Mission Valley News - November 2013

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J ust in time for this year’s mayoral election, the San Diego Chargers have once again begun talking up the idea of a new stadium in Downtown’s East Village. Mark Fabiani, the team’s liaison on the stadium issue, pitched the idea of a stadium that could double as a conven- tion meeting space last month as an alternative to the planned expansion of the San Diego Con- vention Center. But what’s so bad about Qual- comm Stadium? Sure, it’s old. Sure, the brutalist architec- ture is a bit unsightly. And sure, some of the televi- sion monitors could be replaced. But it still works, right? It does work, said Stadium manager Mike McSweeney in a recent interview. It just doesn’t do everything the Chargers want it to do. The biggest problem with Qualcomm Stadium is the lack of certain design elements and luxury amenities that have be- See POST OFFICE page 4 See CHARGERS page 9 AVOIDING THE LOS ANGELES CHARGERS Talk resumes for a new stadium downtown Circling in on Mission Valley’s mess CITY COOKS UP RULES FOR FOOD TRUCKS The San Diego Chargers are again asking the city for a new stadium that would be better equipped with all the bells and whistles. By Jeremy Ogul Mission Valley News By Mission Valley Staff Mission Valley News Weeds covering up popular tourist area in Mission Valley. By Jeremy Ogul Mission Valley News Community saves Mission Valley Post Office See FOOD TRUCKS page 8 C ity rules for food trucks on private property began to take shape at an Oct. 23 hearing of the City Council’s Land Use & Housing Committee. City staff have proposed regu- lating the food trucks’ proxim- ity to restaurants, limiting their hours of operation and a creat- ing a permit system for both property owners and food truck operators. “This is just the beginning of a process,” said senior planner Amanda Lee. With direction from com- mittee members, city staff will reach out to stakeholders to COMMENTARY D ozens of hotels line San Diego’s Hotel Circle, a 2.7- mile loop of road on prime real estate in Mission Valley. It is tourist central, with enough beds for thousands of the city’s guests. Since summer, however, those guests have been treated to a view of the ragged, overgrown weeds and trash lining the street where it parallels Interstate 8. It’s not exactly the city’s best side to be showing off to tourists. The hotels, motels and oth- er businesses along the circle largely keep their properties well-manicured, but the public agencies that control the land between the street and Inter- state 8 have a more relaxed maintenance schedule. Every hotel manager we reached declined to comment for this story. One of them said he did not want to upset his ho- tel’s relationship with the city by M ission Valley residents learned Nov. 1 that their only post office will not close as originally planned. San Diego Postmaster Ken Sna vely announced via post- card to local residents that the U.S. Postal Service had canceled its plan to close the post office lo- cated within the Westfield Mis- sion Valley mall. Members of the Mission Val- ley Planning Group opposed the plan, which would have sent Mission Valley residents to the Linda Vista post office. Aside from the drive and the traffic, planning group members said the Linda Vista facility was al- ready overcrowded, and reno- vating it to add new mailboxes would cost the Postal Service $56,000. Demand for the post office in Mission Valley will only go up as a result of future residential growth in the Civita develop- ment and Hazard Center expan- sion, said Josh Weiselberg, a By Jeremy Ogul Mission Valley News Cleanup crews finally clearing the mess along the roads. See MESS page 15 November 15, 2013 On the Internet at www.MissionValleyNews.com Volume VII – Number 11

description

The November 2013 edition of the Mission Valley News

Transcript of Mission Valley News - November 2013

Page 1: Mission Valley News - November 2013

Just in time for this year’s mayoral election, the San Diego Chargers have once

again begun talking up the idea of a new stadium in Downtown’s East Village.

Mark Fabiani, the team’s liaison on the stadium issue, pitched the idea of a stadium that could double as a conven-tion meeting space last month as an alternative to the planned expansion of the San Diego Con-vention Center.

But what’s so bad about Qual-comm Stadium?

Sure, it’s old. Sure, the brutalist architec-

ture is a bit unsightly. And sure, some of the televi-

sion monitors could be replaced. But it still works, right?

It does work, said Stadium manager Mike McSweeney in a recent interview. It just doesn’t do everything the Chargers want it to do.

The biggest problem with Qualcomm Stadium is the lack of certain design elements and luxury amenities that have be-

See POST OFFICE page 4See CHARGERS page 9

AVOIDING THE LOS ANGELES CHARGERSTalk resumes for a new stadium downtown

Circling in on Mission Valley’s mess

CITY COOKS UP RULES FOR FOOD TRUCKS

The San Diego Chargers are again asking the city for a new stadium that would be better equipped with all the bells and whistles.

By Jeremy OgulMission Valley News

By Mission Valley StaffMission Valley News

Weeds covering up popular tourist area in Mission Valley.

By Jeremy OgulMission Valley News

Community saves Mission Valley Post Office

See FOOD TRUCKS page 8

City rules for food trucks on private property began to

take shape at an Oct. 23 hearing of the City Council’s Land Use & Housing Committee.

City staff have proposed regu-lating the food trucks’ proxim-ity to restaurants, limiting their

hours of operation and a creat-ing a permit system for both property owners and food truck operators.

“This is just the beginning of a process,” said senior planner Amanda Lee.

With direction from com-mittee members, city staff will reach out to stakeholders to

COMMENTARY

Dozens of hotels line San Diego’s Hotel Circle, a 2.7-

mile loop of road on prime real estate in Mission Valley. It is tourist central, with enough

beds for thousands of the city’s guests.

Since summer, however, those guests have been treated to a view of the ragged, overgrown weeds and trash lining the street where it parallels Interstate 8. It’s not exactly the city’s best

side to be showing off to tourists. The hotels, motels and oth-

er businesses along the circle largely keep their properties well-manicured, but the public agencies that control the land between the street and Inter-state 8 have a more relaxed

maintenance schedule. Every hotel manager we

reached declined to comment for this story. One of them said he did not want to upset his ho-tel’s relationship with the city by

Mission Valley residents learned Nov. 1 that their

only post office will not close as originally planned.

San Diego Postmaster Ken Sna vely announced via post-card to local residents that the U.S. Postal Service had canceled its plan to close the post office lo-cated within the Westfield Mis-sion Valley mall.

Members of the Mission Val-ley Planning Group opposed the plan, which would have sent Mission Valley residents to the Linda Vista post office. Aside from the drive and the traffic, planning group members said the Linda Vista facility was al-ready overcrowded, and reno-vating it to add new mailboxes would cost the Postal Service $56,000.

Demand for the post office in Mission Valley will only go up as a result of future residential growth in the Civita develop-ment and Hazard Center expan-sion, said Josh Weiselberg, a

By Jeremy OgulMission Valley News

Cleanup crews finally clearing the mess along the roads.

See MESS page 15

November 15, 2013 On the Internet at www.MissionValleyNews.com Volume VII – Number 11

Page 2: Mission Valley News - November 2013

By Neil Fjellestad and

FBS Property ManagementChris De Marco

this alternative pay sooner and avoid additional late charges.

Rental owners faced with vacancies that improve their properties even if forced to bor-row funds to do so and/or must perform capital improvements gradually are rewarded with more qualified applicants to lease.

Existing residents will more likely renew and/or pay a higher rent to live longer at a property that is well managed and main-tained.

Most rental owners are con-cerned about leaving a property vacant and will adjust rent real-izing that number of days rented is more important than holding out for the highest rent rate.

Real estate investors that are buying are satisfied. Those that are selling or re-financing in the current market environment remain frustrated with the lack of expected results and/or inad-equate estimate of time to ac-complish.

Many of the jobs lost over the last three to five years are gone. Though other jobs are being created with different require-ments and rewards the transi-tion is longer than hoped.

Existing small businesses will create jobs when and if they can control risks (the cost of doing business) while believing that the benefits of growth outweigh the alternatives. Much of this risk will be driven by new busi-nesses.

Rent Sense:Another economic perspective

We have built a healthy San Diego business out of advising independent real estate inves-tors, acquiring and managing rental properties for clients while providing superior hous-ing alternatives for qualified renters. More than four decades with properties in 69 zip codes throughout the region provides us a realistic view of the local economy in real time.Here are some highlights:

Most renters pay their rent on time every month. Especially during uncertain times this be-

comes a financial priority.Rent is clearly their largest

household expense and growing as a percentage of household in-come. In this region a significant number pay more than half of their income as rent.

Renters want the privacy, se-curity and convenience of paying their rent online. Those using

If you drive by Hotel Circle on any given day, it’s hard not to miss the signage for Kings Inn and its restaurants, The Amigo Spot and Waffle Spot. These businesses have been establish-ments in the Mission Valley area, serving tourists for de-cades. But Waffle Spot shouldn’t be reserved for out-of-towners only.True to the name, Waffle Spot specializes in waffles. An entire section in the menu is devoted to waffles. There’s a banana nut waffle served with sliced bananas as well as a toasted pe-can version (all $6.75). Waffles can also be ordered plain ($5.75) with an option to add a topping of your choice for an additional dollar apiece. For something out of the ordinary and away from the sweet side, their specialty waffles are the way to go.The tangy Spanish waffle ($8.25) is a waffle topped with two eggs cooked to your liking with ran-chero sauce and potatoes. Bacon lovers will be satisfied with their bacon waffle ($8.99) with plenti-ful pieces cooked into the waffle served alongside eggs. Even if you opt not to go for a waffle as the main entrée, mini waffles substitute the traditional side of toast, leaving any waffle craving fulfilled.All waffles are cooked using an iron that forms deep pockets, al-lowing for maximum syrup ab-sorption onto its crisp exterior. Upon request the servers will heat up the syrup for you. The restaurant also serves a variety of breakfast casseroles (starting at $8.75) and other breakfast mainstays. After 11 a.m. they have a limited selec-tion of sandwiches including a 1/3 lb. hamburger ($6.75) that sadly doesn’t incorporate a waf-fle to replace the bun.Waffle Spot has limited operat-ing hours from 7 a.m. until 2

Waffle Spot133 Hotel Circle SouthSan Diego, CA 92108(619) 297-2231

Waffling over breakfast

p.m. It’s a first-come first-served establishment that doesn’t take reservations. Waffle Spot ap-pears to be a relic from the 1970s (take note of the decor and the entertaining placemat artwork along the walls, submitted by patrons past) but service is quick and the waffles are hot.

Darlene Horn is a San Diego-based food blogger and has pen-ning her opinions on food for eight years at MyBurningKitch-en.com. She’s also the author of the semi-autobiographical, food-centric comic, The Girl with the Donut Tattoo, drawn by her hus-band and artist, Paul Horn.

2 MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013LOCAL News

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The tale of the Presidio Park horsemanBy Tom Leech Author of Outdoors San Diego:

One of our outdoors gems at the western end of Mission Valley is Presidio Park. This has several environments for a pleasant getaway: Native American diggings, Serra His-tory Museum, lots of weddings and picnics, views overlooking the ocean, tributes to San Di-ego history icons, and just plain strolling.

One feature often missed by visitors is a man on a horse, a large statue located off to the side from the main grassy sec-tion popular for picnics. The statue is easy to miss as it’s sur-rounded by trees and sits next to the fancy dwellings of Mission Hills. My guess is that 90 per-cent of the park’s visitors don’t even know it’s there. So what is that statue and why is it located in a relatively obscure location?

The story dates back to 1970, when Mexican President Gus-tavo Diaz Ordaz came here on an official diplomatic visit with San Diego Mayor Frank Cur-ran (Pete Wilson was still a year away). Ordaz had been a strong president, with some major grin-go hostility as he was the man-in-charge when many students were killed during protests at the 1968 Olympic Games.

To mark his visit here he brought along a statue of him sitting firmly atop a presiden-tial horse. City officials, while

expressing appreciation for the gift, were puzzled about what would be a suitable location for this large statue. Maybe in a downtown plaza? On Shelter Island with El Presidente gaz-ing out onto San Diego Bay? In a prominent position in Balboa Park?

After significant debate, they made the decision to put it in one of our famous historical locales, Presidio Park, with the specific location this obscure spot at the southern side of the park, where it would be easily missed by visitors. And that’s where it sits today. The official plaque sits behind a wire fence and reads “Donado a la ciudad de San Di-ego, por el senor Licenciado Gus-tavo Diaz Ordaz, Presidente de la Republica Mexicana, Noviem-bre de 1970.” (Translation: “Do-nated to the city of San Diego, by the leader, Senor Diaz Ordaz.”)

When you visit the park, you may have some difficulty locat-

ing the statue, but you’ll have less trouble locating the well-marked hillside tribute to bet-ter known local key players, the men and women of the Mormon Battalion. Their arrival dates back to 1847, and their recently updated Mormon Museum down in Old Town tells their story well.

And if you’re not sure about how to get to that man-and-horse statue, take the Taylor Street exit from I-8, get to south side of I-8, head west a few blocks to the red light at Presidio Drive, turn left and follow directions up to Presidio Park. Continue past the museum, and at the top end of the park loop to the left and you can drive right past the Or-daz statue.

Tom Leech is a frequent con-tributor to Mission Valley News and lead author, with Jack Far-nan, of Outdoors San Diego: Hiking, Biking & Camping.

A stroll around Presidio Park may take visitors to a presidential man on a horse.

Hiking, Biking & Camping

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013 3COMMUNITY News

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33rd Annual Interfaith

ThanksgivingEve Worship

withCongregation Beth Israel

Wed., Nov. 277:30 pm

Family Christmas TeaSaturday, December 14 • 12-2 pm

The Holidays at First Churchwww.FirstChurchSD.com

MessiahHandel’s

Sunday & Monday ✦ December 8 & 9 ✦ 7 pm

Christmas on the PlazaLiving Nativity 3-4:15 pm

Candlelight Worship 4:15-5 pm

Sunday, December 22

FIrST CHurCHF I r S T u N I T E D M E T H o D I S T C H u r C H

2111 Camino del Rio south, Mission Valley · 619-297-4366 · www.fumcsd.org

By Gina Cord, founder of Mission Valley News

GINA’SVALLEY VIEWS

At the Handlery Hotel on Saturday, Dec. 7, you can SPARKLE and do some Christ-mas shopping a little early at the Soroptimist International of La Jolla fashion show pre-sented by Jockey Person to Per-son while you enjoy a delicious luncheon. The fundraiser by the Soroptimist Club will be used for improving the lives of wom-en and girls through programs leading to social and economi-cal improvement. A ticket for the event is $40 and raffle tick-ets will be sold with the Grand Prize valued at $1,500, which will include your choice of ten articles from the Jockey fall col-lection as well as a photogra-phy session and a professional make-up session. The event will begin at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and could be the beginning and end of your Christmas shopping list. For tickets or information go to

Great events in Mission Valley hotels

the SPARKLE website at www.sparklelajolla.com.

If you like Ballroom Dancing reminiscent of the Great Gatsby era, the place to be on Saturday, Dec. 14 is at the Town & Coun-try Hotel presented by The Qui Vive Dance Club. Music will be by Swingtime band. Dress is formal: Suite/Tux and Formals for the ladies. A gourmet dinner, large dance floor and live music is $115 per couple. The evening will transport you back to a spe-cial time when elegance was the norm of the day. The Qui Vive Dance Club was formed in 1938 as one of the first ballroom dance clubs in San Diego and has con-tinued for all these years. Festiv-ities start at 5:30 p.m., cocktails 6:30 p.m., dinner and dancing from 6 to 9 p.m. For informa-tion and reservations contact [email protected] or call Vicki Willis at (619) 303-3350.

Mission Valley Planning Group met Nov. 6 and learned about a recent rash of local bur-glaries, financial challenges fac-ing community homeless shel-ters, and other developments around the Mission Valley area.

Burglars hit local shops

Mission Valley businesses have been hit recently by a string of commercial burglaries, according to San Diego Police Officer Adam McElroy.

The suspects targeted Bul-ly’s East, Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, Broken Yolk Café and the Halloween Express in the Mission Valley area. A number of similar burglaries have been reported throughout the city, he said.

Police believe the suspects are working in teams, using mul-tiple cars and possibly monitor-ing police radios in order to time their crimes to coincide with shift changes. They are forcing entry into the businesses and pulling cash drawers and safes, McElroy said.

Police also expect to see a rise in parking lot thefts with the coming holiday shopping season, McElroy said.

Funding for homeless shelters won’t last

About 300 homeless individu-als will have no place to go once funding runs out at the end of March for the city’s temporary shelters, which could lead to a noticeable rise in the homeless presence along the San Diego River in Mission Valley, said City Council President Todd Gloria.

It would cost an extra $1 mil-lion to fund the shelters through the end of the fiscal year.

Mission Valley Community UpdateBy Jeremy OgulMission Valley News

“I’m pessimistic about the ability to find that additional funding to keep those shelters open,” Gloria said.

Gloria wants to keep funding for the shelters at the same in next year’s budget. He would like to allocate any additional funding to the social workers within the homeless outreach team and psychological emer-gency response team.

“It’s not just about a bed,” he said.

City to prioritize Mission Valley Community Plan Update

The Planning Department hopes to begin the long and ex-pensive process of updating Mis-sion Valley’s Community Plan in the next fiscal year, said Plan-ning Director Bill Fulton.

An update in the plan will be a critical step to facilitate future development in the area.

“In addition to the challenges that Mission Valley has – partic-ularly with traffic – you look at

the opportunities with the river and the transit oriented commu-nities and Qualcomm Stadium,” Fulton said. “We can take what was a very effective suburban-era business center and turn it into an amazing 21st-century community. We can do that with a great community plan update.”

Developer closing in on old Bob Baker site

A developer is firming up plans to put a housing develop-ment on old site of the Bob Baker auto dealership on Camino de la Reina, just west of Highway 163.

The mixed-use development would have 291 housing units and 5,000 square feet of office space and 4,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, said Josh Vasbinder of the Tex-as-based Dinerstein Companies.

Most details of the project have not yet been made public because the developer is still in the process of finalizing its draft environmental impact report and gathering comments from city staff, Vasbinder said.

A scoping meeting for the proj-ect is tentatively planned for the afternoon of Dec. 4, he said.

The Mission Valley Planning Group meets the first Wednesday of every month at noon in the Community Room at the Mis-sion Valley branch of the San Di-ego Public Library, 2123 Fenton Pkwy.

Mission Valley Planning Group member who pushed to keep the post office open.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) ex-pects the population of Mission Valley to grow from around 21,000 residents to over 40,000 residents over the next decade, Weiselberg said.

The Mission Valley post office is also more easily accessible for disabled users, who would not be able to take the trolley to the Linda Vista post office, Weiselberg said.

The post office is currently located on the north end of the shopping center, next to Macy’s Home Furnishings. The post office will be moved to another suite within the shopping cen-ter at some point in the near future, according to Snavely’s announcement.

Post Office, from page 1

4 MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013COMMUNITY News

Page 5: Mission Valley News - November 2013

On Wednesday, March 5, 2014, the Mission Valley Plan-ning Group (“MVPG”) will hold a general election of members to serve on its board. The general meeting and election will be at noon, in the Community Room, Mission Valley Library, 2123 Fenton Parkway, San Diego.

The MVPG Board represents the general members of the Mis-sion Valley Planning Group and is an all-volunteer group. Its primary purpose is to advise the City Council, Planning Commis-sion and other governmental agencies as may be appropriate in the initial preparation, adop-tion of, implementation of, or amendment to the general or community plan as it pertains to the area or areas of influence of Mission Valley.

Only general members who have attended a minimum of two (2) meetings of the MVPG in the twelve (12) months prior to the February 2014 regular meet-ing qualify to fill any board posi-tion. Attendance at the required meetings must be documents in the minutes of the meetings. Each term is four (4) years and three (3) positions will be filled in the general election in each of the following classifications:

Class I: Property owner, who is an individual identified as the sole or partial owner of record, or their designee, of a real property (either developed or undeveloped) within the com-

NOTICE OF MISSION VALLEY PLANNING GROUP GENERAL ELECTION

munity planning area. Term ex-pires March 2018.

Class II: Person (including residents or persons represent-ing business entities) paying property taxes on any parcel of real property in the community planning area. Term expires March 2018.

Class III. Resident, who is an individual, whose primary address is an address in the community planning area (ei-ther an owner or renter). Term Expires March 2018.

Class IV: Local business person (including persons repre-senting business entities), who is a local business owner, opera-tor or designee, with a business address in the community at which employees or operators of the business are located. Term expires March 2018.

A candidate’s forum will be held at the regularly scheduled monthly board meeting in the same location as set forth above at noon, Feb. 5, 2014. For fur-ther information, please contact John Nugent at [email protected].

By Sari ReisOwner of Mission Valley Pet Sitting Services

www.missionvalleypetsitting.com

As a professional pet sitter and dog walker, I have often been asked about dog crates. “Are they good for dogs or are they a form of cruelty?” My an-swer, “It depends on how the crate is presented to the dog and how it is used. If the dog is prop-erly introduced to the crate and it is utilized in a positive man-ner, then it is a wonderful place. If on the other hand, the dog is forced into the crate, or aban-doned there for long periods of time, it can become a cruel and abusive imprisonment”

Crates are particularly good for puppies. They are very help-ful with potty training and with protecting your home until the excitable and inquisitive puppy learns the house rules. When purchasing the crate, make sure it is the appropriate size. Large enough for the puppy to stand, turn around, and lie down on his side, but no bigger. If the crate is too large, the puppy can eliminate in it without coming into contact with the mess, and that is not a good thing. The puppy should be introduced to the crate slowly. Put a toy and some treats in the crate and let the puppy go in and out explor-ing at his leisure. As he becomes more familiar and comfortable

Dog Crates: Safe Haven or Solitary Confinement

with it, you can start closing the door for short intervals of time, a few minutes initially, and then gradually getting longer. Even after he has become comfortable in the crate, he should never be left in it for more than a couple of hours at a time. This is be-cause he has a small bladder, and more importantly, he needs lots of human interaction for proper socialization. Most pup-pies can be crated for the night, but keep the crate by your bed so if he whimpers and needs to go out, you can take him. Usually, by age 6 months, he can make it through the night or about 8 hours. Give a name or cue to the puppy when he goes in such as “go to bed” or “go to your house” or “kennel up”.

Adult dogs can also benefit from a crate. It can be a safe place for a rest or downtime when there are a lot of people or

children milling around that the dog wishes to avoid. They are also advantageous for traveling long distances in the car or if a dog has an injury or surgery and needs to limit his activity while he heals. Dog crates should never be used as punishment. The dog’s association with his crate should be positive; a feel good place where he experiences safety and comfort. Some dogs use their crates throughout their lifetime. The door is left open so they can enter and exit at will. Put in a soft mattress, a water bowl, and a Kong with some treats in it, and you have one happy relaxed dog.

Sari Reis is a Certified Hu-mane Education Specialist and the owner of Mission Valley Pet Sitting Services. For more in-formation, please contact her at (760) 644-0289 or www.mission-valleypetsitting.com.

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013 5LOCAL News

Page 6: Mission Valley News - November 2013

Assistant ArtisticDirector

Kathleen Hansen

Public UtilitiesDepartment Director

Halla Razak

San Diego Women’s Chorus hires assistant artistic director

The San Diego Women’s Chorus appointed Kathleen Hansen the chorus’ first-ever Assistant Artistic Director. After an extensive search process, SDWC’s board of directors extended the offer to Hansen, who started in the position Oct. 19. Hansen will work closely alongside long-time SDWC Artistic Director, Christopher Allen, to provide additional musical assistance and support to SDWC’s growing membership and will make her debut with the chorus at the chorus’ winter concert “Light Up the World” on Dec. 7 and 8.

The assistant artistic director position is a newly created role for the 26-year old non-audition LGBTQA women’s chorus. “SDWC has grown threefold over the last few years and having an Assistant Director will allow us to meet the needs of our membership by providing additional artistic support, allowing us to facilitate more productive rehearsals, and creating additional opportunities to share our music within the San Diego community,” said SDWC President Carin Scheinin. “Kathleen’s exemplary artistry, enthusiasm and collaborative spirit, as well as her extensive work with choral ensembles and singers of all talent levels, is a wonderful fit for our organization.”

Hansen has been working in the field of music education since 1998 with students of all ages. She holds a bachelor’s of music degree specializing in music education and trumpet, a single subject teaching credential, and a music master’s degree specializing in conducting. As a performer, she has had the opportunity play and sing on a diverse array of stages: from street courtyards and concert halls in Italy to San Diego’s own Symphony Hall. She has conducted both amateur and professional ensembles in many venues in San Diego County and has taught a variety of music courses including band, choir, music technology, and conducting.

Hansen has taught at middle school, high school and university levels and has directed a variety of community groups. In addition to her new role with SDWC, Hansen also currently serves as the director of the Sun Harbor Chorus, the North County Tremble Clefs, and the associate director of the San Diego Chorus of Sweet Adelines, Intl. She also operates Serenity Sound Healing where she uses traditional Tibetan instruments as a therapeutic modality.

City names new Public Utilities director

Halla Razak will be the City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department Director starting Nov. 12. She has also asked her to serve as the City’s representative on the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors.

Razak served as the director of the Colorado River Program at the San Diego County Water Authority for almost eight years. She also worked for 18 years at the City of San Diego, most recently as Chief Deputy Director for the Engineering and Capital Projects Department.

She holds a bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Dayton and a master’s degree in engineering from San Diego State University.

NAI San Diego announces associate vice president

NAI San Diego recently announced M. Lawrence Kopp has joined the firm as an associate vice president. Kopp will engage in all areas of brokerage, including leasing, sales, consulting and advisory services.

“We are excited to bring Lawrence to NAI San Diego. He has an extensive background in the commercial real estate industry and is a great addition to our firm.” said David DeRoche, NAI San Diego’s managing director. “Lawrence’s experience in market research and “green” real estate help him provide a unique skillset to his clients. He will fit in well with the NAI San Diego platform and help us expand the services we are able to provide to our clients.”

Kopp received a master’s of science in real estate from the University of San Diego and is a graduate of the University of Arizona. He worked as a consultant with the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate at the University of San Diego to produce local market data reports and is part of Real Estate Alumni Association Board.“I’m excited for the opportunity to be part of the NAI San Diego team. NAI San Diego has a great reputation in marketplace and is privileged to have strong leadership. I’m looking forward to adding a new dimension to the platform by bringing my skillset and passion for promoting the benefits of being green to our current clients and future clients.” said Kopp.

A native of Del Mar, California, Kopp is actively involved in local organizations including the Honorary Deputy Sherriff’s Association and San Diego Crime Commission. Prior to joining NAI San Diego, Kopp was a Research Director at CBRE and the CoStar Group.

Copley Telecommunications

Center

KPBS

KPBS wins big at San Diego Press Club Awards

The San Diego Press Club recognized KPBS journalists for their exceptional work in television, radio, photography-video, and integrated media at the 40th Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards. The award ceremony was held Oct. 29 at the Jacobs Center at Market Creek. KPBS journalists won awards in 23 categories, including the top honor of “Best of Show.”

KPBS won 18 first place awards in categories for Television: News Feature- Series, Radio: Feature, Photography-Video: News and Integrated Media: Investigative Reporting to name a few. Among the awards, KPBS Evening Edition won best TV newscast, a first for the San Diego media station. KPBS also won Best of Show award for Best Integrated Media Company for their piece, “You Decide What to Change About San Diego’s 2014 Budget.” KPBS’ investigative news partner, inewsource, won Best of Show for Radio for “Serious Questions about Patient Care at San Diego Hospice.” Apart from the 18 first place awards KPBS won, they also were honored with nine second place awards and two third place awards across a variety of categories.

KPBS is a public service of San Diego State University serving the region with news and entertainment programming that respects our audience with inspiring, intelligent and enlightening content. KPBS delivers this content via multiple outlets, including television, radio, and digital media and will adapt and remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Mission Valley News takes first placeMission Valley News editor Genevieve A. Suzuki earned first place

among non-daily newspapers at the San Diego Press Awards for her series on water in San Diego. Mission Valley News is published by Mission Publishing Group, which had another of its newspapers win awards: La Mesa Courier layout editor Aleta El-Sheikh won third place for Comic-Con design among non-daily newspapers; columnist Pam Crooks won third place for her regular feature, The Sun Shines Sooner, and Mission Publishing Group staff writer Jeremy Ogul won third place for his article on pit bulls.

San Diego Public Utilities Department honored

The Industrial Environmental Association and the American Water Resources Association recently honored the City of San Diego’s work related to water purification at the 2013 Annual Statewide Environmental Conference in San Diego and the 2013 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference in Portland, Ore., respectively. On Nov. 5, the Industrial Environmental Association presented the Environmental Excellence Award to the City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department. The award recognizes the Department’s many sustainable accomplishments, including its work in determining that water purification is feasible for San Diego. The Department’s San Diego Metropolitan Wastewater System was also recognized for its energy-saving measures.

On Nov. 6, the American Water Resources Association awarded Marsi A. Steirer, a Public Utilities Department deputy director, with the Mary H. Marsh Medal for Exemplary Contributions to the Protection and Wise Use of the Nation’s Water Resources. The Mary H. Marsh Medal is awarded to an individual who has achieved a status of eminence in some aspect of public service related to water resources education and/or management. Steirer was honored for her more than 25 years of contributions to the protection and expansion of water resources in San Diego, particularly for her recent work in leading its water purification efforts. Steirer is only the sixth recipient of this coveted award since its inception in 1992.

The City’s water purification efforts include its demonstration project, which determined the feasibility of purifying recycled water for use in supplementing local drinking water supplies. The City Council unanimously adopted the project’s findings in April 2013 and set forth directives for implementing water purification in San Diego.

City appoints chief operating officerInterim Mayor Todd Gloria appointed Scott Chadwick as the chief

operating officer of the City of San Diego effective Oct. 31. The City Council unanimously confirmed Chadwick’s appointment today.

“Scott Chadwick’s mastery of City issues and operations, his calm leadership style, his positive working relationship with and respect for City employees, and his ongoing dedication to delivering high quality service to San Diegans make him the right choice for Chief Operating Officer,” said Gloria.

Chadwick currently serves as the assistant chief operating officer and held the position of acting chief operating officer earlier in 2013. His almost 10-year tenure at the City of San Diego has included work as a labor relations officer, as the labor relations director, and as the human resources director. Prior to joining the workforce at the City, he served in the United States Army, received his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, and was a business representative for AFSCME, Local 127.

Chief Operating Officer

Scott Chadwick

Movers & ShakersMovement in San Diego’s Business Community

PUD Deputy DirectorMarsi A. Steirer

Executive Editor

Genevieve A.Suzuki

Associate Vice President

M. Lawrence Kopp

6 MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013BUsINess News

Page 7: Mission Valley News - November 2013

A sudoku puzzle is a grid of nine by nine squares or cells, that has been subdivided into nine subgrids or “regions” of three by three cells.

The objective of sudoku is to enter a digit from 1 through 9

in each cell, in such a way that:

1. Each horizontal row contains each digit exactly once2. Each vertical column contains each digit exactly once3. Each subgrid or region contains each digit exactly once

Sudoku

Try to fill in the missing numbers.Use the numbers 1 through 16 to complete the equations.

1. Each number is only used once.

2. Each row is a math equation. Each column is a math equation.

3. Remember that multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction.

Math Squares

1. Start in the center of the maze.

2. Get to the exit on the left as fast as possible.

3. If you make it to the exit on your first try, congratulations!

Maze Escape

ANSWERS ON PAGE 16 ANSWERS ON PAGE 16 ANSWERS ON PAGE 16

A feast of fun around San DiegoThis season there are several

alternatives to waking early to cook a bird the size of a basketball. Whether you’re in the mood to get to know your neighbor, run for charity or swing along with a ragtime band, this Thanksgiving weekend San Diego has something for you.

Neighborly gratitude for breakfast

The public is invited to the Soroptimist International of La Mesa’s 56th Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Breakfast Nov. 27 at the Handlery Hotel and Resort, located at 950 Hotel Circle North in Mission Valley. Check-in opens at 7 a.m.

The event provides the opportunity for San Diegans to come together and begin the holiday season in a spirit of thanksgiving. The theme is “Neighbors Together Giving Thanks.” As part of the program, the Soroptimists highlight a segment of the community for special thanks.

Special appreciation this year will go to Organizations that Serve the Needs of Children. Michael Carr, former executive director of SAY San Diego (Social Advocates for Youth), will be the keynote speaker. Admission to the breakfast is $35 per person. Guests are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items for the food drive, which benefits needy families at the San Diego Rescue Mission. For more information or to make reservations, visit silamesa.org, or contact Maxine Levaren at (619) 282-8860.

Running for charityConsidering funds for temporary

homeless shelters throughout the city are being cut, it seems an organization such as Father Joe’s Villages, which serves as Southern California’s largest residential homeless services provider, is that

much more important.Support Father Joe’s Villages

and its partner agencies St. Vincent de Paul Village in San Diego and Martha’s Village & Kitchen in Indio, Calif. by participating in the 12th annual Father Joe’s Villages Thanksgiving Day 5K Run in Balboa Park Nov. 28 at 7:45 a.m.

Registration for the 5K is more than just an investment in family fun. It’s an investment in the future of San Diego. All proceeds go to help your homeless neighbors in need—from children and families to adults and veterans.

Raise $100 from your family or friends and receive a one-of-a-kind Thanksgiving 5K hoodie. You can also purchase one for $25.

For more information, visit www.thanksgivingrun.org.

Thanksgiving pie from Mama

Purchase a Thanksgiving pie and help Mama’s Kitchen provide free, nutritious home-delivered meals to San Diego men, women and children who are severely impacted by cancer or AIDS. One-hundred percent of the proceeds of each pie goes toward our mission to feed our critically ill neighbors.

Pie prices range from $20 to $25 each. Flavors include traditional apple, classic pumpkin, nutty pecan, and Dutch apple with a crunch

crumb topping.This Thanksgiving, consider

buying a “Love-A-Client Pie” (a donated pie) to provide pie and holiday meals for folks who would otherwise go hungry. Each pie sold provides more than six home-delivered meals to a neighbor struggling with cancer or AIDS.

Go to mamaspies.org for more information or to buy a pie.

Swinging into ThanksgivingJazz enthusiasts can give thanks

to America’s Finest City Dixieland Jazz Society, which will host its 34th Annual San Diego Jazz Festival Nov. 27 to Dec. 1.

The festival, located at the Town & Country Hotel and

Dave Bennett will be playing at the San Diego Jazz Festival

Convention Center, features large concert rooms with double dance floors and intimate “listening” rooms. The more than 25 festival bands represent a wide variety of traditional jazz, Dixieland, ragtime, swing and rockabilly styles.

Conveniently, Thanksgiving Day diners at the Town & Country’s Thanksgiving Champagne Buffet in the Convention Center will be serenaded by live jazz. Most of the bands, however, will perform Friday and Saturday.

If you really dig that crazy vibe when you go, you will have the opportunity to take your favorite band home with you as nearly all the bands will have recordings for sale at the festival.

Visit sdjazzfest.org for more information or to purchase tickets.

Supporters ready to help at the Thanksgiving Day 5K Run in Balboa Park Nov. 28 at 7:45 a.m.

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013 7LOCAL News

Page 8: Mission Valley News - November 2013

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gather input on the best way to craft the regulations. A set of proposed regulations likely will not be available until January, and they likely will not be finally approved by the full City Coun-cil until March 2014.

In the mean time, food truck owners have to just hope that they can make it through the winter.

“Food truck operators right now are in limbo,” said Chris Duggan of the California Res-taurant Association, which rep-resents both brick-and-mortar restaurant owners and food truck operators. “They don’t know where they can oper-ate and when. Let’s move this through the process as fast as possible.”

Mission Valley’s big weekly food truck event was canceled in order to avoid a citation from the city, but many food truck events have gone on undisturbed be-cause the city’s Code Enforce-ment only responds when a com-plaint is made. Even then, food truck complaints are a relatively low priority, said Mike Rich-mond, a senior zoning investiga-tor.

“Our staffing levels are such that we have our hands full with much more serious health and safety matters,” Richmond said.

San Diego has 250 mobile food vendors that generate $38 million a year in economic ac-tivity throughout the San Diego region, according to an analysis by San Diego State University researchers.

Many of those vendors are members of the United Associa-tion of Food Trucks San Diego, which mostly represents Latino seafood truck owners.

“We all pay rent. We all pay taxes. Everything that a res-taurant is required to do, we are required to do,” said Marco Polo Cortes, who represents the group.

Many brick-and-mortar res-taurateurs do not feel the food truck owners are sharing equal-ly in the burden, however.

The current situation is not a level playing ground for all busi-nesses, said Jack Gambrell, who owns Sixth Avenue Bistro.

“With my downtown redevel-opment fees that I’ve paid for 40 years, these areas are now prominent and flourishing,”

Gambrell said. “If they’re going to take advantage of what we as owner and operators have devel-oped, then they need to come up to the table and pay the fees and all the expenses that it took to get to this.”

Food truck operators should also have to comply with other costly measures, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, he said.

Another issue to consider is that the city needs to be more careful about allowing food truck events that take up me-tered parking spaces, said Gary Smith, president of the San Di-ego Downtown Residents Group.

A group of food trucks secured a city permit for an event just outside the Gaslamp District, Smith said. This allows them to close down a portion of the street that has parking meters.

“The city is losing hundreds or thousands of dollars in meter revenues because that permit was issued for an entire year,” Smith said. “It’s unbelievable how much money the city is los-ing because of that.”

Christian Murcia, who runs a food truck event booking service called Curbside Bites, took issue with the idea of limiting a food truck’s proximity to a restau-rant, at least on public streets.

“We’ve found that time and time again in California, any sort of proximity rule to restau-rants or limiting hours of opera-tions, unless it pertains to public health and public safety – it’s unconstitutional,” Murcia said. “Every city that’s tried to enact restrictions like this has been turned down.”

If restaurants do not want food trucks to park on the street in front of their building, the city should make it as easy as possi-ble for food trucks to operate on private property, Murcia said.

City Councilmember Lorie Zapf, who chairs the committee, said she wants city staff to fully vet whatever proposal they come up with to ensure it is as fair as possible.

The Land Use and Housing Committee and the Planning Commission expect to take fur-ther action on the food truck reg-ulation issue at their first meet-ings, respectively, of 2014.

Food Trucks, from page 1

8 MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013LOCAL News

Page 9: Mission Valley News - November 2013

come standard in modern NFL stadiums, he said.

Take the Jumbotron, for ex-ample. The big screen in Qual-comm Stadium was installed in 1997. It lacks the crispness and vibrancy of the high-definition displays in the newer stadiums.

“The new electronic LED dis-plays in some of these places are 10 times more powerful than what we have,” McSweeney said.

The luxury suites, dining op-portunities and proximity of seats to the field in Qualcomm Stadium pale in comparison to what you might find at more recently constructed NFL stadi-ums around the country, he said.

That all makes it difficult to coax potential ticket-buyers away from the comfort of their living rooms, McSweeney said.

Advertising opportunities are also limited within the existing stadium. While new stadiums have flashy screens that can flip through many different adver-tisers, Qualcomm Stadium is limited to backlit static signs.

The aging features of the ex-isting building may be contribut-ing to the city’s inability to break even on the cost of operating the stadium. The stadium costs $18 million a year to operate but re-quires an $11 million subsidy from the city each year.

McSweeney said the costli-ness of operating the stadium would not necessarily be helped by hosting more events there.

“We could certainly have more events, but there’s a limit,” he said.

The more events you host, the more wear and tear you have to keep up with.

“We could do a major event here every week and still require

some type of subsidy,” he said.Even if you accept that Qual-

comm Stadium comes up short these days, wouldn’t it be cheap-er to just upgrade the exist-ing building than to start from scratch?

Doug Manchester, the wealthy developer who owns U-T San Di-ego and its real estate in Mission

Valley, made waves last year with his claim that he could ren-ovate Qualcomm Stadium with $300 million.

Fabiani of the Chargers said Manchester must have been talking off the top of his head. Both the city and the team have commissioned independent studies in recent years that con-cluded a renovation of the exist-ing stadium would be prohibi-tively expensive.

“I am not aware of any hard data that suggests that renova-tion makes sense for anyone, including the City and the Char-gers,” Fabiani said.

And the City of San Diego is still paying off the debt from the last renovation of the stadium in 1997.

Meanwhile, new stadiums keep popping up around the country, bringing Qualcomm

Stadium closer to the top of the list of oldest stadiums in the league.

Next year the San Francisco 49ers will move from Candle-stick Park, which is older than Qualcomm, to Levi’s Stadium, their brand new, $1.2 billion fa-cility in Santa Clara.

Soldier Field, home to the Chi-cago Bears, first opened in 1924,

but between 2002 and 2003 the stadium was extensively reno-vated for approximately $600 million.

The O.Co Coliseum in Oak-land opened in 1966 and was renovated in 1996 for approxi-mately $120 million. The Raid-ers recently proposed building a new $800 million stadium on the site of the existing building.

The Green Bay Packers play at Lambeau Field in Wisconsin, which opened in 1957 and was renovated for approximately $295 million in 2003. Further renovations that began this year are expected to cost an addition-al $140 million.

City leaders in San Diego, struggling under the weight of many other expensive problems, don’t seem to think a new sta-dium is a very high priority.

City Councilmember Marti Emerald called Qualcomm Sta-dium a “great public asset” at a recent meeting of the City Coun-cil.

“I think the Q is just fabulous and we should do all we can to make it better instead of all this talk about building a new sta-dium,” Emerald said.

City Council President Todd Gloria told Mission Valley Plan-ning Group Nov. 6 that he lacked details on any potential stadium proposal.

Gloria said the Convention Center expansion recently ap-proved by the California Coastal Commission should not hinder a solution for the Chargers.

“I’m of the belief that we’re a big city and we can do both,” he said.

Gloria, by the way, admitted he has no personal stake in foot-ball.

“A little bit of truth here – I will never go to a football game,” Gloria said. “It’s not my thing. But I think that’s good because it means I’m not going to make an emotional decision. I’m going to make the best business deci-sion I can.”

Meanwhile, in the Los Ange-les area, billionaire developer Ed Roski has lined up all the financ-ing, legal permissions and archi-tectural renderings he needs to build a new NFL stadium in the City of Industry.

All he needs is a team.

Chargers, from page 1

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013 9LOCAL News

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By Kelly OstremACSM-HFS, CHESFitness Expert

Holiday exercises

Linda Vista skate park update

Keeping it in the family

This time of the year, it’s easy to get caught up in all the fun, food and festivities that come with the holidays. However, this isn’t time to let your health take a backseat! Parties and rich food start around Thanksgiving and don’t let up until New Year’s Day.

Here’s my best advice (and I called in some Mission Valley Y trainers, too) for keeping ex-ercise a part of your hectic holi-days. Try one ore more of these tips and make sure your New Year’s resolution can be some-thing other than “I will exercise” or “I will lose weight!”

Plan for it

Instead of trying to fit in a workout around your busy schedule, start with the workout and build your day from there. If you are planning to have a big holiday meal or attend a party, make sure you work out that day. On Thanksgiving Day, the Mission Valley YMCA is host-ing fundraiser workouts at the Friars Road and Hazard Center locations. A variety of classes will be offered in the morning so you can work out before your big meal.

Everything counts

“A lot of people take this time of year off,” Karen Barry said. “Remember everything counts.” Don’t discount walking around, taking the stairs, or playing with a child – these are physical ac-tivities that are good for you! On days where fitting in a workout will be challenging, she recom-mends waking up in the morn-ing and doing 15 minutes of ex-ercises: jumping jacks, wall sits, planks, burpees, and crunches. Do two to three sets of these and the workout is done! It’s simple, takes very little time, and leaves you with no excuses!

Linda Vista got one step closer to a new public skate park as the City Council on Oct. 22 unani-mously directed city staff to ap-ply for state grant funds.

The city will apply for up to $3 million to design and build the skate park through the state’s Housing-Related Parks program, a $200 million fund established by California voters through Proposition 1C in 2006.

Because the grant program is noncompetitive, the city will definitely receive some money, said Brian Schoenfish, the city’s senior planner responsible for the skate park project.

“We just don’t know exactly how much funding we’ll receive at this point until we go through the application process,” he said.

Councilmember Scott Sher-man, who represents Linda Vista, said the skate park would address a real need for legiti-mate recreation activities for the youth of Linda Vista.

“There’s not a whole lot of places for the kids in that neigh-borhood to congregate and have some good clean fun,” he said.

Sherman said the skate park would also bring new people, business and recognition to a neighborhood that is now some-what isolated and forgotten by the rest of the city.

“It’s a nice neighborhood with some very, very good people and

concerned community members there, and I think this park will do nothing but to help improve the neighborhood,” he said.

Councilmember Lorie Zapf, whose district used to include Linda Vista before redistricting changed the map, said she of-ten heard neighborhood leaders talk about the need for more rec-reational opportunities for the youth.

“This is just terrific,” Zapf said. “I’m thrilled that this is happening and that we can fi-

nally give them recreational activities — healthy, not on the street,” she said.

The city likely won’t know the outcome of the grant application until spring of 2014.

The grant funding will be con-tingent on community approval of an amendment to the Linda Vista Community Park General Development Plan, which does not currently provide for a skate park.

By Jeremy OgulMission Valley News

Earn your treats

If you want to eat some of your favorite foods, include an exercise trade-off that’s small and do-able. “Make a deal with yourself to do some physical ac-tivity,” Kari Lorraine Scott said. “Give yourself permission to eat it, but do 20 jumping jacks too.”

Make it a family event

“Get your whole family in-volved,” Cynthia Steadman rec-ommends. She has a tradition of getting her family up early for a race such as Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day 5k. There are lots of run/walk events all over, so wherever you chose to cel-ebrate, there will probably be an event nearby. She also suggests going for a family walk after the feast, playing catch or fielding a family football game the day af-ter Thanksgiving.

Don’t overdo it

The key to this time of year is to not overdo it with food. Re-member, you don’t have to eat everything on one day; you can enjoy leftovers for a few days. Leonard Jones recommends that for every plate of food you eat, you should do 30 minutes of cardio. “You get to eat after you put in the work,” he said. “If you work out harder, you won’t have to worry about a set back. You have to ask yourself: Do you re-ally want to start over again on Jan. 1?”

By GenevieveSuzuki, Esq.

When relationships break down, whether they’re between spouses or significant others, it’s difficult to see the forest from the trees. What seemed like a dream coupling becomes a regular war of the roses, forcing friends and family to take sides.

And while it’s par for the course for family and friends to come to a hurt partner’s emo-tional aid, it is not at all appro-priate for children to be dragged into the conflict. Because while you see that person as a heart-breaker, all your child sees is Mom or Dad.

When clients with children come into my office, one of the first things I tell them is to try and separate the problems they have with their ex from the con-fusion they face as a co-parent.

Sometimes the anger, hurt and frustration they feel clouds their vision when viewing the other person as the other par-ent for their child. They think, “There’s no way the guy who broke my heart could be a good dad,” or “She didn’t care about me in the end, why would she care about our kid?”

What parents need to real-

ize, however, is they are part-nered for life, or at least until the child reaches 18, despite what transpires between them. (This, of course, does not include situations involving domestic violence, which brings the whole family into another arena.)

And although you may not want to accept this partnership, a good way to gain clarity for your mission is to imagine what you would want for your child five years from now. Ask your-self what your child wants five years from now.

What you will likely see are two parents who have placed aside their differences to be fully present for their child. No child wants, or should want, to ex-clude one parent at the expense of the other. Having both par-ents at school events, special oc-casions and other important ac-tivities is an invaluable gift that can benefit a child for life.

Another benefit to working together with the other par-ent is you will have someone to help you when your child goes through challenging stages. Any experienced parent will tell you your adorable 8-year-old can easily become a moody teenager within several years – having the other parent as a partner can ease the heavy burden of responsibility thrust upon you during the hard times.

With all that said, it’s un-realistic to say you’re going to magically recover from the pain of heartbreak. Time, and some-times therapy, will be the salve to help heal the wounds.

Nevertheless, remember that kind of time is something a child does not always have. The dam-age parents can inflict upon their children by refusing to co-operate on a parenting plan has long-reaching effects.

So if you’re facing a breakup involving custody and visitation of a child, try to remember there are two situations begging for a resolution: how you’ll resolve your relationship and how you’ll cooperate with each other for your child’s best interests.

Genevieve A. Suzuki practices family law at the Law Office of Genevieve A. Suzuki. She can be contacted at [email protected].

10 MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013LOCAL News

Page 11: Mission Valley News - November 2013

Doris Jaffe doesn’t look like a bodyguard. The San Diego resi-dent is, after all, 71 years old. But Jaffe has for almost four decades been upholding the an-cient Jewish tradition of watch-ing over the deceased from the time of death until burial.

Jaffe is a shomeret, a female shomer – or guardian, who com-forts the soul of the dead while ensuring the body is treated with dignity and respect as it is prepared for burial according Jewish law. She spends almost all of her time watching over the deceased reading all 150 Psalms in Hebrew, sometimes over and over again, though not necessar-ily in order.

It is lonely duty and she is not

paid for her efforts. If a family provides a stipend, she often will donate the money to a cause that was dear to the departed’s heart.

It is a job that requires no formal training, but the work is considered the ultimate tribute. “You could perform an act of kindness for anyone, you could do a favor for anyone,” Jaffe said. “But when you do a favor like this for the deceased, there is no way they can repay you.”

So why does she do it? “The whole idea is to give the family a sense of relief in knowing that their loved one is being taken care of according to Jewish law. Dignity, love and respect. That’s how we treat the deceased. There’s a personal satisfaction in knowing that everything is being done properly.”

The first time she served as a shomeret was when Jaffe and her family were living in Cleveland. Her rabbi called and asked if she would be interested in helping out. Of course, came the answer. The rabbi packed some food, and off they went to the mortuary, where she was to watch over the body of a 93-year-old woman. “Her sons came over to me before the funeral and thanked me so much for doing this,” she recalled. “I’ve been do-ing it ever since.”

Her husband, Wilbur, was a shomer, too. Sometimes the cou-ple would be at different funeral parlors at the same time. Wilbur died several years ago after the Jaffes moved to San Diego, but

Doris Jaffe hasn’t stopped. At her peak, the Brooklyn native was attending to several bodies a week; nowadays it’s more like several bodies a month. She has no idea how many times over the decades she’s served as a shom-eret. “I never counted.”

It was never a job. Jaffe worked for the county for 24 years before retiring as a payroll clerk in the District Attorney’s

office a decade ago.Jaffe never knows when she’ll

get a call. When her cell phone rings, she grabs a bag with clothes and a toothbrush and her book of Psalms. She stays up all night (“I drink a lot of tea”) and sometimes helps out (she most often works at Am Israel Mortuary on El Cajon Boule-vard) washing of the body. Noth-ing is done until the mechilla is said, essentially a prayer asking for forgiveness in the event any-thing is done in error.

The College Area resident will act as shomeret anytime a family requests one. And not all families requesting a shomer are Orthodox.

Jaffe, who positions herself a minimum of six feet from the deceased, spends most of her time reading Psalms. She has a long list of favorites that include Psalm 6 (“Do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chastise me in Your rage… My soul is utterly terrified”), Psalm 20 (“May the King answer us on the day we call”), Psalm 100 (“Serve God with gladness, come before Him in joyous song”), and Psalms of Praise (known in Hebrew as Hallel and which cover 113 through 118).

“They’re beautiful writings.” * * *

Rhina Paredes went to Pat-rick Henry High School on Oct.

20 hoping to save some lives. It’s been her mission since her son, Eric, died of sudden cardiac ar-rest in July of 2009.

Paredes recently told a school auditorium packed with par-ents that tells Eric was putting clothes into his suitcase while readying for a long-awaited family cruise when she left for an appointment. When his dad came home for lunch about 20 minutes later, he found his son collapsed on the floor.

Sudden cardiac arrest is caused by problems with the heart’s electrical system and can lead to a fatal case of ar-rhythmia. The Paredes now lead an El Cajon-based nonprof-it called the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation that provides free electrocardiograms and, if needed, echocardiograms. The foundation raised more than $257,000 in just its second year, and it has tested more than 9,000 high school and college students in San Diego County since its in-ception in 2010. More than 200 teens tested were found to have undetected heart abnormalities, 88 were at risk for sudden car-diac arrest, and four required live-saving surgeries.

“Electrocardiograms are not part of child’s physical exam, which is a way to find out if a child is at risk,” Paredes said. “For this reason, Eric’s dad and I decided to establish the Save A Life Foundation so that we can screen teens and detect who might be at risk. Simply said, we don’t want any other parent to go through the night-mare of knowing that their child is gone.”

Hundreds of Patrick Henry High parents signed up their children for the 30-minute screenings. No word on how many hearts were spared being broken.

Said Paredes: “Our mission in life is to prevent other kids from dying.”

David Ogul is a longtime reporter and editor who has worked at numerous Southern California daily newspapers in a career spanning more than three decades. He now runs his own communications company, writes a monthly column for Mission Times Courier and edits the soon-to-be launched Seaside Courier in coastal North County. You can follow him on Twitter via @ogul, and he can be reached via email at [email protected]

Acts of kindness and hopeBy David OgulMission Times Courier

“We don’t want any oth-er parent to go through the nightmare”

A last service lovingly performed

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013 11LOCAL News

Page 12: Mission Valley News - November 2013

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LETTER TO THE EDITORQuestions building around Civita

I read the piece about the Civita development in the re-cent Mission Valley News and wanted to comment. My wife and I live in Mission Valley off of Friars Road about a half mile from the Civita project. We will be impacted greatly by the de-velopment and have watched it from its beginning.

First, I don’t understand all the awards Civita has earned. So far it is nothing more than a lot of square buildings painted various shades of brown. The accolades the project has got-ten from the building industry seems like so much fluff and ap-pears to be the building industry patting each other on the back.

As for the development itself, as it stands so far, it already is different than was initial-ly rolled out by Sudberry when they showed the project to my condo complex two years ago. At that time the development was called Quarry Falls and the “dog & pony show” Sudberry was try-ing to sell to the community left a lot of unanswered questions. Most prominent were the impact on the surrounding roads and the issue of water. In regards to the latter, we were told Sudberry was relying on rainfall estimates

from the city that showed that the area would be receiving rain-fall of biblical proportions, on the level of the story of Noah in the Bible. Trust me, there was a lot of raised eyebrows in the crowd when this fabrication was an-nounced. As for the infrastruc-ture issues, there was much talk about this and that but nothing concrete as it appeared Sudberry was attempting to pull the wool over our eyes with a lot of maps and projections.

I don’t get this idea about the development being transit-ori-ented. From what I have already seen, and I have kept a close eye on the project, those that will live at Civita will do what most San Diegans do, use their car to go everywhere. It’s true that there is a trolley station at

Hazard Center but I would bet that almost no one from Civita will be using it. There’s a devel-opment just across the street from the Hazard Center trol-ley station and from what I have seen very few people from that development use public transportation. I can’t imag-ine anyone from Civita walk-ing to Hazard Center to board the trolley. Heck, I already see some of those that already live at Civita get in their car to go to the Ralph’s supermarket and it’s just across the street! Be-sides the trolley/bus schedules to that area of Mission Valley pretty much stop at about 11:30 p.m. so if you visit downtown and live in Mission Valley you better have “last call” at about 10:30 p.m. if you want to take

public transportation home. (I’m retired but work part time at the Manchester Grand Hyatt and use the trolley to get to work and have been frustrated that there are two trolleys that go west from Mission Valley to down-town after midnight but no trol-leys that go east from downtown to Mission Valley after 11:30 p.m. Go figure.)

Can someone please explain to me what a “motor court” home is? And who will be policing the no-smoking rules? A social gar-den? Please. Sudberry is at-tempting to blow a lot of smoke up our you-know-whats in its selling of Civita. Friars Road, between I-15 and Frazee Road, is already a mess of potholes and the increased traffic from Civita will only increase what already

now looks like the landscape of the moon.

One last thing I would like to be explained: Sudberry has been using a lot of water on the development so far, but from what I have seen much of it is coming from fire hydrants. Are the hydrants metered and are they paying the city for using the water? I ask this as not to long ago many developers, dur-ing construction, were being al-lowed to use city water without being charged, with taxpayers picking up the tab. Also is Civita using non-potable water, as re-quired, for dust abatement and construction?

Please believe I’m not against development, but have seen the San Diego taxpayer get shafted too many times by developers that use “bait & switch” tactics and the city administrators that we en-trust to watch over developments turn a blind eye to what amounts to unethical behavior.

Mission Valley News wel-comes Letters to the Editor from our community. Please be aware not all submissions are pub-lished and may be edited for brevity and grammar. Submit your Letter to the Editor to [email protected].

By Stuart RachmuthMission Valley Resident

12 MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013LeTTeR TO THe eDITOR

Page 13: Mission Valley News - November 2013

SCOOPSANDIEGO.COM

County News ServiceTwo more dead birds have

tested positive for West Nile vi-rus, prompting County officials to remind people to protect them-selves from mosquitoes that can carry the potentially-deadly dis-ease even as fall seemed to be bringing cooler temperatures.

“We think of West Nile vi-rus as a warm-weather disease and we are starting to see cool-er days and nights, but finding these birds should remind ev-eryone to be careful,” County

County urges West Nile precautions

Environmental Health director Jack Miller said. “Fortunately, there are easy ways to protect yourself, such as wearing insect repellant and long-sleeved shirts and pants if you’re out at dusk when mosquitoes like to feed.”

County vector-control person-nel – who help protect the public from “vectors” such as mosqui-toes that can transmit disease to humans – said a dead red-tailed hawk found in San Diego and a dead American crow found in Santee had tested positive for

West Nile virus in the last week. Nine birds have tested positive this year.

No people have been diag-nosed with West Nile virus in San Diego County this year, but 339 people, including 11 who have died, have gotten sick across California in 2013.

West Nile virus is mainly a bird disease that can be spread to people when mosquitoes feed on the blood of an infected bird and then a person. Eight out 10 people who become infected with West Nile virus won’t suf-fer any symptoms at all. Most people who do get sick will suf-fer mild symptoms: headache, fever, nausea, fatigue, skin rash or swollen glands. However, in rare cases, people can suffer se-rious neurologic complications that can be life threatening. The risk of complications increases for those over age 50, and for people with weakened immune systems.

County officials said the pub-lic should remember the phrase, “Prevent, Protect, Report.”

Prevent mosquito breeding by dumping out or removing backyard water sources that can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, such as: plant sau-cers, rain gutters, buckets, trash cans, children’s toys, old spare tires and wheelbarrows. Mos-quito fish may be used to control mosquito breeding in backyard water sources such as unused swimming pools, ponds, foun-tains and horse troughs.

Protect yourself from mos-quito bites by staying inside when mosquitoes are most ac-tive and by wearing long sleeves and pants when outdoors, es-pecially at dawn or dusk. Use insect repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or IR 3535 when you

are outdoors. Keep screens on doors and windows and make sure the screens are in good con-dition.

Report dead birds and green, neglected swimming pools by calling County Vector Control at 858-694-2888.

Miller said the County’s new free West Nile virus smartphone app makes it easier than ever to report neglected pools, mosquito breeding grounds or dead birds — and to get important updates about the disease.

Anyone with an iPhone, An-droid or Blackberry smartphone can submit anonymous reports to County Vector Control by using the app to snap a photo, type in the address and send it in. The app is available on the County App Center at www.sd-county.ca.gov/appcenter/. Look for the “Fight the Bite” logo.

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013 13LOCAL News

Page 14: Mission Valley News - November 2013

JazzWednesdays – Gilbert Castellanos Jazz Jam at Seven Grand. Free. 9 p.m. SevenGrandBars.com.

Wednesdays – Jazz with Kice Simko and Friends at Riviera Supper Club. Free. 9 p.m. RivieraSupperClub.com.

Fridays – Sam Johnson Jazz Group at Cosmos Coffee Cafe. Free. 3 to 5p.m. CosmosCoffeeCafe.com.

Saturdays – Jazz with George and Alan at Bistro Sixty (formerly San Diego Desserts). Free. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. www.SanDiegoDesserts.net

Saturdays – Douglas Kvandal with the LiveJazz! Quartet at the Amigo Spot a the Kings Inn. Free. 7 p.m. www.kingsinnsandiego.com

Nov. 30 – Coast Bop at 98 Bottles. $10 adv/$12 day of show. 8 p.m. www.98BottlesSD.com

aLTERNaTIVENov. 22 – Noah Gunderson with Kelsea Little at The Loft at UCSD. $12. 8 p.m. theloft.ucsd.edu

Nov. 22 – Dr. Seahorse, Ed Ghost Tucker, and Neon Cough at The Griffin. $8. 8:30 p.m. www.TheGriffinSD.com

Nov. 27 – Hanging From The Rafters CD Release Show with Tiger Milk Imports and Void Lake at Tin Can Alehouse. Price TBD. 9 p.m. thetincan1.wordpress.com

Dec. 12. – The Mowgli’s, Blondfire, and The Lucky Lonely at The Griffin. $15. 9 p.m. www.TheGriffinSD.com

Dec. 6 – Soft Lions, Idyll Wild, and Spaceships at Soda Bar. $5. 8:30 p.m. www.SodaBarMusic.com

CLASSICALNov. 17 – Pomerado Brass Quintet at Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center Theater. Free (donations welcome). 3 p.m. www.mtrp.org

Nov. 20 – La Jolla Music Society Presents The Boston Pops at Copley Symphony Hall. $25 - $95. 8 p.m. www.ljms.org

Nov. 22-24 – Jon Kimura Parker Returns at Copley Symphony Hall. $20 - $96. Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m. Sun. 2 p.m. www.SanDiegoSymphony.org

Dec. 6-8 – Beethoven’s Ninth at Copley Symphony Hall. $25 - $101. Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m. Sun. 2 p.m. www.SanDiegoSymphony.org

Dec. 13-15 – Bronfman Plays Beethoven at Copley Symphony Hall. $20 - $96. Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m. Sun. 2 p.m. www.SanDiegoSymphony.org

Dec. 15 – “Many Strings” with Chris and Jamie Burns at Mission Trails Regional Park Visitors Center. Donations welcome. 3 p.m. www.mtrp.org

PoPTuesdays – Suzanne Shea at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. www.SanDiegoDesserts.net

Thursdays – Greg Shibley at The Westgate Hotel. Free. www.westgatehotel.com

Fridays – Nathan Welden at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 p.m. www.SanDiegoDesserts.net

Nov. 23 – Get Groovin’ at Pal Joey’s. Free. www.paljoeysonline.com/

Nov. 27 – Ryan Cabrera at The Griffin. $18. 9 p.m. www.TheGriffinSD.com

Bands, venues, and music-lovers: Please submit listings for this calendar by emailing [email protected].

Simon Property Group and Fashion Valley are excited to an-nounce today that new retailers will be joining the center’s line up, just in time for the holiday season. In addition to the re-cently opened Scotch & Soda and soon to be re-opened Steve Madden store, two more tenants will offer Fashion Valley shop-pers additional ways to keep cozy, yet cute this fall. Multi-channel fashion retailer J.Jill is slated to open mid-November with Halston Heritage to follow around Thanksgiving.

“We’re excited to welcome yet another set of specialty retail-ers to our spectacular lineup,” said Francine Miley, director of marketing and business de-velopment at Fashion Valley. “This new crop of additions will only enhance the already stel-lar retail experience we offer our shoppers.”

J.Jill, a leading retailer of women’s apparel, accessories and footwear, is bringing its relaxed approach to style to a

4,044-square foot shop at Fash-ion Valley Nov. 14. The store will be located on the mall’s up-per level, near Neiman Marcus. The new store design is a pure expression of J.Jill’s mission, of-fering easy, relaxed and inspired style to a woman with a rich full life; a great fit for the San Diego style scene.

Fashion innovator Halston Heritage is slated to open short-ly after, around Thanksgiving time. The 2,475-square foot store will showcase the core principles of its iconic past: simplicity and timeless elegance. Ready-to-wear, dresses, evening gowns, handbags, belts, small leather goods, and an exclusive collec-tion of footwear will be available. Halston Heritage will be located on the first level, next to Prada.

In addition, San Diego shoe-lovers can rejoice as Steve Mad-den returned last month after a brief remodel with a grand re-opening celebration Oct. 24. Known for its fashion-forward yet affordable footwear and ac-cessories, Steve Madden is lo-cated on the center’s upper level, near the Food Court.

Shoppers can now also get a taste of Amsterdam-based fash-ion house Scotch & Soda, known for its eclectic mix of classic and vintage styles. The 2,101-square foot store is located on the sec-ond level, near Abercrombie.

Keeping cozy and cute this fall

Shea Homes’ Frame & Focus opens Nov. 16

Seven new model homes will be unveiled at 10 a.m. on Satur-day, Nov. 16 during the grand opening of Frame & Focus at Civita, an innovative new brand of urban townhomes by Shea Homes San Diego.

Refreshments will be served and guests will be invited to snap, share and print photos of family and friends at Shea’s ex-clusive on-site Instagram photo station. Frame & Focus is locat-ed at 2642 Aperture Circle in the heart of Mission Valley.

Situated on an elevated par-cel overlooking Mission Valley, Frame & Focus showcases open floor plans, decks, patios, small yards and large-scale windows. Ranging from 1,306 to 1,983 square feet, Frame & Focus of-fers two unique architectural styles suited for a range of life-style and family configurations. Pricing for new homes at Frame & Focus will start from the high $400,000s.

“Frame & Focus was de-signed as an affordable alter-native for homebuyers seeking the lifestyle of the Civita master planned community,” said Van-essa Linn, vice president of sales and marketing for Shea Homes San Diego.

Frame features a unique en-try called a motor court, which routes vehicles through a large, shared interior courtyard to in-dividual attached two-car ga-rages. By bringing cars through

these communal front spaces, Frame can provide each home with a private rear yard. Rang-ing from 1,584 to 1,983 square feet, 64 townhomes at Frame of-fer two to four bedrooms and two baths.

This design is called “Frame” because these buildings line the perimeter of the project and lit-erally frame the “Focus” interior row homes. Focus is nestled in the interior of the community, where living space spills out to shared front patios and a private pool and spa complex.

With a rear-entry two-car garage, 76 homes at Focus of-fer two to three bedrooms and two baths, ranging from 1,306 to 1,599 square feet. While Frame is expected to attract young fam-ilies because of the private rear yards, Focus should be popu-lar with first- and second-time homebuyers.

This is Shea’s second urban neighborhood to be built at Civi-

ta, following the December 2011 release of Origen socialGarden and Origen skyLoft. Both com-munities have been honored for their dramatic three-and four-story vertical architecture by prestigious industry organiza-tions.

“With national acclaim for design and land use, Origen re-ally set the standard for our work at Civita,” said Linn. “We are thrilled to unveil the newest generation of cutting edge urban architecture.”

Designed by Woodley Archi-tectural Group, Frame & Focus is among the five new home com-munities now in Shea’s local con-struction pipeline. From these contemporary urban townhomes to larger, coastal single-family detached homes, Shea’s open-ings begin this month and will continue through spring 2014.

For more information on Frame & Focus, call 866-696-7432.

14 MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013COMMUNITY News

Page 15: Mission Valley News - November 2013

EDITORGenevieve A. Suzuki, ext. [email protected]

PUBLISHERMission Publishing Group, LLCJim [email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGERBecky Suffridge, ext. [email protected]

CREATIVE DIRECTORTodd Kammer, ext. [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSJen Van Tieghem • Gina Cord Kelly Ostrem

STAFF WRITERJeremy Ogul, ext. [email protected]

MissionValleyNews.com6549 Mission Gorge Road #199San Diego, CA 92120 • 619.291.0200

Mission VALLEY nEWs

publishers ofMission TiMes Courier

la Mesa Courier

Circulation: 15,000. Published 12 times in 2013 and delivered throughout our circulation area of Mission Valley, San Diego, California by Mission Publishing Group, LLC. Clas-sified ads and articles must be submitted by mail, e-mail or dropped off at our business address, 6549 Mission Gorge Road #199, San Diego 92120.Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisements or material submitted which are deemed to be objectionable. Publisher’s liability for errors: Mission Valley News assumes no financial liability for errors nor for omission of copy and upon request will furnish a letter of correction to the advertiser. The Publisher, Mission Publishing Group, LLC., shall not be liable for any error in published advertising unless an advertiser proof is requested in writing 12 days prior to publication date and clearly marked for corrections. If the error is not corrected by the Publisher, the liability, if any, shall not exceed the space occupied for the error. Further, the Publisher shall not be liable for any omission of an advertisement ordered to be published. On written request, Publisher shall reschedule and run the omitted advertisement at the advertiser’s cost. All claims for adjustment must be made in writing within 30 days of the date of publication. In no case shall the Publisher be liable for any

general, special or consequential damages.Equal Housing Opportunity: Real estate advertising in Mission Valley News is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Mission Valley News will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. This is to notify Mission Valley News readers that all dwellings adver-tised in Mission Valley News are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or TTY at 1-800-927-9275.News and information printed in Mission Valley News is obtained from sources consid-ered to be reliable, but accuracy on information sent to the paper cannot be guaranteed. Articles and opinions of writers or letters to the editor that are submitted for publication to the Mission Valley News are the views of the writers and should not be considered the views of the publisher. Content of paid advertisements is solely the responsibility of the advertiser. © 2007–2013, all rights reserved.

OUR NEXT ISSUE The next issue of the Mission Valley News comes out Friday, Dec.13. The advertising deadline is Tuesday, Dec. 3.

GET INVOLVED!

Movie Night at the Mission Valley LibraryNov. 27, 6 to 7:30 p.m.Film expert Ralph Delauro will screen a movie and lead a stimulating discussion afterwards. Please contact the Mission Valley Library for specific film titles.

Project Debt Relief SeminarDec. 3, 6 to 7 p.m.Attorney Mark L. Miller will present a free seminar about debt including credit cards, short sales, foreclosures and alternatives to bankruptcy. Health and Wellness through Tai ChiThursdays, 1 to 3 p.m.This class is designed for adults 55+ and will teach students strategies for implementing physical exercise and relaxation techniques in addition to Tai Chi. YogaTuesdays , 6 to 7 p.m.Are you looking for a workout program that’s easy to learn, requires little or no equipment, and soothes your soul while toning your body? If strengthening your cardiovascular system, toning and stretching your muscles, and improving your mental fitness are on your to-do list, than yoga is for you! Zumba BasicMondays, 4 to 5 p.m.Join the Zumba craze! Find out what makes this fun workout such a hit. A towel and bottled water are recommended for our Zumba sessions. Zumba GoldFridays, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.Zumba Gold is a lower impact version of our Zumba Basic class on Mondays, but just as fun! The moves have been carefully designed to be easy to follow by participants of any size or age. Baby Signs Storytime:First and third Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m.Parents often wonder, “What is my baby thinking?” There is a way to find out: teaching your baby some basic signs using American Sign Language will fill the gap. Communication is said to be the foundation of a solid relationship; learning to sign with your baby will build that bond early and provide you a bridge from infancy to childhood. Preschool Storytime & CraftThursdays, 10:30 a.m.Preschoolers are invited to a storytime, then a fun craft right afterwards! Toddler StorytimeFridays, 10:30 a.m.Storytime designed for toddlers, featuring songs, rhymes, and fingerplays. Yoga for KidsFirst and third Mondays, 1:30 p.m.Kids will learn how to calm and quiet themselves , develop strong & healthy bodies, and set a foundation for life-long well-being in a relaxed and fun environment.

Linda Vista Branch Library is located at 2160 Ulric St., San Diego. Visit lindavistalibrary.org or facebook.com/lvlibrary. The library is open Monday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday 12:30 to 8 p.m.; Thursday and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; closed Sunday.

Mess, from page 1

Linda Vista Library EventsNov. 18, 25, Dec. 2, 9, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.Morning Storytime with KathieChildren and their families are invited to join Kathie for stories, rhymes, and songs.

Nov. 19, 26, Dec. 3, 10, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.Hopscotch Tiny Tots StorytimeJoin Miss Kim for a great time with music, stories and crafts for babies and toddlers.

Nov. 21, Dec. 12, 2013 10 to 11 a.m.Morning Storytime with MelissaChildren and their families are invited to join Melissa for stories, rhymes, and songs.

Nov. 25, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.Linda Vista Planning Group General MeetingThis is an open meeting of the Linda Vista Planning Group. The public is encouraged to attend.

Dec. 5, 10 to 11 a.m.Toddler Yoga Storytime with Aryn Rannazzisi

Join Mission Valley Library for a family yoga storytime.

Dec. 7, 11 a.m. to noonFriends of the Linda Vista Branch LibraryThe Friends of the Linda Vista Branch Library meet to coordinate activities including our booksale, Homework Help program, and more.

An article, “Linda Vista ramps up plans for skate park,” in the September edition of Mis-sion Valley News incorrectly stated that the skate park pro-posal would eventually require approval from the Planning Commission and City Council. In fact, the law does not require those bodies to approve the plan. Mission Valley News re-grets the error.

LIBRARY eVeNTs

Correctioncomplaining publicly about the weeds.

Reached by telephone, a Cal-trans representative insisted that Caltrans was only responsi-ble for the landscaping between the freeway lanes and the chain-link fence that separates them from the pavement on Hotel Circle. The city is responsible for the rest, the representative said.

But on Nov. 8, a crew of Cal-trans workers was out with shovels, hoes, trash bags and trucks cleaning up the mess.

There’s no telling whether Mission Valley News’s repeated inquiries spurred action. Per-

haps it was our call to Council-member Scott Sherman’s office that got the cleanup crews mov-ing.

Either way, the landscap-ing looks much better now. We hope regular monitoring of the road conditions keeps this prime tourist center looking its best from now on.

Oh, and about those palm trees…

MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013 15

Page 16: Mission Valley News - November 2013

Mayoral election up in the air

Frame & Focus by Shea Homes is a fresh brand of townhomes right

in the heart of Mission Valley. Join us November 16th to celebrate the

grand opening of this new urban oasis. The new-generation design

means decks, patios, small yards, and oversized windows. And the

elevated site offers expansive views and coastal breezes — yours to

enjoy at the private pool and spa complex. Be the first to take the

plunge at this beautifully modern neighborhood.

Visit us on Civita Blvd. — two blocks north of Friars Road, off

Mission Center Road. And while you’re here, check out all the

Civita neighborhoods:

FRAME & FOCUS by Shea HomesTownhomes from the high $400s • 866.696.7432

ORIGEN by Shea HomesRowhomes from the low $500s • 866.696.7432

ALTANA by TRI Pointe HomesSingle-family homes from the mid $600s • 888.619.3500

CIRCA 37 by Sudberry PropertiesLuxury apartment rentals • 619.378.3037

Civita is a master plan development of Quarry Falls, LLC. All information is accurate as of date of publication, but information and pricing is subject to change at any time.

civitalife.com

Dive In.Frame & Focus

Grand OpeningNovember 16th.

Facebook.com/Hazard.Center

SUDOKU ANSWERS FROM P. 7

MATH ANSWERS FROM P. 7

MAZE ANSWER FROM P. 7

More than 100,000 voters have returned their mail ballots in advance of the Nov. 19 special mayoral election, according to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

The total vote counts will not be released until after the polls close at 8 p.m. Nov. 19.

Mail ballots must be delivered to the registrar by Election Day to be counted. Mail ballots can be returned in person at a polling place or to the Registrar’s office on Election Day.

Voters who have not registered to receive a mail ballot may also vote early at the registrar’s office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

The law gives the registrar until Dec. 17 to finalize the results of the election.

City Councilmember Scott Sherman, who has endorsed his Republican colleague, Kevin Faulconer, appeared on the Roger Hedgecock show on U-T TV Nov. 8 to give his take on the mayoral race.

Sherman said he would prefer to see a runoff between Faulconer and Councilmember David Alvarez.

“I know both of them. I work with them,” Sherman said. “I disagree with David on issues, but David is a good guy. He believes in what he says. It’s not just pandering.”

Sherman said he thinks Nathan Fletcher has problems with credibility as a result of his party

By Jeremy OgulMission Valley News

switches from Republican to independent to Democrat.

“Fletcher’s going to have a real problem in the mayor’s office if he gets elected,” Sherman said. “There’s not one councilmember down there right now that trusts the man, and the mayor needs someone on the council that can carry his water.”

In addition to Sherman, the City Council’s other two Republican members, Lorie Zapf and Mark Kersey, have also endorsed Faulconer.

Poll results released by U-T San Diego Nov. 4 showed Faulconer with 42 percent of the vote, Fletcher with 28 percent and Alvarez at 17

percent. Polls commissioned by other parties have shown Fletcher and Alvarez are neck and neck for second place in the election.

The candidates and the various independent committees supporting them have already raised more than $4 million, according to records filed with the City Clerk and reported by inewsource.org.

Fletcher and the independent committees supporting him had raised about $1.6 million as of Nov. 2. Alvarez and the independent committees supporting him had raised about $1.5 million. Faulconer and the independent committees supporting him had raised about $1.1 million. Aguirre reported

raising $5,455. Alvarez’s campaign and

supporting groups have benefited from the endorsement and financial support of the Democratic Party, while Faulconer’s campaign and supporting groups have benefited from the endorsement and financial support of the Republican Party.

The candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the vote in this special election will become the next mayor. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the two candidates with the highest vote totals will move on to a runoff election in early 2014.

16 MISSIONVALLEYNEWS.COM — NOVEMBER 15, 2013LOCAL News