August 6, 2010
On the Internet at www.MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.com
Mobile Home Park Residents Still Waiting For Notice To Relocate
'Smart' Meter Installations Under Way SDG&E: Smart Homes of the Future Will Save Energy Your home will soon be smarter. San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is installing smart meters throughout the community this month to help customers track their daily energy usage online in order to save energy. The 100-year-old technology of the spinning dial meter will be replaced with digital wireless technology that will allow customers to check their energy usage online and make immediate changes to conserve. "We think customers will save five to 10 percent on their monthly energy bill by tracking their smart meter data, and many smart meter customers I've spoken with have saved even more," said April Bolduc, spokesperson for SDG&E. "Smart meters are all about putting the control of energy usage in the hands of our customers and making it easy for them to make simple changes to save energy and save money." SDG&E is installing 1.4 million electric smart meters and 850,000 gas smart meters for their 1.4 million residential and business customers by the end of 2011. They have already installed 1.2 million electric and gas smart meters. SDG&E partnered with Google on the Google PowerMeter and smart meter customers have the option to sign up and view their energy usage online with this new tool. They can see their usage from the day before or over the last week or month to see the trends of how
Fundraiser Planned To Benefit Mission Valley Village Residents By Jeff Barnes More than three years after learning their mobile home park would be replaced by a 445-unit housing complex, residents of Mission Valley Village are still struggling to overcome a painful emotional and economic hardship while waiting for an offer to move out. In April 2007, the senior residents learned their 119-space park was sold to a major developer and the park would be closed. In November 2008, the San Diego City Council approved construction of the new development along with a relocation agreement that would enable residents to obtain alternative housing. Mobile home values immediately plummeted following news of the sale. Residents were left waiting for their relocation payments and notice on when they have to move. Most residents can't afford Empty spaces are scattered among the remaining Mission Valley Village residents to move on with their lives on their own. It waiting to learn when they'll have to move.
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Lake Murray Playground Project's 'Swinging on a Star' Fundraiser Set For September 25
continued on page 10 Artwork credit: Joe Cordelle
Playground Boosters Plan Evening Of Fun, Food, Fundraising The cache of silent and live auction items for the Lake Murray Playground Project's September 25th "Swinging on a Star" fundraiser continues to grow. While enjoying food, drink, music and stargazing, attendees will be able to support the Lake Murray Com-
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munity Park playground by placing bids on a three-night getaway to a Julian home with accommodations for up to 10 guests, a dinner party for 10 hosted by private Russ T. Nailz chef Larry continued on page 11
Local Youth Symphony Member Featured In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream
The new downtown Central Library is scheduled to open in the summer of 2013.
City Breaks Ground On New Central Library
Photo credit: Craig Schwartz.
Historic Project Moving Forward With Broad Community Support
San Carlos resident, Sara Kornfeld Simpson (center, playing flute) appears as the "Indian Child" in La Jolla Playhouse's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare, directed by Christopher Ashley, playing in the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre through August 22nd. Sara is one of several San Diego Youth Symphony members and alumni featured in the production. For ticket information, call (858) 550-1010 or visit www.lajollaplayhouse.org.
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders joined a large crowd of library supporters, including State and City officials and three former City mayors on July 28th, to break ground on the new Central Library-a project in the planning for more than 30 years. "We break ground on a project that was more than three decades in the making - a project that has inspired a truly unprecedented number of people to participate in the civic process," said Mayor Sanders. "We know it will continue to inspire our citizens for generations to come." Scheduled to open in the summer of 2013, the nine-story library will be the heart of San Diego's 35-branch library system and will serve as a new regional center for learning and literacy, offering public access to the Central Library's entire collection. The new library will have more than 400 workstations, laptops and free Wi-Fi. An innovative 76,000 square-foot charter school will be housed on two floors. Private donors have collectively con-
tributed more than $40.8 million for project construction, including $10 million to cover operating costs when the facility opens. Joan and Irwin Jacobs have committed $15 million to construction and an additional $5 million toward operations. "Joan and I are very pleased to join with so many others in our community to finally reach this very special day groundbreaking for our new central library," said Irwin Jacobs. "We look forward to the library becoming a prime focus within the region for civic engagement, educational activities, and pursuit of knowledge in its ever expanding forms." Library Foundation Chair Mel Katz thanked families who have committed to the library and charter school project thus far and expressed confidence in raising an additional $32.5 million needed. "We are grateful to the families who have contributed to this important project and ensured that the City is able to break continued on page 12