Chargers and Aztec football fans. Fronted by an elongated front patio, this non-consumer of sports can easily pass visiting on game days.

But when a certain birthday comes around, or I start hankering for solid bar food, the low-key hours inside these established confines are comfortably appealing.

—Frank Sabatini Jr. is the author of “Secret San Diego” (ECW Press), and began his local writing career more than two decades ago as a staffer for the former San Diego Tribune. You can reach him at [email protected].

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Original Article Provided By: MissionValleyNews.com Corned beef, not just for St. Patrick’s Day By Frank Sabatini Jr. In the week leading up to the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, my spouse and I sated our corned beef desires over brunch at McGregor’s Grill & Ale House, which opened a stone’s throw away from Qualcomm Stadium, 20 years ago.

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By Dave Schwab

Waste business has evolved over the years

When the Snyder family acquired the company now known as EDCO Disposal back in the ’60s, they never imagined half a century later the business would be more about recycling than trash collecting.

“I like to say that landfills are going out of business,” said John Snyder, vice president of EDCO Waste & Recycling, which is celebrating its golden anniversary this year.

An EDCO truck in the 2016 La Mesa Flag Day Parade (Courtesy of EDCO)

EDCO has been picking up La Mesa’s trash for 50 years, ever since Snyder’s grandfather from Orange County purchased La Mesa Disposal in 1967.

“From 1967 to 1990, we were just a garbage hauler,” said Snyder. “From 1990 to today we’ve evolved, getting more into recycling than trash collecting.”

Snyder noted EDCO was one of the first companies to participate in residential and commercial curbside recycling, as well as handling construction recycling.

“More than half of the business is involved in the recycling end (now),” he pointed out.

Looking ahead, Snyder sees more change coming.

“The future will be involved with how we manage the waste stream,” he predicted. “The next material we’ll be handling (more of) is organics — green, wood and food waste. That’s the next opportunity. We’re getting into it.”

EDCO Vive President John Snyder

EDCO Disposal Corporation provides solid waste disposal and recycling services in the city of La Mesa under an exclusive franchise agreement. Services provided include collection, transfer and disposal of all solid waste, recyclables and yard waste generated at all residential and commercial properties in the city.

On its website, edcodisposal.com, EDCO claims to have “a trash solution for everyone regardless of whether that involves curbside pickup, a dumpster, a roll off box or a storage container. EDCO operates clean, well-maintained equipment offering innovative waste collection and recycling services to meet the needs of each customer.”

During the past 50 years, the Snyder family business has grown from 10 employees to about 300, many of whom work in recycling, which didn’t even exist when the company first started out.

Growing — and changing — with the times over the past half century has been a transformative experience for the trash hauler, noted Snyder.

“Back then, there were no big publicly traded companies in the industry, just small owner-operators,” he said, adding the biggest change over the last 50 years came in 1989 when the California legislature passed AB 939.

“That bill mandated California’s cities and counties to recycle 50 percent of their solid waste by 2020,” Snyder said adding EDCO responded by “opening our first recycling materials recovery facility in Lemon Grove.”

Like many other industries today, trash hauling has undergone technological innovation.

“Along with curbside recycling, we went to automatic collection in the ’90s, where an automatic arm on the truck picks up the trash, which is much more efficient and takes less time allowing you to pick up many more (receptacles) than before by doing it manually,” Snyder said. “That’s become the industry standard.”

EDCO also has a well-deserved reputation for being involved in, and giving back to, the communities it serves.

“We’ve been involved in charities,” said Snyder, adding that organizations such as La Mesa National Little League, La Mesa Parks and Rec, and the Grossmont Hospital Foundation have all benefited from the company’s largess.

Snyder noted EDCO has made a major investment in environmental sustainability, “converting our diesel trucks to compressed natural gas, a far cleaner and better alternative power than diesel that we started using in 2009. Now more than half of our fleet is compressed natural gas.”

Snyder said EDCO’s future looks promising, in part due to more recycling mandates passed this year by the California Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown, which has set an ambitious goal of 75 percent for recycling, composting or source reduction of solid waste by 2020.

“Our goal is to divert as much waste as possible from landfills, which we don’t own and don’t intend to,” Snyder said. “The state has also set new goals for a few years ahead for cities and counties. That’s going to help keep us in business. We’re going to have to plan for it.”

—Freelance reporter Dave Schwab can be reached at [email protected].

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

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Gene Littler

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Original Article Provided By: LaMesaCourier.com EDCO turns 50 By Dave Schwab Waste business has evolved over the years When the Snyder family acquired the company now known as EDCO Disposal back in the ’60s, they never imagined half a century later the business would be more about recycling than trash collecting.

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By Cynthia Robertson

Art blooms in new studio

Until a few months ago, Debbie Solan was co-owner with Paul Fernandes of Fusion Glass Company in La Mesa. Now she is the sole owner of Idea Field, a studio and shop where art of every kind can bloom.

The road bringing Solan to Idea Field has been a long one, but worth every moment. She grew up as the middle child of five in Dublin, Ireland. Times were difficult then, with money being tight for everyone there. But Solan found beauty in painting and coloring.

Idea Field owner Debbie Solan is creating an art space that caters to a variety of mediums and teaches art to all diff erent age groups and skill levels. (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

“I don’t remember a time when art wasn’t in my life. I come from a family of creators,” she said.

By the time she was in her teens, the Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick was her biggest inspiration. Solan developed what she calls “itchy feet,’ and at 19 years of age, she left Ireland and traveled throughout Europe for a number of years. She met many Americans along the way, so she decided to come see what America was all about.

“And then the age-old story. I met a guy and stayed. He remains one of my best friends to this day,” Solan said.

When she moved to San Diego, Solan took a part-time job at a real estate office. That is where she met Paul Fernandes. They both discovered they had a passion for art. Fernandes did stained glass as a hobby and took a glass fusing class. He asked Solan if she would be interested in helping him with the kiln.

The helmet from a costume piece Solan created titled “Chrome Ballerina” (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

Solan had already had experience with pottery kilns and thought that glass fusion would be worth looking into.

“We were enjoying experimenting with this wonderful medium and were creating so many pieces of jewelry we just gave them away to anyone who liked it.

“With glass there is the intrigue of translucency. I loved working with the glass from the first moment — the colors, textures and the gorgeous translucency were intriguing to me, there are so many ways to work with glass and every artist does it their own way, I felt a sense of freedom,” Solan said.

One day Fernandes and Solan were asked to set up a booth at a local church to help raise money to pay the medical bills of a young boy. They made $1,200 in two days.

“We realized we had something that people really liked,” she said.

Glass panels created by artist from St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center on display at Idea Field (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

Fernandes and Solan set up a small workshop and started selling their work at gift shows all over America. Soon after, they opened Fusion Glass, a shop and studio specializing in the art form.

Though Fernandes retired late in 2016, he and Solan remain friends. “He comes by to visit all the time,” Solan said.

For Idea Field, Solan is keeping many of the same elements of Fusion Glass, especially the feel of a studio where people can drop in and create. Solan will keep the name Fusion Glass Company for a few more months as the art studio transitions.

Currently, Idea Field is displaying an exhibit of glass panels made by the artists at St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center. For the past two years, Solan has been teaching the art of glass fusion to the students at the center.

Also on exhibit are silk painting, mosaics and jewelry as well as paintings. Other mediums that Solan will be featuring in the future include photography and drawing.

In addition, Solan has added a lot of new options for classes, as the studio is no longer focused primarily on glass. People can now also take classes in silk painting, drawing, photography and mosaic. Starting in June, Idea Field will introduce “Pocket Money Projects” for kids on Saturdays.

Solan will continue with the popular Ladies Night Out, which is a time when women can come together and create a simple project and hang out with friends. The de-stressing time is powerful, Solan said. She remembers one particular LNO where at the end of the session, a student came up to her and gave her a great big hug.

“I’m a big advocate of hugging. She told me that she was battling cancer and said she had absolutely forgotten all about it for the first time while she focused on her creative task. The incident made us both cry.

“I remember thinking ‘that’s some powerful medicine’ to be able to take a person away from their troubles and worries. This is a gift I want to keep giving,” Solan said.

Idea Field owner Debbie Solan is creating an art space that caters to a variety of mediums and teaches art to all different age groups and skill levels. (Photo by Cynthia Robertson)

For more artistic endeavors of Idea Field, Solan is collaborating with friends Marjorie Pezzoli, a silk painting artist from La Mesa, and Wendy Morris, the art administrator for St. Madeline Sophie’s Center.

For people who want to drop in and do some art for a few hours, Idea Field is available any day that the shop is open.

Solan has made available an entire “menu” of projects using very simple techniques that anyone can do.

Just as Fusion Glass was popular with the community for its well-attended and fun art receptions, Solan is planning the same for Idea Field. The next big event will be Tea Under the Sea on May 13.

—Cynthia Robertson is a San Diego-based freelance writer. Reach her at [email protected].

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

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Original Article Provided By: LaMesaCourier.com A big idea By Cynthia Robertson Art blooms in new studio Until a few months ago, Debbie Solan was co-owner with Paul Fernandes of Fusion Glass Company in La Mesa.

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By Jeff Clemetson

Sports celebrities, radio personalities and business and community leaders from across San Diego County joined tribal elders and leaders of the Sycuan band of the Kumeyaay Nation on March 28 to break ground on a new hotel expansion for the Sycuan Casino.

Tribal chairman Cody Martinez introduced the new expansion with a brief history of the casino and what it has brought to Sycuan and the surrounding communities.

An artist rendering of the 12-story hotel expansion currently under construction at Sycuan Casino. (Courtesy of Sycuan)

“It is with great, great excitement and pride that we are making this investment, not just on behalf of the tribe, but on behalf of our team members and our customers, we are taking Sycuan to the next level,” Martinez said as he revealed a 3-D video rendering of what the new hotel will look like.

Guests at the groundbreaking were also able to take a virtual reality tour of the new facility using VR goggles that immersed them in 360-degree views of the hotel drawings.

Representatives from Sycuan ceremoniously dig the dirt at a groundbreaking event for the casino’s hotel expansion. (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

Sycuan’s next level is an expansion that includes a 12-story hotel tower with 300 rooms and suites; a full-service spa and fitness center with sauna facilities and exercise equipment; an 11,400-square-foot conference and event center; an expansion of 60,000 square feet of new gaming areas that will house 2,500 new slot machines and 80 table games; new bars and restaurant options, from casual to fine dining; and a resort-style pool area, complete with a lazy river. In total, the new expansion will be around 500,000 square feet.

The $226 million expansion’s grand opening is slated for 2019.

And the casino expansion wasn’t the only news announced at the groundbreaking event.

“So, everybody’s wondering, ‘What about the golf course?’ Well its day is yet to come. There will be a plan for that as well, however we are launching today that we are going back to [the name] Singing Hills Golf Resort at Sycuan,” Martinez said as he revealed new logos for the casino and golf resort.

For more information about Sycuan Casino, visit sycuan.com.

—Reach Jeff Clemetson at [email protected].

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

Religious Institutions in La Jolla

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Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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Original Article Provided By: LaMesaCourier.com Sycuan breaks ground on hotel expansion By Jeff Clemetson Sports celebrities, radio personalities and business and community leaders from across San Diego County joined tribal elders and leaders of the Sycuan band of the Kumeyaay Nation on March 28 to break ground on a new hotel expansion for the Sycuan Casino.

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Guest Editorial: How immigration status affects children

Dr. Trish Hatch

Studies show there are more than 11 million people currently residing in the United States that do not have legal status or authorization from the government to be here. Of that 11 million, approximately 3.9 of them are children.

Children, at no fault of their own, are at great risk regarding the impacts of deportation, with the total numbers of “undocumented” parents — one or…

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By Connie and Lynn Baer | Foothiller Footsteps

For the fourth year, in March Grossmont High School students participated in the San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition, which is sponsored by local, state, and federal courts and the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA).

Each high school team consists of between eight and 25 students. SDCBA assists in providing lawyer coaches while the courts provide the judges and the courtrooms. This year, 29 county high schools participated in the competition.

Mock trial team members: (l to r) front row: Jennifer Truong (attorney coach), Kennedy Nolta, Isabella Gargano, Megan Williams, Sophia Wulftange Mungia, Pamela Torresdey, Liliana Guerrero, Jillian Dawson; back row: Holly Jones (teacher coach), Carley Freedman, Sarvenaz Karbasi, Cristina Misas, Ashley Prus, Alyssa Chong, Brycen Carter, Caleb Cheek, Luis Escobar. Not pictured: Cayla Macres, Tenenma Sirleaf (Courtesy GHS Museum)

Advanced Placement Government teacher Holly Jones said that the mission of the program is “to foster understanding and respect for the American legal system and for the rule of law. The program seeks to develop high school students into better citizens by familiarizing them with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights through academic competition, enhancing students’ ability to think critically, to communicate effectively, and to work as a team.”

The Foothiller team was comprised of 15 seniors and one junior. The students dedicated over four months of training, including more than 40 hours of their time. Most of the 16 students are AP Government students who volunteered for the team and were selected after trying out.

Grossmont’s three attorney coaches from the California State Attorney General’s Office were Kimberley Donohue, Laura Glennon, and Jennifer Truong.

“This is our first year breaking into the top 10,” said Truong after she received the team’s scores. “Thanks to all your hard work and commitment, we placed sixth out of 29 schools. And one of our many amazing students, Bella Gargan, won Outstanding Prosecution Attorney!”

Only three of the top 10 teams are public schools, while the rest are private schools. This was the first year that Grossmont was ranked in the top 10. In the last round of competition, Grossmont received nearly perfect scores in nine categories: 19 out of 20 in five, and 18 out of 20 in four.

“Our Mock Trial team this year was focused, hard-working, and determined,” said Jones. “We were all very excited with our sixth (out of 30) place win and, as coaches, we were very pleased all of their hard work paid off. They were an outstanding group this year.”

Jones had her students comment on the experience. Their comments were anonymous so they could be more honest, she said. Here are some examples:

“Mock Trials gave me much greater confidence in public speaking.”

“I gained respect for the arduous process and the judicial system as a whole through experiencing it first hand.”

“Mock trial has taught me perseverance, passion, and belief in what I’m doing and the value of hard work.”

“I was able to meet wonderful people who I would not have interacted with before. I am grateful for the experience.”

To learn more about Grossmont’s 96-year history and wonderful student experiences such as these, visit us or explore our GHS Museum website. The Museum is open noon-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, and by appointment.

—Connie and Lynn Baer write on behalf of the Grossmont High School Museum. To reach the museum, email [email protected] , call 619-668-6140, or visit online at foothillermuseum.com.

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Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

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Original Article Provided By: LaMesaCourier.com Foothillers lawyer up for Mock Trial Competition By Connie and Lynn Baer | Foothiller Footsteps For the fourth year, in March Grossmont High School students participated in the San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition, which is sponsored by local, state, and federal courts and the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA).

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By Frank Sabatini Jr.

A long overdue niche has been filled in La Mesa with the arrival of Brew Coffee Spot. The urban-rustic coffeehouse affords caffeine enthusiasts a spacious place to sip, eat and relax, if not spread out with school or work projects on roomy tables made of wood and metal pipes.

Anchored within the Big Lots shopping center at 6101 Lake Murray Blvd., the business model was conceived in just over the time it takes to swig down a couple of frothy lattes.

(l to r) Owners Joe Paraiso and Ralf Wilkowski (Photos by Frank Sabatini Jr.)

“My wife and I had some friends over and we started talking on a whim about opening a coffee shop because of the need for one in this area. By the end of the night we had a name for it, came up logo ideas and even created a web page,” said Joe Paraiso, a graphics designer who runs the business with his wife, Heather, and their friend, Ralf Wilkowski.

The trio soon began looking for a location and eventually found two adjoining storefronts that previously housed a shoe store and Mail Boxes Etc.

After knocking down a wall to combine the spaces, they designed the 2,300-square-foot shop themselves. Their combined efforts resulted in stained concrete flooring, shiplap wood accents, an expansive brick wall, LED light pendants and live plants, which gracefully dissect the sleek, open space.

Café au lait with a foamy design

The shop’s pride and joy, however, is a high-end water filtration system installed specifically to spotlight the rich, natural flavor of the coffees — whether consumed hot or cold. Loose teas such as white rose, blood orange, peppermint, coconut-cacao and more are also made with the super-pure water.

“There’s no aftertaste to our coffee and tea drinks because of it.” Paraiso said. “The filtered water also extends the life of our La Marzocco espresso machine, which is the workhorse of the industry.”

Brew Coffee Spot uses organic coffee beans sourced from San Diego’s Café Virtuoso. The roaster provided guidance in equipment selection and barista training during the lead-up to the shop’s March opening.

“Going into this business can be very intimidating because there are a lot of people who are very particular about their coffee,” Paraiso added. “Café Virtuoso had everything we wanted from a roaster.”

Paraiso and his wife reside in nearby Fletcher Hills. She works for an online school, and both have maintained their established careers since launching the business.

Brie and butter ficelle sandwiches

Wilkowski previously owned a signage company in Pacific Beach. He now runs Brew’s kitchen, which offers a menu of hearty sandwiches and paninis using assorted breads from Bread & Cie.

The sandwich choices extend to turkey caprese with pesto; roast beef with provolone; ham with Swiss; a PB&J; and brie and butter on slim French-style ficelle baguettes.

Bread & Cie also supplies a variety of pastries although the shop’s cinnamon rolls are made by Paraiso’s sister and the baklava hails from Baklava King in Santee.

The coffee menu covers all bases, many of which were uncommon to this area of La Mesa until now. They include everything from pour-over Guatemalan coffee and café au lait to various lattes and a cold nitro brew that’s keg-aged for a few days.

There’s also a crafty selection of espressos such as affogato with vanilla bean ice cream and Viennese spiked with honey and cinnamon.

A mug of cold nitro brew and a café au lait

“We’re still in soft opening and some things will change soon,” Paraiso noted, referring a likely extension of operating hours and a couple of blank walls that will make way for art.

Brew Coffee Spot is currently open from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and until 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and 2 p.m. on Sundays.

In addition, live jazz is held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and game night takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.

For more information, call 619-713-6698 or visit brewcoffeespot.com.

—Frank Sabatini Jr. is the author of “Secret San Diego” (ECW Press), and began his career as a local writer for the former San Diego Tribune. Reach him at [email protected].

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

Religious Institutions in La Jolla

Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

Missing Attachment

Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

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bridge balboa park walk

balboa park bridge

banker hill walk

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Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: LaMesaCourier.com New neighborhood coffee shop picks up steam By Frank Sabatini Jr. A long overdue niche has been filled in La Mesa with the arrival of Brew Coffee Spot.

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Arts Calendar: April 28 – May 25, 2017

MUSIC NOTES

Live music at San Pasqual Winery Saturdays, April 29 and May 6, 13, 20

San Pasqual Winery presents music acts: The Waits on April 29; Joel Tuttle on May 6; Andrew Parker Davis on May 13; and Jim Earp & Bill Benzil on May 20. Seating is first come, first served. No cover. 7–10 p.m. at La Mesa Village, 8364 La Mesa Blvd. Visit bit.ly/2kIRWXx.

Cuyamaca College’s 9th annual Coyote Music…

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By Wendy Lemlin

Elected official from Louisiana to experience ‘Gator’ first hand

How authentic is the Louisiana-themed joie de vivre evidenced at the annual Gator by the Bay Festival, happening May 11-14 at Spanish Landing Park?

So authentic that it caught the attention of Louisiana’s Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, who has cleared his very busy schedule to attend the festival on all four days.

“I am so excited to come experience Gator By the Bay,” he enthused. “I’ve heard about this festival for several years and I truly appreciate that the Gator By the Bay team brings such a genuine taste of Louisiana — the music, the food, and the culture — to beautiful San Diego.

Nungesser said he’s also heard the local festival referenced as a “mini” version of the New Orleans Jazz Fest.

“I’m coming because I want to say thanks to San Diego for shining the spotlight on our wonderful culture and I’m happy to spend some of our state’s tourism dollars in your city.”

He said he is looking forward to enjoying the event, which promotes Louisiana’s culture and focuses on two of his state’s “most important exports,” food and music.

“We are so proud and honored that the lieutenant governor of Louisiana considers our festival so worthwhile that he would take four days out of his schedule and trek halfway across the country to join in the fun,” said Peter Oliver, Gator By the Bay organizer.

With approximately 100 musical performances — including Cajun, zydeco, blues, rockabilly, salsa and Americana — on seven stages throughout the four days, Gator By the Bay is unique among San Diego festivals.

Why Louisiana in San Diego? It’s all about the fun of dancing to the rollicking Cajun and zydeco music from the southwestern part of that state; it’s about the Mardi Gras spirit of New Orleans, with beads, boas and brass bands; and it’s about the tantalizing Cajun and Creole cuisine — including 10,000 pounds of fresh crawfish — available to be devoured at the festival.

Numerous Cajun- and zydeco-based music festivals are held throughout the U.S. these days, attracting thousands of people, many of who travel from one festival to the next. Gator By the Bay is widely acknowledged to be one of the largest, and expects to draw nearly 18,000 national and international enthusiasts, who will fill close to 1,500 San Diego hotel rooms over the four-day festival.

Noting that the “truly unique” music from his state has “a different sound” from most, Nungesser isn’t surprised that it resonates so strongly and has such a devoted following outside of Louisiana.

“It’s not something to sit and listen to, you have to get up and move around when you hear it, whether you’re a dancer or not,” he said. “It just makes you forget all your troubles and join in the joy.

“We have over 400 festivals in Louisiana and every year that number seems to increase,” he continued. “People flock to them. It’s the music and the food, but it is also the way we treat people that is really special. We embrace everyone like family. The love for life, expressed through our music and culture, translates into a formula for success [not only] in San Diego, [but also] Rhode Island, Toronto — anywhere.”

Having both visited San Diego on vacation a number of years ago and married his wife on Santa Monica’s beaches, Nungesser said he sees similarities between the Southern California and Louisiana lifestyles.

“There’s a free-spirit-ness and an emphasis on enjoying life in both our cultures,” he observed. “I’d like to see more collaboration in promoting tourism between our areas, both for the elements we have in common, and for our individual unique-nesses.”

To augment that collaboration in a most delicious way, the Louisiana Seafood Commission will be sponsoring cooking lessons and contributing seafood to the Culinary Demo tent, always a popular spot during the weekend.

Chef Nathan Richard of New Orlean’s Cavan Restaurant will be on hand to cook, share recipes, and give samples of his cuisine. Named one of Louisiana Cookin’ magazine’s “chefs to watch” for 2016, Richard is known for culinary creations influenced by his Cajun upbringing and the bounty of local ingredients.

Musical headliners from Louisiana appearing at Gator By the Bay this year include Grammy winner Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band; Grammy nominee Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie; and Grammy winner with multiple nominees, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Opening headliner on May 11 is Marcia Ball, who has been nominated for multiple Grammy awards over the years. The multitalented pianist, vocalist and songwriter — who specializes in boogie-woogie, blues and swing — was raised in Louisiana but now resides in Austin.

For more info on performers, schedules, and festival events, visit Gatorbythebay.com.

—Wendy Lemlin is an award-winning San Diego-based freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].

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Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

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Religious Institutions in La Jolla

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Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

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Original Article Provided By: SanDiegoDowntownNews.com From the bayou to the bay By Wendy Lemlin Elected official from Louisiana to experience ‘Gator’ first hand How authentic is the Louisiana-themed joie de vivre evidenced at the annual Gator by the Bay Festival, happening May 11-14 at Spanish Landing Park?

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sdconnection-blog · 8 years ago

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By Dave Fidlin

After 8-year hiatus of Red Bull Races, local pilot will compete over San Diego Bay

Abu Dhabi, Budapest … San Diego?

A member of the Red Bull Air Force Team during a practice run March 14 over San Diego Bay. (Courtesy Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool)

These global cities might appear an unlikely mix, but they share a common bond this year: Each is among eight select locales throughout the world hosting a Red Bull Air Race at some point in 2017.

The 14 Master Class pilots in the Air Races, sponsored by the namesake energy drink company, are touted as some of the best in the world. At each of the eight motor sport competitions, the aviators showcase their speed, precision and skill.

San Diego is not a stranger to the Red Bull Air Races.

Events were held above San Diego Bay for three consecutive years, 2007 to 2009, but vanished from the local skies in the ensuing years as competitions were held elsewhere.

The race director is a local

Although he shies away from taking credit for its return to San Diego, Coronado resident Jim DiMatteo said he did serve as a strong advocate as planning for the 2017 itinerary got underway last year.

“From an air racer’s perspective, I’m very excited it’s coming back to America’s Finest City,” said DiMatteo, a retired U.S. Navy Captain and fighter pilot, who is among the 14 Master Class pilots in the Red Bull Air Races.

Since retiring from the Navy in 2013, DiMatteo has remained busy. In addition to competing across the globe in all eight Red Bull Air Races — including the upcoming event on his home turf — DiMatteo holds the title of “Race Director” for the entire operation.

Coronado resident and retired Navy pilot Jim DiMatteo will be participating in the April race over San Diego. (Courtesy Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool)

From his own anecdotal perspective, DiMatteo said he has been greeted with a bounty of enthusiasm as word has spread about the upcoming Red Bull Air Race in San Diego, which is slated over Easter weekend, April 15-16.

“As a local San Diegan, I’m proud to have it back,” he said. “It’s a wonderful attraction and it’s a fun outdoor activity the whole family can enjoy.”

DiMatteo said the prospect of returning the Red Bull Air Races to San Diego began last spring during a chance conversation with Mayor Kevin Faulconer.

“He was talking about trying hard and being aggressive in building San Diego’s brand awareness,” DiMatteo said. “His goal is for San Diego to have more international recognition.”

In a prepared statement to San Diego Downtown News, Faulconer espoused enthusiasm for the return of the Red Bull Air Races in San Diego.

“As a hub for innovation in flight and home to some of the world’s most scenic views, there is no better place to host the Red Bull Air Races than San Diego,” Faulconer said in the statement. “We look forward to the long awaited return of this spectacular event and hosting visitors from around the globe to enjoy it alongside San Diegans.”

Mirroring past events, the upcoming racers’ high-speed, low-flying action will occur atop Embarcadero Marina parks — South and North. The green space runs along the San Diego Harbor on the east side of San Diego Bay on property administered by the Port of San Diego.

Efforts to ensure safety

Because so much of the racing takes place in and near very public places, a number of local agencies, including the Port itself, have been intricately involved in the logistics of the event to ensure no precautionary stone in the name of safety has been left unturned.

Brianne Mundy Page, a marketing and public relations representative with the Port, said steps have been taken to inform boaters and other persons who frequent the area that public access will be prohibited in a number of areas during a Friday practice session on April 14 and throughout the competitions.

A high-altitude view of the March 14 practice run over San Diego. (Courtesy Andy Farrington/Red Bull Content Pool)

“(An email) was sent by dockmasters — who manage the marinas and yacht clubs on San Diego Bay — to boaters,” Page said of the communication efforts.

As for the competition, DiMatteo said great strides are taken in every city to ensure the pilots and spectators are safe throughout the event.

“It’s something we work extremely hard on,” DiMatteo said. “We’re very proud of our safety record. We’ve had no incidents, ever, which is very, very unique in the world of aviation.”

Although the Master Class pilots only perform in formal competitive events eight times a year, DiMatteo said a significant amount of practice occurs throughout the year to ensure each participant is on his A-game.

“It’s really well rehearsed,” DiMatteo said. “A lot of training goes into it.”

San Diego is the second stop for the Red Bull Air Race in 2017. The pilots competed in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in February. After departing San Diego this month, the pilots will then compete in Chiba, Japan, in June; and Budapest, Hungary, and Kazan, Russia in July.

Two more locales, yet to be determined, are planned for Europe in August and September. The final competition this year is slated in Indianapolis in October.

For ticket information and other specific details on the upcoming Red Bull Air Race in San Diego, visit redbullairrace.com.

—Dave Fidlin is a freelance journalist with a special affinity for San Diego and its people. Contact him at [email protected].

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

Religious Institutions in La Jolla

Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

Missing Attachment

Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

seven bridge walk

bridge balboa park

bridge balboa park walk

balboa park bridge

banker hill walk

Missing Attachment

Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: SanDiegoDowntownNews.com A soaring return By Dave Fidlin After 8-year hiatus of Red Bull Races, local pilot will compete over San Diego Bay…

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sdconnection-blog · 8 years ago

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By Joyell Nevins

EarthFair organizers offer myriad ways to keep our planet alive

Be a part of the solution, not the problem — and not the complaint.

The parade is one of the most popular events of the day, both for viewers and participants. (Courtesy EarthFair)

The 28th annual EarthFair organizers are encouraging everyone to get involved and care for the earth they live on with the theme, “Be a Solution!” The fair will be held Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. in Balboa Park.

More than 50,000 spectators, 350 volunteers and 300-plus exhibitors make this event the largest, free Earth Day Festival in the nation. But despite the massive amount of people involved, there is one core theme running through.

“They’re all trying to do something to better the environment,” said EarthFair co-founder Carolyn Chase.

The fair is the brainchild — and labor of love — for both Chase and her husband Chris Klein. It started when she was new to the area and trying to find an environmental group to get involved in. Chase grew up with a mother who gardened and a father who instilled a real love of nature in her from a young age.

Founders and environmental activists Carolyn Chase and her husband Chris Klein at the festival (Courtesy EarthFair)

But before the days of the internet, it was harder to research who was doing what in a new city. So she and Klein decided to put together a small fair to allow many groups to introduce themselves to people looking for a way to help.

“Different groups have different cultures, a different way they make a difference,” Chase said. “This [fair] is a big tent idea — a way to connect.”

That small fair has grown into a massive event, showcasing between 300-400 nonprofits, businesses and agencies every year.

Exhibitors include traditional conservation organizations, wildlife preservation groups, organic gardeners, and groups that offer ecotourism opportunities, pet adoption services, and many alternative health products and services.

The fair is divided into themed areas such as eHome, making your environment more sustainable; eARTth Gallery with earth-friendly arts and crafts; Reuse & Repair, learning how to reduce waste; and a vegetarian Food Pavilion.

New this year is a specifically themed climate science area. Enjoy giveaways, interactive exhibits, raffles … you can even sit inside a “cleaner car” at the concourse.

“No matter where you start, there are many ways to make a difference and they add up,” Klein said. “The EarthFair is a place to discover on one day how to make a difference the rest of the year.”

EarthFair kicks off with a parade showcasing many of these themes and groups. There will be people with signs, costumes and face paint, all displaying their passion for their cause and the environment.

Puppet Insurgency will be walking with a 20-foot informative pipeline and their continued efforts to “Heal the Gyres.” A gyre is a vortex of winds and currents that ends up collecting much of the plastic and trash thrown in the ocean.

According to the Environmental Cleanup Coalition, an estimated 11 million tons of floating plastic covers an area of nearly 5 million square miles in the Pacific Ocean, 700 miles northeast of the Hawaiian Island chain and 1,000 miles from the coast of California.

The Earth Day Parade is welcome to all ages and species. It starts at 10:30 a.m. by the Spanish Village and marches through the park to the Children’s Area in Pan American Plaza. Participants are invited to dress up as endangered species and present their favorite earth-friendly messages.

“It’s one of the funnest parts of the fair,” Chase said of the parade.

Registration is not required for the parade, but Chase notes it is appreciated for planning purposes.

In keeping with its mission, EarthFair strives to be a zero waste event, meaning that everything discarded is either recycled, reused or composted.

They have 30 “Zero Waste” stations set up throughout the park with bins for waste, recycle and compost. A “Trash Talker” is posted at each station to make sure your discards go in the right bin and answer any of your recycling questions.

In 2015, out of four tons of trash, two of those tons were recycled and one ton was composted, and 500 pounds of food was recovered for homeless shelters. Last year, 90 percent of the waste was reused in some way.

The whole event could not exist without the help of a team of volunteers. Along with the hundreds of volunteers on the day of, there are almost 40 team leaders who have been working with Chase and Klein for the last three to 28 years.

“This core set of people is what make it happen,” Chase said.

She emphasized however, that volunteers for the day itself are still needed. All that’s required is to attend one training session on either April 15 or April 21.

Also on the website are ideas for alternative parking, as there are almost no car parking spots by the park by the fair’s start time. Ride your bicycle and you can reduce your carbon footprint and enjoy free valet bicycle parking.

To learn more about EarthFair or to volunteer, visit earthdayweb.org or call 858-272-7370.

—Freelance writer Joyell Nevins can be reached at [email protected]. You can also reach her blog Small World, Big God at swbgblog.wordpress.com.

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

Religious Institutions in La Jolla

Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

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San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

Missing Attachment

Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

seven bridge walk

bridge balboa park

bridge balboa park walk

balboa park bridge

banker hill walk

Missing Attachment

Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: SanDiegoDowntownNews.com Love your mother By Joyell Nevins EarthFair organizers offer myriad ways to keep our planet alive Be a part of the solution, not the problem — and not the complaint.

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sdconnection-blog · 8 years ago

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By Sunny Lee | East Village Biz News

For the seventh year in a row, the East Village Association celebrates the opening of the MLB baseball season as the San Diego Padres open the gates of Petco Park to host the San Francisco Giants on Friday, April 7.

The Opening Day Block Party will be held on J Street between Sixth and 10th avenues. (Photo by Ray Faketty)

The free, family-friendly seventh annual East Village Opening Day Block Party will be the ultimate tailgating scene on J Street between Sixth and 10th avenues from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 7, and from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 8.

Show your team pride and “root, root, root for the home team” as we kick off the party with fun family games, activities and much more! Enjoy great food, craft beer and cocktails from delicious local restaurants.

The East Village Association will also be hosting a bike valet at the Do the Ride Thing community booth. To use the bike valet:

Bring your bike to the Do the Ride Thing booth.

Your bike will be tagged and you will receive a valet ticket.

Enjoy the event while your bike is watched by staff.

Return with your ticket and retrieve your bike.

It’s that simple. Each person who uses the bike valet will receive a free Do the Ride Thing giveaway (while supplies last). Also, enjoy 20 percent off your Uber ride to the block party using code OPENINGDAYSD. Rides must begin or end in East Village between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Valid on Friday, April 7, and Saturday, April 8 only.

Visit EastVillageSanDiego.com for more details.

— Sunny Lee is the program manager of the East Village Association, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that manages the East Village business improvement district. To learn more visit the eastvillagesandiego.com.

Conor Chinn

La Jolla Cave

Demographics of La Jolla

Community Groups La Jolla

Landmarks in La Jolla

Rolf Benirschke

Gerry Driscoll

Dick Enberg

Doug Flutie

J. J. Isler

Gene Littler

Rey Mysterio

Bob Skinner

Joel Skinner

Craig Stadler

Alexandra Stevenson

Lou Thesz

John Michels

Izetta Jewel Miller

Religious Institutions in La Jolla

Beach Barber Tract

Beach Barber La Jolla High School

Missing Attachment

San Diego Short Sale Real Estate Investing

Missing Attachment

Rehabbing San Diego Real Estate

seven bridge walk

bridge balboa park

bridge balboa park walk

balboa park bridge

banker hill walk

Missing Attachment

Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: SanDiegoDowntownNews.com East Village hosts Opening Day Block Party Weekend By Sunny Lee | East Village Biz News For the seventh year in a row, the East Village Association celebrates the opening of the MLB baseball season as the San Diego Padres open the gates of Petco Park to host the San Francisco Giants on Friday, April 7.

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