Mission Times Courier - April 2014 by Mission Publishing Group LLC

April 2014

On the Internet at www.MissionTimesCourier.com

Volume XX – Number 4

San Diego’s own tapped as Assembly Speaker By Jeremy Ogul Mission Times Courier

Photo by Sam Hodgson

hen Toni Atkins takes the reins later this year, the California Assembly will be led by a speaker from San Diego for the first time in history. Atkins served on the San Diego City Council from 2000 to 2008 and has served in the Assembly since 2009. We sat down with Atkins at her downtown San Diego office on March 21 to talk about her

agenda. As speaker, Atkins will be part of the “big five” — including Gov. Jerry Brown, Assembly Minority Leader Connie Conway, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg and Senate Minority Leader Bob Dutton — who confer to establish a deal on the state budget of approximately $108 billion. “In terms of the priority list, I think it’s pretty clear,” Atkins said. “The priorities have pretty much been set by Californians and by the times and the issues.” See ATKINS page 19

This was originally a regular column for inside the newspaper, but it’s so potentially important to the future of the Grantville-Allied Gardens area that it merits front page treatment. We hope you’ll read it, and think about it. - Doug Curlee

A new look and feel is coming to Grantville

By Anthony Wagner for the Mission Times Courier

ith over 8,000 new multi-family units proposed and $50 million in developer impact fees, chances are pretty good it will eventually affect you. New roads will be built along with the potential for a new library, river-based parks, a fire station and supplemental funding for our local schools. The new land use initiative is called the Grantville Focused Plan Amendment and is within our Navajo Community Plan. While we may live individually in Allied Gardens, Grantville, Del Cerro or San Carlos, we all share the same city-sanctioned planning document called the Navajo Community Plan. It’s a 150-page document that represents a comprehensive, long-range policy guide for the physical development of the Navajo region. Our plan dictates density, height limit, park space, traffic flow, and essentially protects our collective quality of life and community character. It’s

Our vision for Grantville in the year 2030 is for the improvement and reestablishment of an older neighborhood in central San Diego. We envision an attractive, balanced community with a desirable quality of life. a blueprint for success — ours and potential developers’. The Navajo Community Plan is a vitally needed step in realizing the development potential of Grantville for present and future residents of the community, as well as for the people of the city at large. Presently, the neighborhood communities of Barrio Logan, Uptown and Golden Hill are working with city staff to update their community plans to reflect current needs, community character and quality of life. Grantville needs a document that is reflective of today’s realities. It’s not helpful to anyone to fight project by project. We must adequately blend concept, vision, and reality. With your oversight along the way, we can accomplish

the divine. The project location, referred to as “Subarea A,” is located within the former Grantville Redevelopment Project Area. Subarea A is a 379-acre area comprised of commercial, office, industrial, public facility, park and open space uses located immediately north of lnterstate 8 along both sides of Fairmount Avenue, Friars Road and Mission Gorge Road north to Zion Avenue (and including several parcels north of Zion Avenue). The southeast portion of Subarea A also includes the first seven parcels on the southern side of Adobe Falls Road (starting at Waring Road). The Grantville Focused Plan Amendment consists of three See GRANTVILLE page 13

Recent storms brought rain, but not enough By Doug Curlee Editor

he storm that hit California right at the end of February provided a little water to the parched state, but not much. People thought it might signal an end to the drought that has caused farmers in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys to lose crops right and left, and caused reservoirs to very nearly dry up. It actually caused something that might have been comic relief were the situation not so dire. One local television reporter, who shall remain nameless due to sympathy from another longtime television reporter, was seen and heard to declaim, “Californians will be really happy now that the drought is over.” It’s not. Dana Friehauf is one of those at the San Diego County Water See WATER page 15

LOCAL News

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Jersey Mike’s makes good food, great friends

Company-wide policy pushes community involvement By Doug Curlee Editor

red Downey likes to see to it that people who come into the Jersey Mike’s sub shops he owns walk away with full stomachs and smiles on their faces. But it’s questionable whether he likes that more than he does the smiles on the faces of school officials, library supporters, and community groups that have just received a rather substantial check from him. Downey, who lives and coaches youth soccer in North County, says it’s a real thrill to be able to do things like writing those checks. “One of the things that’s great about Jersey Mike’s is that attitude about being involved in the community. Other places I’ve been in the food industry don’t really do that.” Downey is a longtime veteran of the fast-food industry, coming from two other nationwide chains that went through some policy changes he didn’t much agree with. He thinks he’s found his home now. “March is the month for the company,” Downey said. “We call it the ‘month of giving.’ That’s when we all get together and make sure our chose charities do well from us.” The best example locally was March 26, and it shows the commitment Jersey Mike’s has toward the community. “Every Jersey Mike’s in the county region will donate the day’s revenue to Rady Children’s Hospital.” Downey isn’t talking about just the profits from the day — he’s talking about every dime the stores take in going right back out the door to Rady. “This started with the very first Jersey Mike’s back in Point Pleasant, N.J. way back when, when it was just the one sub shop. It’s just grown right along with the company.” Some of the store’s donations are proudly displayed on the wall

“A lot of weight is placed on the concept of hiring good employees.”

- Fred Downey

of Downey’s Grantville store right near the Vons market on Mission Gorge Road. Those checks have gone to Patrick Henry’s Associated students, Foster, Hearst, and Lewis elementary schools, Allied Gardens library, Mission Nazarene Church, and the San Diego Police Officers Association Widows and Orphans’ Fund. The stores themselves are something of a throwback to an earlier day. The emphasis here is on good food, well prepared and sold at

reasonable prices. You won’t see much in the way of off-the-wall efforts to create odd new products, like some other big chains. They know what they do well, and they continue to do it. A lot of weight is placed on the concept of hiring good employees, training them right, and eventually moving them up the ladder until they’re qualified to manage their own stores. One of Downey’s employees at the Grantville store is in line for her own store, and fairly soon. “The company believes in that philosophy,” says Downey. I tried the Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Since I’d eaten a few Philly cheesesteaks in my time, including several in Philadelphia, I figured it was a good thing for comparison. This was a whole lot better than most of them.

LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Mother-daughter travel memoir by Del Cerro resident to publish in April By Cynthia Robertson for the Mission Times Courier

you get breakfast with your lunch,” Coburn said. On a later trip to Pompeii, when O’Nell was 11, Coburn had felt like she let her daughter down badly after a disastrous day. But the girl simply told her mother that things didn’t have to be perfect in order to be wonderful. “And then [she] assured me that people

el Cerro resident Jennifer Coburn is no stranger to writing books. But this author of four books of fiction found herself in another world when she sat down to write a memoir about her travels to Europe with Katie O’Nell, her 17-year-old daughter. “We’ll Always Have Paris” is a one-of-a-kind memoir that took Coburn 18 months to write. The memoir is an intimate look into Coburn’s own personal background juxtaposed with several trips to Europe starting when O’Nell was just eight years old. The memoir, to publish on April 8, is a pageturner that can keep the reader up until the wee hours of the morning. It is as much of a story about a motherdaughter relationship as it is the comical, sometimes surprising, have had always enlightening worse days tale about their jaunts in Pompeii,” to cosmopolitan cities, Coburn said. including Paris, London O ’ N e l l and Pompeii. has other Jennifer Coburn Coburn called travelanother favoring with her daughter a gift. “It ite memory. When she and her only convinced me further that mother went to the Alhambra in she’s going to do very well in life,” Spain, they ran into a group of she said. elderly Korean tourists. In fact, Coburn admitted that “I was looking at the gardens she had thought she would be when all of the sudden I heard able to take her daughter on a singing. I turned around and my few trips and teach her about mom was singing a Korean folk the world. “But what ended up song with these ladies. They were happening is that she taught me all in a line doing some crazy hand how to lighten up and enjoy life,” movements, singing this song my she said. mom said her Korean classmate As an example, on their second taught her in fifth grade. day in Paris together when her “That was really fun and it daughter was just eight years old, also showed me there’s always a a waiter served her a hamburger way to make friends with people with a sunny-side-up egg on top no matter where they’re from of it. or what language they speak,” “I was a little worried about her O’Nell said. reaction, but she just shrugged The Patrick Henry High School and said, “I guess in France student said that on the travels

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with Coburn, she was able to see her mother in a “whole new light.” Coburn said that she enjoyed traveling with her daughter because it forced them out of their everyday life. ”We have to rely on each other to get around, figure out transportation, and what we want to do. Being in a foreign country demands your full attention and presence because little things like opening a door and flushing a toilet are totally new. “I hope that mothers who’d like to travel with their kids, but worry that they might not have the experience, will read this book and think if this hot mess of a parent can handle overseas travel, clearly anyone can,” Coburn said. To invite Coburn as a guest speaker at an event or book club, contact her at jennifercoburn.com or on facebook/ JenniferCoburnBooks

LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

City Council clears a path for medical marijuana dispensaries By Jeremy Ogul Mission Times Courier

he first thing you notice when you walk into Mission Valley’s only medical marijuana dispensary is not the signature aroma of weed; rather, it’s the spacious waiting room designed to look like a suave coffee house. The waiting room at Kindest Meds, on Camino Del Rio South, is decked out with faux wood floors, comfy leather couches, potted palms, artistic pendant lighting from IKEA and an attractive young receptionist with tattooed arms. You can hardly smell the marijuana until you’re invited beyond the waiting room, where the dried leaves are showcased in glass jars. None of this is exactly legal. While California law permits medical marijuana collectives, they have been effectively banned by the city of San Diego’s zoning laws. The City Council last month, however, approved an ordinance that will permit a small number of dispensaries throughout the city, subject to numerous restrictions designed to minimize the dispensaries’ impact on the surrounding neighborhood. Until now the City Attorney’s office has attempted to shut down the illicit dispensaries, but several have managed to stay afloat, such as Organic Roots in North Park, 5StarMeds in City Heights, Nature Knows Best in Ocean Beach and Kindest Meds in Mission Valley. By press time, the City Attorney’s office had not responded to requests for comment about the history of enforcement against dispensaries operating in Mission Valley. An updated version of this story will be posted at www.missionvalleynews.com when the City Attorney’s office responds to our questions. The new medical marijuana rules seem poised to make Mission Valley and Grantville two of the most centrally located areas where walk-in dispensaries will be allowed. The ordinance allows medical

marijuana dispensaries only in commercial and industrial areas that are 1,000 feet or more from “sensitive receptors” such as schools, churches, playgrounds, libraries, child care centers and parks. Dispensaries must also be at least 1,000 feet from each other. Those restrictions effectively ban the dispensaries in District 3, which includes Hillcrest, North Park, Mission Hills, Banker’s Hill and Downtown. In District 7 there are about 821 acres where medical marijuana would be allowed, according to a SANDAG analysis. That’s significantly less than the approximately 1,090 acres where dispensaries would be allowed under a separate ordinance passed in 2011 that the council later repealed. Still, only two other districts have a greater number of acres: District 6 (which includes Kearny Mesa) and District 8 (which includes South San Diego). The maximum number of cooperatives allowed in District 7 would have been 14 until the ordinance was amended by Councilmember Lorie Zapf to limit each council district to a maximum of four dispensaries. Most of the permissible areas in District 7 are in Mission Valley, as outlined below: Generally everything south of the river between Fairmount Avenue to the east and Qualcomm Way to the West, plus the area bounded by Qualcomm Way, Friars Road and Interstate 805 South of the river, west of

Camino del Este, north of Interstate 8 and east of Mission Center Road • North of Friars Road and west of Mission Center Road • The Fashion Valley mall area west of Hwy. 163 and south of Friars Rd. • Most of the commercial building areas in the vicinity of the I-8 and Hwy. 163 interchange • Most of the land adjacent to I-8 west of Hwy. 163 • Most of the industrial and commercial areas in Grantville Outside of District 7, there are a few other neighborhoods with plenty of space where a dispensary could legally operate: Barrio Logan, the Morena District, San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Kearny Mesa, the Sorrento Valley Road area and Carmel Valley near I-5. The new ordinance also forbids dispensaries from having a prescribing doctor on site. They must operate as nonprofit organizations. Their operating hours will be limited. Mission Valley also has at least one doctor who writes medical marijuana prescriptions. Dr. Gindentuller, at 7801 Mission Center Ct., offers a happy hour special on consultations between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Before it takes effect, the ordinance must be approved by the California Coastal Commission. That is expected within the next two to three months. It will also take time for dispensaries to get through the process of obtaining a conditional use permit.

MISSION TRAILS REGIONAL PARK

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Have a “Hoppin-ing’ April” at Mission Trails Regional Park By Audrey F. Baker Trail Guide

t MTRP April is a very special month. School holidays afford families additional opportunities to commune with nature and young adults to recreate and explore the park. Tots may have the excitement of seeing an Audubon Cottontail – that bunny who brings eggs and candy in a basket – in its natural setting. Each of us can actively engage in a personal Earth Day observation amid the scenic beauty of the gorge and its mountains, flat lands and river basin. Speaking of that Audubon bunny, in April, we also salute the birth of its namesake, the iconic conservationist, pathfinder and explorer John James Audubon. His life’s work, cataloguing and discovering the biodiversity of North America, continues to inspire us toward preservation of nature’s wonders. Our MTRP Trail Guide walks are an opportunity to learn more about natural Southern California, with its unique landscapes, habitats, local history, plant and animal life. The walks are free, interesting, fact-filled, and geared to all ages and interests. Grab sturdy shoes, that comfortable hat, water bottle and sunscreen and hit the trail! Morning walks are offered every Saturday, Sunday and

Wednesday, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. You’ll start from the park’s Visitor and Interpretive Center, One Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Carlos. The walk beginning from the Kumeyaay Lake Campground Entry Station, Two Father Junipero Serra Trail, at the San Carlos-Santee border, gives a different perspective of

the park and its diverse habitats. These walks are offered from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, and take in historic Old Mission Dam. Wildlife Tracking reveals the secret lives of animals and brings insight into their survival techniques and habits. Tracking

Team members assist in indentifying and interpreting tracks, scat and habitats. Join us at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, April 5 in front of the Visitor Center, One Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Carlos, for a two-hour tracking adventure. Discovery Table: Plant Parts affords a close look at the individual parts of the body of a plant. Try your skill at matching the right part with its job and learn about the secrets of seeds. Stop by our hands-on science table in the Visitor Center lobby on Saturday, April 12 between 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. for fun with basic plant physiology. Murray Walk and Talk is a fun and informative stroll with your MTRP trail guide amid Lake Murray’s scenic shores and thriving environments. The topic for April’s outing, Reptiles and Amphibians, will unleash some Jurassic jokes. We meet at the boat docks Tuesday, April 15 (9:00-10:30 a.m.) Lake Murray, 5540 Kiowa Drive, La Mesa. Bird Old Mission Dam with MTRP Birder Jeanne Raimond and experience the heightened activity of mating and nesting season against the backdrop of picturesque scenery and a symphony of birds in full song. Binoculars and bird book are recommended. See you at 8:00 on Saturday, April 19 at the parking lot of Old Mission Dam, Mission Trails Regional Park, Two Father

Juniper Serra Trail, Santee for a two-hour exploration. Star Party shines on as MTRP Resident Star Gazer George Varga “focuses up” for solar exploration. George tells us dark skies will enhance views of Mars to the east and Jupiter in the west. Ursa Major will be high up, allowing sightings of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and Galaxies M81 and M82. Come see real star power from 7:00-10:00 p.m. Saturday, April 19. Meet at the far end of the Kumeyaay Campground Day Use Parking Lot, Mission Trails Regional Park, Two Father Junipero Serra Trail, Santee. Birding Basics, the 90-minute class conducted by Mission Trails Bird Guide Winona Sollock, teaches 5 simple techniques to identify birds “at a glance!” You’ll also pick up tips on bird field guide use. (Bringing one is optional.) Class meets on Saturday, April 26 (Audubon’s birthday!) from 1:00-2:30 p.m. inside the Visitor Center. Meanwhile, come on out and enjoy the park! Visit www.mtrp.org for more information and our events calendar, or call (619) 668-3281. Special walks can be arranged for any club, group, business or school by contacting Ranger Chris Axtmann at (619) 668-2746 or at caxtmann@mtrp.org.

6 Del Cerro Action Council By Jay Wilson President

he Del Cerro Action Council (DCAC) quarterly meeting will be held on Thursday, April 24, at 7 p.m. at Temple Emanu-El. For this meeting, we are teaming up with the San Carlos Area Council to present a candidates’ forum for the important District Attorney candidates; all candidates have been invited to participate. This race is certainly heating up and this should be a lively and informative forum. If you have a specific question you would like the moderator to ask the candidates, please submit it via email at dcac2014@cox.net. We will keep you updated on the list of participating candidates on the DCAC website: delcerroactioncouncil.org, It is certainly nice to have Windmill Farms open after the fire that happened the first week of March. You don’t realize how convenient it is to have a market close to you until it is suddenly closed for repairs. Early one morning in March I received an email from a resident about water coming out of a manhole on Bounty. I drove by, took a picture, and immediately emailed it to Ryley Webb, our Council Representative for

COUNCIL NEWS Councilmember Scott Sherman. It was not long before city staff was at the site making repairs; it turned out to be a major project. This is a good example of letting technology work for you by informing the council office of a problem. If you see a possible problem, don’t assume someone else has contacted the city. Take advantage of your cell phone by taking a picture and sending it to Ryley with a simple explanation. You may email Ryley at RWebb@ sandiego.gov or call the council office at 619.236.6677. If you like to camp close to home, I have good news for you. The San Diego City Council has approved funding to reopen the Kumeyaay Lake Campground at Mission Trails Regional Park. The 46 primitive sites are located near Kumeyaay Lake, just off Father Junipero Serra Trail at the north end of the park, and the campground is scheduled to open sometime in June. Check the Mission Trails Regional Park website for updates on the opening date and when you can begin making reservations. Crime continues to remain low. SDPD Community Relations Officer, Adam McElroy, urges us keep up our due diligence by keeping doors locked, widows closed when not at home, and keeping valuables out of site in your car. These are simple and obvious, common sense rules, but they are frequently overlooked and that is when homes, and vehicles are violated. Sddelcerro.nextdoor.com is See DEL CERRO page 18

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

College Area Community Council and Planning Board By Rhea Kuhlman President

t our last meeting, I was pleased to be able to announce some good news about prospective use of the Dollar per Ticket Fund which was set up in 1997 and has been accumulating funds ever since. The fund, which was established to mitigate the impact of San Diego State University’s Viejas Arena, receives one dollar from every ticket sold for a major event at the Arena. At present, there is approximately $550,000 in the fund. In 2017, the three-way agreement between San Diego State University, the City of San Diego, and the College Area Community Council will expire, at which time all unused funds will return to SDSU. In the meantime, any use of the funds must be approved by all three parties to the agreement, and it is not always easy to reach consensus. In light of the impending expiration of the agreement, the CACC in January made three recommendations to the City and SDSU for use of the funds. After careful review, San Diego State University has now responded to the CACC regarding these rec-

The Allied Gardens Community Council worked behind the scenes to bolster our online outreach. ommendations. While University staff felt that several of the recommendations would not be in line with the intent of the Dollar per Ticket fund, President Hirshman, in a letter dated March 7, wrote that “It is the recommendation of San Diego State University that Option 2, the transportation improvement project, be pursued with the City of San Diego and that it include the immediate installation of pedestrian countdown timers.” The letter refers to a proposal by the City of San Diego to install a transportation monitoring system which would improve traffic flow around the University during major events, along with eleven pedestrian

countdown timers which will improve pedestrian safety. As anyone who has ever tried to use College Avenue during a Lady Gaga appearance at the Arena will attest, any improvement in traffic flow around the University will be very welcome. The pedestrian countdown timers will improve walkability in the College Area, a goal shared by the University, the City, and the CACC. Pedestrian countdown timers will be installed at the following locations: 54th & Montezuma, 55th & Montezuma, 55th & Hardy, 55th & Aztec Walk, 55th & Peterson Gym/Viejas Arena, 55th & Remington, Campanile & Montezuma, Campanile & Lindo Paseo, College & Montezuma, College & Lindo Paseo, and Montezuma & E. Campus Drive. Projected cost is about $30,000. Because of its complexity, installation of the traffic moniSee COLLEGE AREA page 18

Pal Joey’s APRIL 2014 EVENTS

JOIN US FOR “LIVE JAM” THE 1ST AND 3RD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH – LOCAL ARTISTS – OPEN FORUM – BRING YOUR INSTRUMENT – MARK YOUR CALENDARS! MAY 11TH – CUSTOM CAR AND BIKE SHOW! ay s mond teak s b e s t n to W n! i n i G h t 6P m

Wednesdays Trivia Night 7pm Karaoke at 9pm

u e s d ay s 2 F o r 1 t a C t iV e W it h a n ry o r m il ita e id ColleG

sonGWrit Contest aPril 6inG at 12 hosted by kPr Pm i mon d ay thur / Wedn esda s d ay y Karao / s u n d a / ke at 9 y pm

F r id ay a Live Lo n d s at u r d ay (check paljo cal Music 9pm eysonline. com for de

tails)

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CheCk our Website For daily entertainment sChedule

www.PalJoeysOnline.com 5147 Waring Rd. in Allied Gardens

COUNCIL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

San Carlos Area Council News By Mickey Zeichick President

ur next San Carlos Area Council (SCAC) meeting will be Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at 6 PM in the San Carlos Branch Library, 7265 Jackson Dr. In addition to holding our annual elections, we will have two guest speakers: one from the San Diego Fire Department and one from the San Diego Police Department. Our March 5th meeting was most interesting and very well attended, probably due to a combination of things. First of all, we had many of the elected officials’ representatives and Agencies present to tell us what is happening in their respective “offices” and providing time for Q and A. Those representatives were: ● Officer Adam McElroy, on behalf of the San Diego Police Department ● Jonathan Hardy, on behalf of U.S. Rep. Susan Davis ● Rob Knudsen, on behalf of Assemblymember Brian Maienschein ● Anthony George, on behalf of Mayor Kevin Faulconer ● Ryley Webb, on behalf of City Councilmember Scott Sherman ● Jay Wilson, on behalf of the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation Because we had Mr. Bob Yamada from the San Diego County Water Authority speaking on behalf of the Carlsbad Desalination Project, that brought people to the meeting. Mr. Yamada gave us all a handout so we were able to take some talking notes home with us as we learned about this desalination plant. This plant is the largest seawater desalination facility in the Western Hemisphere. It’s a fifty million gallons per day seawater desalination project. Project structure – Developer/ Owner: Poseidon Resources. Construction/Operation of the plant: SDCWA and Poseidon. Contractor: Kiewitt Shea Desalination.

Upcoming Events: Process Technology Provider: IDE Technologies Plant operations and Maintenance: IDE Technologies SCAC, Mission Trails Regional Park, and Councilman Scott Sherman’s office continue to try and come up with a remedy for what seems like never-ending troubles of the residences near Cowles Mountain. For the life of me, I don’t understand how so many folks who are so into nature and being healthy don’t see how they are harming the very neighborhood where they go to get their “peace and tranquility”. At this point, all I can offer the residents is empathy. I am looking toward June for a town-hall-type meeting to let everyone air their concerns and discuss solutions. There was a nice turnout for the 3rd Annual Garden Party at the San Carlos Community Garden. A special thank you goes to John Pilch, whose green thumb helped make our SCAC garden look much better than I could. He planted some new tomato plants and they look pretty hearty. I didn’t have much luck with the “crops seeds” I planted. Some came up but never grew big enough to transplant. John’s radishes, onions and garlic outperformed my lettuce and spinach. Way To Go John, and thank you. The Navajo Community Planners Inc., elections were held, and I am sad to say that I did not win, but I am very happy to report that Dan Northcutt from SCAC did win, along with Tim Flodin. Mr. Flodin has promised that he will start attending our SCAC meetings. Of course, we welcome him.

Grossmont College Presents: Culinary Arts & Theatre Arts Departments: May 8 – 17 Alice in Wonderland. There is a special dining and theatre package. Contact Alexis at 619 644-7234. Building 22 Room 200 A-1. Music Department Spring 2014 Scholarship Fundraiser: 7 p.m. on April 3. Rhythm and Blues night featuring Grossmont College’s Dean Steve Baker. Recital Hall Building 26, Room 220. The Candidates’ forum for the DA’s office: The three candidates running for San Diego District Attorney (Robert Brewer, Bonnie Dumanis, and Terri Wyatt) have been invited to a Candidates Forum to be held on April 24, 2014. SCAC Elections will be held in May: We are looking for Directors to help guide our Council. If you are interested please contact me. If you would like your name added to the SCAC Interested Party e-mail list please contact John Pilch at jfpilch@hotmail. com with a copy to me. Your privacy will be respected and neither your name nor e-mail address will be shared with anyone or used for any purpose other than SCAC business. Messages are sent “Bcc” to prevent you from being spammed. If you have an issue you wish us to consider; a question about the community; who our next speaker will be; need a meeting reminder; copy of the agenda or ... please contact me or go to our FaceBook page. My contact information is: 619-461-6032 and e-mail is: mrzeichick@gmail.com -- I will get back with you.

MISSION TRAILS REGIONAL PARK

Easter

Experience the story April 13th Palm Sunday 8 & 10 a.m. Services: Liturgy of the Palms, Great Procession & Holy Eucharist. Children welcome at both services. Pony rides and petting zoo 9 – 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. BBQ lunch at 11:15 a.m. Nursery open 7:45 – 11:30 a.m.

April 17th Maundy Thursday Agape Meal and Footwashing at 6 p.m. in Parish House followed by the Eucharist in church (at approximately 7 p.m.) stripping of the Altar and the Vigil at the Altar of Repose. April 18th Good Friday 12 noon – 3 p.m. Service: 7 Last Words of Christ 7 p.m. Service: Good Friday Liturgy April 19th Easter Vigil 8 p.m. Service: The Great litany, Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist are all part of this beautiful candlelight service.

He is Risen!

April 20th Easter Day 8 and 10 a.m. Services: Holy Eucharist and celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection. Children welcome at all services. Nursery open 7:45 – 11:30 a.m. Easter egg hunt at 11:30 a.m.

The church across from Patrick Henry High School 6556 Park Ridge Blvd. San Diego, CA 92120 619-460-6442

www.stdunstans.org

Everyone Welcome. Come & See!

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation

Kumeyaay Lake Campground To re-open In June At Mission Trails By Jay Wilson for the Mission Times Courier

n March 3, the San Diego City Council voted on budget adjustments for the current fiscal year; and fortunately they included funds to reopen the Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) Kumeyaay Lake Campground (KLC). The campground has been closed since September 2011; it is now being readied to reopen for overnight camping on Friday and Saturday nights. Thanks to our Councilmember, Scott Sherman, for securing the funding to reopen the KLC and for the entire City Council for supporting the funding. An additional full-time Ranger and a part-time Center Director to oversee the operation of the KLC will be hired. The KLC includes 48 rustic campsites and a comfort station with showers. It is adjacent to a small lake, and the wilderness is just steps away with over 54 miles of trails waiting to take you on an adventure. And the KLC is just minutes away from the Visitors Center. The target date for opening the campground is the middle of June. Keep checking our website to learn when the reservation system for the KLC will be operational. We would also like to welcome Senior Ranger Andy Quinn to MTRP. As of March 17, he replaced Senior Ranger Matt Sanford, who moved over to Tecolote Canyon to oversee three open-space urban parks. New Program for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts Working with the Boy Scouts of America’s San Diego-Imperial Council and the Girl Scouts of San Diego, Alicia Berg, the Education Program Instructor for the MTRP Foundation, will be offering free monthly programs to help the scouts earn merit badges and belt loops for Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts and badges for Girl Scouts. Initially Ms. Berg will offer one program a month for each scout organization from 1 to 4 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon.

There will be classroom instruction and a guided hike with each program. The topics will specifically target information required for particular scout awards relating to MTRP. Information on this new program will be available later this month through both organizations. Art and Music at the Visitor Center Sunday, April 6, the Harp Society will present a concert at 3 p.m. in the Mission Trails Visitor Center Theater. Three advanced student members of the San Diego Chapter of the American Harp Society will be performing: Heidi Fleishbein, Maho Morikawa, and Christina Sumprer. Heidi has studied harp since age 8 and participates in the Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra and the Point Loma Nazarene University Chamber Orchestra. Maho, age 14, has been studying harp for 7 years and was awarded the Orange County American Harp society Scholarship in the Advanced Division in 2012; she also participated in the 24th Japan International Harp Competition in November 2012. Christina is a senior at Valhalla High School and has been studying the harp for 6 years; she has been the principal harpist with the East County Youth Symphony. In August, 2013, Christina performed in Austria with the Summer Harp Institute’s Summer Tour and Concert Harp Ensemble.

The San Diego Native American Flute Circle will have its monthly session in the Visitor Center Amphitheater on Sunday, April 13, from 1 to 4 p.m. They are always looking for people interested in learning to play. Nora’s Art Classes for Children for ages 5 to 12 will meet Saturday, March 29, and all Saturdays in April at 2 p.m. in a classroom. Nora’s “Spring Art Camp” is from 10 to 1, April 14 to 18. Linda Hawley’s “Nature Adventures!” for children 3 and up, will meet in a classroom on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 29 and 30 from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. The topic will be “Birds: Beaks and Feet Determine What They Eat!” Check our website under “More News” for additional information and registration forms for both programs. Five award-winning photographic artists will have an exhibition in the MTRP Visitor Center Gallery from March 29 through April 25. They will host a public art reception on March 30, from 1 to 4 p.m. The artists are Joan Everds, John Sisti, Beverly Brock, Nancy Everds, and Bill Griswold. Spring is in the air. Look closely at the photo of the pair of doves expressing their affection for one another. It’s more than just being happy to be in at tree in MTRP. Visit our website at mtrp.org for more information on all our programs and events.

LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Navajo Canyon Republican Women to hear speakers on Benghazi and Islam in America at April 8 meeting

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ames Horn and his wife Nam Yong will be the keynote speakers for the April 8 meeting of NCRWF. Jim is an expert on the Middle East, having worked for the CIA. His topic will be Bengazi and Islam in America. Nam is an expert on Asian American issues. Check-in time is 10:30 am for the 11 am meeting; a full-course luncheon is served at noon, followed by the speaker. Cost is $20 and reservations are required. Please RSVP to NCRWF99@gmail.com or call Kit at 619-286-2835. Being able to socialize and enjoy politics with like-minded women creates a special camaraderie for NCRWF members, so the club is holding a Bunco party Thursday, April 10 from 10 am to 1:30 pm at St. Dunstan’s Church at 6556 Park Ridge Blvd. Tickets

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are $20 for food and wine. All Republican women are welcome. RSVP to ncrwf99@gmail.com. The club is also raising money to help purchase an amazing “Track Chair” for a disabled veteran, and a collection will be taken at the May 14 meeting. Volunteering on campaigns is the easiest way to meet other Republican women and there are several opportunities to share your time on worthwhile endeavors. Contact waskahwhelan@aol.com (with NCRWF in the subject line) to get times and places. Our satellite club, Downtown

Republican Women, will welcome Carl DeMaio, Republican candidate for Congress in the 52nd District. The meeting will take place Thursday, April 17, a 5:30 pm at The Athens Market, at First and F streets downtown. Cost is $15. The restaurant’s regular hors d’oeuvres buffet will be served along with a no-host bar. RSVP to dmcrsd@gmail.com. Downtown Republican Women meet every third Thursday of the month and all Republicans are welcome. Our new website is up! Check us out at www.navajocanyonrwf. org.

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alleluiah! At long last a problem that has plagued our Navajo Community has been solved. I am referring to the lighting of the flagpole on the triangle at the Waring and Zion intersection in Allied Gardens. After several years and many attempts to properly illuminate Old Glory at night, a solution has been found. Through the efforts of our 7th District Councilman, Scott Sherman, new lighting is now shining brightly. The flagpole at the intersection was donated by the Kiwanis Club of GrantvilleAllied in 1997 to the City of San Diego when the Waring Road median was installed and the decision to also landscape the triangle was

A N I M A L H O S P I TA L

at night. There were many of us who were concerned that proper respect was not being accorded to the Grand Old Flag. Those problems are behind us and we can all again enjoy the spectacle of the Stars and Stripes waving proudly, day and night over our great community. A grateful community wishes to thank not only Councilman Scott Sherman for his efforts but also our thanks go out to his Policy Advisor, Liz Saidkhanian for her input and assistance. The design work and installation was done by the City Transportation and Storm water Department under the direction of Jose Castillo, Public Works Superintendent; Antonio Crockett, Electrical Supervisor; and John Helminski, Deputy Director. Thanks again Scott, to you and your crew, for a job well done!

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Shining new light on the Allied Gardens flagpole made. The beautiful landscaping, designed by David Reed Landscape Architect, included the “Welcome to Allied Gardens” signs, trees, shrubbery and the flagpole transforming the flat asphalt triangle into the center point of the Allied Gardens community. The original 12-volt system with a light shining up from the base of the flagpole has been replaced by dual lights on a 14-foot standard that is located within the triangle allowing the flag to be illuminated from an approximately thirty degree angle. The new lighting is on a 120-volt circuit that uses energy saving, long lasting, LED bulbs and is controlled by a dusk to dawn photocell. The citizens of our Navajo community that drive by the triangle no longer have to worry and wonder why the flag is not always illuminated

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Butterfly Pavilion at The Water Conservation Garden

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Native butterflies and the plants they love. Feeding station and interpretive displays. Ideas for creating your own butterfly garden.

Butterfly Festival April 5, 2014 9am to 3pm 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West El Cajon, CA • 92019 • 619-660-0614 www.TheGarden.org • 9am to 4pm Daily

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Be our guest on Easter Sunday for the start of this new teaching series!

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LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

A timeless love By Jeremy Ogul Mission Times Courier

eventy-six years after they tied the knot, Phil and Sylvia Borkat – both 101 – are still holding hands like teenage lovebirds. “When we walk, we do that, and people say, ‘Why are you holding hands?’” Sylvia says. “And he tells them, ‘Well, to keep from slugging each other!’ ” The La Mesa couple remain mentally sharp and relatively healthy. They revel in cheeky banter and finishing each other’s sentences. Sitting on the couch in their humble Maple Avenue condo, they recount stories and speculate about how they made it so far. They first met in their fourth grade classroom, where they sat in adjacent rows, but they didn’t go on their first date until the age of 16. The year was 1929. Philip drove a Nash to pick up Sylvia on their way to one of John Philip Sousa’s final concerts. Phil did not want to marry until he could support a family, so they waited until the age of 25, when Phil was offered his first permanent job working for the government in Washington, DC. “He picked up the phone and he said, ‘Sylvia, get everything ready. I’m coming to marry you,’ ” Sylvia says. “And I said, ‘Holy smackeronavich!’ ” The couple relocated to Cleveland when Phil landed a job

Born when William Howard Taft was president, the Borkats have seen an enormous amount of change in their lifetimes, from radio to television to streaming videos on Netflix. as chief engineer for the Viking Air Conditioning Corp., which manufactured parts for the military during the war effort. They had three children and stayed in Cleveland until 20 years ago, when they moved to La Mesa to be closer to one of their sons. Phil has now been retired for almost as many years as he worked, but they remain active and until recently attended Shabbat services every Saturday at Tifereth Israel Synagogue in the San Carlos neighborhood of San Diego. “We admire not only their intelligence and their ability to do so much at this age, but also they demonstrate for all of us how a loving and caring couple should act,” said Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal. So what are the secrets to reach-

ing the age of 101? “My analysis for our extended life is based on three things: good genes, good hygiene and good nutrition,” Phil says. “One more thing: attitude,” Sylvia says. “You need to have an upbeat attitude.” Genes certainly tell part of the story. Sylvia’s mother lived past her 98th birthday. Her father died at 81. Phil has far outlived his own folks, however; they passed away at 85 and 86. Phil was a heavy smoker until 20 years ago. It never gave him any problems, he says, but he gave it up “just like that.” Sylvia says she’s a “nut” about nutrition, balancing each meal with a protein, a carbohydrate and vegetables or fruit. She gets help from Jewish Family Service’s Food Mobile, whose volunteers

drop by three times a week to deliver meals. “At our age, I have one thing to complain about,” Sylvia says. “I am so slow. I have slowed down in every way. That’s natural.” “You ain’t no youngster anymore,” Phil interjects. Born when William Howard Taft was president, the Borkats have seen an enormous amount of change in their lifetimes, from radio to television to streaming videos on Netflix. They’ve been around longer than frozen food and sliced bread. In fact, they were born just 10 years after the first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. and a little more than a year before the first commercial airline in the world was launched in Florida. Asked about how people have changed, Sylvia notes two things. First, divorce no longer carries

the stigma it once did. “People never would talk about divorce,” Sylvia says. “People used to think it was a disgrace to talk about it.” Similarly, the social pressure to keep disease hidden has faded. “Nowadays diseases are talked about,” Sylvia says. “They’re faced head on. Talking things out and learning from others is a good thing. We are mortal.” Thinking about their own mortality, neither Phil nor Sylvia feel much fear or hesitation. They simply hope it won’t be painful for themselves or their family. “I’m ready whenever it comes,” Phil says. “I have nothing to regret. I’ve had a good full life. I can’t complain. I had my partner with me the whole time. That’s good.”

DINING & DRINK

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Satisfying Lunches at Terra American Bistro Terra American Bistro 7091 El Cajon Blvd. San Diego, CA 92115 619.293.7088 TerraSD.com

ince moving his restaurant Terra from Hillcrest to the College Area in 2011, Jeff Rossman’s commitment to the local community – regardless of where the restaurant is – has remained the same. He continues to give back to the community and provide approachable meals in a relaxed, casual setting. And Terra is an appropriate name. All the food in his restaurant organic and sustainable and whenever possible uses locally sourced foods like bread from Sadie Rose and cider from Julian. But an important part of his success is the food. There’s nothing surprising on the menu for brunch, lunch or dinner at Terra. You’ll find traditional breakfasts served from 9 AM – 2 PM with three glasses of complimentary champagne/ mimosas and full dinner entrees that are equally satisfying like the lager braised pot roast. For the midday set, it’s the lunch that will have you convinced that the food at Terra goes beyond ecoconsciousness to sandwiches that are pretty damn delicious. Their version of the ubiquitous burger is transformed with gorgonzola cheese, truffle aioli and caramelized onions. The burger is cooked to your preference and served sizzling hot on a piece

of stone slate. One juicy bite in and you’ll wonder why all burgers aren’t this rich (hint: their burgers are helped by butter). Upgrade their standard bistro fries to truffle fries ($15.50 for the combo) and it’s a meal you’ll be returning to soon. Equally delicious is the lobster BLT ($16). Toasted bread is layered with chunks of Maine lobster, bacon, lettuce and tomato. The interplay of rich tender lobster with crisp smoked bacon alone make this sandwich an instant hit but it’s the tarragon

mayo that adds the final touch tying everything together. Other lunch meals that also deserve serious consideration are the crab sliders using Maryland-style blue crab cakes with citrus slaw and any one of their customized bowls ($13-$18; choose from chicken, fish, skirt steak, tofu or lobster) with either a Latin, Asian, Californian seasoning. Regardless of what your order or even which time of day, a visit to Terra won’t leave you hungry. You’ll be planning your return visit instead. Darlene Horn is a San Diegobased food blogger and has penning her opinions on food at MyBurningKitchen.com and Zagat San Diego. She’s also the author of the semi-autobiographical, food-centric comic, The Girl with the Donut Tattoo, drawn by her husband and artist, Paul Horn.

PETS

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MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Mission Valley pet sitter honored by national organization Sari Reis has a new feather in her hat: Pet Sitter of the Year

he industry association Pet Sitters International bestowed the industry’s highest honor on Reis after reviewing more than 440 nominations from throughout the U.S. Reis owns Mission Valley Pet Sitting and for years has penned a column on pet ownership that appears each month in the Mission Times Courier, Mission Valley News and La Mesa Courier. As Pet Sitter of the Year, Reis will publicly represent the 7,000 independent member businesses of Pet Sitters International. Reis started her business in 2008 and obtained a Certified Professional Pet Sitter designation in 2009. She is trained in pet first aid and has also earned a designation as a Certified Humane Education Specialist. She volunteers with the San Diego Humane Society, Pets for the Homeless and PAWS San Diego. Reis’s commitment to her clients gave her the edge in the competition, according to the announcement from Pet Sitters International. “Her clients’ nominations provided numerous examples of Reis going above and beyond the call of duty — from offering additional

dog walks when a client had a pneumonia to staying with a client’s dog that had congestive heart failure and arranging euthanization while his owner was out of the country,” the announcement said. Patti Moran, president of Pet Sitters International, said the nominations from Reis’s clients stood out among the hundreds of other nominations the selection committee reviewed.

“Sari’s nominations, in particular, were testaments to the positive impact professional pet sitters have on their communities, the pets they care for and the pet parents who rely on them,” Moran said in a written statement. Reis said she does her job well because she loves it so much. “I turned 64 years old this past October and have had several jobs and a few careers over the years,” Reis said. “I can honestly say I’ve never enjoyed anything I have done even remotely as much as I am enjoying being a professional pet sitter.” Reis will be officially coronated in September at the 2014 Pet Sitter World Educational Conference and Expo in Indianapolis, Ind.

Prevention is Better than Cure By Sari Reis Owner of Mission Valley Pet Sitting www.missionvalleypetsitting.com

f you’re like most pet parents, you would rush your furry kid to the veterinarian’s office if he showed signs of pain, bleeding, lameness, or any life-threatening condition. But how many of you take your pet to the veterinarian just to make sure he is healthy? Until recently, pet vaccinations were recommended annually, so pet owners took their dogs and cats to the vet for their once a year booster shot. They customarily got an exam at the same time. When new research indicated that most vaccinations were effective for at least three years, the immunization protocol was changed. As a result, many pets are not seeing the vet annually and are therefore not getting their yearly head to tail wellness checks. The most common

reason given for not taking the dog or cat to the vet annually is the belief that regular wellness check-ups are not necessary. Absolutely not true. The purpose of the wellness exam is prevention. Since our pets can’t tell us how they are feeling, illness and disease may be present long before any symptoms appear. Cats, in particular, are very good at hiding any health issues they may be experiencing. Without getting a thorough exam, illness could be lurking within your pet that goes undetected. A thorough exam always includes checking the vital signs. It also includes checking the ears, eyes, oral cavity, skin, and feeling the abdomen. Often a blood panel is recommended as well as a urinalysis and possibly x-rays. A history will be taken as well as questions about diet, exercise, behavior, environment etc. The

purpose of all this is to assess your pet’s wellness and determine if any corrections or treatments are necessary to head off potential problems. I know this sounds expensive and cost is often a factor in avoiding the annual check-up; but consider this. The cost of treating an illness or disease can be much higher. Not to mention the fact that you can have peace of mind knowing your” furry kid” has a clean bill of health. Another reason for putting off the veterinary exam is the stress that it causes to the pet. I know that getting a cat in a carrier for a vet visit can be a trial on one’s patience, not to mention potentially dangerous; however, avoiding the visit is not the answer. It can cause a great deal more stress to the kitty and to you if your cat develops a serious illness that has gone undiagnosed and untreated. AND, there are veterinarians that will make house calls. David Haworth, DVM, PhD, and president and CEO of Morris Animal Foundation, stated in a recent article for San Diego Pets magazine, “Routine wellness visits are critical for detecting a disease early, when it has the best chance of successful treatment”. Remember, prevention is always better than cure.

PETS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Grantville, from page 1 components: (1) a focused amendment to the Navajo Community Plan, (2) the processing of rezones, and (3) an update to the Navajo Facilities Finance Plan. The Focused Plan Amendment and rezones would introduce residential and mixed-use development to the Grantville neighborhood, currently comprised of predominately industrial and commercial uses. The proposal was developed through a series of design charrettes and several years of monthly stakeholder meetings dating back as far as 2005. Through an extensive public meeting process the Grantville Stakeholders Committee has recommended Alternative D as the CEQA project to be analyzed in the Program level Environmental Impact Report. Alternative D would result in a net increase of approximately 8,275 residential dwelling units over what would be allowed by the existing community plan. The Grantville Focused Amendment to the Navajo Community Plan will set out the long-range vision and comprehensive policy framework for how Subarea A could develop over the next 20 to 30 years. The Amendment will provide policy direction for future development and has been guided by the City of Villages growth strategy and citywide policy direction contained within the City of San Diego’s General Plan (2008). What’s next? In late March, the City will initiate a Draft Environmental Impact Report. When that draft is complete the community will have a chance to review the document and formally respond back to the City. It’s important that you take part in these future community meetings. Your participation along the way will directly impact a positive community character and

quality of life in our community. Most importantly, sign up to receive important up-to-date announcements by going to AlliedGardens.org and providing your contact information.

City of San Diego Vision Statement for Grantville:

“Our vision for Grantville in the year 2030 is for the improvement and reestablishment of an older neighborhood in central San Diego. We envision an attractive, balanced community with a desirable quality of life that capitalizes on its proximity to a network of freeways, trolley lines, natural environment, waterways, and open spaces. In the year 2030, Grantville is a community that respects the vitality and livelihood of locally owned and operated businesses while promoting the expansion of new business opportunities; Contains an appropriate mix of auto, pedestrian, bicycle, and public transportation opportunities for optimum mobility; Offers a variety of housing opportunities while considering neighborhood scale and integrity; Connects residents and visitors to the San Diego River while providing safe and adequate buffers from developed areas; and Contains sufficient public facility amenities such as neighborhood and community parks, libraries, schools, and emergency services. I’m Anthony Wagner, president of Allied Gardens Community Council. We represent the community interests of Allied Gardens and Grantville. Check out our new website atAlliedGardens. org. Feel free to call me at (619) 253-4989 or write me a note at AnthonyJohnWagner@gmail. com or tweet @AnthonyWagnerSD.

LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

A late farewell to a classy lady: Ruth Madsen Madaffer By Doug Curlee Editor

ll too often in journalism, you have to write stories about people you wouldn’t like if you knew them. Ruth Madsen Madaffer was not one of those people. I wish I had known her, because everyone who did know her tells me she was, in the vernacular, a class act. A wife, mother, grandmother and great friend. Some of you long term readers of this paper did know her,

although you may not have known it. She wrote for the Mission Times Courier under the pen name R. Maude Madsen,

and a crackerjack writer she was indeed. Jay Wilson at Mission Trails Regional Park recalls a lot of late

night phone calls from Ruth, who always wanted to be sure she had her facts straight before publishing. She’d tell him, “Jay, I’m running late on deadline for this story, and I know I can count on you for last minute details.” “Ruth was always a warm, caring, loving person, and her family was her first priority,” says Wilson. Former Councilwoman Judy McCarty counted Ruth among her good friends. “Ruth was a person people wanted to know and be around. Always ready with a funny quip and eager to add to the fun, she was ready to go on a moment’s notice. Ruth was a sports fan, especially when her beloved USC Trojans were involved. She and her husband hardly ever missed a Padres or Chargers game.” McCarty echos Wilson’s regard for Ruth the journalist, but points out there was another side to Ruth that McCarty appreciated. “As a mother, she allowed her children to seek out their interests beyond the point most mothers could tolerate. She thought it was fun. Her family loved her dearly and her friends knew they were lucky to know her.” C u r r e n t Councilmember Lori Zapf recalled Ruth the mother when reading the proclamation the day the City Council adjourned in Ruth’s memory.

“Most of all, Ruth loved her family and was cheerleader in chief for her three kids and two grandkids. She will be missed by all those who loved her. Godspeed, sweet Ruth.” Ruth Madsen Madaffer, by all accounts, was one of those people who enriched your life by just knowing her. She lived 88 years on this planet, and I never got to meet her. I really wish I had.

LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Water, from page 1

Scientists and weather forecasters say we are expecting some sort of El Nino effect this summer and fall. Authority charged with keeping an eye on the water picture. “Any storm right now is a blessing, but we need several more of those to get us anywhere near the average water supply for the year” she says. “The Northern California snowpack is still only 21 per cent of average, and their reservoirs are still way, way down.” The strain that puts on the supply from the State Water Project is evident, and fully 30 per cent of our region’s water still comes from that source. San Diego is still in pretty good shape for this year. The huge Daimond Valley Reservoir near Hemet is well over half full, as are other Southern California facilities. That’s one saving grace for our area. The other is the fact that the Colorado River, where we get much of our supply, is running at about 100 percent of average this year. “That’s certainly a factor,” says Friehauf. “That’s why we

made that deal with the Imperial Irrigation District to buy water from them.” (The county Water authority recently won most of a nasty lawsuit against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California over how Met charges us for transporting water to us, but any reward that accrues from that will not come until all appeals are exhausted- a process that could take years.) San Diego has so far managed to stave off calls for mandatory water rationing that have echoed all over Northern California, because we’ve gotten the message about voluntary conservation loud and clear. This year should be safe for us. Next year could be a big problem. Scientists and weather forecasters, most notably the U.S. Climate Prediction Center, say we are expecting some sort of El Nino effect this summer and fall. If you remember 1993, El Nino storms brought us 18 inches of rainfall. 1997-98’s El Nino left us another 17 inches. Dana Friehauf says the changes of that happening are about 50-50. “We shouldn’t depend on it.” The chances of more storms this spring are diminishing daily. Longtime residents will no doubt recall when April, May and June were regarded as winter here. We all looked for the “June Glooms”. It hasn’t been that way for a while.

Deanna Meier

Director of Sales & Marketing

LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

La Mesa Rotary Club gets sweet on charities Helping military families

deal with trauma

By Genevieve Suzuki for the Mission Times Courier

By B.J. Coleman for the Mission Times Courier

a Mesa Rotary Club is one of the most active organizations around town, and in this club’s case, the saying, “work hard, play hard,” really applies. Every Wednesday the club meets at noon at the La Mesa Community Center for its regular lunchtime gathering. Members enjoy a great meal provided by Continental Catering and a chance to catch up with each other’s lives. Additionally, there’s never a meeting without song and laughter among friends, which makes it even easier to forget the club actually works to do a lot of good around the community. Club members have cleaned the parks on Park Appreciation Day, cooked hot dogs for the local Little League, and distributed funds around the city to charities, schools and other worthy organizations. La Mesa Rotary’s 3rd annual fundraising event, Sweet Retreat, is fast approaching April 26 at Mission Trails Interpretative Center. The retreat offers an opportunity to local beneficiary organizations to raise funds without having to dole out money to stage an event. The La Mesa Rotary is hosting the event for several beneficiaries, which are able to sell tickets and auction items to directly benefit their

own groups. The organizations are also invited to recruit sponsorships, with levels from $500 to $5,000, that also raise funds for their causes. “The struggle you have, if you’re a small-to-medium-sized organization, is it’s hard to have an event because it might cost $7,000 to $15,000,” said Sweet Retreat chair James Thompson, a San Diego dentist. “Then you have to raise that just to break even, and that can be a daunting task for these organizations.” Thompson said La Mesa Rotary spends approximately $10,000 to put on the event and hopes only to recoup whatever funds spent to host the Sweet night. The focus for the night is to raise money for the beneficiaries, he added. Money from sponsors at the $500 or $1,000 levels is split evenly between La Mesa Rotary and the recruiting organization. Anything more than $1,000 only earns $500 for La Mesa Rotary, with the recruiting organization getting the bulk of the contribu-

tion. In other words, if a company sponsors the retreat for $2,000, La Mesa Rotary only takes $500 from that commitment and $1,500 goes to the organization that found the sponsor. This year there are five organizations: La Mesa Parks & Recreation, East County YMCA, Volunteers in Medicine, InterFACE, and La Mesa Sunrise Rotary Club. The Sweet Retreat promises to be a delicious event for attendees. Desserts will be provided by Grove Bakery, healthy chocolate from Xoçai, wine from San Pasqual Winery and beer from Stone Brewery. Big ticket auction items include a black opal and diamond ring, courtesy of Michael Collins Fine Jewelers, a signed basketball from the current San Diego State University Aztec team, Disneyland tickets and fine art. Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased online at lamesarotaryevents.org.

invisible, and the forward path of recovery is unknown. The Southern Caregiver Resource Center (SCRC) dates its inception to 1987, as a nonprofit group providing support for those caring for sufferers of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, brain trauma, and spinal cord injuries. The organization is San Diego County’s leading

dvances in combat medicine mean that more veterans than ever before are returning home, after almost making the ultimate sacrifice protecting our country. Who cares for those who provide care for these grievously wounded veterans? The Southern Caregiver Resource Center, for one. San Diego is home to around 30,000 veterans of the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan. And 65 percent of caregivers for recovering veterans experience high stress levels, significantly more than among other categories of caregivers. This is understandable, as the military-caregiver Attendees at the March 7 Operation Family family confronts Caregiver Conference in Mission Valley a jarring rupture. learn about caring for those with traumatic The beloved vet- brain injuries and PTSD. eran comes home Photo by B.J. Coleman seeming to be a different person. The military person highly trained provider of services to family in protecting others comes home caregivers. Now, a three-year grant to needing care and protection. Ability has given way to inca- the Center from the Rosalynn pacity. Brain injuries can be Carter Institute for Caregiving, of the former first lady, has the organization focused on families dealing with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) in veterans of the post 9/11 military conflicts. (The Parker Foundation has also contributed funding for this effort.) The SCRC packaged the program as “Operation Family Caregiver” (OFC) and recently conducted a half-day seminar at the United Methodist Church in Mission Valley in support of these efforts. A majority of audience members at the March 7th event were military family caregivers. Michael Lobatz, a physician who treats patients in the aftermath of traumatic brain injuries, described the rampup in knowledge and awareness from the large number of recent Marine Corps returnees who had acquired brain injuries in combat. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), which used to be classified as “concussion,” is recognized as a blow to the head followed by symptoms including a changed ability to function. Dr. Lobatz described the injuries as “cuts and bruises” in the brain. He further noted that a post-trauma biochemical cascade in the brain causes more damage for about a week. Especially susceptible to damage are the frontal lobes (providing “executive functions” of self-awareness) and the temporal lobes (running emotions, memory, perception, and language). And what caregivers may misinterpret as character See MILITARY page 20

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Jazz

Classical

Wednesdays - Gilbert Castellanos Jazz Jam at Seven Grand. Free. 9 p.m. SevenGrandBars.com.

March 28 -29 – Peter Nero plays Gershwin at Copley Symphony Hall. $20 - $85. 8 p.m. www. SanDiegoSymphony.org

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

STAGE SET FOR ROLANDO STREET FAIR By Jen Van Tieghem Mission Times Courier Music Writer

Saturdays - Jazz with George and Alan at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. www.SanDiegoDesserts.net. Saturdays – Douglas Kvandal with the LiveJazz! Quartet at the Amigo Spot at the Kings Inn. Free. 7 p.m. www.kingsinnsandiego.com. April 12 – Samdiego Jazz Trio at San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room. Free. 7 p.m. www.SanPasqualWinery. com

he quiet local community of Rolando will get some fun and excitement Sunday March 30 with the 18th Annual Rolando Street Fair. Music acts, crafts, local cuisine and more will draw neighbors all day for this free event taking place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The family-friendly street fair sets on Rolando Boulevard between El Cajon Boulevard and Solita Avenue. Each year the event attracts over 15,000 visitors with their eclectic offerings including over 100 vendor booths One of the most rousing parts of this year’s event is the music lineup, which represents a diverse cross-section of local music. For fans of folk-influenced music Katie Leigh and The Infantry has a tinge of folk roots in their upbeat countryrock tunes. The band is led by sister-vocalists whose pleasant harmonies are backed by toetapping melodies. On the other end of the musical spectrum are headliners Socal Reggae Xplosion with an apt name to describe their electrifying sound. The group will be joined by J.A.M. KWesT and a surprise special guest. “This has become such a great fair to hear great local or SoCal music,” live entertainment booker Stephanie Bonner told us. “There is something for every music lover no matter what kind of must you love…. This ‘little’ street fair keeps getting better and better every year.” Also on the bill is beloved local guitarist Jeff Ousley and his band The Ballad Mongers. The group has a laid back vibe with blues-laced indie rock tunes. For fans of jazz-fusion

April 19 – Stage IV Jazz at San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room. Free. 7 p.m. www. SanPasqualWinery.com

Pop Tuesdays - Suzanne Shea and Bob Wade at Bistro Sixty. Free 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.www.BistroSixtySD. com Call and hold your table 619-287-8186 Wednesdays – Westside Inflection at Riviera Supper Club. Free. 8 p.m. www. RivieraSupperClub.com

the Afrojazziacs will bring their fun beats filled with inspiration from musical styles as diverse as funk, reggae, punk, and more. Plus they’ll be joined by special guest and wailing guitarist Steph Johnson. Finishing up this year’s music lineup is Len Rainey and the Midnight Players. This seasoned group has over twenty years of playing and touring experience under their belt. And their grooving soulful blues-rock tunes will be the perfect way to finish up your eventful day at the fair. Of course, the music is just one aspect of what the Rolando Street Fair has to offer. The vendors’ booths will include food and beverages, crafts, services, and more. Just a few of the fun products we’re excited to check out include children’s accessories by Petal Prints Boutique,

Thursdays – Greg Shibley at The Westgate Hotel. Free. 6:30pm – 9:30 p.m.. www. westgatehotel.com Fridays – Nathan Welden at Bistro Sixty. Free. 6:30 p.m. www.BistroSixtySD.com March 29 & April 26 People of Earth at San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room. Free. 7 p.m. www. SanPasqualWinery.com ecofriendly recycled crafts by Trashy Crafter, and award-winning spicy and cooking sauces by Scotty B Hot Sauces. Plus for fair-goers with kids there are lots of things to do with your little ones- including carnival rides and games, magic and puppet shows, face-painting and several kid-friendly booths. Overall the Rolando Street Fair is a great way to spend a Sunday with friends or family. You can hear great music, support local artists, and indulge in delicious food from community vendors.

April 10 – Tyrone Wells at The Griffin. $20. 9 p.m. www.TheGriffinSD.com

April 6 & 8 – Americana Music by Copland, Riegger, Piston, and Persichetti, narrated by Dave Scott at Cohen Social Hall at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. $20 ($15 for students). Sunday at 3 p.m. Thursday at 7:30 p.m. www. tiferethisrael.com/tico April 12 – Megadeath’s Dave Mustain with the San Diego Symphony: Symphony Interrupted at Copley Symphony Hall. $25 - $96. 8 p.m. www. SanDiegoSymphony.org April 25 – 26 – Beethoven’s Fifth at Copley Symphony Hall. $25-$101. 8 p.m. www. SanDiegoSymphony.org

Alternative March 29 – The Farmers at Pal Joey’s. Free. 9 p.m. www. paljoeysonline.com March 29 – The Midnight Pine at Riviera Supper Club. Free. 9 p.m. www.rivierasupperclub.com April 5 – The New Kinetics, Gloomsday, The Frights, and The Nformals at Casbah. $10. 9 p.m. www.CasbahMusic. com

Other April 5 – The Waits at San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room. Free. 7 p.m. www. SanPasqualWinery.com April 19 – The Kings of Silent Comedy at Copley Symphony Hall- Silent films accompanied by pipe organize Russ Peck. $20-$30. 8 p.m. www. SanDiegoSymphony.org April 19 – The Kings of Silent Comedy at Copley Symphony Hall- Silent films accompanied by pipe organize Russ Peck. $20-$30. 8 p.m. www. SanDiegoSymphony.org Bands, venues, and musiclovers: Please submit listings for this calendar by emailing Jen@ScoopSanDiego.com.

COUNCIL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

College Area, from page 6 toring system may take a bit longer. There are many details to work out, but when completed, the project would allow City traffic engineers and/or SDSU police or Special Events coordinators to remotely monitor road conditions, queues, and traffic congestion in real time, and respond accordingly. The project would consist of six pan/tilt/zoom video camera installations, nine traffic signal controller replacements, and a video server and network equipment, all connected by fiber optic cable to a county-wide project called “3-C’s” which is establishing high capacity data networks between critical facilities around the county. During high traffic events, City and/or SDSU personnel would be able to remotely view and adjust traffic signal timing on Montezuma Road from Collwood to E. Campus

The College Area Community Planning Board voted to request a change in municipal code so that multi-unit student apartment projects provide adequate parking for their inhabitants. Road; on College Avenue from south of Montezuma to north of I-5; and on 55th Street from west of Rockford to Montezuma Road. The ability to remotely improve traffic flow during peak times, detect signal malfunctions and collect vehicle volume information will be tremendously helpful

in restoring free flowing traffic around SDSU. The project is expected to cost around $320,000. Also at our March meeting, the College Area Community Planning Board voted to request a change in municipal code so that multi-unit student apartment projects provide adequate

parking for their inhabitants. Provision of adequate parking within these developments will reduce instances of over-flow parking spilling into surrounding single family neighborhoods in the College Area. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 9 at 7:00 p.m.

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an excellent way to keep in touch and find out what is happening in your neighborhood and the surrounding community. Take the time to sign up. I have received several emails regarding the “undergrounding” of utilities in Del Cerro and when particular neighborhoods are scheduled to have their utilities placed under the ground. The good news is that the utility poles are about to come down in the area in and around Del Cerro Blvd., east of College Avenue. If you would like to see when your neighborhood is scheduled to be undergrounded, go to sandiego. gov and type in “undergrounding of utilities” in the search box. Then click on “Undergrounding Master Plan Application”; there is a mapping utility on the page and you can enter your street address to view the current schedule. After some major renovation,

in the Community Room of the College-Rolando Library, 6600 Montezuma Road. To learn more about the CACC or CACPB, check out our website, www.collegearea.org .

the two grass areas at Princess Del Cerro Park are growing well and the fences will be down soon. This is the second of six park renovations, the first being at the Lake Murray Community Park in the Navajo Area. The entire renovation project will be completed in August. The last fence will be removed from the grass field at the San Carlos Recreation Center, between the rec center and the school. Help keep our community a great place to live. Don’t hesitate to become involved, whether it is helping clean up the Pasatiempo Urban Open Space Park, starting a Neighborhood Watch, joining a community service organization like Kiwanis, or volunteering at one of our schools. And remember to join us at our quarterly DCAC meeting and District Attorney Candidate forum on April 24th at Temple Emanu-El.

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LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Atkins, from page 1 The top issues for the Assembly under Atkins’s leadership will be water, affordable housing for veterans and low-income Californians, high-speed rail, restoring funding for education and establishing fiscally responsible practices including rainy day fund reserves.

Water security

No issue looms larger on Atkins’s agenda than water infrastructure and water security. State lawmakers got close to putting a $11 billion water bond on the ballot a few years ago but decided it had little chance of passing in the midst of the Great Recession. Now that the economy has recovered, Atkins and her colleagues want to take another shot at crafting a water bond palatable enough to voters to be put on the ballot. “Californians still don’t have the appetite for $11 billion,” Atkins said, so the goal this time around will be to put together a less expensive bond that still meets the various and disparate needs of communities all over the state. “Water is not a Democrat or Republican issue,” she said. “It’s a geographic issue.” The proverbial sausage-making process will be especially long and complicated, but Atkins believes the goal can be achieved. Meanwhile, she is proud of San Diego’s efforts over the last 15 years to diversify its water supply and reduce consumption. She noted that we have reduced our per capita water consumption by 27 percent since 2007 even as the population has increased.

we had left to build affordable housing,” she said. Now, with the pipe about to run dry from two other initiatives — Proposition 46 of 2002 and Proposition 1C of 2006 — it is more important than ever to find a new way to help cities build affordable housing, she said. Assembly leaders are keeping an eye on a bill just introduced in the Senate that would authorize a new system of redevelopment agencies, and there is also discussion in Sacramento of using cap and trade revenue to fund affordable housing, she said. Atkins said there is a need for more than simply streamlining the development process, like Mayor Kevin Faulconer has proposed in San Diego. “Land is still incredibly expensive here,” Atkins said. “People like to say if you get rid of all the regulation in California, housing would be much more affordable, except we live in California, and you know, people want to live along the coast in California, so land is very expensive.”

High-speed rail

Among the other major budget debates Atkins anticipates is what to do about high-speed rail, the cost of which has grown like a balloon since voters approved the first bond sale in 2010. The governor wants to dedicate $250 million of cap and trade revenue to the development of the bullet train, but cap and trade is supposed to help California reduce

greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and the rail line will not be complete by 2020. “It’s a visionary project that the governor had long ago, and it’s a good vision, and I believe many in California really support the vision, but they also want to know they can afford it,” Atkins said.

Fiscal responsibility

Atkins expects the Assembly to help pass a budget on time again this year like it has for the past three years. She attributed that success to the shift to a budget process that requires only a 50 percent majority instead of the former two-thirds majority. “That’s really a partnership between the citizens who voted to allow us to have a majority vote and a partnership between the legislature who understood you’ve given us this wonderful

tool; we need to use it wisely. We need to get the job done,” she said. Sacramento is united in its commitment to establish strong reserves for the next time revenues take a nosedive, Atkins said.

Term limits

Provided she is re-elected this year, Atkins will be limited to only two more years in the state Assembly due to the old term limits law, which limits legislators to three two-year terms in the Assembly and/or two fouryear terms in the Senate. Under the new term limits law approved by voters in 2010, any legislator who was first elected in 2012 or beyond, however, may serve a maximum of 12 years in any of the two legislative chambers. Atkins thinks this is a good thing for two reasons.

First, it gives legislators more time to acclimate to the intricacies of state government, which is especially useful for legislators whose previous experience was limited to county or city budgets of only a few million dollars. Second, it gives legislators more time to craft good legislation that serves the long-term needs of the state rather than the short-term political needs of the legislator. “I think the longevity is really gonna help people be more thoughtful, and we’ve noticed it already,” Atkins said, noting that lawmakers actually introduced fewer bills last year than usual. On being the first Assembly Speaker from San Diego While she is excited to take on her new leadership role, Atkins is quick to point out that other great San Diegans have come before her. San Diego native Jim Mills, for example, served as president pro tempore of the state Senate from 1971 to 1980. Lynn Schenk was chief of staff to Gov. Gray Davis from 1998 to 2003. Several other San Diegans served as chair of important committees and sponsored influential legislation, including Denise Moreno Ducheny, Lucy Killea, Christine Kehoe, Dede Alpert and Steve Peace. “We have some very powerful San Diegans who’ve been quite effective,” Atkins said.

Housing for veterans Voters in June will be asked to consider Proposition 41, which would allow the state to sell $600 million in bonds for affordable multifamily rental housing for veterans. Voters in 2008 approved $900 million in bond sales to support the CalVet Home Ownership program, but the state has spent almost none of that, because demand for home loans among veterans has been so low. Many veterans are not ready to buy a house, either because they are suffering from ongoing war-related health problems or because they simply don’t have the money for a down payment. “What they need is rental housing,” Atkins said. “They’re not ready to buy a home, but we have this pot of money that voters have supported.” Prop. 41 would allow the state to take a chunk of the money designated for home ownership and use it instead to build affordable apartments for veterans. “I would say it’s a no-brainer, except there is no such thing as a no-brainer,” she said.

Affordable housing

With the “accidental death” of the state’s system of redevelopment agencies in 2011, San Diego lost one of its most important tools in the struggle to combat the high cost of living for low-income residents, Atkins said. “It was about the only money

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LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Big buildings coming to a street near you W

ork crews have been busy building some of the biggest projects in recent memory in San Diego’s eastern neighborhoods. Below, we highlight three, including the new Aztec Student Union, the BLVD63 apartments and the Mission Gorge apartments.

Aztec Student Union at SDSU

Students finally have a luxurious new home away from home at San Diego State University. The four-story Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union opened to great fanfare this semester with more than twice the space of the old building it replaced. The 206,000 square-foot building includes retail spaces for Starbucks, Chipotle, The Habit Burger Grill, Aztec Market, Oggi’s Pizza and Brewing Co. and California Coast Credit Union. The upper floors host offices and meeting rooms for student organizations and student government. The building has ample space for culture and entertainment with a 300-seat theater, a meeting hall with space for 1,000 people, a 6,000-square-foot gym, a bowling alley with 12 lanes, five billiards tables and two professional table tennis tables. The $104 million project was built with a fee students voted to assess themselves. “The union is a testament to all SDSU students and staff who have worked so diligently to give the campus a modern facility that

at San Diego State this semester. The newly renovated Storm and Nasatir Hall building complex was renovated to incorporate remodeled program spaces for eight academic departments from the College of Arts and Letters, including two lecture halls, laboratories, a convenience store and faculty offices.

BLVD63

Construction crews are working quickly to finish a large mixeduse housing project on El Cajon Boulevard The new Aztec Student Union was designed to reflect the architectural in time for the start heritage of the campus. Photo by Pablo Mason Photography of the fall semester at San Diego State University. can cater to the needs of every who arrived as a freshman just Dubbed BLVD63 for its locaAztec,” said Associated Students as the old student union was tion near the intersection of El President and CEO Josh Morse, shuttered. in a press release. “I honestly thought it would Cajon Boulevard and 63rd Street, For Gaby Alvarez, an SDSU never open,” Cuadras said. “I’m the project has drawn the ire of senior who commutes to campus, really excited though because the homeowners in nearby Rolando the new building provides a wel- old student union used to be such Village, who claim the project did not go through the proper review come respite in between classes. an important part of campus.” It’s also where three of the student The facility was far bigger and processes and will cause severe organizations she is involved in more beautiful than she expected traffic and noise problems for the neighborhood. will meet — the Ballroom and it to be, Cuadras said. Developer Carmel Partners Latin Dance Club, the Hispanic The building was constructed Student Business Association to meet the Leadership in has already begun leasing the and the Association of Chicana Energy and Environmental 332 units, which together have a Activists. Design Platinum sustainability total of 915 bedrooms. The units will be ready for move-in by Aug. The wait was far too long for certification. SDSU senior Deanna Cuadras, Two other buildings also opened 16, a BLVD63 leasing agent con-

firmed. Fall semester classes at SDSU begin on Aug. 25. A resident group called Rolandans for Quality Infill Development has sued the city of San Diego and Carmel Partners’s development company, CP III Centrepoint LLC. The case is currently in the discovery phase.

Mission Gorge apartments

Workers have begun grading and laying foundations at the site of a 444-unit luxury apartment project at Mission Gorge Road and Greenbrier Avenue in Allied Gardens. The project, formerly known as Archstone, is now simply called Mission Gorge. The project site is hidden by a by a long green fence and a large dirt berm along Mission Gorge Road, but aerial video posted by Cobalt Construction showed work crews on Feb. 6 pouring 640 yards of concrete for the parking garage, which eventually will be completely surrounded by the apartment buildings. Approximately half the units will be one-bedroom, one-bath apartments. The other half will be units with two or three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The units will range in size from 713 to 1,363 square feet. Construction should be complete by early 2016, according to the most recent information available from the developer, Behringer Harvard Multifamily REIT I, Inc.

Expert panelists at the March 7th Operation Family Caregiver Conference in Mission Valley: Karin Kupka, left, Coordinator of the Caregiver Support Program of the VA San Diego Healthcare System; Martha Rañón, Director of Outreach & Education of the Southern Caregiver Resource Center, at center; and clinical psychologist and neuro-rehab specialist Barbara Welsh-Osga, Ph.D.

Military, from page 16 flaws or bad behavior can be neurological symptoms, according to neuro-rehab specialist Barbara Welsh-Osga. Major depression is also common after TBI. Dr. Lobatz said, “Almost everybody gets better,” and he stated that fully 85 percent of patients achieve complete recovery from mild TBI. Neurological rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary process, in which sufferers are targeted toward achieving individual recovery goals through a holistic approach. The ultimate objective is independent functioning, through psychosocial coping abilities selected to yield community re-integration and to enhance the quality of life for the patient and the family caregivers.

OFC is a program providing short-term, free intervention for military family caregivers of those with recent TBI and/or PTSD. The caregiver meets oneto-one with a family consultant who delivers an evidence-based problem-solving intervention, which has proven to reduce caregiver depression and anxiety of children in the home. SCRC family consultants visit the caregiver’s home live or by Skype for 4 or 5 sessions, are available to speak with the caregiver by telephone as needed, and can suggest other free SCRC services as well. The SCRC is located at 3675 Ruffin Road, Suite 230, and can be reached at (858) 268-4432, (800) 827-1008, or www.caregivercenter.org.

LOCAL NEWS

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

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AREA WORSHIP DIRECTORY Prince of Peace Lutheran 6801 Easton Court, San Diego, CA 92120 Sundays at 9am (619) 583-1436 Paul L. Willweber Zion Avenue Baptist 4880 Zion Ave, San Diego, CA 92120 (619) 582-2033 St. Therese Catholic Church 6016 Camino Rico, San Diego, CA 92120 Sun: 7am, 9am, 11am; Mon: 6:20am, 7:30am; Sat: 5pm (619) 286-4605 William P. Stevenson St. Andrew’s Lutheran 8350 Lake Murray Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91941 Sun: 8am, 9:30am, 11am; Sat: 5pm (619) 464-4211 Andy Taylor St. Dunstan’s Episcopal 6556 Park Ridge Blvd, San Diego, CA 92120 Sun: 8am, 10am; Wed: 10am, Thurs: 7am (619) 460-6442 Kevin Warner San Carlos United Methodist 6554 Cowles Mountain Blvd, San Diego, CA 92119 Sun: 8:15am, 10am (619) 464-4331 Sue Farley Community Church of San Diego 7811 Mission Gorge Rd, San Diego, CA 9210 Sun: 9:30am. 1st Sun is Communion at 9:30am (619) 583-8200 John C. Clements Mission Valley Christian Fellowship 6536 Estrella Ave, San Diego, CA 92120 Sun: 7:45am, 9:30am, 11:15am (619) 683-7729 Leo Giovinetti Tabernacle Church & Kingdom House of Prayer 5310 Prosperity Ln, San Diego, CA 92115 Sun: 6:30pm; Wed: 12pm worship at SDSU (619) 788-3934 Darren Hall Blessed Sacrament Church 4540 El Cerrito Dr, San Diego, CA 92115 Sun: 8am, 10am, 6pm; Sat: 5pm (619) 582-5722 Bruce Orsborn All Peoples Church 4345 54th St, San Diego, CA 92115 Sun: 9am and 11am (619) 286-3251 Robert Herber Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 6767 51st Street, San Diego, CA 92120 (619) 287-3970 Wesley United Methodist 5380 El Cajon Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92115 Sun: Youth worship 11am; Sat: YAY at 7:30pm (619) 326-7202 Dr. Cuong Nguyen Mission Church of the Nazarene 4750 Mission Gorge Pl, San Diego, CA 92120 Sun: 9am and 10:30am (619) 287-3211 Dr. David Runion Salvation Army Kroc Center Church 6611 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92115 Sundays at 10:30am (619) 287-5762 Bryan Cook

Masjid al-Rribat 7173 Saranac St., San Diego (619) 589-6200 Imam Mohamed Gebaly Temple Emanu-El 6299 Capri Dr., San Diego 92120 Fridays 6:00 p.m., Saturdays 10:30 a.m. (619) 286-2555 Rabbi Devorah Marcus Holy Spirit Anglican Church 6116 Arosta St., San Diego 92115 Sunday, 9:30 a.m. (619) 324-9171 Father David Montzingo Palisades Presbyterian Church 6301 Birchwood St., San Diego 92120 Sunday 9:30 a.m. (619) 582-0852 Rev. Dr. Steve Davis Ascension Lutheran Church 5106 Zion Ave., San Diego 92120 Sundays 9:15 a.m. (619) 582-2636 Pastor Richard Zuber Mission Trails Church-Allied Gardens 6550 51st St., San Diego (Foster Elementary School) Sundays 11:00 a.m. Pastor Kyle Walters Mission Trails Church-San Carlos 6460 Boulder Lake Ave., San Diego (Springall Academy) Sundays 9:00 a.m. Pastor Kyle Walters The Grove Church 4562 Alvarado Cyn. Rd., San Diego 92120 Sundays 9:30 a.m. Pastor John Hoffman Tifereth Israel Synagogue 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd., San Diego 92119 (619) 697-1102 Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal Chabad of East County (Jewish) 8691 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa 91942 jewishec.com (619) 647-7042 Rabbi Rafi Andrusier Del Cerro Baptist Church 5512 Pennsylvania Lane, La Mesa, 91942 Sunday Traditional Service 8:30 a.m. Contemporary Service 11:00 a.m.(619) 460-2210 Web Site www.dcbc.org Pastor Dr. Mark S. Milwee Have additions or corrections to our list? Is there a house of worship you would like listed? Please email our editor at doug@missionpublishinggroup.com

LOCAL News

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014 Dailard’s Amberly Tran, from Erin Keegan’s class; Gages’s Mya Galloway and Morgan Hoffman from Alice Hire’s class; Green’s Miles Miller, Caleb Munoz, Joshua Tuzon from Jennifer Andrew’s class, and James Frerichs from Susan Maze’s/ Sylvia Anderson’s class; PHHS’s Hailey Revello, Faith Varon, Sofia Klopp Savino, Ryan Simon, and Stan Tran, from Wendy Lange’s class. Miles, Caleb, Hailey and Sofia will now compete at the City-wide level. See our website for YOUTH yoga, storytelling, “Steam2,” HSMN, tutoring, and “Character Building” details.

San Carlos Friends of the Library By Sue Hotz Publicity Chair

pril’s flowers are blooming; bunnies are multiplying; life abounds. Enjoy the wonders of spring, Passover and Easter with family and friends. Despite rain, SCFOL’s March 1, Used Book Sale was a time for celebration. Since 1993, under the tutelage of Jim Shields, SCFOL book sales have cumulatively sold over 1M books and raised $400,000. YSL Eric Chamberlin made the announcement and led cheers congratulating SCFOL Book Sale volunteers. Library and book sale patrons enjoyed the celebratory cake cut by SCFOL Book Sale Chair Ron McFee, President Judy Williams and Ways & Means Board Chair Jim Shields. SCFOL was thrilled to have reached this milestone during the 40th Anniversary year of our Branch Library. Started in August 1982 to raise funds for our rental book

program (now replaced by the FREE leased book program) the book sales grew under the guidance of Betty Sherman, Sonja Echt, Laura Hulburd, Joe Jones, Joyce Uber, Marty Herman, Carol Garner, Lori Martin, Marie Downey, Ben Seplowin, Pat & Jim Shields, Orlie Baird, Ron McFee and many others to be one of the best library book sales in the city. Jim quickly points out that it’s the community’s book donations, thousands of hours and sore muscles and backs of volunteers, and you—the book buyers, who have created the Book Sale’s success. 50% of our titles are new each month. All proceeds buy library books, equipment & programs or are added to the building fund. As our volunteers age (one is over 90), we need strong young guys to help store the non-purchased books at each sale’s end--about 2 hours of work which also earn community service credit. Email booksales@sancarlosfriendsofthelibrary.org, or drop Ron a note at the library. Next sales are April 5 and May 3.

ADULTS: April 8-May 1: See portraiture Colleen McGrath’s art show in the Community Room. April 10 @ 12:30: Librarian’s Book Club is reading “The Color of Water” by James McBride.

YOUTH: March 19, out of 278 entries, 11 local winners of the city-wide “Annual Writing for Literacy” contest read their essays and were awarded certificates from FSDPL and Councilman Scott Sherman’s Representative Ryley Webb. Congratulations to Benchley’s Jasmine Broussard, Laura Burger, and Isabella Phillips from Kathryn Aufsesser’s class;

Looking for a synagogue? For membership information, visit our website www.teesd.org or call the Temple office

Join us for Temple Emanu-El’s

2nd Night Congregational

PASSOVER SEDER

April 16 @ 1:00: Arthur Hoyle discusses his book, “The Unknown Henry Miller: A Seeker in Big Sur,” a distinctive voice in twentieth century literature. April 22 @ 6:00 pm: You know you want to try it: “Home Brewing 101,” presented by The Homebrewer, San Diego’s premier home brewing shop. FREE OASIS: April 18 @ 1:00: “De-Clutter Your Life: Where and How to get Started.” See website for additional ADULT programs. Our 40 per month membership drive continues--JOIN THE FRIENDS— and we’ll see you at the library.

Registration Now Open!

For Preschool age children

2-5 years old 2 FOUR-WEEK SESSIONS Plus: 2 Week Pre-Camp and 2 Week Post-Camp

June 9th through August 29th

Tuesday, April 15, 2014 • 6:00 PM

COMMUNITY and NON-MEMBERS WELCOME!

Rabbi Devorah Marcus will lead the seder, which will be an opportunity to enjoy the warmth and camaraderie of our Temple Emanu-El family.

For young and old, the evening will be entertaining, spiritual, and fun!

Adults: Members $55, Non-Members $65 • Ages 6-12: Members $40, Non-Members $50 Ages 5 and under: Members $15, Non-Members $17

NON-MEMBERS: Mention this ad and receive Member Prices! Reservations are required by Wednesday, April 9

For reservations or more information, please contact the Temple office at (619) 286-2555, or email joni@teesd.org. You can also make reservations online at www.teesd.org.

6299 Capri Drive • San Diego, CA 92120 • (619) 286-2555 temple@teesd.org • www.teesd.org • facebook.com/teesd Devorah Marcus, Rabbi • Martin S. Lawson, Rabbi Emeritus • Myrna Cohen, Cantorial Soloist Jim Lewis & Ron Marx, Co-Presidents • Susanne Geshekter, Executive Director

Play and make friends in a nurturing Jewish environment. Our loving, licensed staff will make Summer 2014 your child’s best ever!

Activities Include:

Arts & Crafts • Music • Science Cooking • Gardening • Dance … and much, much more!

Community Welcome! For more information contact Sharyn Goldstein, Interim Preschool Director at 619-286-2999 or sharyn@teesd.org

23 LOCAL NEWS College-Rolando Friends of the Library

MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

Benjamin Branch Friends of the Library By Anne Lee for the Mission Times Courier

t has been said that April showers bring May flowers, and Robert Loveman wrote in April Rain, “It is not raining rain to me, it’s raining daffodils.” Anticipating the possibility of rain, the members of Benjamin Branch Friends of the Library (FOL) are planning accordingly to help support the many events and programs at our neighborhood Allied Gardens library.

ESSAY CONTEST We joined the San Diego Public Library and the San Diego City School District in offering students in all public and private schools, grades 4, 8, and 10, the opportunity to participate in this citywide contest. The local essay winners for 2014 are: Hearst -- Grade 4 (Ms. Leyden) Camryn Crumpton and Isabella Castillo; (Ms. Jackson) Iliana Mitropoulos and Skylar Hilmer; (Ms. Sullivan) Eden Kipnis and Callianna Priebe; (Ms. Fox) Lauren Schalik and Cindy Lackenbacher. Nazareth

By Armin Kuhlman for the Mission Times Courier Catholic -- Grade 4 (Ms.Harkay) Jack Hilinski and Grade 8 (Ms. Lawler) Jeffrey Jones, Marcus Helliker, and Hailie Burton. Lewis Middle School -- Grade 8 (Ms. McCarthy) Kalos Chu and Madison Running. Thirteen students received awards at our local library celebration on Tuesday, March 25th. At this event, our overall winners were announced. The citywide winners will be announced and receive their

prizes at the Grand Celebration in May.

OASIS CLASSES “The Real Story Behind the Classic Movies” will be offered on Tuesday, April 8th. As with all classes at our library, this one is underwritten by our FOL chapter and is free to all. Please call the library to reserve your seat.

NEWS TO USE Our excellent head librarian, Katherine Johnson, accepted a promotion to the new Central Library. Katherine will be missed by us, but we wish her all the best! Many thanks to Jersey Mike’s Sub Shop on Mission Gorge Road. Our partner held a very successful February fundraiser, with proceeds benefitting our library branch. Now, it can really rain, so that our gardens aren’t so parched!

ax Help by AARP volunteers is available through April 11 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12:30 to 5:30 PM and Thursday, 9:30 AM to 4 PM. This free service for seniors and low-moderate income people is on a walk-in basis with no appointment required. Our Oasis program for April is “Smart Energy Solutions from SDG&E” on Tuesday, April 8 at 2 PM. The next class for Computers 2SDKIDS is 9:30 AM Saturday, April 26. Parents and guardians can learn about this continuing program and apply for the technology assistance program at that time. C2SDKIDS provides free computers. Call 619-533-3902 for required pre-registration. Our book discussion group meets the second Saturday at 10 AM. April selection is

Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. Regular programs include story time every Friday at 10 AM as well as kids yoga the first and third Fridays immediately following story time. Adult yoga is the 2nd and 4th Saturdays at 9:30. Zumba is the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 PM with Zumba gold 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 9:45 AM Children’s Arts & Crafts is the 1st and 3rd Saturday at 12 PM. Our Friend’s Room Book Sale is on Tuesdays from 12:30-2:30 PM and Saturdays from 12 to 2 PM. We welcome your donations of books, CD’s, DVD’s and magazines in good condition. No textbooks, please. We’re also looking for volunteers for our book sale room. The next meeting of the Friends of the College-Rolando Library is 4:30 PM Tuesday, March 25. You can visit our web site http://collegerolandolibrary.org to learn about current library events, classes, volunteer opportunities plus links to San Diego Library and community. There’s still time to renew your annual membership if you haven’t already done so, or consider becoming a Friend to support our library programs. Life Membership is now available for $250. It is your ideas, volunteer time and enthusiasm that will keep our library a vital part of our College-Rolando community in the years to come.

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MISSIONTIMESCOURIER.COM — APRIL 2014

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5161 Waring Road • San Diego, CA 92120 • (619) 583-7963 • idealsvc.com • License# 348810