DOWNTOWN’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER www.SDNEWS.com Volume 10, Number 6
JUNE 2009
San Diego Community Newspaper Group
This holds water
Many happy returns
Film contest illustrates city’s current conservation effort By most accounts, the level 2 water conservation measures that kicked in on June 1 don’t seem that bad. City government imposes restrictions at four levels, after all, the last of which includes a declaration that we have to save greater than 40 percent of our existing water to meet demand. For now, we the people still retain control, albeit to a limited By extent. (For a list of level 2 restrictions, see MARTIN JONES sandiego.gov/water.) WESTLIN That means that the city’s warnings are still fairly friendly in their scope and tone. The city’s recent and very proactive water conservation film contest, called “Water Conservation, the Next Feature Presentation,” is testament to that -- and in reality, it’s not quite over. The winner, Conserve Water, created by a group of Point Loma High School students, was announced May 18 from among six finalists at Balboa Park’s IMAX Theater and will show through June at the AMC theaters in Mission Valley and Fashion Valley before the feature presentation. The contest, for which thousands of entrants submitted their best 30second creations, was made possible by a grant from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Conserve Water touts a clever bit of irony -- its protagonist is seen operating a garden hose that abruptly quits working, as though the operator’s been caught violating a guideline. The closing scene shows him locked in a battle with the hose, which spews a wad of dust in his face. SEE CONTEST, Page 15
Wheels in motion
COURTESY PHOTOS
The folks who run Little Italy’s mercato (that’s farmers market to you) liked the event’s first year so much that they decided to give another one a whirl. June marks the start of the market’s second year, in which Date Street comes alive every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with fresh and organic produce, various meats, flowers, home accessories, gifts and more. This market, regarded by many as San Diego’s number one, models itself after several other successful city markets from all over the world. In the inset, a representative from Valley Center’s Archi’s Acres hawks his wares as the day begins. Mangia bene!
SDCNG names John Dowd sales, marketing chief The San Diego Community Newspaper Group, publisher of San Diego Downtown News and several other coastal-area publications, has named John M. Dowd to the newly created position of director of sales and marketing. Dowd will oversee the San Diego Community Newspaper Group sales and marketing initiatives in its five regular publications, visitor guides and websites. “The changes in the newspaper landscape are presenting an opportunity for our community newspapers. Readers and advertisers have a newfound appreciation for both editorial and advertising content
that is relevant to and has value for people who live and work in our neighborhoods,” said Julie Hoisington, publisher of the San Diego Community Newspaper Group. “John has a tremendous amount of experience working with businesses in promoting their brands and helping them sell products and services by using advertising. We have created this position with the intent to aggressively grow our business base in some of the most affluent communities in the country.” SEE DOWD, Page 3
Condo deposits returned amid buyer shortage BY SEBASTIAN RUIZ | DOWNTOWN NEWS
About 250,000 San Diegans are said to bicycle at least occasionally for pleasure or exercise, like this very brave human being. If he wants the chance to persist safely in his pursuit, he might wish to attend the city of San Diego’s bicycle plan update open house, set for Wednesday, June 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hall of Champions Sports Museum, 2131 Pan American Plaza in Balboa Park. The city seeks your input in compiling a renewed five-year plan for improvements to local bikeways. For further information, see sdcbc.org.
Developers of San Diego’s tallest mixed-use condominium high-rise, at Tenth Avenue and A Street Downtown, have decided to cancel all escrows and return home deposits to some estimated 300 buyers because too few purchased homes to meet financing deadlines. Developers had to have 70 percent of Vantage Pointe’s condos
sold to prospective buyers to meet the new guidelines secondary mortgage giant Fannie Mae (known formally as the Federal National Mortgage Association, or FNMA) implemented March 1. Buyers should have received their returned deposits by the first week of June. Developers needed to meet sales deadlines by mid-May. Buyers will either take the refunded deposit or
have a chance to sign new purchase agreements, said Vantage Pointe sales manager Donna Lutz. Fannie Mae guidelines require at least 70 percent of the units sold or under contract before the government-backed secondary mortgage company would purchase any of the home loans from primary lenders. SEE VANTAGE, Page 4