Mission Valley News - February 2014 by Mission Publishing Group LLC

February 14, 2014

On the Internet at www.MissionValleyNews.com

Volume VIII – Number 2

Mission Valley home prices jump in 2013 By Jeremy Ogul Mission Valley News

esidential real estate values soared in 2013, increasing at a greater rate than in any year since the Great Recession began in 2007. The appreciation was more intense in Mission Valley than in almost any other ZIP code in San Diego, primarily because condominium values generally appreciated more than single-family detached homes throughout the county. The average sale price in the 92108 ZIP code increased by more than 37 percent compared to 2012, according to figures pub-

lished by U-T San Diego. Data pulled directly from Sandicor, the region’s multiple listing service, show a more moderate but still impressive increase in average sales price, from $232,904 in 2012 to $290,355 in

2013, an increase of 24.67 percent. Across San Diego County as a whole, the average sale price increased by about 21 percent. “That’s a dramatic jump,” said Ashley Lunn, a member of the

San Diego Association of Realtors Board of Directors and manager of the Keller Williams San Diego Metro office. Perhaps the biggest reason for the increase in Mission Valley was that most of the distressed properties that were on the market in 2012 — foreclosed, bankowned homes under $250,000 — were snapped up by investors and entry-level buyers, constricting supply and driving up prices in 2013, Lunn said. Whereas 191 distressed properties sold in 2012, only 57 sold in 2013. “The low prices were sold out, basically,” Lunn said. As a result, the local market beSee CONDOS page 2

Fifth-graders get head start on the world of money

Leaner, cheaper, Post office opens in Westfield Mission Valley By Jonathan Heller for the Mission Valley News

Biztown, a lifelike economic simulation for fifth-graders, features storefronts from well-known brands. By Madeline McCurry-Schmidt for the Mission Valley News

t’s a chilly February morning, and the city is waking up. Construction workers put on their helmets, bankers fire up their computers, and doctors make their rounds. This city operates much like any other—except all its residents are in fifth grade. With the help of local businesses and foundations, Junior Achievement San Diego has transformed a Grantville office building into an indoor main street. Each school year, more than 14,000 fifth grade students

Junior Achievement San Diego has transformed a Grantville office building into an indoor main street. visit JA BizTown to learn about careers and practice skills in money management. This particular morning, the residents of JA BizTown have come from Lakeside’s Riverview Elementary. At JA BizTown’s City and County Administra-

tion Building, Ryan Molleman, the student elected mayor for the day, is preparing for his big speech. “I will make sure everyone’s having a good time and doing the right thing,” says Molleman. All day long, Molleman will keep an eye on the city’s budget. He is excited to be mayor of JA BizTown, but he also sees how these skills will help him in the real world. “They will probably help me a lot, from knowing how to do a check and how the economy flows,” Molleman said. See BIZTOWN page 11

he U.S. Postal Service has opened a smaller, more affordable post office in the Westfield Mission Valley mall, and is now targeting other San Diego neighborhood post offices for possible closure. The postal service, which has operated a post office at the mall since 1997, had announced it would close the location late last year for financial reasons. This prompted an outcry from the community, which said expected growth in the valley only underscored the need for a post office. They also said that the nearest post office in Linda Vista post office was not on a trolley line and therefore less accessible. This eventually led the postal service to reverse its decision and instead seek a more affordable space in the mall. The new post office opened Monday, Jan. 27, in a 3,906-squarefoot storefront beSee POST OFFICE page 4

2 Condos, from page 1 came less appealing to investors and first-time buyers and more amenable to mid-level and moveup buyers, she said. The trend will likely continue into 2014. “The prices are probably going to trend upwards for a while,” Lunn said. “I don’t see any less expensive inventory under that $250,000 price point coming to market. The prices have gone up enough now that a $250,000 unit in 2012 is probably closer to $320,000 today.” Meanwhile, there was a sharp jump in the number of homes sold in Mission Valley for $450,000 or more. In 2012, approximately 16 homes sold for $450,000 or more. In 2013, that number more than tripled to 49 homes. Some of the appreciation in Mission Valley was probably driven by the sale of new attached homes at Civita, which are generally much more expensive than the average for 92108. In 2013, three units in Mission Valley closed over $700,000, according to Sandicor data. One surpassed the $800,000 mark. In 2012, by contrast, no residential property in Mission Valley sold for more than $510,000. The number of home sales also jumped at Escala, the luxury development on the other side of Interstate 805, where 43 homes sold in 2013, compared to 37 in 2012. Of course, most of the nearly 400 home sales in Mission Valley last year were not in Civita or Escala, but in the relatively older

LOCAL News complexes in other parts of the valley. West of Fashion Valley, for example, many more units are selling in complexes such as Friars Village, Presidio Place and The Courtyards. A lot of the original owners are now aging and moving in with family or into assisted living facilities, said Tugg Snowbarger, owner of the real estate firm Grand Pacific Properties, which specializes in Mission Valley condos. In most cases, these complexes have been very well maintained, and the units for sale have been fully upgraded and are ready for move-in. “Buyers are always surprised to come in and see the well-established communities that have aged very well,” Snowbarger said. “They didn’t know they could find that in the valley.” The location, some five to ten minutes from Mission Bay and the coastal beach communities, is also a magnet. “It’s a great little pocket because you’re not in the hustle and bustle of where everything is congested,” Snowbarger said.

So where are the buyers coming from? Some cash buyers come from Mexico or other countries and are looking for a second home in the US. Other buyers are downsizing from single-family homes or are buying second homes from other cities in California or Arizona,

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014 Snowbarger said. Many metro buyers who would have purchased a condo downtown, uptown or in Pacific Beach have been priced out of those markets, said Richard Neely, president of Grand Pacific Properties Group. These buyers are increasingly relocating to Mission Valley because they can get more space and great amenities for the same price or less, Neely said. The growth of a sense of community in the valley has also made living here more appealing to potential buyers, Neely said. When housing was first built in Mission Valley in the 1970s and ‘80s, it sort of had the feel of a random assortment of shopping centers and condo buildings. Now, however, the valley is becoming a true neighborhood with its own identity, he said. Looking forward to the rest of 2014, no one seems to expect the same kind of growth last year as they did this year, but moderate appreciation is still expected. Rising interest rates will probably soften demand in 2014, Snowbarger said. Values are more likely to appreciate in the single digits this year than by dozens of percentage points like last year, he said. But if for no other reason, prices will likely continue to rise due to the general shortage of housing in San Diego. “We need more homes,” said Lunn, of the San Diego Association of Realtors. “Sellers are in a good spot right now.”

Reduce your risk of heart disease

Photo credit: James Gathany / CDC

By Kelly Ostrem ACSM-HFS, CHES Fitness Expert

t’s pretty common knowledge that exercise is good for your health, but just how is it good for you? Regular exercise can improve not only the length but the quality of your life. It’s also established that not being physically active is one of the primary risk factors for heart disease. February is heart disease awareness month, and for a good reason. It’s the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. What’s even more astounding is the fact that it’s the most deadly disease in America, and it’s largely preventable. How do you prevent heart disease? Just maintain a healthy lifestyle every day. Sounds simple enough, but it can be much harder in practice. Here are three big ways you can live healthy and reduce your risk of heart disease right now.

Eat Well

Eat a diet filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Aim to eat whole grains and lean proteins. Try to limit the amount of fat, sugar and salt in your diet. Instead of trying to overhaul your diet, try starting with smaller steps. Swap a soda for sugarfree iced tea. Snack on crunchy veggies instead chips. Tackle one small change, and then add another one.

Be Active

Adults should aim to get 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day, according to the Surgeon General. That amount of exercise has been shown to reduce one’s risk of heart disease, improve quality of life and lead to a longer life. Just a short time each day spent moving and getting your heart pumping can make it strong and more resilient to all kinds of stressors life can throw at us.

Want even better news? You can get these healthy benefits in segments as short as 10 minutes. It all adds up. Go for a short walk on your break or after mealtime. Bring a friend for support and you’ll both get healthier! Take the stairs instead of the elevator. There are easy ways to add physical activity into your day. Try one until it becomes a habit, and keep it up until you’ve hit 30 minutes.

Know Your Numbers

Your blood pressure and cholesterol are important numbers that can be indicators of heart disease. Knowing your numbers can give you a clearer picture of your overall health. If you have high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol, you want to know about it so you can take steps to change it. If you are interested in learning more about these health indicators, talk to your doctor. At the Mission Valley Y, wellness coaches and trainers offer various health screenings each the month to help members learn about their health. Both Scripps and Sharp have mobile units that travel throughout San Diego to provide free health screenings to the public. These health assessments are private and confidential, and they can give you a clearer picture of your health and what you can do to improve it. Check them out online to find a location near you today!

COMMUNITY NEWS

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Construction begins on new permanent fire station near stadium By Jeremy Ogul Mission Valley News

ission Valley is finally getting its own permanent fire station. After seven years of housing emergency crews in a temporary structure in the southwest corner of the Qualcomm Stadium parking lot, city leaders broke ground Jan. 23 on the new fire station. The two-story building will be built on Friars Road just across the street from the stadium in what is now an overflow parking lot just west of Mission Village Drive. The station will have five garage bays and 16 dormitory rooms in 16,290 square feet of space. Its crews will primarily serve an area of 4.28 square miles in the immediate vicinity. The total cost of the project is $11.1 million. The last portion of funding needed was allocated through an infrastructure bond approved by the City Council last year. The need for a fire station in Mission Valley has been apparent for atleast34years,saidFireChiefJavier Mainar. Of the 16 fire chiefs the San Diego Fire Rescue Department has had in its history, the last seven have been advocating for this fire station, he said. Mission Valley for years has been

The new station’s five garage bays will house a fire engine, a foam tender and the HAZMAT unit. supported by Fire Station 18 on Felton Street in Normal Heights. In March 2006, the temporary fire station consisting of a modular building and a tent for the engine was built in the southwest corner of the Qualcomm Stadium parking lot. The new fire station is being purpose-built for the hazardous materials team, which is currently based in Mira Mesa, Mainar said. During Chargers games, the engine finds a place to station somewhere else in the district, but even without traffic, it can easily take a minute and 15 seconds just to get the truck through the stadium

parking lot and out onto Friars Road, Luque said. New traffic signals will be installed on Friars Road to ensure a quick exit from the station during emergencies. Just having direct, immediate access to Friars Road could save up to two minutes on response times, Luque said. Engine 45 responded to a total of 2,110 calls between July 2012 and June 2013. Most of those — 1,641 of them — were medical or rescue calls. Actual fires were 209 calls, and the other 260 calls were for other reasons. Aside from the delayed response times, the new fire station is also

necessary to improve living conditions for firefighters, who had been sleeping in a modular building with their engine under a tent next door. “This is the least we can do for them,” Emerald said. It’s the first fire station built in San Diego since 2008, when Station 47 was built by a developer in Carmel Valley. In addition to the hazardous materials team and Engine 45, the new fire station will be home to a brandnewfoamtruck,whichispoised to respond to any incidents that may arise and the nearby Kinder Morgan tank farm, which holds enormous

quantities of fossil fuels. The new foam truck replaced an engine that had been around since 1956, said Kevin Ester, deputy fire chief. It can flow 3,000 gallons of foam a minute. “It’s a monster,” Ester said. CaptainStevenDuffysaidthefoam truck is the only one in the county. It is also capable of fighting wildland fires. “We’re just now starting to use it and train on it,” Duffy said. City Councilmembers were full of praise and excitement about their ability to finally invest in new fire stations not only in Mission Valley but also in other neighborhoods such as City Heights. The process began before the Citygate audit of the city’s fire services came out in 2011. “The city just did not make this fire station a priority,” Emerald said. As a result of the city’s budget crises circa 2005, there was a period of about five years that the city could not even access the bond markets to obtain funding for infrastructure projects like the Mission Valley fire station. With people beginning to move into homes in Civita, the fire station is more important now than ever, said City Councilmember Scott Sherman. Construction on the new station should be complete within 18 to 24 months.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Post Office, from page 1 tween Lenscrafters and Onami, near Macy’s Home Furnishings, said Eva Jackson, a postal service spokesperson. The new space will cost a total $215,184 a year in rent, a reduction of 34 percent. The space is also about 36 percent smaller than the previous space, which cost $327,328 a year. That number appears higher than the previously reported figure of $216,000 because it did not include the annual common area maintenance fee, Jackson said. Still, in deciding to maintain a presence at the mall, the postal service gave up a much larger potential savings. It had planned to consolidate the entire Mission Valley operation into the Linda Vista post office, which the postal service owns outright, Jackson said. Jackson acknowledged that the financial difficulties that prompted the postal service to initially announce it was closing the Mission Valley office had not gone away. But she said that the problems were more global in nature and not specific to Mission Valley. Two significant problems she mentioned included Congress’ requirement that the postal service prefund retire health costs at $5 billion per year, and the fact that First Class Mail is going the way of the dinosaur. “The financial issues were not at that location,” Jackson said. “It brings in good revenue.” The Mission Valley office was

targeted because of its relative proximity to the Linda Vista office, just over two miles away by car, Jackson said. Resident Marc Skora wrote a letter to the Mission Valley News saying he believed it was a bad decision to keep the Mission Valley office open. “In my opinion there was little logic, common sense or even more importantly fiscal sense shown by” interests who argued to maintain the location, Skora wrote.

The new space will cost a total $215,184 a year in rent, a reduction of 34 percent. “Wiser, more rational minds should have pointed out that the Linda Vista post office is easily reached by a short drive up Ulric Street,” Skora wrote. The proposed closing caught the eye of Steve Hutkins, who blogs about the state of the U.S. Postal Service at the website savethepostoffice.com. Hutkins noted that while the closure would have resulted in financial savings, those savings would have come at a cost. “Of course, closing post offices also means driving away customers and losing revenue. The Postal Service hasn’t released information about the annual

revenues at (the Mission Valley office), but they are likely to be significant, and the potential losses, just as significant,” Hutkins wrote. Meanwhile, a longtime anti-tax activist is criticizing the decision to keep the Mission Valley post office open. “It’s like reverse NIMBYism,” said Richard Rider, chairman of San Diego Tax Fighters. “It’s like, ‘Please put it in my backyard.’” Rider was referring to the wave of community leaders who had begged the postal service to spare the Mission Valley office. “This happens over and over,” Rider said. “There’s always that pressure. Everybody always wants to go two blocks to the post office. But it’s not appropriate for us to subsidize those operations.” Rider suggested the postal service consider contracting with a private company such as Postal Annex to use their space at reduced prices. As a result of the decision to maintain a post office in Mission Valley, the postal service is now looking at other potential locations to close or merge, Jackson said. “We’re looking at what offices are within one, two or three miles of each other that we could consolidate,” she said. Some possibilities include downtown San Diego, which has two post offices within a few blocks of each other, and Escondido, which has three within the city limits.

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Mission Valley Planning Group Updates Community plan update may see funding next year

s work wraps up on the community plan update in Grantville, San Diego’s Planning Department will begin to turn its attention to Mission Valley’s desperately needed community plan update. The Planning Department is working on its budget proposal for 2014-2015, which will include a request for funding to kick off the plan update next year, said senior planner Brian Schoenfisch. The funding is not guaranteed to be included in the final budget that the city council adopts, but members of the Mission Valley Planning Group and others who

are interested in seeing the plan update become a reality should begin lobbying the City Council to approve the funding, Schoenfisch said. A new community plan will make it easier to change the things about Mission Valley that residents and property owners want to change, but the process of determining what should change and what should stay the same is expensive and time-consuming. The city has been promising funding for a community plan update for decades or more without actually delivering.

COMMUNITY NEWS

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

UPDATE:

Control over public access paths on San Diego River questioned

ate last year the city removed three benches and a picnic table from the river path behind the Union Square at Hazard Center condominium complex and replaced them with kiosks with interpretive information. The change had some members of the Mission Valley Planning Group questioning who had the right to make changes to amenities along the path, so the group’s Public Health, Safe-

ty and Welfare Committee convened a meeting to learn more last month. The path is a public easement on the private property of Union Square, which means the homeowner’s association has some authority to demand changes to the path, according to information presented at the meeting. Because the benches had become a magnet for loitering homeless people, the homeowner’s association voted to

pay the city $10,000 to remove the benches and replace them with signs, said Marla Bell, a planning group board member who lives at Union Square. The change was approved by the First San Diego River Improvement Project advisory committee, over which the Mission Valley Planning Group has no jurisdiction, Bell said. “It’s not like there’s just some rogue organization out there where nobody knows what’s going on,” Bell said. The private property owners’ original agreement with the city allowed them to remove the benches as long as they replaced it with some other amenity, said Senior City Planner Brian Schoenfisch. A series of meetings took place to ensure both the city and the homeowner’s associations were abiding by their contractual obligations, Schoenfisch said. There are plenty of other benches and tables elsewhere along the river, and if other property owners want to add amenities to the portions of the path that pass through their property, they can take the initiative to do that, Bell said.

UPDATE:

Homeless population counted along the river A

n estimated 220 people live along the San Diego River, according to the annual point-intime count conducted on Jan. 24, said Rob Hutsel, executive director of the San Diego River Park Foundation. Most of the homeless are associated with one of the 58 camps or shelters that were counted along the river; about 75 roam alone, Hutsel said. The actual number of homeless in the river area is probably closer to 300, Hutsel said, because the encampments here tend to host larger groups — in some cases as many as 20 each — than camps in other parts of the city.

The homeless population is most densely concentrated near the stadium, under Interstate 805 and near Sefton Park, Hutsel said. When the San Diego River Park Foundation first began organizing volunteers to clean up trash and debris, much of the junk came from litter and illegal dumping. Over the years, however, volunteers have cleared hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash out of the area. “A lot of the old stuff that used to be out there, like boats and pieces of cars, is gone,” Hutsel said. Now that the illegal dumping has been curbed, something like

75 percent of the trash that river volunteers clean up is directly related to the homeless population, Hutsel said. As a result, if the foundation wants to make any more progress on cleaning up the river, it has to partner with and support the other social service organizations, such as the Alpha Project, that target the homeless population in the river area. “Homelessness is something we all have to address and be involved with,” he said. Hutsel urged board members to think about solutions and to demand that Mission Valley be included in the efforts to address homelessness downtown.

LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Linda Vista Planning Group Updates Updates on park space, oversized vehicle parking and a child care center expansion dominated the discussion at the Jan. 27 meeting of the Linda Vista Planning Group.

UPDATE:

New parking rules on Via Las Cumbres

Following months of complaints by residents of the Friars Village condominium complex on Via Las Cumbres, the city has painted parking stalls on the street to deter oversized trucks and vehicles from parking on the street near the complex. Friars Village residents have said that the numerous large trucks that park near the driveway to the complex obstruct views, attract crime and make the neighborhood look bad. “These large trucks are parking underneath our bedroom

UPDATE:

windows, our kitchen windows, making noise all night,” said Shelly Smith, president of the Friars Village Homeowner’s Association. “These trucks provide a huge safe haven for bad intentions.” Residents say the trucks inhibit visibility for drivers coming in and out of the complex. “We’ve had several near misses,” Smith said. The city’s interim solution to the problem was to paint parking stalls big enough for a car but too small for an oversized

vehicle, said Ian Clampett, a representative from City Councilmember Kevin Faulconer’s office. Anyone who sees a vehicle that takes up more than one stall should call parking enforcement to have the vehicle ticketed, Clampett said. Ultimately, the problem should go away when the city’s oversized vehicle ordinance takes effect later this year, Clampett said. The ordinance will prohibit oversized vehicles from parking on public streets

between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. without a permit; each resident is limited to 72 overnight permits a year with no more than three consecutive permit nights. The city is waiting for the California Coastal Commission to sign off on the ordinance. The Linda Vista Planning Group board plans to write a letter to the city asking for more attention to the problem. The item will be placed on the agenda for the February meeting, said board chair Drew Corley.

Morley Green headed to city ownership When the state of California abolished community redevelopment agencies in 2011, one of the victims was Morley Green, a 1.25-acre strip of grass along the east side of Linda Vista Road. Community leaders had struck a deal to finally formally dedicate the park after decades in legal limbo when redevelopment was cut. The property, which is supposed to be a park,

has been stuck in the possession of Civic San Diego, the agency that succeeded the redevelopment agency, since 2011. Civic San Diego will finally transfer legal ownership of the property to the City of San Diego this year. The issue is tentatively scheduled to appear on the agenda of the City Council’s Smart Growth and Land Use Committee meeting on Feb. 12.

“I guess our $664,000 is in the state’s pockets now,” said Margarita Castro, a member of both the Linda Vista Planning Group and Linda Vista Recreation Council. “I think once we get it dedicated to this community as a park then we can go after some community development block grant money so we can finish what we started.”

GET A JUMP ON

SUMMER

UPDATE:

Day care center plans expansion

Oscar Marin, owner of the Vine Learning Center at 6866 Linda Vista Rd., announced his plans to move and expand the child care business to 2130 Ulric St., next to the Linda Vista Presbyterian Church. The center will move into a building that was once home to the church preschool. “The building on the exterior is not going to be changed,” Marin said. “There’s just going to be some minor remodeling on the interior.” Vine Learning Center will put a fresh coat of paint on the new building and install new landscaping, a new fence and a new playground between the church and the preschool building, Marin said. The city is reviewing the plans now and the move should occur by June, he said.

Your child’s school schedule doesn’t always match up with your schedule. That’s where camp comes in! Our Camps, Vacation Fun Days & Intersession Camps keep kids busy with sports, games, arts & crafts, and more!

WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT

CAMP IS IN! February 14.................Vacation Fun Day February 17.................Vacation Fun Day March 31 - April 4 ..............Spring Camp* April 7 - 11................ Intersession Camp April 14 -18 .............. Intersession Camp April 21 - 25 ............. Intersession Camp *A variety of specialty camps are offered during Spring Camp.

EARLY CAMP SIGN-UP MARCH 8 - MARCH 10

MISSION VALLEY YMCA

Join us for Early Camp Sign-Up Day to make sure your child gets into the summer camp of his or her dreams! We will have traditional summer camps as well as many specialty camps to keep your child active, having fun, and learning all summer long!

missionvalley.ymca.org

Visit any Mission Valley Y location for more information on camp or to sign up. Registration also available online.

LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

LINDA VISTA PLANNING GROUP ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN MARCH Community volunteers are needed for the Linda Vista Planning Group. There are several vacancies and open seats to fill during the annual elections in March. To qualify you must live, work, volunteer or own property within one of seven census tracts that comprise the boundaries of the planning group and ideally attend three meetings before (and including) the elections. Linda Vista Planning Group is officially recognized by the City of San Diego to advise and make recommendations to the City Council, the Planning Commission, city staff and other governmental agencies on

GINA’S

VALLEY VIEWS By Gina Cord, founder of Mission Valley News

EAST WEST BANK ESTABLISHES A NEW PRESENCE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

land use matters relating to the greater Linda Vista community. Monthly meetings are usually held on the fourth Monday of each month (except holidays) at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Linda Vista Branch Library at 2160 Ulric St. Elections will be held on Monday,

March 24. Please visit http://lindavista. org/LVPG for more details and to see copies of the bylaws, census tract, past meeting agendas and minutes, as well as other useful community information and resources.

NOTICE OF MISSION VALLEY PLANNING GROUP GENERAL ELECTION On Wednesday, March 5 the Mission Valley Planning Group (MVPG) will hold a general election of members to serve on its board. The general meeting and election will be at noon in the Community Room of the Mission Valley Library at 2123 Fenton Pkwy. The MVPG Board represents the general members of the Mission Valley Planning Group and is an all-volunteer group. Its primary purpose is to advise the City Council, Planning Commission and other governmental agencies as may be appropriate in the initial preparation, adoption of, implementation of, or amendment to the general or community plan as it pertains to the area or areas of influence of Mission Valley. Only general members who have attended a minimum of two meetings of the MVPG in the twelve months prior to the February 2014 regular meeting qualify to fill any board position. Attendance at the required meetings must be documented in the minutes of the meetings. Each term is four years, so all terms beginning in March 2014 will expire in March 2018. Three positions will be filled in the general election in each of the

With the acquisition of the 18 branches of MetroCorp, a whole new banking system moved into San Diego County as of Jan. 17. What had been known as the Metro United Bank, at 7320 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., became the only exposure in San Diego County of the East West Bank. Alex Hu, the former manager of the Metro United Bank and president of the Rotary Club of Convoy, remains as senior vice president and regional manager of East West Bank. His assistant, Bryan Tran, remains as portfolio officer. And while we are making big changes in this new year, the Rotary Club of Convoy will be known as the Rotary Club of Kearny Mesa. They meet every Thursday at the 94th Air Squadron Restaurant on Balboa Avenue from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. But to get back to the bank merger, the MetroCorp operates in Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. East West Bank is a publicly owned company with over $26 billion in assets and one of the largest independent banks headquartered in California. Focused exclusively on the markets of the United States and Greater China, the bank operates over 130 locations worldwide including the United States markets of California, Georgia, Nevada, New York, Massachusetts, Texas and Washington. In China the branches include a full service office in Hong Kong. Shanghai and Shanton, and representative offices in Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Taipei. For local information contact East West Bank at (858) 4964090.

HOORAH! WE STILL HAVE A POST OFFICE IN MISSION VALLEY

following classifications:

Class I: Property owner, who is an individual identified as the sole or partial owner of record, or their designee, of real property (either developed or undeveloped) within the community planning area. Class II: Person (including residents or persons representing business entities) paying property taxes on any parcel of real property in the community planning area. Class III: Resident, who is an individual, whose primary ad-

dress is an address in the community planning area (either an owner or renter).

Class IV: Local business person (including persons representing business entities), who is a local business owner, operator or designee, with a business address in the community at which employees or operators of the business are located. A candidate forum will be held at the regularly scheduled monthly board meeting in the same location as set forth above at noon on Feb. 5. For further information, please contact John Nugent at jnugent50@aol.com

Through the efforts of the Mission Valley Planning Group and most particularly the efforts of board member Josh Weiselberg, the Mission Valley Post Office has relocated in the Mission Valley Shopping Center opened for business again on Jan. 27. The easiest access is to continue parking in the Macy’s Home Furnishing lot as you did before and instead of entering in the first door where the boxes were located, just enter in the second door and you will see all the shiny new equipment. Thank you, Josh and all the members of the Planning Group for getting behind this important project. It was no easy task as the Post Office is run by the Federal Government, not locally.

OPINION

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

COMMENTARY

Bag the bag ban and tax scam By Bishop George McKinney Mark Arabo for the Mission Valley News

COMMENTARY

Ban single-use plastic bags for environment’s sake By Chris Kato for the Mission Valley News San Diego could become the next big California city to limit single-use plastic bags. Dozens of California cities have restrictions on plastic bags, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and, closer to home, Solana Beach. The San Diego City Council is expected to consider a plastic bag reduction ordinance later this year. Cities are choosing to reduce plastic bags because they’re harmful to the environment. Plastic bags — the ubiquitous, retail and grocery checkout kind — accumulate in the ocean and harm marine life. Remember those plastic bags you saw on the side of the road on your way to the game or to the mall? Those bags, whether discarded after a single use or reused multiple times, collect in the San Diego River or make their way to the ocean where they last between 400 and 1,000 years. They also release toxins as they photodegrade in landfills; about 95 percent of the 500 million plastic bags used annually in San Diego end up in a landfill. They are manufactured from fossil fuels, meaning that plastic bag reduction policies have been shown to also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Plastic bag cleanup is costly — at least $160,000 a year for the City of San Diego. Consider that approximately

3,700 volunteers picked up over 5,000 pounds of trash, nearly a third of which were plastics, during beach cleanups by San Diego Coastkeeper and the Surfrider Foundation in 2013. Equinox Center, which released a comprehensive study on the economic and environmental impacts of plastic bag reduction policies, supports the limited use of plastic bags. Our study calculated the environmental and economic impacts of a reduction ordinance in San Diego based on data from other California cities. San Diego stands to reduce single-use bags by 86 percent — an annual decrease of 348 million bags. That would lead to a decrease in solid waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Plastic bag reduction ordinances have been implemented successfully in 90 California municipalities, and a statewide policy will be considered this year. Two of the biggest municipalities with reduction ordinances, San Jose and San Francisco, reported “no sustained negative [economic] impact to retailers” after enacting them. On the surface, not everyone agrees with our position, which is why we would like to clear up some common misperceptions about the proposed plastic bag reduction ordinance for San Diego. Yes, plastic bags do get a second life. A national survey found that 92 percent of consumers reuse plastic shopping bags at least once. However, after that second

or third use, the plastic bags still end up in landfills, often because they have been used to collect waste and can’t be recycled. Plastic bags aren’t easily recyclable either because they tend to jam recycling sorting equipment. Plastic bags will still be provided at stores for your meat, produce, pharmaceuticals and bread will still arrive on shelves packaged in plastic. The ordinance under consideration for San Diego includes a 10-cent paper bag fee; shoppers would be charged for a paper bag if they do not bring their own reusable bag. The fee is not a tax — the money goes back to the retailer to partially offset the cost of the paper bags and complying with the ordinance. The purpose of the fee is to encourage consumers to switch to reusable bags rather than to simply rely on store-provided paper bags. Customers on government-assistance programs would be exempt from the paper bag fee. Reusable bags aren’t going to make you sick. No legitimate case studies support the claim that reusable bags cause foodborne illness. Reusable bags are washable, too. Throw them in the washing machine or clean them out with a disinfectant wipe. Even if this hasn’t swayed you, consider this: plastic grocery bags emerged for popular retail use only within the past 30 to 40 years. San Diego managed without them before, and larger cities are managing without them now. San Diego will, too.

Our government is at it again. Despite a recent U-T/10News poll showing most San Diegans oppose the idea, San Diego City Councilmember Sherri Lightner is pushing a big brother-style ordinance that would outlaw plastic bags at grocery and convenience stores, and require you to pay a tax on paper bags. To make matters worse, every dime of this new bag tax — which will generate millions of dollars every year — will go right into the corporate pockets of the large grocery chains instead of being put to good use here in San Diego for things like neighborhood cleanups. If approved, this ban will impact you wherever you shop for groceries in the city of San Diego, including Ralphs on Friars Road and Food For Less on Mission Center Road. Those pushing the bag ban claim that plastic bags are an unconscionable source of waste and litter. However, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these bags make up less than half of one percent of the waste stream. And, where litter studies have been conducted, plastic bags are typically less than one percent of what’s found. If the proposal is approved, you would be forced to use paper bags, which will cost you 10 cents a piece. All told, this equates to a multi-million tax on the people of San Diego – a tax for which you won’t even be able to vote. If you don’t want to use paper bags, your only other option is to buy the more expensive reusable bags, the vast majority of which are made in China (from oil) and imported to the U.S. at a rate of more than 500 million per year. Why, in these tough economic times, are we lumping any gov-

ernment costs on to grocery bills when so many families are struggling to make ends meet? And then there are the environmental impacts. Did you know that it takes much more energy to manufacture paper and reusable bags than it does to produce plastic ones? According to one study, the “global warming potential” of producing plastic grocery bags without factoring in reuse, is one-third that of paper bags and 1/131st that of reusable cotton bags. Moreover, by pushing people toward paper bags, more trees will be chopped down, leading to greater deforestation of our wilderness areas. In addition, it takes 96 percent more water to produce paper bags than it does plastic. All in all, the impacts of a ban on plastic bags would have a sizable negative impact on our environment. And let’s not forget that people like to reuse their plastic bags – to line their wastebaskets at home, pick up after their pets and carry their lunch to work. If these bags are outlawed, we’ll be forced to buy plastic bags; yet another cost associated with this ban. The bottom line is: this ban and tax scam doesn’t make sense for San Diego. The benefit is minimal and the downsides are many. Instead, our city leaders should focus on what we San Diegans really want: things like faster police and fire response times, smooth streets, and more hours at our libraries and recreation centers. McKinney is the Founder and Senior Pastor at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Church of God in Christ. Arabo is President and CEO of the Neighborhood Market Association, a San Diego-based non-profit organization that represents 2,100 family-owned markets in California, Nevada and Arizona.

SPORTS

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

2014 roller derby season starts with a bang at Skate World

By Chelsea Sterling for the Mission Valley News

t began like most sporting events—with the singing of the national anthem—but what followed in the opening bout of the San Diego Roller Derby season on Jan. 25, was unlike any other sporting event. There were braids, glitter makeup, elbow pads and plenty of hard hits. Between 50 and 60 fans cheered on as two teams of adult women kicked off the season at Skate World in Linda Vista. Competing for the John Hall Cup, the Rollin’ Ninjas beat the Roller Rebel Alliance 90-85 in the opening bout of the league championship.. For those new to roller derby, here’s a quick review of the rules and the vocabulary. Two teams of five compete against each other while skating around a rink. They must stay within the designated lines of the ring. One player from each team functions as the “jammer.” The jammers wear special caps on their helmets and must break through the other players to score points. The first jammer to break free of the other players is the lead jammer; she can call off the play and stop the scoring by tapping her hands on her hips. The other jammer can score during this time as well. Players can block the jammers with their bodies but cannot use their arms or forearms. The San Diego Roller Derby is a skater-run league. Each member of the team volunteers at least six hours a month assisting with marketing, scheduling, community events, fundraising and charity work. The league contributes to a different charity each month. “It takes everyone to make it happen,” said Tracy Withers, also known as Bonesy, who handles marketing outreach for the league. The league is made up of two traveling teams, three home teams, a junior league and a men’s league. Withers estimates there are about 80 total players. Before the main event, the Cadettes competed. The Cadettes, a junior league with mostly girls and a couple of boys ages four through 14, laced up their skates for a bout. Each team shared the jammer position between different players. There are 20 to 25 players. The Cadettes, like their counterparts in the adult league, had creative nicknames on their jerseys like Damage Patch Kid, SpazzTastic and Little Nickel.

WHAT IF CHURCH Photos by Jeremy Bonnett While the kids speed skate and deal with blocks and blows, Coach Scott said that it’s a physical game where the kids learn confidence and toughness. A second-year coach, he said “I love watching the kids get better over time.” Once they fall a couple of times and realize they won’t get hurt, Scott said they have fun. With a broad mix of junior players, the age gap can be tough, Scott explained. Roller derby is a tough sport. “This game is not for everybody,” said Olha, a spectator from La Mesa cheering on her friend w h o plays

with the Rollin Ninjas. She practiced once with the team and said it was very hard. Olha waved a poster throughout the bout supporting the black- and purple-clad Rollin Ninjas. While some may be deterred from the aggressive nature of derby, others are drawn to it. When asked why he wanted to play, Coach Scott said, “I get to be on skates and hit people, what’s not to like?” One tough player who earned the Most Valuable Player award during the bout, Krayla Ward,

also known as Mistress Doom, has been playing for over five years. She was attending a tattoo festival when she met several roller derby players dressed up. Later she saw a flier online and decided to try out. Through her various assignments with the US Navy, she has continued to play roller derby in Oklahoma, Florida and California. She describes the tough challenge that jammers face as they try to score: “It’s like you are the target.” The Rollin Ninjas’ jammers had no trouble scoring in the bout. Their top scoring jammers, Crowe and Litl Rampage, earned the team a strong lead in the first half. The Roller Rebel Alliance was ready for a challenge though; Hard Candy’s grit and a power play led to a spur of scoring, closing the lead to just one point, at 40-39, by the end of the half. The Rollin Ninjas gained back their lead to 22 points in the second half. Hard Candy scored in back-toback jams, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. The Rollin Ninjas won 90-85. With any sport, there is strong loyalty and dedication. Both teams practice scenarios and skate three times a week in additional to volunteering with the league. The San Diego Roller Derby league has doubled in growth. Withers said when she started playing four years ago, there were only 35 female players. The other home team, Coastbusters, also plays at Skate World in Linda Vista. The Rollin Ninjas will compete against the Coastbusters on Feb. 15. Tickets can be purchased for $5 at the door. More information can be found at www.SanDiegoRollerDerby.com.

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MUSIC NEWS

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Mission Valley recording studio creates space for community of musicians By Jen Van Tieghem

Jazz Fridays - Sam Johnson Jazz Group at Cosmos Coffee Cafe. Free. 3 to 5p.m. CosmosCoffeeCafe. com. Saturdays - Jazz with George and Alan at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. www.BistroSixtySD. com Feb. 15 – The Joseph Luna Quartet at Seven Grand. Free. 9 p.m. www. sevengrandbars.com

Feb. 28 – Circles at Seven Grand. Free. 9 p.m. www. sevengrandbars.com

ALTERNATIVE Feb. 15 – Desert Noises, The Paragraphs, and Oh, Spirit at Soda Bar $8 adv / $10 day of show. 9 p.m. www.sodabarmusic.com Feb. 21 – Chess Wars at Riviera Supper Club. Free. 9 p.m. www. RivieraSupperClub.com

Feb. 23 – John Butler Trio and Little Hurricane at House Of Blues. $30-$45. 8 p.m. www.houseofblues. com

Mission Valley News Music Writer

Park Visitors Center. Donations welcome. 3 p.m. www.mtrp.org Feb. 23 – The Chieftains at Copley Sympohony Hall. $20 - $85. 7:30 p.m. www.SanDiegoSymphony. org Feb. 28 – March 2 – Wagner’s The Ring Without Words at Copley Symphony Hall. $20 - $96 Fri & Sat 8 p.m. Sun 2 p.m. www. SanDiegoSymphony.org

March 12 – La Jolla Music Society presents Yo-Yo Ma at Copley Symphony Hall. $35 - $99. 8 p.m. www.ljms.org March 13 – Beethoven’s Choice at Copley Symphony Hall. $20. 7:30 p.m. www. SanDiegoSymphony.org

Pop Tuesdays - Suzanne Shea and Bob Wade at Bistro Sixty. Free 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.www.BistroSixtySD. com Call and hold your table 619-287-8186

Wednesdays – Westside Inflection at Riviera Supper Club. Free. 8 p.m. Feb. 24 – Sara and Roger’s www.RivieraSupperClub. 7th Anniversary at The com Casbah featuring Yacht Party, Listening to Rocks, Fridays – Nathan Welden and Tan Sister Radio. Free. at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 9 p.m. www.casbahmusic.com p.m. www.BistroSixtySD. com March 8 – Hills Like Elephants, Wild Wild Feb. 15 – West of 5 at Pal Wets, Boy King, and Joey’s Free. 9 p.m. www. Jimmy Rueles at the paljoeysonline.com Casbah. $8. 9 p.m. www. Feb. 22 - People of Earth casbahmusic.com at San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room. Free. 7 p.m. CLASSICAL Feb 16 & March 16 - Yale Strom and Lou Fanucchi “Klezmer Music” at Mission Trails Regional

www.SanPasqualWinery.com

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

nowing the interconnected nature of the San Diego music scene, it is no surprise to find that up-andcoming recording studio Phaser Control is owned by a local musician. Timothy Joseph, singer and guitarist of The Palace Ballroom, gave Mission Valley News a peek behind the scenes to see what goes on at the studio and rehearsal spaces. After six years running a nine-room rehearsal spot tucked in an unassuming corner of Mission Valley minutes from the stadium, Joseph decided to look for a larger location. Jumping on a warehouse vacancy in the same business park, he was able to build rehearsal rooms and an entire recording studio. With financial backing from his good friend, mentor, and business partner Jim Austin, he dove head first into the daunting project. “The entire complex was built from the ground up inside the shell of the warehouse,” Joseph told us. “The 17 rehearsal rooms were built and occupied within three months of taking possession of the building. The recording studio was an entirely different animal though.” The studio was conceptualized and designed by worldrenowned studio builder Rod Gervais. With his studio expertise and over 40-year history as a musician, Gervais made something very special with the Phaser Control build. “The math behind the design was so complicated that it took a team of 6 master carpenters (and an obscene amount of materials) about 4 months to complete the build,” Joseph explained. “When it was done the room exceeded all expectations. According to Rod [Gervais], there is only one other room built to these specifications in the western hemisphere. It really is an amazing place.” Attesting to the exceptionality of Phaser is the list of artists who have worked there, including numerous local musicians and national acts, such as James Mercer of the Shins, Silversun Pickups, Brother, The Presidents of the United States of America, The Joy Formidable and Peter Murphy of Bauhaus. “The studio feels right to us…. Small, smart, efficient… womblike,” said Ron Bocian of the local Euphoria Brass Band. After recording a jazz album in 2012 in just two 4-hour sessions, Bocian and his group gladly came back to Phaser for more and just finished recording their third album.

The math behind the design was so complicated that it took a team of 6 master carpenters about 4 months to complete the build.

“This time we got cozy and found ourselves making our best music to date,” Bocian explained. “[Engineer] William [Drikell]’s skills, efficiency, bluntness and sardonic humor really resonate with us.” Bocian said he was also impressed with owner Timothy Joseph and his desire to nurture local musicians and their work. “It was obvious to me first and foremost [Joseph] was excited about the creative experiences he is facilitating. Love that!” Bocian said. “My hunch is they don’t record a whole bunch of brass bands… you would never know. Phaser Control will undoubtedly be a long-term association for Euphoria Brass Band.” Another local band that recently recorded an EP at Phaser, The Beautiful View, was also struck by the dedication of the personnel they worked with. “Joseph has put together a state-of-the-art facility with a cool vibe and we all felt out home during our time there,” bassist Paul Rich said. “Driskill engineered and co-produced the EP along with us. He was really able to sink his teeth into our project, and our songs certainly became better having worked with him. Any musician who is looking into recording a full-length record, EP or simply a first demo should consider Phaser Control as their spot.” This sense of mutual respect is something that is reflected in Joseph’s own words and outlook on his role as owner: “Music shouldn’t be about rivalry or competition. We are all trying to do the same thing:

express ourselves,” he said. “The scene will thrive only if it’s supported from the inside by those who perpetuate it. We all need to be open minded about that.” It’s Joseph’s vision to fill the place with musicians who are reciprocate these feelings of community and he hopes they’ll connect by being in the space. His philosophy and facility continue to attract bands for recording and rehearsing. “Phaser has got a lot going for it. TJ is a great, friendly guy who plays in the local music scene so he understands what bands need/want to be able to rehearse in a comfortable environment,” said Dustin Lothspeich who plays in several local bands. “They take pride in the place, it’s a central location and rent is reasonable. And the biggest caveat is that you get a great rate on the professional-grade, state-of-the-art recording studio right down the hall from your rehearsal room. Having that available, in-house, is invaluable.” With a flourishing studio Joseph also finds time to devote to his band that also practices and records at Phaser. “The Palace Ballroom is in the midst of pre-production for our next full length album. Just getting all the songs to fire on all cylinders and figuring out the mojo. It’s a really fun process,” Joseph told us. “We just released a new video for our song ‘This is the Plan’ which is the title track off our debut album. There is another video for our song “Descender” still on the editing table and it should be released within a couple of months. So it’s safe to say we are staying busy.” For more information on Phaser Control Recording Studios and to hear the great music they’re putting out follow along on Facebook: www.facebook. com/PhaserControl

LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Biztown, from page 1 Katie Easton, JA BizTown education manager, described the in-class curriculum that students go through to prepare for JA BizTown. The students learn how to balance a check book, pay off a loan, interview for a job and even calculate the operating costs of a business. When the students get to JA BizTown, they jump into roles like doctor, banker and even newspaper reporter. Each shop front is sponsored by a real company that operates in San Diego, such as Kaiser Permanente, Mission Federal Credit Union and U-T San Diego.

their employees, and the student police officers try to ticket the adult volunteers just for walking too fast. Then there was the time students at one business wanted to file a noise complaint against a construction company next door. The students in the construction company were building a bench, and the noise was driving customers away. The CEO of the nearby business wrote a complaint and took it to the mayor. The mayor decided to seek legal counsel—all on his own, Easton emphasized. The business owners and the mayor visited the studentrun Procopio office and drafted an official complaint, which the mayor signed. “They really take it seriously,” said Easton. She said some students are so Fifth-grader Ryan Molleman serves as mayor for devoted to the day at Biztown. their work that the adult volunteers have to persuade them to take breaks. “They get so stressed,” said Easton. “This is part of the process—learning how to manage time and your workload.” Back at JA BizTown, students at the NBC 7 studio are gearing up for a big broadcast. The anchorwoman, Audrey Tucker, and the station director, Some students will spend the Russell Bradbury, are coming up day providing services to the with a way for her to signal that other businesses. For example, an on-camera interview is over. students “working” for Cox “Can you wink?” Bradbury asks. Communications will install Tucker tries, but it just looks phones for the other student like a funny blink. They decide businesses. Some students are she will just stare at the camin charge of keeping their em- era before the segment fades ployees happy. At the U-T San to black. It is the first time the Diego shop front, CEO Claire team has worked with video Bakke will spend part of her cameras. day signing payroll checks. Like many of the students “You have to keep in mind that day, Gunnar Borjeson, the how much money you have in NBC 7 camera operator, has the bank,” says Bakke. used the Biztown lessons in This interactive program real life. Just the week before, would not have been possible Borjeson helped his mom fill out without a recent $55,800 grant a deposit slip at the bank. from the San Diego Women’s Sandra Leu, a fifth grade Foundation. The group was in- teacher from Riverview Eleterested in finding ways to help mentary, is visiting JA BizTown students overcome poverty, said for the first time. She says the Tracy Johnson, executive direc- program helped her cover ecotor of the foundation. nomics, business, writing and The program at JA BizTown math in the classroom. Plus, JA seemed like a good match. BizTown is a Riverview tradiThere is no cost to students, and tion. 50 percent of students who visit “The students are thrilled,” come from schools with free and Leu said. “They look forward to reduced lunch programs. John- it the entire year.” son hopes the professional and Junior Achievement plans to financial skills taught at JA Bi- open a “Finance Park” business zTown will help students man- program for high school stuage their money and prepare for dents starting in fall 2015. They the job market. also offer classroom curricula “They put the skills you see in for elementary, middle school the community to work,” said and high school students. Johnson. To learn more about JA BizOf course, with grown-up re- town, visit jasandiego.org. To sponsibilities come some dis- learn more about the San Diego tinctly grown-up problems. Women’s Foundation, go to sdEaston said students acting womensfoundation.org. as CEOs sometimes try to fire

Some students are so devoted to their work that the volunteers have to persuade them to take breaks.

SANDAG pushes forward on two Mission Valley bike path projects

wo bicycle infrastructure projects got an injection of cash last month from SANDAG, the regional transportation and land-use agency. The SANDAG Board of Directors voted to approve an additional $561,000 for a one-mile bike path along Highway 15 that will connect Camino del Rio South to Adams Avenue in Kensington. The bike path along Hwy. 15 will be completely segregated with an exclusive right-of-way for bicycles east of the existing freeway lanes. State design standards require the path to be at least eight feet wide. Planning for this bike path began about four years ago with a grant from SANDAG of $350,000 to design the path. The design is now 75 percent complete. The board in January approved an additional $561,000 to finish the final design of the bike path and to prepare the documents necessary to hire a construction contractor sometime in late 2014 or early 2015. The board also approved an extra $98,000 for a 0.8-mile segment of bike path on the San Diego River Trail near Qualcomm Stadium. This segment of dedicated bike path will stretch between the Fenton Parkway trolley station and Rancho Mission Road just east of Interstate 15, along the northern banks of the river. The $98,000 will fund management costs and provide for any unforeseen contingencies, in addition to the $168,000 approved for initial engineering and environmental work last summer. SANDAG expects to have a draft environmental document for the project by October and a final environmental document by December 2014. Ultimately, the segment will become part of a larger 17-mile network of bike path along the San Diego River Trail, stretching from Ocean Beach through Mission Valley and on through Grantville to Mission Trails Regional Park, Santee and Lakeside.

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LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Three curious reasons a charter school was shot down demonstrative likelihood to succeed. In short, if the petition stands up in all five areas, the board is acting outside of its authority to deny the petition for other reasons, Durfee said. Ricardo Soto, general counsel for the CCSA, said that a school like Thrive has a good chance on winning its petition if it appeals to the county or state education boards. Evans disagrees that he was acting outside of his role. On the contrary, he said: He was doing his job, which is to use the staff’s findings to reach a decision about a charter school’s viability. “We’ve seen that when charter schools fail, the students suffer,” Evans told VOSD. Charter school students participate in a classroom lesson on literature. Credit: Medill News21 via CC BY 2.0

By Mario Koran Voice of San Diego

icole Tempel Assisi, founder and CEO of a proposed charter school called Thrive, showed up Jan. 7 at the San Diego Unified school board meeting expecting good news. After all, Thrive’s petition to open a charter school in Mission Valley looked good. Assisi and other school leaders had spent months working with district staff, and the district committee that evaluates petitions had green-lighted Thrive, recommending it for a five-year charter. Assisi had obtained necessary signatures from parents who were interested in enrolling their children in the school. For added support, Thrive-backers did what any group does when they want to show the school board they mean business: They appeared at the meeting wearing matching T-shirts. Even Superintendent Cindy Marten vouched for her staff’s recommendation – if they approved it, she approved it. Marten had a program manager who evaluates petitions explain how rigorous the evaluation process is: The applications pass through a dozen departments, from finance to special education, before they’re finally stamped. District staff and charter school administrators interview petitioners. Thrive made the cut. But just before the group could kick off the celebration, the board abruptly cut off the music and denied the charter in a 3-2 vote. Despite the fact the district recommended Thrive for approval, a few of the staff’s findings didn’t persuade school board trustee John Lee Evans, who first moved to deny the charter. For instance, Thrive had once submitted a petition to San Di-

ego Unified at the same time it submitted one in another district. For Evans, this spelled “bad faith in the local community.” Evans also cited three similar charter schools that didn’t deliver on the number of students it promised to recruit, and Thrive couldn’t guarantee its case would prove different. Trustees Marne Foster and Richard Barrera sided with Evans, and the petition was shot down. Just like that, it was over for Thrive. For the time being, anyway. But perhaps more interesting than the board’s decision to deny the charter was the conversation that surrounded it. San Diego has become charter school saturated, Evans and Barrera said, and we need to raise the bar on charters before approving schools with a high potential to fail. But why move the bar now, in the midst of the process for this particular charter school? Evans disagrees that there’s been a sudden shift. It’s more of “gradual evolution,” he said, one that started with the decision to offer petitioners less help in completing their charter school applications. Holding charters’ hands from beginning to end doesn’t ensure that they’re appropriate candidates and is analogous to a college admission officer working closely with a college applicant, he said. The explanation for the denial wasn’t entirely clear cut, however, and a closer look shows three reasons why the decision could be a big deal for the future of charters in San Diego.

The school board bucked district staff’s recommendations. It appears the district staff members had a high degree of confidence when they recommended Thrive.

Staff members had three options: They could have denied the charter, granted a conditional approval (to see if a school’s funding came through, for example) or approved the charter on a one- to five-year basis. Staff members went with full approval for the first five years. School boards don’t often vote against district staff’s recommendations, but it does happen. Miles Durfee, a regional di-

Thrive was denied after making adjustments recommended by the district. Assisi, who said she was “completely shocked” by the decision, spent several months working with district staff, adjusting her petition based its recommendations. For example, she said her original intention was to open two charters schools, one in San Diego, and one in neighboring La Mesa-Spring Valley. Right before that petition was to be submitted, she said district staff told her the simultaneous sub-

“We’re still committed to serving kids. I don’t think this is the end of the road for us.” -Nicole Tempel Assisi Charter school founder

rector of the California Charter Schools Association, said this was the first time in his year and half with CCSA that he’s seen a charter school turned away after district staff gave the thumbsup. Durfee, who vouched for Thrive at the board meeting, questioned whether the decision goes against the spirit of the Charter Schools Act. The law encourages school boards to approve charters unless the petitions go against one of five narrowly defined criterion, he said. Durfee said in this case, he didn’t think the board’s argument was very compelling and wondered whether it was “more of a political decision than a factual one.” Aside from verifiable signatures from parents or teachers who are interested in being involved in the charter, staff also looks at the soundness of a proposed charter school’s educational program as well as its

mission might work against her, and she decided to withdraw both petitions. This time around, she stuck to San Diego Unified. Instead of proposing a charter school for City Heights, which is already served by a large number of charters, she planned for Mission Valley. At the school board meeting, Barrera seemed confused by all the changes, saying there was “too much ambiguity” in the petition. Everybody seemed to agree on one point: The district staff,

as well as the petitioner, had worked very hard in the submission and evaluation process. What nobody talked about was how much time or money was spent along the way.

The board has approved “less sophisticated” charters in the past. In the past, the San Diego Unified school board has approved a number of “mom and pop charters,” said school board trustee Scott Barnett — those that have enthusiastic support from parents and educators, but not much experience running charters. “Thrive definitely seems like it has more going for it than a number of charters that we’ve approved,” he said at the meeting. Assisi isn’t exactly a rookie. She worked at High Tech High in its early years, and has served as a founding principal at three Los Angeles charter schools. She and Thrive leaders were awarded a grant, funded by the Gates and Broad foundations, for the innovative model that Thrive promised. Unfortunately for Assisi, Barrera and Evans said it’s time for a change in what we consider a viable charter school petition. “I think there’s been an evolution,” Evans said, adding that San Diego’s history of being “one of the most charter friendly districts in the nation,” has given the district enough experience to know what works and what doesn’t. Evans said that when he first came to the board, the tendency was to automatically approve charters if they met criteria on paper. Evans said that it seemed like the decision was already made. “At that point we asked, what are we even doing here?” Indeed. The board has approved less sophisticated charters than Thrive, which might actually work against Assisi. The district has seen a number of charters fail in recent years. In 2011 there was Promise, which had its charter revoked for violating state laws. And within the past month, Iftin University Prep High School announced it was closing its doors, sending students away in the middle of the school year. See Charter page 15

CRIME

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Man charged in sexual attacks on Mission Valley escorts By City News Service man accused of sexually assaulting two female escorts in separate incidents and threatening to kill one of them with an ax pleaded not guilty on Jan. 31 to eight felony charges and was ordered held on $4 million bail. Brendan Mathis, 31, was arrested Jan. 29 after allegedly attacking a woman in her Mission Valley apartment. Deputy District Attorney Mary-Ellen Barrett said Mathis is also charged in a similar attack Jan. 10 in which he allegedly Tased a woman, threatened to kill her and raped her. Both women were paid escorts, according to San Diego police. “This case is horrific, it is actually unimaginable but it happened, and it’s frightening,’’ Barrett said outside court, “so anything we can do to protect victims and to see that they’re protected in the future and see that justice is done is what we’re going to have to do.’’ The prosecutor said Mathis made admissions after his arrest Wednesday, telling police that “something came over him’’ and that it was “dark.’’ Mathis told police that he targeted the women for their vulnerability, Barrett said. In the Jan. 10 attack, Mathis Tased the victim immediately after she let him into her Mission Valley hotel room and drove her to the ground, Barrett said. Mathis allegedly bound the victim’s hands and feet, blindfolded her, and told her that he had an ax and he was going to kill her, telling her that she should just go along and cooper-

Hotel agrees to implement anti-prostitution measures By City News Service

ate and not to scream, the prosecutor said. The defendant allowed the victim to have a cigarette but flicked an ember into a private area of her body, Barrett said. The prosecutor said Mathis forced the victim to commit a sex act on him, then raped her. Barrett said the assault went on for four to five hours. When Mathis took off the blindfold, the victim saw an ax, garden shears and a knife on a bed, the prosecutor said. Mathis cut zip ties in front of the woman, then told her to get in the bathtub and take a shower and stay there until an alarm went out, Barrett said. Mathis then poked his head around a corner and “spooked’’ the victim one more time before leaving, according to the prosecutor. In the Jan. 29 incident, Mathis went to a second woman’s apartment in Mission Valley and began Tasing her upon entering, Barrett said. The woman fought back, but Mathis got her into a back bedroom and bound her hands be-

hind her back, the prosecutor said. Mathis went toward his bag of tools — presumably where his ax was — and the woman attempted to escape through a second-story window, but thedefendant grabbed her by the cloth handcuffs, Barrett said. The cloth cuffs gave way, and the victim fell onto a large air conditioning unit and was able to get away. Mathis walked out onto the street and was apprehended, according to the prosecutor. Mathis faces multiple life terms in prison if convicted. He is charged with multiple counts of forced oral copulation, sexual penetration, rape, assault with intent to commit oral copulation and residential burglary. Barrett said she “wouldn’t be surprised’’ if there were more victims in the case, asking them to call San Diego police with any information. A bail review is scheduled Feb. 5 with a readiness conference for Feb. 11. A preliminary hearing was set for Feb. 14.

he owners of the Travelodge motel in Mission Valley have agreed to increase security measures to thwart prostitution activity, the San Diego City Attorney’s Office announced Feb. 3. Mission Valley Travelodge Joint Venture and WW Lodging Ltd. are to hire onsite security guards and reimburse the city of San Diego more than $18,000 in investigative costs, according to the deal reached last month. The partnership that owns and manages the motel at 1201 Hotel Circle S. already have installed more security cameras, posted signs to deter criminal activity and improved registration policies to include the photocopying of all guest and visitor identification cards and registering of all guest and visitor vehicles, the City Attorney’s Office said. “Tourism is one of San Diego’s largest industries, guests to our city should feel safe and secure during their stay,” said City Attorney Jan Goldsmith. “Our office will continue to combat illegal activity such as prostitution and will work diligently to hold business owners accountable and clean up neighborhoods.” Legal documents show that San Diego police detectives found numerous females advertising themselves for sex on websites

Sudoku

Maze Escape 1. Start in the center of the maze. 2. Get to the exit on the left as fast as possible. 3. If you make it to the exit on your first try, congratulations!

ANSWERS ON PAGE 16

who directed them to the motel between November 2011 and early February last year, resulting in 20 arrests for prostitutionrelated crimes, including pimping and human trafficking. One arrested pimp had $20,000 in cash in his car, according to the complaint. Another 93 calls for to the SDPD for service were logged

during that period, consuming more than 222 hours of personnel time. Officers didn’t see security guards or surveillance cameras at the hotel, the complaint said. The complaint said hotel management placed the name of each arrested person on a “do not rent” list, but failed to make structural or management changes. However, the City Attorney’s Office said motel management has been responsive and cooperative since the legal process started. In an agreement signed by Superior Court Judge Lisa Schall, the motel operators will also have to increase the required deposit for all rooms rented with cash and limit visitor hours to 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Math Squares

A sudoku puzzle is a grid of nine by nine squares or cells, that has been subdivided into nine subgrids or “regions” of three by three cells.

Try to fill in the missing numbers.

The objective of sudoku is to enter a digit from 1 through 9

1. Each number is only used once.

in each cell, in such a way that:

2. Each row is a math equation. Each column is a math equation.

1. 2. 3.

Each horizontal row contains each digit exactly once Each vertical column contains each digit exactly once Each subgrid or region contains each digit exactly once

ANSWERS ON PAGE 16

Use the numbers 1 through 16 to complete the equations.

3. Remember that multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 16

BUSINESS NEWS

Movers & Shakers Movement in San Diego’s Business Community

Alan Cox Vice President NAI San Diego

“He provides an expertise that allows us to offer our clients a broader range of services.” -David DeRoche

Linn Johnson Staff Accountant RBTK

“We are very excited to have three new accomplished members added to our growing staff.” -Kevin Brown

Alan Cox recently joined the Mission Valley-based commercial real estate firm NAI San Diego as vice president. Cox’s duties as vice president will span all brokerage areas within the firm, but he will focus especially on commercial loan origination and advisory services, according to an announcement provided by NAI. In addition to his 23 years of experience in finance, acquisitions, management and dispositions, Cox brings to NAI his extensive network of business contacts throughout Southern California. He first spent 10 years in asset and property management before transitioning to focus primarily on finance, lending and acquisition of a variety of commercial property. Cox comes to NAI most recently from ARCVest Real Estate Equity. David DeRoche, NAI San Diego’s managing director, said Cox’s background will be particularly valuable to clients who need a real estate professional with a comprehensive skill set. “He provides an expertise that allows us to offer our clients a broader range of services,” said David DeRoche, NAI San Diego’s managing director, in the announcement. “His extensive background in the commercial real estate industry in San Diego is a good match for the NAI San Diego platform.” Cox graduated with a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and earned a master of science in real estate from the University of San Diego. He sits on the board of USD’s Real Estate Alumni Association and recently served as president of the San Diego Coastal Rotary Club. Cox said he joined NAI San Diego because its professional philosophy matches his own. “NAI San Diego is well known in the market for exceeding expectations with their attention and high-quality service to clients,” Cox said. “I am looking forward to the synergy we will create by adding commercial financing options to the stable of services already effectively provided in the San Diego office.” NAI San Diego is a locally owned and independently operated member of NAI Global, which manages a network of 5,000 commercial real estate professionals in over 350 offices in 55 countries.

Vinny Grippo

Staff Accountant RBTK

George Laning Staff Accountant RBTK

The accounting firm RBTK has hired three new staff accountants: Linn Johnson, Vinny Grippo and George Laning, who will each be responsible for preparing client tax returns and assisting clients with financial statement audits, reviews and compilations. Johnson, a native of Norway, fluently speaks five languages, according to the hiring announcement. Before joining RBTK, Johnson worked as a staff accountant at Jack Bush Jr., P.A. Grippo graduated from San Diego State University and has worked as a staff accountant in the government and nonprofit sectors, according to the announcement. Laning worked previously as staff accountant at Levering & Hvasta and as a tax accountant for Julie R. Dhingra. “We are very excited to have three new accomplished members added to our growing staff,” said managing partner Kevin Brown in a written statement. “We are confident in each of their ability to strengthen our firm and support our clients.” RBTK, founded in 1981 and based in the Murphy Canyon area, has clients in construction, government, real estate development, mortgage lending and nonprofits, among others. The firm specializes in tax services, financial reporting and business and financial consulting and offers services in retirement planning, investments, estate planning and risk and cash management.

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014 San Diego Coastkeeper, which advocates for the health and well being of San Diego County’s waterways, announced on Jan. 16 that Matt O’Malley was hired as the organization’s “waterkeeper,” the organization’s chief legal and policy leader. As waterkeeper, O’Malley leads and oversees the organization’s legal clinic and legal activism on behalf of San Diego County’s bodies of water using his experience and expertise in the areas of stormwater, Clean Water Act, NPDES permits, drinking water, land use policy, clean energy, the Endangered Species Act, groundwater remediation, soil remediation, the Matt O’Malley Marine Mammal Protection Act and other forms of environWaterkeeper mental justice. Prior to joining San Diego Coastkeeper, O’Malley worked at SD Coast Keeper the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, where he developed testimony and advised campaigns on clean water, Prior to joining water supply, stormwater permits and land use. He also pracSan Diego ticed law in his own form and on behalf of nonprofit law firm Coastkeeper, Wildlaw. Originally from New Jersey, O’Malley earned a bachelor’s O’Malley worked at the San degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. and Diego Chapter earned a law degree from the Colorado School of Law in Boulof the Surfrider der, Colo. He has lived in New Jersey, New York, Colorado, Florida and South Dakota. He has lived in San Foundation. Washington, Diego since 2010. In addition to hiring O’Malley as waterkeeper, San Diego Coastkeeper also promoted Travis Pritchard from water quality lab manager to program manager. Pritchard’s new role has him overseeing the organization’s science, education and outreach programs, according to a press release.

Diane Stumph Chief Financial Officer Father Joe’s Villages

The board of the homeless services organization Father Joe’s Villages and its partner agencies last month promoted Chief Financial Officer Diane Stumph to the post of interim president and CEO. In her new role, Stumph will oversee the day-to-day operations of Father Joe’s Villages with the guidance of the board’s executive committees. Stumph has been Chief Financial Officer since 2006. She worked for Exxon Co. and AMN Healthcare before that. Over the past six years, Stumph has been responsible for the finance operations of the organization’s three non-profits and seven limited partnerships. Stumph takes command of the top post following the departure of Sister Patricia Cruise, who left to return to her family and other endeavors with her religious congregation in Cincinnati, according to a press release from Father Joe’s Villages. “On behalf of our boards of directors, I would like to thank Sister Tricia for her tremendous service and accomplishments over the last two-and-a-half years,” said Steve Francis, chairman of the Father Joe’s Villages board. “We wish her great success in all of her future assignments.” A search committee has been formed by the board of directors to recruit the next permanent CEO. Father Joe’s Villages and its partner agency, St. Vincent de Paul Village, is the largest residential homeless service provider in Southern California., preparing up to 4,000 meals and providing various services to nearly 1,500 individuals a day, including infants, adolescents, adults, veterans and senior citizens.

SKINS Compression announced Jan. 21 that it has hired Robin Barsantee as national sales director. In his new role, Barsantee, a former professional golfer and practicing triathlete, will lead the sales force in crafting and carrying out strategies to grow the company’s revenues in new and existing markets. His focus will be primarily on expanding sport specialty sales in the U.S., according to the company announcement. Barsantee will build upon his approximately 13 years of experience in event management, marketing and sales with variRobin Barsantee ous leading brands in the industry, including Titleist, Polar, Sales Director Zoot and Timex, according to the company’s announcement. “I am thrilled to be part of the team at SKINS, the innovators SKINS Compression behind the compression category,” Barsantee said in a written statement. “I am not biased when I say that SKINS delivers the top performing sportswear on the market with the world’s best professional athletes wearing it as proof. I look forward to spreading the word and further positioning SKINS as the go-to brand in the compression industry.” The company develops and sells what it calls “top-of-the-line, technology-driven” garments that are designed to compress muscle groups “to trigger acceleration in blood flow, resulting in increased oxygen to working muscles and maximized performance.” The garments have been shown to reduce exerciserelated muscle injuries, according to the company.

LIBRARY EVENTS

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Charter, from page 12

Low Income Tax Clinic Feb. 18, 25; March 4, 11 | 1 p.m to 7 p.m. SAY San Diego will operate a free tax preparation clinic for individuals who qualify based on income. The purpose is to help low-income clients, especially those eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, to claim all of their eligible credits and refunds. Call 858-565-4148 x278 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Film Forum: In a World Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. Lake Bell spins some inspired lunacy in this comic rush about an aspiring voice-over artist (Bell) whose blooming career collides with that of her father (Fred Melamed), the egotistical king of voice-over. Is a chauvinistic industry ready to listen to a woman? 93 minutes, discussion to follow with film expert Ralph Delauro. Baby Signs Storytime First and third Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m. Parents often wonder, “What is my baby thinking?” There is a way to find out: teaching your baby some basic signs using American Sign Language will fill the gap. Communication is said to be the foundation of a solid relationship; learning to sign with your baby will build that bond early and provide you a bridge from infancy to childhood. Health and Wellness through Tai Chi Thursdays, 2 to 4 p.m. This class is designed for adults 55+ and will teach students strategies for implementing physical exercise and relaxation techniques in addition to Tai Chi. Sumi-E Art Class Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. Learn the classical Japanese style of ink and brush. Yoga Tuesdays , 6 to 7 p.m. Are you looking for a workout program that’s easy to learn, requires little or no equipment, and soothes your soul while toning your body? If strengthening your cardiovascular system, toning and stretching your muscles, and improving your mental fitness are on your to-do list, than yoga is for you! Preschool Storytime & Craft Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. Preschoolers are invited to a storytime, then a fun craft right afterwards! Toddler Storytime Fridays, 10:30 a.m. Storytime designed for toddlers, featuring songs, rhymes, and fingerplays. Yoga for Kids First and third Mondays, 1:30 p.m. (*No class 2/17) Kids will learn how to calm and quiet themselves , develop strong & healthy bodies, and set a foundation for life-long wellbeing in a relaxed and fun environment. Zumba Basic Mondays, 4 to 5 p.m. (*No class 2/17) Join the Zumba craze! Find out what makes this fun workout such a hit. A towel and bottled water are recommended for our Zumba sessions. Zumba Gold Fridays, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Zumba Gold is a lower impact version of our Zumba Basic class on Mondays, but just as fun! The moves have been carefully designed to be easy to follow by participants of any size or age.

GET INVOLVED!

Evans said that it’s difficult to close or deny a charter school when there are people who are trying hard and asking for one more chance, but “we really have to be hard-nosed about it sometimes in terms of the interest of the kids.” But Durfee said that it isn’t fair to hold past schools against Thrive. “It’s not really appropriate to compare a petitioner to others,” he told VOSD. To say that Thrive won’t match its enrollment pro-

Linda Vista Planning Group General Meeting Feb. 24, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This is an open meeting of the Linda Vista Planning Group. The public is encouraged to attend. Crafts for Kids Fridays & Mondays, 4 to 5 p.m. (*No class 2/17) Kids: use and enhance your creativity by making a craft! And you get to keep the finished product! Hopscotch Tiny Tots Storytime Tuesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Join Miss Kim for a great time with music, stories and crafts for babies and toddlers.

jections because similar schools haven’t met them “places the burden on the petitioners and is not something that they can prove,” he said. Before the vote, Barnett said the board needed to consider “what type of precedent we’re setting in doing this,” and that there needs to be consistency moving forward. As for Assisi, there’s still more work to be done. She said she and others from Thrive are working with CCSA legal coun-

sel and discussing their options. “We’re really encouraged by Cindy Marten’s support,” she said. “We’re still committed to serving kids. I don’t think this is the end of the road for us.”

The Manga Club Wednesdays, 5 to 6 p.m. Discuss fantastic manga new and old: its history, storylines, possible storyline revisions, and the latest news. Club members will eventually collaborate to create their own manga! For teens only.

Toddler Yoga Storytime with Aryn Rannazzisi First Thursday of the Month, 10 a.m. Toddlers will enjoy the calming, meditative effects of yoga while interacting with their parents and the other children participating.

Morning Storytime with Kathie Mondays, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Children and their families are invited to join us for stories, rhymes, and songs. Storytime Fridays, 10:30 to 11:10 a.m. Please join us for an energetic storytime that’s both fun and educational!

Mission VALLEY NEWS publishers of

Mission Times Courier La Mesa Courier

Mario Koran reports on hospitals, nonprofits and educational institutions, digging into their impact on the greater San Diego community. Reach him directly at (619) 325-0531, or by email: mario@vosd.org.

Linda Vista Branch Library is located at 2160 Ulric St., San Diego. Visit lindavistalibrary.org or facebook.com/lvlibrary. The library is open Monday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday 12:30 to 8 p.m.; Thursday and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; closed Sunday.

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OUR NEXT ISSUE The next issue of the Mission Valley News comes out Friday, Dec.13. The advertising deadline is Tuesday, Dec. 3. Circulation: 15,000. Published 12 times in 2013 and delivered throughout our circulation area of Mission Valley, San Diego, California by Mission Publishing Group, LLC. Classified ads and articles must be submitted by mail, e-mail or dropped off at our business address, 6549 Mission Gorge Road #199, San Diego 92120. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisements or material submitted which are deemed to be objectionable. Publisher’s liability for errors: Mission Valley News 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 Mission Valley News 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.” Mission Valley News will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. This is to notify Mission Valley News readers that all dwellings advertised in Mission Valley News 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 Mission Valley News 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 Valley News 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. © 2007–2013, all rights reserved.

LOCAL News High-tech homes reveal secrets of energy use

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — FEBRUARY 14, 2014

By Madeline McCurrySchmidt for the Mission Valley News

new housing development in Mission Valley is part neighborhood, part laboratory. The Civita development, built just off Mission Center Road and Friars Road, gives residents and researchers a chance to study energy use and human behavior. Civita homeowners and renters can volunteer to let researchers collect data from “smart” energy meters installed in their homes. Already, data from these “smart communities” are helping scientists discover unexpected patterns in energy use. “We’re getting a remarkable amount of insight into how people are using energy,” said Colin Rowan, director of communications for Pecan Street Inc., the Austinbased research organization managing the smart meter project at Civita. The setup is simple, and there is no cost to volunteers. A smart meter device goes in the circuit box and measures energy from specific circuits in the home. For example, one circuit might show energy use from the refrigerator or the overhead lighting. The smart meter sends this information to a small device plugged into the home’s internet router. From there, the data is encrypted to protect volunteers’ privacy and sent to Pecan Street Inc. for analysis.

A software panel displays electrical usage statistics. Smart meters have become more common as energy companies and policymakers study the effectiveness of “green” building design. In 2007, San Diego Gas & Electric started a smart meter program for San Diego residents and businesses. Though their program has been somewhat controversial—a few residents opted out of the program, claiming that the wireless signal from the devices gave them headaches—SDG&E has now replaced all traditional meters with smart meters. The smart meters at Civita are the same as those installed by SDG&E, but the Civita program will collect more data for researchers and residents. “The information is much more ‘real-time’ than what is available from most utilities,” Rowan said. Joshua Rhodes, a PhD student at The University of Texas at Austin, is studying smart meter readings, and he has found some interesting patterns. For example, he found that homes in Austin never

Style has a home. And now you do too. Modern award-winning architecture. Urban details with multi-story window walls. The latest trends in sustainability. Electric cars on hand. Civita is the perfect blend of urban chic and village charm, right in the heart of Mission Valley. With its eclectic mix of neighborhoods— and more coming this year—Civita is the cure for bland. For directions visit our website at civitalife.com. ORIGEN by Shea Homes • From the low $500s • 866.696.7432 ALTANA by TRI Pointe Homes • From the mid $600s • 888.619.3500 FRAME & FOCUS by Shea Homes • From the high $400s • 866.696.7432 CIRCA 37 by Sudberry Properties • Luxury apartment rentals • 619.378.3037 LUCENT by Shea Homes • Grand Opening this Spring • 866.696.7432

civitalife.com Civita is a master plan development of Quarry Falls, LLC. All information is accurate as of date of publication, but information and pricing is subject to change at any time.

really stop drawing from the electrical grid. “Even in the middle of the night, when I’m assuming people are sleeping, their houses can be drawing hundreds of watts,” said Rhodes. Rhodes also found that people who work from home are more likely to use energy during the “peak time” between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. He said this finding could help energy reduction supporters target their message to this audience. Rhodes said data from the Civita neighborhood could help scientists in San Diego better understand local energy use behavior. For example, they could study how often residents use air conditioning in the summer or heating in the winter. Rhodes also plans to use the Civita smart meter data in his research. “It’ll be good to get data from other parts of the country,” Rhodes said. And the data are not just for

SUDOKU ANSWERS FROM P. 13

researchers. Civita residents can log in to a website to track their energy use throughout the day. Using a computer or mobile device, residents at Civita can get regular updates showing energy use in specific areas of the home. Rowan said this feature is more helpful than the month-to-month comparisons provided by energy companies. “When you first get it, you’re checking it all the time,” said Rowan, who has a smart meter in MATH ANSWERS FROM P. 13 his own home. “It’s been fascinating.” Rowan said monitoring energy use in his home motivated him to combine loads of laundry in the dryer and reduce energy use during peak times of day. Civita is open now for new residents, and Pecan Street Inc. is seeking 20 more households to volunteer for smart meter installation. The community, built by Sudberry Properties, will eventually have 4,780 residential units. In addition to smart meters, many residents will have “smart thermostats” that can be adjusted via MAZE ANSWER FROM P. 13 smartphone. Pecan Street Inc. is also promoting rideshares, hybrid vehicles and alternative transportation to help residents reduce use of fossil fuels. As more residents call Civita home, San Diegans may learn new ways to reduce their energy use and their electric bills. For information on Pecan Street Inc., go to pecanstreet.org. For information on Civita, visit civitalife.com.