This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
>> Welcome to the fi rst edition of San Diego Uptown News!


}} UPTOWN WINE PICKS: WINES TO GRILL FOR, PAGE 13


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3


July 24–Aug. 6, 2009


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4


Aug. 7-20, 2009


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5


Aug. 21-Sept. 3, 2009


Volume 1; Number 1 Inside


June 19-July 2, 2009 kensington


A sign of the times


FARMERS MARKET


Hillcrest Farmers Market manager signs new contract. See page 8


UPTOWN WINE PICKS


Ron James says summertime is a great time to try a rosé wine. We’re not talking White Zinfandel. See Page 13


La Casa Encantada is one of three historic homes the Academy of Our Lady of Peace plans to demolish, to make way for expansion of the school campus. (Photo Illustration By Ron James/SD Uptown News)


Land use: Controversy pits church school against preservationists


sheltered enclaves, the Academy of Our Lady of Peace and a neighborhood group are clashing over the fate of three historic houses the school owns. Between Heights community asso-


In one of Uptown’s most


GIRAFFE TO READ THIS


Look for roaring, rumbling and snorting dispatches from the San Diego Zoo by Dani Dodge. See Page 4


ART


Growing Pains


STORY BY ANN JARMUSCH


ciation, or BeHi (for its location between University Heights and Normal Heights), thought it had won a long, complicated battle to preserve the houses and what resi- dents term “our beautiful BeHi way of life” in March, when the San Diego City Council voted down the all-girl Catholic


8 see Land use, page 10 1/4 mile 805


Detail area


ACADEMY


The Art Academy of San Diego moves from East Village to friendlier digs in North Park. See Page 3


2544 Collier Ave. Hamilton St.


Collier Ave. Adams Ave. Madison Ave.


250 feet Graphic By Paul Horn


UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS


UN H


Academy of Our Lady of Peace


History in jeopardy?


Preservationists want to save three historic houses that Academy of Our Lady of Peacebought to demolish for more classrooms and a parking structure.


Uvada Pl.


4910 Uvada Pl. Copley Ave.


2746 Copley Ave.


711 University Ave 619.294.2800


Night light: Uptown’s oldest neighborhood may get retro facelift


THE First Good morning,


Joe of Normal Heights!


THE First }}NEWS


Thank you for picking up a copy of San Diego Uptown News.


Sign: Community struggles with plans to replace iconic sign BY CHARLES SHAW


Among San Diego’s best-known landmarks are its iconic neighborhood signs. Individually, they represent the distinctive fl avor and feel of their re- spective neighborhoods. Collectively, they constitute a remarkable piece of public art and a unique slice of his- tory. Built mainly in the 1950s, these signs are important relics of a bygone American era, the halcyon days follow- ing World War II, when San Diego be- gan to boom as a major hub of national defense. Over the years as weather and wear


have taken their toll, the signs have needed varying degrees of refurbish- ment and care. In 2003, due to advanc- ing deterioration, the residents of the Kensington neighborhood decided that it was time to either repair or replace their sign in time for the Kensington Centennial in 2010. The sign had been hanging across Adams Avenue since 1954 and was clearly showing its age. It had been taken down and repainted in 1990, but a week after re-hanging it, on Memorial Day, a violent wind storm snapped a support cable and sent the sign crashing to the street, break- ing all the neon tubes, which needed to be replaced. Since then, a number of the replacement neon letters have gone out, and the sign is peppered with bul- let holes and rust and fl aking paint. In order to meet the costs of a new


sign, the Kensington-Talmadge Com- munity Association applied for and received a grant from the county for $40,000. They were able to raise an ad- ditional $48,000 from residents in the neighborhood (the sign was originally built for a cost of $1,166, also paid for by the community). Five hundred households voted on a new design, and after securing bids from several sign companies, KTCA settled on Fluo- resco Lighting & Sign Co. Plans pro- see SIGN, page 11


TREASURE OR TRASH


Community divided on iconic sign. See page 3


WORD WORD Lampposts generating heat BY CHARLES SHAW San Diego’s landmark Mission Hills district


might be getting a big-time retro facelift if a new ballot initiative passes. Over the last four years, the Mission Hills


Heritage group has been trying to convince the city to install decorative “period-appropriate,


historic-style acorn street lighting” in a special underground utility district that encompasses 778 properties in north Mission Hills. The proposed lamppost plan is part of a larger


“undergrounding” project that began in Febru- ary, to place new electrical and communications


see Lamppost, page 5


PROPOSED LAMPPOSTS


The model of the “acorn” style lamppost, pictured at left, can be viewed at the corner of Fort Stockton Drive and Allen Road, next to Espresso Mio in Mission Hills.


Photo By Ron James SD Uptown News


hillcrest


SIGN DEBATED Community leaders voice


concerns over sign. See page 7


OPERATING IN THE GREEN


Olive Branch offers eco- friendly building


supplies. See Page 4


}}FOOD


LEI LOUNGE


You don’t have to fly over the South Pacific to try one of their


tropical drinks. Dr.Ink, Page 12


Crossword..................16 Sudoku......................16 Theater Listings..........18 Service Directory.........19 Uptown Calendar.........19


N PRIDE. a past full of… { STORY BY AMANDA STROUSE v GRAPHICS BY PAUL HORN }


When Cleve Jones first came out, it was illegal to be gay. It was illegal for him to have sex or even dance with another man. It was illegal for him and other gays and lesbians to be themselves.


Jones, a human rights activist and founder of The NAMES Proj- ect AIDS Memorial Quilt, has seen incredible change in his lifetime. There has been an observable increase in tolerance and activism to sup- port the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender com- munity, he said. To- day, the LGBT Pride Celebrations which are held nationwide every year are hugely popular. This year is San Diego’s 35th Pride celebration. The festivities, includ- ing a parade, a two-day festival and many other social events, began July 1 and run through July 19.


Sure, these celebrations are attended by millions of Americans who want to wave rainbow flags, gaze at the brightly colored floats, take handfuls of free condoms and show off their flamboyant clothing (or lack thereof). But to Jones,


the events are more than just enter- tainment. To him and many others, these gatherings symbolize the consistent need to assemble, to create support and to spawn change for the gay commu- nity.


“It’s not just a celebration, but it’s about continu- ing the fight,” said Jones, who has been chosen as the San Diego Pride’s 2009 Grand Marshal because of his activism. “We have a lot to celebrate about, but we also have a lot of work to get done.”


This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City. On June 28, 1969, violence broke out as a result of police raiding the Stonewall Inn bar and attempting to arrest sup- posedly gay people. The riots made their


see Pride, page 10


Parking Problems


Plague Uptown


Revenue: Plan for new high-tech meters criticized


BY DAVE SCHWAB


Uptown is at a crossroads in parking management. Depending on who you con-


sult, the community is either heading in the right direction – or taking a wrong turn. Concerning parking, there is


a difference between perception and reality, said Carol Schultz, executive director of Uptown Partnership, the community- based, nonprofit corporation that funds parking, traffic and pedes- trian improvements with a per- centage of revenues collected by the city from Uptown parking meters. “If we perceive a parking


problem, there’s a parking prob- lem,” Schultz said. “The misper- ception might be that there’s nothing we can do about it.” Uptown Partnership has


spent more than $2.5 million since 1999 to upgrade parking in Hillcrest. Recently, it allo- cated an estimated $600,000 to


see Parking, page 8


711 University Ave. 619.294.2800


a


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 6


Sept. 4-17, 2009 Sept. 18-Oct. 1, 2009


Health & Beauty page


Guide15 THE First


Good morning, Julie of Hillcrest!


THE First ART


WIRED


Calder Exhibit shows sculptor’s jewelry designs. See page 2


Thank you for reading San Diego Uptown News.


WORD WORD


CAST YOUR VOTES! Turn to Page 4 for your entry form. Mail it back or vote online at www.sduptownnews.com.


ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A DINNER FOR TWO FOOD


ArtistProfile: Stephanie Clair


Simple BY RON JAMES PETS ‘TITAN’-IC FRIEND


Tallest dog lives in North Park. See page 18


Don Kohlbauer/San Diego Uptown News Basketball great Bill Walton and his wife, Lori, in the yard of their longtime Marston Hills home. FOOD


NEW CHEF IN UPTOWN


Behind the Red Door lies a treat for the palate. See page 10


GRATEFUL DUDE THE WALTONS


AT HOME WITH { BY SYDNIE MOORE }


Bill Walton’s secluded Marston Hills home is a personal shrine to his friends, family, rock n’ roll, and his storied sports career.


The landmark home, which he describes as “California Dreamin’,” is on the market for the first time in 30 years. In this sprawling, walled-in private compound overlooking one of Balboa Park’s most spectacular canyons, Walton – a towering basketball legend – raised four energetic, sports-minded boys.


see Walton, page 9 adams avenue Farmers’ Market Plans Postponed BY LESLIE WOLF BRANSCOMB


Uptown Calendar........7 Crossword...............17 Sudoku...................17 Arts Listings.............22


The Adams Avenue Farmers’ Market was all set to launch September 9, until an unexpected complication arose: the street wasn’t exactly theirs to use. Just a week before the open-


ing, it was discovered that Caltrans – the state department of transportation – owns the right-of-way to the stretch of 40th Street where the farmers’ market was to be held. The mar- ket’s organizers spent nearly a week trying to set things straight,


including a Friday furlough day and weekend during which Cal- trans employees were unavailable to answer questions.


But now the groundwork has been laid to obtain the


see Market, page 5


ONLINE PHOTOS


To see more photos of retired NBA basketball star Bill Walton’s home visit sduptownnews.com.


F


or nearly an hour, the Texan stood in front of the cubist- style painting hanging in the South Lake Tahoe art gallery. The work, called “Balancing Act,” was painted by 35-year- old San Diego artist, Stephanie Clair. It portrayed a man pre- cariously riding a unicycle on a highwire between light and dark worlds fi lled with metaphorical images.


It wasn’t the fi rst time the


Texan had done this. He had visited the gallery several times, each time intently gazing at that same painting. Finally he made up his mind and ap- proached the gallery manager to make the purchase. The manager, who had been watch- ing the Texan, asked him what made the painting so special. “That painting is about me,” said the Texan. “I’m caught in that world, trying to fi nd balance in my life – but working so hard I can’t seem to fi nd time to fi nd that light side that is in the painting. Some- times I feel the world is passing me by.”


“I eventually talked with that man,” Clair said as she recounted the story at the Wine Steals wine bar in Hillcrest. “He told me that the paint- ing had inspired him to quit the rat race and to retire early, and to go out and really enjoy his life before it was too late. And that’s what I try to do in each of my paintings. I try to


see Moments, page 23 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K ZOO NEWS


GROWING GORILLAS


Raising primates at the


San Diego Zoo. See


page 3 EYESORE { BY DAVE SCHWAB }


CALENDAR KATHY GRIFFIN


D-List host performing at Civic Theater, Sept. 26.


Restaurant in the heart of Hillcrest and wondered, “Why can’t they (the city) do something?” Now after 25 years, they just might.


People have long driven by abandoned Pernicano’s Illustration By Court Jones see Pernicano’s, page 2


Uptown children learn art of recycling Workshop: Rare Hare students create art from found objects


BY AMANDA STROUSE E


Uptown Calendar...…..7 Crossword................18 Sudoku.....................18 Arts Listings.............22


rin Pennell is teaching her students a unique, valuable lesson: Your trash can be made into your


treasure. Pennell owns and runs the Rare Hare Studio on Sept_19th_ad_UpTownNews_outline.ai 1 9/17/2009 4:00:33 PM


Adams Avenue in Kensington, providing art classes to children and adults. But the Rare Hare isn’t your average arts and crafts workroom. Pennell is an art teacher who brings recycling to a whole new level.


The Rare Hare offers classes that turn recycled everyday items into pieces of art. Pennell hopes to


spread awareness of “reclaimed art” – the art of taking used objects and giving them a new use. “Your vision is turned on in a new way,” Pennell said. “What was your boring recycling bin becomes your box full of treasures.”


Pennell opened the Rare Hare Studio in February 2008, after spending seven years living in San Francisco. She became inspired by the liberal city’s recycling arts programs. A San Diego native, she brought


see Hare, page 23


Why does George Pernicano drive Hillcrest folks crazy


moments Cubist: Metaphorical paintings tell thought provoking stories


AMERICAN CUISINE


Jeff Rossman is the chef behind Terra in Hillcrest. See page 11


normal heights


Music fest on Adams Avenue


Fair: More than 70 bands set to perform at annual big bash


BY LESLIE WOLF BRANSCOMB The 28th annual Adams


Avenue Street Fair will bring two days fi lled with an amazing variety of music to Uptown on September 26 and 27. More than 70 musical acts


?


will perform on six stages spread out over an eight-block area throughout the weekend. The lineup includes everything from power pop to gospel music, blues, Gypsy jazz, Irish rock, funk and soul. The Adams Avenue Busi- ness Association, which puts on the event, expects more than 100,000 people to attend over both days. In addition to the music, there will be a carnival, three beer gardens, and more than 300 arts, crafts and food vendors.


Asked which acts people should try not to miss, Adams Avenue Business Association Ex-


see Fair page 21 Author believes Bible misused to condemn gays BY GLENDA WINDERS The idea of writing a book to


LINDA PATTERSON


NEWS


A PIECE OF PERNICANO’S


Old cash register resurfaces in Old Town fabric store. See page 4


The PSA Crash


On Sept. 25, 1978, a PSA jet and a small Cessna collided in midair, crashing down into North Park in what was then the worst U.S. air disaster.


Site of Cessna 172 crash


1 Boeing 727 Cessna 172 (to scale)


PSA Flight 182, arriving from Los Angeles, begins its final approach to Lindbergh Field shortly after 9 a.m.


805 2


Flight direction of Cessna


Flight direction of PSA Flight 182


NORTH PARK


ZOO NEWS PLACE TO PLAY


Kids run wild at Zoo. See page 3


Thorn St.


The two planes collide, sending both hurtling to the ground. The Cessna lands on Polk Avenue, killing the student pilot and instructor.


Howard Ave. 3


Site of Boeing 727 crash


Seventeen seconds after impact, the Boeing 727 smashes into Dwight and Nile streets, killing all 135 aboard and seven people on the ground, and damaging or destroying 22 houses.


Lincoln Ave. Polk Ave.


University Ave. Park Way


15


Bird Park


SOURCE: Uptown News research 1/4 mile Landis St.


Dwight St. Myrtle Ave.


PAUL HORN Upas St.


explain what the Bible says about homosexuality came to Linda Patterson after a Christian minis- ter at a gay pride parade bellowed through a bullhorn to her and her friends that they were all going to hell.


Later, over brunch, the ques- tion of what the Bible actually


says came up, and nobody was sure about the answer. Patterson, an attorney, decided to take a sabbatical from her job and fi nd out.


The result of more than a


year of researching and writing is “Hate Thy Neighbor: How the Bible Is Misused to Condemn Homosexuality,” a slim, accessi- ble, self-published volume avail- able at San Diego bookstores and


through the Internet. A complete list of outlets is available at www. hatethyneighborbook.com. One chapter is devoted to the


language of hatred often used by Christians, another to the hypoc- risy of so-called family values. But its main purpose is to examine the parts of the Bible often quoted by homophobes as justifi cation for


see Neighbor, page 20 182


EDITOR’S NOTE: Sept. 25, 2009, was a blazing hot day, the sky over North Park a bright blue and the air heavy and still, just as it was on that day 31 years ago. The corner of Dwight and Nile streets looked perfectly normal, like any urban neighborhood. There were no signs, no reminders of the airliner that came crash- ing down from the sky in that exact spot, raining fi re and body parts, impacting the neighborhood and the lives of those who witnessed San Diego’s most horrifi c catastrophe. No sign that anything out of the ordinary had ever happened here – except the two bouquets of pastel-colored roses, wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with red ribbons, laid on the lawn outside the wrought-iron fence of the home on the intersection’s northwest corner. Someone remembered. – Leslie Wolf Branscomb


Three decades later, documentary revisits PSA jetliner crash that changed North Park forever


{ BY CARL LARSEN }


ilmmaker David Fresina is hoping to bring a much- needed emotional release to San Diegans whose lives were forever altered by the crash of a Pacifi c South- west Airlines jetliner and a small private plane over North Park in 1978.


Uptown Calendar...…..5 Crossword................18 Sudoku.....................18 Arts Listings.............22


Photos By Ron James/San Diego Uptown News


The intersection of Dwight and Nile streets shows no sign of the crash 31 years ago of PSA Flight 182.


On September 25 someone left a bouquet at the memorial plaque under a tree outside the North Park Library.


It was a catastrophe that Fresina believes has never been dealt with in a public way. He hopes his fi lm will help allow the city to confront and, with sensitivity, to express a grief that touched upon thousands of lives. But it’s clear that the oft-used word “closure” is not what Fresina is trying to fi nd. For those who lived through this tragedy, he says that can never happen. “No one should ever have to see what they saw,” he said in an interview.


see Crash, page 9


The Great Uptown Wine Tasting SmackDown uptown food & wine


BY RON JAMES


umankind has always competed. It’s in our genes. Our cave- man ancestors probably had great woolly mammoth tipping contests. Today there’s competition for just about every- thing we own or do. Midget or dwarf tossing became a big game in Australia in the ’80s. In the Extreme Ironing World Championships, laundry is pressed in the world’s most dan-


Tasha Kuxhausen competes in Hillcrest. see Smackdown, page 11 Polk Ave.


University Ave. Lincoln Ave.


ALBA school


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 11


Nov. 13-26, 2009


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 12


Nov. 27-Dec. 10, 2009


North Park Toyland Parade


PAGES 13-16 Official Program


ARTS


BOSTON MARRIAGE


A comedy of manners by David Mamet. See page 17


GETtoKnow


Your Community Organizations


North Park Main Street


Focus of district is business services


ARTS FASHION SHOW


Golden Hanger Awards features local talent. See page 21


of Birds & Wine { STORY AND ILLUSTRATION BY RON JAMES }


Uptown Calendar...…..5 Crossword................17 Sudoku.....................17 Arts Listings.............22


Uptown citizens this week: How will I cook my Thanksgiving turkey this year, and what wines will I serve with it? On Thanksgiving day, more than 48 million turkeys will be served and well over 100 million bottles of wine will wash it down. That means at least 48 million American cooks are pondering those quintes- sential questions. If you are still reading this, you are probably one of them. If you’re not, be assured that someone close to you is. In the spirit of this special day, San Diego Uptown News is doing our bit to help with the answers. We asked our very popular “SmackDown” crew of wine experts to suggest some great wines that pair nicely with turkey and trimmings. We’ve also used our culinary investigative skills to come up with the best turkey cooking technique – tested in the Uptown News test kitchen, located adjacent to my dining room. See pages 12-13.


Two burning issues are on the minds of many Bon appétit and cheers, from all of us at Uptown News! Author has family ties to Jonestown BY GLENDA WINDERS Most people remember hear-


ing about the 1978 Jonestown massacre in Guyana on the news and dismissing it as “crazy.” For anyone born later, it’s a his- torical reference so obscure that when they thoughtlessly use the phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid,”


Receive a complimentary conditioning treatment and gift!


50%


they don’t even realize the pain- ful connections. But the event remains forev-


er vivid in the mind of Rebecca Moore. Her two sisters – Annie, 24, and Carolyn, 33 – both died in the mass suicide, and so did her 4-year-old nephew, the child of a love affair between Caro- lyn and the charismatic Peoples


off haircut Free


Haircut with Color Service


Temple leader, Jim Jones. Moore, who was 27 at the


time, has spent the last three de- cades researching and writing about the event. The Normal Heights resident will discuss her latest book, “Understanding Jon- estown and the Peoples Temple,”


see Author, page 8 SALON KENSINGTON


W. 619-283-7116 C. 619-985-0854


4104 Adams Ave San Diego, CA 92115


Editor’s Note: This new series will highlight Uptown’s various community groups, both volunteer and funded, providing information on available services and how to get involved in neighborhood ef- forts. This issue: North Park Main Street’s Elizabeth Studebaker.


BY CHRISTY SCANNELL Elizabeth Studebaker joined


North Park Main Street as execu- tive director in January 2007. I sat down with her on October 20 to talk about the successes and chal- lenges she’s seen in the North Park business district.


Q: WHAT IS NORTH PARK MAIN STREET? A: North Park Main Street is a business improvement district (BID). In California state law there are certain ac- tions that need to take place for a business improvement district to form. There needs to be a city-sanctioned election for all the business license holders in the geographic boundaries of the BID. The businesses are required to vote in creation of a business improve- ment district, and they also need to vote on at what level they’ll be as- sessed on an annual basis.


Q: WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE “MAIN STREET” TITLE? A: The city of San Diego recogniz- es us as a BID. But for the state of California and national Main Street organizations, we’re a Main Street.


see North Park, page 2


Werner Herzog reflects on


50 years Film: Legendary director gives exclusive interview to Uptown


BY SCOTT MARKS I


t is probably not a good idea to invite directors Werner Her-


zog and Abel Ferrara to the same cocktail party. It seems the latter was none too pleased when the great German filmmaker an- nounced that he was going to borrow the title from Ferrara’s “The Bad Lieutenant” and make a version all his own. In a June 2008 interview


in The Guardian, Ferrara, co- author and director of the first “The Bad Lieutenant,” likened Herzog’s version to being robbed and said the mere thought of re- making his film left him with “a horrible feeling.” He asked how Nicolas Cage “can even have the


see Herzog, page 10 north park


Toyland Parade a joyous tradition


BY CHRISTY SCANNELL It was a parade all right –


but not quite what organizer Patrick Edwards had envi- sioned.


Seeking to revive North


Park’s Toyland Parade in 1985 after a 20-year hiatus, Edwards had sought assistance from high school pal Joan Embery of the San Diego Zoo. “Could you bring an ani- mal?” he’d asked. Could she ever. Embery ar- rived at the parade site on


see Toyland, page 26


For a complete list of Onions & Orchids, turn to pages 4, 5 and 8 or visit www. onionsandorchids.org


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 13


Dec. 11-24, 2009 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS { STORY BY RON JAMES }


here’s a lot of architectural high-fiving going on in our Uptown communities this month – and at least a little gnashing of teeth as well. It goes with the territory when the San Diego Orchids & Onions awards are announced. This year the 2009 awards ceremony was held Nov. 12, at the On Broadway Event Center downtown.


nd this year Uptown and neighboring communities got their share of each with five Orchids and two Onions, high- lighted by an Onion for what one critic called an “800-pound stucco gorilla” in Hillcrest and a Grand Orchid for a “flaw- less” neighborhood bar and grill in South Park.


A


Orchids & Onions has been a program dedicated to pointing out the best and worst in architecture for many years. It was revived and reinvented in 2006 by the San Diego Architectural Foundation,


Station Tavern & Burgers won the Grand Orchid.


whose mission is to inspire excellence in our “built environment.” The public was en- couraged to nominate, comment and vote on the nominations at the foundation’s Web site (www.orchidsandonions.org). This year there were 24 Orchids and Onions awarded countywide.


The 2009 Orchid winners, for the most part, seem to reflect the austerity brought on by hard economic times for the building industry. The focus was on smaller projects with modest budgets that captured the spirit of the community’s essential needs. The Onions represent- ed the excesses of the last boom with architecturally trendy fluff. “(There’s) a new sense of respon- sibility and modesty,” wrote architect and three-time O&O co-chair Maxine Ward in the San Diego Architectural Foundation newsletter. “Recent Or- chids & Onions juries have shied away from awarding Orchids to iconic build- ings with unlimited budgets ... The rationale being that if you have that amount of funds available, it is much easier to create a stunning piece of architecture. (Juries are) drawn more to the smaller low-budget projects that


Station Tavern & Burgers in South Park was lauded as “flawless” architecture by the judges of the Orchids & Onions competition. (Photos By Ron James/San Diego Uptown News)


}}OUTDOORS


URBAN REC Lawn Bowlers hit the greens in white. See page 21


}}NEWS


TOUGH MARKET IMPROVING


National Realtors Conference and Expo held in San Diego. See page 2


Pets D


San Diego’s Favorite Holiday Tradition Now through December 27


Come take part in the fun as the Old Globe Theatre is transformed into the snow-covered Whoville right down to the last can of Who-hash!


Children tickets are for ages 3-17. No children under 3 will be admitted. Everyone must have a ticket. Dr. Seuss Properties TM & (c) 1957 and 2009 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. All Rights Reserved.


Michael Cavanaugh, host, piano and vocals


C ]


Special Section, Page 19


VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3


Feb. 5-18, 2010 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON Courtesy Hillcrest Mardi Gras


Gloria touts bond model as solution for budget


Phoenix plan could work, offi cial says in fi rst State of the District speech, Feb. 1


By David Harvey SDUN Reporter


Courtesy Hillcrest Mardi Gras • Mardi Gras 2010 • Big & Easy


By Christy Scannell SDUN Editor


New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro


aren’t the only places where revelers can “laissez les bons temps rouler” this Mar- di Gras season. San Diego will host four parties for the traditional pre-Lenten cel- ebration – and all are in or near Uptown. The 9th Annual Hillcrest Mardi Gras


Street Party is Tuesday, Feb. 16, from 6 to 11 p.m. on University Avenue between First and Fourth avenues. The festival will feature live entertainment from drag queens Jackie Beat, Chico’s Angels and Tootie and the Lip Girls, plus food and


drinks, including liquor, for purchase from vendors. Only those 21 or older will be admitted. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20


the day of the event. VIP tickets, which provide a private reception area and private restroom facilities, are $50 in advance or $75 the day of the event. Because the event sold out last year, organizers are encouraging advance ticket purchase at Baja Betty’s, 1421 University Ave.; Urban Mo’s, 308 Uni- versity Ave.; Obelisk Bookstore, 1029 University Ave. or online via a link at www.HillcrestMardiGras.com. Proceeds from the event benefi t


of attraction


It’s the season of love, but with a 50-percent divorce rate and the chal- lenges facing same-sex couples, love also comes with legalities. Michele Sacks Lowenstein, a Mis- sion Hills resident, has been a family law attorney for 28 years. A certifi ed family law special- ist, she is chairper- son of the family law section for the San Diego


County Bar Association. Lowenstein joined Christy Scannell, SDUN edi- tor, to discuss love’s legal problems.


Q: At what point in a relationship should people seek legal counsel? A: It depends on the situation. You might have an older couple, this is a second marriage. One may be widowed, one may be divorced, and they have adult children. They have


see Tips, page 5


By Carl H. Larsen SDUN Reporter


San Diego’s party offers four spots for Fat Tuesday fun


the Greater San Diego Business Asso- ciation’s charitable foundation, which is- sues annual youth scholarships, and the Hillcrest Business Association. Another Mardi Gras celebration will


take place at the Quarter – the Gaslamp Quarter, that is. On Feb. 16 from 6 p.m. to midnight, this sixteenth annual street party will spread from west to east on Fourth to Sixth Avenues and north to south from Broadway to Harbor Drive. Parades – a New Orleans bead-throw-


ing tradition – are scheduled to fl oat down Fifth Avenue at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Other entertainment will include seven


see Mardi Gras, page 24 In his fi rst State of the District speech


on Feb. 1 at the Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park, District 3 Councilmember Todd Gloria said there are no tricks to securing San Di- ego’s fi nancial sta- bility.


“It’s not enough


to hope that the def- icit fairy will come, wave her magic wand and make this all go away,” he said. “We owe it to San Diego to make real solutions a priority.” Gloria presented a laundry list of mea-


GLORIA


sures city offi cials have taken over the past year that seek to move San Diego from a fi nancial failure to an emerging leader in fi scal responsibility. In addition, he addressed methods for continued in- frastructure and job development, as well as crime prevention, in District 3. In discussing the budget crisis, Gloria highlighted the 6 percent pay decrease imposed on city employees, pension re- forms and cuts to every city department.


see Address, page 7


Attorney offers After delays, 1Mission opens to mixed-use praise tips on the law


estate market. “We’re mainly competing with downtown


Developers of 1Mission, a fi ve-story proj-


ect in the heart of Mission Hills, have com- pleted the award-winning mixed-use devel- opment that was once subject to a lengthy community debate, just in time for what they hope is a turnaround in the weak real


San Diego and the resale market,” said Luke Daniels, development manager for CLB Part- ners, which built the project. CLB also con- structed the Park Laurel condominium tow- ers facing Balboa Park on Sixth Avenue. Occupying nearly a full block bounded by Washington, Goldfi nch and Falcon streets


see 1Mission, page 9 Index URBAN REC


BURLINGAME An architectural showcase awaits in this distinctive enclave.


See page 26 Index


Letters…………………………6 Pride Update………………….7 Happy Hour…………………..12 Restaurant Review………….17


SEATS STILL AVAILABLE! WED, JAN 27


Film Review………………….19 Gardening………………..20 Puzzles……………………..21 Historic Walk………………..26


FESTIVAL BALLET MOSCOW


SWAN LAKE TONIGHT!


Feb 5 · 8 pm


SLEEPING BEAUTY TOMORROW! Feb 6 · 2 pm


(619/760/858) 570.1100 868 Fourth Ave. (at E St.)


www.sdbalboa.org • Ticketmaster PETS pp. 30-31


Opinion.......................6 Historical walk……....10 Dr. Ink.......................13 Restaurant Review.....15 Reader’s Choice........16 Business & Service.....23 Film reviews..............24 Puzzles............……26


Kensington Club hosts champ of TV’s ‘Last Comic Standing’


By Christy Scannell SDUN Editor


“A couple of comedians walk into a bar” sounds like the opening line to a joke – but that’s exactly what launched Live Comedy Live, a monthly stand-up show at the Kensington Club. “My partner, Christian (Spicer), and


I were driving back from an open mike night in L.A.,” said local comedian RJ Dharni, “and we were brainstorming about ideas for a venue. I said I knew of a small bar with a nice setup, so we went


PHAN


straight there.” That was in November, and by December the fi rst Live Comedy Live event at the Ken Club was in full swing “We wanted to


bring good quality comedy shows at an affordable price in this really cool and unique place,” Dharni said. “This isn’t


see Comic, page 9 By Ron James | SDUN Editor-in-Chief Two California history venues in Old Town have re-opened to the


and Fort Stockton Drive, 1Mission contains 13 two-story town homes with direct street entry, 48 single-story fl ats, 5,000 square feet of new retail space on Goldfi nch Street, and 20,000 square feet of rehabilitated retail- ing on Washington Street. Tenants include a branch of U.S. Bank (formerly San Diego


public. Presidio Park’s Junipero Serra Museum, which was closed to the


general public for more than a year, is now open on weekends. Mean- while, the newly refurbished Mormon Battalion Historic Site began ac-


see Museums, page 5


The Junipero Serra Museum, which is often confused with the nearby Mission San Diego de Alcalá, was built between 1928-1929 for the purpose of housing and showcasing the collection of the San Diego Historical Society, which was founded in 1928. The structure was designed by William Templeton Johnson using Spanish Revival architecture to resemble the early missions that once dominated the landscape of Southern California. (Courtesy San Diego Historical Society)


Junipero Serra Museum and Mormon Battalion Historic Site open their doors


6


VOLUME 2 ISSUE 4


Feb. 19-March 4, 2010 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON Low interest rates fuel area home sales


By Dave Schwab SDUN Reporter


Recent statistics indicate the Uptown real


estate picture is beginning to brighten, al- though the lower end of the market is ben- efi ting disproportionately. “It has gone up so much on the lower


end,” said Afton Miller, an agent with Cold- well Banker Mission Valley, about the North Park market. “Under $500,000 stuff has gone


up $50,000 easily in the last 12 months.” Miller cited continuing low interest rates


as one reason for lower-end appreciation. An- other is the “seismic shift” in the overall real estate market since the economic recession kicked in. “All the prices are lower than they were


three years ago, so they can afford to buy,” she noted of buyers, adding North Park and South Park now have a cachet as the “cool” and “in” places to live. “It’s a highly desirable


neighborhood because of all the restaurants, bars and coffeehouses and the North Park Theatre that have really taken off,” Miller said. While prices are “maxing out” in the mar-


ket’s low end in North Park and South Park, Miller pointed out that doesn’t “reach” to the opposite end of the price spectrum. “The mid- dle and high end has not gone up as much,” she said.


see Property, page 5 WHAT’S OLD


Task force accused of Brown Act


IS NEW


violations Development Services says committee is advisory and not in confl ict of interest


By David Harvey SDUN Reporter


At the San Diego City Council’s


Land Use and Housing (LU&H) committee meeting on Feb. 3, repre- sentatives from the city’s community planning groups asked the commit- tee to postpone action on a Develop- ment Services Department incentive program report designed to promote sustainable projects. Among the in- centives were items that potentially could change the community plan- ning process. Leo Wilson, Reynaldo Pisano and


James Feinberg from the city’s Com- munity Planners Committee – made up of chairpeople from the 43 com- munity planning groups charged with advising the city on land use and development – told LU&H they were concerned about Development Ser- vices’ Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), which devised the incentive report. TAC is weighted with building


industry representatives and other development-friendly members, they said, and TAC’s meetings are inad- equately noticed. “Development Services is not a


special interest group. They shouldn’t just be listening to [TAC],” Wilson said. “I think the fact that they’re just hearing one voice says they’re not do- ing their job right.” District 3 Councilmember Todd


Gloria chairs LU&H, which includes Councilmembers Sherri Lightner,


see Services, page 8 see Orchids, page 4 }}NEWS HILLCREST 2.0


What’s your vision for the future of Hillcrest? See page 7


THE OLD GLOBE BROADWAY’S BEST AND SAN DIEGO’S FINEST (619) 23-GLOBE www.TheOldGlobe.org FOOD


CUCINA URBANA Hot new Uptown eatery


an instant hit. See page 9 ARTS THE GRINCH


Holiday favorite brings smiles to young and old alike. See page 16


San Diego Symphony HolidayPops


VOLUME 2 ISSUE 5


March 5-18, 2010 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS


Residents protest bars and licenses


Agency is evaluating 10 new applications for North Park area


By David Harvey SDUN Reporter


A North Park resident has


created an organization to fight what he believes is a flood of bars coming into the 30th Street and University Avenue business district. Don Leichtling said he estab-


lished the North Park Residen- tial Improvement District (NP- RID) in January because he is concerned about the potential for more alcohol licenses to be granted in the area. “If there’s three clubs in


North Park, that’s all right, but if there are 30, at some point we’re going to top out,” Leichtling said. The three clubs he cites are


U-31, 3112 University Ave.; True North, which opened last year at 30th Street and North Park Way; and URBN Coal Fired Pizza, 3085 University Ave., which is slated to open soon. Leichtling, who lives a few


blocks from the district, said drunken bar patrons have van- dalized his car and home, vom- ited on his porch, had sex in his yard and attacked his neighbor. He said other residents have ex- perienced similar disturbances, which have increased in frequen- cy in the last few years. “I’ve seen North Park change drastically, and it has the poten- tial to get much worse,” he said. Yet Steve Billings, who opened


U-31 in 2007, said he has seen a dramatic decrease in crime since purchasing the property in 1998. “When I first bought this bar


see Alcohol, page 3 FOODFIGHT { By Christy sCannell • sDUn eDitor } I


By Priscilla Lister SDUN Columnist


A single block of Seventh Avenue


on the northwestern edge of Balboa Park is home to 10 private homes de- signed by four of San Diego’s most prominent historic architects. On March 21, the Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) will offer a rare opportunity to tour six of these homes, fine examples of the Arts and Crafts style of early 20th century ar- chitecture. “This might be one of the best


house tours SOHO has ever done,” said Alana Coons, SOHO’s events


f you saw Gary Petill walking the aisles of Whole Foods, you might assume he’s looking to buy healthy food for his kids.


And you’d be right – all 135,000 of them.


As food services director for the San Diego Unified School District, Petill oversees the 25 million meals the system serves every year at 365 facilities. In his seven years with the


SOHO tour offers rare glimpse of Seventh Avenue residences


and education director. “This street is different than a lot of other historic streets in San Diego. It feels like old San Diego. Even the homeowners are very gracious people, and have that style that you imagine was present at the turn of the last century.” The homeowners have rarely


opened the houses for public tours, but are doing so to support SOHO. “They will likely never be open again,” said Coons. Designed and built for prominent


San Diegans between 1904 and 1913, the homes are the work of Irving J.


see SOHO, page 17


district, he’s won awards for his in- novative approach to school lunches. And yes, he regularly combs stores like Whole Foods for healthy-food purveyors he might convince to do bulk packaging for the district. “I figure that anything that’s at Whole Foods, even if it’s frozen like a pot pie, we can use in our schools because the ingredients tell me it’s healthy,” he said, explaining that


Index


Opinion.......................5 Dr. Ink.......................11 Restaurant Review.....13 Film Review………….18 Theatre Review……..19 Oscar Preview……….20 Business & Service.....21 Puzzles............……23


COMPETITION p. 24


CRITTER


ROYAL REGIMENT OF SCOTLAND This Sunday, March 7 · 2 & 7 pm


THE BAND OF IRISH GUARDS/


(619/760/858) 570.1100 868 Fourth Ave. (at E St.)


www.sdbalboa.org • Ticketmaster BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON City Attorney says state law prohibits added fees Linkery’s service charge policy under review


By Christy Scannell Editor


The San Diego City Attorney’s Office is al-


legedly pursuing action against The Linkery, 3794 30th St., saying the restaurant’s service charge policy is against state law. The North Park eatery automatically adds


an 18 percent fee to dine-in checks. Any mon- ey left in the form of tips above the service


charge is donated to charity. Tricia Pummill, a criminal prosecutor for


the City Attorney, was unwilling to discuss litigation against any specific business but did explain the city’s interest in pursuing such cases. “We have heard from the public that peo-


ple are unhappy with service charges being added to bills,” she said. “State law requires that you give sufficient information about any


surcharges. The law says you cannot mislead people. Businesses must charge their adver- tised price. Any hidden increase in price is unfair to the competition who does include all costs in the stated price.” Pummill cited restaurants, ticket agents


and contractors as just some of the industries where service charges are added to bills. She


see Linkery, page 3 Renegade Lunch Lady says school meals make kids sick but San Diego’s food chief finds that hard to swallow FOOD


HOLIDAY PARTY WINES


Beware the re-gifter.


See page 11


GRAND ORCHIDS & SWEET ONIONS


Todd Gloria’s juggling act


{ STORY BY CHRISTY SCANNELL } ILLUSTRATION BY COURT JONES


Todd Gloria, San Diego City Coun- cilmember for District 3, took offi ce in December 2008, succeeding Toni Atkins. Prior to his election, Gloria was a staff member for Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego), served on the San Diego Housing Commission and worked for the county’s Health and Hu- man Services Agency. As a council member, he chairs the Land Use and Housing Committee and is on the Metro- politan Transit System Board, among other duties. Gloria sat with Christy Scannell over croissants and coffee at Bread & Cie on Nov. 27.


In part one of this two-part series, Gloria addresses the


budget crisis, offers a word about the other council mem- bers and explains what makes him Twitter.


Q: YOU ALMOST HAVE A YEAR UNDER YOUR BELT. A: I was talking to someone the other day and it dawned on me that it’s been a year on Dec. 8. And it’s fl own by.


Q: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT BEING A COUN- see Gloria, page 7


BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON


Council spares


Author Linda Patterson’s book is available at Obelisk Bookstore in Hillcrest. See www. hatethynei- ghborbook. com for more information.


FOOD OLIVETTO


Trendy and


delicious Italian cuisine in Mission Hills. See page 10


ALBA school moves to N. Park


Community: Concerns over timing, budget


BY CHRISTY SCANNELL A school for San Diego stu- NEWS SUPER CITIZEN


Beverly Barrett is ready to give help to her Kensington neighbors. See page 3


The North Park sign, seen in a new light as created by Golden Hill artist/photographer Michael Slattery (below). (Courtesy Michael James Slattery)


LUMINOUS VIEWS { BY RON JAMES }


Michael James Slattery makes magic out of the ordinary. He does that by seeing the world in a different light – one that eludes most of us. In his mind’s eye, he sees a scene though a span of hours, into the future under changing light. Slattery lets his camera capture that series of images, then uses his remarkable digital skills to create vibrant works of art.


More than 30 years ago, Slat-


tery’s mother handed her 9-year-old son her new Polaroid Land Camera. He snapped a shot and was both amazed and a little dismayed with the results. “I thought it was great


Uptown Calendar...…..5 Crossword................20 Sudoku.....................20


ArtistProfile: Michael James Slatter y


that you could take a picture and get it almost instantly, but the picture didn’t really capture the total reality of the scene,” Slattery explained in a recent interview with Uptown News. Over the years, that simple observation has had a dramatic impact on Slattery’s thinking and career. In fact, it wasn’t until a few


see Slattery, page 9


dents in crisis has moved into the former North Park Elementary School, which was closed after the 2008-09 academic year due to persistently low enrollment. The Alternative Learning for


Behavior and Attitude (ALBA) high school began the 2009-10 school year at its new site on Oregon Street adjacent to the North Park Community Park. ALBA previously was located in bungalows behind Crawford High School in El Cerrito. “This was an opportunity to


use a facility that was only par- tially utilized,” said Bill Kowba, interim superintendent for the San Diego Unifi ed School Dis- trict. “(ALBA) has gone from


see ALBA, page 4 805


Detail area


NORTH PARK University Ave. NORTH PARK Howard Ave. park


El Cajon Blvd. Meade Ave.


El Cajon Blvd. FOOD


OCCIDENTAL TOURISTS


Adams Ave.


On the Bohemian Highway: The long and wining road. See page 11


FASHION


MONK TURNED DESIGNER See page 22


1/4 mile PAUL HORN


Crossword..................6 Sudoku.......................6 Uptown Calendar...…..8 Arts Listings.............21


FOOD AVENUE 5


French fare in Bankers Hill. See page 9


BY DAVE SCHWAB Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dead


of night is supposed to keep the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out its duties. So why are the North Park post


offi ce at 3791 Grim Ave. and the George Washington post offi ce in Golden Hill at 2692 C St. being tar- geted for possible termination? Claiming it’s unjustifi ed, North


Park and Golden Hill residents are rising against the Postal Service pro- posal to close their neighborhood branches. And so far, they’ve got at least two local elected offi cials – 4th District County Supervisor Ron Roberts and 53rd District Congress- woman Susan Davis – in their cor- ner.


Ron James/San Diego Uptown News A Mission Hills real estate “sold” yard sign could indicate things are turning around in the Uptown housing market. Signs of Life


Exploring the state of Uptown real estate { BY EMMET PIERCE }


used the recent Mortgage Bankers Association Conven- tion & Expo in San Diego to stress that the nation’s home-lending market remains hobbled by the recession, despite some signs of improvement in the overall economy.


Some of the mortgage industry’s top leaders Held at the San Diego Convention Center, the event drew an estimated


2,800 mortgage industry professionals. At the opening general session on Oct. 12, the mood of speakers who addressed attendees was upbeat, in keep- ing with recent news headlines about stabilizing home sales and an improving stock market. Association President John Courson told attendees the industry had done a good job of helping troubled borrowers and restoring public confi dence in the


see Property, page 4 “These post offi ces are an integral


part of the community,” said Davis. “These closures would inordinately affect the elderly and people with disabilities. I understand the USPS is in fi nancial straits, but closures are a permanent solution to a temporary problem. I will continue to work with the USPS and local communi- ties to keep these offi ces open.” Five post offi ces in Davis’ con-


gressional district were targeted for possible shuttering, including Oak Park, Point Loma and University City. Only North Park and Golden Hill remain on the Postal Service’s potential closure list. Roberts said closing the two mid-


city post offi ces isn’t wise, and should be reconsidered. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to make people drive to a location some distance away when they’re in walkable areas that have good densities,” he said. “The whole concept of smart growth and com- munity planning is sort of tossed on its head if we were to ignore these post offi ces that are really providing


see Mail, page 3 Game Maker: It’s a Funny Business


row up. These are two words that have never of- fended Hillcrest resident Jack Degnan. In fact, he is proud of his passion for playing and


Inventor rolls hobby into job G


BY ALLISON KRISTEN SAMPITÉ


designing board games, and at age 48 he has more than three dozen games in his personal collection.


“I never grew out of my desire to play games,” Degnan said. As a child, he played


see Game, page 2


games including Battleship, Scrabble, Monopoly and Risk with his family and neighbor- hood friends. Little did he know that his enthusiasm for


Oct. 2-15, 2009 Oct. 16-29, 2009


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 7


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 8


DESIGN


Resident makes cut for HGTV Design Star. See page 19


FOOD MUZITA


Maria Montana reviews eclectic University Heights dining hot spot. See page 14


Heritage Park’s Christian


RESERVATIONSAT THE PARK { BY LESLIE WOLF BRANSCOMB }


House (1889). A popular late Queen Anne Victorian design character- ized by a variety of chimneys, shingles, a corner tower.


SD Uptown News Ron James


into a bed-and-breakfast village have delight- ed some, but displeased others who fear congestion and that the park’s existing Victorian style will give way to a gaudy tourist attraction.


Plans to turn Old Town’s Heritage Park “It started out as a nice idea,” said Kimberly Claffy, one


of the project’s primary critics. “But what it’s turned into is a Walmart-ifi cation of the park.” Those concerned about the


See Park, page 6


WINE PICKS


Cool wines for hot summer days. See page 12


Uptown Calendar.........18 Arts Listings..........…..22 Crossword..................23 Sudoku......................23


Downtown: Comic-Con celebrates 40 years of Popular Arts Cool Jerk at the Comic-Con BY CHARLES SHAW


For this year’s Comic-Con the San Diego Uptown News looked no far- ther than its own back yard – Mission Hills, to be precise – to locate long- time Comic-Con devotee and full-time cartoonist and graphic artist Paul Horn,


whose work has graced the pages of this publication and many others. Paul Horn is the creator of Cool Jerk, one of the longest-running regular com- ics features created exclusively for the Internet. Cool Jerk follows “the diverse


See Cool, page 17 Illustration By Paul Horn Office parties • Luncheons • Client Dinners • Corporate Events • Sales Meetings • Birthday • Parties Celebrations, or Just For Fun!


Lips is San Diego’s Premier Party Scene 3036 El Cajon Blvd. San Diego, CA


Phone: (619) 295-7900 Web: www.lipsshow.biz Tues. 80’s Night, Weds. Bitchy Bingo, Thurs. Dining with the Divas, Fri. & Sat. Glamou Night, & Sun. Gospel Brunch www.lipsshow.biz


Volume 1; Number 2


July 3-16, 2009


uptown THE First


Good morning, Arthur of Kensington!


THE First NEWS


Thank you for reading San Diego Uptown News.


WORD WORD


Master of the house


Tribute: Homer Delawie, San Diego’s civic-minded architect


BY ANN JARMUSCH


y favorite memory of Homer Delawie is of him standing quietly in the living room of one of his early houses in Point Loma. Perched on a hillside in a circuitous neighborhood, the modernist house was hard to get to and thrilling to be in because it seemed to thrust its glass-walled rooms into space over steep terrain. The fact that a young couple had recently bought the house and were restor- ing it tickled the ageless


M See Architect, page 4


THE First


THE First ART


WORD


Good morning, Sue of University Heights!


Thank you for reading San Diego Uptown News.


WORD


Book traces gardening roots of San Diego Horticulture: Compilation Chronicles 100 Years of San Diego Gardening


BY RON JAMES


The San Diego Floral As- sociation celebrated 100 years of continuous publication of its California Garden magazine a few weeks ago in the lath horti- cultural building in Balboa Park. Although a century of continu- ous publishing in itself is a re-


markable achievement, the effect the Floral Association has had on our city and the history behind it is even more fascinating. The formation of the group and the birth of our Uptown neighbor- hoods in the dawn of the 1900s is no coincidence.


The main reason for the for- mation of the Floral Association in 1907 was to beautify the dusty streets of a growing San Diego. The premier event for the young organization was a civic fl ower show designed to show the resi- dents the kind of plants and trees


that would grow in this semi-arid climate.


The association offered homeowners free seeds, plants and cuttings that would thrive in San Diego. The giveaways had


See Floral, page 2 balboa park


ARTIST PROFILE: ARI KATE ASHTON


Mission Hills artist and teacher making her colorful mark. See page 9


Historic home reopens to public


Marston: SOHO takes over craftsman landmark built in 1904


NEWS RHINORIFFIC!


Find out why this humongous fellow is smiling. See page 3


FOOD


Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, and the small community of Hillcrest hoisted its neon sign over the town’s main intersection for the fi rst time.


In 1940 World War II was underway, ALCHEMY


South Park eatery gets rave reviews for a fresh take on fresh. See page 22


Uptown Calendar........6 Crossword...............17 Sudoku...................17 Arts Listings.............18


But as decades passed, the sign became worn and eventu- ally went dark. In 1983 it was taken down -- but not for long. Volunteers raised $4,000 for its restoration and a year later the sign was returned to its rightful spot over University Avenue at Fifth Avenue. On Aug. 26, 1984, the sign was of- fi cially relighted, and the gathered crowd went wild, cheering and tooting toy horns for almost an hour. That was the unoffi cial start of CityFest, Hillcrest’s com- munity celebration of music, art and community spirit, which has taken place every year since. On Aug. 9 the sign will again be symbolically “relighted” for the 25th time. But not before thousands converge on Hillcrest for a day full of danc- ing, face-painting, lantern-making and general merrymaking.


See CityFest, page 11 BY ANN JARMUSCH


The geraniums are pop- ping, rabbits are scampering and birds have a song for one and all at the historic Marston House Museum and Gardens on Seventh Avenue.


A breath of fresh air has reinvigorated this grand, city- owned home and grounds, now that Save Our Heritage Organisation is in charge. For the fi rst time in years, coastal breezes fl oat through recently opened upper windows and plentiful French doors. Gauzy, raw linen curtains are pushed aside. As intended when San Diego’s premier architects, Hebbard & Gill, designed this Arts and Crafts-style house in 1904, indoor and outdoor spaces once again fl ow to- gether and the gardens and enormous lawn beckon from every window.


“(Irving J.) Gill advocated fusing the natural world with architecture,” said SOHO docent Eeya Martin during a


See Marston page 4


3036 El Cajon Blvd. North Park


Call for reservations (619) 295.7900


Assaf Avissar, REALTOR® Tues. 80’s Night • Weds. Bitchy Bingo • Thurs. Dining with the Divas • Fri. & Sat. Glamour Night • Sun. Gospel Brunch DUDE RANCH


This aint your daddy’s dude ranch, buckaroo. See page 11


}}NEWS


IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE


Biking to work from


Uptown


to Mission Valley. See page 9


}}NEWS FIXED IT UPPER


Mission Hills bungalow gets a makeover. See page 3


Uptown Calendar........8 Crossword...............17 Sudoku...................17 Arts Listings.............22


Ron James traces the Booms and Busts of early San Diego. See page 5


uptown THE First


Good morning, Kate of Mission Hills!


}}WINE&FOODTHE First WORD


Thank you for reading San Diego Uptown News.


WORD


Will new library help


Partnership: Proposal to give $1M to library questioned


Coming and going: University Avenue storefronts show changes taking place in Uptown.


UPTOWN IN TRAN$ITION


{ STORY AND PHOTO BY RON JAMES } There’s a pony in here somewhere! T


he hand-scrawled sign taped to the glass doors simply stated: “Closed – Out of Business.” Many folks in Hillcrest were shocked and saddened when Hillcrest Stationers, a busi- ness that has served the community for more than six decades, closed its doors for good this month. Uptown News attempted to interview the owner, but he emphatically refused. His decision is under- standable; folding a business after that many years is very personal and traumatic. And there’s a lot of trauma going around. Immediately next door to Hillcrest Stationers is the empty building that recently housed Nativa furniture and just across the street is the vacant La Vache restaurant. And within a couple of blocks from there are an additional dozen or so vacant storefronts.


What is taking place in Hillcrest is more or less taking place in all of our Uptown communities to one degree or another. And although the economy is play- ing a major role in business failures, it is not the only driver. Even in the best of times businesses close their doors for many reasons.


Business failure can be due to changes in neighbor- see Business, page 5


Call me to find your first home, move-up home or income property. Or, call for a FREE evaluation of your current property.


BY LESLIE WOLF BRANSCOMB Lack of adequate parking


has long bedeviled Hillcrest, and solutions have been scant. Plans for a parking garage


were discarded because of the cost, diagonal parking is op- posed by residents who fear excess traffic near their homes, and more than a few people re- ally hate the plan for new high- tech parking meters . Now there’s a proposal to


alleviate Hillcrest’s parking woes by utilizing the lot at the yet-to-be-built Hillcrest/Mis- sion Hills branch library. At an Aug. 6 Uptown Partnership meeting the board considered – but did not vote on – a pro- posal to give $1 million to the library project, with the un- derstanding that the 90-space underground parking lot could be used by the public as well as library patrons. The site, on the southwest


corner of Washington and Front streets, now contains a rundown vacant building, with a parking lot surrounded by a chain-link fence and peppered with graffiti and trash. The building, which once housed the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, was pur- chased by the city in 2003. The plan is to raze it and construct a 25,000-square-foot facility to replace the existing Mission Hills library on W. Washington Street a few blocks away. The Friends of the Library


Web site puts the library’s completion date at “late 2007/


see Library, page 8


parking?


Your Metro Area Specialist (619) 602-2162 HomesByAssaf.com


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 9


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 10


Oct. 30-Nov. 12, 2009


Guide Health & Beauty


page15


Uptown Post Offi ces may close


Mail: USPS stamps North Park, Golden Hill for cancellation


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 14


Dec. 25-Jan. 7, 2009 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON


funding for businesses


BY DAVID HARVEY More than 20 members of the


San Diego small business com- munity, including several Up- town business owners, attended the Dec. 7 City Council meeting to voice support for changes to the Small Business Enhancement Program. A portion of the Business Improvement District Council’s funding for the business enhance- ment program was cut from $315,000 to $285,000. Previous- ly, the city was considering cut- ting the funding entirely, a move local business owners opposed vigorously. With support from the business community for a smaller reduction in funding, the City Council passed the revised agreement unanimously. The Business Improvement


District Council is an umbrella organization formed in 1989 that coordinates projects among San Diego’s 16 business improvement


see Budget, page 8 Historic


house needs new home


BY DAVE SCHWAB


Available for Free: Historic Harwood-Tichenor House built in 1887 at 1157 10th Ave.; Must be moved, owner will donate $35,000 toward moving and re- location costs.


Sound too good to be true? The dwelling, one of the last


four middle-class houses left in the Center City area from the Great Boom of the 1880s, is on the auction block. The asking price can’t be argued. The prob- lem, though, is you’ve got to have a proper place to move it.


see House, page 4 Presented by


619.235.0804 sandiegosymphony.com December 16-20


San Diego’s Favorite


Holiday Music Tradition! †


Copley Symphony Hall Tickets start at just $20! †Michael Cavanaugh does not appear on Dec. 16, 7:30pm or Dec. 20, 2pm performances.


Uptown leaders look toward the new year J


{ BY LESLIE WOLF BRANSCOMB }


anuary, the beginning of a fresh new year, looms just ahead.


It’s that time of year when promises are made, lofty goals set and prognosti- cations offered for an increased level of wealth, peace and joyfulness in the 12 months to come. But what, exactly, can we expect in


PREDICTIONS


2010? The Uptown News asked a num- ber of Uptown’s leaders and businesspeople what they think the new year will bring to our corner of the world and found a sense of very cau- tious optimism, mixed with an unshak- able faith that things will get better.


FINAL see Predictions, page 8


Uptown scores high on its walkability Residents: Healthier, gentler on the environment


BY PRISCILLA LISTER Lucky residents of Hillcrest, Kensington and Park


West likely have better health, breathe cleaner air, in- teract more often with their neighbors and are even gentler on the environment. That’s because they live in “very walkable” neigh- borhoods, according to the latest Walk Score ratings. Walk Score bases walkability not on how pretty a neighborhood is, but on how easy it is to live a “car- lite lifestyle.” Under its criteria, walkable neighbor- hoods have a discernible center, a population density compact enough for local businesses to fl ourish and


FOOD


GOSSIP GRILL


Shh, don’t tell anyone, but there’s a new grill in town.


See page 11 NEWS


PENNIES FROM HEAVEN


McKinley Elementary students donate $400 in pennies. See page 7


for public transportation to run frequently, a mix of businesses and residences both rich and poor, parks and public spaces for recreation, pedestrian-friendly design, and nearby schools and workplaces. Walk Score is a project of Front Seat, a Seattle-


based software company that aims to “connect peo- ple to the places we live, the resources we consume and our communities,” according to its Web site (www.frontseat.org). Walk Score was launched in 2007 to promote walkable neighborhoods, because Front Seat creators Mike Mathieu, Jesse Kocher and


see Walkable, page 4 PARK WEST


HILLCREST Upas St.


5 163


BALBOA PARK


LITTLE ITALY


Diego Bay


San


DOWNTOWN SAN


DIEGO 1 mile PAUL HORN 94 805  Reporter  Editor  Copy Desk ARTS


CONTEST WINNERS


Mission Hills homes light up the holidays. See page 24


SD Police now in charge of towing


BY CHRISTY SCANNELL After dozens of cars were


MAC SLUG: ParkWest/KensingtonWalk ARTIST: Paul Horn (619.294.7681) PUBLICATION DATE: 12.25 STORY SLUG: WALKABLE REPORTER: Priscilla Lister, plister@aol.com EDITOR: branscomb 619.519.7775 SIZE: 1 col. x 17p (x2) WHAT IS IT: locator(s)


towed near the site of the North Park Toyland Parade Dec. 5, resi- dents started to complain, saying the “no parking” signs weren’t up long enough. While the ques- tion of whether they had enough notice remains under investiga- tion, the ruckus brought to light a little-known policy change that means San Diego Police are now in charge of towing at special events in the city. The change, ordered by the


San Diego City Attorney’s offi ce, could potentially cause problems for some Uptown special events. Earlier this month, San Diego


Police Lt. Mark Hanten notifi ed some business improvement dis- tricts via e-mail that police had been “advised by our attorneys … that we must utilize police person- nel for all special event tows from here on out.” Previously, police had allowed the BIDs to make their own


KENSINGTON 15 see Towing, page 8 8


City water quality makes naughty list


NORMAL HEIGHTS


Monroe Ave. 15


having the ninth-worst big city tap water in the nation, accord- ing to the Environmental Work- ing Group, a nonprofi t watchdog organization. But the city’s Public Utilities Department is crying foul, dis- missing the data and proclaiming its water is safe and meets all EPA guidelines. On Dec. 12, EWG, which


San Diego has been tapped as CITY


BY RON JAMES DIEGO


SAN HEIGHTS 1 mile PAUL HORN


works to protect public health and the environment, released the


see Water, page 10


THE OLD GLOBE BROADWAY’S BEST AND SAN DIEGO’S FINEST (619) 23-GLOBE www.TheOldGlobe.org San Diego Union-Tribune


HURRY! Final 7 shows. Must close Sunday! Come take part in the fun as the Old Globe Theatre is transformed into the snow-covered Whoville right down to the last can of Who-hash!


“Critic’s Choice.” Children tickets are for ages 3-17. No children under 3 will be admitted. Everyone must have a ticket. Dr. Seuss Properties TM & (c) 1957 and 2009 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. All Rights Reserved. TALMADGE


VOLUME 1 ISSUE 15


Jan. 8-21, 2010 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS


Pride board axes


Chargers BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON Business association seeks to improve Hillcrest BY CHRISTY SCANNELL Benjamin Nicholls is executive


director of the Hillcrest Business Association, one of the city’s old- est business improvement districts with 1,100 members who are as- sessed annual dues based on num-


director


Controversy: DeHarte makes accusation of misappropriating funds


BY LESLIE WOLF BRANSCOMB This week’s fi ring of San Diego


LGBT Pride Executive Director Ron deHarte, and the subsequent resigna- tion of two staffers, has left the orga- nization in an uproar and led some to question the viability of its upcoming events.


“Pride as we know it, under the leadership as we know it, is going to be impossible,” said Ken St. Pierre, the group’s former director of develop- ment. St. Pierre quit Jan. 6 in protest of deHarte’s termination the day before. San Diego Pride, founded in 1974,


is the nation’s fi fth-largest such orga- nization supporting the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. The group’s annual summer parade and two-day festival are its major event, drawing an estimated 175,000 spectators, in addition to nearly 10,000 parade participants. The 36th annual Pride celebration is scheduled for July. A more pressing concern is the up-


see Pride, page 8


Universal goes out of business due to fi nances


BY LESLIE WOLF BRANSCOMB The Universal nightclub on Univer-


sity Avenue closed its doors Jan. 3, after less than two years in business. The 15,000-square-foot Hillcrest


club was in fi nancial trouble since its inception, said owner James Brennan. The opening of the nightclub was de- layed due to a variety of problems, including disagreements between Bren- nan and the property’s landlord. When the club fi nally opened in April 2008 – a year later than planned – the economy had already begun its downhill slide. “It’s just been an ongoing uphill


battle from before we ever opened the place,” Brennan said. A major setback came with the loss of a loan just prior to opening, he said. “The lender pulled the loan off the table, and then the


see Universal, page 4


URBAN REC HIKE


Marston Hills


Canyon an urban oasis. See page 16


Index


Opinion.......................6 Restaurant Review....10 Dr. Ink.......................10 Crossword................17 Sudoku....................17 Film Review..........17, 18 Arts Listings.............18 Business & Service.....19


ANT WEEK page 12-13


(619) 23-GLOBE | www.TheOldGlobe.org WHISPER HOUSE


JANUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 21 Music and Lyrics by DUNCAN SHEIK Book and Lyrics by KYLE JARROW Directed by PETER ASKIN Old Globe Theatre


Tony and Grammy Award® - winning


songwriter Duncan Sheik follows up his Broadway sensation, Spring Awakening, with this haunting new musical.


ber of employees. A New Zealand native, Nicholls joined the HBA a year ago after fi ve years as manager of Pacifi c Beach’s BID.


Q: What is the HBA’s mission state- ment? A: To improve the neighborhood of


Hillcrest physically and economi- cally.


Q: How do you improve Hillcrest physically? A: There is a whole palette of phys-


see Nicholls, page 2 KENSINGTON 100 YEARS: { BY RON JAMES }


“Kensington Heights will never be spectacular or elabo- rate. It will always be a district unto itself of luxuriously mod- est homes of refi nement.” – from a Davis-Baker Company 1920s sales brochure.


About 100 years ago a couple of bright sisters envisioned what would become


one of the nation’s fi rst planned communities. On April 8, 1910, Abbie Hall Hitchcock and Mary Hall Gleason fi led map 1245 with the City of San Diego to create the fi rst Kensington 157-acre subdivision, called Kensington Park.


see Centennial, page 7 NICHOLLS


‘Luxuriously modest homes of refi nement’


VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6


March 19-April 1, 2010 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON


Historic preservation documented in fi lm


By Ann Jarmusch SDUN Reporter


Editor’s note: For more than


25 years award-winning journalist Ann Jarmusch has covered architec- ture, design, historic preservation and landscape for a variety of pub- lications. Coming to a movie theater near


you for one night only: An epic sto- ry teeming with true grit, tragedy and triumph! Plus a cast of dozens of San Diegans with hearts of gold! It’s the preservationists’ dream documentary – except for the evil bulldozer scenes. (Don’t worry,


the good guys are on a long win- ning streak, with the law and enlight- enment on their side.) “For ty


Years of His- toric Preservation in San Diego County,” commissioned by Save Our Heritage Organisation to com- memorate its 40th anniversary in 2009, will premiere at Old Town


SODERBERG see SOHO, page 2 Council subcommittee to hear


marijuana recommendations Task force will offer proposal at LU&H meeting, March 24


By David Harvey SDUN Reporter


The Medical Marijuana Task


Force will present its recommen- dations to the San Diego City Council’s Land Use and Housing Committee on March 24 after nearly six months of deliberation and community outreach. The Council formed the 11-member task force in Octo- ber to propose regulations on land use and zoning for medical


marijuana dispensaries. The ac- tion was in response to the DEA’s raid of more than 20 dispensaries in September, following a boom in medical marijuana storefronts throughout the city. The task force was scheduled


to present their report to the City Council for action in January but instead the Council voted 7-1 to refer the item to LU&H fi rst, and asked for additional input from community planning groups, which had not heard the issue.


The task force’s suggestions


include a permit process based on the number of customers the dispensary serves, requiring a dispensary to have on-site securi- ty and adequate lighting, limiting signage to two colors and the dis- pensary’s name, and restricting operations to 7 a.m.- 9 p.m. The task force also is recom-


mending that dispensaries should not be located within a 1,000-foot


see Marijuana, page 10


VOLUME 2 ISSUE 7


April 2-15, 2010 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS


traffi c lanes University Avenue plan would cost $3.37 million and begin January 2012


By David J. Harvey SDUN Reporter


After nearly a decade of planning, the recon-


struction of a 1.25-mile segment of University Av- enue between Florida and Boundary streets may break ground as early as January 2012. San Diego’s Development Services and En-


CENTURY PLAZA I


Pedestrian-friendly Plaza de Panama centerpiece of centennial celebration


SDUN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF BY RON JAMES Ron James/SDUN


a successful contract with Amy’s Kitchen to produce veggie burg- ers has boosted his efforts. “I eat really healthy, and that’s why I took this job – I thought if I could go in and try to make change in the way 135,000 kids eat during the day, it would make a difference (for the kids) at home as well.” So when Chef Ann Cooper, the “Renegade Lunch Lady,” rolled into


see Lunches, page 10


Legal action was food for thought but not likely to tip Linkery policy


Earlier this month, Jay Por- ter, owner of The Linkery restau- rant at 30th Street and North Park Way in North Park, received notice from the City Attorney’s Offi ce that the city would be bringing legal action against his business for its service charge policy. On March 5, following a fl urry of media attention including a story in Uptown News, the City Attorney’s Offi ce reversed its deci-


PORTER


sion. Editor Christy Scannell joined Porter last week to talk about what makes The Linkery a “weird food” haven for some and a target for others.


Q: The Linkery touts a “farm-to-table” concept for its menu. Explain how that works. A: To me, “farm to table” means that we’re buying and serving ingredients that were nurtured by human hands from the time they were in the ground. Animals that were raised by people who care. The thing about farm to


see Porter, page 5 Index


Opinion.......................6 Restaurant Review.....15 Dr. Ink.......................17 Film reviews..............20 Urban Rec……………21 Tails of the City………22 Puzzles............……23 Junior Theatre……….24


Einstein Academy students Teak Hodge, Daniella Lewis and Viviana Rivera fill their plates from the school’s lunchtime salad bar. All San Diego elementaries have salad bars as part of the district’s Kids Choice Cafe.


Balboa Park owes its design and many of its buildings to the Panama-California Exposition, which was held from March 1915-January 1917. The expo commemorated the opening of the Panama Canal and promoted San Diego as the fi rst port for ships traveling north after passing through the canal. Planned renovations will return the Plaza de Panama, shown on a postcard above during the expo, to its original appearance. (Courtesy David Marshall)


n today’s special interest society, is it possible for citi- zens to come together to do something as monumental as the creation of Balboa Park and the 1915 Panama Exposition? Seems unlikely, but a past generation’s vision and grit appear to be inspiring a new generation of San Diegans to think big. Politicians and civic- minded citizens are talking about producing world-class multi-year events celebrating the 1915 Panama Exposition.


see Century, page 8


gineering and Capital Projects (E&CP) depart- ments held a community forum March 24 at the North Park Rec Center to collect residents’ input for the draft Environmental Impact Report on the University Avenue Mobility Plan, which pro- poses several traffi c calming measures along the North Park corridor of University Avenue. The plan, scheduled to be completed in two


phases, calls for transit-only lanes on both sides of University, dedicated turn lanes to prevent con- gestion and curb extensions and new crosswalks, as well as the removal of street parking on Uni- versity and the addition of angled spots to several side streets one block north. “The objective is to improve safety for pedes-


trians, bicyclists and motorized traffi c,” Julie Ball- esteros, city engineer and project coordinator, said in her presentation. Approximately 30 community members at-


tended the meeting and eight took the opportu- nity to speak. Among the concerns addressed were how


both construction and traffi c spillover will be managed. “For both of the phases of construction it looks


like about three years of construction, which is very diffi cult for the business community, dealing with active construction during business hours,” said Elizabeth Studebaker, executive director of North Park’s business improvement district. Don Leichtling, a North Park resident who


lives a few blocks from University Avenue, said he is concerned with traffi c diverting into the neighborhoods to avoid congestion. “I would like to see protection for the resi-


see Mobility, page 12 Remembering Margaret “Midge” Costanza


Dumanis: Few of us can say we have touched so many lives


DINOS p. 11


Local and national leader Margaret “Midge” Costanza, 77, died last month at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest. Uptown News asked Bonnie Duma- nis, San Diego County District Attorney, to re- fl ect on the life of her good friend and


COSTANZA work associate. When Midge Costanza walked into


a room, she didn’t just light it up – she electrifi ed it. And when Midge spoke to a group of people, she had them in the palm of her hand from start to fi nish. Everyone who met Midge was charmed right away by her quick wit, big heart and fearless dedication to the causes she believed in. On March 23, Midge passed away and we truly lost a national treasure. With Midge’s passing we also lost a good friend to many communities – the women’s community, the Hillcrest


see Costanza, page 5 Index


Opinion.......................6 Home Tour……………10 Books.......................12 Restaurants..............15 Wine…………………18 Entertainment………21 Puzzles............……22 Theatre………………24


HOUK DE MIRANDA


Road to be recreated with transit,


CLEAN SLATE


Hillcrest’s Stepping Stone takes clients from rock bottom to sober peaks


TREES p. 9


FREE BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON


By Christy Scannell SDUN Editor


the facilities. I


“The buildings were in terrible shape. It was the worst in the county and really the worst I had seen,” she said. “And that wasn’t acceptable to me because in the gay and lesbian population we had had a long challenge for acceptance. This (lack of ap- propriate housing) just perpetuated that we don’t belong.”


So Houk, then Stepping Stone’s execu-


tive director, set out to improve its residen- tial component. Although the organization had never sought funds from private donors before, she was cautiously certain she could secure $1.2 million to create a suitable structure. But as time passed and costs increased, the budget more than doubled to $2.6 million. Still, Houk raised every penny. “I meditated on what I wanted and went for it,” she said. “We had a board who believed we could do it too.” The result in 2000 was a 31-bed “home” in City Heights that has won numerous awards for design and services. It comple- ments Stepping Stone’s outpatient center and administrative offi ces on Fourth Avenue in Hillcrest. “Everyone told her she’d never be able to do it,” said John De Miranda, Stepping Stone’s current president and CEO about Houk, who moved to Palm Springs in 2006. “But it’s a state-of-the-art facility— most people when they see it for the fi rst time can’t believe it’s for indigent people because it looks like something you’d fi nd in Malibu.”


The building, known as “Cheryl’s Stone” to honor Houk’s work, will mark its 10th anniversary in June. A series of events is planned to commemorate the occasion and raise funds for the non-profi t organiza- tion.


De Miranda said the timing couldn’t be better for a celebration that highlights Stepping Stone’s contributions to the region. With state funding reduced, his budget has been slashed 20 percent in the last few years, causing staff layoffs. He said he recently took a voluntary 20 percent pay reduction as well.


see Stepping, page 13


n 1989 when Cheryl Houk joined Step- ping Stone, an alcohol and drug treat- ment agency that caters mostly to the LGBT community, she was appalled at


VOLUME 2 ISSUE 8


April 16-29, 2010 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON


Two Uptown areas seek to manage


The historic Harwood-Tichenor House is now in disrepair and could face a wrecking-ball soon. (Pat Sherman/SDUN)


No home for “free” house despite SOHO intervention


By Dave Schwab SDUN Reporter


The fate of the historic Harwood-


Tichenor House, built in 1887, remains in limbo. The dwelling, located at 1157 10th


Ave. and one of the last four middle- class houses left in the Centre City area from the Great Boom of the 1880’s, was purchased several years ago by Brian Caine as an investment. He wanted to demolish the house to make way for a high-density, high- rise, mixed-use development. But Caine’s plans hit a snag: The


house was involuntary designated historical on April 22, 2004, by the city’s 11-member Historic Resources Board. Caine subsequently appealed Harwood-Tichenor’s historical des- ignation, which ultimately brought it to the attention of the Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO), a nonprofi t devoted since 1969 to pro- moting and supporting preservation of regional architectural, cultural and historical links and landmarks. Ultimately, Caine and SOHO


agreed to attempt to save the Har- wood-Tichenor from the wrecking ball, with Caine offering to give SOHO the $35,000 cost of actually tearing down the structure if SOHO


see Home, page 2


WalkSanDiego marches toward a pedestrian-friendly San Diego


By Christy Scannell SDUN Editor


Hear someone mention WalkSanD-


iego and you might envision a group that leads tours of America’s Finest City. You’d be wrong. “‘Where can I hike on a trail?’ –


No, that’s not it,” WalkSanDiego’s co-founder, Andy Hamilton, said with a laugh. “This is about changing the environment to make it safer for walk- ing. Our mission is to make it possible to choose walking as a transportation mode to meet daily needs.” Hamilton, a transportation special-


ist for the San Diego Air Pollution Control district, created WalkSanDi- ego in 1998 with Dave Schumacher, who oversees transit planning for SANDAG. “Health foundations started dis-


covering you can tell people to get more exercise all you want but if the environment says you won’t there’s a disconnect for people,” Hamilton said. “So Dave and I got together and decided we need a group that just fo- cuses on the environment as a way of stretching out past the capacity of our jobs.”


see Walk, page 7 Index


Uptown Briefs..............5 Opinion………………..6 Home tour...................8 Pets..............……….10 Films…………………15 Restaurant…………21 Puzzles............……22


Remembering Craig Noel, p. 6


ENCORE B


By Christy Scannell SDUN Editor


ack in the ’80s and ’90s, I went to probably more than my fair share of concerts. In 1984 at Loverboy and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts


in Dayton, Ohio, my teen friends and I were subject to sweltering heat and press- ing crowds due to “festival seating” inside Hara Arena (even though the Who concert tragedy had happened just a few years ear- lier down the road in Cincinnati, the lesson


Anthology’s collection of concerts and cuisine is just the ticket


clearly hadn’t been learned). In 1990 I was at a rainy Elton John show in Indianapolis that resulted in mudslides and bedlam. More recently in May 2008, I missed half of Elvis Costello’s set waiting in disorga- nized traffi c outside Cricket Amphitheatre in South Bay. My concert history hasn’t been all


bad, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve found myself buying fewer tickets. The fun just isn’t worth the hassle, my 40-plus-year-old


see Anthology, page 14 city’s Uptown Partnership


By Pat Sherman SDUN Assistant Editor


Some business owners and residents


in Bankers Hill and Five Points are work- ing to sever ties with Uptown Partnership and gain control of money generated from parking meters in their neighborhoods. The proposed secession is part of a


growing discontent some feel toward Up- town Partnership, the nonprofi t corpora- tion the city of San Diego established to manage parking meter revenue in Hill- crest, Mission Hills, Bankers Hill, Park West and Five Points where Washington and India streets meet. The organization, one of six community


parking districts formed in 1997, receives about 45 percent of the revenue generated from Uptown parking meters (as well as other city reimbursements) for parking, pedestrian and traffi c projects. Critics claim the agency’s leadership is


slow to respond to the wishes of the neigh- borhoods it serves, often favors projects in certain areas of Uptown over those in others, and is pushing a $500,000 parking meter upgrade unpopular with some. Su-Mei Yu, owner of Saffron restaurant in


the Five Points neighborhood, said she sup- ports forming a nonprofi t community devel- opment corporation (CDC) to oversee meter revenue and parking projects in her area. Although Uptown Partnership complet-


ed several recent projects in Five Points, including the addition of 25 parking spac- es, a fl ashing speed alert sign and other traffi c calming measures, Yu said she feels that, overall, the organization’s leadership is slow to complete projects outside of Mis- sion Hills and Hillcrest. “They’re friendly people but they don’t really care about India Street,” Yu said.


see Meter, page 3


Check out SDUN’s new A&E coverage, p.13


VOLUME 2 ISSUE 9


April 30-May 13, 2010 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS


meter funds Bankers Hill and Five Points work toward autonomy from


Garden Walk marks nursery’s 100th year


By Ann Jarmusch SDUN Reporter


nia pepper trees and pale yellow Reve d’Or roses spilling across tall arbors.


O


These are just a few of the plants Kate Sessions (1857-1940) introduced or recommended to San Diego during her remarkable half-century career as a pioneer- ing nurserywoman, fl orist, plant importer and botanist. San Diego – a coastal desert, after all – would not look as lush and colorful as it does today were it not for her nurturing infl uence and laborious plantings.


This year marks the centennial of Mission Hills Nursery, which Sessions founded and operated for many years (although she had been in the nursery business in Coronado and Mission Hills since 1885). Mission Hills Garden Club is celebrating both Sessions and the nursery during its 12th annual garden walk on May 8. “A Walk to Remember: Kate Sessions’ Legacy in Bankers Hill” is a self-guided tour of a dozen gardens in one of the city’s most beautiful historic neighborhoods. The tour begins at the nursery and may end there with a clink- ing of wine glasses, as each ticket holder is entitled to one free glass of wine and a discount on Ses- sions’ favorite plants. A trolley will ferry guests who prefer not to drive from the nursery to nearby Bankers Hill, with Nancy Carol Carter, a Kate Sessions expert and president of the San Diego Floral Association, aboard to talk about the nurserywoman’s life and ac- complishments.


see Tour, page 2


Despite delays Adams Ave Farmers’ Market to open with produce aplenty


By Meiko Patton SDUN Reporter


On Wednesday, May 12, the Adams


Avenue Business Association (AABA) will launch the Adams Avenue Farm- ers’ Market at 40th Street and Adams Avenue, next to Ward Canyon, from 3 to 7 p.m., rain or shine. “Farmers’ markets are important


to neighborhoods because they are a great way for people to get out of their houses and eat healthy,” said Jim Sch- neider, the AABA’s executive director. “They have also become social meet- ing places, a way to stay connected


with your neighbors on a weekly ba- sis.”


This farmers’ market in Normal


Heights was delayed numerous times, overcoming several hurdles and setbacks. In 2008, the AABA began evaluating, researching and testing whether a farmers’ market would be sustainable in the business district. Members spent the bulk of that year scouting out possible locations, con- tacting farmers and soliciting commu- nity feedback. Once the AABA secured a location,


see Market, page 3 Index


Opinion.......................6 House Calls……………7 Briefs.......................8 Gardening................10 Restaurants…………14 Puzzles............……22 Theatre………………23 Art……………………24


GOT PINTS?p. 15 FOUR-TIME TONY®


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BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON Hotel revamp accents glamorous past


By Christy Scannell SDUN Editor


A $4 million refurbishment of the historic Lafayette Hotel in North Park began last week and is expected to conclude by the end of the year.


The El Cajon Boulevard icon – built in 1946 and a former haunt of celebrities such as Bob Hope, Lana Turner, Ava Gardner and Betty Grable – will receive a top-to-bottom remodel, including


a return to its original pale blue exterior with a red roof. Fund- ing for the project is coming from a $2.45 million forgivable loan from the City of San Diego Redevelopment Agency with the remaining $1.65 million from JCG Development, the prop- erty’s owner. “We will not just be offering a


stay, but an experience,” said Jay Wentz, principal of JCG Develop- ment and Hampstead Lafayette, which bought the hotel in 2004


for $11 million. “We will remem- ber it as a community treasure and treat it accordingly.” Although the Lafayette is valued at more than $12 million, Hampstead Lafayette’s mort- gage is more than $13 million. Occupancy at the 131-room property recently fell to an all- time average low of 57 percent with a typical room rate of $68, compared to an 80 percent aver- age occupancy rate and $180 average room rate for San Diego


Park A


in peril B


Can conservancy quell report’s ‘powder keg’?


By Christy Scannell SDUN Editor


alboa Park – often referred to as the city’s “gem” by politicians and residents alike – has a famous zoo, a world-re-


nowned theater and iconic architecture – but it has no manager. The 1200-acre home of 15 major museums


also has no public fundraising arm, nor does it have a formal volunteer corps. At 14 million visitors a year, Balboa Park is


the fourth most visited city park in the nation. Yet land-use processes, a safety plan and a li- brary of park documents are non-existent. What Balboa Park does have: at least


$250,000 in deferred maintenance needs. And as of this month, it has a plan to address those repairs plus fi x what a 2008 independent report on the park called a “powder keg” of complica- tions created by insuffi cient funding and leader- ship.


The Balboa Park Task Force – a mayor-ap- pointed group of 17 people representing public


see Park, page 11 MAY uptownMag2/GOLDAcover_Layout 1 4/28/10 10:30 AM Page 1 see House, page 9


hotels overall. Wentz said the overhaul


will increase both the hotel’s occupancy rate and its ability to charge higher room rates. “We’re in the valley; we’re slowly going to climb out,” he said, estimating the Lafayette’s rooms will go for $125 nightly once the renovations are com- plete. “This is not going to be a luxury hotel but a very well run,


see Lafayette, page 5


VOLUME 2 ISSUE 12


June 11-June 24, 2010 OLD TOWN • MISSION HILLS


South Park’s architectural past to shine


By Karen Kenyon SDUN Reporter


On a shady corner in South


Park, a 1924 white Spanish Modern house with angular lines and a west-facing deck sits waiting for visitors. This is one of five historic


homes you can tour during South Park’s Old House Fair (centered around 30th and Beech Streets) on June 19 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission to the 12th annual tour is $20. As you enter the home you


feel you are stepping into the past.


Furniture that is roughly


from the period fills the rooms, as well as artwork garnered from travels, estate sales and consignment stores. The air feels cool and fresh


inside, testament to the design that allows breezes and soft light in. Ample windows offer an indoor/outdoor feeling. Original cabinetry in the


kitchen, as well as a built-in ironing board and California Cooler (an area in the cabinet wall where cool outside air kept perishables from the day’s heat), give the visitor a feeling that the first lady of the house may walk in dressed in her 1920’s flapper attire at any moment. A perfect glass skylight with


crawl space throws light onto the hall area where bedrooms meet. This feature was hidden in the past by a low ceiling of acoustical tile. Unique stenciling on one


bedroom floor is reflective of the era when the home was built. Gradually letting the charm


of the old house live again is a goal of the present owner. “I want to keep it old, simple and natural,” she says. Another house on the historic home tour is an Irving


BANKERS HILL • HILLCREST • UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS • NORTH PARK • SOUTH PARK • GOLDEN HILL • NORMAL HEIGHTS • KENSINGTON


Kensington fest stresses clean energy


By Pat Sherman SDUN Assistant Editor San Diegans will learn


how to use the sun’s warmth to make their homes more energy efficient while slashing utility bills by up to 50 percent or more during the Kensington Clean Energy Festival, June 26 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. During the event, at


Agency for change


Velarde family photo courtesy photobyelsa.comv La Cuna offers unique foster care program


By Christy Scannell SDUN Senior Editor


The call came on a Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. Todd Worthington, manager of the U.S.


Bank branch in North Park, was rushing out his office door to a couple of appointments. But when he saw Jeannelle Bitterlin’s number pop up on his cell phone, he answered. “We have a 10-month-old girl who needs im-


mediate placement,” Bitterlin, a social worker for foster family agency La Cuna, told him.


Owners of quirky Lestat’s coffee eye expansion at Park Blvd. site


By David Harvey SDUN Reporter


At 3343 Adams Avenue, next to the Normal Heights welcome sign, is a coffeehouse adorned with gargoyles and a door that never closes. In fact, John Husler and Jamie Gerkowski, the owners of Lestat’s Coffee House, probably couldn’t lock up even if they wanted to. “Lestat’s hasn’t been locked in eight years,” Husler said with a smile. “I don’t even know where the key is anymore.”


When Husler and Gerkowski first saw Lestat’s in 1997, it was a small coffeehouse called Java de Paradigm, which suffered from a lack of clientele and sporadic hours. It took them nearly five years to make it a 24-hour shop.


Now Husler and Gerkowski are about to go back to the life of closing coffee shop doors – albeit briefly.


The pair has purchased Cream Coffee – the iconic, mural-adorned shop at 4496 Park Boulevard in


see Lestat’s, page 6 With just 30 minutes to make a decision,


Worthington called his partner, Luke Kensen, to talk it over. Already foster parents to Aiden, 3, the couple discussed whether they could handle another child since they were finishing a home renovation and were involved in major changes at their businesses (Kensen owns house333, a North Park real estate firm). “We had a lot of questions we didn’t have


answers to,” Worthington said. “But I told [Luke] we can always say we’re really busy and there’s never going to be a perfect time.”


see Agency, page 7 Index


the Kensington-Normal Heights branch library and the Kensington Community Church, attendees will learn about cost-saving rebates and incentives such as the California Solar Initiative and the city’s Clean Generation Program. These rebates are available to homeowners who install energy- and water-saving features such as solar water heating and photovoltaic systems. The festival is a partnership California


between the


Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), the Kensington 100th Anniversary Committee and the Kensington-Normal Heights branch library. It will include a series of educational workshops and a walking tour of energy- efficient Kensington homes. Martin Offenhauer’s 1914 Craftsman-style home is one of the stops on the tour. Shortly after purchasing the home in 2000, Offenhauer had a $3,500 solar water heating system installed that included two solar panels mounted atop his garage and a separate solar heating reservoir. Between a state rebate of $750 and the money he saved on utility bills, Offenhauer estimates the system paid for itself within three years. “I figure probably about


two-thirds of my hot water heating is done by solar,” he said. “‘May gray’ and ‘June gloom’ cut it down a little bit but it does


see Clean, page 2


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Photo Courtesy Anthology


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The cast of DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!; photo by Craig Schwartz.


2010


Reynard Way 6th Ave.


The cast of DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!; photo by Craig Schwartz. Not valid Saturday


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SPECIAL ISSUE


pp. 19-22Travel


pp. 16-17


Travel


Buy One, Get ONE 1/2 Off Buy one entrée & get


50% off


2nd entrée of equal or lesser value


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