Serving San Diego’s Premier Urban Communities for 20 Years sdnorthparknews.com
Vol. 20 No. 5 May 2012
NORTH PARK SCENE
SOCIAL NETWORK GURU
Growth and Civility in North Park BY OMAR PASSONS
I am from San Diego. Like many, I left the area for college and career and returned because, let’s face it, when you grow up in San Diego you aren’t as equipped to handle all that “weather” the rest of the country endures. And having lived in six states I feel comfortable saying San Diegans are among the friendliest people I’ve encountered. When my wife and I decided to move back home it was an opportunity to choose how we wanted to experience San
UCSD professor reveals the power of human connections James Fowler’s elementary teacher wrote on his report card, “Does not play well with others.” Thirty years later, playing with others is what James does best. James Fowler grew up in a small Oklahoma town, not very happy. Even though he had a very supportive family, he never felt connected to his peers. “I was such a big outlier in terms of the things I was interested in.” Add to that, the town was very religious and critical of his lack of participation in religious activities. “They
told me I was going to hell.” By the time he went to Harvard, Fowler had the attitude: “I don’t need anybody. The group was just designed to bring me down.” Today, at 42, and living in Mission Hills, his life is a social network story; he’s an expert on the power of human connection. “Now I always collaborate,” he says. “It’s rare for me to do things on my own. And part of that transformation was realizing that this radical individualist, Robinson Crusoe, is wrong. We have to consider that all our strengths are not only for
BY DELLE WILLETT
ourselves but for the benefit of others.” A UC San Diego professor in the Political Science Department and Medical Genetics Division, Fowler is a new kind of political scientist who pushes the boundaries of his field to identify social and biological forces that underlie human nature. He is well known for his research on the evolution of cooperation, behavioral economics, political participation and genopolitics. SEE SOCIAL, Page 5
SEE SCENE, Page 8
Diplomacy Council to Welcome Mideast Teenagers to San Diego Host families are being sought When Cath DeStefano meets the 25 or so teenagers visiting San Diego this summer from violencetorn countries of the Middle East, she will probably think to herself, “Wow, these kids really need a break. They BY MANNY CRUZ
need to hang out at the beach and go to Disneyland.” Of course the teenagers — from Iraq, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia — won’t just be tasting the fruits of San Diego’s warm summer. They will be embedded in the homes of San Diego
host families, sharing meals with them and — through a series of educational and immersion projects in the community— learn the essentials of becoming future leaders. DeStefano is executive director of the North Park-based San
Diego Diplomacy Council, which is partnering with the U.S. State Department to bring the teenagers to San Diego. “The theme is leadership and civic responsibility,” said DeStefano. “We want them to begin seeing themSEE DIPLOMACY, Page 8
Iraqi students took part in a beach cleanup last year.
BATTLE OVER BALBOA: ROUND 2
Plaza de Panama project will reclaim Balboa Park for the people
Jacobs/Sanders plan would render Balboa Park unrecognizable
BY BILL WALTON PLAZA DE PANAMA COMMITTEE
BY BRUCE COONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAVE OUR HERITAGE ORGANISATION, SOHO
When Balboa Park opened in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition, San Diegans enjoyed grand plazas and pedestrian promenades that allowed them to enjoy the charm and cultural heart of the park. These pedestrian plazas and walkways led to lush park areas with numerous places to sit and enjoy the beauty of Balboa Park with family, friends and visitors free from the hustle and bustle of city life. Unfortunately, over time people were replaced by
The proposed remodel and redesign of Balboa Park is a 1960s solution for what should instead be a vision for the future. Probably the biggest myth that the Plaza de Panama team (Jacobs/Sanders plan) are hoping people will believe is that their plan removes cars and traffic from the park. That is 100 percent untrue. In reality it just moves cars from one area to another with the goal being to bring in more traffic, making the park a literal thor-
SEE WALTON, Page 10
Bruce Coons and Bill Walton. Illustration by Jason Luper (www.starkwhitestudios.com).
SEE COONS, Page 11
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(619) 683-5420 | www.aftonmiller.com | amiller786@aol.com
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Potters’ Guild’s Spring Show Hand-made ceramics for sale Thousands of pieces of hand-made ceramics by San Diego potters will be featured at the San Diego Potters’ Guild’s Spring Sale on June 9-10 in the Spanish Village patio area in Balboa Park. Works range from functional ware such as plates, bowls, and coffee cups to more decorative and sculptural forms such as ceramic shoes, garden lanterns, and conch shells. Prices range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. In addition to buying hand-made ceramics, you can also meet the artists. Most of the Guild members will be
available to answer questions about ceramics in general or their own work in particular. There will also be demonstrations of throwing pots on the wheel. Hours for the sale are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. For information, call the Guild at (619) 239-0507 or visit sandiegopottersguild.org. The Potters’ Guild is a cooperative organization made up of more than 40 local potters. It operates a studio and gallery year-round in Spanish Village, where members sell their work as well as throw, glaze and fire pottery.
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SOCIAL CONTINUED FROM Page 1
Being Transformed While doing his undergrad studies at Harvard (1988–92), Fowler began working with, and bouncing ideas off others. But his real transformation kicked in when he met Harla Yesner in 1992, first his Peace Corps co-worker, then his girlfriend, now his wife, the mother of his two young sons, an educator, and his very best friend. Harla helped him see the wisdom in collaborating with others and in diversifying and expanding his circle of friends and acquaintances. The next milestone was when Fowler’s adviser at Harvard grad school introduced him in 2002 to Dr. Nicholas Christakis, who was interested in how illness in one person might cause illness in another. At the time, Fowler was studying the origins of people’s political beliefs and examining how one person’s attempt to solve a social or political problem influenced others. They traded papers and started developing data. Over the next seven years Fowler and Christakis collaborated on scientific research that resulted in the publishing of “Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape of Lives,” in 2009. Three Degrees of Influence In this book, the authors argue that, while people are connected to each other on average by six degrees of separation, the spread of influence in social networks obeys what they call the “Three Degrees of Influence Rule.” Everything we do or say tends to ripple through our social network, having an impact on our friends, our friends’ friends and our friends’ friends’ friends. Likewise, we are influenced by friends within three degrees, and generally not by those beyond. Social networks have value because they can help us to achieve what we could not achieve on our own. “They spread happiness, generosity and love,” the authors say. “They are always there, exerting both subtle and dramatic influence over our choices, actions, thoughts, feelings, even our desires. And our connections do not end with the people we know. Beyond our own social horizons, friends of friends of friends can start chain reactions that eventually reach us, like waves from distant lands that wash up on our shores.” After the book was published, Christakis was named as Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world and
Fowler was on the “Colbert Report.” Their research findings have been featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Good Morning America” and the “Today” show, and on the front pages of The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and USA Today. They are now working on a prospectus for a second book and are, says Fowler, “joined at the hip.” Opening New Doors Doing the research for and writing Connected has completely changed Fowler’s life. “I never like to use the word ‘famous,’ but as famous as some random professor can be, I’ve run into people who have read the book and they are excited to find out that I’m the person who wrote it.” “One of the things we talk about in the book is that you can’t really understand what’s going on online until you understand real-world, face-to-face social networks,” says Fowler. “And so we have a unique message that has given me a lot of opportunities to talk to people from a wide variety of backgrounds about how important social networks are. ” For example, there are a lot of people in business now who are really interested in Fowler’s opinion about things that are going on online. He’s been invited to the Microsoft CEO Summit, having dinner at Bill Gates’ house with him, Warren Buffet and 100 other CEOs around the country. “And that would never had happened to me without having written the book,” Fowler says. “It’s given me a little notoriety that gives me access to a lot of things I wouldn’t have had access to before. So now I’m working directly with Facebook and the head of the Data Science Team there, and I’m sure that’s partly because of my ability to make all of these ideas accessible for a broad audience.” Socializing Science At UC San Diego, Fowler attracts “amazing grad students who come to me with new ideas and I just sit back and let them drive. ” He works one-on-one with students on their projects for about 10 to 15 hours a week. “I know that science is a social enterprise so I also try to make my teaching social. Make it fun. We have lunch once a week — eating around the campfire is really an important experience for human beings —and develop social bonds, because those bonds lead to people exchanging ideas and to collaborations — the most important things you
can do in science.” Understanding Social Networks “The networks we create have lives of their own,” say the authors. “They grow, change, reproduce, survive and die. Things flow and move within them. A social network is a kind of human superorganism, with an anatomy and a physiology — a structure and a function — of its own. Our local contributions to the human social network have global consequences that touch the lives of thousands every day and help us to achieve much more than the building of towers and the destruction of walls. “If we do not understand social networks, we cannot hope to fully understand either ourselves or the world we inhabit. Understanding social networks allows us to understand how, in the case of humans, the whole comes to be greater than the sum of the parts. Just as brains can do things that no single neuron can do, so can social networks do things that no single person can do.” Keeping and Making Friends After learning about the “Three Degrees of Influence Rule,” someone may come to the conclusion that they should carefully select and weed out friends when those friends are picking up bad and unhealthy habits, or becoming obese. Well, not so. Specifically in the case of obesity, one of the things the authors found was: the people who kept their friends who became obese were actually healthier than the people who dropped their friends who became obese. “The moral of the story is, Don’t dump your friends. When you have a friend who is struggling with health problems or struggling with something negative in his or her life, the first thing you should do is try to help him deal with that problem— benefiting both of you,” advises Fowler. What Fowler found most true while researching is the power of human con- ‘One of the things we talk about in the book is that you can’t really understand what’s going on nection. “We’ve actually been able to online until you understand real-world, face-to-face social networks,’ says Fowler, shown here show through scientific method that the walking on campus. things that we concluded were true are actually true. And for me, the thing that is most extraordinary is scientific proof that there are people in the world who you don’t know and have never met who are influenced by your actions. And I personally think that just teaching people that that’s the way the world works is going to increase the responsibility that we take in terms of the people we are connected to.” SEE SOCIAL, Page 6
At UC San Diego, Fowler attracts ‘amazing grad students who come to me with new ideas and I just sit back and let them drive.’
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www.sdnorthparknews.com Serving San Diego’s Premier Bungalow Communities Chairman/CEO Bob Page BobPage@sandiegometro.com Publisher Rebeca Page RebecaPage@sandiegometro.com Editor Manny Cruz Manny@sandiegometro.com Art Director Chris Baker kurisub@gmail.com Advertising Sales Ada Laura Duff (858) 442-7766 adaduff@gmail.com ------------------------------
Amid the trees of the UC San Diego campus, Fowler looks like one of the unviersity’s students.
Writers/Columnists Todd Gloria Ann Jarmusch Jennifer Kester Donna Marganella Bart Mendoza Katelyn O’Riordan Sandy Pasqua David Raines
‘If we do not understand social networks, we cannot hope to fully understand either ourselves or the world we inhabit,’ says Fowler.
SOCIAL CONTINUED FROM Page 5
Marginalizing People What surprised Fowler the most was “the nice twists and turns that came up with each of our studies. As scientists, we are looking for things that are always true, and so we are always trying to see the unity, the general law.” And what they saw, with the complexities of social networks, in the obesity studies for example, is that adults who have become overweight do not have their ties cut to friends and family, but smokers do get pushed to the outer fringes which polarizes them, making it harder and harder to reach the smokers to help them change the behavior. “I feel sorry for smokers because at the same time we’re using public-health campaigns to make other people physically healthier, we’re making a smaller group of people socially less healthy,” says Fowler. “And what our research shows is that when you disconnect people they become less healthy. And the last thing we want is to ostracize the very people we are trying to help.” Connecting to Voters Given his reputation for using lots of different creative methods to figure out how voters and parties affect each other, President Obama’s campaign recently invited Fowler to help with analytics for the re-election campaign. Fowler says that Obama’s first campaign was a historical milestone in all kinds of ways; yet the most revolutionary was not his remarkable ability to connect with voters — it was his ability to connect voters to
each other. A fundraising juggernaut, Obama’s campaign took advantage of the power of online social networks and social (person-to-person) media. Believing in God On the subject of religion, Fowler says, “I have a feeling, in part, that religion makes us more connected and this connectedness has helped us to survive. So rather than telling people to believe differently than me or that they should stop believing in God, I’m much more interested in knowing why they believe in God and in trying to figure out what the benefits are. I think we have reached a point where it’s possible to have tolerance for people who have different beliefs and to place value in these beliefs in terms of keeping us connected.” Realizing the Most Important Thing Our connections affect every aspect of our daily lives. How we feel, what we know, whom we marry, whether we fall The book by James Fowler and Nicholas Christakis is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Indie Bound Kindle, iTunes, Audiobook and Audible. ill, how much money we make, and whether we vote all depend on the ties that bind us. While it’s true that there are always people out there who do things that ripple to you, you also have the capacity to achieve in your own life what will make you, and your friends and their friends’ friends better off. “Realizing that you have network power is probably the most important thing you can do in your life,” says Fowler.
Photography Manny Cruz Mike Shess Sande Lollis Letters/Opinion Pieces North Park News encourage letters to the editor and guest editorials. Please address correspondence to Manny@sandiegometro.com or mail to Manny Cruz. Please include a phone number, address and name for verification purposes; no anonymous letters will be printed. We reserve the right to edit letters and editorials for brevity and accuracy. Story ideas/Press Releases Do you have an idea for an article you would like to see covered in this newspaper? We welcome your ideas, calendar item listings and press releases. For breaking news, please call us at (619) 287-1865. For all other news items, please email Manny@sandiegometro.com.
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North Park News distributes copies monthly to residents and businesses of North Park, South Park, Golden Hill and Normal Heights. The entire contents of North Park News is copyrighted, 2012, by REP Publishing, Inc. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without prior written consent. All rights reserved.
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SCENE CONTINUED FROM Page 1
Diego. We settled on North Park because it was diverse, had parks nearby, the homes have character and we thought it was a place we could enjoy without using our cars. When we moved in, Urban Solace was North Park Deli, The Linkery was Amistad Cristiana, Blue Foot was Wolf’s, Big Lots was still open and Tiger! Tiger! wasn’t even Soho, it was still Vesuvio’s. Lefty’s had barely opened, Shooterz hadn’t given way to True North, URBN was a longvacant building across from Buster Daly’s and we couldn’t even tell you whether The Boulevard had given birth to Eclipse Chocolat or Petrushka but Dao Sun was still open. The point is, we didn’t move in for the bars and restaurants and arts and culture — those have, for the most part, been lucky accidents. The other piece of genuine good fortune we stumbled into was a community with neighbors who say hi when you pass them walking the street and an interested, involved collection of volunteers who — for a variety of reasons — were working to improve on the friendly peace we’d found. A guy named Jay Turner was running a little fledgling Farmer’s Market, with a
One Saturday, we stumbled upon an art walk and only later learned that Ray at Night was a thing.
DIPLOMACY CONTINUED FROM Page 1
selves as leaders in their own communities.” The delegation from Iraq is scheduled to arrive in San Diego on Aug. 2 and depart for home on Aug. 13. The Egypt, Libya and Tunisia delegation is to arrive on Aug. 29 and depart on Sept. 9. Each group will be coming from a leadership camp in Vermont, one of the staging areas in the Young Leaders Exchange program. They will be joined by three San Diego students attending the camp, one each from San Pasqual Academy, Kearny
welcoming charm that made us feel good even though the market had some growing to do. One Saturday, we stumbled upon an art walk and only later learned that “Ray at Night” was a thing. And I, hungry to get involved and help out, found a little group of neighbors called the North Park Community Association who were meeting in a well-worn arts and crafts room at the local recreation center. They raised money for free family-friendly concerts in the park, promoted sustainability through the Renaissance Awards, embraced North Park’s history and promoted a sense of community I was happy to find. Back then I didn’t know that the largely multi-family areas north of University needed more attention — and community resources — than they were getting. I’d never heard of Burlingame, Burlingame Knolls, Carmel Highlands, Between Heights, Altadena or University Heights. “North Park” for us was this one, monolithic community that outsiders — even local ones like us — think of when they mention the area. I’ve since hopped on my bike and gone exploring with my wife just to get lost in our neighborhoods, and there is quite a bit to see. As it turns out, just as San Diego is a city of communities, North Park is actually a community of neighborhoods — not the undifferentiated whole we first thought. And the diversity of interests and concerns stretches farther than the actual community boundaries. The Greater North Park area actually goes all the way north to the southern rim of Mission Valley by Our Lady of Peace to just south of the Switzer Canyon bridge and from the 805 all the way to Park. I’ve come to learn that while we have shared concerns, like many communities we also have unique issues driven by types of housing, geography, political orientation and — most recently — proximity to the busiest of North Park’s three business districts. Understanding our community’s current challenges requires understanding that our growing business community runs right up against decades-old Craftsman bungalows and long-time residents.
It’s a jarring experience to be able to walk your dog in peace (and a housecoat, if needs be) five nights a week and then realize that you can’t even run out for milk without losing a parking spot the other two nights. It is emotionally challenging to have your children woken up by unruly patrons who probably don’t behave that way normally but don’t realize they’ve stepped from a bar into a neighborhood. This emotional struggle has led some to organize, some to seek creative solutions and some to lash out. While it may not be the best or most productive response to frustration, it’s understandable that the anger of feeling helpless to stop a 2 a.m. party every Friday night sometimes bubbles over. Neighbors see that businesses like Urban Solace and Mosaic and Alexander’s open up and thrive without unleashing a weekly “spring break” atmosphere on our otherwise quiet streets and it’s hard to reconcile why the others can’t follow suit. And
neighbors — most of us anyway — have no idea how narrow the profit margins are for restaurants that practically make serving alcohol a survival mechanism. Understanding the richness and depth of our neighborhoods won’t solve the problems for businesses any more than grasping the business constraints will make neighboring streets quiet in the middle of the night. But taking a moment to understand on an emotional level that the drunk patron you just let out is likely to wake a sleeping baby on his or her way home may cause the restaurant or bar owner to let that person stay inside for an extra 30 minutes to pull it together and use the restroom, which can help us as neighbors. And taking a moment to understand that just because those shortribs I ordered cost $20 doesn’t mean the owner has made $20 profit may help us as neighbors realize that these small businesses have invested their whole lives into making something work. That the risk and stress associated with that choice means that
sometimes it’s hard to strike the right balance between success and being neighborly. As a neighbor, I’d like to see police writing citations at 2:30 a.m. on Ray and Dale and Utah and 29th — not just along 30th or North Park Way or University — for crimes that make our community a little less liveable on weekend nights. As a lover of craft beer, responsible food sourcing and pedestrian-friendly streets, I also want our business communities to continue to grow and thrive. Understanding alone won’t make all the issues we face go away, but as our community continues to grow it can help us engage each other in a civil and productive way.
High School and High Tech High. According to Young Leaders Exchange literature, the program aims to develop a cadre of young adults who have a strong sense of civic responsibility and a willingness to promote mutual understanding between the United States and the Middle Eastern countries. One of the projects that will be undertaken by the visiting teenagers will be to film and edit a video of their experiences here. “When they go back home, they should be comfortable with that kind of technology,” said DeStefano. DeStefano said the exchange program in the past has produced some unfortu-
nate and sad experiences, such as the Iraqi teenager who required a full-time bodyguard while he was here because he was feared a kidnap risk, or the teenager who was so traumatized by violence in his country that he slept with all the lights on in the bedroom of his host’s home, locked the windows and doors and placed a chair under the doorknob to prevent entry from an intruder. “Housing these kids is more than an act of kindness,” said DeStefano. “It’s sending them back home with the most pleasant memories that we can provide them with. We’ve been in their country (Iraq) for years, bombing them. I see this
as a mini-Marshall Plan, repairing a relationship beginning with the kids.” One of the Diplomacy Council’s biggest challenges this year is recruiting volunteers to serve as suitable host families for the visiting teenagers. The host family, said Stefano must be able to provide a safe environment for the visiting student, provide him or her with breakfast and dinner, and be able to transport the teen to and from the Diplomacy Council office. A typical day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The State Department requires that all host family volunteers undergo a background check.
Hosts do not have to be a “family” — as in husband, wife and children — but can be single or divorced adults. “The ideal would be a family that has a child in school, but we are not picky,” said DeStefano. “What an opportunity,” adds DeStefano. “Hosting one of these youth is an act of kindness that extends 60 years into their future. They will never forget San Diego and the warmth of our citizens.” Persons interested in becoming hosts should call the Diplomacy Council offices at (619) 291-8105. The offices are at 3604 30th St.
I’d never heard of Burlingame, Burlingame Knolls, Carmel Highlands, Between Heights, Altadena or University Heights.
Students from a past exchange program meet with San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne.
Omar Passons is a local attorney and volunteer who writes a periodic column about community issues. He advocates for greater civic attention and participation in all San Diego neighborhoods. Email him at opassons@gmail.com regarding issues in your neighborhood or follow him on Twitter @omarpassons.
Visiting students with county Supervisor Ron Roberts.
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Historic South Park is Event-Minded Old House Fair, Walkabouts, showcase events at independent businesses fill calendar Saturday, June 16th. Along with exhibit booths, vendors, music and food festivities BY MARSHA SMELKINSON at 30th and Beech Streets, the day includes If you’re looking for a San Diego shop- a popular Historic Home Tour as well as ping experience that combines the hip Trolley and walking tours of the neighwith the historic, there is no better choice borhood. than South Park, the picturesque neighborhood just east of Balboa Park. With no “big box stores,” malls or strip centers, the neighborhood shops, cafes and businesses occupy restored historic buildings on tree-lined streets interspersed with Craftsman-style homes and mid-century courtyards. The neighborhood businesses celebrate their independence with quarterly Walkabouts, evenings where shops stay open late, musicians play on street cor- The Historic Home Tour (tickets are $20, ners, and restaurants offer specials for available online or on the day of the event) sidewalk dining. A trolley tour shuttles features on-your-own visits to six different throughout the 10-block area, and a residences, with docents providing guided guided walking tour explores both archi- information about design details and histectural and shopping highlights. Both tory of highlighted rooms. As a bonus to the trolley and walking tours are free for tour-goers, this year’s event also offers visits to two landscaped and terraced garvisitors. The next Walkabout will be on Satur- dens overlooking the eastern canyons of day, July 14, with a “Summer of Love” Balboa Park and its golf course, and a tour theme. Look for ’60’s-style décor, hippie of the restored Firehouse No. 9, the oldest attire and retro music along with shop station house in San Diego (it now housspecials and a sidewalk barbecue by the es South Park Fitness, a neighborhood eateries of Beech Street (Alchemy, gym). More information: theoldhouseGrant’s, and Hamilton’s). More informa- fair.com. tion about what’s happening is available on the neighborhood website: south- Indie Shops Host Events Too The independently-owned businesses of parkscene.com South Park also feature special events throughout the year. The events often highlight local artists, authors, musicians, and artisans whose work and merchandise are available in the neighborhood’s small boutiques and galleries.
Another event that celebrates the historic quality of the South Park residential neighborhood is the 14th annual Old House Fair, a free day-long festival on
The Grove on Juniper & 30th (thegrovesandiego.com), an emporium that includes one of the few independent book stores in San Diego, often hosts author events, such as readings and signings. In April, for example, local authors celebrated their book launches with
events at The Grove. Ellae Ellawood introduced Earth is Your Sweet Spot – A Woman’s Guide to Living Beautifully, and Holly Berkley premiered her children’s book, “Mommy, Me & My Chickens” (about raising backyard chickens in an urban neighborhood … where, we wonder?). Both authors are South Park residents.
Ani Bikinis Trunk Show on May 6 from 1 to 4 p.m., and a Bikini Fit Workshop on May 20t. A June 1 Summer Nights Fashion Show will feature both Graffiti Beach and Salon on 30th. More information: shopgraffitibeach.com.
South Bark Dog Wash is more than a pet shop and a dog-washing service. It’s so busy with events for pets and their “parents” that you could call South Bark a “pet community center.” Owners Donna Walker and Lisa Vella and their staff plan and host frequent adoption events, product launches, treatment services, and even breed-specific “happy hours” (humans can mix and mingle while pets socialize with their buddies on the South Bark patio). Here’s a sample of upcoming events at South Bark (southbark.com) just in the month of May:
beach, and we seek out the most amazing artists and designers to introduce to the public. So it only seems right that we host eclectic artist showcases every Friday night, along with fashion events throughout the month.” • Corks & Corgis Happy Hour, May 16, The Graffiti Beach Art Showcases are on 6:30 to 8 p.m. Fridays, from 6 to 9 p.m. The May sched•Southern California German Shepherd ule of featured artists is: Rescue Adoption Event, May 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 4 — Sean Dietrich & Eric Wixon; • Animal Communicator Terri Steuben May 11 — Tia Vamp & Jimmy Ovadia; book signing (“Secrets of a Pet WhisperMay 18 — Bret Barrett & Sean Brannan; er”), May 19. With over 20 years of counMay 25 — Rejeena Victoriano & Dion seling pet owners on communicating Terry. with their pets, Terri has insight for just about every situation to help solve bad Also in May at the boutique will be an behaviors like chewing and barking, and preparing your pet for bringing home the new baby.
One of South Park’s newest shops, Graffiti Beach (which opened in March of this year in the handsome Fern Street location previously occupied by VeloCult), has quickly become known for its impressive calendar of special events. Says owner Melanie Michaud, “Our shop is where the street meets the
Many other South Park businesses feature special events throughout the year, from art gallery show openings (The Next Door Gallery), soap-making workshops (Clarity Soap & Candles), children’s camps and classes and events (Home Ec Studio, Baby Garten Studio, So Childish), art studio classes (Studio Maureen), knitting classes (The Grove), and more. South Park restaurants including Alchemy and Vagabond frequently host special chef events.
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BATTLE OVER WALTON CONTINUED FROM Page 1
the flow of cars and traffic as the plazas were converted to roads and parking lots that now dominate these historic plazas. Today, we all drive through the heart of the park in search of that elusive parking space focusing on pedestrians, strollers, dogs and bicyclists instead of the architectural and botanical beauty passing by. Most times it’s like a battle of wills — cars trying to get somewhere and park goers having to shift between a relaxed walk and a guarded state of being. It once wasn’t like this; and it doesn’t have to be in the future. In 2010, our mayor, Jerry Sanders, presented a vision of restoring Balboa Park’s central plaza to its historic pedestrian use in preparation for Balboa Park’s Exposition Centennial celebration in 2015. The Plaza de Panama Committee was established to help the community implement the vision — get cars and traffic out of the heart of the park and put people back in. The committee developed the Plaza de Panama Project to realize this vision. The project will provide an alternate route for cars that avoids the heart of the park, allowing numerous public spaces
— including the Plaza de Panama, Plaza de California, West El Prado and Esplanade — to be returned to historic uses as pedestrian-only spaces. A precedent for this was set in 1973 when East El Prado was reclaimed from vehicles and city buses. The Plaza de Panama Project builds on what was started almost 40 years ago and will extend this vibrant pedestrian-friendly atmosphere throughout the center of the park. The Plaza de Panama Committee has conducted numerous studies and considered a wide range of ideas about how to improve and restore Balboa Park to its historic intent and charm. After careful study, the Plaza de Panama project presents us with the best alternative to reclaim our park for people, while ensuring that access to the park is not diminished. It maintains both an east and west access for vehicles by way of the new Centennial Bridge, which will allow traffic to flow around the core of the park directly to parking areas, including a new underground parking structure topped by a two-acre park that is level with the International Cottages. The underground parking structure will be built on the site of the current Spreckels Organ Pavilion parking lot. The project will return the core of Balboa Park to the grand public space for San Diego residents and tourists that it was in 1915. By separating cars and pedestrians, the project will reclaim what once was; and it will create 6.3 acres of new landscaped areas, plazas and promenades replacing what are now roads and park-
Bill Walton
ing lots. In addition, a new low-floor ADA-compliant, pedestrian friendly tram system will provide easy access to park amenities free of charge for all park visitors. The Plaza de Panama Committee has pledged to raise $25 million in private donations to pay for the Centennial Bridge and park improvements, while the parking structure will be funded by a self-supporting bond repaid through minimal parking fees at the structure. All parking outside of the structure will remain free. The parking structure and the tram system are two long-planned amenities that the city has approved, but has not had the financial resources to implement. The Plaza de Panama project has the financing resources to make those plans a reality. The Plaza de Panama project is on track to be completed in time for the 2015 Centennial Celebration and will provide spectacular venues for this important yearlong celebration in Balboa Park rising to the experience of 1915. History is an important educator. For the 1915 exposition, many of the buildings in Balboa Park were deemed “temporary” with every intention to be removed. Fortunately, citizens had the foresight and vision to maintain and create the historic treasure we enjoy today. The Plaza de Panama project will restore Balboa Park’s historic grand plazas of 1915 for the people as they were originally intended — foresight and vision for the betterment of the community.
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B A L B O A ROUND 2
COONS CONTINUED FROM Page 1
oughfare and less accessible to people, especially lower income families and the disabled. This is why the name of their project is the Plaza de Panama Circulation and Parking Project. I repeat, their plan does not remove cars from Balboa Park. The Jacobs/Sanders plan is simple, it is to bring paid parking into the park, and to do this they will construct a massive two-lane highway and bridge attached to the historic 100-year-old Cabrillo Bridge, cut into, through, and around the park’s iconic entrance; add a paid parking structure, concrete retaining walls and railings, and massive landfills in Palm and Cabrillo canyons. The new roadway will cut in half the central mesa, creating a massive ditch and will destroy the tranquility of Alcazar Garden forever. If this project were to be successful the Balboa Park we all know and love would be unrecognizable. The plan is the epitome of reverse urban planning; it is inflexible, permanent, and has no innovative transportation solutions, restoration of historic features or spaces, or plan for maintenance or future park needs. Instead, a brutal and destructive approach was taken for what began as a simple goal to remove 54 parking spaces from the Plaza de Panama. Who would have thought when the occasion of the 100th anniversary of
Bruce Coons
the 1915 Exposition was announced, that this National Historic Landmark with its spectacular Spanish Colonial architecture and graceful landscape would be transformed into what can only be described as an unmemorable suburban office park appearance with a freeway-like road running through it. No thought has been given to what would allow the park to move graciously, naturally, and elegantly toward the future. Instead it is being rushed to completion for 2015, in part because of that hard timeline it is an immature design with no feeling for the qualities that make Balboa Park special and beautiful. The public has been told that because this plan is designed and partially funded by a major San Diego philanthropist, that we, the people who live, work, and raise our families here and who use Balboa Park on a regular basis, should not have a say in how the park’s revitalization, transit issues, and future restoration is handled. One individual should not be allowed to redesign, destructively alter and scar permanently the “People’s Park” just because they have the means with which to do so, and powerful political allies in the mayor’s office. When you destroy your history you destroy the ability to tell the story of a place. A site such as Balboa Park, a National Historic Landmark, should be held in the highest regard, as it is a monument of a productive past and should be used as a stage for an exciting future, instead of being obliterated
along with one hundred years of progress. Part of the Plaza de Panama teams marketing ploy is to say they are restoring the park. In fact there is no restoration whatsoever in this plan except for possibly some lampposts. And further fact is that this project will prevent future restoration of the park, changing forever the current landforms and paving over so much of the park as to make many of the long anticipated future reconstructions of historic buildings, gardens, and garden structures impossible. SOHO is most often known for finding solutions that make all parties happy, with even the most difficult of projects this has been accomplished. Practical, cost efficient and elegant solutions to the final goal of the removal of cars from the Plaza de Panama can be found on our Website at sohosandiego.org. The needs and desires of the many must outweigh the shortsightedness of the one. I ask that the people of San Diego and its environs join with SOHO and over 20 other organizations and help us save Balboa Park for generations to come, for your children and their children.
Coming Next Month: Backyard Chickens One South Park neighborhood is going to the birds. Actually, chickens. Holly Berkley and her family are raising chickens in their backyard. She explains that “It makes us slow down and appreciate things …appreciate where our food comes from. Berkley’s experiences with the unusual hobby has inspired her to write a children’s book, “Mommy, Me & Chickens.” We will tell you more in the June issue of North Park News.
North Park Lions Club Serving the community since 1926 Meet Every Wednesday at Noon Come join us and make reservations for lunch Email: northparklionsclub@gmail.com For more information: northparklionsclub.com 3927 Utah St., San Diego, CA 92104-2906
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Letters to the Editor Thanks from the Lions Club
Gaping Omissions in Lindbergh Story
Dear Bob Page (Publisher of the North Park News), gesture of publicizing our business card in the North Park News March edition. Hopefully it I am Lois Renfro, the current president of will gain the attention of additional potential the North Park Lions Club. I would like to members from the community. Again, on behalf of the North Park Lions extend my personal thanks and gratitude to you and of special note, Editor Manny Cruz, for Club, my sincere thanks for your continuing your continued support and recognition of our support. community service organization. Sincerely, The Club especially enjoyed your previous talk to one of our meetings several months ago. Lois Renfro You and your staff have an open invitation to all President, meetings each Wednesday and lunch will be North Park hosted. Please do not become strangers. Lions Club Like most other service clubs, the recruitment and retention of a strong membership is paramount to our goals. We have been fortunate of late to have successfully added several talented and highly motivated new members. And we are always seeking more. I cannot thank you enough for your kind
Editor: Thank you for the extensive articles in the April 2012 issue of the North Park News regarding plans to reinvent Lindbergh Field. Unfortunately there were gaping omissions and the plane missed the runway. More journalism ink was used to describe the proposed variety of new airport eating establishments than solutions to improve airport efficiency. If future traffic and parking congestion is truly of concern to airport authorities, why was there no mention of extending the trolley system to the airport, thereby alleviating both traffic and parking congestion? Adjacent to the airport and Pacific Coast Highway are acres of land currently used to park large fleets of rental cars. What plans are being made to incorporate and optimize this land for future airport growth? Airport authorities seem to be focused on the economic benefits of a larger airport, while logistical efficiencies aren't addressed which contribute
to economic growth. For example, what improvements will be made for more time-efficient baggage handling, which would also reduce congestion? Frequent travelers know that waiting for baggage at San Diego Airport is tediously slower than in most other U.S. cities. What efforts are being taken to solicit feedback on the airport designs from the travelers perspective? Airport security and baggage safety are legitimate concerns. Why then aren’t regularly repeated loudspeaker announcements at our international airport in a variety of international languages such as Spanish, Chinese, French? While the North Park News 4 ½-page account was interesting, it lacked more in-depth inquiries and ultimately served no more than peanuts.
Steve Gardepie San Diego 92104
Committee And Board Meetings Greater Golden Hill Community Development Corp. The CDC normally meets at 6:30 p.m. the third Thursday of the month at the SDYS Golden Hill Center, 2220 Broadway. For information, call (619) 696-9992. Greater Golden Hill Planning Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at the Balboa Golf Course clubhouse, 2600 Golf Course Drive. For information, call (619) 533-5284. The North Park Redevelopment Project Area Committee meets at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at the Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd. Meetings focus on redevelopment projects in construction or planning. For information, visit sandiego.gov/redevelopment-agency.
The North Park Main Street board meets at 7 a.m. the second Wednesday of the month at its storefront office, 3076 University Ave. North Park Main Street has more than 250 members, primarily businesses paying annual assessments in the city-authorized North Park BID. For information, call 294-2501. The North Park Maintenance Assessment District Committee normally meets at 6 p.m. the second Monday of every other month at North Park Community Adult Center, 2719 Howard Ave. The Greater North Park Community Planning Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month at North Park Christian Fellowship, 2901 North Park Way. The committee is an advisory group to the city on North Park land use, including the general
plan, infrastructure and density. For tional outreach in order to facilitate information, visit northparksd.org. preservation of North Park's cultural and architectural history. For more The North Park Community Associ- information, visit www.northparkhisation board normally meets at 6 p.m. tory.org. the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El Cajon Blvd.. The University Heights Community For information on the NPCA History Association meets at 7 p.m. the first Committee, visit northparkhistory.org. Thursday of the month in the auditorium of Birney Elementary School, 4345 The Business Group for South Park Campus Ave. For information, call 297and Golden Hill meets at 8:30 a.m. the 3166. last Wednesday of the month at the Moose Lodge, 1648 30th St. The busiThe Adams Avenue Business Assoness group rotates its meeting location ciation board of directors normally every few months. It helps organize the meets at 7:30 a.m. the first Tuesday of quarterly Walkabouts. For information, the month at the Normal Heights Comcall 233-4060 Ext. 314. munity Center, 4649 Hawley Blvd. For time, place and more information, call The North Park Historical Society (619) 282-7329 or visit adamsaveonmeets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the third line.com. Thursday of each month. The Historical Society conducts research and educaThe Kensington/Talmadge Planning
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Group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at Kensington Community Church, 4773 Marlborough Drive. For information, call 287-3157. The Lions Club of North Park meets for lunch every Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the club, 3927 Utah St. Prospective members are welcome to enjoy their first lunch on the club. For information, call (619) 692-0540. Uptown Rotary welcomes prospective members at its 7 a.m. Thursday breakfasts at Jimmy Carter’s Mexican Café, 3172 Fifth Ave. For more, call (619) 500-3229 or visit sdurotary.org. The North Park Recreation Council meets at 6 p.m. the fourth Monday of every other month at North Park Recreation Center, 4044 Idaho St. For information, call 235-1152.
May 2012 | sdnorthparknews.com | 13
Spring is Budget Season
BY COUNCILMAN TODD GLORIA
Spring is the season of new beginnings, and it’s also budget season for the city of San Diego. When the proposed city budget for the next fiscal year was released in April, it signified a new day for San Diegans: a structurally balanced budget without service cuts. As the chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, I will lead budget review hearings of individual departments beginning on May 2. The full schedule of the hearings is available on the Budget and Finance Committee’s
‘Your voices shape my decisions…’
Website, http://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/committees/budgetandfinance/, and the public is encouraged to participate. Discussing a proposed budget that features restorations instead of cuts for the first time in my tenure will be a welcome change, but I ask my colleagues and every San Diegan to be mindful of the work it took to get to this positive place. We cannot treat this proposed budget as the chance to go on a spending spree. We must remain fiscally responsible so our city and San Diegans never again face the challenges of the past several years. I’m proud that the reforms we have worked so hard on are generating real cost savings for taxpayers and that many of the priorities expressed by my council
colleagues were incorporated into the proposal by Mayor Sanders. I also want to thank city employees for the pay and benefit reductions they have accepted and work they’ve contributed to help us reach this point. Our most critical services are prioritized in this budget. Recreation centers and libraries will be open more hours. These are the services that we painfully had to cut in previous years and that had to be at the top of our list to restore. The value of our recreation centers and libraries cannot be overstated. The replacement of our fire station alerting system will be fully funded, which should help improve response times in emergencies. Fire inspections will increase, and we’ll add the first fire recruits our city
has seen in years to help address mass retirements in the department. Your voices shape my decisions, and they are critical as we deliberate this budget. Please participate in the hearings or contact me with your thoughts, priorities and questions to ensure continued progress and fiscal responsibility are our hallmarks. Councilman Todd Gloria can be reached at ToddGloria@sandiego.gov; (619)-2366633; 202 C Street, MS 10A, San Diego, CA 92101; and on Facebook and Twitter. Visit his website at www .sandiego.gov/cd3.
Beauty school to sponsor fundraiser for cancer survivor Ashley Bartlett Moore of North Park Bellus Academy, a beauty school, will host a special fundraiser on May 17 to benefit recent aesthetician graduate Ashley Bartlett Moore of North Park, who has been battling ovarian cancer since her diagnosis earlier this year. Calling it Ashley Moore Day, the Academy plans to fill every appointment available on May 17 across all three of its California campuses — Poway, National City and El Cajon. Each campus will be accepting donations on behalf of Moore as well as holding a silent auction, offering giveaways and posting a banner for patrons to wish her the best. The money raised will help Moore pay her rising
medical expenses that exceed her insurance coverage. Well-regarded by her peers and mentors, Moore made a name for herself within the Academy, earning top marks toward her degree and successfully passing her state board exam in April 2011. She then launched her own traveling aesthetician business, giving various skin treatments in clients’ homes before becoming the in-house aesthetician at Simply Spa, a boutique spa in Santee. This new position followed directly on the heels of her engagement to her longtime love, Kenn Bashaw. Despite a promising career and blos-
soming personal life, Moore’s health took center stage in February when she began having excessive abdominal discomfort and back pain. Just five days after her 28th birthday, Moore’s doctor diagnosed her with Stage 3C ovarian cancer (Stage 4 is terminal). The grave extent of her tumors required immediate surgery just four months before her impending wedding. Moore then underwent a grueling six-hour surgery to remove the tumors that filled her abdomen, which resulted in a complete hysterectomy and a reconfiguration of her urethra. Also removed were two large tumors, measuring 6 and 8 inches in length, part of her stomach,
and 49 of the 54 lymph nodes in that area. Moore now begins a long and arduous road of aggressive chemotherapy. With an unwavering determination to shine through it all and survive her fight, she remains upbeat and positive and still plans to walk down the aisle in July. All who meet her marvel at her inner strength and grace. Like her friends and family, who stand by her side, Bellus Academy hopes that this fundraiser will allow her to focus on her recovery and incredible future.
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Arctic Adventure is a Tale of Survival A compelling tale of survival — with global implications — is told in the IMAX film at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s Heikoff Dome Theater. Narrated by Oscar winner Meryl Streep, the film, “To the Arctic,” takes audiences on a never-before-experienced journey into the lives of a mother polar bear and her twin 7-month-old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating and intimate footage brings moviegoers up close and personal with this family’s struggle to survive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls, and majestic snow-bound peaks. “The film’s universal themes of love, hope and the power of family, as
set against the back drop of the breathtaking Arctic, is sure to capture the imagination of audiences everywhere,” said Greg MacGillivray, the director whose other credits include “The Living Sea” and “Dolphins”. It was written and edited by Stephen Judson (“Everest”) and produced by Shaun MacGillivray (“Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk”). The musical score is by Steve Wood, with songs by Paul McCartney. “To the Arctic” is from Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX Filmed Entertainment. It is sponsored locally by ScholarShare. The film is rated G and has a run time of 40 minutes.
Timken Hosts Small Displays of Art Object Lessons The second in the series of major loans to the Timken Museum of Art comes from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Francisco de Goya’s Self-Portrait with Dr. Arrieta, from 1820 and one of the artist’s masterpieces, will be on display at the Timken beginning May 10 and running through Sept. 10. The museum will display this important painting alongside the Timken’s own revolutionary-era masterpiece, Jacques-Louis David’s landmark portrait of the Irish Republican sympathizer, Cooper Penrose, of 1802.
May 2012 | sdnorthparknews.com | 15
Man’s Enduring Bond With the Horse
‘TUNA!’ Exhibit Examines San Diego’s Fishing Industry The San Diego History Center celebrates San Diego’s fishing industry in an exhibit opening April 21 that is simply titled “TUNA!” The exhibit lets visitors experience the world through the eyes of Japanese, Italian and Portuguese fishing families and includes hands-on polefishing demonstrations, packing and canning activities and films documenting San Diego’s impact on the global tuna fishing industry. The exhibit also examines the impact of commercial fishing on tuna stocks, and ongoing efforts to ensure that the fisheries for tuna around the world are sustainable. “Tuna fishing here eventually gave rise to a global industry for the world’s most popular food fish,” said Charlotte Cagan, acting executive director of the center. The tuna industry sprang up in San Diego in the early 1900s and soon became San Diego’s largest, employing thousands of people as fisherman, cannery workers, and shipbuilders. Japanese, Italians and Portuguese lived along the waterfront creating tightly-knit communities in neighborhoods like Point Loma and Little Italy. Public and family programs and lectures will accompany this exhibition and are open to the community. The exhibition is generously underwritten by: The American Tunaboat Association, Bumble Bee Foods, Chicken of the Sea, StarKist Co., the Billingsley Foundation, the Heller Foundation of San Diego and the San Diego County Community Enhancement Fund.
“The Horse,” a comprehensive exhibition on the enduring bond between horses and humanity, opens at the San Diego Natural History Museum on June 1 and will remain on view through January 2013. The exhibit explores early interactions between horses and humans and shows how horses have, over time, influenced civilization including major changes in warfare, trade, transportation, agriculture, sports and many other facets of human life. The exhibition, which has never before been seen on the West Coast, is included with general museum admission. “Horses are at the very core of what America is all about,” said Joe Harber, CEO, president and general manager of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. “They are a large part of our history and they live on with us today as both symbol and reality of all the things that are good and true and strong in our society.” The exhibition showcases spectacular fossils, models, dioramas and cultural objects from around the world. A large-scale video and computer interactive allows visitors to peek inside a life-size, moving horse to learn about its anatomy and biology. They also encounter a 220-square-foot diorama depicting some of the horse species that existed 10 million years ago in what is now Nebraska, and representations of the horse in art from the Paleolithic to the present. The exhibition also examines new archaeological discoveries concerning the domestication of the horse and looks at the role of horses in sport, from medieval times on. The exhibit offers numerous activities that invite visitors to measure their strength in horsepower, manipulate a mechanical horse’s leg to make the knee lock and unlock, discover characteristics of many different breeds of horses, and look inside a horse with computer kiosks and a lifesize, interactive video screen. Visitors can examine different gaits of a horse by looking through a zoetrope — a precursor to the modern movie projector —at the revolutionary series of photographs taken by the famous photographer Eadweard Muybridge. In San Diego, the exhibition is sponsored by the Del Mar Racetrack, Blenheim EquiSports, the Walter J. and Betty C. Zable Foundation, the WWW Foundation, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the city of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture. “The Horse” is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage; the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau-Ottawa; The Field Museum, Chicago; and the San Diego Natural History Museum.
Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Balboa Park will be the site of the fifth annual Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Festival on June 15 and hosted by the Women’s Museum of California. Dozens of well-known chocolatiers, wine and cheese vendors will participate by offering samples for tasting and enjoying. As well, live music for dancing and listening will be provided by the Sue Palmer Band. The festival is held to promote and support the on-going activities at the Women’s Museum of California in service to the San Diego community. This includes both cultural and educational exhibits, community outreach, lectures, vintage clothing presentations, school tours and a well-developed high-school and college student intern program. Participants will receive a swag bag containing a variety of “free” items such as $195 Vouchers for Skin Care, other discount offers as well as a commemorative festival wine glass to take home. Tickets for 10 tastings of wine and food are $35 each with groups of 10 or more at $25 each. Reserved VIP seating is $50. To learn more about the festival, contact the museum Executive Director Ashley Gardner at (619) 233-7963 or visit womensmuseumca.org.
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Walking Tours Bring Burlingame’s History to the Fore North Park Historical Society and the Burlingame Club host separate tours Burlingame Then and Now The opening of Burlingame by real estate developers McFadden and Buxton in 1912 coincided with the peak of the biggest building boom in San Diego since the late 1880s. Sales and construction were brisk in the first year with many homes being built for newcomers to California. In the 10 years following the opening of the tract east of Balboa Park, Burlingame became a showcase of diverse architectural fantasies. Artificial developments which gave character to the tract were streets contoured to the shape of the canyon’s rim and paved with decomposed granite; concrete sidewalks and crosswalks tinted dull red; cast iron street lamps with arc lights and underground conduit; ornamental gates and a promised, fully equipped children’s canyon playground. (Courtesy of San Diego History Center). You not only get one, but two guided tours of Burlingame this year, a not unpleasant scenario since this is one of San Diego’s most unusual neighborhoods. Here, you’ll see an abundance of architectural
styles — Craftsman, Mission Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Prairie School, Art Deco, California Ranch. The neighborhood, in fact, has more than 170 architecturally interesting homes. The North Park Historical Society will offer a docent-led tour on Saturday, May 19, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Attendees are asked to meet at 32nd and Kalmia streets. The tour, which takes about an hour and a half, will look at and discuss 20 of the homes, but there will be no access to the interiors. For that, the Historical Society will charge $5 per person. It also will sell to interested buyers copies of the guidebook, “Burlingame, the Tract of Character,” by Donald Covington, for $15 each. (The book also can be purchased at The Grove at 3010 Juniper St., Vintage Religion at 3821 32nd St., Save Our Heritage Organisation and at Amazon.com.) For more information on the Historical Society’s tour, call Katherine Hon at (619) 294-8990.
The Burlingame Club will sponsor the Burlingame Centennial Home Tour on Saturday, June 2, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Attendees should pick up the tour at 3117 Laurel St. The tour will feature six homes built in 1912. The cost is $25. Proceeds will benefit women’s and children’s charities. The Burlingame Historic District consists of some 40 acres of land, originally developed in 1912. The District boundaries are: Switzer Canyon to the north, the alley between Kalmia and Juniper Streets to the south, 30th Street to the west, and 32nd Street to the east. The tract’s design significance is expressed in its curvilinear street plan that follows the area’s natural contours, in contrast to the surrounding area’s grid development pattern. The original planners, Joseph McFadden and George Buxton, demarcated it with rose-colored sidewalks, the only area in the city of San Diego to have them. Limited access to the tract has maintained a quality of an integrated, yet separate development distinct from the surrounding community.
George Franck of the North Park Historical Society will greet attendees at the May 19 Burlingame tour.
May 2012 | sdnorthparknews.com | 17
Some of the homes on the Burlingame tours
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North Park's Main Thoroughfares Come Alive With Rousing Entertainment, Craft Brewers, Arts & Crafts Booths, Doggie Fashion Show and more North Park, San Diego, CA – Celebrate the arts, culture and entertainment along with 35,000 of your neighbors in the hip town of North Park at the 16th Annual North Park Festival of Arts on Sunday, May 20, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM! This FREE festival has grown into a local tradition embracing a diverse line-up of bands, dancers and artists into one marathon day of performances spread across six stages.
SEE US PERFORM AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS, SUNDAY MAY 20TH AT 11:00 AM. DANCE STAGE AT 32ND & UNIVERSITY.
North Park Lions Club • 3927 Utah St. San Diego, CA 92104 - 619-260-1707
Festival goers come thirsty to the Craft Beer Block which features over 25 breweries along with beer-friendly food available for purchase from participating North Park eateries! FM 94/9 will provide the music so you know it will be good! As for the drinks your ticket allows you 12 four ounce samples from the participating breweries. Everyone who purchases a ticket will receive a commemorative glass and the first 300 people to purchase a ticket on-line get a t-shirt! The tickets are only $30 in advance or $35 the day of. You must be 21 years old or older to participate in the Craft Beer Block. There is fun for the whole family throughout the festival! Check out the music on the Main Stage, or while you eat your funnel cakes at the food court, indulge your ears with beat box, jazz, and acoustic folk music at the Beats and Eats Stage! With performances from, but not limited to, ballet academies, contemporary dance collectives, and cultural ensembles the
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Dance Stage is always a crowd favorite! The World Music Stage provides a vast array of performers from every continent! You will embark on a journey across the world without you ever having to leave San Diego. Being on the forefront of the art scene, the North Park Festival of Arts celebrates all types of art forms in its Juried Arts Area with over 35 artists showcasing everything from elaborate paintings to metal sculptures. The San Diego Craft Mafia will also be at the festival. In addition to showcasing their top arts and craft vendors, they will host a doggie fashion show on the Main Stage featuring their spring collection! The creativity and talent continues with an array of over 70 specialty and food booths featured along University Avenue. The kids will enjoy the Kids Art Block area. This area offers children the chance to participate in free, interactive activities designed to stimulate and inspire their imaginations to create their own masterpieces. To learn more about this event or to purchase tickets to the Craft Beer Block please visit NorthParkFestivalofArts.com or call North Park Main Street at 619.294.2501. Mark your calendars to come experience a day where music meets art at this year’s 16th Annual North Park Festival of Arts!
May 2012 | sdnorthparknews.com | 19
By Bart Mendoza
Devil’s Due at Rosie O’Grady’s Not to be confused with the classic rock touring band of the same name, San Diego’s Devil’s Due is an acoustic-based trio, featuring bassist Dave Fontaine, conga player Patrick Greco and frontman/guitarist Mike Hansson. Despite sparse instrumentation, the trio work up a decent groove, with a set full of originals in the Jack Johnson mode and an eclectic mix of covers, such as Radiohead’s “Karma Police.” A pleasant soundtrack to a night out at one the cities’ favorite neighborhood bars. . Devil’s Due: Friday, May 25, at Rosie O’Grady’s, 3402 Adams Ave. 9:30 p.m. All ages. rosieogradyspub.com.
Astra Gives Rock the Adventurous Sound One of the most underrated bands to emerge from San Diego over the past decade, Astra is the perfect antidote for anyone who thinks modern day rock bands tend to sound the same. Currently promoting their second album, “The Black Chord,” the band takes inspiration from ’70s-era progressive bands such as Yes and Pink Floyd, carving out a significant niche for themselves, particularly in Europe. Appearing at Bar Pink on May 26, the quintet’s melodies stand up well among the best tunes of their influences and should appeal to anyone who likes their music on the adventurous side. . Astra: Saturday, May 26, at Bar Pink, 3829 30th St. 10 p.m. 21 and up. barpink.com.
Rendering of the USO building.
High Energy With Mrs. Magician
Storytelling to Go With Solid Acoustic Tunes Acoustic music favorite Lisa Sanders performs at Lestat’s on May 18. She’s released six albums to date, all solid efforts, with contributions from the likes of Bernie Taupin and Steve Poltz, but live is where you her music really shines. Blessed with a warm, engaging stage presence and an arsenal of tunes that combine elements of folk, pop and blues, Sanders is also a bit of a storyteller, with asides and comments making the audience a part of the show. The singer-songwriter circuit seems to be exploding at the moment. Now a lynchpin of San Diego’s acoustic music scene, Sanders’ early performances were among those that inspired that current boom. . Lisa Sanders: Friday, May 18. at Lestats, 3343 Adams Ave. 9 p.m. All ages. lestats.com.
Garage ‘n’ punk ‘n’ rock ‘n’ roll combo Mrs. Magician perform at The Soda Bar on May 26. The buzz on these guys is pretty strong at the moment and all the attention is well deserved. Their debut album, “Strange Heaven,” is high energy with a surplus of great songs that don’t all fit the same template. Highlights include psychedelia-tinged tune, “There Is No God,” as well as surf-inflected rocker, “The Spells,” but every tune in their repertoire is on the “must hear” list. . Mrs. Magician: Saturday, May 26, at The Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd. 9 p.m. 21 and up. sodabarmusic.com.
Danny O’Keefe A Best Bet for Singer-Songwriter Fans Although Danny O’Keefe, who appears at AMSD Concert on May 27, only scored one hit, 1972’s “Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues,” as a tunesmith he’s had a tremendous impact. That tune alone was covered by over a dozen artists including Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and Dwight Yoakam, but anyone with even a cursory knowledge of pop music knows at least a few tunes in his repertoire. Dozens have covered O’Keefe’s songs, including the likes of Jackson Browne (“The Road”), Ben Harper (“Well, Well Well”) and local heroes’ Nickel Creek (“When You Come Back Down”). Opening the show will be Bob Lind, who scored a No. 5 hit in 1965 with “Elusive Butterfly,” making this concert the months’ best bet for singer-songwriter fans. . Danny O’Keefe: Sunday, May 27, at AMSD Concerts, 4650 Mansfield Street. 7:30 p.m. All ages. $20-$47. amsdconcerts.com.
20 | sdnorthparknews.com | May 2012