IB CONNECTION, MARCH 2016 by SD METRO

IB CONNECTION

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A Positive Community Newspaper Created by Locals, for Locals, Supporting Local Businesses Vol. 1 No. 1 March 2016

MidCityNewspaperGroup.com

Imperial Beach Community Comes Together To Save Local Boys Life

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Young local boy, Krystopher Paldi fighting IPEX Syndrome PAGE 11 Mayor’s Address Mayor Serge Dedina shares achievements,goals and priorities PG. 15

Beach Clean-up South Bay Community Magazine Hosts Beach Clean Up. PG. 3

Shipwreck Draws Crowd Storm Uncovers Lost Ship PG. 22

The Paldi Family, friends and community members along with Mayor Serge Dedina showing support at the Bone Marrow and Blood Drive.

Public Art Initiative BY JORDAN JACOBO

There’s soon to be an influx of public art adorning all parts of Imperial Beach thanks to a newly assembled band of local artists who’s aim is to beautify our town. The Imperial Beach Arts Bureau, initiated by Mayor Serge Dedina, consists of a small group of I.B. locals who are mostly artists and photographers. On Saturday, February 20th, the

New Imperial Beach Library The new library will be 12,000square-foot building that is 3 times larger than the previous PG. 22

Bureau installed two banners on the fence of the construction site located at the end of Imperial Beach Boulevard and Seacoast Drive. The banners featured high-resolution digital copies of ocean-themed paintings created by students from the Imperial Beach Charter School. While one banner highlighted the local tidelands and the many species of birds, the other banner featured an undersea landscape SEE ART, Page 3

JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

CONTACT US EDITORIAL/LETTERS ibconnectionnewsdesk@gmail.com ADVERTISING ibconnectionnewsdesk@gmail.com Beautifying the city with public art at Seacoast Dr. and I.B. Blvd.

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS AMERICAN LEGION POST 820 1268 Palm Ave., Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 423-7662

As an organization, we are here for Veterans and their families. The Post consists of those members who have served honorably in the Armed forces and are serving today on active duty. It is serving during conflicts that make this organization so worthy to belong to. The Auxiliary are those women and girls that are Wifes, daughters, mothers, grandmothers and step daughters eligible to be members. The Sons of the American Legion or SAL’s are those sons, grandsons and stepsons who have had a parent who is in the American Legion. Come on down to the Post home if you fall into any one of these categories. We will let you know how to become a member. FLEET RESERVE ASSOCIATION (FRA) BRANCH 289 659 Silver Strand Blvd.,Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 429-3485

We are a non-profit organization comprised of active duty, veterans and retirees of the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Besides gathering for camaraderie, the Branch supports, among other things, the Warrior Foundation, Wounded Warriors, Boys Club of Imperial Beach, Imperial Beach Little League Baseball and softball, and bestows scholarship donations to patriotic young men and women. Regularly, Branch members visit warriors at Balboa Naval Hospital providing toiletry articles and cookies. The branch also makes its presence during National Holidays supporting functions in Imperial Beach. Come on by for membership information. We would welcome your visit any time. VFW POST 5477 SILVER STRAND 123 Palm Ave.,Imperial Beach, CA 91932 (619) 424-6666

Proudly supports US veterans of all past and present wars. We are committed to supporting the needs of our veterans, currently deployed troops, their families and our community. Post 5477 welcomes all members and active duty. For information on membership, stop on by or give us a call.

COMMUNITY

Letters to the Editor: Passing the Torch It was two years ago when I first started I.B. Local News. It has been a learning experience and a sometimes wild and emotional ride. What we attempted to demonstrate was the need for a local newspaper that actually informs the public from the point of view of those who actually live in Imperial Beach. We met crazy deadlines to get City Council Agendas on the street the weekend before City Council Meetings and the result was a more proactive citizenry that began to show up at City Council Meetings in record numbers to be heard. For at least 20 years previous, the local adjudicated newspapers never printed agendas prior to meetings. Our printing and delivery schedule was greatly complicated by the short period of time we had to get the paper into circulation when a blue collar community had the time to read the paper. A new City Manager fulfilled my 6 year quest to get streaming video of City Council Meetings; which are now available on the City’s website “ON DEMAND. Imperial Beach has a lot of new faces and has improved dramatically. They respond to citizens; much to the credit of Andy Hall and Ed Vea as well as the new Mayor Serge Dedina. Much of the reason for the improvements at City Hall are due to the diligence and active involvement of local citizens who are paying attention and holding the City Accountable. These are all good signs for democracy but, citizens must stay vigilant and be ready to

show up when the need arises in order to maintain the newly found transparency at City Hall. As most of you know, we ceased publication of I.B. Local News last September because of financial difficulties. Some were due to underestimating what our actual overhead would be and some were inflicted by outside influences. As an individual, I could not continue to absorb our financial shortfalls and regrettably had to pull the plug. We recently were contacted by Brad Weber of Mid City Newspaper Group who offered to breathe life back into our newspaper. For the sake of the community, I have passed the torch to Brad Weber; who has been kind enough to hire many of our former staff. Although I will be allowed to contribute content for the new version; I will no longer have Editorial Control or be the Publisher. Brad Weber comes from a backround in Direct Mail Advertising and because of his success and experience in that area, the new newspaper will also be direct mailed to homes in Imperial Beach! This 100% market saturation will give advertisers increased reach to get their message to their prospective customers. The paper will now be monthly;which will not always allow posting of Agendas prior to meetings however; a higher on-line and smart phone friendly digital version combined with postings of agendas on the City’s Website, will allow those who are interested to continue to follow City Hall.

Brad Weber

Brad welcomes your stories, input and suggestions! I think you will find it more like a monthly magazine with expanded color and subject matter. I personally wish Brad and my former staff members that have elected to help him continue the legacy of I.B. Local News the best of luck and hope they will continue to demonstrate and illustrate why Imperial Beach is such a great place to live, work or visit. Thank you for your support for the last two years and best of luck to Brad and his staff. Ed Kravitz Former Publisher/Owner of I.B. Local News

COMMUNITY

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

South Bay Community Magazine Hosts Beach Clean Up BY JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

Melissa Moreno, founder and owner of South Bay Community Magazine hosted her first beach cleanup in a series of cleanups of South Bay in Imperial Beach on Saturday, February 27th. South Bay Community Magazine and I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) Adopt a beach program organized the cleanup. With over 112 residents coming out to participate, the event was a huge success. Volunteers gathered in the early morning hours to pick up trash and clean up our beautiful beach. The cleanup began at the Portwood Pier and volunteers covered over 4 miles of beach from Camp Surf all the way to the mouth of the Tijuana River. Participants from Boys and Girls Clubs of South County, 41 of Mar Vista’s High School Students, Fit 4 Mom Stroller Strides/ Stroller Barre, UCNS Mercy/NWCA, YMCA Camp Surf, Girl Scout Troop #6185, Sports Park Recreation Center, The Chamber of Commerce, Justino Martinez President of the Southwest Chula Vista Civic Association and Mayor Serge Dedina were among the groups and volunteers who came out to participate. Volunteers were educated by

Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center is located at 301 Caspian Way and is open year around. The Visiting Center serves all of Imperial Beach. There are Programs for all ages from Jr Rangers, Discovery Labs and Bird Migration Activities. JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

Tijuana Estuary Kick Starts Junior Rangers Program this Month Mayor Dedina thanking volunteers and South Bay Community Magazine for their hard work and their successful beach clean up. JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

Vince Rivas of I Love A Clean San Diego, before the cleanup began. He passed around items recovered from birds and shared the importance of clean beaches and the effects it has on our environment. After their hours of work, they were able to collect approximately 120 bags of trash, wooden pallets, plastic crates, food containers, cigarette butts, 6-pack rings and more. Most of the items end up in our oceans or are eaten by the birds.

IMPERIAL BEACH RELEASES LOGO FOR 60 YEAR ANNIVERSARY Imperial Beach Releases Logo for 60 year Anniversary as an incorporated city with little Fanfare! However, Large Sales are Planned for Shirts, Hats and other items with logo as July 18th 2016, 60 year anniversary of the city’s incorporation draws near.

Special thanks goes out to South Bay Community Magazine, Aaron Ruiz, JR Photography, Donna Alsum, Candy Unger, Yvonne Palos, Justino Martinez, Tess Morales and the whole Moreno Family. Mayor Dedina ended the day thanking participants for their time and dedication to keeping our beaches clean. If you would like to learn more about I Love A Clean San Diego or how you can help, please visit: www.cleansd.org/

BY ANDIE SULLIVAN

The official start of spring is upon us, beginning Sunday, March 20th. Along with longer days, spring brings with it, new plants, and often, new living creatures. Birds come back from their winter homes and create nests, where they will lay their eggs. Plants start to enjoy the warmth of the sun, and slowly bloom new flowers. Along with all the other beautiful experiences of spring, Tijuana Estuary kick starts their Junior Rangers Program this month. Extending FREE educational activities for ages 7-12, every Thursday from 3:30pm - 4:30pm, rain or shine! Jr. Rangers have the opportunity to become well versed in the significance of wetlands, and the bionomics of estuaries. In doing so, they may receive patches and buttons as they advance through the

ART

CONTINUED FROM Front Page

teeming with fish, turtles and other sea creatures. The original paintings were created by Imperial Beach Charter School’s 7th grade class, who worked with muralist and educator

program. Visitors who would like to become Jr Rangers and cannot attend the regularly scheduled program, can pick up a copy of the California State Parks Junior Ranger Adventure Guide in the visitor center. You can find the Jr. Ranger Schedule online at: trnerr.org/jrrangers/. The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve has informative, yet riveting, hands-on educational programs for children as well as tours, fascinating lectures and other opportunities for adults. In addition to their ongoing programs, the Tijuana Estuary also puts on special events throughout the year, such as quarterly Discovery Labs and International Migratory Bird Day activities coming up this May. Be sure to look at their calendar online for current scheduling and details of all other activities.

Todd Stance to highlight the local wildlife habitats of the area, including our ocean and tidelands. The Imperial Beach Arts Bureau intends on installing more artwork around the city, and is currently seeking submissions of local, tideland and ocean-themed fine art and photography to be printed on banners and prominently displayed.

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

BUSINESS

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

Independent Businesses Report Growing Sales and Hiring

BY OLIVIA LAVECCHIA INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL-SELF-RELIANCE

Survey shows community pharmacies offer not only superior service, but lower prices A large national survey has found that public support for independent businesses led to brisk sales and a sharp increase in hiring in 2015, but biased policies and other obstacles are limiting their success. Independent businesses experienced healthy sales growth in 2015, buoyed by their strong community ties and growing public awareness of the benefits of locally owned businesses, according to a large national survey. The Independent Business Survey, which is conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in partnership with the Advocates for Independent Business and is now in its ninth year, gathered data from over 3,200 independent businesses. The respondents reported brisk sales in 2015, with revenue growing an average of 6.6 percent. Among independent retailers, who comprised just under half of survey respondents, revenue increased 4.7 percent in 2015, including a 3.1 percent gain during the holiday season. These figures contrast sharply with the performance of many national retail chains, and overall holiday retail sales, which rose just 1.6 percent in December according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. This growth led to a significant increase in hiring. Overall employment at the independent businesses surveyed expanded by 5.6 percent in 2015, with more than 30 percent of respondents

reporting the addition of at least one employee. Local First initiatives are part of what’s strengthening independent businesses, the survey found. Twothirds of respondents in cities with an active Local First, or “buy local,” campaign said that the initiative is having a noticeable positive impact on their business, citing benefits such as new customers and increased loyalty among existing customers. About one-third of businesses in Local First cities also said that the initiative had led them to become more engaged in advocating on public policy issues, and 44 percent said that the campaign had made elected officials more aware and supportive of independent businesses. That’s significant because the survey also found that independent businesses are facing a number of challenges, many related to public policy. One obstacle is a lack of credit for businesses seeking to grow. The survey found that one in three independent businesses that applied for a bank loan in the last two years failed to secure one. That figure was 54 percent among minority-owned businesses, and 41 percent among young firms, whose expansion has historically been a key source of net job growth. Competition from large Internet companies is also a top challenge, par-

Small Business Economic Survey Entrepreneurs more pessimistic about national business climate than last year, but stay hopeful for their own businesses Union Bank’s annual Small Business Economic Survey shows San Diego County small business owners are more pessimistic about the national economy in 2016 than last year, yet remain hopeful about the future of their own businesses. Overall, more than two-thirds of San Diego small business owners (68 percent) report that the national economy is headed in the wrong direction, a 23 percentage point increase over 2015. Nearly two-thirds also believe the state and local economies have worsened, a 20-point increase. However, when asked about their own businesses, 87 percent said they believe they are headed in the right direction. San Diego small business owners are generally negative about the business climate for small businesses in 2016: 40 percent said the business climate has worsened, 31 percent said it has stayed the same, and 29 percent said it has improved, the 2016 survey showed. Forty-five of San Diego County business owners reported that they are either unprepared or admittedly do not know if they are prepared enough for interest rate changes. A plurality of small business owners said they are working the same number of hours in early 2016 as they did during the same time last year. Forty-four percent said they were work-

ing the same number of hours per week, 42 percent said they were working “somewhat or a lot more” and 14 percent said they were working “somewhat or a lot less,” the data showed. “The feelings of uncertainty about the national economy reflected in the survey results are somewhat consistent with what we’re seeing among small business owners who are encouraged about the future of their businesses and cautiously expanding and increasing staffing,” said Union Bank Managing Director Todd Hollander, head of business banking. “Our clients are working smarter to sustain their businesses and many continue to seek capital, but they are closely monitoring interest rates and are concerned about interest rate changes and other government implications during this election year.” Access to Credit, Spending

San Diego small business owners are less likely than business owners overall to apply and be approved for credit. In 2015, 13 percent of San Diego business owners applied for loans or access to credit, with 70 percent who were approved for credit, a 13-point increase over last year but still lower than the full sample of business owners surveyed (79 percent approval rate). Overall, San Diego small business

ticularly for independent retailers, 70 percent of whom ranked it as very significant to their business. Another leading obstacle is the fact that large competitors can use their market power to secure better pricing and terms from suppliers. On the policy side of these challenges, majorities of the businesses surveyed said they would support legislation to cap the dollar value of the economic development tax breaks that companies are eligible to receive, and that they think regulators should more

vigorously enforce antitrust laws against dominant companies. The rising cost of commercial rent is another difficulty facing many independent businesses. Among retailers who lease their locations, 59 percent reported being worried about the increasing cost of rent. The steep swipe fees set by credit card companies are also a challenge. A large majority of retailers favored government action to cap credit card swipe fees, as the E.U., Australia, and other countries have done.

“While these obstacles are certainly formidable, independent businesses have seen a remarkable increase in public awareness and support in recent years,” said Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. “In our survey, many expressed a determination to build on the momentum of the ‘buy local’ movement to press for policies that will give small, local businesses a better opportunity to compete and thrive.”

owners are spending conservatively in 2016: 73 percent said they will keep capital expenditures the same, 18 percent said they would decrease spending and 9 percent said they would increase spending. “Access to credit and alternative financing remain top priorities for entrepreneurs,” said Kirsten (Didi) Hakes, head of the SBA Lending group at Union Bank. “The survey results reflect that more minority business owners are experiencing higher than average approval rates, and that is encouraging and consistent with the interest we continue to receive in the bank’s lending programs, such as Business Diversity Lending and Community-Based Financing, which help provide loan opportunities to women-, minority- and veteran-owned businesses.”

had decreased. Nearly three in four San Diego business owners said the Affordable Care Act had not impacted employment at their companies. A large majority of San Diego County business owners are not making efforts to support policies advancing equal pay or targeting employees across generations, the survey also showed. Two-thirds of San Diego business owners said they had made “no conscious effort” to support equal pay policies in their businesses, nine points higher than national numbers. Twenty-three percent of San Diego business owners conducted periodic wage assessments; 18 percent created a clearly defined pay structure; and 16 percent made efforts to increase transparency. Even larger percentages of San Diego small business owners said they had not made efforts to attract and retain employees across generations, from Millennials to Baby Boomers. More than two-thirds of San Diego business owners said they made “no conscious effort” to attract or retain Millennial workers, and 71 percent made no efforts to retain their Gen X or Baby Boomers employees, according to the survey. Nearly half, 48 percent, of San Diego business owners said they are “not at all concerned” about the wave of Baby Boomers reaching retirement and the subsequent impact on their staffing. “These results showing little concern surrounding generational staffing are not completely aligned with what our clients are telling us,” said Hollander.

“Many clients are focused on attracting, training and maintaining talented millennials while maximizing experienced, proven employees who have decades of experience to help streamline staff transitions of retiring workers. The skills gap also remains a growing issue in a variety of industries.” The survey showed that the historic California drought seems to have primarily impacted local California business, especially those in the Central Valley and Central Coast. Nine in 10 San Diego business owners said the drought has not impacted their business.

Top Election Year Issues

San Diego small business owners named the Affordable Care Act the election issue of most concern for their businesses, with a majority saying health care changes have increased their business costs. Fifty-two percent of San Diego small business owners said the Affordable Care Act would most impact their business, followed by immigration laws (26 percent); equal pay (12 percent); and foreign trade (10 percent). When asked about the impact of the health care changes, 58 percent said their costs had either somewhat or greatly increased, 31 percent said costs had not changed, and 11 percent said their costs

Planning the Future: Ownership Structure

The proportion of San Diego County business owners planning changes to ownership structure declined slightly over 2015 levels. Among those planning to make a change, selling and making an acquisition emerged as the top options. Within five years, 28 percent said they planned to make a change in their business ownership. “This is consistent with many of our Baby Boomer clients who are beginning to explore next steps, which may mean selling their business,” Hakes said. “If selling is in the cards, they will need to be as proactive as they have been in running their business. We recommend putting in place an exit strategy two to five years ahead of the event. It is also important to understand that running a business and selling a business take different skills.”

TRANSPORTATION

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

SR-15 Commuter Bikeway Groundbreaking Stirs Excitement The bikeway will allow cyclists and walkers to travel both directions on a paved and striped path, protected from traffic by a concrete barrier. BY SUSAN TAYLOR

Get behind the wheel and head north on State Route (Interstate) 15 from any central San Diego community. Mission Valley beckons, with its shopping, entertainment and dining possibilities, and your car speeds along. Other vehicles merge on or exit. Overhead signs divert drivers to other connections, the beach or East County. Passengers gaze out at the swaying trees and seemingly off-course seagulls overhead; they are passive participants in a typical “driving experience,” the rationale behind freeways--to move traffic at high speeds, without interruption, to some final parking place. At best, efficient feats of engineering. At worst, frustrating and even dangerous pockets of gridlock. Imagine the same route minus vehicles and you understand the reason for the construction of the new SR-15 Commuter Bikeway. Special lanes are being built to allow bicyclists and pedestrians to utilize this stretch of freeway, starting at Adams Avenue in Kensington going north to Camino del Rio South, to travel the one-mile trip to the businesses in Mission Valley between Fairmount to the east and Texas Street to the west. In fact, prior to the building of the Commuter Bikeway, the only connections from Mid-City to Mission Valley were on these high-speed and steeply graded roads. On March 1, at Ward Canyon Park, SANDAG, Caltrans, and city of San Diego officials, as well as community activists and neighborhood residents, celebrated the groundbreaking of the construction of the Commuter Bikeway.The public was invited to hear about the future Bikeway, which will allow cyclists and walkers to travel both directions on a paved and striped path, protected from traffic by a concrete barrier. Paid for with federal, Caltrans, local, and Transnet funds, the conversion will provide safe travel for people on bicycles and on foot along lanes 12 feet wide, striped for two-way traffic, and protected by concrete barriers. The bike path will have state-of-the-art LED lighting, landscaping, and wider cut out areas for passing and rest stops.

The enhancements to the existing SR-15 freeway are of high priority as part of Riding to 2050, the San Diego Regional Bike Plan adopted by the SANDAG Board of Directors in May 2010, and also incorporated into the city of San Diego Bicycle Master Plan and the Mid-cities Communities Plan, making good on a $14 million promise to convert existing pavement to bicycle and pedestrian lanes. Moreover, the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy, with the same intent, was laid out in October 2011. Laurie Berman, district director of Caltrans District 11, said that the project is a good model for existing and future freeways to have multi-modal transportation choices. Maintenance of the Commuter Bikeway will be financed by a regional one-half cent tax for transportation administered by SANDAG. An Advisory Committee of Pedestrians and Bike riders has already been meeting quarterly since October to consider creative ways to pay for upkeep, such as the new Adopt-aBikepath program. San Diego City Council President Pro Tem and 9th District Councilmember Marti Emerald congratulated SANDAG and Caltrans for implementing the plans. Emerald chairs the Public Safety and Liveable Neighborhoods Committee and has long been an advocate for sustainable infrastructure in San Diego. She said she realized the project was going ahead when she noticed some eucalyptus trees on the east side of SR-15 being cut down. The vegetation will be replanted once the bikeway is constructed. As for pedaling or trekking back up the hill, she added that people could always “grab a bus,” possibly one of the Rapid Transit improvements along the same freeway. The SR-15 Commuter Bikeway is of special interest to communities such as Kensington, Normal Heights, and City Heights. Just recently, the Ward Canyon Dog Park was inaugurated, another promise fulfilled to area residents. Also in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony were San Diego

Councilwoman Marti Emerald addresses the audience at the commuter bikeway groundbreaking. (Photo by Jim Childers)

County Supervisor Ron Roberts, city Councilwoman Marti Emerald and Laurie Berman, district director of Caltrans District 11, uncover a large photo of the planned SR-15 Commuter Bikeway at the March 1 groundbreaking. (Photo by Jim Childers)

County Supervisor Ron Roberts, Councilman Todd Gloria and Ricardo Flores, who lives in Kensington, and is running for the San Diego Council seat in the 9th District. Chris Ward, candidate for Council in the 3rd District, remarked that he was happy to see a safe bike alternative, one that he might feel comfortable riding on himself with his 2-year-old daughter in tow. Samantha Ollinger, executive director of BikeSD, was “excited that it’s actually happening … to be able to access the attractions north of SR-8 and connect Mid-City communities,” as promised 30 years ago. With her was Rebecca Rusk, who has been a bike commuter since “before there were helmets.” She feels that the project is “a great idea.” Representing the City Heights Community Development Corporation was Randy Van Vleck, who called the SR-15 Commuter Bikeway “transformative,” and pointed out that it is actually shorter than driving this same route. Also happy to see the construction start was Jim Baross, president of

the California Association of Bicycling Organizations He, like other Normal Heights residents at Ward Canyon Park that day, welcomed the transportation alternative. The SR-15 Commuter Bikeway is actually just one of six planned segments in the overall San Diego Regional Plan. On March 9, an open house to discuss another section, the Landis Avenue segment, was to be held at Cherokee Point Elementary. With construction to begin in September 2017, this bike route, estimated at $1.4 million, will include three major transit corridors, two parks, and a skate plaza. It will begin in Kensington and go south along Terrace Drive and Central Avenue to Landis Street. North it will travel 2.2 miles along Landis between Alabama Street and Chamoune, linking North Park and City Heights. Streetside improvements will beautify the area and reduce noise. One more piece to the SR-15 freeway makeover is the construction of the SR-15 Mid-City Rapid Transit Stations Project. Slated for completion in 2017, this will build San Diego’s first

County Supervisor Ron Roberts was one of several government officials attending the event. (Photo by Jim Childers)

freeway-level transit stations and transit-only lanes using lanes existing within the freeway median. The stations will ensure more on-time bus rides and extend from just north of Interstate 805 to just south of Interstate 8. Expect ramp closures which may occur along Adams Avenue between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, and between 7 p.m. Thursdays and 5 a.m. Fridays. Other effects may be dust, lights, and noise. Commuters may already have seen work being done for the elevator structure south of University Avenue that will give riders at street level access to the freewaylevel stations. For safety reasons, most construction will be done at night. Getting from here to there on the SR-15 Commuter Bikeway is touted to be “more pleasant for everyone — people who walk, bike, work, and live there.” That, and the other future transportation projects, will bring convenient choices to Mid-City communities and contribute to the health of citizens and our climate.

Councilman Todd Gloria speaks with a constituent. (Photo by Jim Childers)

BUSINESS

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

Accion Reports Record Loan Production Microlender also reports expansion, new staff and new board members Local microlender Accion last year had the highest year of production since its inception in 1994 with 329 loans disbursed in San Diego and Imperial counties to nearly 400 business owners for a total of more than $3.4 million. Dollar amount of loans disbursed was up more than 20 percent in 2015 compared to $2.8 million in 2014. Loan issuance was also up 25 percent compared to 262 in 2014. The organization’s active portfolio also surpassed $5 million dollars for the first time. “We continue to be a vital resource for small businesses to access funding and business support services such as one-on-one coaching and workshops,” said Accion CEO Elizabeth Schott. “Our loans empower start-up and existing entrepreneurs to create jobs in our community, increase their incomes, and contribute to the strength of our regional economy.” On average, active Accion loan clients maintain and/or generate almost 1,000 jobs in the region. In July, the organization expanded by servicing entrepreneurs in neighboring Imperial County. Of the 329 loans disbursed in 2015, 13 of those loans went to support Imperial County business owners. Accion also hired its first remote business development officer, El Centro resident Diana Moreno-Inman. Moreno-Inman has over 15 years of experience in the business development, marketing and banking industries with a passion for financial literacy. “After 21 years of serving entrepreneurs in San Diego, we developed a strategic plan that was focused on efficient growth to meet the rising demand for services,” said Schott. “We

were able to exceed the goals we set for the region by disbursing more than $110,000 to Imperial Valley business owners in the second half of the year.” Accion added San Bernardino and Riverside counties to its service areas in January. Accion will work to service small business owners in these new counties using remote technology and staff from its regional office in San Diego, with plans to hire two business development officers to be based in each county in the coming months. Currently, the organization is working collaboratively with various community partners on the ground, such as the Women’s Business Centers, Small Business Development Centers, SCORE and economic development offices, which provide technical assistance and support services to business owners. “Though we have expanded our service area, we remain committed to further growing and serving more San Diego-based businesses as well as offering support to these new regions,” said Schott. Accion also added two new board members Lea Freeman, a venture capital associate at Qualcomm Ventures, and Joon Han, a longtime Accion volunteer and strategy specialist at Better San Diego. Freeman serves as a financial analyst with Qualcomm Ventures and primarily assists in financial modelling, due diligence and tracking analysis for prospective and current investments. Han is an accomplished serial entrepreneur and is a key strategic advisor to numerous social entrepreneurs throughout the year. He is also a TedX speaker, podcaster and author of the book “Get Ahead by Giving Back.”

they both preferred to be involved Elizabeth Schott began leading with a store that emphasized comAccion San Diego in 2009. It is a munity, health and quality customer nonprofit micro-lender that in 2009 service over profit. had a staff of seven and a loan port“Greg and I wanted to make it our folio of $2.6 million. Under her lead- own thing,” said Chad. “And grow it ership, Accion now has a staff of 15 how we want to grow it, as a comand the portfolio has surmunity based-enterprise passed the $5 million mark. rather than a sales-based Today, Accion serves enterprise.” more than 3,000 aspiring The community has and existing small business clearly taken notice of the owners, providing 1,000 of business, located at 2545 them with educational El Cajon Blvd. The store training or access to small resembles a sitcom set as loans ranging from $300 to much as it does a shoe Accion CEO $50,000. The almost 600 store, with a revolving cast Elizabeth Schott entrepreneurs in Accion’s of local characters coming client portfolio use their Accion in to shop or just shoot the breeze loans to start or grow their business with the ever-affable Chad and Greg. and better provide for their families, The Milestone hang-out crowd while also boosting the regional are often left talking among themeconomy and creating or sustaining selves, however, as customers fremore than 1,200 jobs in the San quently cycle in and out, each receivDiego region. Schott is a founding ing the full treatment from Chad or member of the San Diego Founda- Greg. First they undergo a “gait analtion Civic Leadership Fund Steering ysis,” which involves running on a Committee, founder and core leader treadmill in the store while Greg or of the San Diego Microfinance Chad films the way the potential Alliance and Summit, the Torrey customer’s feet land. Then, using Pines Bank Advisory Board, the their knowledge of exercise physiolComerica Advisory Committee and ogy gained from years working in supports charities focused on breast the industry, they assess the way a cancer awareness and research. customer’s foot rolls and use that assessment to recommend shoes Accion Client Spotlight: that fit the customer’s specific needs. Running Hard with Milestone This first-class service comes with Running By Oren Rosenberg both current style running shoes, as Chad Crawford and Greg Lemon well as heavily-discounted styles have hardly had time to catch their from last year. Greg and Chad are breath, as business has been so hectic acutely aware that some customers at Milestone Running. They formed may have more limited means. the idea for their business while “We try to keep other brands or working together in a Los Angeles styles in stock that are a bit less area running store. Looking around, expensive so that everyone has access they saw a sales and commission- to a comparable level of quality in focused industry and decided that terms of shoe,” said Greg. “We even Accion’s Growth

Chad Crawford and Greg Lemon, owners of Milestone Running in North Park, obtained a $25,000 start-up loan from Accion.

keep shoes on sale on purpose.” None of this would be possible, they said, without their $25,000 startup loan from Accion, which allowed them to build an inventory and design a retail location that would be pleasing both for customers and for the local running community. Since receiving the loan in 2013, Milestone has almost tripled their sales, allowing them to reinvest earnings into more inventory to meet their growing demand. With this strategy, Greg and Chad are confident that they will continue to draw market share away from their competitors. While their increase in sales is impressive, the numbers fail to fully capture the buzz Milestone Running is creating in their community. Through working with like-minded organizations like the San Diego Track Club, as well as through their weekly Wednesday group runs that start in front of the store, Milestone Running’s impact reaches far beyond their bottom line. They hope one day to expand to another location, but for now, Chad and Greg are focused on grassroots, word-of-mouth marketing and community involvement, which they believe will ensure the long-run success and viability of Milestone Running.

Small Business Groups React to Study Showing State Tax Incentives Favor Large Companies Advocates for Independent Business (AIB), a coalition of 15 national organizations representing small businesses, welcomed the release of new data showing conclusively that state economic development incentives overwhelmingly favor big business. The study, Shortchanging Small Business, produced by the research group Good Jobs First, examined subsidy awards in 14 states and found that 90 percent of the $3.2 billion in incentives awarded went to large firms. “It’s stunning to see just how much state economic development programs are biased against locally owned businesses,” said Stacy Mitchell, coordinator of AIB. “We know from extensive research that small businesses, especially new and growing firms, often deliver out-sized benefits to local economies. Yet, state governments are putting these businesses at a competitive disadvantage by steering billions

of dollars in public subsidies to their big corporate competitors. We hope this report will be a wake-up call for state lawmakers.” Of the thousands of subsidy awards that Good Jobs First analyzed, all were granted by programs that are accessible, at least on paper, to both small and large companies. In practice, however, the study confirms that these programs are biased toward big business. As a policy solution, the report recommends that states reform their incentive rules by tightening eligibility to exclude large recipients and by implementing safeguards such as dollar caps per deal and per company. The report also notes that big tax breaks often mean little to small businesses, and that the savings from these reforms would be best spent funding public goods like infrastructure and education that benefit all employers.

OPINION

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

San Diego’s Film Commission Ripe for a Reboot As San Diego considers reopening its local film office, which closed in 2013 amid huge staff cuts at the city’s Tourism Authority, the surrounding discussions have ranged from a film shoot’s marketing value for San Diego to the different roles local residents could play as extras. The real value of a film shoot runs much deeper. More than marketing and permit fees, bringing the film industry back to San Diego is about putting San Diegans to work in skilled positions that pay well. Even a simple commercial shoot would put a dozen technicians to work. These are long days at good wages. When that commercial leaves the city, those wages don’t. Those technicians buy their groceries and gas right here in town. The same thing happens on a grander scale with a feature film or series. Case in point: “Terriers,” a 13episode FX series shot in San Diego in 2010 that wasn’t renewed and few likely remember. Considered a failure by Hollywood standards, “Terriers” generated about $16 million in local spending, according to the mayor’s office. Here’s the breakdown: nearly $1 million on rent paid to local property owners, more than $500,000 for hotel stays; almost $400,000 for food and $10.5 million on local wages. San Diego can regularly generate that kind of money and much more because it happens to have some of the most effective tools for budget

predictability in the business: local labor talent, diverse locations and predictable, temperate weather. The predictable weather is hugely important — and something that other trendy places like Portland and San Antonio can’t offer — because it adds up to consecutive shooting days. And consecutive shooting days add up to budget control. The varied locations found in San Diego, from our many distinct neighborhoods and businesses to the parks and beaches and even the military, also aid productions. Dramatic shifts in scenery can be accomplished in days, or even hours, rather than weeks or months. Another big payoff is the crew. The larger a production’s crew is local, the lower the total labor cost. It’s always going to be less expensive for employees to sleep in their own beds versus a hotel in any business, and

film is no different. Hiring more locals just makes good business sense, more so when those dramatic shifts in scenery don’t require a new local crew. Those same dramatic shifts in scenery and reliable local crew also support a filmmaker’s need for flexibility, another huge value to filming in San Diego. What San Diego doesn’t have, however, is a connector between all these benefits and production companies worldwide. This is where the film commission comes in. The film commissions in various cities offer a variety of services to the production company, but the one common thread is permitting. San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas and Atlanta all issue permits for film production directly through their respective film offices. Ease of permitting becomes more vital when locations change. An effective film

office makes the initial permitting process easier, and it makes changes easier by directly coordinating with the film. Right now in San Diego, a film production applies for a permit in the same office that the typical San Diegan would go to for permission to throw a block party. This is an invitation for problems — both with the production companies that don’t want to deal with bureaucrats who don’t understand the film business and with residents who have no say in the process. Film offices staffed with people who understand how the business works can avoid these problems and develop a set of reasonable standards. Once developed and approved, the standards will be made readily available to the production company, even before first contact. The film agrees to the conditions, the permit is issued, either by dedicated permitting officials or, better yet, by members of the film office. To get a sense of what San Diego is missing out on, let’s go up the road to Portland, Ore., where the hit network series “Grimm” recently celebrated filming its 100th episode. Years ago, Oregon set up an incentive program similar to what’s currently in place in California. Portland took that and created the Portland Film Office. When “Grimm” showed up in 2010, the Portland Film Office was there to help. Conservative estimates show over $250 million in direct spending going to Portland’s

‘UPRISING: Songs of Change’

Grammys and won two, for “Best Female Vocalist” and “Best Engineered Album,” respectively. In all Janis Ian has been nominated for 10 Grammys in eight different categories over a 50-year period. Her most recent Grammy nomination was this year in the “Best Spoken Word” category for the audiobook “Patience & Sarah.” This classic piece of historical fiction about two gay women “with a happy ending,” first self-published in 1969, was funded by Ian and her wife, and co-narrated by actress Jean Smart. Music and lyrics are about life experiences and, as Ian’s life has been full and colorful, so have her songs, as evidenced by her multiple awards, Grammy and Dove Award nominations and commendations. Her songs have been recorded by singers as diverse as Cher, John Mellencamp, Celine Dion, Hugh Masakela, Nana Mouskouri, Charlie Daniels and Roberta Flack. Always one to follow her heart and her beliefs, Ian was one of the first celebrities to come out publicly. She and her partner of 27 years were formally married in Canada in 2003, the only place where gay marriage was legal at the time. Her roller coaster ride has taken her to Nashville, her home since 1988, where she continues to expand as

an artist, most recently narrating Olympic medalist Ginny Gilder’s autobiography and writing “Godzilla haiku” for her self-curated Facebook page. This year, the fundraising concert will honor the influence and importance of music in social movements and life experiences in a celebration of triumph over adversity. With their voices and passion, the women of the San Diego Women’s Chorus will sing stories of empowerment and hope birthed around the world, from Germany to New York, Liberia to Louisiana, and Mexico to Massachusetts. “The music for ‘UPRISING’ comes from our human need to wrestle with cultural and life-changing events through deep artistic experiences,” said Kathleen Hansen, artistic director of the San Diego Women’s Chorus. “The songs we’ll be singing are part of, or grew out of, protest and peace movements from throughout history and from around the globe — the Civil Rights era in America, the AIDS crisis in South Africa, the Holocaust, civil wars, the plight of refugees. Music has the power to connect people through times of turmoil and uncertainty, it can unite us emotionally and empower us socially and politically.”

‘Terriers,’ a TV series created by Ted Griffin that aired on FX from Sept. 8 to Dec. 1, in 2010, starred Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James, and was filmed in San Diego. (Photo: FX)

May concert with Janis Ian to raise funds for Lesbian Health Initiative and San Diego Women’s Chorus

This year marks 50 years since Ian recorded her first album, ‘Janis Ian,’ which featured the song ‘Society’s Child.’

San Diego Human Dignity Foundation, one of the largest LGBT organizations in the United States, and the San Diego Women’s Chorus will present “UPRISING: Songs of Change” on Sunday, May 22, at 7 p.m. at the Balboa Theatre in Downtown San Diego. The concert will feature the 85voice San Diego Women’s Chorus and welcome special guest, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, Janis Ian as the event’s VIP performer. This concert marks the third year of collaboration between the two nonprofits to raise funds for SDHDF’s Lesbian Health Initiative and SDWC. This year marks 50 years since Ian recorded her first album, “Janis Ian,” which featured the song “Society’s Child” and got her first Grammy nomination for “Best Folk Album.” It also marks 40 years since the 1976 Grammys, when “At Seventeen” and “Between the Lines” were up for five

BY MIKE HARRIS NORMAL HEIGHTS RESIDENT

economy thanks to the show, according to the Portland Business Journal. When you include indirect spending, some estimates from the governor’s office have the total contribution of “Grimm” at over $750 million. This is just five years later. Grimm also provides 332 full-time jobs to Oregonians, the majority living right there in Portland. Granted, 100 episodes is pretty long and rare for a show these days. “Terriers,” however, has clearly taught us that a series doesn’t need to be a raging success to create a substantial positive impact on the economics of a community. What does have to happen is the film has to get here. California’s incentive program set aside $330 million in tax credits for filming in California for the next three fiscal years. What’s important is when the film has to apply. With no local film office, San Diego is in line to pick up nothing. There is not a single series, cable or network, considering San Diego for its shoot. This is decidedly not the case for San Francisco, Santa Barbara or even Santa Clarita, each of which has a film office staffed with full-time employees dedicated to making filming in their region as simple as possible.

“The San Diego Women’s Chorus is all about the power of music and the power of women,” said Heather Robert, board president, SDWC. “Our music is our activism and this concert is a tribute to the activists of the past and an appeal to the activist impulse of the present. Our hope is that, after the audience listens to these songs about women and men from history who fought for freedom, equality, and dignity, they will be moved to rise up and push back against the injustices that remain today.” A portion of the proceeds from the concert will directly benefit health care organizations who serve low-income lesbians and bisexuals throughout San Diego County. There are several barriers that lesbians face when it comes to their health and health care. According to a 2005 LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) women’s needs assessment performed by the San Diego LGBT Community Center, barriers to care and services include: having no or inadequate health insurance, having low income, living in areas where there is a shortage of culturally competent health and social service providers, and cultural beliefs about healthcare and healthcare providers that reduce utilization of available services.

Mike Harris is a stagehand who lives in Normal Heights. Harris’ commentary appears in the Voice of San Diego (.voiceofsandiego.org)

FOOD & DRINK

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

Welcome To My Kitchen: BERRY GOOD BREAD!

HEATHER R FRIEDMAN

This month, let's enjoy BERRY GOOD BREAD!

The basic Irish Soda Bread is VERY basic: flour, buttermilk , baking soda and salt. Since I found this to be rather boring (my sincere apologies to the Irish) I got the idea for my creation from another Irish soda bread recipe called Spotted Dog! The Dog recipe is Spotted with raisins but I use frozen berries plus a few other tasty ingredients. I also changed the shape from round to long, as I find it is easier to slice.

There is some controversy over when and where soda bread first appeared. Some say it began with the potato famine in Ireland in the 1800's. Others say using soda to leaven bread was the idea of the American Indians centuries ago, and bread, leavened with soda is also found in Austria, Poland, Britain, and Serbia. Whether or not the the Irish invented soda bread, it is still most often identified with them, and it is a traditional staple on St. Patrick's Day Why do we put a cross along the top of the soda bread?

There are several explanations, one of which is to "let the devil out of the bread while baking thus bringing good luck"! Another explanation is that it is the holy symbol of Christian holidays. The baker's reason however, is that cutting into the dough in both directions allows the heat to penetrate into the thickest part of the bread to insure even baking!

Heather's Soda Bread Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt (optional) 1 large egg 2 cups buttermilk 2 cups frozen cranberries (or berry of your choice) 2 Tblsp grated orange rind 4 Tblsp orange juice Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a flat baking sheet with cooking spray or use Crisco shortening to grease the pan.

4. Pour buttermilk mixture, orange juice and rind in center of the flour mixture, and stir until blended. 5. Turn out onto a lightly-floured bread board or other smooth surface and gently knead four times. 6. Transfer dough mound to the prepared baking sheet. With floured hands, shape dough into a long loaf, or round, your choice. 7. Cut a cross about 3/4" deep along the top of the loaf. Bake 30-40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cooking time varies. Check it at 30 minutes and again every 5 minutes to avoid over baking.

2. Add frozen berries, mix well.

HELPFUL NOTES: If the dough is too sticky when you turn it onto the board, sprinkle a little bit of flour over it, as you knead the dough. The dough should stick together but still be very moist. After a couple of times, you will know!!

3. Beat egg, stir into with buttermilk in a small bowl.

Questions? Future recipe suggestions? Please email me at hrfriedman@cox.net

1. Stir flours, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a mixing bowl.

Think Local Shop Local Buy Local Be Local Choose Local First!

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Imperial Beach Firefighters Hold Annual Fill the Boot Drive

DEAD POOL Wins for the Entire Year!

JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

BY JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

The Imperial Beach Fire Department held their annual “Fill the Boot” dive on Wednesday March 2nd. Firefighters took donations and filled the boot at the intersection of 13th Street and Palm Avenue. The Imperial Beach Firefighters were collecting donations to help burn victims go to camp. All proceeds will go the San Diego Burn Institute’s Camp Beyond

Scars program helping children burn victims go to camp between the ages of 5-17years old. IB Firefighters raised $3,575.33. San Diego County wide firefighters raised $245,000. In case you missed them, the SD Burn Institute can accept donations as well as volunteer counselor applications. If you would like more information or would like to help please visit their website at burninstitute.org/

IB CONNECTION IB Connection is published by Mid City Newspaper Group PO Box 3679 Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 MidCityNewspaperGroup.com Publisher: REP Publishing Associate Publisher: Brad Weber Editor / Office Manager: Stacey R. Long Graphics: Chris Baker • Priscilla Villalpando • Stacey R. Long Sales: Priscilla Villalpando • Stacey R. Long • Jeannette Shambaugh Distribution: Priscilla Villalpando • Jeannette Shambaugh Writers/Contributors: Jeannette Shambaugh • Jordan Jacobo • Paul Spear Photographers: Jeannette Shambaugh • Jordan Jacobo Please call our newsdesk at (619) 779-7846, or e-mail ibconnectionnewsdesk@gmail.com Re: Advertising, Story Coverage/Calendar items/Letters to the Editor

Send all Ad copies to: ibconnectionnewsdesk@gmail.com

MOVIE MAVENS BY JERI JACQUIN

In theaters from director Tim Miller, Marvel and 20th Century Fox comes the most anticipated anti-hero film and all because of DEADPOOL. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a mercenary who doesn’t play well with – well most anyone. For a price he will take care of any problem you may have and do it with relish. It becomes even more exciting when he meets his match in Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) who has the same cutting wit! Life seems to be going happy between the two until Wilson get’s bad news. Of course when bad news comes there is usually a vulture not too far behind in the form of Merchant (Kyle Cassie). Offering him a way to get better, Wilson decides its far better to stay with Vanessa to do what he can to stay alive. Enter Ajax (Ed Skrein), an evil mutant who enjoys making more mutants and sidekick Angel Dust (Gina Carano). Immediately Wilson and Ajax show signs of not having a loving relationship. When Wade gets the chance he escape the horror, he heads to friend and pub owner Weasel (T.J. Miller) for help. That is when Deadpool is born! Discovering his powers quite quickly, Deadpool’s only interest is to find Ajax so as to change him back into Wilson. In the meantime, living with Blind Al (Leslie Uggams), Deadpool keeps moving forward in his goal –

and pretty much delights in every moment of it. The problem also is that there are certain X-men who want to stop him – mainly Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). When Ajax takes Vanessa hostage, Deadpool loads up and brings his two new friends with him. Reynolds as Wilson/Deadpool is so frakken-awesome-amazing-stellarbrilliant-hilarious-disturbing-jawdropping and everything I want in my super anti-hero! It is no surprise that Reynolds throws out his lines with quickness and the right amount of venom to make each word hilarious. The jaw dropping that happened for me just made the laughter even crazier and added to the fun of it all. The best part was everyone else had the same response. It also comes as no surprise that Reynolds’ physical appearance was frakken hot and although I’m not into old-avocado looking body types – I might have to rethink it after seeing his. That’s what has been missing for me in this super hero universe and Deadpool had no problem serving it up with ice cream on top! Skrein as Ajax manages to provide Wilson/Deadpool with all the ammunition necessary for more jabs – verbally and literally. Skrein makes a fairly good mutant bad guy and I wracked my brain as to where I had seen that gorgeous overbite. Of course it took one smile to recognize him as Daario Naharis from Game of Thrones who hit on the Mother of Dragons a few times. Carano as Angel Dust is such a bad ass I can’t stand it. Of course I have a soft spot for anyone that kicks Michael Fassbinder’s behind as bad as she did in HAYWIRE (if you haven’t seen this fight we can’t speak until you do!). Kapicic as Colossus tries recruiting Deadpool but you can’t make a bad boy go good, especially after listening to DP’s speech as to why. Hildebrand as Warhead is kinda cute in a rebellious-smart-ass-sullen-flaming-teen sort of way. Baccarin as Vanessa gives as good as she gets when it comes to the verbal banter with Wilson. It seems the two were made for one another when saying everything but just stopping short of playing the dozens! It’s good to see

Baccarin has a thing for heroes and let’s just hope that Jim Gordon will be understanding or else Gotham will get kind of lonely. Two comedic stand outs here (besides Reynolds): T.J. Miller as Weasel is the bar owner who has his own dead pool with betting galore. He is that friend who isn’t afraid to tell it like it is, even when a friend isn’t looking his best. The other is Leslie Uggams as Big Al who had me cracking up from the laundry room scene onward. It is so great to see her again and to take on this role opposite Reynolds, it must be said they are amazing together. Other cast include: Karan Soni as Dopinder, Rob Hayter as Bob, Hugh Scott as David Cunningham, Issac C. Singleton, Jr., as Boothe, Randall Reeder as Buck and keep your eye out for Mr. Stan Lee! TUBS OF POPCORN:

I give DEADPOOL ten tubs of popcorn out of five. What! you ask? How is it possible to have ten tubs of popcorn out of five? 1) I was never good at math, 2) because no one can stop me! (insert evil bwhahahaha laugh here!), finally 3) because Deadpool has given me ‘testicles with teeth’ to just throw it all out there and see what sticks! Thank you Deadpool for the inspiration! Now, back to the film! DEADPOOL is crude, rude, insulting, mocking, ugly, snappy, with every juvenile joke you can think of (and some you probably didn’t), action oriented, sharp, cutting, jaw dropping and every other descriptor you can imagine in the 107 minutes on screen. Understand there isn’t a moment of the film I didn’t like. In fact, it is now imperative that I see it again and perhaps even again until I catch every word I could possibly have missed. It is for kids, well, that depends on the kid I suppose. I’m not sure how easy it’s going to be to keep them away from it. There is brief nudity, and violence but it’s more the words coming out of the mouths that are filled with shock and awe. Would I have taken my kids to see it back when they were in their teens? Yes, but that’s me – its riding the fine line of parental guidance but what a ride! In the end – justice has a new face!

PET OF THE MONTH Conrad is an active, playful neutered 3 year old Pit Bull Terrier mix. He currently weighs 57 lbs. He was originally found as a stray when brought in to the shelter. He would thoroughly enjoy the activity of long walks or even runs, and then give some toys a workout at home. Conrad would do best in a home with children 12 years of age and above due to his rowdy play style. He gets along with many dogs, but not with cats. He is treat motivated and knows sit. The Chula Vista Animal Care Facility is celebrating "St. Pitty's Lucky Charms" for the month of March for all Pit Bull Terrier adoptions, so Conrad's adoption fee is $25 and includes his being neutered, microchipped, dewormed and vaccinated. For more information call the adoption counselor at 619-691-5174 or email lsepton@chulavistaca.gov.

COVER STORY

Community Comes Together to Help Local Boy Who Needs Life Saving Transplant

Aaron Ruiz and James De La Cerna with Boys and Girls Club ofSouth County taking part not only by helping get the swab tests JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH done but they swabbed and registered themselves. BY JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

Krystopher Paldi was born October 31, 2009, and fell extremely ill when he was only 4 weeks old. He remained in the PICU for 10 weeks while the medical staff worked diligently to find an answer to his illness. Krystopher was diagnosed with IPEX Syndrome (immunodysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy X-linked syndrome). IPEX is a rare disease linked to the mutated FOXP3 gene. This autoimmunity is called IPEX and it is the attack from the body’s own immune system against the body’s own tissues and organs. When Krystopher was diagnosed with IPEX, he was the 85th case worldwide. When Krystopher was 5 1/2 months old, he received his first bone marrow transplant. The donor, a 47 year old female from Germany, was a 10/10 perfect match. Krystopher and his family moved to Seattle for a year and a half, living in the Ronald McDonald House, while he received treatment. Krystopher was in complete isolation for 9 months during that time. After the bone marrow transplant was successful and his health improved, Krystopher and his family were able to move back home to San Diego where Rady’s Children’s Hospital took on the challenges of Krystopher’s dis-

ease. For the past 5 years, Krystopher has battled for his life. He is currently still receiving IVIG treatments, frequent blood transfusions, and chemo every 4 to 6 months. The chemo is an essential treatment as it fights off the cells that attack his very own body. There is no protocol. Krystopher and his family go to the Cancer and Blood Disorder Center sometimes multiple times a week for labs, medications and frequent blood transfusions. On January 14, 2016, lab test results arrived. The 10/10 perfect donor cells are no longer working. Krystopher (age 6) will require another vital bone marrow transplant. This means he will have to wait for another donor match, and undergo months of isolation while his body prepares for the transplant that the family does not at this time have a match for. When residents of Imperial Beach found out one of their own needed help, they showed up in the 100s! On Saturday, January 30th, the community held a bone marrow drive as well as a blood drive in hopes to find Krystopher a lifesaving bone marrow match. The San Diego Small Business forum quickly responded and got together with family to make this event such a huge community success. The Boys & Girls Club graciously hosted the event at their Sports Park location.

Imperial Beach residents taking selfies for the family as they finished registering and JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH swabbing to save young Krystopher's life.

Many local businesses donated their time, services and products to help the family out. Monique from Blendees spent the entire day at the event refreshing volunteers and guests. At the end of the event, they donated 25% of their profits to the family. Boca Rio designed shirts for the family that warmed their hearts with joy. If you would like to order one, please email jeannetteshambaugh@gmail.com. Paul Spear from Dig IB helped market the event and he also came out and manned the donation table for the entire event. In all, they collected 148 bone marrow tests to be checked for Krystopher and others in need. They also filled the blood bank truck at capacity with 46 blood donations. At this time, all of the swab kits have been received and being processed. The Paldi family is very grateful to the entire community and would like to thank everyone for coming out and helping in their very difficult time of need. It brought his mother, Jaymie Paldi to tears to see the entire community along with Mayor Serge Dedina and his wife Emily joining in on the swab party. She said “It is absolutely beautiful to see how much love and support is in this community for my son, absolutely beautiful.” This is a first step to a very long and painful process. No donation is too small, so if you are able, please consider donating to Krystopher’s medical fund. If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing his journey and praying for Krystopher and his family during this difficult time. If you would like to get yourself checked to see if you are a match and could save Krystopher’s life, please visit: http://www.deletebloodcancer.org to get registered and they will guide you through a simple swab process.. It is free and conveniently done in the comfort of your home. Thank you in advance for your time and support!! If you would like to follow Krystopher’s story or would like updates, please visit: facebook.com/ BeatingIPEXKrystopherStyle.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

Local SWAT Standoff On the afternoon of Sunday, February 7th, Imperial Beach police responded to a domestic violence call which alleged that a man had stabbed his wife. Police arrived at the home of Aurelio Perez, who resided on the corner of Florence Street and Cypress Avenue, to investigate the claim. Mr. Perez subsequently refused to let the police enter, locking himself and his wounded wife inside the home. The local SWAT team arrived shortly thereafter, evacuating only the neighbors that lived in adjoining homes. During the course of the five hour standoff, authorities made various attempts to

communicate with Mr. Perez, asking him to open a door or window to let them know that he was alright. When Perez refused to comply, police units employed tear gas as well as stun grenades, also known as flashbangs, a non-lethal explosive device used to temporarily disorient a person’s senses. After waiting hours without a response, officers sent in a robot equipped with a camera to investigate the interior. It was then that they discovered the lifeless body of Aurelio Perez. Mrs. Perez, who sustained non-life threatening injuries, was rushed to U.C. San Diego Medical Center. The couple has four children together, though none were present at the time. - By Jordan Jacobo

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

BUSINESS

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Imperial Beach Healthy Grocery Initiative BY ANDIE SULLIVAN

If you’re anything like me, you know what it’s like to drive to Sprouts in Chula Vista, or Bayside Boney’s in Coronado for the closest selection of affordable produce. I often find myself frustrated, and confused as to why there is no such option in Imperial Beach. Much to my surprise, I was recently informed of a great movement, taking place in our beautiful little beachfront backyard. Imperial Beach Healthy Grocery Initiative is a dedicated working-group of humble locals taking a stand to improve community health and wellness. The group is currently in the planning and development stages of opening a grocery co-op in Imperial Beach and is asking both the local and surrounding South Bay community to complete a survey to help the Initiative gather information. Sensitive to the needs of our diverse community, the group has launched the survey in both English and Spanish on their Facebook page entitled Imperial Beach Healthy Grocery Initiative, where you can also request to become a follower and receive updates & news regarding the

Members of the Healthy Grocery Initiative planning and working during their weekly Monday meetings held in the Mar Vista Library. JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

progress of the working-group. The inception of this movement started in March of 2015, when two local residents, Marey Stone & Shawna Rauch, wanted to bring attention to the fact that a healthy grocery store in IB was seriously lacking and cofounded the Facebook Group, Dz Bring Trader Joe’s to Imperial Beach.

In less than a week, over 600 petitions were signed via Facebook. Another local, Andrea Wogsland, joined the FB group shortly afterward and having a background in business planning services, assisted the group in reaching out to a selection of grocery stores. Excitingly enough, the General Manager of Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market, Nancy Cassidy, responded and gave a presentation on the co-op model December 5th, 2015 at City Hall, which in turn, provided a platform to launch the working group. I had the pleasure of speaking with Ramon Chairez, a community educator and presentation leader for the group. Ramon mentioned that the members of the Initiative, like myself, and I am sure countless others, are genuinely concerned for the health and overall well-being of our community, and are promoting awareness to families about healthy eating habits and the importance of accessing locally farmed produce. The group plans to do a presentation to 12th grade students at Mar Vista High School; members will also present at the Mayor’s Advisory Committee meeting. If you would like to attend the working group meetings, they are are open to the public and are held every Monday evening from 6:00pm to 7:00pm in Mar Vista High School’s newly-named Burke Mills Library. Citizens of Imperial Beach and the South Bay are strongly encouraged to support the Initiative by completing the online survey, which addresses household dietary and grocery habits. The English survey can be found at http://tinyurl.com/IBGrocery, and the Spanish version is available at http://tinyurl.com/IBGroceryEspanol. You can also request informational presentations (bilingual option) for your community group/organization, as well as join the Facebook group. I for one, am extremely motivated to attend their weekly meetings, and excited to see what this group can do for the future of Imperial Beach and the South Bay!

Founders of SDSBF Shawna Chalmers and Edel Vernazza having a little fun while hosting thier "Shopping in the Heart of IB" event. JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

SDSBF Holds First Annual Shopping in the Heart of IB Event BY JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

San Diego Small Business Forum (SDSBF) Founder Edel Vernazza and Co-Founder Shawna Chalmers held their first annual Shopping in the Heart of IB Event at Portwood Pier Plaza on Saturday, February 13th. Local favorite band, Fuzzi Wizzi entertained the crowd as patrons shopped the day away while saving lives at the beach. There were over 21 vendors of handcrafted products to enjoy. Race car driver, Brittney Sandoval brought out her car for fans to enjoy and bring awareness to the Bone Marrow Swab Station. The SDSBF collected 39 more tests for the national .deletebloodcancer.org registry in hopes to find a much needed match for Krystopher Paldi. The American Red Cross Bank bus was there and residents donated another 30 full bags of blood. The event was a huge success and SDSBF looks forward to hosting their second Shopping in the

Heart of IB event next year. The SDSBF is a company that help and support small home based business by providing the tools they need such as networking, vendors events, workshops, graphic design, workshops and social media marketing management plus much more. The SDSBF concentrates on small businesses here in Imperial Beach and San Diego and provides them a very unique network of likeminded busisnesses and helps them grow. In less than one years’ time, they have taken Imperial Beach to another level. With the support of the City Hall, Mayor Dedina and the community, they are changing the way small business is done in Imperial Beach. If you would like to join the SDSBF, or like more information and need help with your business, please visit www.sdsmallbusinessforum.com or contact them directly at sdsmallbusinessforum@ gmail.com 619-327-8302.

AD SALES REP WANTED Adams Avenue News • Bay Park Connection The Boulevard News • Hillcrest News IB Connection • KEN-TAL News North Park News • South Park News We are growing and expanding so if you are not in any of these areas – apply anyway as we will be there soon!

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COMMUNITY

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

Mayor Serge Dedina delivers “State of the City” ment led the effort to plan for El Niño, and helped to distribute more than 10,000 sand bags to the public. Imperial Beach Lifeguards were tested this year with an estimated 3.3 million beach visitors—a record. Lifeguards performed more than 600 ocean rescues and 16,000 preventive actions in 2015—braving large dangerous waves in what has been the season of biggest surf in more than six years. Eliminating Blight:

IB Mayor Serge Dedina along with City Council Members Robert Patton, Ed Spriggs and Lorie Bragg are presented award from Assembly Speaker Toni G Atkins office PAUL SPEAR presented by her representative Chevelle Newell.

Mayor Serge Dedina presented his State of the City Address at the Boys and Girls Club on Monday February 8. The entire room was full with standing room only as residents gathered to hear the Mayors second Address of the City. The ceremony started with an invocation by Pastor J. Crawford and the Mar Vista Junior ROTC Color Guard held the presentation of colors. Dan Malcom, Port Commissioner introduced Dedina as the coolest and best dressed Mayor around. He also said that Mayor Dedina is a hardworking and credible voice heard regionally and statewide. Dedina started his speech by showing a clip from News10s Joe Little with himself, City Manager Andy Hall and Assistant City ManagerSteve Dush breaking the law and jumping the fence to clean up a property on Seacoast Drive. It was important to Dedina to spur our community into action and to not just wait for city hall to clean up our neighborhoods. “We are all responsible for improving our city. The empty lot project is an excellent example of how we are working together as a team and are committed to our community.” Mayor Dedina stated. He went on to share the 5 major achievements of 2015. Greater Transparency and Community Involvement:

The City Council along with city staff have embraced more open, friendly, and participatory city council meetings. This past year they developed the most transparent and inclusive selection process for citizen advisory boards in recent history-with council members and Mayor Dedina interviewing candidates and providing objective scorecards on applicants. Under the leadership of Finance Director Doug Bradley, the city carried out the most transparent and public budgeting process in its history.

Fiscal Responsibility with Taxpayer Dollars:

The City went from 7 audit findings in 2013 to 0 in 2015, which means they are employing best practices and open and transparent budget and financial management. With the smart management at City Hall it has resulted in cost savings over the past two years of $41,000 in reduced software license fees with savings of $17,000 alone in 2015. Under the supervision of Assistant City Manager Steve Dush and the Community Development Department, the city issued 763 new business licenses -110 more than last year, generating $600,000 in revenues. Neighborhood Improvement: The City of Imperial Beach is making great strides in improving neighborhoods across the city. Thanks to the support of the City Council, Public Works Director Hank Levien and his team, the City paved one mile of alleys –14 in total. The Council has approved moving forward on paving alleys on the north side of town. To make our streets safer, 36 new streetlights were installed between 13th and 15th streets and they installed 843 feet of 8’ wide sidewalks on the 700 and 800 blocks of Delaware. They are moving forward on improving the safety and appearance of 13th Street. Public Safety:

Thanks to our Sheriffs, we now have the SECOND lowest crime rate in San Diego County. The Mayor also thanked the leadership of recently promoted Captain Dave Brown and newly arrived Lt. Herb Taft. Imperial Beach Sheriffs are using cutting edge technology and intelligence based criminal justice techniques to prevent crime and focus on the people and areas that cause the most crime. The Fire Department responded to 2,528 calls for service in 2015. Under the leadership of newly appointed Fire Chief John French, the Fire Depart-

One of the Mayors biggest priorities along with City Council is to reduce blight throughout our city in a way that improves neighborhoods and builds a greater sense of community. One of the biggest and most impactful changes over the past year was how City Council, residents and city staff worked together to propose a new strategy for code enforcement that is more equitable and more impactful. Rather than have our city just focus on complaints against residents that sometimes stemmed from one neighbor’s vendetta against another, they are moving to a more equitable and fair approach using intelligence-based code compliance and requiring at least two resident complaints. That reduces the chance of exacerbating community conflict and helps to foster a shared focus on improving the look and feel of our city.

played on the fence around the proposed hotel site at Seacoast and IB Blvd. 3. Community Activities and Events:

Imperial Beach will continue to emphasize the promotion of community-wide events and activities that involve the arts and music, recreation and fitness, and our military and veterans. Mayor Dedina is looking forward to our first ever Fiesta del Mar on April 30, Amgen Tour of California on May 15—one of the world’s largest professional bike races that will involve a globally televised sprint down Seacoast Drive, IB will also be hosting the Ironman 70.3 at the Pier South Resort, Global Wellness Day on June 11, Military Appreciation Day 2016, Sun & Sea Festival and Imperial Beaches’ 60th anniversarycelebration plus many more. Mayor Dedina finished his speech

BY JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

along with Council MembersEd Spriggs and Lori Bragg by honoringour local chapters of the Fleet Reserve Association Branch 289, American Legion Post 820 and VFW Post 5477 as well as Ken Blinsman of the Boys and Girls Club and Milena Sellers Phillips and Maria Keever of the Jonathan Sellers Foundationwith the Mayoral Community Service Awards for their outstanding community service. Residents ended the night and enjoyed performances by Ballet FolkloricoNahuatlan of Mar Vista High School. Dedina would like to thank all the sponsors, community members, city staff and especially the Boys and Girls Club and all of the community members for making Imperial Beach the most awesome beach community around and is pleased to report that the state of our city is absolutely awesome.

Mayor Dedina went on to share goals and priorities for 2016. 1.New Business Development and Roadway Improvements:

Mayor Dedina looks forward to the new private sector projects and roadway improvements that will enhance our city including the development of Bikeway Village, Bernardo Shores, the Breakwater Town Center, City Mark, the new Seacoast Drive Hotel, and the new library. He also stated that we need to work with the Navy, Coronado and San Diego to improve the appearance, safety and traffic flow along Palm Avenue, which includes synchronizing traffic lights from Saturn Blvd in San Diego all the way to the entrance to the new Coastal Campus in Coronado. 2. Community Beautification Projects:

Thanks to a grant from the Port of San Diego, together with local artists, schools, businesses, and the support of the City Council, City Council will turn our construction fences and empty walls into art and photo galleries. Seventh graders from Imperial Beach Charter, with the assistance of local artist Todd Stands, who helped to co-found the Imperial Beach Arts Bureau, have initiated the first phase of this project with tidelands related art that is dis-

PAUL SPEAR

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

1937 MG

1972 TVR Vixen

Automotive Museum Opens ‘British Invasion’ Auto Exhibit The San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park has opened its new exhibit -- The British Invasion. The exhibit, which runs until May 31, highlights British automotive manufacturing since the 1930s. The exhibit is enhanced with the cultural impact the British have also had on

1951 Jowett Jupiter

our fashion, music, and literature (the Beatles, Harry Potter, Twiggy, Downton Abbey, and such.) Featured in the exhibit: a 1933 Austin Seven, 1937 MG VA Tourer, 1939 Lagonda V12, 1948 Bentley (prototype), 1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon, 1951 Jowett Jupiter, 1953

Jaguar XK 120, 1955 Triumph TR2, 1958 Austin A35, 1967 Austin Mini Cooper S, 1967 Austin London Cab FX4, 1967 Rolls Royce Phantom V, 1969 Jaguar E Type OTS, 1970 Morgan 4/4 1600, 1971 Jenson Interceptor, 1972 TVR Vixen, and a 2005 Aston Martin.

1950 Jaguar

The London taxi was owned and driven by Frank Sinatra. The Rolls Royce Phantom was used by Queen Elizabeth, Princess Grace of Monaco, and several American astronauts. The museum’s annual fundraiser is centered on this exhibit. That event will be Saturday, March 12, from 6

to 9 p.m. Call (619) 398-0301 for information or tickets. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission prices are: $9.00 for adults, $6 for seniors (65 and over), $5 students with ID, $4 children ages 6 –15. Children under the age of 6 are admitted free of charge.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

Cannibals: Myth & Reality Everything you may not want to know about cannibalism “Cannibals: Myth & Reality,” the new exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Man, is a one-ofa-kind look at how and why humans have eaten humans — as ritual, as medicine, for survival, and more. It’s the museum’s largest exhibit in three years. and replaces “Instruments of Torture,” which closedin January. The new exhibit includes:

you can make better choices than the Donner Party did. • A look at cannibalism in pop culture. • Evidence of cannibalism in colonial America. • The moving story of the Uruguayan rugby team that made the difficult choice of cannibalism after crashing in the Andes mountains.

• A look at cannibalism aboard drifting or • The horrifying cannibalism during the siege wrecked ships. Visitors can draw straws to find of Leningrad during World War II. out which of your group would have died so the others could live. • Finally, figure out if you already do things that make you a cannibal, too. • A close examination of how Columbus and other Europeans falsely called non-Europeans In this thoughtful one-of-a-kind exhibit, you’ll cannibals so that they would be justified in sub- discover that cannibals aren’t who you think jugating them and using them as slaves. they are. They’re warriors from many cultures, European kings and queens, American and • The use of the human body as medicine, European sailors, American colonists, accident including “corpse medicine” made from survivors, the sick, and more. ground-up mummies. Step into the apothecary shop to find out how the human body has been used as • A video game in which you find out whether medicine.

Canine and human teeth necklace, early 20th century. Gift of DeWitt C. Drury. Objects like this were eagerly sought by European explorers and traders who began visiting New Guinea by the late 1800s. They also helped to solidify the reputation of this region as a wild and savage place with inhabitants that were uncivilized and likely cannibals. Necklaces like these were considered very valuable and occasionally used as a kind of currency.

Ceremonial Bowl, Aztec, 1350-1500 AD. Dr. Geoffrey A. Smith Collection. Human sacrifices served a critical role in Aztec culture, and were conducted according to a strict set of rules. People chosen for sacrifice were no longer considered human but instead as stand-ins for gods. Their blood sacrifice fulfilled a debt all people owed the gods for granting life and civilization. Knives like the stone one on display were used to ritually remove the heart. The ceremonial vessels are similar to ones used to hold hearts which were consumed by the most elite priests and members of the ruling family.

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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SENIORS

Senior Services Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or other related dementia can be a daunting and exhausting task, even if a loved one has only mild to moderate memory impairment. Are they going to wander? Can I meet their special needs? Where do they go when I’m at work or away for other tasks? These are just some of the many worries and questions one has while caring for a memoryimpaired loved one. St. Paul’s Senior Services’ Senior Day Program is designed to take some of the stress and worry away from the caregivers, and provide engagement, stimulation and socialization for the individual with dementia. The Senior Day Program, offered every Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at St. Paul’s Community Care Center in San Diego, provides families a safe option for care for loved ones with mild to moderate memory impairment due to Alzheimer’s or other related dementia. The program cares for the whole person: socially, physically, mentally and spiritually. This care includes activities such as arts (drawing, painting, music), storytelling, recreation (games, exercises, field trips), nature (animals, plants, gardening, nature walks), food (cooking, eating together), teaching, and conversation. To ensure the seniors are getting the special attention and quality care needed, all St. Paul’s activity coordinators and caregivers are certified nursing assistants. What makes St. Paul’s Senior Day Program unique is that it is an intergenerational program with children ages 6 weeks to 5 years of age who interact with the seniors several times each day. Studies have shown that the benefits of intergenerational programs include promoting acceptance and understanding, developing empathy and respect, and an increased sense of worth for both seniors and children. “St. Paul’s is proud to offer one of the first intergenerational day care programs in Southern California, and the only intergenerational program in San Diego,” says Melissa Stintson, Senior Day supervisor. “Our intergenerational care brings together children and seniors to benefit the lives of both populations. Children learn to develop empathy and respect while our seniors develop an increased sense of self worth. Many families report that their loved one comes home more engaged and he/she sleeps better at night as a result of spending a day with us.” St. Paul’s Senior Day Program is very flexible as to how the family chooses the frequency a senior attends the program. They also have the option of attending a half day (up to 5 hours) or a full day, and both options include a hot lunch and morning and afternoon snacks. Many families bring their loved one in on the way to work knowing their loved one is safe and well cared for in the secure environment. For more information about St. Paul’s Senior Day Program and to set up a complimentary guest pass, you can call (619) 239-6900 or visit the website (www.stpaulseniors.org). The program is offered at St. Paul’s Community Care Center, 328 Maple St., San Diego.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

Intergenerational program offers safe day services for senior care givers

The program brings together children and seniors to benefit the lives of both.

A senior carries on a conversation with a young guest.

Senior Day Hours and Pricing Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Half-Day: Up to 5 hours: $55. Daily rates include lunch for participants arriving at or before noon. Full Day: Up to 10 hours: $80. Daily rate includes lunch. A Senior Day Program group visits the San Diego Maritime Museum.

DOWNTOWN

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

New Signs Help Residents and Visitors Navigate Downtown Civic San Diego project cost $1.9 million Residents and visitors will have an easier time navigating Downtown San Diego by foot, car or bike after Civic San Diego installed more than 200 new wayfinding signs at a cost of $1.9 million. Those unfamiliar with the neighborhood, or getting around on foot or by bike have long been faced with the challenge of reaching their destination using outdated signs originally designed for drivers, the agency said in announcing the project. “At Civic San Diego, we seek creative ways to improve neighborhood infrastructure and the quality of life in our urban communities. As our community grows and we continually attract more residents, businesses, and visitors Downtown, we saw an opportunity to not only meet the growth objectives of the

neighborhood, but also make it easier for everyone to navigate around this unique part of our city,” said Reese A. Jarrett, president of Civic San Diego. “Downtown has a wealth of history, attractions and businesses, and with our wayfinding project now complete, everyone, whether they’re walking, biking or driving can enjoy mobility with ease.” The program was launched to replace aging signage throughout Downtown’s eight neighborhoods. The completed project includes a new comprehensive pedestrian wayfinding, vehicular wayfinding, destination signage, Downtown gateway signage and kiosks with printed maps of Downtown. The preferred design for the signage was selected through three public open houses and nearly 50

stakeholder interviews. Based on this community and stakeholder input the preferred design was chosen to create a consistent and new Downtown brand that could accommodate the character of its many unique districts, and enhance community interaction, resident socializing and business vitality. Funding for the $1.9 million project was provided primarily through a reinvestment of dedicated parking-related revenue streams through the Downtown Community Parking District and a $335,000 grant from the San Diego Association of Governments. Maintenance agreements were also established with the Downtown San Diego Partnership, Little Italy Association and San Diego Unified Port District to perform upkeep of the signs in their respective areas.

Kiosk in Marina District

Downtown Gateway 10th and Ash

Vehicular Sign F & 15th Before

Vehicular Sign F & 15th After East Village Compass at Petco Park

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Bryan Brillhart Photography Presents: “Dig IB” Bird of the Week, the Brown Pelican

The Brown Pelican is a threatened species but not an endangered species. I’d like to personally thank Bryan for his contribution to DigImperialBeach.com and hope the community will enjoy the articles and visit Bryan’s page above to view his excellent photography. We are excited to be sharing this with the community weekly! More on the Brown Pelican from Wikipedia:

The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a small pelican found in the Americas. It is one of the best known and most prominent birds found in the coastal areas of the southern and western United States. It is one of only three pelican species found in the Western Hemisphere. The brown pelican is one of the only two pelican species which feeds by diving into the water. The brown pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard. It is 106–137 cm

(42–54 in) in length, weighs from 2.75 to 5.5 kg (6.1 to 12.1 lb) and has a wingspan from 1.83 to 2.5 m (6.0 to 8.2 ft). Through most of its range, the brown pelican is an unmistakable bird. Like all pelicans, this species has a very large bill, 28 to 34.8 cm (11.0 to 13.7 in) long in this case, with a gular pouch on the bottom for draining water when it scoops out prey. The head is white but often gets a yellowish wash in adult birds. The bill is rayish overall in most birds, though breeding birds become reddish on the underside of the throat. The back, rump, and tail are streaked with gray and dark brown, sometimes with a rusty hue. In adult pelicans, the breast and belly are a blackish-brown and the legs and feet are black. The juvenile is similar but has a brownish-gray neck and white underparts. Bryan is a local nature photographer and member of the local estuary. If you would like to see more of Bryan’s Bird Photos search for him on facebook.

The New Imperial Beach Library The Imperial Beach Library located at 810 Imperial Beach Blvd. has just celebrated their 100 year anniversary and has been open and serving our community since 1966. On January 20, 2016 City Officials, Library Staff and residents came together for the ground breaking ceremony to begin the much anticipated renovations on the new building. The community has had this project in the works since April 2010. The new library will have a very Imperial Beach vibe, a lifeguard tower entrance, a children’s area inspired by an old Woodie car, surfboard style sidewalks, a wave rooftop even the entrance floor will have decorative concrete to resemble sand on the beach. The new library is an $8.5 million project with an additional $660,000 from the county library budget established for furniture, fixtures and equipment. The new library will be 12,000square-foot building that is 3 times larger than the previous 5,600 sq foot building. Some of the new features include a new community room for meetings and events, Teen Space, upgraded computer lab and it will even have an outdoor patio for patrons to enjoy. It will also meet the new NetZero Standard and 100% of the power

City Delegates, Library Manager and friends of the library breaking ground on the JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH highly anticipated new Imperial Beach Library.

to run facility will come from solar panels, adaptive lighting & offset. This is a design collaborated on by the County Library, Friends of the Imperial Beach Library, City of Imperial Beach and community members. All of the renovations are being done by design-build team T.B. Penick and Sons. ‘This is an awesome project, said Councilwoman Lorie Bragg. I think you have really captured the essence of a small beach community and what we are. I’ve been hanging out at that

Shipwreck Draws Larger Crowds On the morning of January 23rd, in the wake of a series of unusually ferocious winter storms, a very unique discovery was made on the shores just south of Coronado. Beachgoers were surprised to discover the skeletal remains of a ship that, for almost an entire century, had rested just under the surface of the shoreline’s shifting sands. San Diegans soon learned that the decaying hulk was none other than the notorious S.S. Monte Carlo, a luxury cruiser once billed as the “World’s Greatest Pleasure Ship.” Since the wreck’s discovery, hordes of spectators have flocked to the beach to view what remains of the decaying hulk. “I thought they’d get tired of the thing,” said Olivia Arens, a resident of the high rise tower situated adjacent to

BY JORDAN JACOBO

the wreck. “The crowds just seem to be getting bigger.” In fact, city officials have said that larger crowds are expected to visit the site in the coming months as the weather becomes more temperate with the arrival of spring. It’s no surprise that spectators would be drawn to a local attraction with such a checkered past. Back in the 1930’s, the ship was known locally as a den of vice and graft. Anchored in international waters just west of San Diego, the pleasure boat featured a vast casino, complete with gaming tables and rows of slot machines. It also catered to local gentlemen seeking the company of “ladies of the night.” It was a prosperous venture until 1936, when a rough storm sent the ship

The corroded remains of the "pleasure ship" Monte Carlo.

library since 1971’. ‘It’s a huge resource for our community’ said Mayor Serge Dedina. Supervisor Cox emphasized that “Libraries are partnerships with the people and are a keystone in building a community”. Branch Manager, June Engel said being asked to take a job at the Imperial Beach Library qws like winning a lottery! She loves this community and is excited to see the New Imperial Beach Library completed. It is expected to be completed by late spring 2016.

drifting toward the coast until it ran aground on the beach just south of the Hotel Del, which would serve as its final resting place. Within 24 hours, local scavengers had stripped and looted the wreck of any and all remaining valuables. What little remained was confiscated by local authorities. For the next 80 years, the tattered remains of the once elegant ship were left to corrode and slowly sink into the costal sands, making a rare appearance during occasions of extremely low tide, but largely forgotten. That is, until now. The site is expected to continue drawing in crowds of all ages eager to catch a glimpse of the once notorious pleasure ship that eluded local authorities for so long.

JORDAN JACOBO

BUSINESS BIBBEYS SHELL SHOP GETS A WHOLE NEW LOOK!

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

Beware - Fire Inspection Fraud

Local Art Lovers Mauro Donate and Elian Gomez photographed above along with Ily Alfred and Jorge Donate are giving Bibbeys Shell shop a whole new look. They are all part of a creative group in Imperial Beach who are driven to create

JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

an artistic atmosphere in our city. Stop by and see them in action. Complete Story coming in April! JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

Friendly Message From Your Liberty Tax Specialist

Liberty Tax Office Representative ready to help and serve you

I hope everyone is enjoying the 2016. We certainly are in the middle of tax season and are digging for every deduction, saving people on their taxes. I would like to give you a few pertinent tax tips that can hopefully make your tax season a little bit easier. For those with children, do not miss out on these tax benefits: Dependents. In most cases, you can claim your child as a dependent. You can deduct $4,000 for each dependent you are entitled to claim. You must reduce this amount if your income is above certain limits. Child Tax Credit. You may be able to claim the Child Tax Credit for each of your qualifying children under the age of 17. The maximum credit is $1,000 per child. If you get less than the full amount of the credit, you may be eligible for the Additional Child Tax Credit. Child and Dependent Care Credit. You may be able to claim this credit if you paid for the care of one or more qualifying persons. Dependent children under age 13 are among those who qualify. You must have paid for care so that you could

work or could look for work. Earned Income Tax Credit. You may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit if you worked but earned less than $53,505 last year. You can get up to $6,269 in EITC. You may qualify with or without children. Adoption Credit. You may be able to claim a tax credit for certain costs you paid to adopt a child. Even more if it is a special needs child. Education tax credits. An education credit can help you with the cost of higher education. There are two credits that are available. The American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit may reduce the amount of tax you owe. If the credit reduces your tax to less than zero, you may get a refund. Even if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t owe any taxes, you still may qualify. Student loan interest. You may be able to deduct interest you paid on a qualified student loan. You can claim this benefit even if you do not itemize your deductions. Self-employed health insurance deduction. If you were selfemployed and paid for health insurance, you may be able to deduct pre-

BY A. SULLIVAN

According to reports recently circulating Southern California, an atrocious scam, and debatable evasion of privacy is primarily targeting small local businesses as well as strip malls. It initiates as a supposed typical fire inspection, consisting of an individual arriving unannounced, claiming to perform a free, yet required safety survey or fire inspection. Upon their entrance, the criminal inspects the place of business, then, finishing up, claiming everything is in fine and working order. Unfortunately, they present an endorsement form, with no visible prices attached, before their exit, requiring signatures. In the days following the illegitimate inspection, the unsuspecting business owner receives the previously signed inspection form in the mail pertaining an invoice consisting of fees up to $500.00. Essentially what these crooks are accomplishing, aside from blatantly receiving money for fraudulent services, they are also able to search the premises for sensitive information, such as, but not lim-

ited to stock quantities, emergency exits, staffing, and schedules, security measures, and much more. They very well could be potentially casing the joint, presumably. Fortunately, there are several precautionary measurements available to protect yourself against such dishonest, not so masterminds. Step One: Know your rights. It is your right as a business owner to refuse access to anyone you are unfamiliar with. Step Two: Every fire inspector arrives in full uniform wielding two forms of identification. These include a badge, and a city identification card. It is in your safety and best interest to request tangible evidentiary support before allowing anyone to investigate your property. Step Three: If you are ever unsure of any safety inspector, you are urged to contact the nonemergency line at the Imperial Beach Fire Department at (619)4238223, or the San Diego County Sherriff at (858)565-5200. For any additional inquiries, feel free to contact IBFD at the phone number previously mentioned.

JEANNETTE SHAMBAUGH

miums you paid during the year. This may include the cost to cover your children under age 27, even if they are not your dependent. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget about the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare). If you purchased an insurance policy through the marketplace, and received subsidized premium, you must reconcile this on your tax return on Form 8962. The IRS is holding up refunds if you file your return and forget to file Form 8962 with your 1095-A. Also, the penalty went up in 2015 to a minimum of $325 and the minimum next year is over $600. Please make sure you get health insurance! There are exemptions from the penalty on Form 8965. These are complicated forms and we are here to help. If you have any questions about tax matters or would like our assistance in preparing your taxes we are located at 1555 Palm Ave. (no appointment necessary.) If you would like more information please give our office a call at 619-271-1811 or visit our website at www.libertytax.com

Your ideas. Your neighb borhood.

W What: Where: When:

p Community Open House to identify ways to activate the empty lot for temporary comm munity use Corner of Date Ave. and Seacoaast Dr. in Imperial Beach Tuesday, March 22, 2016 Come anytime between 2:00 PM to 7:30 PM

The City of Imperial Beach is seeking your input on ways to activate this space.

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP