| Downtown San Diego E-News May 2010 |
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In This Issue 2010 Census - Very Important News !
Calendar of Events * Indicates that this event is not covered in more detail in this publication. April
May
Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata Downtown One of the world’s most famous and popular operas returns to San Diego for four performances 17-25 April at the Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Avenue . The story is set in the world of 19th century Paris. For a brief moment two hearts found true love–only to be separated by family, society and finally, death. The stars of this production have performed to great acclaim in Berlin, Chicago, Los Angeles and Rome. Verdi’s La Traviata is one of the most popular of all operas. The lavish sets are from the San Francisco Opera Company. Friday 23 April 8pm Sunday 25 April 2pm For additional information or tickets 570-1100 Chicano Park Celebrates 40th Anniversary The 40th annual Chicano Park Day will be held Saturday 24 April from 10am to 5pm in the park that is located in the Barrio Logan section of downtown under the Bay Bridge. This family event is free and open to the public. Established in April 1970 Chicano Park has received international recognition as a major public art site for its commanding mural paintings. Some of the murals are painted on the supports for the Bay Bridge. This year’s keynote speaker will be Nita Gonzales, president and CEO of a private school in Denver. There will be various musical artists performing at the event. For more information, call 563-4661 / www.chicano-park.org. Twenty-Sixth Annual Mission Federal Art Walk The Mission Federal Art Walk will take place in Little Italy on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April from 11am to 6pm along India Street from Beech Street to Fir Street. It will also branch out from India Street onto the cross streets. Art Walk started out as an event that featured open galleries throughout downtown but when Sony became the title sponsor they took it into Little Italy excluding the remainder of downtown where it has remained until today. It is also no longer open galleries but now consists of booths set up for just that weekend in Little Italy. Mission Federal Credit Union is the current title sponsor as they have been for several years. For additional information www.missionfederalartwalk.org. Mod Swap Open Again The Mod Swap is held several times a year in Little Italy. It is a group of mid-century collectors with too much stuff who bring the excess (vintage modern furniture, art and objects) to sell or trade in an open market setting. The next one will be on Sunday 25 April in the parking lot at the southeast corner of Kettner Blvd and Kalmia Street from 9am-noon. For more information www.objectsusa.com / 640-6995. Children at Risk Book Drive The Children at Risk Committee will be holding their annual book drive during Law Week. The event will benefit the committee’s efforts to help children in need. This year's book drive will start the Monday of Law Week, 26 April and will run through 14 May. People are encouraged to donate new or gently used books for children in kindergarten through grade 12. Book Drive drop off locations downtown include:
For further information www.sdcba.org / 231-8585. Critical Mass Monthly Bicycle Ride San Diego Critical Mass is a loosely affiliated group of over 700 bicycle riders that take over San Diego streets and public rights of way to conduct a group bike ride on the last Friday of every month. The group meets at the large fountain in Balboa Park in front of the Ruben H. Fleet Theatre / Science Center and the National History Museum at 7pm and participants should be prepared for up to 20 miles of riding. The ride may go in any direction from the fountain but usually goes through downtown. The next ride will be on Friday 30 April followed by Friday 28 May. Additional information at www.sdcriticalmass.com. Bicycle Club Holds its Annual Racing Event in Downtown On Saturday 1 May the San Diego Bicycle Club will hold its 14th annual Barrio Logan Grand Prix. The 1.25 KM figure eight course is fairly flat and the series of races start at 7:30am. The races vary in time from 30 minutes up to 75 minutes. Advanced registration closing date is Wednesday 28 April. The races will be held rain or shine. All racers must have valid USA Cycling License. There will also be a community health fair provided by the Logan Heights Family Health Center, complete with health screenings, free immunizations for children, free pregnancy testing, refreshments, music and entertainment. For additional information 940-5732 / www.sdbc.org. Annual Youth Symphony Fundraiser San Diego Youth Symphony (SDYS) and Conservatory's Annual Mi Casa Su Casa Scholarship Fundraiser will take place at the Casa Del Prado in Balboa Park on Saturday 1 May from 5:30-8:30pm. This event raises needed funds for a tuition scholarship program and community-based music programs so that children may study music regardless of their socio-economic situation. In the past year SDYS distributed over $40,000 in tuition scholarships to students who were in need. Tickets start at $150 and most of the price is tax-deductible. The event will feature interactive musical activities, performances by students at all levels - you can even become part of the orchestra for the evening. The dinner will be provided by Emerald Chinese Seafood Restaurant and wine will be served. For additional information or to purchase tickets Molly Clark 233-3232x150 / www.sdys.org. Urban Trees 7 Call For Artists The Port of San Diego is calling for artists to propose creations for a sculptural artwork exhibit for the North Embarcadero. The new exhibit is to be called Urban Trees 7. The current exhibit of thirty trees, called Urban Trees 6, will remain in place along the North Embarcadero until September of this year. Up to thirty artists (or artist teams) will be selected to create original sculptural artworks for display in Urban Trees 7. They will be displayed along Harbor Drive between the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal and Hawthorn Street. Submittals must be received by the Port's Public Art Department not later than 5pm (PDST) on Monday 3 May. Art Work from all prior Urban Tree exhibits is available for purchase. The Port does not have any involvement in the sale or price negotiations, nor does it receive any percentage of the sale. For additional information 686-7246 / www.portofsandiego.org. Lunch & Learn Series Continues The Downtown Sound Bites Speaker Series is held on the first Tuesday of every month from noon-1pm at the Downtown Information Center (DIC) in Horton Plaza. The DIC is located just above the CVS drug store between Victoria's Secret and Sam Goody's. You are asked to bring your own lunch to this free event and then listen and learn from a variety of interesting speakers all of whom will approach issues that are important to downtown's future. A question and answer period will follow each presentation. The event sponsor is CCDC and further information can be found at www.ccdc.com. The next scheduled event in the series is on Tuesday 4 May and the featured speaker is to be determined. Deadline for Forty over Forty Nominations Nominations are now open for San Diego Metropolitan Magazine’s 11th annual 40 Under 40 awards. The nomination period ends 31 May. The honorees will be feted at a luncheon on 9 September at the San Diego Convention Center and all will be profiled in the September issue of the magazine. To obtain a nomination form see sandiegometro.com/40under40. Earthquake Information Since the earthquake hit San Diego on Sunday 4 April it has been the number one topic of conversation in downtown San Diego. It has been reported that this is the greatest quake to hit San Diego in 120 years. The question becomes what to do to prepare for the next shaker, what to do during the quake and how to react after the shaking stops. Maybe the best place to find this information is from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They have an Internet site with all this information and more at www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake. Port Seeks Waterfront Plan Approval As we go to press the Port of San Diego is set to ask for California Coastal Commission approval of the first phase of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan (NEVP) when the Commission meets on Wednesday 14 April at its monthly meeting in Ventura It is a multi-year project that will transform San Diego’s downtown waterfront. The Coastal Commission staff is now recommending approval of the visionary plan with some conditions. The joint project between the Port, the City of San Diego and the Centre City Development Corporation has been in the works for nearly a decade. The makeover will enhance the embarcadero area of San Diego Bay with landscaping, walkways and public gathering spaces. When completed the NEVP will create a 1.3-mile park setting along Harbor Drive from Lindbergh Field to Seaport Village. If the Coastal Commission agrees to issue the permit, work on the project’s first phase, expected to cost $27million, will begin later this year. The first portion of the project runs along North Harbor Drive from the B Street Pier to south of Broadway Pier and along Broadway between North Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway. US Bank to Keep the Wyland Whale Mural Downtown US Bank says it will purchase, from the FDIC, the downtown building that formerly housed the headquarters of San Diego National Bank (SDNB) and will preserve the Wyland whale mural on the north side of the building. US Bank acquired SDNB on 30 October 2009 though the headquarters building at 1420 Kettner Blvd. was not part of the FDIC-assisted transaction at that time. Robert Horsman is the regional chairman for US Bank in San Diego and the former president and CEO of SDNB. The Wyland whale mural dates back to 1981, the same year SDNB went into business. That year, Wyland, an internationally known environmental artist, began painting “Whaling Walls” to create awareness—not only for the whales, but also for the endangered oceans in which they live and for himself. Wyland’s goal was to paint 100 Whaling Walls around the world. The mural he painted downtown in 1994 was his 64th and depicts five gray whales migrating down the coast of California on their way to Mexico. The mural is visible from I-5. Convention Center Expansion Moves Forward Plans for a hotel and the expansion of the San Diego Convention Center gained ground as the Board of Port Commissioners approved crucial steps to move the projects forward. They approved a resolution granting the San Diego Convention Center Corporation permission to acquire Fifth Avenue Landing's leasehold that is needed for the Center's expansion. This will provide a framework for the Convention Center to work with the Port to design the expansion project and its environmental review. The expansion would add 207,000 square feet of exhibit space, 100,000 square feet of meeting rooms, 80,000 square feet of multi-purpose ballrooms and 40,000 square feet of retail space. The proposed hotel project would include 250-500 rooms, approximately 50,000 square feet of ballroom/meeting space and about 248 parking spaces. It is estimated that the expansion will generate $698 million of economic activity annually in addition to the $1.3 billion a year the Convention Center already generates. For more information conventioncentertaskforce.org. Annual Baker to Las Vegas Race This race is known as the police challenge as thousands of men and women in law-enforcement from all around the world come together to run 200KM (120 miles) from Baker California to Las Vegas over a 24-hour period. Temperatures can range from a shivering 30 degrees to triple digits during the race. Officers with the Port of San Diego's Harbor Police Department will be among the runners participating in this year's event on 17 & 18 April. The port’s PD has taken part in this event since 1996. Twenty Harbor Police Officers, three alternates and a group of volunteers who coordinate vans, runners, radio and Internet tracking make up the team. There are 20 legs to the run that can range from 4- to 8-miles. The route has lots of hills, with a maximum 5,600-foot altitude over rolling desert topography. The race usually begins at noon on Saturday and the runners run through the night. It generally takes between 17 and 18 hours to finish the race, around 6 a.m. on Sunday. It is considered a difficult run. The Harbor Police began participating in the run in 1996 with over 70 different Harbor Police officers having participated over the years. Many of the officers have run in the event many times. Participation in the run is the responsibility of the officers – the Port's financial contribution is to cover the missing shifts. Members of the Harbor Police team provide their own transportation and lodging. But it's the volunteers the officers praise. The Baker to Vegas Relay was the vision of Los Angeles Police Officers and started in 1985. Word spread and now teams from the US, Canada, Australia and Germany take part. For further information www.bakervegas.com. Thursday Farmer’s Market Returns to Downtown After its usual absents during the winter the original downtown farmer’s market is again operating. It has been operating at Broadway Circle adjacent to Horton Plaza and the NBC building at 225 Broadway for many years but closes each winter for several months to make way for the downtown ice skating rink. The rink only operates for about three months, from early December until early March, but it takes several weeks to install it and several more to take it down. As of late March the Farmer’s Market is again open every Thursday from 11am to 3pm. It is an excellent place to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. Bridgepoint Education Expands into Downtown Bridgepoint Education will move more than 100 of its administrative employees into 28,000 square feet of leased office space in the 600 B Street tower—its fifth location in the region. The added space will support Bridgepoint’s Ashford University and University of the Rockies online programs. The first floor will be the center of the newly formed Bridgepoint Education Foundation and its community partners throughout the San Diego area. Bridgepoint will partner with the San Diego County Office of Education to use the new downtown facility for community educational purposes and such events as receptions, fundraisers and board meetings. These will be held on-site for many local organizations in addition to Bridgepoint. Information about higher education, to include school options, financial aid options and college planning, will be provided at the location as well. With the new downtown location, the three buildings at its Sabre Springs headquarters on Evening Creek Drive North, and the Sunroad Spectrum building in Kearny Mesa, Bridgepoint Education now occupies nearly 600,000 square feet of office space in San Diego and employs 2,600 full-time administrative personnel in the area. Port Provides Wi-Fi Service at Cruise Ship Terminal The Port of San Diego has activated Wi-Fi Internet service within the B Street Pier Cruise Ship terminal to help lead cruise ship passengers to local businesses and attractions. The service, called OpenPort, offers users four hours of Wi-Fi access free of charge at a moderate bandwidth. Higher speed access is also available for all-day use at $5 per day. The Wi-Fi site home page includes information about many popular local attractions as well as port tenants within walking distance of the cruise ship terminal such as the USS Midway Museum, Seaport Village and the Maritime Museum. Also available on the home site are maps and links to port tenant dining specials and hotel accommodations. Visitors can also learn more about the Port and City of San Diego. OpenPort allows travelers to gain access to their email, share photos or browse the Internet when embarking or disembarking from cruise ships. Currently, the service is available only within the B Street Cruise Ship terminal but there are plans to expand the service in the near future. The Broadway Cruise Ship Terminal, currently under construction, also will have the service. There also are plans to expand coverage outdoors onto the embarcadero in front of the cruise terminals. The system was installed at a cost of about $10,000. Monthly Downtown Discussion Group Forming A new discussion group is being organized in downtown. The monthly discussions will cover politics and current events. It will be similar to a group that currently exists at UCSD. The group will meet monthly with the meeting date yet to be determined. Pete Rodman will serve as the permanent moderator and put out an agenda, via email, for each monthly meeting. The meetings will be on the same day (first Thursday, second Tuesday, or any other selected day) each month. Men and women would be welcome in the group. For additional information please contact Pete Rodman, pierrerod@yahoo.com. Nature Center Offers Internet Views of Rare Coastal Birds The Chula Vista Nature Center has unveiled new Internet cameras offering up-close views of some of California’s rarest coastal birds, including the highly endangered Light-Footed Clapper Rail as well the center’s Bald and Golden Eagle exhibits. The cameras at the Nature Center were funded through a grant from the AT&T Foundation and the support of the San Diego Port District. The cameras can be accessed through the multi-media page of the Nature Center’s Internet site. A new Internet site, also partially funded by the AT&T Foundation grant, will soon be launched and will include additional capabilities for the Nature Center, including e-commerce. The animal camera footage can be viewed at www.chulavistaca.gov. North Embarcadero Walking Tours The Maritime Museum of San Diego is offering guided Historic Walking Tours along the North Embarcadero. The free tours last a little under an hour and are offered twice a day on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 11am and 1pm. They will be held through Sunday 27 June 2010. The Historic Walking Tours, which are sponsored by the Port of San Diego, cover about one mile along the waterfront. The tour begins in front of the USS San Diego Memorial at the foot of G Street at Harbor Drive, just south of the USS Midway Museum. Those wishing to take the tour can spot the tour guide by looking for a blue and white Maritime Museum flag. On the tour you will see and learn about:
The tours are first come, first served. Please note that the tours have been temporarily suspended because of a problem but are expected to resume shortly. Please call the Maritime Museum, Robyn Gallant at 234-9153 x123 for further information. Monthly Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Free Period & Tours On the third Thursday each month the MCA, 1100 Kettner Blvd, will open its doors from 5-7pm to the general public to allow free admission. Visitors can browse anywhere in the museum on their own or join an organized tour that will begin at 5pm and 6pm. For additional information (858)454-3541 / www.mcasd.org. Sofia Hotel Downtown Walking Tours Each weekend on Saturday and Sunday the Sofia Hotel offers complimentary guided two mile walking tours of downtown that include the Gaslamp Quarter and the bay front area. The tours are open to all and not just guests of the hotel. No reservations are needed and the tours leave from the lobby of the hotel at 9am. The Sofia Hotel is at 150 West Broadway at the corner of Front Street. For additional information 619-234-9200. 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. Space is limited so early reservations are suggested. Make your reservations online www.portofsandiego.org/tours or by calling 619-686-8008. Due to shipyard security restrictions, participants must be 18 years or older and must also show proof of US citizenship or permanent residency. 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. Most tours are on Saturday and reservations are required. Please call 235-2222 for reservations or further information. Masthead & Disclaimer All items in this publication are the opinion of the writer of the piece. Any item without a named author is the responsibility of the editor. Any submissions for inclusion in this publication should be submitted to the editor. All telephone numbers are in the 619 area code unless otherwise noted. Editor, Stan Marder, smarder1@alum.ups.edu
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