| Downtown San Diego E-News & Events April 2011 | |
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In This Issue |
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The Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair is an exciting
and important San Diego community event that relies
entirely on volunteers. The
fair will have more than 800 science projects on display along
with the 800
plus 7-12th graders who produced them. Judging for the 2011
Fair will be
Wednesday morning 23 March at the Activities Center in Balboa
Park. For
those who register, a detailed judging day agenda and directions
to the
center will be sent to you a week or two prior to the Fair.
Being a judge
is actually a lot more fun than it sounds. It mostly requires
listening to
the enthusiastic people tell you what they did. For anyone new
to judging,
there is a great deal of advice on the fair's Internet site:
http://www.gsdsef.org/ regarding "how to judge" and "what
kinds of questions
to ask". Also, judging is done in teams, so there are
typically
experienced judges to assist someone new, should that need
arise. To be
fair to the student exhibitors, we will need about 60 teams of
judges; that
will require about 400 volunteers. Early registration, if
possible, helps
us in planning a quality experience for everyone. Judging
volunteers can
register at the fair’s Internet site
www.gsdsef.org/judges/judges.shtml or
contact Larry Nordell 469-9269 /
larrynordell@cox.net. The fair would
also enthusiastically welcome non-judging volunteers. Info can
be found on
the fair's Internet site
www.gsdsef.org.
* Indicates that this event is not covered in more detail in
this publication.
March
11 Fri deadline to register for auction of defaulted properties
on Friday 18
March, Tax Collector-Treasurer's office, 531-4862 /
sdtreastax.com, 5pm
11 Fri Kettner Nights, Kettner Blvd, Little Italy,
www.littleitalysd.com/events.asp / 358-9512, 6-9pm *
12 Sat Saint Patrick's Day events, Balboa Park,
www.stpatsparade.org,
9am-5pm
12 Sat Saint Baldrick's charity head saving, Quality Social, 789
Sixth
Avenue,
www.stbaldricks.org, noon
13 Sun Mingei Museum cat exhibit opens, Balboa Park,
www.mingei.org
14 Mon-29 Tue Clean & Safe Program annual meetings, DIC & Thomas
Jefferson
School of Law, 234-8900 /
info@downtownsandiego.org (see schedule below)
14 Mon fundraiser for new downtown charter school, Corvette
Diner, Liberty
Station, 788-4668 / urbansd.schoolwires.net, 4-9pm
16 Wed Gaslamp Quarter Locals Lifestyle & Design Tour, start
Gaslamp Museum,
410 Island Avenue,
www.gaslamp.org, 5-8pm
16 Wed Citizens Advisory Committee, North Embarcadero Port
Master Plan
revisions, Embarcadero Planning Center,
www.portofsandiego.org, 6-8:30pm
17 Thu Sham Rock, Gaslamp Quarter,
www.sandiegoshamrock.com, 4pm-midnight
17 Thu Museum of Contemporary Art free period, 1100 Kettner
Blvd,
17 Thu East Village Community Action Network, East Village
Community Church,
1374 Island Avenue, evcan.net, 5:30pm-7pm *
18 Fri Walk San Diego bi-monthly luncheon, DIC Horton Plaza,
www.walksandiego.org, noon-1pm
18 Fri Art Show, Westgate Hotel, 1055 Second Avenue,
www.westgatehotel.com,
6-8pm
19 Sat Cherry Blossom Festival, Japanese Friendship Garden,
Balboa Park,
www.niwa.org
/ 232-2721
19 Sat Friends of San Diego Architecture lecture, Designing San
Diego: If We
Started Over, What Would We Do Differently?, New School of
Architecture &
Design, 1249 F Street, friendsofsdarch.com, 9:30am
19 Sat-26 Sat Science Festival, Reuben H Fleet Science Center,
Balboa Park
(through Fri 24 with Sat 25 Family Day at Petco Park),
sdsciencefestival.com
19 Sat conversation w/artists & curator, Women's Museum of
California, 2323
Broadway #107, 233-7963 / womensmuseumca.org, 2-4pm
19 Sat art opening, Ideal Hotel, 542 Third Avenue,
www.redlotussociety.org,
9pm-midnight
20 Sun Purim Party, Horton Grand Hotel, 311 Island Avenue,
702-8518 /
21 Mon Horizons Downtown Book Club, 510 First Avenue, Heather
Forward,
hhumblef@aol.com / Pat Getzel
pbgetzel@cox.net, 7:30pm
22 Tue Police Captain's Community Outreach Meeting, Central
Division
Headquarters, 2501 Imperial Avenue,
23 Wed & 30 Wed SDGE Basics of Sustainability, Reuben H Fleet
Science
24 Thu new citizen swearing in, Golden Hall, Civic Center,
Second Avenue and
B Street, 10am
25 Fri Critical Mass Bicycle Ride, large fountain Balboa Park,
28 Mon Women's Day celebration, Women's Museum of California,
2323
Broadway#107, 233-7963 / womensmuseumca.org, 6:30-7pm
01 Fri Coffee w/CCDC, DIC,
www.ccdc.com,
8am
03 Sun Thread Road Show, Horton Plaza, threadshow.com, 11am-6pm
05 Tue Little Italy Association BoD, Our Lady of the Rosary
Parish Hall,
1654 State St,
www.littleitalysd.com/events.asp, 8:30am-10am
05 Tue CCDC Lunch & Learn, monthly speaker and Q&A, DIC, Horton
Plaza,
www.ccdc.com,
noon-1pm
05 Tue Padres home season opener, vs. San Francisco Giants,
Petco Park,
795-5555 /
www.padres.com, 3:35pm
11 Mon Horizons Downtown Book Club, 510 First Avenue, Heather
Forward,
hhumblef@aol.com / Pat Getzel
pbgetzel@cox.net, 7:30pm
14 Thu fundraiser for Urban Discovery Academy, Chevys Mission
Valley,
788-4668 / urbansd.schoolwires.net, noon-9pm
15 & 16 Fri & Sat Symphony's Winter Pops The Temptations,
235-0804 /
sandiegosymphony.com, 8pm
16 Sat Friends of San Diego Architecture lecture, Architecture
for the
Interior Frontier: The Neuroscience of Design, New School of
Architecture &
Design, 1249 F Street, friendsofsdarch.com, 9:30am
16 Sat & 17 Sun free Passion Play, Balboa Theatre,
www.sdfa.org
/ (858)-560-1870
, Sat 7pm, Sun 4pm & 7pm
20 Wed Gaslamp Quarter Locals Lifestyle & Design Tour, start
Gaslamp Museum,
410 Island Avenue,
www.gaslamp.org, 5-8pm
21 Thu Museum of Contemporary Art free period, 1100 Kettner
Blvd,
21 Thu East Village Community Action Network, East Village
Community Church,
1374 Island Avenue, evcan.net, 5:30pm-7pm *
29 Fri Critical Mass Bicycle Ride, start large fountain Balboa
Park,
30 Sat & 01 Sun Mission Federal Art Walk, Little Italy,
www.missionfederalartwalk.org, 11am-6pm
03 Tue Little Italy Association BoD, Our Lady of the Rosary
Parish Hall,
1654 State St,
www.littleitalysd.com/events.asp, 8:30am-10am
03 Tue CCDC Lunch & Learn, monthly speaker and Q&A, DIC, Horton
Plaza,
www.ccdc.com,
noon-1pm
03 Tue-12 Thu SANS computer security training and expo, Hyatt
Grand
downtown,
www.sans.org *
07 Sat Spring Gala, Air & Space Museum, Balboa Park, Becky
Conrad
bconrad@sdasm.org / 234-8291x102, 5:30-10:30pm
13 Fri Kettner Nights, Kettner Blvd, Little Italy,
www.littleitalysd.com/events.asp / 358-9512, 6-9pm *
16 Mon Horizons Downtown Book Club, 510 First Avenue, Heather
Forward,
hhumblef@aol.com / Pat Getzel
pbgetzel@cox.net, 7:30pm
18 Wed Gaslamp Quarter Locals Lifestyle & Design Tour, start
Gaslamp Museum,
410 Island Avenue,
www.gaslamp.org, 5-8pm
19 Thu Museum of Contemporary Art free period, 1100 Kettner
Blvd,
(858)454-3541
19 Thu East Village Community Action Network, East Village
Community Church,
1374 Island Avenue, evcan.net, 5:30pm-7pm *
21 Sat Friends of San Diego Architecture lecture, Architecture
For the
Interior Frontier: The Neuroscience of Design,
New School of Architecture & Design, 1249 F Street,
friendsofsdarch.com,
9:30am
21 Sat Gala Fundraiser, Urban Discovery Academy, 788-4668 /
urbansd.schoolwires.net
27 Fri-01 Sun Jan South Pacific Exhibit, Maritime Museum,
www.sdmaritime.org
27 Fri Critical Mass Bicycle Ride, large fountain Balboa Park,
03 Fri & 04 Sat Health & Fitness Expo, convention center, san-diego.competitor.com/expo,
Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 9am-5pm
04 Sat Kids Rock mini marathon, Balboa Park,
ingkidsrock.competitor.com
05 Sun Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, start Sixth Avenue & Palm Street,
san-diego.competitor.com
Auction Of Defaulted Properties
A total of 469 tax defaulted properties will be sold at auction
by the
county on Friday 18 March at the San Diego Convention Center in
an effort to
collect more than $2.4 million in unpaid property taxes. There
are 76
improved properties, 278 time shares and 115 unimproved parcels
ready for
the auction. The numbers could change if owners step up and
pay the
defaulted taxes with penalties before the deadline. Owners of
delinquent
properties have until 5pm on Thursday 17 March, the day before
the tax sale,
to bring their taxes and delinquent charges up to date, or their
property
will be sold. Interested bidders may purchase registration
packets for $60
at any of the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s offices in downtown,
Kearny Mesa,
Chula Vista, El Cajon or San Marcos. A $1,000 refundable
deposit is also
required at the time of registration. Prospective bidders must
register by
5pm on Friday 11 March to participate in the auction. State
law gives
Treasurer-Tax Collector the right to sell any or all portions of
properties
that have been in default for five years. In December 2009 the
County
Board of Supervisors approved 379 properties for last year’s
auction. In
November 2010 the board approved nearly 600 properties for
auction at
this year’s sale. Information on the current availability of
properties
going to auction can be obtained by calling the Treasurer-Tax
Collector’s
tax sale information line at 531-4862 or by accessing
sdtreastax.com.
Saint Patrick's Day Events In and Around Balboa
Park
On Saturday 12 March the Irish Congress of Southern California
will
celebrate Saint Patrick's Day with their annual parade and
festival in
Balboa Park. There will be a Flag Raising ceremony in Balboa
Park at 10am
and the Parade starts at 10:30am from Fifth Avenue and Juniper
Street. It
then travels north on Fifth Avenue to Upas Street and then East
to Sixth
Avenue and South on Sixth to conclude at Juniper Street. It
will consist of
over 150 entries, including:
The festival will open at 9am and will close at 5pm. It is
located in
Balboa Park. For additional information
www.stpatsparade.org
Shaving Heads For Charity
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation will be holding their 3rd annual
nationwide
shave-a-thon on Saturday 12 March. In San Diego the event will
be held at
Quality Social, 789 Sixth Avenue, starting at noon. The head
shaving event
is designed to generate awareness and fund research for
childhood cancer.
Last year’s shave-a-thon in San Diego drew a crowd of over 100
people
including 23 who were shaved. The past two events each
generated over
$25,000 in charitable donations for the St. Baldrick’s
Foundation and this
year the goal is to raise $50,000. In addition to the
entertainment of
shaving heads attendees will be provided complimentary passed
appetizers,
drink specials, live music and a silent auction with prizes.
100% of the
proceeds from the event go directly to St. Baldrick's
Foundation. Head
shaving will commence at 1:00 PM. A $10 donation is requested
at the door
and includes complimentary appetizers in addition to other food
and drink
specials. A $20 donation gets you the appetizers, food and
drink specials
and a T-Shirt and raffle ticket. For more information
www.stbaldricks.org.
Mingei Museum Opens Cat Exhibit
On Sunday 13 March Mingei International Museum is opening an
exhibit of cats
selected from a group of 155 provided to them from Japan. Made
in the 19th
and 20th centuries each cat is unique. They are made of a
variety of
materials including:
The exhibit will remain open at the museum, which is in Balboa
Park, until
Sunday 15 January 2012. For further information
www.mingei.org
/ 239-0003.
Fundraiser For New Downtown Charter School
On Monday 14 March from 4-9pm there will be a fundraiser at the
Corvette
Diner in Liberty Station for the new downtown charter school,
Urban
Discovery Academy. The school will receive 15% of your food
and beverage
purchases before taxes but you must print and bring the event
flyer to the
restaurant. The flyer can be found at
urbansd.schoolwires.net/urbansd/lib/urbansd/_shared/Parents/Corvette%20Diner%20Flyer.pdf.
The school is adjacent to Balboa Park and can be found at 2850
Sixth Avenue
/ 788-4668 / urbansd.schoolwires.net.
Clean & Safe Program Annual Meetings
The Clean & Safe Program (C&SP) will be hosting its annual
meetings in
various downtown neighborhoods according to the schedule
below. The
purpose of these meetings is to educate downtown neighborhoods
on C&SP
achievements last year, to discuss the mid-year financial review
and to seek
input from the community about the orientation of C&SP
services. Public
feedback and recommendations will help them effectively focus
their
resources moving forward. The meeting schedule:
Gaslamp meeting location: Downtown Information Center (DIC) on
Monday 14
March 3–4pm, 193 Horton Plaza 235-2222
Core Columbia meeting location: DIC Wednesday 16 March
5:30–6:30pm
Marina meeting location: DIC Wednesday 16 March 7–8pm
East Village meeting location: Thomas Jefferson School of Law on
Monday 28
March 6–7pm, 1155 Island Avenue, Moot Courtroom, Second Floor
297-9700
Cortez meeting location: DIC Tuesday 29 March 6–7pm
If you have any questions about this meeting please contact the
C&SP main
office at 234-8900 /
info@downtownsandiego.org.
Port Wants Public Input On Revising North
Embarcadero Port Master Plan (NEPMP)
The Port will be holding a Citizens Advisory Committee meeting
for the NEPMP
and Draft Environmental Impact Report. It will held at the
Embarcadero
Planning Center (old Coral Reef restaurant), 585 Harbor Lane,
from 6-8:30pm
on Wednesday 16 March. The agenda for meeting is:
This meeting was originally scheduled for Wednesday 2 March.
For
additional information 686-7269 /
www.portofsandiego.org.
Green Day In The Gaslamp Quarter
Located in the Gaslamp Quarter the Sham Rock festival is on
Thursday 17
March which just happens to be Saint Patrick's Day. It is held
from 4pm to
midnight and may be the biggest and greenest Saint Patrick's Day
party
outside of Dublin with the headliner band being The Young
Dubliners. The
Gaslamp Quarter will be transformed into the lavish fields of
Ireland and
will feature everything from traditional Irish bands and dancing
to Irish
Punk Rock. Also featured will be some of today's biggest hits
by some of
San Diego's hottest live bands. For more information 233-5008
/
www.sandiegoshamrock.com. Attendees must be 21 years old
and have proper
ID to enter the event. All profits from this event benefit the
Gaslamp
Quarter Historical Foundation.
Walk San Diego Luncheon
Walk San Diego will hold their bi-monthly luncheon at the
Downtown
Information Center (DIC) on Friday 18 March from noon to 1pm.
The luncheon
is free but a donation of $7 is suggested. The title of the
presentation
will be Health Equity by Design: reducing community health
disparities
through healthy design policies and projects, a case study in
city heights.
There will be three presenters who will give an overview of the
project,
discuss tools developed to engage residents, and highlight
efforts to
revitalize a local park. Reservations to Cynthia Offenhauer
coffenhauer@walksandiego.org. More information
www.walksandiego.org.
Art Show At the Westgate Hotel
The Westgate Hotel's Versailles ballroom will be setup as a
private art
gallery from 6-8pm on Friday 18 March for Art & Elegance
featuring many of
the Art Walk galleries. The event includes four art galleries:
The event will also offer the opportunity to chat with artists
from each
gallery as they paint. There will also be a silent auction of
original
artwork to benefit Art Reach, a nonprofit visual art education
program that
provides hands-on workshops to elementary schools throughout the
county.
For more information
www.artreachsandiego.org. There will also be live
music, hors d'oeuvres and two hosted glasses of wine or beer.
Partial
ticket proceeds benefit Art Reach www.artreachsandiego.org. To
purchase
tickets at $32 each,
t5.clicknprint.com/tix/SilverStream/Pages/pgIndex.html?siteID=2739.
The
Westgate Hotel is found at 1055 Second Avenue between Broadway
and C Street.
Information 615-1090 /
www.westgatehotel.com.
Friends Of San Diego Architecture (FSDA) Speaking
of Architecture
There are eight monthly free Speaking of Architecture lectures
provided each
year by Friends of San Diego Architecture. The lecture for
Saturday 19
March will be Designing San Diego: If we started over, what
would we do
differently? The presenter will be award winning Landscape
Architect Vicki
Estrada. Her projects can be seen throughout the county and
include:
The lectures are held the third Saturday each month--except for
June, July,
August and December--at the New School of Architecture & Design
(NSAD), 1249
F Street at 9:30am. The lecture is free but a $5 donation is
suggested.
For additional information
www.friendsofsdarch.com.
Cherry Blossom Festival in Balboa Park
On Saturday 19 March the Japanese Friendship Garden Society will
hold their
annual Cherry Blossom Festival at the Japanese Friendship Garden
in Balboa
Park. The garden is found at 2215 Pan American Road East in
the park. The
festival includes:
The garden features the largest local cherry tree grove. The
festival is
free with normal admission to the garden which is $4 for adults,
$3 for
seniors and students and free for under 18 years old with paying
adults.
For more information
www.niwa.org
/ 232-2721.
Science Festival Family Days and Expo Day
From Saturday 19 to Friday 25 March there will be family days at
the Science
Fair at the Reuben H Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park. Then
on Saturday
26 March from 10am to 5pm there will be Expo Day at the festival
that will
be held at Petco Park. For additional information
sdsciencefestival.com.
Conversation At Women's Museum of California
One Saturday 19 March from 2pm until 4pm the Women's Museum of
California
will be having a conversation with the artists and curator.
The museum is
located at 2323 Broadway #107. For additional information
233-7963 /
womensmuseumca.org.
Art Opening On Third Avenue
There will be an art opening and Live performance at the Ideal
Hotel, 542
Third Avenue, Saturday 19 March from 9pm-midnight. It is a
project of the
Red Lotus Society whom a portion of the proceeds will benefit.
The
admission fee is $3. For additional information
www.redlotussociety.org /
www.kaorisattic.com /
www.crunchysandwich.com.
Purim Party At The Horton Grand Hotel
On Sunday 20 March at 5pm at the Horton Grand Hotel, 311 island
Avenue,
Chabad will hold an event that is called Purim's Got Talent.
The featured
entertainment will be the Platt Brothers, America's Got
Talent contestants
from 2009. For additional information or to make reservations
702-8518 /
Downtown Book Club
Discussion Leader, Heather Forward, will cover The Gangster
We Are All
Looking For by Le Thi Diem Thuy. This is the San Diego
One Book One San
Diego selection for this year. The Gangster We Are All
Looking For was
published in 2003. It was first published as a short piece in
The Best
American Essays of 1997 and was also awarded a Pushcart Prize
“Special
Mention.” The novel is a fragmented sequence of events
recollected by a
nameless narrator. In a first-person narrative, the narrator
tells the
stories of her past experiences as a Vietnamese immigrant. Time
and place
shift continuously throughout the novel; the story takes place
both in
Vietnam and the US. The novel is concerned with themes of
identity, family
dynamics, war, and liberation. Images of war are prominent
symbolically and
literally throughout the novel. The club will meet on Monday
21 March at
7:30pm in the South Tower Lounge of Horizons at 510 First
Avenue. For more
information about the book club contact either Heather Forward,
humblef@aol.com or Pat Getzel,
pbgetzel@cox.net.
Basics of Sustainability Hosted by SDGE
On the last two Wednesdays in March SDGE will present four
seminars at the
Reuben H Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park:
This four part series is free and continental breakfast will be
provided at
the morning events and lunch at the afternoon events. Further
information
New Citizens Event
On Thursday 24 March there will be a mass swearing in of new
citizens. It
will take place at Golden Hall in the civic center, Second
Avenue and B
Street, starting at 10am.
Museum to Celebrate Women's Day
To celebrate the 28th Annual International Women's Day the
Women's Museum of
California will be having a Women's Equity Council Talk at the
Museum, 2323
Broadway, #107. This event will be talk-back from delegates to
the UN
Commission on the Status of Women. It will take place on Monday
28 March
and run from 6:30pm to 7pm. For further information 233-7963 /
womensmuseumca.org.
Thread Road Show Back At Horton
Plaza
The Thread indie design and fashion road show will be returning to
Horton
Plaza on Sunday 3 April from 11am to 6pm. It will be held in the
Horton
Event Space just off the corner of fourth Avenue and Broadway. For
additional information threadshow.com.
Padres Open Home Season
After a pretty successful season last year--they were not eliminated
until
the last day of the regular season--the San Diego Padres will be
opening
their 2011 home season on Tuesday 5 April. Game time is scheduled
for
3:35pm against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. The Giants
are the
defending champions of major league baseball having won the 2010
World
Series. The season goes on for an additional 80 games at Petco
Park and of
course more if the Padres qualify for post season play. For
tickets or
further information
www.padres.com / 795-5555.
Downtown Book Club
The Discussion Leader will cover The Heart of a Woman by Maya
Angelou. It
is an autobiography and was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club selection
in
1997. The book is the fourth installment in Angelou's series of six
autobiographies, thus enlarging the autobiography in both form and
content.
The Heart of a Woman recounts events in Angelou's life from 1957 to
1962.
It follows her travels to California, New York City, Cairo, and
Ghana as she
raises her teenage son and becomes a published author for the first
time.
She also becomes involved with the civil rights movement, and
marries a
South African freedom fighter. Like Angelou's previous volumes,
this book
has been described as autobiographical fiction but most critics and
Angelou
herself have characterized it as autobiography. The club will meet
on
Monday 11 April at 7:30pm in the South Tower Lounge of Horizons at
510 First
Avenue. It usually meets on the third Monday but 18 April is
federal
income tax due date so the club is meeting a week early in April.
For more
information about the book club contact either Heather Forward,
humblef@aol.com or Pat Getzel,
pbgetzel@cox.net.
Fundraiser For New Downtown Charter School
On Thursday 14 April from noon-9pm there will be a fundraiser at
Chevys in
Mission Valley for the new downtown charter school, Urban Discovery
Academy.
The school will receive 25% of your food and beverage purchases
before
taxes. You must print and bring the event flyer which can be found
at
urbansd.schoolwires.net/urbansd/lib/urbansd/_shared/Parents/Chevy%27s.pdf.
The school is adjacent to Balboa Park and can be found at 2850 Sixth
Avenue
/ 788-4668 / urbansd.schoolwires.net.
Temptations to appear at the Symphony's Winter
Pops
The Symphony's Winter Pops will be presenting The Temptations on
Friday and
Saturday 15 & 16 April at 8pm at Copley Symphony Hall. The
conductor will
be Marvin Hamlisch and the tickets range from $20-$85 to see this
Motown
Group. For tickets or additional information 235-0804 /
sandiegosymphony.com.
Friends Of San Diego
Architecture (FSDA) Speaking of Architecture Lecture
There are eight monthly free Speaking of Architecture lectures
provided each
year by Friends of San Diego Architecture. The lecture for
Saturday 16
April will be Architecture For the Interior Frontier: The
Neuroscience of
Design. The presenter will be Neuroscientist and Architect Eve
Edelstein.
The lectures are held the third Saturday each month--except for
June, July,
August and December--at the New School of Architecture & Design (NSAD),
1249
F Street at 9:30am. The lecture is free but a $5 donation is
suggested.
For additional information
www.friendsofsdarch.com.
Annual Passion Play Presented Downtown
The First Assembly church will be presenting their annual live
productions
of the Passion Play at the Balboa Theatre. There will be three
performances
all on Palm Sunday Weekend. They will be on Saturday 16 April at
7pm and
Sunday 17 April at 4pm and 7pm. Tickets for all the performances
are free
and there will be open seating. The Balboa Theatre is at the
Southwest
corner of Fourth Avenue and E Street. There will be a live choir
and
orchestra. Additional information is available
www.sdfa.org /
(858)560-1870
Mission Federal Art Walk Returns To Downtown
For the twenty-seventh spring Art Walk will be conducted in
downtown. As
it has for the last few years it will be confined to a small area of
Little
Italy with the artists in booths on the street instead of galleries
all over
downtown as it was in the early years. The festival will be on
Saturday 30
April and Sunday 1 May from 11am to 6pm. For further information
Spring Gala At the Air & Space Museum
The event, called Studs & Starlets, will be held at the Air & Space
Museum
in Balboa Park from 5:30-10:30pm on Saturday 7 May. The gala will
include:
Cost of the gala is $225 until 31 March and $250 thereafter.
Proceeds will
benefit the Museum's educational programs. For information Becky
Conrad
bconrad@sdasm.org / 234-8291 x102.
Downtown Book Club
The Discussion Leader will cover The Warmth Of Other Suns by Isabel
Wilkerson. The book is a history of the black migration in the US
that
carried millions of southerners northward of westward. It lasted
roughly
from World War I until the 1970s. The club will meet on Monday 16
May at
7:30pm in the South Tower Lounge of Horizons at 510 First Avenue.
It
usually meets on the third Monday of each month. For more
information
about the book club contact either Heather Forward,
humblef@aol.com or Pat
Getzel,
pbgetzel@cox.net.
Friends Of San Diego Architecture
(FSDA) Speaking of Architecture
There are eight monthly free Speaking of Architecture lectures
provided each
year by Friends of San Diego Architecture. The lecture for
Saturday 21 May
will be Architecture For the Interior Frontier: The Neuroscience of
Design.
The presenter will be Revitalizing a Community Through Arts and
Entertainment. The presenter will be Jay Turner and there will be
a panel
of members of the local arts and entertainment communities. The
lectures
are held the third Saturday each month--except for June, July,
August and
December--at the New School of Architecture & Design (NSAD), 1249 F
Street
from 9:30-11:30am. This will be the last lecture in the current
series
with the new series starting on Saturday 17 September. The
lectures are
free but a $3-5 donation is suggested. For additional information
Gala Fundraiser For Downtown
Charter School
On Saturday 21 May there will be a fundraiser gala for the Urban
Discovery
Academy. The school is a new charter school that has been opened
adjacent
to Balboa Park at 2850 Sixth Avenue. Additional information can be
obtained
at 788-4668 / urbansd.schoolwires.net.
South Pacific Exhibit At the
Maritime Museum
In May the Maritime Museum of San Diego will launch an exhibit
showcasing
art associated with the three distinct visions of the beautiful
South
Pacific from voyages by James Cook, Herman Melville and Paul
Gauguin. The
first-of-its kind exhibit for the museum, titled “Three Voyages to
Paradise:
Cook, Melville and Gauguin,” will feature over 110 pieces, varying
from
original oil and watercolor paintings to wood carvings and
sculpture. The
exhibit will include original paintings by 18th century artists John
Webber
and William Hodges, each of whom accompanied Cook into the Pacific,
and many
original works by Paul Gauguin, showcasing a newly rediscovered wood
sculpture, “Nave Nave Faruru.” The exhibition, which is drawn from
the
extensive collections of The Kelton Foundation, runs from Friday 27
May
through Sunday 1 January 2012. Tickets for “Three Voyages to
Paradise”
will be $10 in addition to the cost of Maritime Museum admission.
Additional information
www.sdmaritime.org.
Health & Fitness Expo Leads Off Race Weekend
More than 100 exhibitors will offer free samples, showcase running
gear,
sports apparel, health & nutritional information and more just prior
to the
Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. The Health & Fitness Expo is free and open
to the
public on Friday 3 June, 11am-7pm, and Saturday 4 June, 9am-5pm, at
the San
Diego Convention Center Halls B2 & C. For more information
san-diego.competitor.com/expo/participant/#ixzz1Ft9g8ZOz.
Children's Mini Marathon
On Saturday 4 June children will get a chance for the first time to
be part
of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon by participating in the Kids Rock.
It is a
non-timed, non-competitive event for children in grades K–7. For
more
information ingkidsrock.competitor.com/event-info/san-diego/#ixzz1FtEyyAT3.
Annual Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
This annual event is back again starting at Sixth Avenue and Palm
Street
adjacent to Balboa Park the morning of Sunday 5 June. Registration
closing
date and time is Sunday 29 May at 11:59pm PDT. The race features
ideal
running temperatures in a scenic coastal setting. Upwards of 40
stages
stages host live music along the course while 2,000 cheerleaders
encourage
runners to the finish line. In addition, the event features a post
race
concert highlighting a major headliner act. For additional
information
san-diego.competitor.com.
Law School Adds Housing
Thomas Jefferson School of Law has signed a 15-year lease for the
Entrada
Apartments to provide housing for students beginning in this year’s
spring
term which is currently underway. The 172-unit apartment building
is
located at 453 13th Street a few blocks away from the law school’s
new
high-rise campus at 1155 Island Avenue. The 159,000-square-foot
Entrada
Apartments was built in 2004 and has studio, loft, one-bedroom,
two-bedroom
and three-bedroom apartments. It has a newly renovated rooftop
common area,
an interior courtyard, fitness center and underground parking. It
was
purchased by the current owner--Security Properties of Seattle--last
year
for $22 million. The law school just opened its downtown campus
and has a
current enrollment of 950 students and 200 faculty and staff. It
plans to
expand its student body to more than 1,000 in 2012. It was
previously
located in Old Town.
Site Cleanup Underway in East
Village
About 30,000 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil is being removed at
the
former John Hansen House site at 15th Street and Island Avenue. The
project
should reverse decades of blight by transforming the two adjoining
parcels
into five- and 10-story mixed-use buildings that will have 238
residential
units and more than 23,000 square feet of commercial space. The
project is
financed by $2.5 million in grants from the Orphan Site Cleanup Fund
through
the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Leaking underground
storage
tank systems pose a significant threat to groundwater quality.
Congress
has appropriated $200 million from the Leaking Underground Storage
Tank
Trust Fund to the EPA for assessing and cleaning up leaks from
underground
storage tanks. “East Village has come a long way through
redevelopment, but
sites like this contaminated lot show how far we still have to go,”
said
Mayor Jerry Sanders. It is estimated that 30,000 tons of
contaminated soil
will be removed from the site.
Financing Approved for North Embarcadero Visionary
Plan (NEVP) Phase I
The Board of Port Commissioners approved an agreement for shared
funding of
the first phase of the NEVP. The cost of the first phase,
estimated at $29
million, will be shared equally by the Port and the Redevelopment
Agency of
the City of San Diego which would act through Centre City
Development
Corporation (CCDC). A special Port Board meeting was held on
Friday 25
February at which the agreement was approved. The San Diego City
Council
approved a $29 million funding plan that will allow the first phase
of a
project to improve the North Embarcadero area of San Diego Bay to
move
forward. The Council met on Monday 28 February, on the next
business day
after approval by the Port, to hear the item which allows the
Redevelopment
Agency of the City of San Diego, acting through CCDC, to advance its
share
of construction costs so that the project can commence as soon as
possible.
The first phase of the NEVP is estimated to cost $29 million. Now
that the
Port and the City have approved the funding plan the next hurdle is
gaining
the approval of the California Coastal Commission. It is
anticipated that
the Coastal Commission will vote on NEVP Phase I at its 13-15 April
meeting
in Santa Barbara.
CCDC Board Has a Productive Meeting
The following summarizes major actions at the CCDC board meeting of
Wednesday 23 February as it tried to take bold action under the
threat of
Governor Brown ending redevelopment agencies:
* They recommended creating an agreement with the City for
payment of
costs associated with redevelopment projects identified in the
Downtown
Community Plan. The proposed list consists of more than 100
projects
including affordable housing, street lights, parks and sidewalk
repairs
totaling close to $2.5 billion. The Board also recommended adding
five
additional projects to the list including:
* They recommended entering into a development agreement with
Connections
Housing to purchase and rehabilitate the old World Trade Center
building,
1250 Sixth Avenue (Southwest corner A Street), to provide 150 units
of
transitional housing and 73 units of permanent supportive housing as
well as
a wide array of social and medical services for the homeless
population in
that one facility. The Board also recommended the purchase of the
adjacent
parking structure with a limit of $20 million total. The annual
struggle to
find a suitable local location for an emergency homeless shelter
during the
year’s coldest months may have been resolved for good Tuesday as
city
leaders committed $16 million in local taxpayer money to a permanent
facility to be built in downtown. The conversion of the former
World Trade
Center building into a one-stop shop to help and house the city’s
neediest
individuals certainly won’t end homelessness, but proponents say
it’s a big
step in the right direction. The City Council voted unanimously to
support
the $32 million project by funding half of the initiative with
redevelopment
tax dollars aimed at eliminating blight in downtown. The remaining
costs
will be covered by federal tax credits and $2 million from the San
Diego
Housing Commission. The center will provide 223 permanent and
transitional
beds for the region’s homeless population as well as medical,
substance
abuse and job-training services. It is scheduled to open in
December 2012.
The project saw early resistance from local business leaders who
were
concerned the facility would become a magnet for the homeless and
lower
nearby property values, an area populated with banks, restaurants
and office
buildings. That opposition faded after a coalition of homeless
providers
showed a similar facility in Los Angeles did not devastate its
surroundings.
The remaining critics focused on what they perceived as the deal’s
shaky
finances which showed the facility’s partners relying on raising
private and
public money in future years to cover projected operating
deficits. The
city is selling the 12-story historic World Trade Center
building—located at
the corner of A Street and 6th Avenue next to Union Bank—for only $4
million
as part of the deal. People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), a
nonprofit
group that is partnering on the project, has 35 government contracts
at all
levels and receives an average of $7 million in funding annually.
The other
project partners are Family Health Centers of San Diego, which will
operate
a clinic on the first floor, and San Diego-based Affirmed Housing
Group, an
affordable housing developer. The project was fast-tracked for
council
approval at the urging of Councilman Kevin Faulconer, who worried
that
Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to eliminate redevelopment agencies
statewide
could cut off a significant funding source—$16 million in
redevelopment
money—for the permanent shelter. Faulconer said he understands the
project
doesn’t solve homelessness but called it a crucial first step.
“There’s
still work to be done, but at the same time this project is vitally
important,” he said.
The city has operated a temporary winter shelter in downtown for
years and
the council typically wrestles for months over where to erect what
is
essentially a massive tent to house 220 souls each night from
November to
March. City leaders say the new center will end that political
battle, but
some who serve the homeless remain skeptical. The $288,000 that
the city
now spends each year on the temporary homeless shelter will go
toward the
permanent facility’s annual operating expenses. Built in 1928, the
former
World Trade Center building was originally known as the San Diego
Athletic
Club. The city acquired the building in 2004 and it currently
houses city
staff, who will be relocated to other office buildings.
Construction on
the new facility, called Connections Housing Downtown San Diego, is
expected
to begin in November of this year. Find additional information at:
* They recommended constructing Fire Station two, known as the
Bayside
Fire Station. The three-story station would be close to 16,000
square feet
and would be located on the southeast corner of Pacific Highway and
Cedar
Street. It would be the first fire station built downtown in 40
years.
Currently, there is no fire station west of the railroad tracks
creating a
problem as a stopped freight train can significantly delay emergency
response times. The Board recommended that the expenditure for this
project
not exceed $17 million. Staffing for the new station would come
from moving
a fire truck company from Fire Station one which is located at 1222
First
Avenue.
* They recommended authorizing a $3 million loan to help fund the
design
and planning costs associated with a proposed Phase III expansion of
the
Convention Center. The expansion is designed to make San Diego’s
convention
center more competitive with larger convention centers as well as
provide
additional space to book multiple meetings simultaneously. The loan
would
be a promissory note that would carry an interest rate of 3% and all
accrued
interest as well as the principle would be due 90 days after
financing for the expansion is obtained.
Kevin Faulconer Writes Major Opinion Piece In
Union-Turbine
The Councilmember, whose district includes downtown, and President
Pro-tem
of the Council wrote a long opinion
piece that appeared on the front page of the Dialog section in the
Union-Turbine on Sunday 27 February. It was concerned with the
Governor's attempt to terminate redevelopment agencies in the
state. The
piece, titled It's not city's job to bail out the state, can be
found at
New Sharp Facility Being Built Downtown
Sharp Rees-Stealy offers many medical services at their 2001 Fourth
Avenue
location. Sharp HealthCare has broken ground on a new downtown
Sharp
Rees-Stealy medical office building on Tuesday 22 February. The
facility
will replace the existing 85-year-old Sharp Rees-Stealy Downtown
building.
It will be the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
gold-certified “green” medical office building in San Diego and the
first
LEED building at Sharp HealthCare. The new Sharp Rees-Stealy
Medical
Center Downtown is scheduled for completion in Summer 2012. The
3-story,
66,365-square-foot medical office building and 300-space parking
structure
will be located across from the existing site on Fourth Avenue in
downtown
and will feature views of downtown and the ocean. The floor plan
was
designed to minimize wait times and maximize process
efficiencies for physicians and staff members. The first floor of
the
building will house a pharmacy, optical shop and
physical therapy department that are easily accessible at street
level.
Urgent care, occupational medicine and radiology will be on the
second floor
and the third floor will be home to internal medicine, family
medicine and
specialty practices. The existing Sharp Rees-Stealy Downtown
medical
office facility is actually a conglomeration of three buildings that
were
constructed between 40 and 85 years ago. The project is estimated
to cost
approximately $38 million, funded in part by $10 million in
philanthropic
support. Sharp Rees-Stealy Downtown medical center will remain open
until
the new facility is completed. Services offered include:
For more information
(800)-827-4277
Little Italy Association Meeting
The Little Italy Association Board of Directors’ Meetings are open
to the
public. They discuss the Little Italy Association's general
business,
upcoming events and downtown issues. This monthly meeting is
usually held
on the first Tuesday at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish Hall, 1654
State
Street at 8:30am. For more information Chris Gomez 233-3898 /
Gaslamp Quarter Monthly
Self-guided Tour
On the third Wednesday of each month starting at 5pm and ending at
8pm the
Gaslamp Locals Lifestyle & Design Tour will take place. This new
tour will
showcase the Gaslamp Quarter's shops, boutiques and galleries.
During this
There will be more than 30 participating locations in and around the
Gaslamp
Quarter. The suggested starting point for the tour is the corner of
Fourth
and Island Avenues in the pocket park at the William Heath Davis
House
(Gaslamp Museum), 410 Island Avenue, where you can pick up a map and
register to win prizes. The first tour for 2011 will be on 19
January. For
additional information
www.gaslamp.org/locals-lifestyle-design-tour.
Lunch & Learn Series
The Downtown Sound Bites Speaker Series is held on the first Tuesday
of
every month from noon-1pm at the Sheila Hardin 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.
Coffee with CCDC
This bi-monthly event toggles between either the first Thursday
evening
(February, June & October) or the first Friday morning (April,
August &
December) each even numbered month. It is held at the Sheila Hardin
Downtown Information Center (DIC) in Horton Plaza. It is a good
chance to
learn what is happening with the redevelopment agency arm of the
City of San
Diego. It is held in all even numbered months. For more
information
Horizons' Book Club
On the third Monday of each month the group usually meets in the
Horizons'
South Tower Lounge, 510 First Avenue, at 7:30pm to discus the
current book.
All are welcome to attend and help create a lively discussion. For
additional information or to find out what book is currently be
covered:
Heather Forward
hhumblef@aol.com / Pat Getzel
pbgetzel@cox.net.
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.
Additional
information at
www.sdcriticalmass.com.
Police Captain's Community Outreach Meeting
The Commander of the San Diego Police Department's (SDPD) Central
Division,
Captain Mark Jones, holds a bimonthly meeting with the public to
address
problems and provide information on what the division is doing to
keep us
safe. The meeting is usually well attended and lasts about one and
a half
hours. The meeting is always on the fourth Tuesday of each odd
numbered
month at 5:30pm at the SDPD's Central Division Headquarters, 2501
Imperial
Avenue. For additional information
Athenaeum Jacobs Mini-Concerts
Alternating Mondays, for most of the year, noon to 1pm at the Lyceum
Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, admission free. Food & beverage is
allowed in
theatre during concerts. Fifteen free Mini-Concerts are presented
at the
Lyceum each year. These concerts are made possible in part, thanks
to
funding from the City of San Diego through a program managed by the
Commission for Arts and Culture and the County of San Diego. For
additional information
(858)-454-5872
The 2011 dates through the summer:
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 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 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 234-9200.
CCDC 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 Sheila Hardin Downtown
Information Center (DIC), 193 Horton Plaza, just above the CVS drug
store between Victoria's Secret and Sam Goody's. Reservations are
required, please call 235-2222 for reservations or further
information.
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 via email within the body of a
message (not as an attachment). All telephone numbers are in the
619 area code unless otherwise noted. To subscribe or unsubscribe
to this publication please email the editor, Stan Marder
stan@gaslampquarter.org. Publisher: San Diego Mesa Company (SDMC),
550 Front Street #2804, San Diego California 92101-7105
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