Serving San Diego’s Premier Urban Communities for 20 Years sdnorthparknews.com
Vol. 20 No. 11 November 2012
Jury Verdict Moves OLP Closer to Campus Expansion The years-long effort by the Academy of Our Lady of Peace to build a new classroom and parking structure on its campus moved another step forward on Oct. 19 when a federal jury found that the city violated the Catholic girls school’s religious rights when it denied permits for the construction. The jury in the trial awarded the Normal Heights school $1.1 million in damages. U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo, who presided at the two-week civil trial, is expected to hear arguments this month on whether the building permits should be issued. The Academy of Our Lady of Peace, or OLP, filed a lawsuit against the city in 2009 after the San Diego City Council overturned a Planning Commission ruling approving the building permits. OLP claimed that the city’s denial of its expansion plans was a violation of the The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA). “This was not a conflict over the law, but over the City Council’s exercise of its discretion,” City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said in a statement. In 2008, the Planning Commission voted to approve OLP’s project. In 2009, the City Council reversed the Planning Commission’s decision. As it turns out, the jury in this case agreed with the Planning CommisSEE OLP, Page 6
NORTH PARK SCENE
DeMaio and Filner in Dead Heat In S.D. Mayoral Race San Diego Councilman Carl DeMaio and Congressman Bob Filner are in a dead heat in the race for San Diego mayor, according to a SD METRO/ Probolsky Research poll. “The race for mayor is remarkably close, as the candidates are separated by less than 1 percent,” said pollster Adam Probolsky. The telephone poll of likely voters, conducted Wednesday and Thursday, showed DeMaio favored by 41.3 percent SEE SCENE, Page 5
Are You Ready for a Parade? 49th North Park Toyland Parade & Festival ready to sparkle BY MANNY CRUZ
The North Park Toyland Parade has had its ups and downs over the years since its inaugural appearance in 1936, including an absence of more than 20 years between the late 1960s and the late 1980s. The 1941 spectacle was canceled following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and there was no parade in 1968 because of the construction of the I-805 freeway. More recently, rain put a damper on parade plans in 2007. It was canceled. All that’s past history as far as the Victoria House Corporation is concerned. The local social service agency has taken on the challenge of putting on the 49th edition of the Toyland Parade on Saturday, Dec. 1, taking the reins from North Park Main Street, the previous host. “We want to keep the integrity of the original parade while making it our own,” says Debra Fuentes, director of marketing for Victoria House. The event is now being called the North Park SEE PARADE, Page 14
Musical Theater Shines in North Park
North Park Closer to Stage pros Erin and Gary Lewis find an entertainment niche Becoming Erin and Gary Lewis got started in musical theater because State’s First of a child, an angel, a nun and a sound designer. Sustainable The child is their daughter Jill, 11 at the time. Erin and Gary were angels, “a person who contributes money and/or Main Street services to a theater company.” Erin was also a nun in the
Performers in San Diego Musical Theatre’s production of ‘White Christmas’ Dec.13-23. David Engel, Laura Dickinson, Jeffrey Parsons, Jill Townsend.
Moonlight Theatre’s production of “The Sound of Music.” Gary was the sound designer. Over the years Jill continued performing in musicals in Los Angeles while attending college, and Gary and Erin continued to be involved. “We just loved the whole atmosphere of the theater community,” Erin said. “And for a number of years we thought we might like to somehow bring more musical theater to San Diego, and with our business background (Tupperware “legacy executive directors” in charge of a sales team of 600) we believed that we could be successful at it.” “We also felt San Diego was missing a regional, professional, year-round, nonprofit musical theater organization, and we thought, well, we’ll try it and see if there’s a place for us,” said Gary. On Sept. 26, 2006, they founded the San Diego Musical SEE THEATER, Page 6
BY CECILIA BUCKNER
Step two of a plan to make North Park greener is in the works. A second grant received last month by the Sustainable North Park Main Street program will cover the costs. The SNPMS program, principally created by local nonprofit organization North Park Main Street, became a plan on paper last year, with the help of a $25,000 grant from the Office of Historic Preservation and a $5,000 grant from San Diego Gas & Electric. An additional $13,080 grant from the OHP received in September proSEE MAIN ST., Page 17