NORTH PARK NEWS, MARCH 2016

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Serving San Diego’s Premier Urban Communities for 25 Years Vol. 25 No. 3 March 2016

MidCityNewspaperGroup.com

NORTH PARK’S

BIG DENSITY

ISSUE

Some say the neighborhood won’t feel the strain from a bunch of new residents, but others are angry that it will San Diego city planners have spent seven years writing a new blueprint for North Park in hopes it will let many more people live in the neighborhood. But the city’s attempt to increase density has people talking. Some residents are angry that the plan is increasing density at all. Others think it’s on the right track, but still has glaring weaknesses. Read Andrew Keatts’ story on PAGE 2

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Saying Goodbye to Claire de Lune After 19 years on the corner of University Avenue and Kansas Street, landmark coffee shop Claire de Lune closed its doors permanently on Feb. 16. Besides financial problems, owner Claire Magner said she wants to spend more time with her family.

PAGE 10

Going to the Dogs Dog Owners of Grape Street (D.O.G.S.) are about ready to dedicate the new dog park on Grape Street, which includes a dog obstacle course and a canine resource library for pooch owners. The new additions delight dog lovers who enjoy the training challenges. PAGE 14

Festival of Arts to Celebrate 20th Year The 20th annual Festival of Arts will celebrate its 20th anniversary May 21 in a fun-filled atmosphere of art, live music, local food, craft beer and vendors of all types. PG. 15

CONTACT US EDITORIAL/LETTERS

Manny Cruz manny@sandiegometro.com ADVERTISING North Park is seen as one part of the city that’s more receptive to welcoming growth. It’s close to Downtown and has frequent bus service, including a new $44 million line connecting San Diego State University to Downtown, along El Cajon Boulevard, shown here. (Photo by Jim Childers)

Brad Weber ReachLocal@MidCityNewspaperGroup.com

EVERY THURSDAY YEAR ROUND RAIN-OR-SHINE NORTHPARKMARKET.COM

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COVER STORY

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

Big Density Test for North Park Even as the neighborhood has become a sort of template for city planners, it’s still facing some of the usual tensions B A K Y

When San Diego basked in national fanfare by pledging to cut its greenhouse gases in half over the next 20 years, it was committing to make more places like North Park: dense neighborhoods where taking the bus to work or walking to dinner are reasonable options.

But even as the neighborhood has become a sort-of template for city planners — a place with homes reserved for low-income residents, mid-rises with craft beer bars on the ground floor and multiple bus lines with frequent service — it’s still facing some of the usual tensions as it tries to map out its next 20 years.

The dispute is a reminder for the city that cutting greenhouse emissions in half is harder than simply announcing it wants to.

City planners have spent seven years and more than $3.1 million writing a new blueprint for the community, in hopes it’ll let many more people live there. To make good on the city’s climate promise, and to make way for more affordable housing options in desirable, safe communities, the city’s More Density in North Park, Please BY DENNIS STEIN

I read Andrew Keatts’ “North Park Presents a Big Test for the City’s Climate Action Plan” story and wanted to write to say I’m excited about the increased density that the North Park Community Plan update provides.

I do own a UPS Store in the neighborhood, but I also live in North Park and my enthusiasm isn’t financially driven.

In denser communities, we’ll have a greater variety of small businesses so that we don’t have to go very far to get the things we want and need.

Instead of driving to downtown, Mission Valley or Kearny Mesa, more of the things we want could be purchased in North Park. And given the size of North Park and how flat it is, these businesses would be just a bike ride or walk away.

Increased density also means that we can have more frequent and varied public transportation options, so that when we need to go downtown or other places, it’s more likely that there will be a bus or trolley that can quickly take us there. It’s hard to justify increasing the frequency of a bus in a low-density neighborhood where there are fewer potential users.

The increased density will also

trying to increase development in North Park.

The city released initial plans in the summer to widespread dissatisfaction.

Planners began rewriting certain sections, and released those just before the end of the year. They hope to get an environmental review of the plan done this spring, and to get the final plan approved by the end of the year.

The city presented its new outline to the North Park community planning group. Though the group took a vote supporting the plan’s general direction, there’s still a lot of dissent.

Some residents are angry that the plan is increasing density at all. Others think it’s on the right track, but still has glaring weaknesses. And still others think the changes simply won’t deliver the results planners are hoping for.

The New Plan for North Park

The city has been trying for years to update community plans — blueprints that guide new development — all across the city.

City leadership has pledged to accommodate population growth by change the feel of the neighborhood, and in my opinion, for the better. I love the energy of dense communities like Little Italy and East Village and I’m excited that many people see North Park as an ideal candidate for this kind of growth.

Dennis Stein is a business owner and resident of North Park. Stein’s commentary appeared in Voice of San Diego on Feb. 18, 2016.

North Park Had One Density Makeover, it Doesn’t Need Another BY STEPHEN HON

As a 30-year resident of North Park and president of the North Park Historical Society, I have seen a significant rise in desirability and property values in the community over the last 15 years. North Park has become a place where people want to live and the place where businesses want a presence.

North Park’s rare historic character has contributed to the ongoing restoration of commercial and residential housing stock and the surging

NDREW

EATTS

building homes in dense urban neighborhoods, close to job opportunities and connected by transit.

But North Park is seen as one part of the city that’s more receptive to welcoming that growth. It already has the pedestrian-friendly vibe planners are going for. It’s close to Downtown and has frequent bus service, including a new $44 million line connecting San Diego State University to Downtown, along El Cajon Boulevard.

The thinking is that North Park won’t feel the strain from a bunch of new residents. It’s equipped to deal with it.

The city’s first crack at a new plan, though, didn’t really make it easier for developers to build new projects. They didn’t change much at all, actually.

“We had a come to Jesus meeting with city staff,” said Vicki Granowitz, chair of the North Park planning group.

The community and city staff started redrafting the plans this fall.

The biggest change the city made was to give developers permission to build more homes on El Cajon Boule-

vard and Park Boulevard, along the route of the new Bus Rapid Transit line.

Lara Gates, the city’s lead planner for the area, said they made the change in response to the new climate plan, and because North Park can handle the growth.

“We have significant street widths on that corridor, so accommodating density in these areas makes a lot of sense,” she said.

The new plan would increase the potential housing density on the route by about 40 percent. It would make way for mid-rise complexes common in East Village and Little Italy, with a ground floor of shops or restaurants and around eight stories of apartments above.

“One of our main goals was always to preserve single-family areas; that means you need new housing density

to go on transportation corridors,” Granowitz said.

Any developer who wants to take advantage of the change, though, will still need to get a project approved by the Planning Commission, an appointed board with some authority over planning and development. They’ll also have to bring the project back to be reviewed by the community group.

Normally, projects that comply with a community plan get approved by a city staffer who just makes sure everything in fact fits necessary restrictions.

“If developers want density they have to work with the community, and that doesn’t occur now,” Granowitz said.

But going all the way to the Planning Commission takes time, and adds risk.

real estate values. In essence, North Park is a unique small village within a large city. It’s a neighborhood that’s walkable, appealing and authentic.

The changes proposed in the January 2016 draft of the North Park Community Plan put our neighborhood’s small historic village character at risk. While I expected the updated plan to present proposals for higher density along the major transit corridors, I do not support plans for increasing density across major sections of North Park.

There are two especially troubling aspects of the plan. First, the proposed Pedestrian-Oriented Infill Development Density Bonus program and its related permitting process would create more problems than it would solve. Second, the proposed building height increases to 100 feet along Park Boulevard, El Cajon Boulevard and parts of University Avenue could be problematic, especially along the western part of University Avenue.

The program is designed to promote the redevelopment of so-called Huffman-style six- and eight-unit apartment complexes between Lincoln and Howard avenues and from Florida to Boundary streets. Those complexes are named after developer Ray Huffman who, beginning in the early 1960s bought up single-family homes, primarily in the University Heights subdivision north of University Avenue, demolished them and put up apartments.

Huffman and his many imitators capitalized on the need for inexpensive housing, especially as baby boomers became young adults. The University Heights subdivision had

fairly large lots with alleys that made them ideal for a six- or eight-unit complex with parking in front and off the alley. Hundreds of homes were demolished and replaced by Huffman-style apartments in the ’60s and ’70s.

While commonly disparaged for their lack of style and because so many Craftsman and Spanish Revival homes were demolished, the Huffman-style apartments probably now represent the bulk of lower-cost housing in the North Park area.

Unless the majority of units in the projects developed under the density bonus program were dedicated to low-income housing there would likely be a net decrease in the number of affordable units.

The Huffman-style apartments, almost uniformly two-story structures, are also not out of scale with the remaining single-family homes in the area. The proposed density program would allow for significantly increased density on the land, which would result in a structure much higher than the surrounding buildings, going from two stories to probably, at minimum, three or four.

Even with design guidelines calling for stepping back the third (and higher) floors from the street side, the back side of the building would present a massive structure to residents on the other side of the alley. The south side of the redeveloped Post Office building on North Park Way gives a good example of the result.

While the side facing North Park Way is varied in height, the back side is massive.

Increased allowable building heights will also impact the character

of the surrounding neighborhoods.

For example, the updated community plan calls for a 100-foot height limit from Florida Street to 28th Street along University Avenue. This would be similar to having a series of buildings like the towering San Diego County Credit Union building at 32nd Street and University Avenue along that segment of the street.

While a major transit corridor, University Avenue is a fairly narrow street. If the buildings were constructed to 100 feet, University Avenue would look like a canyon and houses to the north and south would be facing a wall.

I have participated in dozens of walking tours over the past eight years and met many people at street fairs, the historical society’s car show and at book events. People love the architecture of the homes in the neighborhood, the fascinating history of North Park as a streetcar suburb and the role the North Park water tower played in the development of the area.

No one has ever said they would like North Park to be the next Little Italy or East Village. The density of North Park dramatically increased with the demolition of single-family homes to allow the construction of the Huffman-style apartments decades ago. I am opposed to North Park being subjected to a second round of increased densification and further loss of irreplaceable historic resources.

Stephen Hon is a North Park resident and the president of the North Park Historical Society. His opinion piece appears in Voice of San Diego.

City leadership has pledged to accommodate population growth by building homes in dense urban neighborhoods, close to job opportunities and connected by transit. (Photo

by Jim Childers)

SEE DENSITY, Page 3

COVER STORY

DENSITY CONTINUED FROM Page 2

Some developers, especially the smaller ones with shallower pockets, will simply choose not to enter into a time-consuming, uncertain and political process, and instead will keep building at the existing lower density, said Howard Blackson, an urban designer and member of the North Park planning group. “We’ve made a symbolic gesture to the BRT investment,” he said.

Other developers active in the area agreed that making it harder to get projects approved just makes it harder to make the climate plan’s goals a reality.

“If the goal is to develop to the densities they have described, then adding another layer of review doesn’t achieve that goal,” said Andrew Malick, a smaller developer who has built multiple projects in North Park.

“To really accomplish the Climate Action Plan goals, and to provide the growth the region needs, staying in neutral isn’t good enough,” said Dave Gatzke, a developer with Community Housing Works, which is building an affordable housing project on El Cajon Boulevard.

The Rest of North Park

It’s hard to find people in North Park who like so-called “Huffman sixpacks.”

Named after their developer, the drab mini-apartment complexes of six to 10 units, jammed into single-family lots in the 1960s and 1970s with parking lots between the buildings and the sidewalks, are absolutely everywhere in midtown. City planners are hoping North Park’s new plan can help get rid of them.

In the residential area between El Cajon Boulevard and University Avenue, developers can build more homes on a property than what’s allowed today if they’re replacing a Huffman.

“We’re trying to incentivize having that redeveloped,” Gates said.

Doing so would accomplish a lot of goals. For one, it would get rid of a type of housing that people detest. It would replace it with new multi-family housing that’s more pedestrianfriendly. And it would increase the number of homes in an area that’s still close to the all-important transit corridors.

Here’s the catch: Once again, developers need to go all the way to the Planning Commission to get the projects approved.

Still, Gatzke said the market conditions right now would make it hard for someone who owned a Huffman to want to redevelop it. To get to the point that a property owner would consider tearing down a Huffman and starting from scratch, and still make money, you’d have to let them build around six times the number of homes currently allowed, he estimated.

“It’s not going to work,” he said.

“They are asking the right questions,” Malick said. “There isn’t a financial situation in the near future where it would be worth it, in my opinion, but I like their thinking.”

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

A Concession on 30th Street

The city’s new plan also leaves one major corridor almost completely untouched: 30th Street, south of North Park Way. Angela Landsberg, executive director of the business group North Park Main Street, said she’d like to see the city make changes that would make it easier to build more two- or threestory buildings with apartments on the top floors and ground floor retail along 30th Street. She sees the low level of development on the stretch of 30th street as a missed opportunity.

“I think the plan is on the right track,” she said. “I was happy to see some of the other density increases, but I don’t think we should stop there.”

Others in the community are pushing for the same thing.

There’s also a group opposed to any changes in the area that says it’s ready to protest if the city changes course.

Don Leichtling is founder of the North Park Residential Improvement District, and fought previous attempts to increase zoning in the area with his previous group, North Park Action Group, or NAG, as he calls it.

North Park has done its share, he says. It built as many or more affordable housing projects as any other community. It’s taken on plenty of density. Now it’s time for other communities to do their share.

“The idea that North Park needs to provide more housing, because everyone is dying to move to North Park, that might be true,” he said. “But I’d also love to move to Rancho Santa Fe, and they aren’t building there. So why do I need to do it? Just because it’s good for a developer’s bottom line to build in North Park, doesn’t mean it’s good for North Park.”

He blames the neighborhood’s businesses for pushing for the growth as a bid to create new customers.

“The people I talk to, who aren’t business owners, they think North Park is dense enough,” he said.

Leichtling said he emails a private group of between 100 and 300 recipients, rallying opposition to density increases in his part of North Park. He doesn’t like any of the changes planners are proposing, but his line in the sand is density increases south of North Park Way. In his emails, he frequently tells residents that restricting new development would be a good way to increase their own property values. He’s not bashful that it’s part of his motivation.

“If they did nothing to North Park for 10 years, in my area, our property values would go up — to be conservative, I always say 30 percent. At least.

But it’s probably 75 percent,” he said.

For now, he said he’s just watching to make sure the city doesn’t make any changes in his part of North Park.

“If it’s not conducive to what we say is good, we need to start mobilizing,” he said. “If we can get a lot of people to say ‘no,’ the city will get uncomfortable and they’ll back down.”

Andrew Keatts is a reporter for Voice of San Diego. He can be reached at andrew.keatts@voiceofsandiego.org or 619-325-0529. This article originally appeared in VOSD on Jan. 21, 2016

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COMMUNITY

| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

OLP Mock Trial Team Wins County Championship Team to vie for California championship on March 18 The Academy of Our Lady of Peace all-girls Mock Trial Team won first place in the San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition Championship on Feb. 27.

The OLP team is the only all-girls team to compete in the San Diego County competition. In just five short years, the OLP team has moved up the ranks and secured this triumphant win out of 25 competing high schools.

Higgs Fletcher & Mack’s Jim Eischen and Scott Ingold coached the girls to victory.

Another member of the firm, Michelle Maisto, came on board as a coach this year and was instrumental in preparing the team for a scrimmage with The Bishop’s School and La Jolla High School in January.

“In only five years our all-girls’ OLP Mock Trial team has risen to the 1st Place position,” said Lauren Lek, OLP’s Head of School. “They are extraordinary leaders who worked collaboratively as a team to secure this tremendous victory.”

This year, more than 500 students participated in the countywide competition.

On Friday, March 18, the OLP stu-

dents will be representing San Diego County in the California State Mock Trial Championship in Sacramento.

All 19 members of the team will be traveling to the state capital for the competition.

The California Mock Trial Program is a statewide academic competition in which high school students compete at the county, state, and national level. This year, participation in the San Diego Countywide competition reached over 500 students. The trial itself is a simulation of a criminal case, in which students portray each of the principals in the array of courtroom participants.

Student teams study a hypothetical criminal case, conduct legal research, and receive guidance from volunteer attorney coaches in courtroom procedures and trial preparation. Students participate as lawyers, witnesses, court clerks, and bailiffs, thus acquiring a working knowledge of our judicial system.

The Mock Trial Competition encourages young people to develop their analytical abilities and communications skills while gaining increased self confidence.

The OLP Mock Trial Team

The team poses in court chambers.

Lend a Hand to Sponsor Fundraising Event to Help Deanne Cervantes On Sunday, March 20, the Friends of Deanne Cervantes will get together at Rebecca’s Coffee House in South Park to celebrate a member of the public school community who needs help. Lend a Hand to Help Deanne offers an afternoon of music, food and coffee for a cause.

Deanne Cervantes has been a part of the McKinley Elementary community and other San Diego Unified schools as a librarian, volunteer, and involved parent with her daughters Rachel and Danielle. She has touched the lives of thousands of children and shared her love of books with them to create life-long readers.

On Nov. 27, 2015, Deanne was out walking her dogs after celebrating Thanksgiving with her husband at their home in Baja when the cliff she was standing on gave way and she fell more than 20 feet onto the rocky shore below. Deanne has a broken back as well as many other injuries, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. The Lend a Hand to Help Deanne event at Rebecca’s is to raise funds to help Deanne and her family cope with this tragedy and make their home in North Park wheelchair accessible so Deanne can return home where she belongs.

The family would like to purchase a wheelchair accessible van as well.

Renovations have already begun on a wheelchair ramp and other household remodels, including making her bath-

room accessible.

Donations may be made at: GoFundMe.com/deannerecoveryfund.

The March 20 event will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at Rebecca’s Coffee House, 3015 Juniper St. San Diego, CA 92104.

The Marcia Forman Band and Jupiter 3 will perform, as well as students from Deanne’s schools.

Suggested donation at the door is $5 per person. There will be an opportunity drawing and auction items donated by local businesses in support of Deanne’s recovery.

About Deanne Cervantes Deanne has made great progress in her recovery. She is learning to maneuver in a wheelchair and accomplishing everyday tasks. In fact she has been released from rehab and made it home. She is active on Facebook and enjoys visits from many family and friends. Deanne’s greatest love besides her husband Steve and her two daughters is literature. Deanne has a passion for books and shares it with our community. She enjoys nothing so much as finding the right book for a child.

Too many children to count have become lifelong learners with a helping hand from Deanne. Deanne is currently the librarian at Adams Elementary in Normal Heights.

Donations may be made at: GoFundMe.com/deannerecoveryfund.

Deanne Cervantes with daughters Rachael and Danielle and husband Steve.

BUSINESS

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

Independent Businesses Report Growing Sales and Hiring

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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.”

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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 |

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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.

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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)

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

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By Bart Mendoza Every Thursday Lafayette Hotel’s Mixtape Thursdays Showcase Anyone looking for a stylish weekday evening event should head to the historic Lafayette Hotel for Mixtape Thursdays music and art showcase. The free, all ages gathering runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with upcoming shows set to include artists, with their works, alongside solo performers such as Raelee Nikole (March 24) and Jessica Lerner (April 7), as well as bands like lounge combo Casino Royale with Normandie Wilson (April 21). Located in the lobby right next to the hotel’s famous swimming pool and pub, these shows are a great way to have a little fun on a weeknight and still make it in to work on time the next day. www.lafayettehotelsd.com Peter Murphy

Jessica Lerner

April 1 March 23 Join Louis Brazier’s Birthday Celebration Longtime Lestat’s music manager and soundman Louis Brazier celebrates his birthday on March 23 with a rare performance from his band, Louie & The Koodies. A beloved fixture of San Diego’s arts community, Brazier works tirelessly to support local artists. He knows just about everybody, so expect a host of musical friends joining in on the onstage fun, with the selections for the night comprised of classic sing-along rock chestnuts. Stop by to say “Happy Birthday” and give thanks to Brazier for all he’s done to keep San Diego’s music scene so vibrant. www.lestats.com

Cult Hero Peter Murphy in Acoustic Mode Though Peter Murphy has never had a U.S. hit record, either with legendary ’80s-era goth band Bauhaus, his follow up, Dali’s Car or as a solo performer since 1986, there are few performers from the era as influential in both look and sound. Appearing at the Irenic on April 1, songs such as gloomy “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” have been required listening for generations of teenagers dressed in black, a cult hero who has been the inspiration for both a legion of bands in his musical wake and to several comics artists, such as Neil Gaiman, who used his image for a character in the book, “Sandman.” For this performance Murphy will be in stripped down acoustic mode, drawing material from his latest album, “Remixes From Lion,” as well as vintage favorites such as “Cuts You Up.” www.theirenic.com

Louis Brazier

March 26 Feline Fun With the Mittens

Mittens

What is it about cats that has so captured the public’s hearts? Anyone who enjoys our feline friends and really good girl group-inspired indie rock will want to take a listen to Mittens. The quartet is a self described “cat-pop” group, their music appealing to fans of Blondie, The Bangs or The Shangri-Las. Celebrating the release of their selftitled debut album, the band will perform at Bar Pink on March 26, part of a bill that includes Schizophonics and The Touchies. Mittens is a lot of fun and has a wealth of great tunes in their set list, such as chiming melodic rocker, “Heart of Me,” but the key to the band’s sound is the close harmony vocals of frontwomen Lia and Mona Mitten, which top the songs like sweet icing on a very good cake. www.barpink.com Dani Bell & The Tarantist

March 26 Not to Miss — San Diego Beatles Fair

Denny Laine

Beatles fans won’t want to miss the 14th annual San Diego Beatles Fair, taking place at Queen Bee on March 26. Starting at noon, there will be two stages of music this year, with a mainstage hosting such Fab Four-themed groups as The Rollers, The Baja Bugs and Nicolas Peters: Tribute to Ringo Starr as well as rising young troubadoue Cody Lovaas. Meanwhile, there will also be an acoustic stage with area singer-songwriters, including Sal Filipelli, Gabriela Aparicio and Skyler Lutes performing their take on Lennon-McCartney classics. However, the events’ highlight will be a rare appearance by Denny Laine, a founding member of both the Moody Blues and Paul McCartney’s other legendary band, Wings, singing all his hits, from “Go Now” to “Time To Hide.” This is the only Beatles themed event of its kind in California this year, classic rock and pop fans will enjoy every second. www.sandiegobeatlesfair.com.

April 1 Fast-Paced Music Showcase at the Music Box While it may sometimes seem that tribute bands and DJs have taken over much of the local music scene, proof positive that local, original music is alive and well can be seen in the success of local label The Redwoods and it’s Revue shows. Next taking place at the Music Box on April 1, these events are a fast-paced music showcases, using shared musicians, much like the Motown Revues, or perhaps Dick Clark All Star shows of the 1960s. This night will feature percussion /dance duo Dani Bell & The Tarantist, soul and funk combo Rebecca Jade & the Cold Fact, indie folk quartet The Midnight Pine and ’60s-influenced garage pop chanteuse, Birdy Bardot — a great bill showing both the diversity of San Diego’s music as well as the camaraderie. www.musicboxs.com

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| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

North Park Loses a Favorite Gathering Place Adams Avenue News Bay Park Connection Clairemont Community News Hillcrest News • IB Local News Ken-TAL News • The Boulevard News North Park News • South Park News

Claire de Lune closes after nearly 2 decades

BY COLETTE MAUZERALLE

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 Brad Weber ReachLocals@ MidCityNewspaperGroup.com -----------------------------Writers/Columnists Bart Mendoza Delle Willett Anna Lee Fleming Sara Wacker Media Consultant Tom Shess Social Media Ali Hunt

Claire de Lune has occupied the corner of University Avenue and Kansas Street for 19 years. (Photo: Colette Mauzeralle)

COMING&GOING After19 years on the corner of University Avenue and Kansas Street, landmark coffee shop Claire de Lune closed its doors permanently on Feb. 16.

The self-proclaimed “coffee lounge” announced the news on its Facebook on Valentine’s Day with a note that thanked customers for their loyalty and explained the decision as a result of the rising costs of doing business.

In a February interview with San Diego Magazine, owner Claire Magner also shared her desire to spend more time with her family — with her daughter — and provided further insight into the shop’s financial problems; toward the end, Magner was feeding $1,500 into the business each month in an effort to keep it going.

While San Diego as a whole has seen its fair share of restaurant closures in recent months, arguably balanced out

by a similar rate of openings, Claire de Lune’s disappearance from the community is notable given its close ties to the community.

The shop was viewed by many as a gathering place as much as it was seen as a coffee shop, hosting local and touring musical bands, San Diego artists and open mic nights for poets.

Magner frequently offered local organizations an additional room as a meeting space; this area served as the meeting place for the North Park church Missiongathering before its members moved to their current location on Polk Avenue.

Local businesses were more than welcomed to utilize the shop as a place for company meetings.

“I had a number of meetings at Claire de Lune. It was part of the formation of Nomad Donuts,” said Brad Keiller, owner of the artisan donut

‘It was very comfortable, like your own living room,’ said Brad Keiller. (Photo: shop at the Normal Heights end of Colette Mauzeralle)

30th Street. “It was very comfortable, like your own living room. In fact, it’s where I conducted my chef interviews, and they were cool enough to allow us to conduct donut tastings as long as we shared with the staff.”

At presstime, a total of 483 comments were left in response to Claire de Lune’s final Facebook announcement regarding its closure. Many expressed sadness; others shared fond memories of their time at the shop — time spent on early dates with nowspouses, visiting with their parents as children, catching up with friends on the patio and attending poetry nights.

Others analyzed the reason for the shop’s demise.

“The closure is a statement that

change is a constant. Claire de Lune was a cornerstone that made the neighborhood attractive to other businesses, and unfortunately an increasing number of those business were competitors,” said Keiller, also a North Park resident. “I’m saddened by the closure but I believe that Claire will continue to improve the neighborhood with whatever business she chooses to lease the space to.”

Those interested in following Claire Magner’s next moves can check out the adjacent event venue Sunset Temple, which she still runs. Concurrently, Magner has begun reviewing potential tenants for her corner building, which has been renamed CDL Odd Fellows.

SLO W DO WN & TAST E A WH HILE Oils . Vinegars . Spirits . Liqueurs . Wines W

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MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

Protecting a Canyon Coalition fights to preserve 28th Street Canyon from development Two years after plans to build houses in South Park’s 28th Street Canyon galvanized neighbors, the project seems to be in limbo. A group of residents has failed so far to raise the developer’s asking price of $450,000 to buy the canyon parcel. And now the developer, SDPB Holdings, is vague about moving forward with construction.

“We don’t have any updates at this time,” said SDPB spokesperson Eric Aguilera. “We’re on idle. We’re just figuring out what we’re going to do, and that could take a month or two.”

The Protect 28th Street Canyon Coalition, organized in January 2014

by Doug Kipperman and Melissa McKinstry, is warily hoping that SDPB will reconsider the impact of large-scale construction on fragile canyon habitat.

“I’m a strong believer in personal property rights,” said Kipperman, who lives with McKinstry and their son on the canyon at Granada and Fir Streets. “But that stops at the point where you start encroaching on other people’s property rights and on shared natural resources.

“South Park can’t afford to lose this canyon,” Kipperman added. “Our community already has one of the lowest per-capita green space allotments in the city. And the property has a steep grade with limited access for fire crews and trash collectors, so it will be problematic to develop.”

From the outset, the Coalition has worked closely with the conservation group San Diego Canyonlands to explore all options for preserving the canyon, a sweeping gorge with lush vegetation where owls nest. Of the $54,200 in commitments gathered to purchase the 26,000-square-foot parcel (which SDPB bought for $250,000 in 2013), Canyonlands Executive Director Eric Bowlby has pledged $2,000, and his group stands ready to help steward the property if it remains open space.

Bowlby sees the SDPB South Park project as an alarm bell for all San Diego neighborhoods. “Canyons are the DNA of San Diego,” he said. “They are unique islands of green space with abundant wildlife scattered throughout our community, and they are integral to the quality of life in urban areas.

“San Diegans love their neighborhood canyons, and they mistakenly assume that canyons are protected,” he added. “We’re seeing a lot more speculation around these highly sensitive areas, and we’re getting a lot more phone calls from people who say, ‘But I thought canyons were off limits to development!’”

The Protect 28th Street Canyon Coalition maintains that the development will eliminate a link in San Diego’s Master Plan of a larger proposed bicycle loop starting in Golden Hill, going up to Upas on the outskirts of Morley Field, to Hillcrest, around Balboa Park and back to Golden Hill.

Doug Kipperman, left, with other members of the 28th Street Canyon Coalition: Jeri Muse, Beth Peters and Jennifer Hatch.

SDPB Holdings, run by Michael Donovan and located in Pacific Beach, originally wanted to pack the canyon with five single-family houses, a plan that would have required the city to vacate an adjacent 14,000-square-foot easement; much of the vacated land would have been annexed by SDPB. The proposal hit turbulence from the start. Donovan’s early meetings with canyon neighbors were so tense that he hired Aguilera of ECON Con-

struction, a self-described “full-service provider of commercial and residential construction solutions,” to step in as his liaison. And an initial review by the city’s Development Services Department identified nearly a dozen “project issues” that would need to be resolved, including the presence of “sensitive biological resources” and the parcel’s location “within the Airport Influence Area.”

SDPB scaled back its proposal to four houses, and Aguilera held out the possibility of a sale to the neighbors.

But the $450,000 price was out of their reach. According to the Coalition’s Facebook page, when they told Aguilera that they came up short, “his response was, ‘It doesn’t look like the community cares about the canyon.’”

To demonstrate support, the Coalition organized an email campaign: “Please send SDPB Holdings via Eric Aguilera a polite but firm message that shows the community wants to protect the canyon from development.” The response was such that “we have been asked by Eric to hold back on the emails to him,” the group posted on Jan. 11, “as he will be having a new email set up in the next few days just for the community to send emails directly to SDPB Holdings. We will let

you know as soon as that address is available.” They are still waiting to hear.

In the meantime, the Greater Golden Hill Planning Committee has voted unanimously to include the 28th Street Canyon in its community plan as open space. And this winter’s heavy El Niño rains have drawn attention to severe drainage issues.

“The canyon is a natural drainage source for the entire neighborhood,” said McKinstry. “After the last big rain, there was running water moving down the middle of the canyon.”

A worst-case scenario for the neighbors would be that SDPB refuses to

11

BY KATE CALLEN

compromise, drags out the process, and fills the parcel with expensive mansionettes to recoup the high costs of developing a rugged canyon property.

“They’ve had engineers out looking at the site, and they are aware of the infrastructure challenges,” said McKinstry. “When you think about how much they will have to invest to make this work, you have to ask: How many houses will they have to build and how much will they have to charge for each to make this a profitable venture?”

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| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

‘Barrios Hermanos’ — Brother Neighborhoods South Park forges business ties with Tijuana Over the past year, Tijuana and the border region have been trying to recuperate from years of bad public relations highlighting its challenges and disadvantages.

But things are looking up: South Park is collaborating with its neighbor across the border to inspire development and positive change.

South Park has connected with Colonia Federal in Tijuana in an informal partnership called “Barrios Hermanos” — or brother neighborhoods. The project seeks to improve the quality of urban life on both sides of the border.

The idea was hatched during an event by Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 (C-3), a prominent San Diego planning and governance group that hosts monthly Breakfast Dialogues and invites local leaders and concerned members of the public to discuss topics of importance in San Diego County.

On Sept. 24, 2015, after a Breakfast Dialogue about the resurgence of Tijuana and the border region, a group of motivated Tijuana-based planners approached Jean Walcher and Roger Lewis, South Park residents and business owners.

The planners, most of whom are associated with the urban development group Centro Ventures, wanted to organize a tour of the South Park neighborhood for Tijuana business people interested in revitalizing Colonia Federal.

Colonial Federal in Tijuana is an emerging district in the early throes of development, situated a stone’s throw from the border. It is home to a collection of new galleries and

development projects, including La Casa del Túnel, a new art gallery/café, and Estación Federal, an exciting mixed-use project. There is much to accomplish still, and Barrios Hermanos organizers were hoping that entrepreneurs from Tijuana could learn from the success stories of business owners in South Park.

So Barrios Hermanos invited a group of brewers, restauranteurs, investors, artists, government representatives and others from across the border to tour South Park. The goal was to hear from some of South Park’s “pioneering” business owners, many of whom were critical to the rebirth of the neighborhood, and to learn about best practices for creating a vibrant arts and business district.

In November 2015, South Park business owners hosted the Colonia Federal group, including two representatives from Mexico’s Secretaría de Turismo. The group toured Progress, Café Madeleine, Whistle Stop, South Park Brewery, and West Grove Collective. Members of C-3 hosted them for lunch at The Rose Wine Bar. The Tijuana group heard from Jean Rivaldi of the South Park Business Group about the creation of the Walkabout, and about how it is operated and promoted. Elizabeth Studebaker, the Neighborhood Investment Manager for the city of San Diego, spoke about the grants from the city supporting South Park’s development over the years.

South Park business owners shared the lessons learned and challenges faced in building up their

South Park business owners, C-3 board members, city of San Diego’s Neighborhood Investment Manager Liz Studebaker and Mexico-based members of the Barrios Hermanos project tour Tijuana.

businesses. Participants provided real life examples of what worked and what didn’t, and of how they continue to support business and arts in South Park. A small-scale, frontier-spanning sister city partnership was formed.

“Barrios Hermanos wants to become better neighbors, hermanos, bros —whatever you want to call us! — by building community, communication, and collaboration on both sides of the border,” said Miguel Marshall, CEO of Centro Ventures and main organizer of the visiting Colonia Federal group. The next step was for South Park residents to visit their neighbors to the south.

On Jan. 28, South Park business owners, C-3 board members and others invested in the project took a trip to Colonia Federal. They toured the neighborhood and its surroundings, visiting Galería Mariposa, La Casa del Túnel, Pasajes Rodríguez, and Avenida Revolución.

The Tijuana-based group was able to share their progress and their challenges with their South Park “hermanos.”

“Barrios Hermanos is about communities sharing culture, forging relationships, and developing neighborhoods,” says C-3 board president Roger Lewis. “That's what C-3 is all about: making a difference through education and inspiration. With

Mexico’s proximity to us, it’s to everyone’s advantage to strengthen our relationships on many different levels, and we are excited about this partnership where we share ideas, projects, and people across the border.”

The sharing is not over. Next up: Chelsea Coleman from Rose Wine Bar is meeting with an art collective based in Colonia Federal to discuss an art exchange, and Miguel Marshall from Centro Ventures is bringing a group from Mexico for the South Park Walkabout on March 19.

For more information about Barrios Hermanos, “like” its Facebook page.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

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| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

PETS

D.O.G.S. to Unleash New Pet Projects Dog Owners of Grape Street finish obstacle course and canine library D.O.G.S. (Dog Owners of Grape Street) will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 16 at 4:30 p.m. to celebrate the completion of two new park initiatives — a dog obstacle course and a canine resource lending library.

The volunteer, city-approved park user group spearheaded the installation.

The obstacle course includes a colorful Tire Pass-through, natural fallen Eucalyptus trees trimmed and re-purposed as Hurdles, Jump Stumps and a Walking Plank, as well as audience seating.

The distinctive Free Fido Library was built and detailed by a local park patron craftsman in the shape of a doghouse with paint and hardware donated by Home Depot.

These new additions to the park have delighted dog-lovers who enjoy the training challenges and exercise the course invites, as well as, the benefits of sharing dog stories and resources via the one-of-a-kind Fido-focused “take a dog book, leave a dog book” free library.

History

D.O.G.S. was founded even before the city made Grape Street an official dog park. ln the 1980s the park was a perilous place, used mainly by the homeless and drug dealers. Neighborhood residents began walking dogs here and reclaiming the park. Dogs and their ownersbmade it safer. At that time they came to the park at any hour.

Eventually that led to conflicts with nearby residents over excessive barking and dogs running into neighbors’ property. ln addition, nondog owners began saying they wanted to use the park. As a result, dog owners formed a dog-user group — D.O.G.S. The group voluntarily limited dog owners’ access to the park to a few hours in the morning, late afternoon, and evening. When Grape Street became an official off-leash park in 1998, those limited hours were retained. ln practice, apart from those hours, the park was deserted. As a result, in 2000, D.O.G.S. began pushing for expanded off-leash hours to make greater use of the park. lt took months and years of effort, including gathering petitions, convening meetings, and organizing dog owners who appeared before government groups such as the Greater Golden Hill Planning Committee and The Balboa Park Committee, to plead the case. Finally, in 2004, the City Council approved the extended off-leash hours now in force dogownersofgrapest.wix.com/dogs Owners put their pets to the test at the new dog obstacle course at Grape Street.

ARTS

Festival of Arts Celebrates 20th Anniversary Art, music and craft beer set the tone for North Park’s May 21 event The 20th annual Festival of Arts will celebrate its 20th anniversary May 21 in a fun-filled atmosphere of art, live music, local food, craft beer and vendors of all types.

North Park Main Street produces the festival with sponsors San Diego County Credit Union, AT&T, West Coast Tavern and The Observatory North Park, Ron Oster Realty and the Lafayette Hotel.

This year festival hours have been extended — it starts at 10 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m.

North Park locals look forward to this yearly tradition in the community.

The all-day festival features local art, a popular array of live music and dance performances, interactive experiences, artisan items for sale, delicious locally-driven dining options and more.

And there’s no admission fee.

“We’ve created a unique experience that is beyond any typical arts festival,” said Angela Landsberg, executive director of North Park Main Street. “We have created daytime and evening experiences for every local and visitor to North Park to enjoy. Families can come for the day, music goers will revel in excitement when they see our lineup, and craft beer aficionados will be pleased when they hear we’ll have an afternoon and an evening craft beer block ticket experience. Our neighborhood is driven by creativity and the art

for viewing and sale will inspire.”

Live Urban Art Exhibition

The festival features a live art element: contemporary urban artists will create unique works of art using creative, everyday objects like cars, refrigerators and boom boxes. Attendees will be awe-struck by the creativity of these talented artists.

Four Concert Stages

Fine Arts in motion will entertain audiences of all ages at the 32nd Street Dance Stage, featuring performances by 25 different dance ensembles. With over 300 dancers from all over San Diego — including Vernetta’s Dance Studio, Ballet Folklorico, Stage 7, Alma Latina, Visionary Dance Theatre, and many more.

Waypoint Craft Beer Block

Attendees 21 and over are encouraged to come thirsty to partake in the Waypoint Craft Beer Block for unlimited tasters from a selection of over 30 local craft brewers, several of which are ranked as the best new breweries in San Diego.

Kids Art Block

A hands-on Kids Art Block will provide kids the opportunity to participate in interactive activities designed to stimulate, inspire their imaginations

The Festival of Arts spans eight blocks. (Courtesy of North Park Main Street)

and create their own masterpieces.

“Twenty years is something to be proud of,” said Teresa Halleck, president and CEO of San Diego County Credit Union. “We’re delighted to support this treasured local event that brings out the best in the local community —creativity, friendship and a chance to discover something new.

With our SDDU tower and flagship branch in the heart of North Park, it is important for us to give back to the community and bring the arts for all to enjoy.”

The celebration attracts more than 40,000 attendees. The eight-block festival is centered on University Avenue at 30th Street .

Public parking is available, along with a large private parking garage at 3829 29th St. Public transportation can bring visitors to North Park via MTS bus. The two-bus line runs along 30th Street through the heart of the event, and the 6, 7, and 10 buses also stop nearby. Visit www.sdcommute.com for schedule details. Bike racks are also available throughout the neighborhood.

All proceeds benefit North Park Main Street, the nonprofit organization committed to the development of the A common site during the festival.

North Park Business Improvement District.

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

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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.

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| 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 |

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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.

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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 |

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| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

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BUSINESS

Simply Local Store Plugs Local Business

BY JENNIFER COBURN

Brian Beevers’ business is testament to buying local At the Simply Local boutique in North Park, a set of young parents mills about, shopping for locally made baby clothes and craft beer.

Dad has a handle bar mustache and mom wears cat glasses. From the looks of things, Baby Saffron is about to get a onesie with an ironic necktie stitched on the front.

In another area of the store, an older man in a Bernie Sanders t-shirt and a bike helmet looks at the selection of books by local authors.

Behind the checkout counter is a pretty brunette cashier set against the backdrop of signage made from succulent foliage. She doesn’t recite a script developed by a corporate marketing department, nor does she try to close the deal with browsers.

While national chain stores are moving toward homogenizing the shopping experience with canned customer service phrases and mass produced goods, Simply Local has an entirely different approach. “Our niche is unique gifts that you won’t be able to find anywhere else,” says owner Brian Beevers. It’s more than a retail store, it’s a mission, he says.

“My store supports local business and benefits our local economy,” says

Beevers. “If everything came from a big box store, everything would go to big corporations, but if everyone shopped locally, it would help the local economy tremendously.” He adds, “This is a movement. People realize that we don’t need to make the corporations any more money.”

In its 1,200 square feet of retail space on University Avenue, the carefully curated Simply Local gift shop features the work of 65 local vendors, who offer creations from makers of clothing, jewelry, soap and body products, and home accessories.

Beevers, an artist himself, creates carpentry with his father and built out their location on University Avenue. “We have taken barn doors and reclaimed the wood and created wreaths, and dad has made wooden clocks,” he says. “But really I am a procurer of artisans.”

Beevers says he got the idea for Simply Local, which has been in North Park for a little over a year, from his work running farmer’s markets in San Diego.

Two things came together for him.

First, it was clear that people were starting to appreciate the environ-

mental and economic benefits of buying from local business people.

Second, these small business people needed a storefront where they could offer their goods without having to be on site.

From there, he launched Simply Local at Seaport Village, then opened a second location in North Park.

Sales at the Seaport Village location began to decline so Beevers decided to close that location and focus on his North Park shop, where he has seen an upward trend.

“We have a lot of support in North Park and are well received by the community because it was so obvious that what we were doing was supporting the local economy,” he says. Perhaps it is because North Park shoppers are more invested in boosting the local economy than tourists visiting Seaport Village. Or maybe they’re just cooler and look better in coffee bean earrings and hand-loomed beanies. Whatever the reason, Simply Local is thriving in North Park, offering locals quirky gifts they can feel good about giving.

Simply Local is located at 3013 University Ave.

Painted dolls

Store exterior

Janice Steinberg’s epic novel, ‘The Tin Horse,’ is among the many books by local authors for sale at Simply Local.

Brian Beevers, owner of Simply Local. (Photo by Kinsee Morlan)

MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP | MARCH 2016 |

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| MARCH 2016 | MID CITY NEWSPAPER GROUP

GRAND OPENING

Thursday, March 24, 2016 3:00pm to 7:00pm North Park Way at 30th Street

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EVERY THURSDAY YEAR ROUND RAIN-OR-SHINE NORTHPARKMARKET.COM