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MISSION VALLEY | SORRENTO VALLEY 1299 CAMINO DEL RIO S. SAN DIEGO, CA 92108

10150 SORRENTO VALLEY RD. SAN DIEGO, CA 92121

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 3 March 12 – April 8, 2021

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The right real estate agent matters. Page 23

INSIDE Transforming THIS ISSUE lives, one piece of clothing at a time

NEWS

Fighter for STEM

Allied Gardens resident honored for City College MESA program. Page 3

FEATURE

Pandemic pastimes

Shamine Linton hugs her daughter Sharia inside the nonprofit clothing shop she named for her —Sharia’s Closet located in the College Area. (Courtesy photo)

By LANIE ALFARO

Hobbies like gardening, bread making to cure the COVID blues. Page 9

Shamine Linton opened Sharia’s Closet (named after her daughter) in 2013 with hope, joy and love in mind as she formed a grassroots organization that was called to serve its community. In preCOVID times, the non-profit shop

located at 6244 El Cajon Blvd. in the College Area served thousands of community members.

“3,785 individuals. That’s the most I have served in one year,” Linton said. “When you break it down and hear every story, it’s heartbreaking but also uplifting because you get to be a sprinkle of

hope, a sprinkle of joy, a sprinkle of love.”

Over the past year, Sharia’s Closet kept its doors open to anyone who needed clothes, free of charge. But it is so much more than just clothes to Linton.

“The work we are doing at Sharia’s Closet is not just serving

Church makes changes to project

FOOD & DRINK

Cajun crab

Save Del Cerro group members remain ‘100% opposed’

ALSO INSIDE

Opinion Politics Education Community Classifieds Puzzles Business Directory

6 6 17 19 20 20 21

NEWS BRIEFS

On March 2, Mayor Todd Gloria released a new analysis of San Diego’s future water needs that indicates that the city will develop more than 50% of its water locally by 2045, in large part due to the Pure Water recycling program.

This will be a dramatic increase in local water supply, which currently requires the city to purchase 85% to 90% of its water from imported sources.

As detailed in the draft 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, the change is due to a reduction in water demand by

When All People’s Church (APC) submits its most recent update to its proposal to build a permanent church on a parcel of land off College Avenue, Pastor Robert Herber hopes it will be the final changes to the project before the city moves forward in the approval process. The changes, Herber said, are a response to community input on the project. However, a group of residents, Save Del Cerro, maintain that the church group has avoided meeting with most residents to hear their concerns with the SEE APC UPDATE, Page 4

SEE SHARIA’S CLOSET, Page 10

CITY FORECASTS MORE LOCAL WATER SUPPLY

By JEFF CLEMETSON

College Area eatery brings Southern flavor to seafood favorites. Page 16

people, we’re providing hope, love, and dignity. You can’t sell love in a bag,” she said.

Linton saw firsthand the impact of COVID-19 on various clients as the pandemic took a massive economic toll on San Diego

All Peoples Church has lowered the height of the church building proposed for a parcel along College Avenue by 3 feet. (Courtesy All People’s Church)

SEE NEWS BRIEFS, Page 7

CONTACT US Editorial (858) 270-3103 x130 jeff@sdnews.com Advertising (858) 270-3103 x118 hfine@sdnews.com www.sdnews.com San Diego Community Newspaper Group

4/8/21

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MESA program students from City College in a souvenir photo from their trip to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Fighting for marginalized college students in STEM

By LANIE ALFARO

On the wall in the MESA classroom at City College there hangs an inspirational poster that reads: “The cornerman says there’s no crying in MESA. We’re in this fight to win and we win. We win a lot.”

Rafael Alvarez, known as the cornerman to his students (a boxing term), is this year’s recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Engineering Educator Award, given by the San Diego County Engineering Council (SDCEC).

The Allied Gardens resident is the director of the San Diego City College Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, which is an academic support program for students transferring to four-year universities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The majority of the MESA Program students — a.k.a.

“Creators” — are first-generation college students, economically disadvantaged, and underrepresented in STEM fields. Through this program, Alvarez shares his fighting spirit for his community and his students — a spirit that he developed attending Patrick Henry High School.

Originally from the Encanto area, Alvarez’s formative years began with hour-long bus rides to Pershing Middle School and eventually, Patrick Henry High School. As a young student, he discovered a passion for STEM and the necessity of hard work in these learning environments. It was also at these schools where he realized the challenges he faced as a minority student.

“The classroom environment was a different environment from the bus environment and from the neighborhood environment,” he said. “You’re interacting in all these different backgrounds, and of course, I figured it out. Our experiences make up who we are.

The challenges especially.”

However, those challenges did not deter the passion and drive he had for mathematics and STEM.

“It was a challenge for me but I needed to excel,” he said. “That’s where my motivation came from.”

That motivation ea rned Alvarez the honor of graduating Valedictorian at Patrick Henry High School before going on to graduate form Harvey Mudd College — a science-focused college in Claremont, California.

Alvarez also credits his family as an integral force that forged his work ethic and tenacity.

“I always saw myself as my dad’s right-hand man,” he said. “My dad is a master welder. I started working with him around age 12 or 13.

In there, there’s a very important lesson and that is you have to work for things. You work for it. Things aren’t just given to you.”

He took this lesson with him into the collegiate environment and electrical engineering industry.

After spending time working for the aerospace division of TRW, Inc. in Redondo Beach, Alvarez made the choice to become an educator. His teaching methods are a reflection of the foundational lessons he learned in his schooling experiences and childhood memories. He founded the City College MESA Program in 2000.

“I’ve shaped my program into a learning culture because of my experiences,” he said, adding that he sees learning culture as 10%

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Rafael Alvarez is this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Engineering Educator Award. (Courtesy photos)

knowing how to approach the learning (taking notes, repetitious review, etc.) and the other 90% is mindset. The language of that mindset starts with commitment, self advocacy, emotional intelligence, and mental toughness. As the cornerman put it: “They must want it as much as they breath.”

However, the purpose of the learning culture is much more than just wanting to achieve a degree in STEM, according to Alvarez.

“The purpose for the learning culture is freedom. Freedom gives my students the ability to define themselves and not be defined by others, or outcomes, or situations,” SEE ALVAREZ, Page 4

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NEWS

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APC update

Alvarez

project and stand in opposition to constructing the church.

“We love this community. We feel so thankful for being able to purchase this land,” Herber said, adding that he briefly lived in Del Cerro, coached for Crusader Soccer and has staff and church members that live in Navajo communities. “[We are] super grateful for the opportunity but also really desire — as I’ve said numerous times before — to be a great community member and be a real asset to the community and that’s really been why we’ve had such a commitment to be at all

he said. “When that comes together, nothing is going to stop them. That’s where the power is.”

The students are the best indicator of how effective the learning culture method is. Alvarez shared an experience in interacting with a Latino young man who was graduating from San Diego High. He noted that the student said, “I like that you don’t question potential. We don’t usually hear that. We usually are told that we can’t do it and then we start to believe it.” Alvarez’s response to that experience was the realization, “If we don’t validate them, they’re marginalized.”

Rather than continue on the close-minded path of marginalization,

CONTINUED FROM Page 1

CONTINUED FROM Page 3

Rendering of the view of the proposed All Peoples Church project driving up College Avenue (Courtesy All People’s Church)

these Del Cerro meetings, the Navajo meetings,” he said.

Herber pointed out that APC has held 19 community meetings with various groups including the Del Cerro Action Council, Navajo Planners and

with adjacent neighbors on Marne Avenue, which borders the project parcel.

“Because of the public attack that has been done against us, SEE APC UPDATE, Page 11

Alvarez advocates for the creation of a different mindset when it comes to the culture of higher education and STEM. “In the learning culture, we don’t question potential,” he said.

“We all have gaps, but we don’t question their potential. The challenge is to learn the learning culture and use it to fill the gaps.

Culture is who we are. We own it. My students take that culture with them to the university and that mindset and that attitude.”

In looking to the future of the MESA program and its learning culture, Alvarez believes there is still a long way to go.

“The 2020 completion report [from Clearinghouse Research] tells that the marathon continues. Underrepresented students of color are still at the bottom. The battle is still there,” he said.

But today, Alvarez and the MESA program are celebrating the honor of receiving the 2021 Outstanding Engineering Educator Award.

“The award is recognition of me, but more so, it is recognition of my students and program. I am empowering my kids in the learning culture to give them a way to define their reality in higher education,” he said.

That reality is one Alvarez hopes will continue to grow in diversity and inclusion as students embrace their unique learning journeys.

—Lanie Alfaro is an editorial intern for San Diego Community Newspaper Group.

March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

Guest editorial

Creating a more compassionate world for community cats

By GARY WEITZMAN

In a report published in the San Diego Union Tribune on Dec. 20, 2020 titled “San Diego Humane Society urged to stop releasing adoptable cats back onto streets,” reporter Morgan Cook noted that some animal advocates disagree about the best care for community cats. The issues around community cats are complex, and we want to help those who share a passion for animals learn more about why our programs are evolving and what we hope to achieve.

“Community cats” are outdoor cats with no identifiable signs of ownership, and they are found all over the world. San Diego County is home to an estimated 300,000-500,000 community cats. If that sounds like a lot — it is. Caring for community cats, while working to stabilize and reduce their numbers, is one of the most complex issues facing animal shelters today. And it’s one that leading animal welfare organizations, veterinarians and researchers are finding progressive solutions to address.

In early 2021, San Diego Humane Society will launch a comprehensive community cat program that was developed with a simple, clear goal in mind: to help cats. We are committed to creating the best, most compassionate outcome for every animal in San Diego County, exactly what we’ve been committed to doing for more than 140 years.

Community cats can be feral or friendly, young or old.

They live in urban areas, parks, canyons, backyards and beach communities. New programs to provide the best care for these cats are complex and often misunderstood — but they are critically needed.

Traditional sheltering practices have not been effective in caring for or reducing the numbers of community cats. Shelter environments are extremely stressful for cats — even for sociable cats — and prolonged housing in a shelter can lead to severe health challenges and significantly diminished quality of life.

Despite the work of many people and organizations dedicated to the wellbeing of animals, the volume of cats entering shelters continues to increase. In 2019, nearly 2.3 million cats entered shelters nationwide, up from 2.2 million the previous year. Last fiscal year, 21,648 cats entered shelters in San Diego County alone.

These facts require us to challenge old ways of thinking and join with other leading animal welfare professionals to develop

innovative programs that are in the best interest of these animals.

San Diego Humane Society, along with other leading animal welfare organizations such as Alley Cat Allies, American Pets Alive, the ASPCA, Best Friends, HSUS, the Koret Shelter Medicine Program at the University of California, Davis, and Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida, are doing just that. Support for community cat programs spans multiple sectors, from shelter workers to veterinarians to advocacy groups. All agree that the most humane way to care for community cats is to develop programs that spay/neuter, vaccinate, and quickly return them to their outdoor homes. In addition to being what’s best for individual cats, this is the only approach proven to reduce the numbers of community cats over time.

Like other programs of its kind, San Diego Humane Society’s community cat program relies on years of scientific research, as well as discussion and debate among those in the animal welfare community who have dedicated their lives to doing what’s best for animals. This program will only apply to healthy cats who demonstrate they are doing well living outside. It does not apply to cats who are unhealthy, were relinquished or abandoned by their owners, or found in a dangerous place. In most cases it will also not apply to kittens under 6 months of age.

By developing a community cat program in line with experts across the United States, we are taking the next step in our commitment to doing what’s best for cats in our region. This is new for a lot of people, and there are questions, as there should be for all new programs that are innovative and push us to evolve how we think about our roles in caring for animals in need.

While successful community cat programs have existed for decades across the country, these programs represent a new way of thinking for many, and we have resources on our website to help our community understand why we think this is the most effective way to work with the outdoor cats who call San Diego County home. We encourage everyone who shares our passion for animals to visit sdhumane. org/communitycats to learn more, and we invite you to join us in creating a brighter future for cats everywhere.

—Gary Weitzman, DVM, is president and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society.

OPINION / POLITICS Secretary of State, Assembly candidates address Dem club

By SEAN QUINTAL

Newly appointed California Secretary of State, Dr. Shirley Weber was gracious enough to spend some time with the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club (LMFDC) at our March meeting. She pointed out that 71% of registered California voters turned out to vote in November 2020, making the election an unprecedented event, since the voting age was lowered to 18. She observed that the evidence is clear that when voting is made more convenient, voting participation increases. But Dr. Weber just as clearly sounded the alarm about the current onslaught against voting rights being waged by the Republican Party.

There are currently hundreds of bills under consideration in some 35 states, all of which are designed to limit Americans’ access to the ballot, and to erect barriers to the free exercise of their foundational, democratic right. The Secretary of State reminded us that the Voting Rights Act (VRA) was enacted not to grant us the right to vote, but to protect our right to vote.

But just as the VRA arose in response to poll taxes, literacy tests and other vile elements of the Jim Crow era, so must Americans today mobilize to protect their franchise in the face of the shameless attempts by the GOP to make it harder for Americans to vote. Dr. Weber plans a series of town hall meetings in the short term, to more fully elucidate Californians on the threat facing the legitimacy of our democracy.

Residents of California State Assembly District 79 will in April have another opportunity to exercise that right on April 6. That is the date of the primary election to fill the seat vacated by Dr. Weber’s appointment; ballots will be distributed by mail beginning March 8. Four Democrats are running for the seat, and all four appeared at the LMFDC meeting for a candidate forum.

The candidates are Aeiramique Glass Blake, a community advocate for racial justice; Leticia Munguia, an attorney and labor organizer; Shane Parmley, a classroom teacher and union representative; and Dr. Akilah Weber, a physician and current Vice Mayor of La Mesa.

Each candidate offered essential priorities that animate

their pursuit of the office. Ms. Glass Blake cited criminal justice reform, public safety, economic development and education policy. Ms. Munguia wishes to improve public education, reduce inequities in health care, and create jobs.

Ms. Parmley identified the need to address educational inequities that lead to disparate outcomes, to promote a green economy and to close the opportunity gap. If elected, Dr. Weber said she would work to improve health care access, to close the educational achievement gap, to improve economic opportunity, and to champion equity for all.

On issues regarding policing, all candidates agreed reform is needed. Specifically, Ms. Parmley called for an end to qualified immunity, with Dr. Weber endorsing SB2, which would make it possible to decertify police officers who act contrary to the public interest.

Regarding education policy, all four candidates stressed the importance of equity in education, not just simply equality.

Ms. Glass Blake, citing a study that indicated black students were on average a year behind other groups of students, spoke of the necessity to close the achievement gap. Ms. Munguia stressed the importance of local control over school funds, and the need to invest in free community college and trade or vocational schools.

On the topic of economic factors leading to business and population flight from California, each of the candidates emphasized the importance of small business to the state’s economy, and the necessity of the state government to protect and incentivize those businesses. When discussing affordable housing, the candidates were also all in agreement that the state need do a better job of making it possible for more Californians to buy their first home.

Finally, all four candidates were clear in their support for the creation of a single-payer healthcare system in California. Ms. Munguia called for community investment from large pharmaceutical companies. Ms. Parmley, observed that it is “expensive to be poor” and that healthcare should not be dependent on employment. Just as Ms. Glass Blake asserted healthcare is not a privilege, Dr. Weber declaimed healthcare is a human right, and that California could lead the nation by adopting a single-payer system.

SEE LMFDC, Page 7

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LA JOLLA

OPINION / POLITICS / NEWS sdnews.com Republican Women explore gun ownership at next meeting

Hooray! The Republican Women of California – Navajo Canyon are back to in person meetings.

We are excited to announce that our next meeting will be April 6 at the Legacy Hotel. Our keynote speaker will be retired homicide detective Richard Carlson.

Rick will be speaking to us about defunding the police and its implications, as well as other issues facing law enforcement and gun safety.

Gun safety is an issue that many women are interested in learning more about. Especially, in today’s age of attacks on police, hampering their ability to do their jobs.

The #NotMeSDMovement is San Diego County Gun Owner’s initiative to stop sexual assault and domestic violence. SDCGO is focusing on women specifically, as women are more commonly victims. Adding firearms protection for women is extremely important.

Without police, what are we women supposed to do to protect ourselves? In San Diego, on average, three women are raped every day. That is a shocking number!

Women can empower themselves, protect themselves and feel safer in their own homes and communities. Knowledge is power, grab a friend and gain confidence.

SDCGO provides assistance to any woman who owns a gun or would like to own a firearm, is seeking training or would like to apply for a conceal carry weapons

LMFDC

News briefs

All four candidates acquitted themselves impressively in the forum. It was abundantly clear to the LMFDC members in attendance that whichever Democrat is ultimately elected, AD79 is sure to be well-represented.

Monthly meetings of the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club typically feature office holders, candidates for office, community leaders and subject matter experts. The next LMFDC meeting will be on Wednesday, April 7. Because Democrats care about public health and the well-being of all Californians, we will continue to host our meetings on Zoom, until gathering in person may be done so safely. Please join us by following the invite link on our club’s website, lmfdems.com.

residents and businesses and significant investments in programs like Pure Water.

While the city’s population has grown an average of about 1% annually since 2010, total water demand has decreased during this same period. Water demand in the city has gone from a peak of more than 81.5 billion gallons in 2007 to about 57 billion gallons in 2020.

The decrease in water demand is largely due to San Diegans using less water and being more efficient with the water they do use.

“The decrease in our water demand is remarkable. It’s a testament to the resolve of San Diegans to make a positive change for the present as well as our future,” Mayor Gloria said. “The new Urban Water Management Plan provides us with a roadmap for a more sustainable city in the years to come. I encourage San Diegans to weigh in on this critically important plan.”

Most of the locally sourced water will come from the city’s Pure

By LAURA CRIVELO

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—Sean Quintal writes on behalf of the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club.

March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

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Water program, which will use proven water-purification technology to clean recycled water to produce safe, high-quality drinking water. Construction of the project is expected to begin this spring.

All water agencies in California are required to update their water management plans every five years. The city’s new plan includes an updated water reliability analysis that shows the value of efforts to diversify San Diego’s water supply sources under scenarios considering drought, climate change and seismic events.

Members of the public can review the draft Urban Water Management Plan and provide any comments between March 1 and April 5, 2021. The report is available for review online at bit. ly/3erYgh1. Comments or questions on the plan can be submitted to Khuram Shah, project manager, at khshah@sandiego.gov.

Additionally, the plan will be discussed at public meetings, including the Independent Rates Oversight Committee on SEE NEWS BRIEFS, Page 23

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 FEATURE Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier sdnews.com Pandemic pastimes help neighbors connect

By KAREN AUSTIN

Hard to believe a year has gone by while we’ve sheltered at home.

For some, it’s brought a chance to reinvent themselves after losing track of personal interests preCOVID while busy at work and raising children. Many people have taken advantage of the extra time at home to take up new hobbies or rekindle old interests.

Hobbies at home are the new go to outlet for entertainment, replacing time once spent on soccer fields, at movie theaters, or attending pro sporting events and concerts. According to Statista, “arts, crafts and design saw a 63% increase in web searches ...

compared to the pre-COVID period from Jan. 1 through March 13, 2020.” A resurgence of pastimes like gardening, sewing, carpentry, cooking, baking, crafting, geneaology, and fitness has been taking place. A hobby can add joy, purpose, accomplishment and a sense of connection and community to your life.

Set time aside to be active or find ways to relax. A walk, run or bike ride outside is still permissible, but if you’ve been displaced from your gym, try new online workouts for cardio, yoga and dance. Free fitness apps abound, like Fitness Blender, HASfit, Popsugar Fitness and Cosmic Kids Yoga for the younger set.

If you are starting to feel like you are in a pandemic rut, try something new or recommit to a former favorite activity. How about pulling out that old guitar or find a beginner ukulele starter bundle online? Learn a language with the help of language learning websites like Duolingo.com. Delve into your family history using geneaology sites like MyHeritage, Ancestry and FamilySearch, now offering free access and trials. Take advantage of free how-to craft YouTube tutorials and free classes at Michaels.com to learn and complete knitting, painting, cake decorating, jewelry-making and other crafts.

And then there’s bread! In the words of poet, Mary Oliver, “eat

bread and understand comfort.”

That’s just what Lori Mullen of Alvarado Estates did. She started a new hobby at home by learning to make bread.

“A friend mentioned that he was making sourdough bread. He gave me some of his sourdough starter and my sourdough journey began,” she recalled.

Mullen has since shared her starter with friends to help them do the same. She quipped, “Having sourdough starter is kind of like having a pet. It requires daily feeding, care and love, and in return gives you back so much more.”

While Mullen was baking bread, her neighbor and friend, Susan

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Bread baked by Lori Mullen (Courtesy photo)

Clarke Crisafulli, planted a garden. She joined the ever growing number of hobbyists around the nation, as evidenced by a significant increase in gardening-related SEE PASTIMES, Page 20

The Mission of GADS as an inclusive group of local business representatives, is to gather and share relevant information for our areas' success. We help promote each business independently and collectively. We encourage buying locally, supporting growth and education, participation and community outreach.

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

NEWS Sharia’s Closet

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CONTINUED FROM Page 1

Showcasing local artist for 28 years, Del Cerro Gallery and owner Dr. Doug Grosmark have succcessfully merged a healthcare office and art gallery which provides a way for local artists to display and sell their art. Every three months, new work is exhibited. Artists interested in showing work should contact Elaine at the gallery by calling 619-286-1181 or by emailing the gallery at gallerydental@yahoo.com Thank You Mission Times Courier Readers For Voting Us Gold 2020!

This is a spotlight correction for the Best Of Mission Times Courier 2020

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County and beyond. Families and individuals served by Sharia’s Closet have a variety of backgrounds: active duty military, at-risk youth, current foster care, disabled, experiencing disaster or crisis, domestic violence, homelessness, etc.

“That truth doesn’t make it to the news, but that is the reality of people’s lives that we’re serving in Sharia’s Closet founder Shamine Linton (Courtesy photos) San Diego,” she said. “I serve people that you’ll never hear about or Linton said that the individuals donations did not show the love read about.” she works with often are nervous and dignity Sharia’s Closet hope Linton hopes to change the to ask for help because of the so- to convey in their work. narrative in these underserved cietal stigmas but her message is: Over quarantine, Sharia’s Closet communities by building new pil- “There’s no shame in asking for “became like a dumping station,” lars of hope through the services help.” she said. “That is not the intent. available at Sharia’s Closet.

One’s situation or background That’s the disheartening part “Where I grew up, the true does not deter them from getting for us.” sense of family extends beyond assistance, Linton added.

Linton wants to encourage people not to just your immedi“forget what its ate family. You’re acting in an unlike to be outside conditional, selfof ourselves,” esless way and that pecially as they is transferred to go through their everyone around closets to donate. you.”

She encouragDuring Novem­ es all who are hoping to dober 2020, Sharia’s Closet did a series nate to educate themselves and of Facebook posts called the Stories see what sorts of of Gratitude clothes the orgaCa mpa ig n. I n nization is lookthese posts, people Sharia’s Closet is decorated with sings and images to inspire its patrons. ing for. who received as“It is rewarding sistance shared their testimonials “People come and we don’t when people actually take the on how this organization helped speak the same language, but I time to research and watch the them get out of the situations they speak a love language. Being able tutorials — learn how to wash were in. Sebastian, a client who to transfer where your standing and size the items,” she added. received aid wrote, “With their to putting yourself in their shoes, Even more importantly, she help, I was able to go to several that is a beautiful transformation. asks for a shift in perspective. interviews with a new confidence. When we package the clothing, “This could be you. Think I received a referral through other these receivers know that some- about the type of energy you’re companies and eventually land- one genuinely cared. They were transferring or giving,” she exed a good job. People don’t always hand-selected, prepared for their plained. “When you’re donatthink about clothing, and how body type. Everything is specifi- ing something that brought something small like that can cally for them,” she said. you joy, you’re going to transfer make a big difference. Just getting Given the free time many people that same joy to someone else some nice clothing helped change had during this pandemic, Linton through that piece of clothing. my career, and changed my life for said there has been a large influx Maybe up until this point, that the better.” of donations, but some of the is the most love they have felt in their entire life.”

The work of Sharia’s Closet has not gone unnoticed over this past year. On Feb. 9, Sharia’s Closet was the recipient of the Outstanding San Diegans award from San Diego City Attorney Mara W. Elliott.

But the real reward, according to Linton, is “to see the thank you and smiles — there’s not a word to express that. What that feels like and means, that is the joy in my soul.” (above) The stocked children’s section; (below) The infants and toddlers Sharia's Closet has given out section stocked with clothes and toys to date 14,199 bags of clothing to individuals, but they will not stop there. Linton believes this is a long-term effort to love and help the community.

“The environment in the community and family, those are the pillars — the developmental stages of helping you to transform into the person you’re meant to be and called to be,” she said.

—Lanie Alfaro is editorial intern for San Diego Community Newspaper Group.

sdnews.com

APC update

Those changes are reflected in the next submission to the city, CONTINUED FROM Page 4 which is scheduled for mid-March and include: we even reached out this past • A relocated parking garage week to the Save Del Cerro group away from homes and said, ‘Hey, would you guys like • Property line screening on to have your leadership and our the north end — enhanced landleadership where we can sit down scaped buffer and assistance with and have a calm, peace-making fence upgrades conversation where we can an• Agreement to gate off surswer your questions,’” he said. face parking in north to eliminate “Unfortunately, they declined activity except during church that.” services When asked for comment, the • Additional landscaping at Save Del Cerro group shared with the retaining wall near College the Mission Times Courier the Avenue group’s response letter: • Agreement to replace trees “Thank you for the offer to meet in College Avenue median that regarding your project. While we are removed with construction can appreciate your effort to create of intersection a bridge, doing so with only three And the most significant change community members would on- to the project is a height reduction ly further exacerbate the lack of of the main building from 33 feet transparency the community feels to 30 feet, excepting some arin the first place. chitectural elements on the roof “To meet in a ‘behind closed that are both cosmetic and used doors’ setting runs counter to to hide utilities like air conditionthe community’s desire of full ing units. Herber pointed out that transparency. this change was made because the “There are formal channels height of the building was a main whereby you can provide commu- concern of the residents APC had nity updates (Navajo Community met with.

Planners).

One idea that did not make it “Thank you again, but we will into the project update was a wall have to respectfully decline your between the church property and offer to meet, as three individu- the backyards of homes on Marne als cannot properly represent the Avenue, said APC spokesperson voice of the entire community.”

Kristen Byrne. It was scrapped Mardine Davis, a Save Del Cerro because the space between the member also disputes the lengths wall and the fences would be an to which the church has gone to “18-inch no man’s land” that address issues for neighbors affect- would have been a maintenance ed by the project. “nightmare.”

“They have been sort of blind Another change in the plan is to what the community wants,” how the proposed church would she said. “Their idea of meeting connect to the sewer system. with the community is meeting “The initial plan was to utilize with a few of the home owners on the existing city sewer main that Marne. We’ve talked with people was previously stubbed out at the on Marne that say, ‘They never southwest corner of the site in the contacted us. We’re directly af- late 1950s, this is the same sewer fected by this and they’ve never point of connection proposed by contacted us.’” previous development approvals Herber said the church has on the site,” explained Byrne. listened to residents in the meet- “Because no other properties ings it has held and that APC has are utilizing that main, and be“made numerous changes to the cause the main crossed below the project in listening to the differ- Interstate 8 right of way, the city ent concerns and desires of the asked us to look at alternative sewcommunity.” er connection options so that main could be abandoned.

The current proposal involves a short public sewer main extension through the unimproved cityowned parks property located to the south of the site. This solution will be included in the church's next submittal to the city, which will be made this week.”

Save Del Cerro member Michael Livingston was unimpressed with the changes to the project and is skeptical that they will even be adopted if the project is approved. He pointed to a Save Del Cerro member and advisor to the group who is an architect with experiYoung Save Del Cerro members dressed as rats ence both developing

NEWS churches and working in the public sphere, fighting against developments that neighbors don’t want.

“He’s got a real well-rounded point of view and he just keeps looking at this and saying, ‘You cannot look at minor changes.

It’s not fair play. It’s not going to mean anything, and if this thing gets built, they’re going to go right back and do everything they want to do and more because then they’ll have an approved project,’” Livingston said. “So that’s one of the reasons we can’t be anything but 100% opposed.”

Opposition aside, the next step for the church project is in the hands of the city planning department. If the changes are approved, the city will need to decide if the project will require a full environmental impact report (EIR) or get a negative declaration report which will spare the project from a full review, although both reports provide residents the chance to give input on the project Livingston hopes the city will put the project through an EIR process because the report “would have to consider alternative uses for that property, alternative projects.” Because the city has already approved the ColRich development plan for homes to be built on the parcel.

“They’re going to have to put that in the EIR,” Livingston said, and added that if the city has to look at the approved project and compare it to one that is asking for “countless variances” to the

March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

11

Save Del Cerro members gathered at Princess Del Cerro Park on March 7.

(Photos by Jeff Clemetson)

community plan, “that’s going to look bad. If you look at it from a strictly land use planning standpoint, then you’ve got an approved subdivision project that met all of the requirements of the planning commission and the community plan, the general plan, just down the line. And then when you look at the proposal, it’s so far away from the community plan, all of the requirements of the zoning code, the building codes and everything else.”

Once the city decides on the EIR or negative declaration, and the community has had the opportunity to comment on either report, the project will go in front of the Navajo Community Planners, Inc. (NCPI) for a vote on whether to recommend the project. The community planning group vote is only advisory, so even if NCPI

rejects recommending the project, the city Planning Commission will still review the project for its own recommendation before ultimately being decided by the City Council.

Herber remained unfazed when asked if APC has a contingency plan should the city ultimately reject the church project.

“We haven’t talked at all about any contingency plans,” he said.

“We just believe that this is a great piece of land and that a church is an appropriate use and that as we continue to honor the city’s processes and continue to work through the appropriate things, we believe this will happen and hopefully in a way that’s a real benefit to the whole community.”

—Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

PUBLIC WORKSHOP/HEARING ANNOUNCEMENT Please join the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (Airport Authority) for a Public Workshop and Hearing on the 14 CFR Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study Update (Study).

Thursday, April 8, 2021 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Public Workshop (Information and Questions) 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Public Hearing (Official Public Comment) The Study is being conducted to identify and evaluate current and future noise effects caused by aircraft operations at the San Diego International Airport (SAN).

The purpose of the Public Hearing is to obtain public comments on the Study.

After the completion of the Public Workshop portion, the official Public Hearing will begin, and all members of the public may submit verbal comments that will become part of the public record. Airport Authority staff and expert consultants will be in attendance to answer questions during the Public Workshop and listen to public comments during the Public Hearing.

Due to the COVID­19 pandemic, this meeting will be held virtually. To attend, please visit the study website below to register and receive the Zoom meeting link.

The Draft document can be viewed on the study website, sannoisestudy.com, or at the Airport Authority’s Liberty Station office at 2722 Truxtun Road, San Diego, CA 92106. Viewing is by appointment only, please call 619­400­2309 to schedule.

In addition to verbal comments at the Public Hearing, members of the public are encouraged to submit written comments via the study website sannoisestudy.com or in writing to: Mead & Hunt Attn: Jen Wolchansky 1743 Wazee Street, Suite 400 Denver, CO 80202.

Comments will be accepted through April 21, 2021.

If you have a disability or require language translation, please call 619­400­2309 to discuss your needs with at least 48 hours' notice.

NEWS sdnews.com Vaccinations, rental assistance, STVRs and crime prevention District 7 Dispatch

By RAUL A. CAMPILLO Allow me to begin with a quick COVID-19 vaccination update. Currently, anyone who is a healthcare worker, is over the age of 65, or is an employee in a school, education or childcare setting, a non-medical emergency first responder or worker in the food and agriculture sectors is eligible for vaccination. I encourage folks to check their eligibility online and make an appointment at bit.ly/3bskvl5.

At the March 2 City Council meeting, I was proud to make the motion to create a new emergency rental assistance program for struggling San Diego families funded with $83 million and another $9 million for outreach and communications to ensure that we are able to make our most vulnerable neighbors aware of all of the benefits available to them.

To read more about the new program, visit bit.ly/3rt4nVV. Also at the March 2 City Council meeting, I was pleased to second Council President Campbell's motion to create a new ordinance governing Short Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) in our City. This ordinance will

finally give us the ability to regulate STVRs appropriately and hold bad actors accountable, as our previous inability to do so posed a public safety risk. This ordinance protects our neighborhoods while continuing to provide critical options for San Diego property owners and visitors. Under the new policy, hosts will be required to educate their guests about local requirements in order to ensure that they are good short-term neighbors in the community they are visiting.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of the residents who have made our office aware of the incidents of exhibitions of speeding and racing on the city streets in our District. Both my office and the SDPD take this issue extremely seriously, and we request that residents continue to report these violations to SDPD immediately when you witness them.

Once you have made the report to SDPD, please feel free to make our office aware of your report so that my relevant representative can follow up with the police department for an update on any enforcement actions that have taken place as a result of the report. An enforcement action that resulted in multiple arrests and vehicle impounding was recently taken on Mission Gorge

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THE NEW STVR ORDINANCE DETAILS • Caps the whole-home STVRs at 1% of the City’s housing stock per the San Diego Planning Commission (based on SANDAG’s annual Demographic and Socioeconomic Housing estimates), which would equate to 5,400 today.

• No limits put on home-sharing STVRs. • Allows part-time STVR operators to obtain a license at lower annual fees to accommodate high visitor events such as Comic-Con, Pride or December Nights.

• Allows STVR owners a maximum of one license, per person.

• Creates a detailed Good Neighbor Policy along with strict enforcement guidelines, a fine structure for violations, and a license revocation standard.

The short-term rental issue is scheduled to return to the City Council in October 2021 for final review and refinement.

Road as a result of a District 7 resident’s report.

Thank you again for affording me this opportunity to serve. As SEE DIST. 7 DISPATCH, Page 13

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NEWS sdnews.com Group aims to plant 500 trees in Allied Gardens neighborhood

By VINCE MIKULANIS

In 2018, the Allied Gardens Grantville Community Council, local volunteers and the City of San Diego partnered together to plant trees for the Zion Avenue Beautification Project. Over 60 Jacaranda trees (the official tree of San Diego) were planted and are currently being watered and cared for by local residents and a team of volunteers. Most of the trees are continuing to do well, and in a few years will begin to form a beautiful canopy over one of the busiest streets in the Allied Gardens neighborhood.

That same partnership is currently in the planning stages for a much larger planting project — revitalizing the urban forest in a portion of Allied Gardens East.

With the help of a team of arborists and a major benefactor, the partnership has a goal of planting over 500 trees.

The plan is to work with local residents to water these newly planted trees as part of their landscaping.

Free tree plantings will be offered for the planting strip in front of people's homes and their front yards, with the additional option of a free tree delivered for homeowners to plant in their backyard.

The program is entirely voluntary. The partnership will work with residents to plant the trees, but if for some reason the resident does not want any trees planted, none will be planted at that location.

While the project is still in the planning stages, organizers are excited to get the word out to local residents about the opportunity to plant free trees. More information will be coming in the next weeks and months as the group targets fall 2021 for the majority of the planting to take place. For now, here are some answers to questions residents may have about the project:

Why are you doing this?

Because we love this community! When Allied Gardens was first constructed there were trees in front of all the houses. We want to restore our urban forest,

Dist. 7 Dispatch CONTINUED FROM Page 12

a reminder, you can always reach my office any time by emailing RaulCampillo@sandiego.gov.

For a Del Cerro-specific issue, please reach Jared Miller-Sclar at JMillerSclar@sandiego.gov. For an issue specific to Grantville, Allied Gardens, or San Carlos, please reach Sanna Loando at SLoando@sandiego.gov.

—Raul Campillo represents District 7 on the San Diego City Council.

bringing back the benefits to our community.

Where are you doing this?

We are concentrating our efforts on the neighborhood immediately adjacent to Marvin Elementary.

We are also aiming to fill in the spaces where available along Waring Road, from Navajo Road to Zion Avenue.

A final planting goal is to plant along Glenroy Street from Princess View to the Benjamin Library. This will help make the walk to Lewis Middle School more pleasant for our students.

Why trees?

Trees provide numerous benefits to the community. The “urban forest” helps to: • Beautify the community. Trees are just nice to look at.

• Increase property values.

Trees are proven to increase property values by 10% or more.

• Calm traffic. Tree lined streets have been shown to reduce vehicle speeds.

• Cool the community. Trees provide shade, reducing ambient temperature in the summer.

What if I do not want a tree?

No problem! We only want to plant trees where they will be accepted by the resident.

I had a tree and it tore up my sidewalk. Why would I want another one?

A lot of lessons have been learned in urban forestry since the construction of Allied Gardens. One of those is what types of trees are appropriate for certain areas, and more importantly which ones are not appropriate. The tree species selected for this project (five to six different types) will be appropriate for the planting space to avoid infrastructure conflicts.

When will this happen?

For residents in the project area, expect initial outreach in the next few weeks.

Tree plantings are targeted for fall 2021. Fall is one of the best times to plant trees in our community.

What if I want a tree, but am not in the project area?

There are additional options to have the city plant a tree. Go to sandiego.gov/trees to request a free tree be planted in the strip between the sidewalk and the street.

We are also working on potential tree distributions for homeowners to plant outside the project area.

For questions contact vince.mikulanis@davey.com.

March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

13

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS IS HAVING DIFFICULTY HANDLING HIS OR HER FINANCIAL AFFAIRS By: Dick McEntyre and Chris von der Lieth, Attorneys at Law When an individual’s health is declining, and that individual is having difficulty handling his or her own financial affairs, here are a few ways to enable a third party to step in and help that person: 1. One option is for the individual to grant a power of attorney to a selected third party (“agent”) to handle his or her financial affairs. The document can grant sweeping powers or may give only a limited power. It should also be a “durable” power of attorney, which means that it will remain in effect even if and after the individual granting the power has become incompetent (if that were to occur).

2. A second option is where the individual has created a revocable living trust, funded the trust with assets, and is serving as its trustee (in effect, the trust’s manager). When he or she begins to “slip,” he or she can resign such trusteeship, thereby turning over all trustee duties to the successor trustee which had been appointed under the trust instrument.

This successor Trustee would then immediately be able to take over handling the financial affairs of the trust.

3. A third option with respect to financial accounts is for the individual to create a joint account with another trusted individual where each has checkwriting ability, enabling the trusted person to write checks from such account to pay expenses on behalf of the individual needing assistance.

4. As a last resort, a concerned third party might initiate a proceeding to have a conservator (overseer) of the estate appointed by the court to handle the needy individual’s financial affairs. This is not usually the best option, because, for this to occur, the individual would have to be declared incompetent by the court. This could be trying for the individual, and would be very expensive; further, all of the work of the conservator would be subject to court supervision.

The above statements are not to be taken as legal advice for the reader’s particular situation.

Richard F. McEntyre practices law in the area of estate planning and administration, having served the San Diego community as a lawyer for over 40 years. Chris von der Lieth is Dick’s associate lawyer, having worked with Dick for over 7 years. Affordable rates. Highest quality services. House calls available.

Our office is conveniently located at 2615 Camino Del Rio South, Suite 101 (in Mission Valley just east of Bully’s restaurant) (Telephone (619) 221-0279) www.richardfmcentyre.com.

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 NEWS Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier 15 sdnews.com Vote shows hard opposition to City holds forums on proposed housing development future power agreements

By LAURA RIEBAU

By DAVE SCHWAB

On Jan. 21, the El Cerrito Community Council (ECCC) voted overwhelmingly against a proposed mixed-use project by Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHC) for the north side of El Cajon Boulevard between Dayton and 55th Streets. The vote of 72 residents was 58 against and 14 in favor. FHC introduced the project to the community in November 2020 and followed with a design review presentation at the College Area Planning Committee meeting on January 13 of this year.

A summary of the comments on the development is that community members want El Cerrito to be preserved, improved and allowed to flourish, not be diminished by the too tall, eight stories, towering over and shadowing existing oneand two-story homes surrounding the site; streets congested by inadequate ingress and egress to parking and not enough parking spaces for its uses, forcing surrounding residential streets to continue to be impacted by FHC personnel and patient parking needs; collectively, significantly harming the community’s quality of life.

In order to be an economically viable community in the city, El Cerrito will be best served by new development that meets good

Now that the City has completed a series of virtual public forums discussing how gas and electricity will be provided to homes and businesses moving forward, that feedback will be used in the next step: a bid process to select new franchisees to supply future power.

SDG&E has held exclusive franchises with the City to provide gas and electric service since 1920. The current 50-year franchise agreements with the utility, established in 1970, were set to expire on Jan. 17, 2021.

That period however was extended at Mayor Todd Gloria’s request through June 1, 2021.

The extension was granted to allow time for the City to initiate a competitive bid process to select new power providers to meet goals set in the City’s aggressive Climate Action Plan. The CAP, signed in 2015 and now being updated, has a goal of ultimately using 100% renewable energy sources citywide.

Between Jan. 23 and Feb. 24, the mayor and City Council members partnered on 13 community forums on the future of the City’s gas and electricity franchise agreements. Those forums spanned all nine Council

Family Health Centers of San Diego has proposed an eight-story housing project in the El Cerrito neighborhood. (Courtesy Family Health Centers)

design guidelines, compliments the surrounding development and is priced for working class income levels, providing inclusionary low-income housing. El Cerrito is one of the more affordable areas in San Diego and has its fair share of low-income housing. Efforts of the College Area Business District to create an enjoyable, safe, walkable main street with great destination restaurants and businesses along El Cajon Boulevard have been working. The proposed FHC development will be a setback.

FHC has been vague on its future tenants. Review of FHC comments and its business lends credence to thought that the 120 “low income” units will be institutional

housing for the neighboring FHC Health Center by bundling homeless housing and health care side by side, as expressed by FHC’s goal to eliminate homelessness by ensuring health care and secure housing for everyone, (fhcsd.org/ homeless-services), its participation with National Health Care for the Homeless Council (nhchc.org/ family-health-centers-of-san-diego) and language and structure used in presentations that duplicates a March 2014 report prepared by John Snow, Inc. entitled “National Approaches to WholePerson Care in the Safety Net” for review at bit.ly/3t0084r.

SEE ECCC, Page 16

Stay Healthy with Us!

districts. Their purpose was to give San Diegans a voice in determining the City’s energy future.

“The City has held these forums throughout February, intends to issue an Invitation To Bid (soliciting franchisees) in March, and will review those responses in April,” said Jessica Lawrence, the mayor’s director of policy, during a Jan. 23 public forum.

“Those (bid) responses will be reviewed by staff in April, and recommendations will be presented to the city council in May.” Lawrence added a two-thirds vote of the nine-member City Council will be required to ratify a franchise agreement between the City and any prospective power franchisee.

The City has officially transitioned all of its energy accounts to San Diego's newly launched community choice energy provider, San Diego Community Power, also known as community choice aggregation. That marks the first step toward powering all city facilities with 100% renewable energy sources, as outlined in the City’s climate action plan.

San Diego Community Power recently began providing renewable energy to municipal customers including those in SEE POWER FORUMS, Page 20

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NEWS / FOOD & DRINK sdnews.com Cajun seafood in the heart of College Area

March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

ECCC

CONTINUED FROM Page 15

By ROBIN DOHRN-SIMPSON

One suggestion for the building to fit into the neighborhood is to reduce it to four stories above ground for offices and the 42 living units for medical residents and keep the parking.

FHC contends that they can build as high as they wish and without parking because El Cajon Boulevard, without planning, infrastructure or anything more than a bus line, has been deemed to be a “transit corridor” in a cart-before-the-horse situation. Any development should still be required to meet design guidelines and since this will likely be institutional housing, at a minimum, a Conditional Use Permit should be required.

The ECCC vote was against the proposed FHC development, not against the work FHC does. At each meeting residents voiced the importance to finding solutions to homeless and low income housing needs. But preservation and improvement of the El Cerrito neighborhood is at least equally as important as housing the homeless. Homeless housing, particularly when it is synced with healthcare, should not be considered a residential use for zoning purposes and not built as vast buildings in residential areas where it will bust a neighborhood.

A few years ago, City Council representatives agreed to allocate homeless housing citywide. The Convention Center shelter is closing and Horton Plaza’s homeless population is being shifted from the Downtown site. The 2021 homeless count was cancelled, but is likely close to the 2020 number of over 7,500.

No San Diego neighborhood will want institutional homeless housing built next to where it recreates or directly next to existing homes ruining the enjoyment of the community, so real planning for all nine districts should be done soon.

—Laura Riebau is chair of the El Cerrito Community Council.

A good Louisiana boil includes spreading out a big piece of paper over a table, full of friends and family, and then tossing corn, potatoes, and a variety of seafood onto it. This is the time to eat with your hands — with or without plastic gloves — and dig in.

Sip and slurp. Break a crab leg open and suck out the meaty goodness, perhaps with alternating sips of southern traditional sweetened green tea or sweetened black tea, lemonade or a craft beer. While New Orleans is the epicenter of this type of gastronomic abandon, The Crab Pub, right here in San Diego does the tradition proud.

SEAFOOD OPTIONS

The Crab Pub interior (Photos by Robin Dohrn Simpson)

The College Area restaurant located at 6011 El Cajon Blvd. has all your favorite seafood: Dungeness crab cluster, whole blue crab, king crab legs, snow crab legs, crawfish (with corn and sausage), shrimp, clams or mussels. Try a variety of combinations of a couple of different types of seafood. A pound of crab combined with a pound of crawfish or a pound of king crabs and a pound of mussels.

These combinations include corn, potatoes and four pork sausages.

Next, pick your spice level to enhance the flavors. Perhaps

Shark eating crab

Chicken wings basket

try the well-known Old Bay seasoning mix that includes celery salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and paprika.

TRY SOMETHING ELSE

Not into a boil or seafood?

No problem. There are other options like New England clam chowder, gumbo and rice.

Try a basket such as chicken wings, fried catfish, fried calamari, fried oysters, fried pickles, fried okra, or fried green beans. All baskets include spiced Cajun fries.

The Crab Pub is located on the corner of College Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard, Enter in and enjoy the “shipboard” ambiance. Don’t mind the shark with a crab in its mouth hanging from the ceiling.

If you like Louisiana cuisine, this is your kind of place. Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

—Robin Dohrn-Simpson is a San Diego-based food and travel writer. Reach her at dohrnsimpson@hotmail.com or visit robindohrnsimpson.com.

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EDUCATION sdnews.com Henry begins in-person learning, classroom labs

Patrick Henry High School News

By MICHELLE IRWIN In February, Henry High School opened its first Learning Lab of cohorted students to attend school while attending classes on Zoom. Students in our first Learning Lab are able to attend classes and receive additional support from a visiting teacher. We are hoping to open additional labs as soon as we are able to staff them with visiting teachers.

Some of our students are also participating in Classroom Labs during the asynchronous time with one of their teachers. We are excited to be able to engage our students with in-person support during this time.

As a district, we are also working towards reopening of our schools for Phase 2. There are many factors to reopen which include the utmost safety conditions, agreements between our district and our employee unions and implementation of PPE equipment at every school. All school principals will share information

as soon as we learn about our next steps.

Even though we are doing online learning and we haven’t been able to engage with our students on campus, several of our students are being acknowledged for their dedication to our community and hard work with their academics.

I’m very proud of these Henry Patriots: CyberPatriot Team under the direction of CWO4 (Ret.) Ron Flaherty has qualified for the National Championship. Normally our team would be heading to Baltimore, Maryland in April but due to COVID-19 we will be competing locally. Qualifying for Nationals makes them a top 12 team in the nation. The below students are the team members: • Ben Gonzalez • Andrew Gordon • Diego Johnson • Darren Lee • Spencer Magedman • Alain Zhang We are very grateful for the guidance of Chris Ahrens, Adaptative Physical Education teacher at Patrick Henry who wrote a plan to ensure that Henry High School is a Special Olympics Unified Champion School. A Unified Champion School promotes social inclusion through intentionally planned and implemented activities affecting systems-wide change.

With sports as the foundation, the three-component model offers a unique combination of effective activities that equip young people with tools and training to create sports, classroom and school climates of acceptance. Chris spearheaded many events to ensure our students with disabilities are able to participate in the sports they are interested in. Learn more at specialolympics.org/our-work/ unified-champion-schools.

Finally, congratulations to our newest principal in the Henry Cluster, Dr. Garnica Morris who is the new principal at Lewis Middle School. Dr. Lewis has been an educator for 19 years. She has been a teacher, vice principal and principal at various schools in Texas and Georgia. Her most recent experience has been serving Los Angeles Unified as an executive director of charter schools. We welcome Dr. Morris to the Henry Cluster.

Please remember to visit the Patrick Henry website for up-todate information about our school and district: patrickhenryhs.net.

On behalf of the Patrick Henry High School Faculty, we want to thank you for being our partner in education so we can ensure all students graduate with integrity, purpose, and options.

—Michelle Irwin is principal of Patrick Henry High School.

Henry Cluster robotics teams find success at local tournaments

By JAY WILSON

The Henry Cluster STEMM Foundation has supported robotics teams with the Henry Cluster for the past six years. This year, three teams have enjoyed great success and we certainly salute them for the dedication during all of the COVID-19 challenges. This past year several of the teams did everything via Zoom.

Three FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge teams within the Henry Cluster were awarded Qualcomm team funding, for the 2020-2021 FIRST LEGO League season. The teams are students from Lewis and Pershing Middle Schools; Dailard, Hearst, and Green Elementary Schools; and Homeschool.

The three teams are: FLL #20358 Mechanical Dolphins: Coded Galaxy, FLL #50739 Garage Engineers, and FLL #50899 Mechanical Meatloaf (with a side of pickles). All three teams attended the FLL Tournament virtually on the weekend of March 6-7.

We are so excited to announce that one of the First Lego League (FLL) teams, Mechanical Meatloaf

Garage Engineers team watches the results of their weekend robotics competition. (Courtesy photo)

(w/a side of pickles), in the Henry Cluster has been chosen as one of the winners of the 2021 FIRST LEGO League Qualcomm Grant!

FLL robotics team The Garage Engineers #50739 is thrilled and grateful to also be a recipient of the 2021 FIRST LEGO League Qualcomm Grant. The volunteer coach for the Garage Engineers stated, “We are so proud to be a part of the FIRST program, and to be surrounded by so many

other teams, mentors, volunteers, and coaches who give their all each season. Huge thanks to Qualcomm for supporting this community, and for their outreach to inspire and encourage this experience for so many kids.”

Dailard Elementary is so very proud and excited that their First Lego League (FLL) team Mechanical Dolphins: Coded SEE STEMM, Page 23

March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

17

18

NEWS

March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

sdnews.com

Southern Caregiver Resource Center Caring for those who care for others

Are you caring for someone with memory loss, dementia, or Alzheimer's? Then the REACH2CAREGIVERS program is for you! This series is offered FREE and virtually to family caregivers to better understand memory loss, develop communication skills, learn stress management techniques and how to better care for yourself and your loved one. You don't have to do caregiving alone! Sign up today for our REACH2CAREGIVERS online class at https://bit.ly/REACHprogram.

Southern Caregiver Resource Center has been offering services FREE direct services to the community for over 33 years. Our team of highly qualified professional staff supports families through a comprehensive inventory of programs and services.

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COMMUNITY

sdnews.com

March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

19

COMMUNITY BRIEFS ALLIED GARDENS/GRANTVILLE know how we can help you supOfficer Steffen checked in and don’t leave anything valuable in centers around the COVID vacciCOMMUNITY COUNCIL nation. “If you send money, we’ll port our neighborhood. Our next alerted us that in January there your car.

At March 23 town hall meeting of the Allied Gardens/Grantville Community Council (AGGCC), the primary speaker will be Council member Raul Campillo, who represents District 7. This is one of the several community meetings announced by his office.

We will begin with our usual presentations by our San Diego Police Department community service officer and folks from the offices of our elective officials. We will deal with some housekeeping matters and our annual election, then we will turn the floor over to Campillo.

The Council member’s office will publish Zoom registration information and the AGGCC will also give notice by way of our website and emails to our contact lists.

Our May 25 town hall meeting will feature a presentation

by San Diego Canyonlands, an organization that is dedicated to restoration of our many canyons to their natural conditions. This presentation will initiate efforts to involve the community in the restoration of Navajo Canyon.

There is much demanding and rewarding work to be done under the leadership of this organization. It is up to us to provide the person-power to do the job.

We intend for our July 27 town hall to be a presentation of a new urban forestry project in Allied Gardens East to include the planting of 500 trees in fall 2021. Join us to learn more about this project and the many ways that trees positively impact our community.

Our Sept. 28 town hall will be a rundown of the city’s new organic waste recycling program.

Following the success of AGGCC's fall 2020 “Keep Our Neighborhood Beautiful” campaign, we are planning a “Spring Spruce Up” community cleanup from April 17–25 in honor of Earth Day. We invite neighbors to choose a day to participate in beautifying our community in a variety of ways. Look for details on our website for how you can take part.

The first of our SDG&E utilities box painting is finished. It is located on the south side of Zion Avenue across from Mission Trails Church. Our thanks to Christine Carino for her design and execution. Is there a box near you that could use beautification?

Use the “Contact Us” page at aggccouncil.org to get on our email contact list, to receive notices of the activities of our community council and the Navajo Community Planning Group, Inc., and to let us

board meeting will be on April 5 at 6:30 p.m. by Zoom. The public is encouraged to attend.

—By AGGCC president Shain Haug

DEL CERRO ACTION COUNCIL

The next Del Cerro Action Council Zoom meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 25 at 7 p.m. A Zoom link will be posted on Monday, April 25.

In response to questions about the status of DCAC, we will be posting information on our website, including the financials.

There has not been any solicitations or receipt of funding in the past decade.

The status of the proposed All Peoples Church project is the church is planning to send their next submittal to the city this Friday. Once the city reviews the submittal, the city will issue another Cycles Report. If the city is satisfied all their concerns have been addressed, the city will determine whether an Environmental Impact Report or a Mitigated Negative Declaration is required. The document is then prepared and submitted to the city for review.

When the draft document is approved by the city, it will be released for public review and comment. The required Traffic Report will be included as part of the environmental review. There will be a minimum of 30 days for public review and comment. We anticipate all of this will be issued prior to the next scheduled Zoom meeting of the DCAC on April 25, at which time we will hold a public forum.

—By DCAC secretary Jay Wilson

SAN CARLOS AREA COUNCIL

San Carlos Area Council (SCAC) officially resumed our monthly meetings on Febr. 17 via Zoom, and had a great turnout of community members. We heard from our police and fire liaisons and other representatives from our local, state and county offices. If you missed joining us in February, mark your calendar for Wednesday March, 17, at 6:30–8 p.m., and you are welcome to raise a mug in honor of St. Patty’s Day. (The Zoom link is fb.me/e/6cLICHe3T.) SCAC welcomes two new members to its oard, Ryan Schuler and Paul Levikow, who collectively bring many talents to the organization, including marketing, journalism and an interest in serving our community. Bravo to you both, sirs, and welcome to SCAC!

was one violent crime in the neighborhood, along with 23 property crimes in San Carlos and Lake Murray, predominantly vehicle break-ins. Once again, Officer Steffen advised us to lock windows and doors when you leave your home, and

He also warned us about a couple of scams – among hundreds now circulating. The first involves cloned police phone numbers; the caller claims to be a police officer saying that if you don’t give them money you will be arrested. It’s a scam. Additional phone fraud

SEE COMMUNITY BRIEFS, Page 22

Downed Wire_San Diego Community News Network_RUN: March 2021__TRIM: 6.2” x 13”

BE SAFE NEVER GO NEAR A DOWNED POWER LINE

Report downed power lines immediately to 1-800-411-SDGE. If a power line has fallen to the ground:

• Always assume power lines are live.

• Stay far away and never touch a power line.

• Never touch any person or equipment that comes in contact with a power line.

If a vehicle is involved and you are in it:

• Sit calmly until help arrives.

• Warn others not to touch the vehicle and direct them to call 911.

• If the vehicle is on fire and you must leave it, open the door or window and jump clear without touching the vehicle and the ground at the same time.

Get more tips at sdge.com/safety

Follow us on: ©2021 San Diego Gas & Electric Company.

Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Painted SDG&E utility boxes on Zion Avenue (Courtesy photo)

send you the vaccine.” Of course that’s a scam, too.

As if that weren’t enough, throughout the COVID quarantine, porch pirates have been running rampant, stealing packages.

20

B & S / FEATURE

March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

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Power forums CONTINUED FROM Page 15

San Diego, La Mesa, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista and Encinitas.

Agencies can choose between the default option of 50% renewable energy or the ``Power100'' rate, which provides electricity from 100% renewable sources. By comparison, San Diego Gas & Electric's current mix of energy sources is about 31% renewable.

Following the City’s rigorous community outreach process soliciting input on what needs to be sought with gas and electricity franchises, Mayor Gloria announced: “It comes as no surprise to me that what San Diegans care most about when thinking about our energy future is reducing pollution and combating climate change. The results will be incredibly valuable in guiding our efforts going forward.”

The City also launched an online survey on gas and electricity franchises that drew 1,378 responses.

Fire prevention, decreased pollution and continuity of service top the list of respondents’ desired outcomes for electricity services.

Meanwhile, decreased pollution, continuity of service and energy-efficiency programs that reduce demand were the primary consumer outcomes in the survey desired for gas services.

District 9 council aide Brett Weise said the public franchise forums were held to get feedback from residents and businesses on the particulars of gas and electricity franchises, such as how much the annual franchise fee should be, the term length of the contract, issues of indemnification, establishment of a climate equity fund, etc.

Pointing out some environmental advocates “don’t want the City’s utilities to be privately operated,” Weise noted, “Several steps must take place, including a feasibility study and an appraisal of current SDG&E assets, so the City won’t be able to immediately municipalize.”

—Reach Dave Schwab at reporter@ sdnews.com.

Pastimes CONTINUED FROM Page 9

sales revenue during the pandemic (U.S. Census Bureau, Advanced Monthly Retail Trade Surveys, 2020).

“I have an herb garden with swiss chard and arugula,” she stated, adding, “more than we could eat, so we share them,” Clarke Crisafulli said.

Lori and Susan are staying connected even during the pandemic by swapping the fruits of their labor ... er hobbies.

Both got started by easily accessing information online. Mullen turned to pantrymama.com for bread-making tips and Clarke Crisafulli found fantastic online support for gardening at mastergardenersd.org and californiagardenclubs.com Stay safe, stay sane, stay engaged, stay connected. Time to put down a screen and pick up a hobby!

—Karen Austin writes on behalf of the Alvarado Estates Association.

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

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COMMUNITY Community briefs

sdnews.com

CONTINUED FROM Page 19

The police suggest getting your packages delivered to a P.O. Box or local mailing service. Stay vigilant as we navigate through these strange times.

Executive director of Mission Trails Regional Park, Jennifer Morrissey, joined us on the Zoom meeting and spoke about the community outcry for a bridge across the San Diego River where a young man slipped and lost his life. She said that both the Mission Trails Citizen Advisory Committee and Task Force would be addressing that issue soon, and she will let us know what has been decided. It is a treacherous crossing and

San Carlos Area Council meeting (Zoom)

our hearts go out to the family of Max LeNail over their tragic loss.

Spring is coming, and with it the poppies popping alongside the highways and byways. Enjoy our wonderful San Diego weather and the gifts of Nature. We hope to see you at our March 17 Zoom meeting!

If you have a San Carlos story to share, or would like to get involved in your community, please contact SCAC vice president Patricia Mooney at patty@ crystalpyramid.com.

—By SCAC vice president Patricia Mooney

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Home features an open floor plan with vaulted ceilings, three ceiling fans, vinyl plank flooring and central air conditioning. The spacious kitchen has a sit-down counter, lots of warm tone cabinets, dishwasher, and refrigerator. There are lovely window treatments in every room, master bedroom has a walk-in closet, and step in shower with glass doors.

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 REAL ESTATE / NEWS / EDUCATION Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier sdnews.com Why experience counts when News briefs picking an agent CONTINUED FROM Page 7

By SARAH WARD

Many buyers think the real estate process is pretty straight forward: sign a few papers and move-in. I want to take the opportunity this month to make clear that the residential real estate process is actually quite involved with many potential traps to avoid.

I was working with a buyer recently who in the end used his newly-licensed friend for buyer representation. He bought a small house last year and during the recent rains, he experienced some roof leaks and was wondering what he could do. I asked if his friend-agent organized a roof inspection and his answer was “no.” I asked if his friend ordered a fireplace inspection or sewer line inspection and the answer once again was “no.” As a note, I typically order multiple types of inspections depending on the property condition and type.

Having spent the last 10 years in the real estate business, in my strong opinion, the vast number of licensed real estate agents have minimal training and experience with what they are doing. I see mistakes on the other side of transactions constantly.

Just yesterday, I reviewed a property disclosure form with multiple mistakes such as the condo was not identified as a “condo” and the form noted there had been no insurance claims even though there was an invoice provided for an insurance claim!

I don’t intend this column to be tooting my own horn, but I

want to make it clear that using an inexperienced agent or untrained agent can lead to expensive problems down the road for both buyers and sellers. I believe that a large percentage of agents out there sadly fall in this category. They are licensed but not well trained and do not properly represent their clients in very complicated transactions.

At the end of the telephone conversation with the above mentioned buyer, I suggested he seek financial compensation from his friend’s broker for potential negligence. In my opinion, that agent failed to behave with the level of care that an agent of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances. Financial compensation can be typically achieved through simple mediation or arbitration.

Some examples of what myself and the 20% of highly trained agents out there consider on behalf of our buyers is the integrity of the structure, including electrical, plumbing, and roof.

We check the garage floor and exterior for potential cracks in the slab. We consider the neighborhood itself, crime rates and traffic patterns for example. We look at such things as drainage issues with the slope of the adjacent lots and we look at the lot itself, whether it’s a cut lot or fill lot (makes a big difference in settling issues).

The bottom line is that there is quite a bit to consider and think about in a real estate transaction and I suggest avoiding a newly licensed “friend or family” agent, or agents who spend

most of their time on marketing and not on contracts, negotiation, and property condition.

There are very good agents out there but I believe they are the exception. For my sellers, I put together a full disclosure file for ultimate protection from future problems. Call me for a no-obligation consultation on buying or selling residential real estate here in San Diego.

For single family homes in the College Area, 92115, the year over year increase in the median home price hit $689,000 with homes selling in an average of only 29 days and with a ridiculously low 12 homes on the market.

The 92119 area of San Carlos hit a median home price of $770,000 with only six days on the market and only nine homes on the market! (Back in the day, there would sometimes be over 100 homes for sale at any one time.)

Finally, in the 92120 area, the year over year median home price jumped to $849,000 with 14 days on the market and an only 10 homes for sale in the entire zip-code! Inventory is low!

One last word I touched on last month is that another $1.9 trillion in stimulus money is expected to contribute to a weakened dollar and further rising home prices. Buyers, the time is now to buy a property to protect yourself from the coming inflation train. Call me.

—Sarah Ward is arealto with Fine& Coastal Real Estate. Reach her at sarah@fineandcoastal.com, or by calling 858-431-6043.

March 15, and the City Council’s Environment Committee. The plan will also be presented for adoption by the City Council later this year.

Public input is encouraged and welcomed at all the meetings.

BLOOD BANK ISSUES PLEA FOR DONATIONS As local hospitals continue to re-schedule elective surgeries delayed due to COVID-19 and utilize even more blood for stat orders and standard surgeries, San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB) is experiencing critically low blood supply. All blood types are needed.

“We are down to a one- to twoday supply of most types, and it’s best to keep at least a seven-day supply available” said David Wellis, CEO, San Diego Blood Bank. “For

STEMM CONTINUED FROM Page 17

Galaxy team #20358 in the Henry Cluster also has been chosen as one of the winners of the 2021 First Lego League Qualcomm Grant.

Each of the teams are extremely thankful to Qualcomm for their continued support to robotics and supporting young minds to dream big and make the world a better place.

Peggy Han, a board member of the Henry Cluster STEMM Foundation stated, “We are proud to share the following news with everyone.” The FIRST LEGO League (FLL) and the Southern California Robotics League completed the March 6-7 qualifying tournaments judging sessions. The Mechanical Dolphins: Coded Galaxy won the Core Value Award. Mechanical

23

various reasons, hospital usage has increased, so we need the community to make an appointment to donate now for local hospital patients that need it.”

San Diego Blood Bank strongly encourages all healthy individuals to donate blood. To be eligible to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 114 pounds, and be in general good health. Appointments are required and are available by visiting SanDiegoBloodBank.orgnor by calling 619-400-8251.

SDBB is currently antibody testing each blood donation as part of their regular testing panel to qualify donations for COVID-19 convalescent plasma. Please note this is not a diagnostic test, and it will not detect active COVID-19 infections or recent exposure.

Temperatures will be taken before donors are allowed into facilities and face coverings are required Meatloaf (w/a side of pickles) won the Innovation Project Award.

Both the Garage Engineers and Mechanical Meatloaf (w/a side of pickles) advanced to the regional championship in April.

Han also stated, “It was a wonderful and rewarding weekend for the robotics teams in the Henry Cluster. The volunteer coaches and members of each team have worked diligently in this unusual world of education via zoom learning. We also learned the Henry Cluster teams may be able to return to competition at Legoland in April.”

Follow the Henry Cluster STEMM Foundation on or website at hcstemm.org, on facebook at facebook.com/113815642132299, and on Instagram: @hcstemm.

—Jay Wilson writes on behalf of the Henry Cluster STEMM Foundation.

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March 12 – April 8, 2021 Mission Times Courier / College Times Courier

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