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Vol. 23 No. 5 May 2015
C STREET PANORAMA
Around the Neighborhood John and Hanna Santos cultivate a garden of plants, tortoises, fish that live in a rain barrel, a free book library and much more in their Arizon Street home. PAGE 5
Rudd and Sally Schoeffel in their C Street home that they have been restoring since they purchased it in February 1998.
Science Fun at the Circus A hands-on circus is the next big exhbition at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. At “CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top,” kids and adults can exploe the science behind the spectacle. PAGE 6
Girl Scouts’ Cool Women Carmen Vann of North Park and Hillcrest resident Awetash Keflezighi — mother of marathon champion Mel Keflezighi — were honored as Girl Scouts San Diego’s Cool Women 2015. PAGE 10
The Rudd and Sally Schoeffel home at 3188 C St. was designed by San Diego icon architect Richard Requa. It was built in 1927.
A 1927 house lovingly restored by Rudd and Sally Schoeffel Those who have purchased tickets to this year’s Old House Fair historic home tour on June 20 have a double bonus in store when they enter the C Street home designed by San Diego icon architect Richard Requa. The bonus being the opportunity to also wander amid the idyllic landscape, which was originally designed by Milton Sessions, the prominent landscaper of the early 20th century (Kate Sessions’ nephew). Built in 1927 from Requa blueprints that came with the Tuscany-style, three-level home, Rudd
and Sally Schoeffel purchased the indesperate-need-of-maintenance home in February 1998. They have been restoring it ever since. The couple (both very active as owners of South Park’s Rancho Buena Vista Real Estate), focused first on renewing the home then recently began paying attention to the expansive grounds. During the current restoration, the Schoeffel’s met Parker Jackson, a noted locally-based historian, who specializes in the career of Richard Requa. “Our meeting with Parker was by chance,” said Rudd. “When he
learned we lived in a Requa-designed home he told us he had not visited it before. Of course, we invited him and he accepted.” Later, after several visits, Jackson, who at the time was lecturing at an architecture class at San Diego State University, brought the entire class and professor to visit Requa’s C Street project. Rudd reports that Jackson told the class that their home was an example of Requa’s best work. The C Street address is not the first home the Schoeffel’s have bought and restored to historical standards. Their
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The opening of the St. Catherine parking structure at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace has brought some closure to a long, nasty battle the school waged with homeowners and the city. PAGE 15
taste in restoration projects over the years has focused on Mediterreanstyle, mainly Tuscan and Spanish Revival; plus an adobe pueblo and toss in a coupe of California ranchstyle projects. But, they don’t just pick any home in need of TLC. They appreciate the work of San Diego’s fabled architects, having restored three homes by Cliff May, one by Lillian Rice and the current one by Requa. But perhaps, the redux closest to SEE PANORAMA, Page 16
SHORT-TERM RENTALS — A Confusing Problem North Park could have as many as 500 listings B O
Our Lady of Peace Modernization Plan
BY THOMAS SHESS | PHOTOS BY SCOTT BASILE
The Internet has changed the way we live. It has made life easier in many ways and it has created some challenges. One area that wasn’t previously truly possible to explore pre-Internet was the so-called “sharing economy.” That’s a fancy name for sharing your assets with other people in a way that makes some money for you and saves the user some money, too. For example, in some cities, for a fee you can use someone else’s car while they are traveling. Cool, right? Another example is the collection of home sharing sites: Airbnb, VRBO,
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Couchsurfing.com, FlipKey, etc. They all have two aspects that are important for this conversation: they are easy to use and they let regular people get more value out of one of their biggest assets (and biggest costs) — their homes. So, this month, I want to share some information about Airbnb and what it means for North Park and our surrounding neighborhoods. Estimates are that there are between 250 and 500 Airbnb/VRBO/Craigslist short-term SEE RENTALS, Page 16
The owner of this North Park home advertised a room for rent for $60 a night or $500 a month.
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COMMUNITY NEWS Leading Cast Members Announced For Old Globe’s ‘Arms and the Man’ The Old Globe leading cast members for George Bernard Shaw’s “Arms and the Man,” the romantic comedy that continues the Globe’s 80th anniversary festivities as part of the Balboa Park Centennial Celebration. The production runs through June 14 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park. The beautiful Raina Petkoff is about to marry the heroic soldier Sergius. But the battlefield sweeps into her boudoir when an enemy soldier takes refuge under her bed. Soon she will have to decide between her romantic ideals and the surprising sensations of new love. “Arms and the Man,” utterly romantic and one of the wittiest and most charming plays of the English stage, mixes smarts and silliness in a wonderfully entertaining tale of love and war. Balboa Park Conservancy Hires New Executive Director and CEO The Balboa Park Conservancy has hired Thomas Herrera-Mishler as the organization’s new executive director and CEO following a national search.
Herrera-Mishler will officially start his new position on July 1, after serving as CEO and president of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy in Buffalo, N.Y., since 2008. “Helping to keep Balboa Park magnificent is a job I will relish,” said Herrera-Mishler. “As a nexus of arts and culture, recreation, and horticulture within such a diverse and dynamic urban setting, few places are as perfectly poised as Balboa Park to serve as both an economic catalyst and primary cultural resource for its neighborhoods and region.” Herrera-Mishler will provide leadership and direction in strategic planning and setting goals, ensuring they are aligned with the organization’s mission for enhancing the visitor experience through improving access, sustainability and a vision for the future. “We are very fortunate that a candidate of Thomas’s caliber came forward in our national search,” said Carol Chang, president of the Balboa Park Conservancy’s board of directors. “His successful tenure working with the City of Buffalo to operate and restore the historic Olmsted parks system, the nation’s first park system, makes him uniquely qualified to help us sustain and enhance Balboa Park for future generations.” Born in Mexico and fluent in Spanish, Herrera-Mishler moved to the United States as an adolescent. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish language and literature with a minor in business administration and a mas-
ter’s degree in landscape architecture and regional planning, with a specialization in urban design, from the University of Michigan. Prior to serving as CEO and President of Olmsted Parks Conservancy, where he helped to secure over $30 million for capital improvement projects, he worked as the executive director of the Awbury Arboretum in Philadelphia, Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, N.C., and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Boston. As a landscape architect and planner, Herrera-Mishler has designed projects across the US, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Spain. South Park’s Kim Richards Selected as Panelist in Town Hall Program South Park resident Kim Richards, co-founder and director of STEAMConnect, has been selected as a panelist in an upcoming town hall discussion on STEM vs. STEAM education hosted by VH1 Save The Music Foundation. The event will be held at the Paley Center in New York City on Thursday, May 7, at 7 p.m. ET, and will be livestreamed for parents, educators and community leaders across the country at live.vh1savethemusic. org. “It is an honor to be included in this important discussion that aims to bring widespread awareness to STEAM and the fact that every child can learn and succeed through the arts across all subject areas,” says Richards, who recently directed the STEAMConnect Ascend Conference, which was attended by more than 500
national leaders in education and business. Panelists from the worlds of education, the arts, policy, business, tech and media will share best practices, personal stories, scientific study, tools and ideas on STEAM education. With continued input from the panelists, VH1 Save The Music Foundation will compile a STEAM toolkit with recommendations and key findings for parents, educators and lawmakers to raise awareness of STEAM and foster nationwide growth in the movement. This report will be available in fall 2015. The town hall discussion signals a great step for VH1 Save The Music. For nearly two decades, the organization has worked to restore instrumental music programs and has donated $51 million worth of new musical instruments to 1,900 public schools around the country. Most of their efforts have been focused at the local grassroots level, in the communities where they grant in restoring school music programs. Now, they are bringing together experts from across the country and facilitating a national conversation on the importance of the arts to learning, retention, and creating the next generation of innovators. New Boutique to Open on Adams Avenue Alexandra Hall, founder and creative director of Maven, the newest addition to Adams Avenue, hopes to become the neighborhood’s go-to for trends and brands that are otherwise hard to find in the Southern California region. Hall began to notice more and
more local shops popping up in the University Heights and North Park neighborhoods. “There was definitely a buzz happening that I wanted to be a part of,” she admits. Enter Maven. Alexandra chose the name after reading Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point,” in which he describes a “maven” as someone who people rely on to connect them to new information, and are considered trusted experts in the marketplace. She felt this described her vision of what she wanted her shop to be in the San Diego market. Next, she acquired a corner space at Adams Avenue and 30th Street and set her sights on bringing a fresh perspective to San Diego shopping. With a soft opening on May 2 followed by a grand opening on June 5, Alexandra’s dream will soon be a reality. Maven is shaping up to be the newest gem on Antique Row. Hall has added her own personal touch to the building by completely renovating the space, which formerly housed a real estate firm. Maven will carry clothing, accessories, apothecary items, and home goods for women, men, and children. Growing up in San Diego, Hall decided to pursue her dream of being a fashion designer by enrolling at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising’s downtown campus. While at FIDM, Alexandra noticed that she made all of her A grades in her classes that catered to the business side of the industry. “It struck me as a surprise because I thought I wanted to be a designer,” she says. “But, on the SEE COMMUNITY, Page 3
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Ask Dr. Z Editor’s Note: South Park’s Dr. Tara the hormones begin to peak. So when Zandvliet — Dr. Z — answers com- your wife wakes you up asking if that mon — and not so common — health was the baby, now you know why. questions for our readers. Why did my doctor give me Why doesn’t my husband Benadryl for my stomach flu? Benadryl is related to the most popwake up when the baby cries To the bane of new mothers every- ular anti-nausea medication Phenerwhere, it seems that the father of your gan (promethazine). It blocks the hislittle one just fakes sleep when the tamine receptors, which is why it is an baby cries. But don’t whack him over excellent allergy medicine. the head just yet! There is a biologic But those same receptors are found reason he sleeps right through it. in the stomach, and modulate nausea Studies have shown that hormones as well as stomach acid. It works to influence our brains and what acti- quell nausea almost as well as Phenervates it to wake up. Men tend to wake gan. It is often used to help in patients up to alarm sounds — alarm clocks, with severe gastric acid reflux as well. police sirens, and car alarms. Second For children, it is based on weight. For on the list for them are footsteps and adults, 25-50 mg is the dose every six door creaks. The testosterone influ- hours as needed. ence gears the brain to wake up when A good bet is the children’s chewable there is a threat to the family. When tablets. If the nausea is severe, it can they are woken up, the adrenaline is be broken and placed under the peaked, ready for a fight, and so they tongue. That way it absorbs through often cannot ease back to sleep for the mouth, and so it doesn’t matter if quite awhile. there is vomiting. It generally works Women on the other hand wake up within 15 minutes. consistently to a baby’s cry, and anything that simulates it — cats, moto- Dr. Tara Zandvliet welcomes your quescycle whine, etc. They are geared to tions. Send them to questions@ southtake wake up when the weaker ones parkdoctor.com. She practices at 2991 of the family need care. For both, Kalmia St. Phone: (619) 929-0032. these changes begin at puberty, when
COMMUNITY
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other hand, I wasn’t surprised at all because I was raised by two entrepreneurs.” Both Hall’s parents have owned and operated successful businesses in California. You could say entrepreneurship runs in the family. Hall took some time away from the workforce to start a family in 2011. When it was time for her to dive back in, she wanted to apply what she learned in school and saw throughout her travels to her community. “Going through my adolescence here as a consumer and avid shopper,” she explains, “I saw firsthand that San Diego’s retail was lacking. I was fortunate enough to travel a lot and I would visit places like New York or San Francisco only to be reminded that there was a niche to be filled back home. I knew having my own store would be the perfect way to sling the things I always wished I could design when I was in school.” Marquis at Hillcrest Sells for $13.7 Million Cushman & Wakefield announced the sale of the Marquis at Hillcrest at 1751 University Ave. in San Diego to Littletown Realty LLC for $13.7 million. The seller, Virtu Investments LLC, was represented by Tyler Sinks and Kyle Pinkalla of Cushman & Wakefield’s Multifamily Advisory Group. The 58-unit apartment building totals 28,890 square feet on 1.84 acres. The unit mix is made up of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. The five-story property was built in 1921 and recently renovated in 2008. Property amenities include a fitness and yoga center, courtyard, on-site
laundry and a business center. Unit amenities include hardwood floors, new cabinets, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The property features panoramic views and is located in Hillcrest Village, in close proximity to Downtown and Balboa Park. The apartment building is one of the only 50+ unit properties in Hillcrest to become available for sale in the past five years.. Golden Hill Celebrates Balboa Park Centennial The Golden Hill Community-Balboa Park 1915 Expo Centennial Festival on June 20 will highlight the unique communities of Greater Golden Hill in 1915 to the present and how the neighborhoods played a key role in the building of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. The festival will be hosted by the Greater Golden Hill Community Development Corp. with funding support provided by the city of San Diego Office of Small Business through the Economic and Tourism Development Grant. The family-fun event will be a historical and musical celebration featuring a Historical Exhibition, Antique Car Show, Live Local Music, Historic Craft Beer Garden, Kid’s Family Village, Community Groups, and Isthmus Food & Vendor Alley with local artisans. The centennial celebration will take place in Balboa Park at Golden Hill Park. In the 1860s, this community park was the first area of parkland to be improved. Many of its trees were planted by the city’s horticultural icon Kate Sessions. It is located adjacent to the historic neighborhood of Golden Hill at the end of 25th Street and Russ Street, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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North Park’s Historic Corner Find it at Paras Newsstand Cigar Store starting in 1953. The Paras brothers, Christ (Chris), From North Park’s history to current Stratie, and William, were born in Illiworld news and every printed word in nois of Greek parents. Their father, between, you can find it at Paras News- George, came to the U.S. through Ellis stand. The unassuming store with Island in 1903, where his last name was amazing inventory has filled the space changed from Paraskas to “Paras” to at 30th Street and University Avenue be shorter and easier to pronounce. with magazines, newspapers, comic George was the proprietor of a confecbooks and novels, among other mer- tionary store in Chicago in the 1930s, chandise, for more than six decades. and listed his employment on his Paras Newsstand sits in the north- World War II Draft Registration Card west corner of what was originally the as “Self employed, Newsstand,” which United Stores Shopping Center, a large may be why his sons went into the brick and concrete building construct- business when they came to California. ed in 1928 by Orndorf Construction Eldest son Chris was born in 1923. Company for the United Realty Com- He served in the Navy as a machinist pany. mate on the aircraft carrier Owl Drug Company USS Intrepid, participating refined the corner space at in many harrowing battles 3002 University Ave. for in the Pacific. By the midits drug store that opened 1940s, the family had all February 1929 and stayed come to California. They through the Depression initially lived in Escondido and World War II. Joseph and later La Mesa, but in Jessop & Sons Jewelers 1959 they are listed in the occupied that main space City Directory at 3930 through the 1950s. Kansas St., just one block The space held by Paras west of Paras Newsstand. Newsstand started as the While Chris operated the Basham Beauty Shoppe in North Park store, middle 1930 and was Melody brother Stratie, born in Beauty Shop later in the 1928, operated a Paras 1930s. During the 1940s, Newsstand at 4861 Newport the space was alternately Ave. in Ocean Beach. There a beauty shop, gift store, was a third Paras store in La and vacant. When the Mesa for many years. 1950s began, the space Olga Paras, widow of Youngest brother William, was listed in the City Chris Paras, who operat- born in 1929, also clerked in Directory as Baker’s Cigar ed the North Park store in the stores. its early years, and her and News Stand. It son, Omar Altman. (Photo Chris and the North Park became Paras Brothers by Katherine Hon). store were a favorite news
BY KATHERINE HON
topic through the years. The March 18, 1980, San Diego Union Currents section featured a story by Frank Green, “Read All About It At Paras’” The store is described as “the oldest, best-stocked magazine shop in the city” where “there is something for everybody.” Chris said, “I get people of all ages from all over the area. I have a certain type of merchandise they’re looking for, so they go out of their way to come here.” Indeed, the large photo in the article shows a counter crowded with copies of TV Guide and Reader’s Digest as well as every snack imaginable, including Velamints, Chewy Pecan Pralines, and Bubble Burger chewing gum (“We made it FUN for YOU!”). Reporter Bob Rowland visited Paras in November 1994 and proclaimed “North Park newsstand is world of its own.” He interviewed Kent Snyder, who had started working at the shop for Chris in 1986 (and still works there today). When asked who shops at Paras, Snyder replied, “Hard to say— everybody, I guess.” And in answer to the follow-up question —what are they looking for? — he said, “Just about everything.” Twenty years later, the answers are still the same. Chris sold the business in 1987. After his retirement, he and his wife Olga devoted a lot of time to the VFW and Fraternal Order of Eagles. They enjoyed socializing with their numerous friends at homecooked meals prepared lovingly by Olga and at San Diego’s classic restaurants including the Westgate, Hob Nob and Rudford’s. Chris passed away in 2010 and is buried at Fort Rosecrans
Ken and Ann Gabbara are the current owners of Paras Newsstand.
National Cemetery. But Paras Newsstand goes on. Brothers Rocky and Mike Attallah bought the store from Chris in 1987, and about eight years ago Junior Najor and Ken and Ann Gabbara bought the store from them. All kept the Paras name. The Gabbaras, who are the sole owners now, previously owned the Big K Market on Federal Boulevard, which they had bought from Rocky and Mike Attallah in 1985 and sold two years ago. Being experienced store owners, the Gabbaras are not only committed to maintaining selection, they are also making interior improvements to enhance the customer experience. They are remodeling the interior to create more visibility for the expansive inventory, including comic books, paperbacks and, of course, magazines about every topic imaginable in just about any language. Ann also wants to
improve the convenience store supplies with healthy snacks and fruit for the multitude of riders who embark and disembark on the faithful No. 2 bus line right outside the door. Of particular importance to the North Park Historical Society, Paras Newsstand is the only retail store in North Park’s commercial core to stock their definitive history of North Park’s first 50 years, “North Park: A San Diego Urban Village, 1896-1946,” by the late Donald Covington. Although Paras Newsstand started just after that book ended, the store continues to be an important part of North Park’s history and future. Katherine Hon is secretary of the North Park Historical Society)
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AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD John and Hannah’s Arizona Street garden is a community affair
BY SUSAN TAYLOR
The Santos family on the family porch.
John and Hannah Santos in their garden with their six tortoises: El Tigre, Lion, Gemma, Bobcat, Socket and Dino.
The sitcoms of 1950s television depicted neighbors coming together to borrow a cup of sugar or washing their cars on adjacent driveways. These days some Arizona Street neighbors chat with those next door about their reptiles, community garden, and “small free library.” John and Hannah Santos shared some of their story as they strolled up the street one Sunday afternoon with their little red wagon holding six complacent tortoises; just some of the charm and surprise in this North Park neighborhood. Add to the mix, one rescued pitbull named Cody, an adopted cat named Kitty, and some fish that live in a rain barrel, and these two busy people have cultivated not only a pet and plant friendly yard, but also a fulfilling life. John, a biology teacher for 10 years, has long been a “plant guy.” The garden began with a group of friends, and over the years a few people from the area stopped by and gardened for a season or two. He advises that communication is key. Meeting up occasionally is important to determine plantings, maintenance, and for sharing harvests. The planters now grow native plants, flowers, grasses (for the tortoises), herbs, and milkweeds to support Monarch butterflies and
Planters grow native plants, flowers, grasses, herbs and milkweeds.
caterpillars, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and zucchini. It took some work, but in the yard they created areas appropriate for their cat, and for El Tigre, Lion, Gemma, Bobcat, Socket, and Dino (the tortoises), separate from their less tolerant dog. The fish, which eat mosquito larvae, live in a rain catchment barrel which collects more than enough water for the garden. The “small free library” to the side and in front of the garden holds some good books for passersby to borrow. Hannah and John live in the same Craftsman house that was owned
by his great-grandmother. John cites the post-World War II dream of a house with a front and back yard as reason for the types of neighborhoods we live in. People could stay home and enjoy their space, but households were also insular and isolated. What he and his wife have done is to make a community of plants, animals and people. John says, “When you have demanding jobs like ours, it’s good to have something else that ‘needs’ you and requires your time and investment. It’s easy to get sucked into your work and bring it home with you. It’s easy to give up at the end of the day and just wait around for your next day to start, but then where is the quality of life and richness? It is really fulfilling to sharing this experience with Hannah and our neighbors, and it adds some texture to our existence.” Should you be curious seeing the tortoises eating the clover flowers in Morley Park, be sure to engage John and Hannah in what they call a “good conversation,” neighbor-toneighbor, and experience a bit of Arizona Street living.
John Santos at work in the garden.
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ADAMS AVENUE NEWS
Science Under the Bigtop FLEET EXHIBIT TEACHES SCIENCE IN A FUN, INTERACTIVE WAY PHOTOS BY DARRYL MORAN/THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE
A hands-on circus is the next big exhibition at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. “CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top” is a family-friendly exhibition that features 20 multi-station interactive exhibits that delve into everything from clown makeup to the art of contortion to animal communication. Visitors can explore the science behind the spectacle while learning the tricks of the sword swallower, uncovering the illusion of the flea circus and discovering the psychology of common circus sounds. The exhibit opened on May 2 and continues through Sept. 7. Every feature of the exhibit is designed to teach visitors about sci-
ence in a fun, interactive way. Visitors can test how their center of gravity works on the Balance Bar. The Feats of Strength exhibit shows how leverage, compression and tension are used to do the seemingly impossible. Experiment with The Human Cannonball to learn how the angle and thrust of an explosion can dictate where an object lands. Visitors can experience the science and math involved in juggling and acrobatics, or just have fun clowning around. The exhibition has something for everybody. Youngsters will enjoy pretending that they’ve joined the circus at the Circus Costume Station, where they can dress up like a ringmaster, a lion or a bear. Older kids will revel in the “daredevil” elements of the exhi-
bition, such as Elastic Acrobatics and The High Wire. The Elastic Acrobatics exhibit will give visitors the chance to practice their best mid-air tricks from the safety of a harness. For the High Wire, adventurous visitors 46 inches or taller will strap into a harness six feet above the ground and test their balance by walking across the nine-foot long wire. Best of all, the opportunity for visitors to test out their high-flying circus skills is included in the cost of admission. “We’re very excited to feature CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top because it shows that science is everywhere you look,” said Steve Snyder, CEO of the Fleet Science Center. “Scientific concepts have been incorporated into performance and entertain-
ment for centuries. An exhibition such as ‘CIRCUS’ gives a context for understanding science outside of the typical realms of classrooms and labs.” The Fleet is also adding a Sideshow Science performance to the current “Don’t Try This at Home” live science show. Beginning May 2, the Fleet’s team of science demonstrators will delve into the science behind many popular circus feats. Sideshow Science will be in addition to the current rotation of “Don’t Try This at Home” shows: “Too Loud, Too Messy and Too Shocking.” “CIRCUS: Science Under the Big Top” was developed by the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
northparknews.biz/digital MidCityNewspaperGroup.com Serving San Diego’s Premier Mid City Communities Chairman/CEO Bob Page BobPage@sandiegometro.com Publisher Rebeca Page RebecaPage@sandiegometro.com Associate Publisher Brad Weber ReachLocals@ MidCityNewspaperGroup.com Editor Manny Cruz Manny@sandiegometro.com Art Director Chris Baker cbaker@sandiegometro.com Marketing/Advertising Kelly Pouliot kellysdnews@gmail.com -----------------------------Writers/Columnists Todd Gloria Bart Mendoza Delle Willett Anna Lee Fleming Sara Wacker Photography Manny Cruz Sande Lollis Letters/Opinion Pieces North Park News encourage letters to the editor and guest editorials. Please address correspondence to Manny@sandiegometro.com or mail to Manny Cruz. Please include a phone number, address and name for verification purposes; no anonymous letters will be printed. We reserve the right to edit letters and editorials for brevity and accuracy. Story ideas/Press Releases Do you have an idea for an article you would like to see covered in this newspaper? We welcome your ideas, calendar item listings and press releases. For breaking news, please call us at (619) 287-1865. For all other news items, please email Manny@sandiegometro.com.
ADDRESS PO Box 3679, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 PHONE (858) 461-4484 North Park News distributes copies monthly to residents and businesses of North Park, South Park, Golden Hill and Normal Heights. The entire contents of North Park News is copyrighted, 2015, by REP Publishing, Inc. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without prior written consent. All rights reserved.
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Girl Scouts’ Cool Women North Park, Hillcrest residents honored Construction executive Carmen Vann of North Park and Hillcrest resident Awetash Keflezighi — mother of marathon champion Mel Keflezighi — were honored as Girl Scouts San Diego’s Cool Women 2015 during a recent luncheon and ceremony at the Del Mar Country Club. Keflezighi was recognized for successfully paving a path to higher education for her children — against all odds, and without any former schooling herself. The family fled war-torn Eritrea in 1986, arriving in San Diego with just the clothes on their backs. In the face of hardship, Keflezighi continually instilled the importance of academics. Today, the 10 sons and daughters of Keflezighi and her husband Russom are all highly accomplished. They include one college student and nine California University graduates. Among them, Meb, the only athlete in history to win the Boston and New York marathons, and an Olympic medal. During the Cool Women luncheon, Keflezighi was introduced by 2011 Cool Woman Ingrid Croce — artist, author, community advocate and owner/operator of Croce’s Park West. “I am very proud to present Awetash Keflezighi, a genuinely Cool Woman. I am in awe of her bravery and the
inspiration she brings to us all. Awetash’s story is brimming with American values, parental sacrifice for the next generation, the importance of education, working your way up, and a positive attitude,” Croce told the audience. Vann, a former Girl Scout, was presented by community volunteer Linda Katz, Cool Woman of 2012. As project executive for Turner Construction — and one of the few women in the field — Vann leads the construction of major developments, including the new San Diego Central Library, Sempra Energy’s headquarters, Hard Rock Hotel San Diego and the 10 Fifty B affordable housing high-rise. In describing Vann’s work, Katz noted
Cool Girl Elena Crespo
Girl Scouts San Diego’s Cool Women honorees included North Park resident Carmen Vann (left), construction project manager for Turner Construction who led the development of the new Central Library, Sempra Energy headquarters and the 10 Fifty B affordable housing high-rise development; and Hillcrest resident Awetash Keflezighi, mother of 2014 Boston marathon winner Meb Keflezighi.
that Vann completed the library project in just two years, on time, and on budget, leading a team of 600 constructions workers. Vann is a recipient of San Diego Metropolitan Magazine’s 40 under 40 Award, Engineering News Record California’s Top 20 under 40 and the San Diego Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business awards. She is a member of the San Diego Architect Foundation board, and past chair of the Associated General Contractors’ Education and Training/Foundation for Success committee. She has also served on the North Park Community Association board of
directors, and volunteers for Rebuilding Together San Diego. Marson Hills resident Lori Walton co-chaired the Cool Women luncheon with fellow Girl Scouts San Diego board member Julie Dubick. During the event, Cool Woman 2015 Susan Salka, president and CEO of AMN Healthcare, made a personal $10,000 challenge donation, which guests collectively matched. Proceeds from the 15th annual event will help support Girl Scout program outreach for girls in homeless shelters, the Girls Rehabilitation Facility and schools in underserved neigh-
borhoods. Cool Women 2015 honorees also included Karen Archipley, co-founder of Archi’s Acres, a hydro-organic farm where veterans learn agribusiness skills; Rabbi Cantor Arlene Bernstein of Beth Israel; Lesley Cohn, cofounder of Cohn Restaurant Group; Dr. Karen S. Haynes, president, California State University San Marcos; Reena Horowitz, businesswoman, philanthropist and jewelry designer; Carol Lazier, president of the San Diego Opera board of directors; Susan Swenson, wireless pioneer and chair of FirstNet, a federal agency developing the nation’s first high-speed public safety network; and Rose Schindler, Holocaust survivor and educator. This year’s Cool Girl was Girl Scout Ambassador Elena Crespo. The Del Norte High School junior recently developed a computer lab for a school in Panama. Elena, who was a delegate to Girl Scouts’ national convention, is completing her Gold Award project. “We are proud to honor these exemplary women for their extraordinary leadership and community service,” said Jo Dee C. Jacob, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts San Diego. “Our Cool Women’s personal and professional lives make them consummate role models for girls.”
May 2015 | northparknews.biz/digital | 11
By Bart Mendoza
Little Catbird’s Friendly Music for Kids Parent’s who would like to immerse their children in music from an early age may want to check out Little Catbird (aka Alison Marae) at Java Joe’s every Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. Billed as a “music and creative dance class,” Little Catbird provides all original, feel-good, family friendly music for kids, based around guitar and ukulele. Marae is a charming performer, though in this case it’s her 15 successful years of teaching music that will appeal to parents most. javajoessd.com
Jason Lee & the Rip-Tides Best Seen Live Fans of frenzied surf fretwork will definitely want to check out Jason Lee & The Rip-Tides, appearing at the Tower Bar on May 23. With his piled high blonde hair, you can’t miss Lee, but it’s still his guitar playing that’s the stand out, full of melodic daredevil runs. As good as their self-titled debut album, released last year, is, it’s nothing compared to seeing the group live where the interplay of all three band members comes together. Surf aficionados will love every second to this show, but instrumental fans and soundtrack junkies (think Mancini’s “Banzai,” etc.) will also get a real kick out of this show. thetowerbar.com
Master Showman Robin Henkel There are plenty of blues guitarists in San Diego, but nothing compares to Robin Henkel. Appearing at Lestat’s on May 17, Henkel is a virtuoso musician, with a specialty for acoustic blues, in numerous styles and a boisterous, over-the-top stage presence, that’ll have you grinning and tapping along in seconds flat. Most often seen in solo mode around town, or paired with blues chanteuse, Whitney Shay, for this show Henkel will be backed by a full band. A local institution, even beyond his wonderful guitar playing, Henkel is a master showman, with a deep cuts blues repertoire and a show that’s a heck of a lot of fun. Lestats.com
The Bedbreakers Offer Something Special Blues rockers the Bedbreakers perform at Bar Pink on May 23. The band has been playing it’s brand of rock and boogie for more than two decades, with no loss of adrenalin in their shows. Perfect for swing dancing, the band pulls in a crowd of people that’s ready to party, with song titles such as “Hot Little Mama,” giving an indication as to the Bedbreakers good time orientation. You only get to be a long-lived band if you’ve got something special to offer. The Bedbreakers really are one of the best at what they do. barpink.com
Musical Tribute Night at The Office On May 25, The Office continues its series of musical tribute nights with a show dedicated to punk rock pioneers, the Ramones. While the lineup had yet to be confirmed at press time, the format sees a shared backup group, with a host of well-known local performers singing the namesake bands biggest hits. This night’s set list will include such favorites as “Rockaway Beach,” “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” and “I Wanna Be Sedated.” Previous shows in this series have included The Smiths, The Beatles and Johnny Cash, with the whole thing turning into a bit of a highly enjoyable audience sing-a-long. theofficebarsd.com
Delta Spirit Stages a Pair of “& Friends” Shows Few bands can fill a venue on one night, let alone two consecutive evenings, but Delta Spirit is doing well. On May 29 and 30, the group will stage a pair of special “& Friends” shows, loosely based on the Band’s farewell, “Last Waltz” concert. While Delta Spirit is not splitting, they will be taking time off after this current tour, making it important for fans to catch a show while they can. What makes the whole thing unmissable is the “& Friends” part with guest artists promised at every stop. While it’s unknown who will join them in San Diego, members of the Walkmen, Deer Tick and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are among the listed possibles. theirenic.com
The Crawdaddys Reunited with New Material The month closes out with a set from one of the most important bands in San Diego’s music history — R&B ravers, The Crawdaddys, appearing May 30 at Til-Two Club. The Crawdaddys were among the first bands to emerge in what is now our modern day music scene. Formed in 1979, now reunited, with new material being worked up, the current band features it’s second, mid ’80’s lineup of singer Ron Silva, bassist Mark Zadarnowski, guitarist Pete Meisner, drummer Gordon Moss and keyboard player Keith Fisher. The band excels at bluesy tunes along the lines of the Animals, the early Stones, the Pretty Things and so on, with Silva’s voice still an amazing instrument. Fans from the Crawdaddy’s original run will find this show irresistible, but any San Diego music fan that hasn’t seen them before, should make an effort to attend as well. tiltwoclub.com.
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UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH
SDSU biologist Rob Edwards hunts the world over for new viruses using the latest computer science technology
Robert Edwards, associate professor of computer science at San Diego State, off the Point Loma coast.
BY MICHAEL PRICE
There’s a transformation happening in microbiology. The price of DNA sequencing has dropped precipitously in recent years, with individual genome sequencing falling below $1,000. Lab after lab has sequenced a diverse list of species including rice, algae, mosquitoes, fruit flies and humans. The sheer amount of data now obtainable — quickly, cheaply — has turned biology into an information science, and San Diego State University biologist Rob Edwards is helping to usher in this new age. “During the genomics revolution of the mid- to late-‘90s, it became clear that genomic sequencing was going to completely change the biological sciences,” Edwards said. “There are huge volumes of data. It’s driving every aspect of biology.” When Rob Edwards joined SDSU in 2004, there were already quite a few familiar faces. The computer scientist with a background in biology had worked as a postdoctoral scholar with Stanley Maloy, SDSU’s dean of the College of Sciences, at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign. He had co-authored journal articles with SDSU virologist Forest Rohwer on the genomic taxonomy of bacteria-killing viruses known as bacteriophages. “I was supremely impressed by the collaborative nature of the research at SDSU,” he said. “It’s not a competitive environment where the big fish eat the little fish and take all the credit. We have extremely friendly colleagues and terrific students.” Take to the sea
Edwards does regularly encounter both big and little fish in his research, however. He and his colleagues hunt for new data all over
the world, making frequent trips to isolated coral reefs in the Line Islands and diving to collect genetic samples from their watery surroundings. They’ve even successfully taken a delicate and expensive DNA sequencer out to sea with them to do sequencing in real-time — the first time anyone had ever attempted this feat Closer to home, Edwards works with SDSU's Coastal Marine Institute, making frequent trips to San Diego’s waters to study a variety of life forms, such as the ecologically important kelp forests off the coast of Point Loma. Sorting through all this raw data to find meaningful information takes a combination of biological knowledge and computational know-how. Last year, Edwards and a team of local and international collaborators created a new computational tool called cross-assembly that allowed them to identify a never-before-seen bacteriophage present in three-quarters of the world population. New data, new drugs
Edwards hopes that cross-assembly and other tools like it will help biologists hone in on entirely new bacteria and viruses that could become the next life-saving drugs of the future. These tools might also be used to identify aspects of known genomes that can predict someone’s risk for disease or how effectively one drug might work compared to another. “As we move toward personalized, precision medicine, these kinds of techniques are going to become more and more important,” he said. (Article courtesy of 360, the magazine of San Diego State University.)
May 2015 | northparknews.biz/digital | 13
VIRTUAL REALITY HOW CLOSE TO BEING REAL?
Doctoral student Kyle Knabb traverse an archaeological site in southern Jordan using a virtual ‘wand’ in the StarCAVE at the Qualcomm Institute/UC San Diego.
BY LEONARD NOVARRO AND ROSALYNN CARMEN
The purchase of the company developing the Oculus Rift by Facebook last year opened many eyes to the possibilities of virtual reality. But has it made VR any more real? That and other questions were posed to Jurgen Schulze, research scientist at UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute and professor in the schools’ computer science department, during a recent discussion in anticipation of the school’s virtual reality symposium scheduled for June. “What’s driving me is the vision of creating computer-controlled virtual worlds that help you solve problems in a better way than you could do before,” said Schulze, who’s been involved in the field for the last 15 years. “I’m fascinated by exploring the world of possibility.” However, that possibility is still years away, he admitted, likening VR, as it’s called, to the stone age of computers, when machines the size of a room cranked out small bits of information from thousands of punch cards. “Not until the 1980s, when home computers were created,” did we enter the IT stage, said Schulze. “Technology has to be commonplace,” before we can take the next giant step, he added. Virtual reality has been the subject of experiments since the 1960s, but it never really caught on until last year, when Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg paid $2 billion for Oculis VR of Irvine because of the promise of the company’s experimental headset for 3D gaming. At the time, Facebook said it was investing in the product because it saw it as the future. As CNN reported: “This may be a savvy bet by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the long-term future of how we communicate.” Virtual reality is an artificial world that fools your brain onto thinking it’s real through the application of sight, sound and touch via head gear like Oculus Rift or by sitting in a contained room like UC San Diego’s StarCAVE, which allows you to explore worlds as tiny as nanoparticles or as big as the universe by surrounding you with 360-degree, three-dimensional sound and screens that you can experience by wearing 3D glasses. The more common way of experiencing virtual reality, however, is through headsets containing small LCD (liquid-crystal display) screens in front of each eye responding to
computer images or images fed through a cell phone as well as synchronized audio tracks. Motion is conveyed through gloves containing fiberoptic sensors or by operating a stick or similar attachment as in video games. A computer would control the display while you control the computer with the glove or stick. Right now, most of the technology is in the experimental stage. However, as more applications are developed by the military for training or to be used in medicine, such as evoking biofeedback or overcoming missing limb pain, the technology will break through, said Schulze. Video games will be the first field to lap it up, but VR will need content to move forward. That could be anything from a virtual journey to Greece or shopping at Jerome’s for a new sofa. The adaptation of the cell phone to fit the new technology will drive the field. “The experience is good now, but
Exploring virtual reality at the StarCAVE at UC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute.
what we are seeing are demos, and after five minutes that’s not going to be enough,” Schulze said. “Technology has to match content to keep people interested so it’s more than a gadget.” For now, he added, “games are going to have to be the driver.” Ultimately, however, VR will take the place of many everyday experiences. For example, why travel miles and hours to go to a meeting when the same experience can be shared with others right in your living room or home office? “We can do a lot of interaction in virtual space,” said Shulze. “My belief is that was what (Zuckerberg) saw, and that is where he wants to go. Facebook wants to be the YouTube of virtual reality.” However, “transferring that kind of information over the Internet is not yet possible. Networks have to be much faster,” said Schulze. But that day will come, perhaps in the next decade.
Jurgen Schulze of the Qualcomm Institute.
Said Schulze: “What I want to see is people not just able to buy virtual reality technology. I would like to see lines in front of Best Buy when the next Oculus Rift comes out. I want to see hundreds of people…When you can see as much interest as there was for
iPhones, that’s when I’ll know we’ve made it.” Leonard Novarro and Rosalynn Carmen are founders of Asia Media America and the Asian Heritage Society.
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Community and Board Meetings Greater Golden Hill Community Development Corp. The CDC normally meets at 6:30 p.m. the third Thursday of the month at the Golden Hill Recreation Center, 2600 Golf Course Drive. Email: info@goldenhillcdc.org. Greater Golden Hill Planning Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at the Balboa Golf Course clubhouse, 2600 Golf Course Drive. For information, call (619) 533-5284. The North Park Redevelopment Project Area Committee meets at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at the Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd. Meetings focus on redevelopment projects in construction or planning. For information, visit sandiego.gov/redevelopmentagency.
The North Park Main Street board meets at 7 a.m. the second Wednesday of the month at its storefront office, 3076 University Ave. North Park Main Street has more than 250 members, primarily businesses paying annual assessments in the cityauthorized North Park BID. For information, call 294-2501. The North Park Maintenance Assessment District Committee normally meets at 6 p.m. the second Monday of every other month at North Park Community Adult Center, 2719 Howard Ave. The North Park Planning Committee meets meets at 6:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month at North Park Christian Fellowship, 2901 North Park Way. The committee is an advisory group to the city on North Park land use, including the general plan, infrastructure and den-
sity. For information, visit northparkplanning.org. The North Park Community Association meets from 6 to 8 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd. The Community Association provides a forum for issues and concerns about public safety, education, land use, public facilities and services, commercial revitalization, community image and cultural activities. For more information, visit www.northparksd.org. The North Park Historical Society meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the third Thursday of each month. The Historical Society conducts research and educational outreach in order to facilitate preservation of North Park's cultural and architectural history. For more information, visit northparkhistory.org. The South Park Business Group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at 8:30 a.m. at Alchemy Restaurant, 30th & Beech. The SPBG is comprised of business owners with storefronts and service businesses located in South Park. The organization produces the quarterly South Park Walkabouts and the annual Old House Fair. For more information, call (619) 233-6679 or email PBG@lucyslist.net. The University Heights Community Association meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month in the auditorium of Birney Elementary School, 4345 Campus Ave. For information, call 297-3166. The Adams Avenue Business Association board of directors normally meets at 7:30 a.m. the first Tuesday of the month at the Normal Heights Community Center, 4649 Hawley Blvd. For time, place and more information, call (619) 282-7329 or visit adamsaveonline.com. The Kensington/Talmadge Planning Group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at Kensington Community Church, 4773 Marlborough Drive. For information, call 287-3157. The Lions Club of North Park meets for lunch every Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the club, 3927 Utah St. Prospective members are welcome to enjoy their first lunch on the club. For information, call (619) 692-0540. Uptown Rotary welcomes prospective members at its 7 a.m. Thursday breakfasts at Jimmy Carter’s Mexican CafÊ, 3172 Fifth Ave. For more, call (619) 500-3229 or visit sdurotary.org. The North Park Recreation Council meets at 6 p.m. the fourth Monday of every other month at North Park Recreation Center, 4044 Idaho St. For information, call 235-1152.
May 2015 | northparknews.biz/digital | 15
OLP Modernization Plan Moves Forward BY MANNY CRUZ
Parking structure opens after long, bitter fight The opening of the St. Catherine parking structure at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace in January has brought some closure to a long, nasty battle the all-girls Catholic school waged for years with neighborhood homeowners and the city of San Diego. The $4.5 million, two level parking facility — named after Sister St. Catherine, a superior of the school at the time it was relocated from Downtown to its present site at Copley and Oregon streets in 1925 — was part of a modernization proposal the school submitted to the city of San Diego in May 2007. That proposal sought permission to build a 20,000-square-foot classroom building plus a 104-space off-street parking facility which the school said were desperately needed to enhance student instruction and to relieve congestion around the school. Since it was first discussed in 2006, Our Lady of Peace’s expansion project had been a contentious issue in the neighborhood surrounding the school, an area of well-kept single-family homes between University Heights and Normal Heights that adopted the moniker “BeHi” for “Between Heights.” The final plan called for removing two historic, Spanish eclectic-style homes the school owned to build a large classroom building and parking garage. In September 2008, the local community planning group voted against the project, but that vote was just a recommendation to the Planning Commission, a citywide body that votes on changes to San Diego’s land use policies. Almost a month later, the project won unanimous approval from the Planning Commission. Because the project was deemed consistent with the community plan, the Planning Commission, rather than the City Council, had final say on approving the project. But when neighbors appealed the Planning Commission’s decision, the project went to the City Council for a final decision. In the second hearing on the appeal in 2009, the City Council voted to reject the project, following a recommendation by Councilman Todd Gloria, a long-time opponent of OLP’s modernization plan. Our Lady of Peace sued the city over the rejection, under a federal law that restricts how cities can apply land use regulations on religious entitites. The school alleged the decision put an unreasonable burden on its ability to pursue its religious mission. The federal jury that heard the case ruled in favor of Our Lady of Peace, and awarded the school $1.1 million in damages. But in February 2013, the City Council voted in closed session to accept a settlement offer. The council agreed to pay $500,000 to the school, allow the construction project to move forward and handle the relocation of
Rivka Bent, executive assistant to the head of school (left), and Emily Pippin, communications director, at the St. Catherine’s parking structure at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace.
two historic homes from the property. In return, the school dropped its claim for $4.5 million in legal fees. In May 2014, Our Lady of Peace hosted a commemorative ceremony to kick off construction of the St. Catherine parking structure, but only a brief mention was made of the school’s plans to build the additional classroom building. Said Head of School Lauren Lek at the time: “This is the first in a series of steps we are taking to improve the Academy to ensure we are able to continue to provide a rigorous education rooted in 21st century learning principles. OLP is committed to ensuring access to all students who want a Catholic education and we have granted more than $2.6 million in tuition assistance and scholarships to make this a reality.” Besides the parking structure, the school completed renovations to the 8,800-square-foot St. Catherine’s Hall building that allowed for eight new offices for counselors, registrar, campus ministry and retreats. A large
space in the center of the second floor was set aside for a student learning commons and learning lab. A school master site plan adopted by the school board of directors in May 2014 said St. Joseph’s Hall would become a STEM facility with engineering lab space on the ground level. “The current theater will be relocated to the new Performing Arts and Library building, activating 6,000 square feet of learning space in the heart of the campus,” according to the master site plan. “This facility will serve as the bridge between the STEM classrooms and the general studies in Aquinas Hall.” The yet-to-be-built 20,000-squarefoot building that was approved as part of the modernization plan will have dance, music, choral and drama classes in addition to the theater and library learning commons. (Voice of San Diego contributed to this report)
N O R TH PA R K Craftsman Ground Up Renovation $849,000 1914 Craftsman beauty! Authentic on the outside, modern amenities on the inside. 1800 sq ft 4 bed 3 bath 2 car garage w/yard. Laundry & lots of storage. West of 30th & South of Univ Ave. Walk to everything including Balboa Park!! 15 mins to beaches. New electrical, plumbing, kitchen, baths, windows, Furnace, AC ready, updated foundation, etc.
The Chris Bedgood Team 858.480.5455 Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty Chris.Bedgood@Sothebysrealty.com CaBRE 01380111
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PANORAMA
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their heart is the one without a pedigree architect. It’s an ancient land grant adobe hacienda (built in 1845) that they restored in Vista, where they raised their children. That renewal effort earned them a cover story in the Los Angeles Times Home magazine in 1984. They eventually sold the hacienda, the Rancho Buena Vista adobe, to the city of Vista, which in turn made it an historic pre-statehood era museum. Old House Fair historic home tour docents were interested in showing Requa’s C Street home because it was simply “a magnificent Requa,” said Christine Winter, Old House Fair Historic Tour committee member. Another reason— it was the first he designed after the architect’s 1926 tour of Mediterranean countries. The Euro tour, sponsored by the Monolith Portland Cement Company, profoundly impacted Requa’s architectural style, making it more simple than ornate, and his newly acquired vision launched him on his rise to prominence among San Diego architects, especially in the Italian and Spanish Revival genres. Upon his return to San Diego, Requa designed in 1927 the C Street property for Leslie B. Mills, a civic-
RENTALS
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rental listings in the North Park community on any given day. Airbnb was started by a couple guys who couldn’t afford their rent so they threw down an air mattress, posted a note online, and then let some travelers crash on that “airbed” for the night. They were already paying rent, so this became a way to cover costs while at the same time letting travelers stretch their dollars in a cool neighborhood. Everybody wins, right? Well, I’ll get to the potential downside in a minute, first the basics. What is Airbnb? (or other sharing sites)
Airbnb is one of several Internetbased companies that allows you to share everything from your couch to a room to a whole house with someone you’ve never met. I use the term “share” because if it’s your own home —especially if you live there — you are kind of sharing the space with a stranger. But to be clear, it’s not free. People do pay you to stay, sometimes quite a lot. That’s why some people call it a business. Frankly, some people do run it like a business. But the flexibility creates uncertainty for some and one person’s business might be another’s part-time hobby. To use these services, you go on one of these sites, create a profile, put up some photos of your house or the room that’s available for rent, and then people who are looking to come to town (or stay in town while their house is being renovated, like I did recently) can search you out and stay in your place instead of a hotel or on a couch. What the City of San Diego Says
There is a ton of confusion about
minded merchant who served as president of San Diego’s Advertising Club, Downtown Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. Mills was president of Lemon Grove-based Southwest Onyx and Marble Company, which included a marble quarry in Baja California. Mills’ firm shipped marble worldwide and is on record as a supplier to the Vatican. Located at C and 32nd Streets, the 3,000 square-foot, three-bedroom home was built on three lots on the eastern edge of Golden Hill, overlooking, to the east, the Chollas Canyon area. The landscaping, which cover nearly half an acre, was designed by Milton Sessions, also in 1927. His esteemed aunt was the legendary Kate Sessions, whose horticultural efforts earned her the title as Mother of Balboa Park. “Tourgoers will learn many of the pathways and much of the east side of the gardens remain similar as when Milton Sessions installed them,” said Rudd. “The California pepper tree in the garden and the stately Canary Island palm are original.” Adds, Christine Winter, “The sweeping patio overlooking a fruit orchard impressed us as well as the panorama of the hills toward East County.” Also, Requa designed and had built
a splendid fountain in the northeast corner of the main patio. Fountain tiles were made by Pasadena’s worldclass, handcrafted tile maker Earnest Batchelder (1875-1957) and recently painstakingly restored by the Schoeffel’s after children of previous owners had used it for target practice. The home has three balconies and a rear galleria off the main patio that is accented with a beautiful climbing vine. Thanks to Sally and Rudd the home is no longer an eyesore — indoors or outdoors. Tour guests will have run of the home’s main level and gardens with upstairs and the double basement being off limits. Surrounding the original front door is a marble trim from the owner’s quarry. Marble was added to the kitchen counters and around the living room fireplace. “The marble features are key features of the home,” said Old House Fair’s Winter. A writer’s study to the left of the foyer is a vision in Arts & Crafts-era wood crafting — all in Douglas Fir. Tile leading down to the living room is original, however, the steps leading to the upper floor is magnesite, a slabbed Portland Cement product that was faux finished to make it appear as tiled steps. The oak floors with a patterned edge throughout were saved over the years by being protected by wall-to-
wall carpeting. Now beautifully restored, the flooring offers a historic and stylish counterpoint to the plaster lath and plaster interior walls. The kitchen has not been extensively modernized outside of the modern appliances. The counter, sink and faucet are original to Requa’s design. And, to the surprise of a latter-day plumber, all the plumbing is made of brass throughout, a rarity today. Windows, which are either casement or double-hung, were all created onsite, as were all the doors and cabinets, and, now restored, work as nicely as they did in 1927. The other fireplace is upstairs in the master bedroom, both work beautifully, providing comfortable warmth during the one- or two-day long San Diego winter. The couple is expert in restoring rare architectural residences. “There are no shortcuts,” said Sally. “Just hard work and large amounts of patience and, yes, money.” But it’s all worth it. She loves counseling new homeowners wishing to purchase and restore architectural jewels. Her popular 40-plus year-old firm is now located in South Park and, in addition, Sally has recently affiliated with Pacific Sotheby’s as a broker associate, which gives her the ability to offer an international presence and exclusive marketing to her
clients. Now, for the million-dollar question: Is the Schoeffel’s Old House Fair tour home in South Park or Golden Hill? Blueprints point out the residence and garage is built on Lots 109, 110, and 111 in the “Treasure Hill Addition” in San Diego, the northwest corner of 32nd and C Street. Sally Schoeffel notes all original documentation for the home that is in her possession indicates their home is in Golden Hill. However, Richard Requa in an article he penned for the San Diego Union in 1927 reported he was building “a dwelling...reminiscent of Old Italy for Leslie B. Mills in South Park, overlooking the Chollas Valley.” So there it is. The architect’s blueprints report Golden Hill but his published article in the San Diego Union says South Park. He was no help at all to resolve the ongoing debate. “That’s just something we have to live with,” smiled the Schoeffel’s, who hope to remain in their C Street home for a long time. (Tom Shess is a five-time first place winner of San Diego Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism Award for Architecture and Design. As editor and founder of North Park News, Shess was also on the founding committee of the inaugural Old House Fair.)
what the rules are for renting out rooms in your home or renting out your whole home for a stay of less than 30 days (what most cities call a “shortterm” rental) within the city of San Diego. Decisions about what the current law actually says are made by some combination of the Development Services Department (they work for the mayor), the City Attorney’s Office, and the court system. There are two main types of rentals that are the source of most of the controversy: renting rooms in your home while you are living there, and renting your whole home/ duplex etc. while you are not there. It’s worth understanding how the city currently treats these.
about your home in a public document to the local Planning Committee — which makes it available to everyone within a few miles of your home and can be obtained by any citizen under a Public Records Act request. If you are one of the 1,600 San Diegans renting a room in your home on a part-time basis for less than 30 days and you haven’t gotten one of these $5,000 to $10,000 permits, the city says you are breaking the law. It is currently going after one woman for up to $250,000 for doing this and, according to the city, it does not discriminate against individual property owners so anyone doing this could be subject to similar treatment. (Full disclosure: Omar Passons, an attorney, represents the one homeowner in the city that is receiving this treatment.) If you rent a room out for more than 30 days in a single-family zone, the city may treat you like a boarder and lodger establishment, which comes with its own rules. But since most Airbnb and similar stays are for relatively short periods, I’m leaving these other descriptions aside for this piece. This brings us to the rules for renting out your whole home on a short-term basis.
if you LEAVE, the city won’t bother you, but if you STAY, then you must revert to the Bed and Breakfast rules above.
The second important issue is what the city should do to enforce or clarify its laws. When you read the definition of “commercial bed and breakfast” above, did it seem like it fit for renting out a room in your house if you don’t serve breakfast or only do it occasionally? What responsibility do our elected City Council officers and the mayor have to ensure that the laws are clear before they encourage the Code Enforcement Unit to go after individual homeowners? How should the city clarify what specific laws apply to renting out rooms or your home on a short term basis? People have differing views, some of them very strong. You can decide for yourselves, of course, I just raise the issue. Some people think shortterm renting of your home or a room in your home can compromise the character of a neighborhood. Others think it’s no real problem and can actually add to the community. For my street, I tend to be in the latter camp and love having visitors walk by asking about the historic character of the street and the work that historic preservation groups like the North Park Historical Society have done to keep some character in place. Not everyone shares my view, that’s okay. The question is if property owners have differing views about what others can do with their property, ultimately should the city pick a side?
Room Rentals
The city defines a commercial bed and breakfast as a “place of visitor accommodation inside a residential structure where breakfast is typically provided for guests.” It defines a visitor accommodation as “uses that provide lodging, or a combination of lodging, food, and entertainment, primarily to visitors and tourists.” You may be asking why I am providing you the definition of a commercial bed and breakfast in the section on renting out your spare bedroom. It is because the city of San Diego has announced that renting out a room or rooms in your home while you are living there for less than 30 days makes your home a commercial bed and breakfast and if you are in a single family zone you MUST obtain either a Neighborhood Use or Conditional Use Permit. It does not matter whether you serve breakfast and does not matter how frequently or infrequently you rent that room. These permits provide for neighbor input. But to provide that input you typically are required not only to tell your immediate neighbors of your plans, but to provide your address, the nature of what you plan to do, and other personal information
Whole Home Rentals
In 2007, the city attorney wrote a legal opinion concluding that there are no regulations for short-term vacation rentals in single-family zones in the city of San Diego. Current City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and the Development Services Department say this opinion only applies to renting out entire units. So the good news (or really bad news, depending on your perspective) is that if you take a trip to Hawaii and rent out your whole home while you’re gone, you are in the clear! Pay your Transient Occupancy Tax, register your rental with the city, and enjoy putting your asset to work for you while you’re away. Yep, that’s right,
Pros and Cons
Pros: This is a great way to see North Park. (Full disclosure, I used to have my place listed on Airbnb and it was awesome. I created a whole web page to tell our guests how to experience our community (eatdrinkgivego.com/2014/11/19/welcome/). It’s also a great way to make ends meet, pay bills, and live in the community you want to be in if your salary isn’t what you’d like. Cons: If you aren’t responsible, you could have loud, obnoxious jerks staying that are a drag for your neighbors and compromise the community. Also, some neighbors just object to the idea of having strangers dropping by their neighbor’s house no matter how well behaved those strangers are. There are some tax implications and the city is going after back taxes, but the real challenges are mostly about what is appropriate versus not in a residential neighborhood. The Two Big Issues
Airbnb and other short-term rental options present two big issues for residential areas. The first, to be blunt, is whether we think renting rooms in your home or your entire home out on a short-term basis is appropriate in a single-family area. Should that decision be made on a citywide basis for all communities regardless of circumstance? Should it be left to neighbors in individual neighborhoods to decide what works best for their block/community? Is it a purely private matter that, as long as there is no trash, loud noise, or illegal activity, should be left to the property owner? These are all important questions that the city of San Diego is grappling with at the moment.
(AUTHOR’S NOTE: At an April 22 hearing, the city of San Diego Development Services staff stated that the city’s official position is that short-term room rentals are not allowed in the city of San Diego without a commercial bed and breakfast permit.) (Omar Passons is a long time North Park resident and native San Diegan who writes a column of interest to the North Park community.)