Rare Display At Central Library

Leaves of Gold: an Exhibit of Illuminated Manuscripts is on display in the Central Library located at 820 E Street. This free exhibit has been extended to Thursday 25 February in the Wangenheim Room. It is open daily, except Sundays, from 1:30 to 4:30pm. It includes a rich trove of beautiful medieval and Renaissance miniature paintings and flashes of gold on vellum leaves that have rarely been on public display. Illuminated manuscripts flourished from the 6th to the 16th century and are hand written texts that are supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as elaborate initials, borders (marginalia) and miniature illustrations. The majority of these manuscripts are of a religious nature. Historically, illuminated manuscripts were produced by monks in monasteries. Beginning in the 13th century, an increasing number were created by professional artisans working in commercial centers across Europe. The birth of the printed word in the late 15 century, that could produce works faster and in a more affordable way, meant the demise of the illuminated manuscripts that were labor intensive, costly and produced in a less timely manner. Highlights of this rare exhibit include:

Industry Trends at New School of Architecture (NSA)

It is funded by a annual assessment of all downtown property owners and has a yearly budget of about $6million. Recently, the organization appointed John Hanley to serve as its new Executive Director. He has over 12 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He has also served as the Clean & Safe’s Director of Finance from 2004 to 2008. John replaces Nancy Taffet who left for personal reasons after only six months in the position. For additional information www.sdcleanandsafe.org / 234-8900.

UCSD May Create Law School At Cal Western Site Downtown

UCSD and California Western School of Law have formed a joint committee made up of faculty and administrators that may lead to the establishment of a UCSD School of Law at the current Cal Western campus, 225 Cedar Street. It is expected that the law school would be self-supporting and that virtually no state or UCSD general campus funds would be used. Creation of the committee follows a proposal from Cal Western to UCSD. This could create a public law school for San Diego with virtually no start-up costs. The joint committee will explore ways in which a UCSD Law School might build on existing Cal Western strengths, enhance other academic disciplines and create unique broad-based areas of exploration in science, law and technology. The committee will consider several issues with regard to the proposed affiliation: integrating existing Cal Western faculty and staff into the new school and planning for new hires; attracting students with strong credentials; ensuring that the law school continues to be self-supporting; and charting a smooth transformation into a UCSD School of Law. If the Committee determines that the proposal should go forward a planning document will be submitted to the UCSD Faculty Senate and administration, and to the Cal Western faculty and Board of Trustees. If these organizations all endorse the committee’s recommendation, it will then go to the UC Office of the President for final evaluation and a decision. There is no firm timeline in place for making a final determination.

On Thursday 28 January a grand opening was held at the newest downtown affordable housing development called Parkside. It is located at 515 13^th Street between Market Street and Island Avenue and is a 77-unit complex of 25 studios, 18 one-, 29 two- and 5 three bedroom apartments designed for individuals and families earning 50-60% of area median income. There are only nine other downtown affordable housing complexes that offer family-sized units. The developer, Wakeland Housing and Development Corp, purchased the land from the East Village Community Church that in turn used the funds to build a new facility adjacent to Parkside. Incorporated into the building structure is an abstracted shade tree as a piece of public art. The City of San Diego Redevelopment Agency provided substantial funds to enable this development to be built.

Annual State of the City Address

Port Bus Tours

The Port of San Diego is offering a new series of free bus tours that will take members of the public along the tidelands and behind the scenes of the working waterfront.  Participants can now choose to start their tour in either Chula Vista or Coronado.  On the two-hour tour, the public will learn about San Diego Bay and what the Port and its tenants are doing to protect the tidelands.  On the tour you will also become familiar with Port operations, see shipbuilding and repair facilities, and get an up-close look at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and the National City Marine Terminal.  Many of the areas on the tour are normally off-limits to the public due to security concerns.  The tours start at 9:30am and run to 11:30am and are available on the following dates:

Starting in Chula Vista:

• Wednesday, January 20

• Wednesday, February 17

Starting in Coronado:

• Tuesday, February 9

Space is limited so early reservations are suggested.  Make your reservations online  www.portofsandiego.org/tours  or by calling 686-8008.  Due to shipyard security restrictions, participants must be 18 years or older and must also show proof of US citizenship or permanent residency.

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Free Downtown Bus Tours
Free Downtown bus tours offer close-up views of downtown's unique neighborhoods and highlight recently completed and upcoming new projects.  All tours begin at the Downtown Information Center (193 Horton Plaza) just above the CVS drug store between Victoria's Secret and Sam Goody.  Reservations are required, please call 235-2222 for reservations or further information.

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