Mission Times Courier - May 2013

Allied Gardens May 2013

• Del Cerro • Grantville • College • Northern La Mesa • Rolando • San Carlos • Fletcher Hills On the Internet at www.MissionTimesCourier.com

Volume XX – Number 16

Allied Gardens Sinkhole Poses Growing Risk

Recycle E-Waste Free Environmental Club organizes May 11 event with PHHS Foundation and Recycle San Diego

By Jeremy Ogul

California law forbids the disposal of used batteries, old monitors and other electronic equipment into regular trash bins. Instead this electronic waste must be specially recycled to prevent toxic chemicals from leaking into the environment.

E-waste recycling is usually a

chore that requires a trip to the dump or recycling center, but on May 11 you can bring your electronic waste items to be recycled for free at Patrick Henry High School.

The PHHS Foundation and Recycle San Diego will accept computer monitors, televisions, printers, scanners, car batteries,

laptops, VCRs, stereo systems, cell phones, power cables, DVD players, speakers, fax machines copiers, and other computer equipment.

Some items will not be accepted at the May 11 event, including microwaves, light

By Jeremy Ogul

Nearly five feet wide and eight feet deep, a sinkhole on Princess View Drive in Allied Gardens is slowly growing since it first appeared in early April.

It is the latest in a series of sinkholes that have appeared on that street in the past two years, and some neighbors are frustrated with the city’s slow response.

See recycle page 10

Celebrate SpringFest May 17-18

By John Peterson

The 14th annual SpringFest celebration is almost here. Every year SpringFest seems to get bigger and better, and this year is no exception! On the weekend of May 17 and 18, Allied Gardens Park will be the scene of what promises to be the best SpringFest celebration ever. We will be kicking off the festivities Friday evening at 5 p.m. when the food booths, beer and wine garden, carnival rides, history

“I don’t know what they are waiting for,” said Alicia Hagman, whose driveway is just inches from the big hole in the street. “We’re wishing that they do something soon.”

Hagman said she is concerned about her property, considering the recent story about a Florida sinkhole that killed a man after it swallowed his bedroom whole.

See SPRINGFEST page 7

SDSU honors Sanders and Lang

By David Rozul

As thousands of San Diego State University’s students prepare to receive their diplomas this May, two prominent San Diego faces will be receiving this year’s honorary doctorates.

Former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and chief executive officer of Jack in the Box Inc. Linda Lang were chosen this year for their contri-

butions to San Diego State University.

“As members of the Aztec family, both honorees embody our ethos that ‘Leadership Starts Here’ at San Diego State,” SDSU President Elliot Hirshman said of both Sanders and Lang. “Their significant contributions to the San Diego community provide models for today’s students, and we are

“I told my husband maybe our house is coming down,” she said.

Numerous city tests have

See SDSU page 16

See SINKHOLE page 15

Local News

Page 2

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Santee Lakes: The Perfect Staycation for Smart San Diegans

By Genevieve A. Suzuki

Forget forking over a thousand bucks for a Lake Tahoe vacation. Santee Lakes, which is just 15 minutes away, offers a much-needed – affordable – break for anyone looking to escape the frenetic pace of everyday life.

The cabins at Santee Lakes are perhaps San Diego

century in all of its high-tech glory – the kind of person like my husband, who bristles at the thought of unplugging for even a day.

When I first suggested we take our 4-year-old daughter for a brief staycation at the cabins, he looked at me as though I were suggesting we retrace Lewis and Clark’s

Guests can rent the waterfront or floating cabins at Santee Lakes for $102 to $147 a night, depending on time of week and choice of cabin.

County’s best kept secret. Ten cabins, including three floating cabins, sit so peacefully by Padre Dam’s Santee lakes that the getaway’s proximity to the busy 125 and 52 highways feels almost surreal.

The Santee cabins debuted two years ago as the perfect camping trip for the kind of person who loves the 21st

Western Trail by foot.

“Cabins as in Abe Lincoln log cabins,” he asked, already rolling his eyes at the idea of roughing it.

“No, cabins as in better-than-tents, electricityand-plumbing-included cabins,” I said. After looking it up online (www.santeelakes.com), Derek acquiesced to a three-day stay.

As we pulled into Santee

Lakes the first day of our stay, the ranger at the gate asked us if we had reservations. We discovered we would need to keep a tag on our mirror to let lake staff know we were guests.

The cabins and campgrounds are actually really secure. After hours guests have to use a code to get in and out of the park, and to get to the floating cabins, you need a key to unlock a gate.

Our cabin just happened to be the middle floating cabin.

At first glance, it seemed to be a tad too close to the cabins flanking ours until we saw how much space the cabins actually have to offer. It helped that our neighbors were completely uninterested in getting to know us. There seemed to be an unspoken understanding among us – they fished while we sat on our deck and enjoyed ducks and coots swimming by.

It was a comfortable relationship between strangers as we nodded our greetings and went about our separate stays.

As we ventured deeper into the cabin, we were pleasantly surprised by its modernity.

The kitchen offered a full-size refrigerator, sink, stove and a microwave. There was also a coffee pot for morning brew.

And while it’s difficult to resist the lure of Santee’s newly built Chick-fil-A, there’s nothing like enjoying bacon and cheese hot dogs lakeside with the family.

The bathroom and bedroom were similar to the size of something you might find on a cruise

ship, but were still very accommodating, considering we were staying amid nature. Still, we decided against using the air conditioner and heater, choosing instead to learn the hard

Santee Lakes staff

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way about how cold it can be on the lake in the morning.

Because we’re such camping novices, we didn’t bring enough blankets and arrived only with two sleeping bags and a warm blanket for our daughter, who slept peacefully through her parents’ late-night tug-of-war over the top sleeping bag.

The next day we used our nearness to invite several friends over with their children. As we took turns taking the pedal boats out onto the lake to feed ducks, the guys grilled chicken and hot dogs on the deck. Eventually the lot of us wound up inside, watching Wreck-It Ralph with the kids.

We were relieved to discover the cabins are pretty effective when it comes to noise control – our neighbors had no idea they were next to a barrel of monkeys.

Our friends had such a great time on the lake they decided to book reservations for their families. We quickly discovered, however, that we weren’t the only ones clued in to the destination’s greatness. The customer service agent kindly informed us we should call the soonest possible to book the rooms – six months in advance.

She wasn’t kidding – the last day of our break my husband and I decided to see if we could extend the stay only to discover the cabin was immediately booked the next day.

Despite the Santee cabins’ new place in our hearts, there was one thing we could have done without – bugs. No, not bugs as in, “Oh, look, it’s a roly poly,” but bugs as in, “Egad!

The little green guys are in attack mode! Close your mouth and guard your teeth!”

While harmless, the bug issue was enough of an irritation to keep us inside the cabin at night, when the artificial bright porch light’s contrast against the inky night attracted a multitude of random insects.

It wasn’t until we headed down to Lowe’s for a Citronella candle – still managing to avoid Chick-fil-A – that we could step onto the gently swaying deck at night.

Nevertheless, once our flying guests were dissuaded from joining us, Santee Cabins again became a Shangri-La for our busy minds. We’re looking forward to our next stay, one in which we will be armed with Citronella and extra blankets.

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Local News

Dear Ask the Cop: Do you have any information on why speeding (70+ mph) trucks aren’t stopped & ticketed? I see them traveling at this speed every time I’m on the freeway. I have never seen one pulled over. It makes me – and friends I mention this to – wonder if the truckers are “immune” to our speeding laws and are just not ticketed! Not fair! (And it’s a dangerous situation.)

-Frustrated San Diego Driver Dear Frustrated Driver: The San Diego Police Department has a specialized unit in the traffic division know as the Commercial Unit. While it’s not obvious to the average driver, Commercial Unit members are hard at work regulating the commercial vehicles – they do a lot of proactive work including stopping commercial vehicles and writing tickets.

When the trucks do get

stopped the ticket fines are doubled.

The SDPD Commercial Unit also investigates all of the commercial vehicle traffic accidents. The unit often works a lot at our border. At the border, the unit conducts inspections to make sure nothing illegal is being brought into our country.

Big trucks, such as the ones you may have observed, have been known to sneak in drugs, perishable products, and have

even been discovered to be used with human trafficking.

The Commercial Unit is essential to the police department. You might not see them, but they are always working.

Officer Holland Tafoya SDPD Eastern Division Community Liaison Officer Have a question for Ask the Cop? Email AsktheCop@missiontimescourier.com.

Planning Commission Passes River Plan

By Dave Schwab With no public opposition, the visionary San Diego River Park Master Plan proposing turning the 17.5-mile stretch of the river from the Pacific Ocean to Santee into one big linear park breezed through the city Planning Commission April 18 by a 5-0 vote.

The master plan, a policy document to guide future development along the San Diego River crossing Mission Bay, Mission Valley, Navajo, Tierrasanta and East Elliot community planning areas, will next be considered by the San Diego City Council for final approval.

“I see the implementation of this vision as something as grand and spectacular as Balboa Park was in its day,” said commission chair Eric Naslund before casting his yes vote. “It’s incredibly important that we do this. The river connects all the environmental, cultural and social components, makes it a thread that weaves all of us together. I urge the City Council to adopt this plan immediately.”

After thanking city project manager Robin Shifflet for her hard work on the master plan, Navajo planner Jay Wilson testified that his community group “fully supports this item and urges [the Commission’s] support.”

Former San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy appeared before commissioners filling them in on the history of the master plan proposal, which he said was initiated during the first year of his administration in 2001.

“It’s taken a decade to get the master plan done but here it finally is before us,” said Murphy, adding the San Diego River Conservancy was also created during his term as “an organization to fund the master plan.”

“I would like more specifics on how this wonderful visionary plan actually gets implemented,” said Commissioner Susan Peerson.

“How much of [the master plan] depends on private investment over time to implement?” asked See RIVER page 11

Page 3

Page 4

Del Cerro Action Council

By Jay Wilson, president

Thank you to everyone who took the time to take the eightquestion, Del Cerro survey referenced in last month’s article.

The deadline for submitting this article was before the survey ended, so I have listed a compilation of some of the initial results. A more extensive listing of the responses is available on the Del Cerro Action Council website at delcerroactioncouncil. org. It is great to have received feedback so we can work together to resolve the issues and concerns whether it is a street repair or the removal of overhead power lines. At the same time we work on the wishes mentioned in the survey such as a new restaurant or bakery. The responses listed below are the initial responses.

What roads need the most attention? No question, the road receiving

the most number of responses for needing repair is the entire stretch of Airoso Avenue that goes east from Del Cerro Avenue. It is the street just north of I-8. Portions of Del Cerro Boulevard came in second.

What kind of a retail store would you like?

No. 1 was a good restaurant serving breakfast, followed by a Starbucks, and then a bakery.

What are your three most important issues/ concerns in Del Cerro? Removing the overhead power lines is the number one concern, followed by street repairs, and speeding.

What are the three most important issues you would like the Del Cerro Action Council to address?

Improving the condition of our streets, speeding cars, and neighborhood crime.

What are the three most important citywide issues you would like Councilmember Scott Sherman to focus on? Pensions, resurfacing of roads, and crime in our community.

How important is a viable Neighborhood Watch Program? 68.5% stated “Somewhat”, 23% stated “Not Very”, and 8.5% stated “Not At All.” What are the best things in Del Cerro?

1) Quiet 2) Feeling of

See del cerro page 23

Local News Community 3) Location

I recently had the opportunity of meeting Dave Rohowits, the new police captain for Eastern Division and Lt. Duane

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Friends of Lake Murray

By Barbara Cleves Anderson

Voss who also recently joined Eastern Division and oversees all of the Navajo Community.

They come with a good understanding of our area, having worked and/or lived in our community at one point or another during their career. Officer Tafoya mentioned an updated version of Neighborhood Watch known as “MyNeighborhood. com.” It allows neighbors to keep in touch with one another via cell phone. She will be providing additional information on this program very shortly.

If you need to contact Councilmember Sherman’s office, you will find Jon Staab ready to lend a hand. Jon handles all of the Navajo Community. His email address is JStaab@sandiego.gov and

the office phone number is (619) 236-6677.

It is difficult for routines to be interrupted but it is inevitable and sometimes necessary. County Water Authority re-lined water pipes that that bring water to Lake Murray. The pipes were old, not holding and subject to breaks. We knew that the project was going to take months to complete. The pipes have now been retrofitted and the last of the work will be done soon. That work hasn’t impacted lake visitors in any way.

David McLaren and his wife, Diane Nelson, pick up trash while they walk. They were surprised to find that CWA workers were leaving their jobs sites clean. David and Diane were so impressed that they contacted project managers and told them of the good work. It is always nice for us to report good things and not always contact the people in charge to complain.

The work had to be done. I don’t know of anyone who wants the old pipes to break and cause a problem.

I finally got to see an adult osprey feeding its youngster.

I had been told that other people that had seen the feedings. Until the other day I had not seen the breakfast feast occur. Binoculars would have made it easier to see the process in progress. Does the baby break off pieces of the fish or does mom or dad do it?

The nest is too far away to see the happenings. I hope one of our birders will let us know.

One might wonder what Katherine Nakamura has been doing since leaving the San Diego Education Board for the Unified School District.

When she lost her last board election, she found a time consuming volunteer project that is close to her heart.

She is working full time on getting funding for a Performing Arts Theater that will be located on the Patrick Henry school grounds. Several venues within the structure will accommodate plays, an orchestra and will even have a community room and other public amenities.

Nakamura’s oldest son is a musician. He graduated from Patrick Henry High School and is studying in back east.

The Nakamura’s younger son is a computer whiz.

Katherine’s husband, Kotaro,

is an architect who designs school buildings and their Performing Arts Theaters. In addition, he teaches at Arts and Design at SDSU. The married team has collaborated on the theater and Katherine has started a foundation that will make this dream come true. She acknowledges principal Elizabeth Gillingham’s support of the facility that will be built on the west side of the parking area.

The title of the project is called PHAME. The community has many well to do people in our neighborhood that might be willing to donate to this endeavor.

They will be recognized with plaques or other recognitions at the complex.

Katherine has been contacting alums of Patrick Henry and has received a generous donation from actress Annette Benning who graduated from the school. Katherine will be reaching out to parents and the public. Children and adults alike will benefit from the awesome project that should break ground in the fall.

Katherine feels that the Performing Arts auditorium will bring the whole community together. Of course I reminded her that Lake Murray brings the community together too. Not everyone goes to the lake but everyone will go to the new theater.

For more information, go to www.phame.us. You will see what other school’ s theaters look like and what our Performing Arts Academy will look like. There is also information on how you can make a donation to: www. cowlesmtcommunityfoundation.org Our Friends meeting on May 16 will feature Dr. Tom Demere of the Natural History Museum.

He is department head of the Paleontology Department.

His subject for the meeting is “Ancient Shorelines.” This should be interesting.

We meet at 5 p.m. at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church on the corner of Wandermere Drive and Park Ridge Boulevard. For more information call Barbara (619) 463-9706.

Correction to April Issue Last month Barbara Cleves Anderson’s Friends of Lake Murray column inadvertently included a portion of her March column, creating confusion for our readers. Mission Times Courier deeply regrets the error and invites you to read Anderson’s corrected April column online at www.missiontimescourier.com.

COUNCILS

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

San Carlos Action Council

By John F. Pilch, president The next meeting of the San Carlos Area Council (SCAC) is scheduled for Wednesday, May 1 at 6 p.m. at the San Carlos Branch Library, 7265 Jackson Dr. Our guest speaker is Carl DeMaio, former D-5 City Councilmember and mayoral candidate in 2012. Mr. DeMaio currently leads Reform San Diego, an organization that continues to monitor the City Budget and Pension Reform (more info can be found at www.ReformSanDiego.org).

He was outspoken about both during his time as a councilmember and his campaign to become the mayor of San Diego.

We hope you can join us for an educational evening about the future of our city and what Mr. DeMaio sees as the needs for financial progress to be made.

The SCAC will also conduct its annual election of Directors and Officers at this meeting. As usual, the event is open to the public and there is no charge to attend.

Community Liaison Officer (CLO) Holland (Holly) Tafoya recently advised the SCAC about a change in the command Staff at Eastern Division.

According to CLO Tafoya, the new captain is David Rohowits and the new Navajo Area lieutenant is Duane Voss. Capt.

Rohowits was the field lieutenant for the entire city. He has a great amount of knowledge and experience to bring to this command. Lt. Voss is newly appointed, and was a sergeant at Northern division. He brings a lot of energy and has a lot of great ideas to help suppress crime. We welcome both to San Carlos and look forward to working with each on crime in our community. We thank Capt. Andy Mills, who is now in charge of the Western Division, and Lt. Alberto Leos, who is

now assigned to Mayor Bob Filner’s Homeless Outreach Program for working closely with us during their time at Eastern Division.

According to the crime stats for San Carlos, residential burglaries during daylight hours continue, with entry into homes gained through rear doors and/ or windows that were left open or unlocked. In addition, vehicle burglaries also continue, especially at Mission Trails Park’s Visitor Center parking areas and near the campground parking area at the eastern end of Father Junipero Serra Trail.

SDPD recommends having no personal property left in sight in your vehicle, wherever you park, but especially if you are leaving your vehicle while hiking in the park or at Lake Murray. Either put your property in your trunk before leaving home or leave it at home.

Special thanks to CLO Tafoya for working with the SCAC to facilitate the clean-up of the former Blockbuster property in the Albertson’s Center on Lake Murray Boulevard. We contacted the owner, with a request for a clean-up of the weeds, trash, litter and graffiti.

When CLO Tafoya met with the property manager for the Center about a transient problem, another contact was made and the property was cleared the following weekend. This property is not a part of the Center, but was still an eyesore and a hangout for transients.

We’ll continue to keep an eye on the property to ensure that it’s maintained.

We’re happy to report that the SD County Water Authority Re-lining project on Jackson Drive is proceeding more quickly than anticipated. In fact, the roadway from Mission Gorge Road to Lake Shore Drive and on Lake Shore Drive has been returned to full travel in both directions. Traffic controls were removed recently and re-striping occurred quickly thereafter.

It’s our understanding that the roadway from Mission Gorge to Navajo Road is scheduled to receive an asphalt overlay (new stuff) later this year. We’ll keep an eye on this to ensure that it occurs. The SCAC and the community sends a huge Thank You to SDCWA spokesperson, Craig Balben, and his team for the solid effort they provided to keep us informed of developments. We also send a huge Thank You to the contractor

for this project. The company was responsive to issues raised by residents and us. Without their cooperation, the project would not have proceeded as smoothly and as quickly as it did. Congratulations to all involved in completing the project two months ahead of schedule.

We’ve been advised by councilmember Scott Sherman’s representative that the AllWay Stop signs for Cowles Mountain Boulevard at Boulder Lake Avenue are moving along through the process. Hopefully, the Stop signs will be installed within 30 days, especially since the intersection has been heavily impacted, due to the temporary closing of the front trail on Cowles Mountain. It’s scheduled to be re-opened by May 18.

We were pleased to have attended the San Carlos Community Garden First Anniversary Celebration March 16 and facilitated the appearance of County Supervisor Dianne Jacob and D-7 Councilmember Scott Sherman. Work at the community garden continues, with above-ground garden boxes (including one rented

by Scott Sherman) still being made available to the public.

If you’re interested in raising your own fruits and vegetables in this garden, please visit their website at www.sancarloscommunitygarden.com for details.

The community garden is located at the corner of Lake Adlon and Boulder Lake Ave., adjacent to Springall Academy, 6440 Boulder Lake Dr. They’re always looking for help with the garden on Saturday morning, so stop by to look it over and lend a hand if you wish. The San Carlos Community Garden has come a long way in a year and the volunteers are to be congratulated for their efforts.

For information about speakers, meeting reminders and agendas and other local news, please send an e-mail message to jfpilch@hotmail.com and request that your name be added to the SCAC Interested Party e-mail list. Rest assured that your privacy will be respected and neither your name nor your e-mail address will be shared with anyone.

Messages are sent “Bcc” to prevent you from being spammed.

Finally, if you have an issue you wish us to consider or just have a question about the community, please contact me at (619) 462-1408 or by email at jfpilch@hotmail.com. Thank you.

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Page 5

College Area Community Council

By Rhea Kuhlman, CACC president As the new President of the College Area Community Council and Chair of the College Area Community Planning Board, I’ll have some big shoes to fill. The joint Boards said a fond farewell to our longtime President and Chair Doug Case in March.

District 9 Councilwoman Marti Emerald was on hand for the occasion, to present Doug with a Proclamation from the Mayor and City Council, declaring March 13 “Doug Case Day.” Altogether, Doug served on the College Area Community Council, and later the Community Planning Board as well, for a total of 27 years.

His impact on the College Area has been substantial, and will continue into the future.

As Doug’s successor, I’ll do my best to follow in his footsteps.

The College Area is a lively urban region, with an eclectic mix of ages and ethnicities, and the 28,000-plus student population of San Diego State University plopped down in the middle of what is essentially a single family neighborhood. A big part of our job on the CACC and CACPB is to balance the sometimes competing interests of these two constituencies, and create a win-win situation for both. Over the 23 years my husband and I have been residents and home owners in this community, we have seen

the quality of life here steadily improve. The once frequent and loud student parties that used to shake the neighborhood every Friday night are now greatly reduced due to the efforts of the San Diego Police Department and City Attorney’s Office to cite and fine persistent misbehavior. While code enforcement issues will always exist, there has been more attention focused on the issue of nuisance rental housing. Traffic is still congested at the start of each new semester, but generally evens out as the semester wears on. And the University under new leadership has reached out to the residents of the College Area, in an effort to build communication and mutual trust. We just celebrated our 3rd Annual College Area Taste with 20 participating restaurants, and our annual College Neighborhoods Homes tour. In short, much has improved in the College Area, and there’s still more to do.

At our April meeting, the Community Planning Board voted to request stop signs and other traffic calming measures at a residential intersection in the College View Estates area.

Although the City’s Traffic Engineering Department has not yet seen the need for such measures, residents in the neighborhood who encounter problems daily emphatically saw the need, and told us so. We were pleased that an alternative process exists for requesting stop signs, by which community groups can ask their Council representatives to request stop signs at a given location. On a very small scale, it’s seemingly minor measures like these that can make life easier in “the hood.” Over the coming months, we look forward to finding other ways to help our neighbors. If you have questions, I can be reached at president@collegearea.org .

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Page 6

Local News

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Aerial Antics at Mission Trails Regional Park

By Audrey F. Baker, Trail Guide

May is an active month for those “on the wing” at MTRP. It’s the time of peak activity in the butterfly world, and a great opportunity to observe the crowning jewels of our wildflowers as they go about their nectaring rounds. Our birds are busy with family matters as fledglings poise for solo flight.

There’s similar activity in our nocturnal skies with a bat pup readying to delve into the night life. (Most commonly, female bats give birth to just one offspring.) Three month-old great horned owlets have developed their contour feathers allowing them the fresh experience of flight. These aerial acrobats are just a sampling of the diversity of wildlife to be observed and enjoyed in visiting to Mission Trails Regional Park.

Our trail guide-led walks are an opportunity to commune with nature, enjoy chance encounters with wildlife, bird species, and other natural wonders. Unique landscapes and habitats enliven local history and support abundant plant and animal life. The walks are free, interesting, fact-filled and geared to all ages and interests.

Morning walks are offered every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

You’ll start from the Visitor and Interpretive Center, One Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Carlos The walk begin-

ning from the Kumeyaay Lake Campground Entry Station, Two Father Junipero Serra Trail, at the San Carlos-Santee border, gives a different perspective of the park and its diverse habitats. These walks are offered from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, and take in historic Old Mission Dam. Wildlife Tracking (8:30 to 10:30 a.m.) employs classic techniques of both trackers of olde California and modern enthusiasts. Tracking team members aid you identification and interpretation of animal signs, and give insights into critter habits. On Saturday, May 4, meet in front of the Visitor Center.

May Discovery Table presents “Plant Parts!” inside the Visitor Center (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) on Saturday, May 11.

Learn about the individual essentials that comprise the body of a plant. Try your skill at matching the right part with its particular job and investigate the secrets of seeds.

Bird Kumeyaay Lake with MTRP avian guide Jeanne Raimond. Migratory birds are nesting and local varieties have new offspring. Jeanne recommends binoculars and bird book. Come see and hear the action on Saturday, May 18. We meet at 8 a.m. at the Kumeyaay Campground Day Use Entry Station,Two Father Junipero Serra Trail, Santee for a twohour outing.

Star Party Sites! MTRP Star Gazer-host George Varga will be combing the night sky for galactic viewing, including the Whirlpool (M51), Sunflower (M63), Black-Eye (M64) and the Sombrero. Join us Saturday, May 18 from 7:30 and 10 p.m. at the far end of the Kumeyaay Campground Day Use Parking Lot, Two Father Junipero Serra Trail, Santee.

Birding Basics teaches five simple techniques to identify birds “at a glance.” The 90-minute presentation with MTRP resident birder Winona Sollock also offers tips on field guide use. (Bringing one is optional.) Class is conducted inside the Visitor Center, Saturday, May 25, 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Family Discovery Walk, our active and essential outdoor experience for parents and their children, invites you to bring “The Fam” and delve into nature. You’ll enjoy quality time exploring the trail to the Kumeyaay grinding rocks site. We meet inside the Visitor Center. See you from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 26.

Meanwhile, come out and enjoy the park!

Visit www.mtrp.org for more information and our events calendar, or call (619) 668-3281.

Special walks can be arranged for any club, group, business or school by contacting Ranger Heidi Gutknecht at (619) 6683279 or at hgutknecht@mtrp. org.

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Letter from the Editor

By Genevieve A. Suzuki Spring is in full bloom, which means love is in the air and high school prom nights are just around the corner.

Like it or not, one of the things that dominated my thoughts when I was a high school senior during the spring was senior prom. Who could blame me – we were all going to be dressed to the nines, dancing the night away and eating a formal dinner among friends.

And it’s true – our prom court looked stunning and the hotel ballroom was delightfully decorated with sparkles and balloons. It was a night of magic and romance – for most everyone but me.

In fact, if I’m truly honest about my senior prom, I remember it as a great night with friends who had zero romantic interest in each other. My prom date, Jason, wasn’t my boyfriend, but my best friend, and my slinky black dress went completely wasted on him.

Still, Jason and I had a great time, dancing to the Spin Doctors’ “Two Princes” and other ‘90s hits. We weren’t in love – not even in an unrequited girl-friend-who-has-a-crushon-her-boy-friend way – and actually used the night to check out other dressed-up teens.

After the prom, as with the other kids, we searched for something cool to do. We wound up wandering up and down the aisles of a local grocery store, and singing karaoke at a nearby pub.

At the time, I felt a little let down by the whole affair.

Although the venue was wonderful and my date the best I could ask for, the lack of romance disappointed my teenage heart. I didn’t have a boyfriend with whom to share longing glances or scare my mother with the threat of a “Beverly Hills 90210” Brendaand-Dylan prom night.

And while I liked my prom photos enough to exchange them with my friends, I didn’t sigh dreamily when I looked at the package.

My senior year was pretty boring when it came to romance – thank goodness.

Now, as I reminisce on prom night, I can’t help but smile at our clueless wanderings around

the grocery store, grinning at late-night shoppers who thought we lost our minds.

And karaoke was a riot – we were never in danger of being recruited to sing lead in a rock band.

I’m also thankful that I got to share that moment with my best friend, Jason. His sense of humor made the night and we didn’t have any stress about having something stuck in our teeth as we laughed at each other’s awkward dance moves.

Perhaps more poignantly, I’m grateful that my high school years were so lighthearted and fluffy. Seniors in 2013 are getting ready to go out into a post-9/11 world that includes senseless mass shootings and terror attacks, such as the one on this year’s Boston Marathon.

They’re also facing an unclear economic future with a temperamental job market.

Alas, if I had one wish for our seniors, it would be that they would be able to celebrate their proms this year with the same carefree feeling Jason and I did in 1993. Just for one night, I hope they dance the night away with each other in formal attire and enjoy the mediocre buffet food with their friends. And if they peruse the aisles of our local Vons, so be it.

After all, there’ll be lots of time for seriousness when the tuxedos and dresses are replaced by caps and gowns in June.

Professional auto rePair Tune up • Smog CheCk • BrakeS mainTenanCe • oil Change

LOCAL NEWS Springfest, from page 1

Page 7

booth, and the Windmill Farms Stage spring into action. Come early and enjoy some delicious goodies from the many food booths and then it just might be time for a cold one at the beer and wine garden.

Headlining the evening’s entertainment for your listening and

evening all evening long on the Windmill Farms Stage.

Saturday morning SpringFest starts with a Pancake Breakfast to get you ready for the day’s activities. Food and commercial booths will open at 9 a.m. as will the carnival rides, inflatables, history booth and Midway games area. Students from schools in the area will be displaying their art masterpieces for your enjoyment.

dancing pleasure will be the Bunnell Strings at 6:15 p.m. and then at 8:00 p.m. Checkered Past will take over reviving those great songs from the ‘80s. Bring a chair or a blanket and your dancing shoes, because there will be live entertainment under the stars all

Check out the talented young artists because you might be seeing the work of a future Rembrandt.

The Community Stage and the Windmill Farms Stage will be busy all day with music, dancing and other entertainment.

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Kiwanis Club parade will start at 10:30 a.m. on Greenbrier Avenue.

Don’t miss this “almost spectacular” event where you might see your friends, your neighbors or their children marching proudly along the SpringFest parade route. After the parade, the SpringFest Car Show will be on display along Greenbrier Avenue.

At 1 p.m. San Diego’s favorite Zydeco band, Bayou Brothers, will take center stage and rock you with a sound “straight out of Louisiana’s dance clubs, bayou festivals and backyard crawfish boils.” Another terrific band, Pullman Standard, will keep the joint jumpin’ when it takes over at 4 p.m.

– you won’t want to miss them! Starting at 6:15 p.m., Navajo Sings featuring our Navajo Community’s finest karaoke talent will be on display for your entertainment.

And at 7:45 p.m., the highlight of the evening, HELP, a great Beatles revival ban, will certainly get the dancers up and doing their thing!

The Beer and Wine Garden will re-open at 5 p.m. to slake your thirst and wash down a delicious snack from one of the food booths.

As you can see, the celebration is non-stop all day long. Come early and stay late at the Allied Gardens SpringFest celebration.

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EYE ON THE COMMUNITY

Page 8

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Cowles Mountain Trail Restoration Continues San Carlos Friends of the Library

By Jay Wilson, MTRP Foundation The restoration project of the trail from the Golfcrest Drive/ Navajo Road trailhead is scheduled for completion by May 17, but this is subject to change.

Park staff, the Urban Corps, and MTRP Volunteers continue

to work on this project. The trailhead remains completely closed while the project is underway. Open alternatives are the Big Rock Trailhead, Big Rock Park Trailhead, Lake Murray Boulevard Trailhead, and the Barker Way Trailhead, and the Barker Way Service Road. All of these trails go to the Cowles Summit and are in good shape. On our home page, click on “The Park”, and then “Trails” for the primary trail map for locating the alternative trailheads for Cowles Mountain.

Explore Mission Trails Day – May 18 Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the 11th annual Explore Mission Trails Day. All the activities are free handson discovery stations, guided family nature walks, climbing wall, pony rides, outdoor recreation demonstrations, and more. Everything will take place at the Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) Visitor Center and at the Equestrian Staging Area. Some activities will have Discovery Visa

Stamps. Participate in as many contemporary swing to Latin of these activities as you can jazz, this concert celebrates and earn your nature title. the Great American Songbook.

Get your final Nature Title Palmer will be accompanied Sticker and a special Mission by Danny Green on keyboard, Trails memento at the Visitor bassist Dave Marr and percusCenter reception counter or the sionist Dave Dhillon. In her Equestrian Staging debut CD Like a Lover, Palmer Area Mission Trails matches her talents well with Information booth. Grammy winning arranger/proThe Santee and Lake ducer and pianist Bill Cunliffe.

Murray Kiwanis The CD will be for sale during Clubs will also have the reception following the conhamburgers, hotdogs, cert, and is available on iTunes. and refreshments.

Water colors artist Connie Ho Check our website for presents “Symphony of Lines complete details. & Colors,” an exhibition of 37 paintings, through May 3.

Summer Fun for This is the first time the MTRP Children Foundation has presented an At the request of international art exhibition. parents and chil- Connie is a well-known artist dren, Linda Hawley’s in the Hong Kong and South “Summer Nature Adventures!” China art circle. She expanded will be offered her studies from June 11 to include through Aug. Chinese paint4, for children ings with 3 and up.

Yang ShenClasses will Sum, one of be offered the Masters on most of Chinese Tuesdays, L i n g n a n Saturdays, School of Art. and Sundays.

Go to vimeo.

Information com/63487588 on “Nature for a video Adventures!” preview of for the reguthe exhibilar school tion. (Video Lillian Palmer year is also

by Cameron available.

Scott.) From Nora’s Art May 4-31, the Lillian Palmer Classes for photographs Children 4 to for the 21st 14 continues Annual Amateur Photo Contest to be held on most Saturdays. will be on display in the Visitor For more information on both Center Gallery. Entries may be programs, go to our webpage submitted through April 29. and look under the headline Second Annual “Art in the “More News.”

Park” – Oct. 5 Concerts and Art Exhibitions On Saturday evening, Oct. Vocalist Lillian Palmer will 5, the MTRP Foundation will perform her “Great American present its second annual “Art Songbook” concert at MTRP on in the Park”. This fundraiser Sunday, May 19, at 3 p.m. in the for the MTRP Foundation will Visitor Center Theater. From offer more than 75 pieces of art for sale, all the art will be based on the flora and fauna found within MTRP. Tickets will be just $25; and that will again include fine wine, cheese, and chocolate. For more information, go to our home page under “More News.”

Like us on Facebook, and sign up on our webpage, mtrp. org, to be kept up-to-date on everything at MTRP.

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By Sue Hotz Log onto www.sancarlosfriendsofthelibrary.org for details about our branch’s activities. All programs are free and open to the public.

Thank you for your SCFOL Memberships – they support your library. April 1: libraries are closed in honor of Cesar Chavez.

April showers bring May flowers and we’re bringing you the ART & FLOWER SHOW: May 10, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and May 11, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the San Carlos Garden Club presents “A Show in Living Color.” This show pairs beautiful paintings of six very talented local artists with gorgeous floral arrangements by club members, who will also give Flower Arranging Demonstrations on Friday at 1 p.m. and Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The artists’ paintings will be on display from May 7-30. This month’s OASIS will “Bring on the Birds,” presented by Bert & Sharon Kersey on May 17 at 1 p.m. This visual presentation introduces you to our native local birds. Please preregister. At Kid’s Storytime on May 22 at 2 p.m., the awesome “Fiddlegirl: Celia Lawley” performs.

CRAFT SHOW: May 18, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.: 1st time

ever – 20-plus local crafters will be selling their treasures in the library’s Community Room and Parking Lot. Please support this new venture which financially benefits the library and crafters.

GET FIT & YOUR LIBRARY: This special program for all ages will run from May 1 through Oct. 31. Topics cover nutritionalmental-physical-financial health. May 22, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Michael Zeiger presents “Retirement Wellness: what will you be doing on your first day of retirement and thereafter?” May 24, 12:30 to 2 p.m., Charlotte Tenney presents “Introduction to Healthier Living: Cutting edge Technology for living your life in a way you know you should.” Watch for new Stretch & Tone and Mat Yoga classes starting in May. BOOKS: The Librarian’s Book Club selection for May 9 is Peony by Pearl Buck and June 13 is Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller. Our next Used Book Sales are May 4 and June 1.

Check our website for available “Special Editions,” and new library titles. Libraries are closed Memorial Day, May 27.

BENJAMIN BRANCH FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

By Anne Lee

Since “April showers bring May flowers” we should have plenty of beautiful flowers to help celebrate important May dates – Cinco De Mayo, Mothers Day and Memorial Day.

BOOK SALE

Our April sale of gently-used books was held as scheduled April 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. There were many newly acquired books, both fiction and non-fiction, for your consideration. Donations received from spring cleaning in neighborhood homes has greatly increased our offerings.

Proceeds from our sales are used to help support activities and events at our library. A new activity funded by FOL is entitled “Teen Scene” and held on Wednesdays. This is after school fun and food for teenage students.

Please, do continue to support our book sales. You just might find something you have always wanted!

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•May 2 will be the city-wide Grand Prize Winners Ceremony for this year’s essay contest.

•Oasis classes will be resuming in the fall.

•Summer Reading Programs for young people will be offered at the library.

•Check at the library for a current listing of activities and classes.

The May FOL meeting is set for Wednesday, May 22, at 1 p.m. Please join us!

EYE ON THE COMMUNITY

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Page 9

Henry Graduate Takes Over Soccer Program

San Carlos Resident to Display Handmade Bibs at Allied Gardens Library San Carlos resident Terry Shunk was dining with an older friend when the inevitable happened – the pasta with marinara sauce created a new and unwelcome pattern on the

Terry Shunk senior’s blouse. Shunk recalls her friend lamenting the fact that she regularly spills during meals. Both women had seen senior citizens at restaurants and at assisted living dining rooms sporting bibs, but neither liked the dreary gray plastic designs.

“No one wants to wear something that looks like a bib,” Shunk said. “People want color and patterns that reflect who they are. They want something that is attractive enough to be a shirt. Growing older doesn’t mean that you lose your sense of style.”

A longtime sewing hobbyist, Shunk sat down that evening and started making a floral bib for her friend. Soon, her phone was ringing off the hook. People had seen the homemade bib and wanted one of themselves or their loved one.

In May, Shunk will be displaying her creations at the Benjamin Branch Library in Allied Gardens. “I was blown away by the reaction to my

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bibs,” she said. “People started emailing to tell me they wanted one for themselves or their parents.”

Shunk charges $25 to $30, which is just enough to cover her costs and a minimum wage for her time. The 54-year-old mother says her reward comes from people telling her that they can go out to dinner without any self-consciousness that comes with wearing a bib. “One of my senior friends wore her bib all night at a party and didn’t even take it off after they stopped serving food,” Shunk said with a smile.

By day, Shunk works in the Accounts Payable Department at Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. In her spare time, she creates bibs for seniors and sews quilts for children with cancer.

“I feel so fortunate to work for an organization that provides reproductive health care for underserved women and men in San Diego, and also have a creative outlet that also serves the community,” Shunk said.

To order a bib for the senior in your life, email Shunk at tshunk1@yahoo.com.

In November 2011, San Carlos resident Kevin Rader, a Patrick Henry High School graduate 2008, was given an opportunity to become a volunteer coach with the King-Chavez Community High School soccer team, the Vaqueros. Rader enjoyed it so much that he continued volunteering, making 2013 his third year with the team.

Thanks to Rader’s efforts, which have significantly contributed to the King-Chavez Community High School’s winning success, the Patrick Henry High School 2008 graduate has been asked to take over as the King-Chavez Community High School head varsity soccer coach. He will start training with some of the players over the summer. The actual 2013 season starts in November.

King-Chavez Community School in downtown San Diego was started to help breathe life into a neglected immigrant-based community.

King-Chavez Neighborhood of Schools serves the special needs of the kids from Logan Heights, the poorest and most gang- and crime-infested neighborhood in San Diego. Founded

by Kyle Hagenburger in 2009, the King-Chavez Community High School soccer program has garnered awards and attention, including three Frontier League Championships, since its inception.

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bulbs, hard drives and alkaline batteries. These items must be taken to a recycling center. Visit WasteFreeSD.org to find the nearest recycling center.

The PHHS Foundation is working with the Environmental Club at Patrick Henry High School to organize and promote the event. Money earned from recycled materials will be shared between the foundation and the Environmental Club, said PHHS Foundation president Deirdre Kleske.

The electronic waste recycling event is just the latest in a series of monthly recycling events hosted by the Environmental Club, said science teacher Lara Dickens, who advises the club, and recycling events are just one of the many projects the Environmental Club organizes. Others include establishing a school garden, advocating for vegetarianism and picking up trash that custodians missed on campus.

The Environmental Club’s leaders this year chose to make energy efficiency a top priority and have been working with the San Diego Unified School District on a project to remove superfluous light bulbs from classrooms at Patrick Henry.

Most classrooms at Patrick Henry have at least 40 lights, which add up to 1530 watts in each classroom, according to

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Environmental Club presidents Ondraya Romero and Kelli Wright, both Patrick Henry seniors.

Romero and Wright led an effort to measure the amount of available light in each classroom, experimenting with different configurations and measuring the results with a light meter. They found that many classrooms had much more light than the district standard of 40-foot candles at the desk level.

They have convinced 10 teachers to participate in the project and expect more teachers to sign on. Lights will be removed in parts of the classroom where they are least needed, such as near windows and near projection screens.

“It’s just starting small,” Wright said. “That’s how everything works. You have to start

small.”

Romero and Wright said the lighting changes should result in a 10 percent reduction in energy use per classroom. That not only helps the environment but saves the district money, they said.

This is the first time students in San Diego schools have approached the district with an energy-saving lighting project, said Tom Wright, SDUSD’s manager of safety, training, personnel and environmental compliance.

“It’s impressive what they’re doing, from my perspective,” Wright said.

Environmental Club students had to be trained in basic ladder safety as well as appropriate light bulb handling techniques to avoid any injuries.

Club adviser Lara Dickens said students have been determined to get the project off the ground.

“They jumped through every hoop that anyone put in front of them and they’re ready to go,” Dickens said. “If you give students opportunities to make changes, they grab a hold and they go for it.”

The Environmental Club hopes to have the lighting changes in place by the end of this school year. Then the club presidents will graduate and head to college: UCLA for Wright and Gonzaga University for Romero.

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

EYE ON THE COMMUNITY

Page 11

River, from page 3 Naslund.

“Roughly two-thirds is privately owned,” answered Shifflet, adding “the water is publicly held, the land under the water is privately held.”

“We are banking on the private sector to implement two-thirds of this,” concluded Naslund, before asking, “Are we soliciting dedication of the adjacent banks of the river into the park space?”

“There will be a recreational easement over the San Diego River pathway itself so it’s available for the public to use,” replied Shifflet.

Addressing Shifflet, commissioner Tim Golba said, “Your outreach is a testament to tenacity. It’s a shame it’s taken this long.

But the result is worth the wait.”

Characterizing the master plan document as “user friendly,” Golba added, “It’s just textbook on how to do this.”

Golba said he has some concerns about security with the master plan, such as what is to be done about existing homeless encampments along the river.

“That was a big issue for the Mission Valley community,” said Shifflet, adding design guidelines in the master plan call for creating ample river access as well as transparency through buildings so views to the river are unobstructed.

“By having more people riding bikes, walking with their families, going in and out of buildings, that would discourage criminal activities,” she said.

“The idea is to have it so populous it just discourages that [criminal] element entirely,” said Golba.

“Today is a great day, we get a resource for all of San Diego after a very long process,” Rob Hutsel, chair of the San Diego River Coalition, which serves as the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) for River Park planning efforts, told commissioners.

“The plan is bold in its vision, very pragmatic in its implementation,” Hutsel pointed out, adding “it reflects a lot of discussion and compromise.”

Noting the ambitious river park master plan enjoyed the unanimous support of all community groups weighing in on it, Hutsel concluded, “We hope you’ll (commissioners) continue that streak.

We want to get this done, start implementing this. We need your support. We need this plan. It’s big. It’s bold. It’s wonderful. It’s time.”

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SPORTS

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

11th Annual Explore Mission Trails Day Connecting Children to Nature A tremendous outdoor event, tailor-made for young families, takes place every spring in a spectacular natural urban park – San Diego’s largest and most diverse – only 15 minutes from the City center. Explore Mission Trails Day 2013 (EMTD) has a special focus on introducing children to nature – without having to drive to the back country.

Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP), at nearly 6,000 acres, offers great opportunities for free year-round outdoor fun.

And on Saturday, May 18, families are invited to learn more about those opportunities at a free annual celebration entitled Explore Mission Trails Day. Young children discover the joys of nature during themed trail walks and hands-on activities at Explore/Discovery Stations in two different areas of the park, free pony rides, a climbing wall, and up-close encounters with raptors, reptiles and other live animals. Families also have a chance to try early-morning bird watching or experience a

twilight hike with nature experts.

Times vary but most events take place between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Activities occur in several different areas of the diverse park, but will be focused mainly around the Visitor and Interpretive Center and the Equestrian Staging Area at SR52 and Mast Boulevard.

Shuttle service from various parking locations will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Scholastic Publishing’s Ms. Frizzle helps educate little ones about one of San Diego’s most common wild critters, courtesy of the San Diego Natural History Museum. The wacky, red-haired character from the book series, The Magic School Bus, will present a special program about coyotes in the Visitor Center’s outdoor amphitheater at 10 and 11:30 a.m. for children ages 3 to 8, teaching them basic conservation concepts, and how to observe elusive neighbors.

Small children can ride ponies for free (only until 1:30 p.m.) in one of the arenas in the Equestrian Staging Area near the Mast Blvd. entrance to the Park. In the same area, there will be a climbing wall, and Project Wildlife will bring rescued wild animals for the public to view. One of the highlights in this area is a Discovery Station

where kids can learn about local Kumeyaay culture, trying their hand at games Native American children played in this same area in the not too distant past.

At the Visitor Center, other wildlife groups will present live raptors and reptiles. In addition to Ms. Frizzle’s programs, there will be crafts for children in the classroom (ages 3 and up). If weather permits, a special scope will be set up on the terrace for sunspot viewing with local astronomer/naturalist George Varga.

Mission Trails Regional Park is a 5,800-acre “open space” urban park, located between Highway 52 and Highway 8 at the eastern end of Mission See nature page 13

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

LOCAL NEWS

Page 13

Nature, from page 12 Valley. Bordered by the communities of Tierrasanta, Santee, San Carlos and La Mesa, the park is managed by the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department. MTRP is one of the largest urban parks in the United States.

EMTD is an annual joint venture of the City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department, Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation, a non-profit fund-raising and advocacy organization for the park, and San Diego City Councilmember Scott Sherman. Sponsors for the 2013 Explore Mission Trails Day celebration include: the City of San Diego Special Promotional Programs and Republic Services, Inc. (Title Sponsors); County of San Diego Community Enhancement Fund, Olive Garden Italian Restaurants, SDG&E - A Sempra Energy Utility, and Superior Ready Mix (Community Sponsors); and Five Star Tours & Charter Co., the Mission Times Courier, and Starbucks (Neighborhood Sponsors).

A detailed map of the park and schedule of other Explore Mission Trails Day events, including family nature walks and children’s “explore stations” are available online at www.mtrp.org or at the Visitor and Interpretive Center information desk. Volunteers can also answer questions at (619) 668-3281.

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LOCAL NEWS

Page 14

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

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LOCAL NEWS

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Sinkhole, from page 1

shown there is no threat to the homes on Princess View Drive, said Bill Harris, who spoke on behalf of the Storm Water Division of the city’s Transportation and Storm Water Department.

A failed storm drain system under Princess View Drive is the source of the problem, Harris said. The system consists of corrugated metal pipes installed when the neighborhood was first built in the 1950s.

Since then, public works officials have discovered that these pipes corrode much faster than originally anticipated.

When rocks and other hard debris enter the storm drain, they damage the corrugated metal, causing it to rust and fail, Harris said.

Local governments banned the

use of corrugated metal pipes in 1992.

“Since the failure was first discovered, the city has been organizing funding and design work to effect a complete repair of the entire storm drain system in this area,” Harris said. “That work is nearing completion, and construction of a permanent fix is expected to begin early next

Page 15

year.”

A spokesperson for City Councilmember Scott Sherman said his office is trying to determine whether funds appropriated in the city’s budget for emergency infrastructure repair can be used to speed up the process to replace the storm water drainage system on Princess View Drive.

Some neighbors said they were more concerned about drivers and bicyclists coming down Princess View Drive toward Mission G o r g e Road who might not be able to change lanes in time to avoid the gap in the road.

“At night it’s like a race track down here,” said a woman who lives across the street who declined to give her name.

Accidental injuries resulting from the unrepaired sinkhole could be a significant liability for the city.

Local lawyer Michael Burke recently won a $7.6 million jury award against the city after he was struck and paralyzed by a falling palm tree in the city’s right of way.

According to a U-T San Diego report, Burke’s lawyers argued that the city did not adequately block off the street or investigate the risk after a tree fell earlier in the day.

The city encourages residents to report problems on the roads, Harris said.

“If there is obvious road failure, it’s appropriate to contact the police department for immediate help in closing the roads to protect people,” he said. “We encourage everyone to call the Transportation and Storm Water Department customer service line at (619) 527-7500 if it is not an emergency.”

Teens Make Stunning Debuts

Alexa Ferich, Noah Ferich, Darren Henry and Britta Henry Debutante cousins Alexa Ferich and Britta Henry made their debut at the California State Society Daughters of the American Revolution Debutante Presentation, held at the 105th Annual State Conference March 9 in San Francisco. Henry, the 2012 Patrick Henry High School Senior of the Year is a freshman business economics major at UCLA, a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority and the UCLA Chorale. She is the daughter of Sharon Ferich Henry (PHHS 1984) and Brian Henry. Ferich is a junior at Gorman High School in Las

Vegas, where she is a varsity cheerleader, board member of Assistance League Assistants and a member of the National Honor Society. Ferich is the daughter of Mimi and Barry (PHHS 1981) Ferich, Jr. Retired Benchley Weinberger teacher Brenda Ferich is the proud grandmother of the honorees. She and Sharon are members of the San Diego Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. Britta and her brother, Darren, are affiliated with the Red, White and Blue Chapter Children of the American Revolution.

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LOCAL NEWS

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

SDSU, from page 1

exceedingly grateful for their many contributions to our university.”

According to reports by SDSU, Sanders has been a longtime volunteer, donor and advocate for the university.

Sanders attended SDSU for three years before leaving his senior year to become a police officer in 1973.

He has since then served on the Arts and Letters Dean’s Advisory Board, the President’s Advisory Board and has been supporter of the College of Arts and Letters Faculty Excellence Fund.

Throughout his two mayoral terms, Sanders also worked collaboratively with SDSU to publicize SDSU’s emergence as a leading public research university. He also presided over several events including SDSU President Emeritus Stephen Weber’s farewell gala, and last year’s Dalai Lama visit to the university.

Lang, chair and CEO of Jack in the Box, earned her master’s degree in business administration at SDSU in 1991.

She has since then been credited with tripling franchise

revenues and opening more than 900 new restaurants, and was recognized by Forbes as one of the top 10 female CEOs in the country.

In addition to her responsibilities at Jack in the Box Inc., Lang is an advocate for higher education and actively involved in several civic and corporate organizations. From 2009 to 2011 Lang served as a board trustee for the California State University and currently serves on SDSU’s College of Business board of directors.

Sanders will receive his honorary degree at the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts commencement ceremony May 17 and Lang will receive her honorary degree at the commencement ceremony for the College of Business Administration at 8 a.m. May 18.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of SDSU’s first honorary doctorate, which was given to President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

David Rozul is a graduating journalism senior with an emphasis in public relations at San Diego State University.

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LOCAL NEWS

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Alvarado Hospital One of 15 Top Health Systems in Nation

Alvarado Hospital, as part of Prime Healthcare Services, was recognized in April among the “Top 15 Top Health Systems” in the nation by Truven Health Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters) based on quality of care, efficiency and patient satisfaction. This is the third time in five years that Prime Healthcare has earned the national distinction and includes South Bay-based Paradise Valley Hospital.

According to Truven Health, compared to its peers, Prime Healthcare hospitals saved more lives, caused fewer patient complications, followed industry-recommended standards of care more closely, made fewer patient safety errors, released patients half a day sooner and scored better on overall patient satisfaction.

This annual, quantitative study uses objective, independent research and public data sources. Health systems do not apply, and winners do not pay to market their award.

“Prime Healthcare consistently shows that it’s a leader in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape,” said Mike Sarian, Prime Healthcare president of operations. “The award serves as a reassurance to the Prime team of clinicians, physicians and leaders who have been dedicated to do the right thing, always and every time.”

“We thank the physicians, nurses and staffs at Prime Healthcare hospitals who are dedicated to achieving superior clinical outcomes.” added Luis Leon, San Diego regional CEO. Prime Healthcare hospitals that were included in this study were Alvarado Hospital, Centinela Regional Medical Center, Chino Valley Medical Center, Desert Valley Hospital, Encino Hospital Medical Center, Garden Grove Medical Center, Huntington Beach Hospital, La Palma Intercommunity Hospital, Montclair Hospital Medical Center, Paradise Valley Hospital, San Dimas Community Hospital, Shasta Regional Medical Center, Sherman Oaks Hospital and West Anaheim Medical Center.

Page 17

Local Performers to Ask in CYC Musical, “Do You Hear the People Sing?” who is pitted against the pitiless and self-righteous Inspector Javert in a lifelong struggle to evade capture.

CYC is excited to have the help of one of the industry’s most accomplished performers, Thomas O’Leary, who played the title role in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway for more than 1,000 performances.

O’Leary also played in the first national tour of Les Misérables, and is eager to bring his experience to bear on behalf of CYC Theatre.

The California Youth Conservatory (CYC), twotime winner for the San Diego A-List Award for “Best Theatre Group,” will present Les Misérables at the popular Lyceum Theatre in downtown San Diego from June 7-23.

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Les Misérables is an epic saga that sweeps through three turbulent decades of 19th century France. Full of romance, passion, suspense and humanity, it is also the story of one man, the fugitive Jean Valjean,

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Several local performers are among the cast members, including Ryan Nealon, Elizabeth Blust, Kira Blust, and Cassandra Blust of San Carlos, Ben Read of Del Cerro, Paul Robaia of North Park who attends Patrick Henry High School, Ness Farrentelli of the College area, and Alyssa Blanch of Lemon Grove.

The CYC production will not be the “school edition” version CYC has successfully staged in the past but, rather, the fullscore, unrestricted version of the iconic musical. The rights to this

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full version have been unavailable to local companies until very recently, and CYC will be the first group in San Diego to bring this show to the local stage. Propelled by a Tony award-winning score from Claude-Michel Schonberg and librettist Herbert Kretzmer, this timeless masterpiece has moved audiences of all ages by its powerful story and magical score.

Tickets range from $22-$32 and can be purchased at the Lyceum Theatre Box Office at (619) 544-1000 or online at www. lyceumevents.org.

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ScoopSanDiego.com 6549 Mission Gorge Road #199 San Diego, CA 92120 619.283.9747

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Genevieve A. Suzuki, ext. 121 gen@MissionTimesCourier.com Mission Publishing Group, LLC Jim Madaffer jim@MissionPublishingGroup.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

A.J. Wheeler, ext. 152 AJ@MissionPublishingGroup.com

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R. Maude Madsen rmm@newsetc.com

Established 1995, circulation: 30,000. Published 12 times in 2013 and delivered to more than 24,500 homes and businesses in the communities of Allied Gardens, Del Cerro, Fletcher Hills, Grantville, San Carlos, Northern La Mesa, Rolando & the College Area by Mission Publishing Group, LLC. An additional 5,500 copies are distributed to more than 130 businesses and community centers in the communities. Classified ads and articles must be submitted by mail, e-mail or dropped off at our business address, Postal Annex at 6549 Mission Gorge Road, PMB #199, San Diego, CA 92120. (Vons Center) Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisements or material submitted which are deemed to be objectionable. Publisher’s liability for errors: The Mission Times Courier assumes no financial liability for errors nor for omission of copy and upon request will furnish a letter of correction to the advertiser. The Publisher, Mission Publishing Group, LLC., shall not be liable for any error in published advertising unless an advertiser proof is requested in writing 12 days prior to publication date and clearly marked for corrections.

If the error is not corrected by the Publisher, the liability, if any, shall not exceed the space occupied for the error. Further, the Publisher shall not be liable for any omission of an advertisement ordered to be published.

On written request, Publisher shall reschedule and run the omitted advertisement at the advertiser’s cost.

All claims for adjustment must be made in writing within 30 days of the date of publication. In no case shall the Publisher be liable for any general, special or consequential damages.

Equal Housing Opportunity: Real estate advertising in the Mission Times Courier is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” The Mission Times Courier will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. This is to notify Mission Times Courier readers that all dwellings advertised in the Mission Times Courier are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or TTY at 1-800-927-9275.

News and information printed in the Mission Times Courier is obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but accuracy on information sent to the paper cannot be guaranteed. Articles and opinions of writers or letters to the editor that are submitted for publication to the Mission Times Courier are the views of the writers and should not be considered the views of the publisher. Content of paid advertisements is solely the responsibility of the advertiser. © 1995-2013, all rights reserved.

LOCAL NEWS

Page 18

Are You Prepared for Rattlesnake Season?

By Sari Reis

Every year between April and October the rattlesnakes indigenous to Southern California come out of their dens to actively enjoy the warmer weather. Who can blame them? But their presence can present a very serious danger to us as well as our companion animals. Many people mistakenly believe rattlesnakes are found only in the canyons, deserts and trails around San Diego, but that is not so. They can be sitting in the tall grass in your backyard, lurking in bushes around the

doggie park and even laying out in plain sight on asphalted streets.

There are six species of rattlers found in our area. They are all venomous and can do some serious harm when they bite.

The good news is they are generally not aggressive and only strike when they feel threatened or deliberately provoked. If given the room, they will usually retreat.

Here are a few things you need to know to keep yourself and your “furry kids” safe: Rattlesnakes are most active at

dusk and dawn.

If you see a rattlesnake while out walking, stay at least 10 feet away from it.

Don’t walk off trails and avoid high grass and underbrush.

D o n ’ t look under rocks or into gopher holes when out hiking.

Always watch where you and your canine pal are putting your feet.

Be sure to have your cell phone with you when out hiking and keep the contact number of the closest veterinary emergency clinic at the ready.

Some people take the initiative of getting their dogs vaccinated against rattlesnake bites. Unfortunately, the vaccines are primarily only helpful if the toxin is from a Western Diamondback, and even then, the vaccine will only lessen the severity of the symptoms while you get the dog to the hospital. The symp-

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

toms of a rattlesnake bite to your animal may not show up for up to eight hours after the dog has been bitten, but often they start immediately. You may or may not see puncture wounds depending on your dog’s fur. There could be swelling, bruising and pain around the area. Hypotension

possible.

In an attempt to avoid rattlesnake bites altogether, some dog owners enroll their dogs in Rattlesnake Aversion Training.

This can be helpful but the process used to train the dogs is somewhat controversial. Be sure you inquire about the training

and shock are a real threat. The dog may be nauseous, have a raised heart rate, shallow respiration and may show depression or lethargy.

If you think your pet has been bitten, stay calm. Immobilize the dog and reduce his level of activity. Remove his collar and any other constrictive items. If necessary, treat him for shock and keep him comfortable and contained as you get him to an emergency clinic as quickly as

company’s methodology before you enroll to ensure you are comfortable with it.

The greatest way to enjoy this lovely time of year with your canine friend is to be aware and keep vigilant. Happy Hiking!

Sari Reis is a Certified Humane Education Specialist and the owner of Mission Valley Pet Sitting Services. For more information, she can be reached at (760) 644-0289 or www.missionvalleypetsitting.com.

HAPPENINGS AT PERSHING Studying Mary Mallon a.k.a. “Typhoid Mary” In 7th grade science at Pershing Middle School, students have been learning about infectious microbes and their impact on the human population. One avenue of research has led students to question the role and methods used by public health agencies in an effort to monitor and protect the public’s health.

Students have done a case study on a very famous case of quarantine of a New York City citizen by the name of Mary Mallon back in the early 1900s.

Mallon is more infamously known as “Typhoid Mary.” (Yes, there were tabloid labels back then.) She was the first recognized case of a healthy carrier of the bacteria that causes Typhoid Fever. She worked as a cook and transmitted the bacteria to the people who ate the food she prepared. She was quarantined twice. The first quarantine period lasted three years and the second for 26 years until she died at age 69. Some say she was a victim of her circumstances and a biased public health department while others say she was a villain who knowingly passed the illness to others.

Students did extensive research on the Mary Mallon case, examining the facts as well as character analysis. Students participated in a mock trial. The scenario was that Mary Mallon was in her second quarantine for a period of 10 years and she was suing to win her freedom. Students acted as lawyers for Mary Mallon and the Public Health Department and gave opening statements, questioned witnesses and gave closing statements. Witnesses included Mary Mallon, a hospital staff member at the hospital, a physician, George Soper who was a civil engineer and traced Typhoid outbreaks to Mary Mallon, Dr. Josephine Baker who was a doctor for Public Health and the Public Health Commissioner.

Some students were also assigned the role of court recorder and bailiff and others played on the jury while Mrs. Tayco was the judge.

Not only did students experience the role of doing adequate research of the facts of the case (using multiple sources of information) but had to also see both sides of the case in planning out what evidence to present in the courtroom and how to present it.

Mrs. Tayco was very impressed with the research, questioning and performance skills of her students! In the end, Mary Mallon and all the witnesses were real people. The case has remained a hot topic of debate and continues to teach us to balance out public policy with individual rights.

Interested? Want to learn more about Mary Mallon? Visit the NOVA site called “The Most Dangerous Woman in America” at www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ typhoid.

Congratulations to our amazing music department. Under the expert directions of Ms. Kelly Zeman, our talented students in the band and orchestra performed at Lewis Middle School for the CMEA festival this past Saturday. Both the bands and orchestras did an awesome job and, along with Ms. Zeman, deserve a standing ovation. Way to go, Pershing!

For more information, please visit our website, www.sandi.net/ pershing.

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

SCHOOLS

JOGGING FOR GREEN

a $50 fundraising goal but some of our top fundraisers have already raised over $1000 through our online fundraising pages.”

Thanks to generous sponsors, event organizers were able to provide free shirts to all 510 students. Local sponsors included title sponsor Lightspeed Outdoors; gold sponsors FBS Property Management, Stormberg Orthodontics, and Rye Built Construction; silver sponsors Longhorn Cafe & Saloon, Windmill Farms, I Love Tacos catering and Pro Specialties Group; and seven additional Bronze Sponsors.

Some of the top fundraisers will be awarded prizes (iPad mini, Kindle HD Fire, and more) and top distance runners will be recognized with trophies, ribbons and more. All prizes and recognition will be awarded on May 29.

By Genevieve A. Suzuki

Green Elementary students jogged for a good cause April 17 at their annual Jog-a-Thon, held to raise vital funds for the school’s art, music and P.E. programs. In addition to a bouncing field of green-attired students, parent, staff and teacher volunteers held Green’s principal’s head on a stick.

Green Elementary principal Dr. Bruce Ferguson was unable to attend the event so a volunteer printed photos of Ferguson’s face as a mask to be held up so that Ferguson was with the crowd in spirit. “Several people walked as him, ran as him, and just hung out with him – made it pretty

$25 an hour.

fun,” said Tracy Dahlkamp, who headed the event.

The community also got involved – San Diego Firefighters from Station 34 went out to the Jog-a-Thon’s second session and either ran or walked with the students for the entire 45 minutes.

Since the Jog-a-Thon’s kickoff assembly March 20, students have been soliciting family and friends to sponsor them for a perlap donation or a flat donation.

“We have raised $6000 through online donations and hope to raise at least $15,000 more through cash and checks,” said Dahlkamp. “We will know our final number in two-to-three weeks from now. Each child has

Page 19

GAGE ELEMENTARY NEWS

By Quincy Marin

Gage Elementary is moving forward with some exciting new programs. Gage is proud to introduce a new Spanish immersion program, beginning in the fall of 2013. The program will be a complete immersion that will equate to approximately 90 percent of the day in Spanish and 10 percent in English. Fluent English speaking students will be offered the ability to understand and speak more than one language which has been proven to encourage mental flexibility along with a heightened sensitivity to other cultures. The instruction will be based on California State standards and has no extra costs for parents. Enrollment is now open for the 2013-2014 school year for Kindergarten students only. Nondistrict students are also welcome to enroll. Please visit www.sandi. net/gage for complete enrollment information. Space is limited!

The new Transitional Kindergarten program at Gage was launched in the fall of 2012.

Teachers and parents are raving about the program’s smooth transition and specialized academic preparation. This program allows students a year of transition in a traditional school setting before formally entering kindergarten.

This is a free program that follows the regular school hours and calendar. Students in this program will develop both social and academic skills that will prepare them for a traditional kindergarten program. The second year of the Transitional Kindergarten program will begin in the fall

of 2013. Children who turn 5 between Oct. 2, 2013 and Dec. 2, 2013 can now enroll. Students who turn 5 between June 2013 and Oct. 2, 2013 can enroll in the transitional kindergarten program if there is space available. Transitional kindergarten is only available at select schools and space is limited. Please stop in and register your child. If you have questions please call (619) 463-0202 or visit the Gage Elementary at 6811 Bisby Lake Ave. Another new notable event at Gage was the First Annual Day of Service, in Memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Monday, Jan. 21, students, parents and teachers volunteered their time to complete critical projects on the campus, including painting, gardening, and cleanup. The PTA who organized this event, was thrilled with the great turnout. The event reminded the entire school community how just a little volunteer service can provide a huge impact.

Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/GagePTA, visit our website at www.proudgagegators.org or email us at gagepta@ gmail.com.

CLASSIFIEDS

Page 20

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

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David Ogul Call it a mission from God. I recently spent several days in rural Maryland with a group of men and women from around the country who are doing what they can to save Judaism.

The facts are startling.

While barely more than 1 of every 10 Jews who married before 1970 was in an interfaith marriage, that number skyrocketed to nearly 5 of every 10 Jews who married between 1996 and 2001, according to the National Jewish Population Survey.

How to respond to the assimilation is at the crux of an ongoing debate in Jewish circles around the country. How to respond to the assimilation is what led me to spend several days at a Baltimore County retreat. Some synagogues want to stick their collective heads in the sand, ignore reality and treat the non-Jewish spouse in an interfaith marriage as an outsider. Other synagogues embrace the nonJewish spouse of an interfaith marriage because, well, it’s the

right thing to do.

Like many of those at the Maryland retreat, I have first-hand experience in the changing demographics.

I’m an active member at a Conservative Jewish congregation in San Diego. My wife is an active parishioner at a Catholic church nearby. But despite the religious differences, the folks at my congregation, Tifereth Israel, have warmly welcomed my wife for years. They wish her the best on Christmas and Easter. They invite her to dinner or to the movies on a regular basis. They see her as a member of the family, even though she has no intention of converting and remains committed to Christ.

Largely because of that support, we’ve remained loyal members of the shul. Largely because of that support, my wife backed the conversion of our daughter, who last year became a bat mitzvah.

At too many temples, however, those in mixed marriages face congregants and policies precluding the non-Jewish spouse from taking part in various life-cycle events. Some synagogues won’t even allow for birth announcements in their newsletters if it involves a mixed marriage.

Sadly, there is little chance the offspring from such unions would want to carry on in the Jewish tradition. Sadly, there is little chance the Jewish spouse would want to remain tied to a faith that tolerates such insensitive leadership.

See JUDAISM page 21

Cash paid for old cars, car parts, soda machines, slot machines, military items, taxidermy, swords, antique guns, toys, solid wood furniture, we buy and sell let us know what you have 619-379-3620 (04/13)

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MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Music Notes Jazz Wednesdays – Gilbert Castillanos Jazz Jam at Seven Grand. Free.

SevenGrandBars.com Wednesdays – Jazz with Kice Simko and Friends at Riviera Supper Club. Free.

RivieraSupperClub.com Fridays – Sam Johnson Jazz Duo at Cosmos Coffee Cafe. Free.

CosmosCoffeeCafe.com Fridays – Jazz at the Cosmo featuring Bruce Cameron, Mark Augustin , and Ted Williams at the Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Hotel. $5. www.

OldTownCosmopolitan. com Saturdays – Jazz at the Cosmo featuring Bruce Cameron, Mark Augustin and Ted Williams at the Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Hotel. $5. www.

OldTownCosmopolitan. com Saturdays – Jazz with George and Alan at Bistro Sixty (formerly San Diego Desserts). Free. www.

SanDiegoDesserts.net Saturdays – Douglas Kvandal with the LiveJazz! Quartet at the Amigo Spot at the Kings Inn. Free. www. kingsinnsandiego.com May 19 – Vocalist Lillian Palmer at Mission Trails Regional Park Visitors Center Theater. Free.

Classical May 3-5 – Olga Kern plays Rachmaninoff at Copley Symphony Hall. $20-$96. 98BottlesSD. com May 17-19 – The Romeros Return at Copley Symphony Hall. $20-$100. www. sandiegosymphony.org May 24-26 – Joshua Bell plays Tchaikovsky at Copley Symphony Hall. $30-$106. www. sandiegosymphony.org

Alternative April 27-28 – Mission Federal ArtWalk in Little Italy featuring Jesse LaMonaca, The Heavy Guilt, The Black Sands, Bart Mendoza & True Stories, The

Midnight Pine, and many more. Free. www.

MissionFederalArtWalk. org May 18 – North Park Festival of the Arts featuring Chess Wars, The Midnight Pine, Gone Baby Gone, Stevie and the Hi-Staxx and much more. Free.

NorthParkFestivalOfArts .com May 24 – The Elephant Project, Duping the Public, Shake Before Us, and SXO at The Ruby Room. $7 adv/ $10 at the door. www.

RubyRoomSD.com May 31 – Little Hurricane, The Stone Foxes and The Hollerin at Belly Up. $16-$28. www.bellyup.com

Pop Thursdays – Greg Shibley at The Westgate Hotel. Free. www. westgatehotel.com May 4 – Vinyl Pirates at Chico Club. Free. www.

Chicoclub1940.com May 10 – Unwritten Law acoustic set at The Casbah. $20. www.

CasbahMusic.com May 11 – Silvermine at Chico Club. Free. www.

Chicoclub1940.com Bands, venues, and music-lovers: Please submit listings for this calendar by emailing Jen@ScoopSanDiego. com.

Bands, venues, and musiclovers: Please submit listings for this calendar by emailing Jen@ScoopSanDiego.com.

LOCAL NEWS

Page 21

Judaism, from page 20 The group with which I met in Maryland is part of The Keruv Initiative, a project launched more than a decade ago by the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs to convince Conservative congregations across the country to embrace those involved in mixed marriages.

There are plenty of success stories.

“I know of a number of cases where a local rabbi meets in a tavern monthly with a group of supportive non-Jewish male spouses,” Rabbi Charles Simon, a leader in the Keruv Initiative, wrote in Intermarriage: Concepts and Strategies for Families and Synagogue Leaders. “The relationships that evolve further engage these men in Jewish life.”

Added Simon: “Today every marriage, whether endogamous or not, is an intermarriage.

Each member of the relationship enters into it with different expectations and different family traditions. The success of the relationship will be determined by the ability to compromise.”

In his blog, Rabbi Gil Steinlauf of Congregation Adas Israel in Washington, D.C., wrote: “The simple reality is that intermarriage is here to stay.”

He continued: “We must face the future proudly. There are some extraordinary human beings, Jewish and non-Jewish, who are poised to contribute magnificently to Jewish life in our synagogue, and across this country.”

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Page 22

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MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

Planning, from page 1 north of Margerum Avenue just past an existing multifamily development east of Mission Gorge Road from existing commercial to medium density (15 to 29 dwelling units per acre) to allow multifamily redevelopment.

NCPI heard from the developer’s representative, Randi Coopersmith of Latitude 33, who gave a brief presentation on the rezone initiation request.

“If you approve the plan amendment we will go forward and start the process of working with neighbors and staff in a completely transparent fashion,” said Coopersmith, pointing out there are no particulars to discuss yet because there is no project proposal, just a request to initiate a rezone process to study the feasibility of site redevelopment.

Speaking from the audience, San Carlos Area Council president John Pilch noted his group voted 6-0 to oppose initiating the Navajo Community Plan Amendment for the Coleman project site.

“We had lots of questions about what their plans are,” Pilch said.

“Whatever goes in there is going to cause problems with traffic and access. We feel there should be something done with the center as it is now, an upgrade to attract more tenants or whatever.”

“This initiation is to study the feasibility of doing an amendment,” said Wagner, adding he supported taking that action.

“That property is underutilized,” Wagner said. “I have lived here my entire life and I’ve never

visited any of the businesses there. I think, at the very least, we should support initiating a plan amendment to see what we can do to revitalize this particular portion of the community.”

In other action: Jon Staab of District 7 Councilman Scott Sherman’s office said an enlarging pothole on Princess View is being addressed as an emergency matter by city work crews. “[The city’s] not just putting tape around it?” asked board member Matt Adams. “The pothole started when utilities undergrounding began,” replied Staab. “Whoever is going to fix it is not just going to patch it.”

Staab said the city is evaluating the problem to devise a permanent fix.

NCPI board member Dan Smith, representing the group with the Community Planners Committee (CPC), an umbrella organization representing the city’s 26 community planning groups, exhorted NCPI members to get more involved with CPC, because that’s where planning decisions are made and monies allocated at a regional level to address infrastructure and other problems.

For more information, visit www.SDPlanninggroups@sandiego.gov. NCPI makes land-use recommendations to the city for Allied Gardens, Del Cerro, San Carlos and Grantville. The group meets monthly every third Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Zion Avenue Community Church, 4880 Zion Ave. The next meeting will be May 20.

MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

EYE ON COMMUNITY

Page 23

YOUTH SYMPHONY MAKES SWEET MUSIC

By Jen Van Tieghem Just because one season of the San Diego Youth Symphony (SDYS) is winding down doesn’t mean the music will be stopping anytime soon. As soon as the final shows are performed on June 1 and 9, auditions for the next season begin. Students as young as 8 can try out for spots in both orchestra and wind ensembles, and the passionate pursuit to perform will begin once again.

With over 600 students the SDYS has their hands full with weekly practices for each ensemble. Music director Jeff Edmons, who started with the program 17 years ago, began his life in music at a young age learning violin from his grandfather and going on to conduct in his teens. After graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in music education, he came to SDYS when there was just one group of young musicians to conduct. With Edmons on board, the program has grown to include 11 ensembles: five full orchestras, four wind programs, and two string programs. Edmons conducts the most advanced orchestra and wine ensembles while many talented conductors take on the other groups. The conductors have a diverse background – many having played nationally and internationally themselves.

Along with the individual instrument instructors they make up a very accomplished faculty and bring great amounts of knowledge to pass on to young students.

The students themselves also must bring talent to the table.

“This is not for the casual musicmaker,” said president and CEO Dalouge Smith. “[Students] have to really want to be there and take on a challenge.”

For aspiring symphony musicians the challenge begins with their audition- something even returning students must participate in, whether they wish to remain in the same ensemble or push themselves to the next level. For the upcoming season registration begins April 2 with the actual auditions beginning

TAKE NOTES June 1: Spring Showcase at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido featuring the SDYS orchestras and wind ensembles.

June 9: Spring Ovation Concert at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido featuring SDYS’ Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia.

mid-June. Families pay $50 per student to audition and should come with an idea of their child’s skill level. The audition will consist of performing a solo, scales, and demonstrating their ability to sight read. Requirements also vary by the level of the ensemblefor example a violinist wishing to join an advanced group may need to demonstrate advance bowing techniques in order to earn their seat. And the high-level ensembles have a minimum age limit.

Once a student is accepted into an ensemble (or potentially multiple ensembles) they will be notified in mid-July and the fee for the entire season is $600. Note: There are scholarships to help families who demonstrate a financial need as well.

When the ensembles have been put together the hard work truly begins. Smith explained that the success of the program comes from a combination of dedication from children and their parents and energy from the conductors. He described the student’s experience as “fulfilling and aspirational” as musicians work to perform in a way they previously couldn’t and culminating in performances for their family and the community at large.

Armed with knowledge of the children’s current levels and

assessed potential, music director Edmons and the staff decide on musical selections for the season. Weekly practices take place at Balboa Park at Casa del Prado and are free and open to the public who may want to see the inner workings of symphony rehearsals (www.sdys.org/ rehearsal-schedules). The resulting performances mirror any professional ensemble with the students performing symphonies and concertos.

According to Smith, students often stay with the youth symphony for years learning a variety of music and becoming versatile musicians. As they mature in their musicianship some choose to pursue an ongoing education in music. To assist with this the SDYS holds an annual Music Departments and Conservatories College Fair each fall. Representatives from universities and conservatories from across the country visit the fair to

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Panel discussions with SDYS staff cover topics from choosing the right music program to applying to college. The fair is just one way the program promotes the ongoing passion of the students.

It’s clear SDYS is enriching students’ lives, pushing them in their art and helping them pursue long-term goals. For the community they offer opportunities to enjoy classic works performed by the rising stars of our city.

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MissionTimesCourier.com — May 2013

4 Plumbing Tips to Get your Home Ready for Spring Spring is here and now is the perfect time to tackle your Spring home maintenance checklist.

We have have some tips to help you get started so you can have a fun and relaxing springtime.

Outdoor irrigation: Check your sprinkler system for proper usage and operation. With warmer weather on its way, and less rain, you may even consider installing a timer for an automated process.

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Landscaping: Thinking of planting trees to spruce up your yard for spring? Be cautious of where you plant them. Trees can offer nice shade to your home, but roots can invade your drains. If you’ve had root problems in the past, it may be time to schedule a plumber to address your root issues.

Drains: Have any of your drains shown signs of clogging? Don’t let this problem escalate. If you’ve been noticing backup it’s probably time to have the problem addressed before it becomes major.

Under Sink Storage: You may want to reconsider where you store cleaning products. Storing caustic chemicals under your sink can quickly damage a water connector, causing corrosion and eventually a major flood.

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