BIKE OR BUS TO WORK? JOIN RIDE SHARE CHALLENGE IN OCT

With October Rideshare month, SANDAG and iCommute are teaming together to offer the Rideshare 2012 Commuter Challenge.  The challenge encourages people to use alternative methods of transportation to work, such as public transit, walking, biking, carpooling and telecommuting from home. Those who sign up and participate from Oct 1 – 31 can not only feel better about their commute by “going green,” but also win prizes.  Prizes include limited edition Charger footballs, spa, health and wellness gift certificates, Car2go memberships, transit passes, and more. Create a free icommute account to access several useful commuter tools, such as RideMatcher, Commute Cost Calculator, Transit Trip Planner and Guaranteed Ride Home. Log your eligible trips each day to be entered for prizes. Approimately 40 companies are also competing for prizes. For more information, visit 511sd.com/icommute or call 511 and say “icommute.”

PORT TAKES MAJOR STEPS TOWARDS CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION

The Port of San Diego’s board of commissioners unanimously approved an environmental report on Sept. 19 that moves the $520 million expansion of the Convention Center forward.  The project will add 2.75 million square feet of floor space to the existing 1.1 million square feet of total space. A Port Master Plan Amendment was also approved, which includes a major expansion to the Hilton Bayfront Hotel. The amendment will now be sent to the California Coastal Commission for approval. The Mayor’s Citizen Task Force expects the Convention Center’s second expansion to boost the city and the region economically, offering nearly 4,000 construction jobs, more than $13 million in new taxes revenue, and adding almost 7,000 permanent jobs.  According to a Port press release, the port commissioners had praised Mayor Jerry Sanders for his leadership regarding the expansion project, saying the mayor acknowledged “hundreds of millions of dollars and a lot of jobs lost each year” to the city due to “inadequate” exhibition space. In addition to exhibition space and 500 hotel rooms, the proposed expansion would include a five-acre rooftop park and plaza and 45,000 square feet of retail space added just south of the existing Convention Center.

HAUTE NIGHT FOR ST. MADELINE SOPHIE’S

The 35th annual Haute with Heart fashion show held Aug. 18 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel raised more than $100,000 for a local nonprofit that assists nearly 400 people in the county with developmental disabilities. St. Madeline Sophie’s Center (SMSC) is a non-denominational organization that has also been assisting the families and communities of its clients nurture their full potential. It was the organization’s most successful fundraiser to date, with nearly 700 people attending. Local television and radio celebrities mingled with supporters, who were treated to live entertainment and an auction in addition to the fashion show produced by Leonard G. Simpson, creator of internationally known Fashion Forward. Delana Bennett, morning DJ for 94.1 FM, even took to the catwalk for the cause.  Other sponsors included Viejas, Barona Resort and Casino, Sycuan Casion, La Jolla Light, Hilton San Diego Bayfront and the SMSC Auxilliary.

FUNDRAISER FOR ORGANIZERS OF LGBT STUDENTS CONFERENCE

The Center for Excellence in School Counseling and Leadership (CESCaL) conducts an annual conference to educate the school counselors and other educators about the sensitive issues surrounding today’s LGBT K-12 students. Held every February since 2009, the conference attracts attendees from all over the world and offers them the tools they need to recognize, reach and advocate for the at-risk students they work with every day. According to the CESCaL website, nine out of 10 LGBT students are bullied at school and they are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. The conference, titled, “Supporting Students, Saving Lives” expanded its scope in 2012, drawing the interest of adults who work with children and teenagers outside of the classroom in various capacities.  The 2013 conference will be held Feb. 15-17 at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley. On Thurs., Oct. 4 the organization is hosting a fundraiser, from 6 – 9 p.m. at At HOM, located at 2310 Kettner Blvd. Suite B. in Little Italy. Funds raised will not only help CESCaL produce the event, but assist in its efforts to offer educator scholarships, since many attendees of the annual event must do so on their own time and money. Fundraiser attendees will participate in a silent auction, be served complimentary wine and hors d’oeurves, and visit with local leaders and elected officials. In conjunction with the fundraiser, bullying expert Catherine Mattice, president of Civility Partners, LLC will also be celebrating the release of her book, “BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work.” CESCaL is still looking for sponsors and silent auction donations. For more information, visit lgbtqia2013.org or email [email protected].

EAST VILLAGE GROUP TO HOST MAYORAL CANDIDATES

The October general meeting of the East Village Residents Group (EVRG) will have some special guests in attendance. First, San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Kevin Falcouner will be honored for his dedicated service to the residents of East Village. In addition, the two candidates for mayor of San Diego, Rep. Bob Filner and Councilmember Carl DeMaio, will also address the group, discussing their positions regarding the issues of importance to Downtown San Diego and its residents. This will not be a debate format, however, the candidates’ remarks will be followed by a short question and answer session. The meeting will be held Oct. 18, starting at 6 p.m., at the East Village Community Church, located at 1374 Island Ave. The candidates will begin approximately 8 p.m. Residents of East Village or other Downtown neighborhoods are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact EVRG President Joan Wojcik at [email protected].

NEW WATERFRONT PARK CONTRACT AWARDED

A $34 million contract was recently awarded to McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., to design and build the “County Administration Center (CAC) Waterfront Park.”  The groundbreaking was held on Sept. 25 and completion of the 12-acre park is scheduled for a summer of 2014 completion date. The design, which is set to repurpose the two existing eight-acre parking lots north and south of the building, as well as the common areas immediately surrounding it, will also include a 254-car underground parking garage. The parking lot will require dewatering and shoring, which will pose a challenge to engineers. The future waterfront property will consist of a public park available to residents and visitors which will run along Pacific Coast Highway between Ash and Grape streets, and include open greens, a children’s area, gardens, water features, and a public restroom. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned and the 8th largest domestic general contractor in California. They will be assisted by six other consultant-companies during various aspects of the waterfront construction.

TASTE OF DOWNTOWN

Almost 40 different restaurants are participating in this year’s 13 th annual Taste of Downtown, spanning the neighborhoods of East Village, the Gaslamp Quarter, Horton Plaza and the Financial District. Eateries new and old are offering up a diverse list of culinary couture for attendees. The annual event is sponsored by Pure Fitness, located at 710 B. St., with a new, second Downtown location soon opening at Westgate Hotel, 1055 2nd Ave. This year’s selection of restaurants for a Taste of Downtown has expanded and more are being added daily. Some of the participating restaurants in East Village include: Proper Gastro Pub, Toast Enoteca & Cucina, Tilted Kilt, Starbucks, Valentine’s Mexican Café and many others. From the Gaslamp, participants include: Barleymash, Dick’s Last Resort, Katsuya by Starck, Cremelose, Ocean Room, The Field Irish Pub, Masalas Spices of India and many more. Others include Salt Box, The Crab Hut, The Beer Company and others.  Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the event. Shuttle service will be available throughout the Downtown neighborhoods. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit mcfarlanepromotions.com or call 619-233-5008.

READING CINEMAS 4TH SEASON OF NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE

Reading Cinemas 15, located at 701 5th Ave. in the Gaslamp, recently announced the fourth season of its successful National Theatre Live (NT Live), a method of broadcasting live stage performances in a movie theater setting direct from the National Stages around the country.  Since its first season in 2009, when Helen Mirren’s acclaimed performance in Phédre was shown, more than 750,000 people have experienced NT Live. The fourth season includes “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” Sun., Sept. 23 at 2 p.m., and Tue., Sept. 25 at 7 p.m.;  “The Last of the Haussmans,” Sun., Oct. 28. At 2 p.m., and Tue., Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. More titles will be released soon. To learn more about the plays, the schedule and to purchase tickets, visit readingcinemasus.com.

MUSEUM OF ART STARTS MORNING LECTURE SERIES

The San Diego Museum of Art has launched a Friday morning lecture and tour series to accompany some of their exhibits. Sponsored by the Museum Docent Council, the lectures will be presented on every third Friday of the month at 10 a.m. in the James S. Copley Auditorium through May 2013.  The lectures will be followed by a docent-led tour of the exhibit at 11:30 a.m. In October, Dr. Amy Galpin, assistant curator of Art of the Americas at the museum will lecture on “Still I Rise: Modern and Contemporary American Portraiture on Friday, Oct. 19. The Museum of Art is located at 1450 El Prado in Balboa Park. Tickets are $12 for members, $15 for non-members and $8 for students. Series tickets are also available. For more information on the lecture series, call 619-232-7931 or visit thesandiegomuseumofart.org

U.S. HEALTHWORKS TO OFFER FLU SHOT

Flu season is almost upon us and U.S. Healthworks Medical Group, an operator of occupational health and urgent care centers in and around San Diego County and the nation, is offering San Diego businesses on-site flu shots. Noting that many people intend to get a flu shot but decide too late or forget, National Director Dr. Leonard Okun found an alternative. “By offering to visit the workplace, U. S. HealthWorks can quickly vaccinate a large group of people and dramatically decrease the chances of the flu spreading in the office.”  The on-site program, intended to administer both vaccinations and provide information on flu prevention, is available to businesses with 25 or more employees in the vicinity of a U. S. HealthWorks location. There are a total of eight locations within San Diego County, with four inside the city limits and four others located in La Mesa, Santee, Chula Vista and National City. For more information, visit ushealthworks.com.

GREEN TROLLEY LINE IS REROUTED

Marking a major milestone in a $972 million Renewal project currently underway, the San Diego Trolley’s Green Line, which previously terminated at the Old Town Transit Center, now runs through Downtown, past the Convention Center and Petco Park on its way to the Imperial Transit Center.   This extension allows riders from Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa and San Diego State to take the trolley direct from their locations into Downtown.  Eliminating the need to transfer makes the will save travelers time.   The Trolley Renewal began in 2010 and expects to be completed in 2015. Other milestones will be the addition of new vehicles, raising 35 platforms, replacing outdated wires, improving street crossings, switching and signaling, as well as new shelters, closed circuit television, enhanced lighting and new signage. To check new routes, see mtssd.com.