SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY NEWS NETWORK ACQUIRES SAN DIEGO DOWNTOWN NEWS
San Diego Community News Network, Inc. (SDCNN), publisher of San Diego Uptown News and Gay San Diego, has purchased San Diego Downtown News from San Diego Community Newspaper Group (SDCNG).
“We are excited about adding San Diego Downtown News to our company,” said publisher David Mannis. “Downtown is a natural addition to our market area, offering more coverage for our readers and advertisers. We will bring the same quality and commitment to hyper-local news, including arts and entertainment coverage to the downtown community,” he added.
The first issue published by SDCNN will be February 3, 2012. San Diego Downtown News is currently published monthly. Mannis anticipates increasing the frequency to biweekly in the near future, the same frequency as his San Diego Uptown News and Gay San Diego publications.
San Diego Uptown News, which began publishing in 2009, has a circulation of 22,000 and covers the communities of Old Town, Mission Hills, Bankers Hill, Hillcrest, North Park, South Park, Golden Hill, Normal Heights, Kensington and Talmadge. Gay San Diego, with a circulation of 15,000, began publishing one year later and serves the San Diego LGBT community. San Diego Downtown News will maintain a circulation of over 21,000 delivered to condominiums, businesses, office buildings and news racks.
SDCNG will continue to publish The Peninsula Beacon, Beach & Bay Press and La Jolla Village News.

SD POLICE INVESTIGATING ASSAULT IN TERALTA COMMUNITY PARK
San Diego Police Department Sex Crimes Unit detectives are investigating a sexual assault that occurred near Teralta Community Park in City Heights. On Jan. 1, at approximately 8:30 p.m., the woman was walking home from work on the bike path near 4000 University Avenue at Teralta Community Park when the suspect confronted her. The suspect is described as a mixed race or light-skinned black male in his 20s. He is between five feet eight inches and five feet eleven inches tall and weighs 180-200 pounds, with a muscular to heavy build. Anyone with information concerning this assault is asked to contact the San Diego Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit at (619) 531-2210 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

CASH MOB HITS HILLCREST
A Cash Mob is a movement that brings dozens of residents to a mystery business. On Jan. 8, a Cash Mob hit Bluestocking Books in Hillcrest. Each with $20 in hand, participants met on the corner of 5th and Robinson Streets where the mystery location was unveiled, and participants flooded the store. Announcing the meeting place on Facebook and Twitter, participants only know the small business they will be mobbing moments before they go. The purpose is to bring attention to these local and independent businesses. For more information, visit facebook.com/cmsandiego.

FOODSMACKDOWN.COM PUTS FIVE UPTOWN PIZZERIAS IN TOP TWELVE LIST
Foodsmackdown.com, founded by food photographer and consultant?Steve Carlson, rates restaurants based on “economics, atmosphere, taste and service.” The organization listed five Uptown pizzerias on their recent list. The five were Pizzeria Luigi in Golden Hill, Zia Gourmet Pizza in Normal Heights, Bronx Pizza in Hillcrest, Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria in North Park and Sicilian Thing Pizza in North Park.

MEET AND GREET WITH NATHAN FLETCHER
California State Assemblymember and San Diego mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher is hosting a meet and greet at the Merrill Gardens retirement community on Jan. 28 at 11 a.m. Fletcher will be discussing why he’s running for mayor, what he plans to do if elected and his San Diego history. Space is limited for the free event, and Merrill Gardens is requesting attendees RSVP by Jan. 24. Merrill Gardens is located at 2567 Second Ave. in Bankers Hill. For more information or to RSVP, call (619) 209 – 5216.

HOUSE FIRE IN UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS DUE TO FORCED AIR HEATER
A house fire broke out on the night of Jan. 11 on the 4300 block of Utah Street. Maurice Luque, public information officer for San Diego Fire and Rescue confirmed that at approximately 9 p.m., a forced air heater ignited something near it, starting the fire that caused $70,000 in structural damage and $30,000 in content damage. There were no reported injuries.

MONTHLY CHILDREN’S PAINTING CLASSES LAUNCHING IN UPTOWN
Starting Feb. 4, a four-session beginning watercolor class for children ages six through 10 will commence in Uptown. Parents pay a one-time fee of $120 for four sessions. The program is titled “Creative Expressions.” The fifth program is free and the instructor takes the students to Spanish Village in Balboa Park where exhibiting artists are demonstrating, allowing the students to relate what they have learned to what professional artists are doing. The classes are conducted at the Joyce Beers Community Center in Uptown. For more information, call (619)?295-3583.

DUMANIS PLEDGES ENTIRE MAYORAL SALARY TO EDUCATION
District Attorney and mayoral candidate Bonnie Dumanis announced she would donate her entire annual salary as mayor to fund San Diego education programs, should she be elected. The salary would fund programs like Summer of Work and Learning and would expand student access to new technologies, as stated in a press release. The announcement follows the District Attorney’s rollout of her Framework for America’s Finest Schools, an eight-point education reform plan to increase the role of parents in schools. The mayoral position provides an annual salary of $100,464.

GRUB SPRAWL COMING TO EAST VILLAGE
On Feb. 13, from 6 to 10 p.m., San Diegans can participate in the East Village Grub Sprawl, set to be a the first Grub Sprawl to occur in a downtown location. During a Grub Sprawl, attendees can visit any of the participating restaurants and order the evening’s special dish each priced at $5. Participants may acquire free wristbands beginning at 5:45 p.m. in front of Hotel Indigo at 509 9th Avenue, or at Bub’s at the Ballpark at 715 J Street. Wearing these bright bracelets enables participants to enter any of the participating restaurants and order the evening’s $5 dish. For more information on the upcoming East Village Grub Sprawl, visit GrubSprawl.com

HILLCREST COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE NOW OPEN ON ROBINSON AVENUE
Hillcrest Community Acupuncture (HCA), one of a growing number of community acupuncture clinics across the country, is now open at it’s new location at 1807 Robinsons Ave., Suite 205. Patients are treated in a relaxing communal setting by a licensed acupuncturist. This allows an affordable sliding scale of $15-$35 per treatment plus $10 additional fee for first visit.
Sacha Landreneau, owner and acupuncturist at HCA said, “The community acupuncture movement is gaining momentum nationwide. This business model is rooted in a value system that puts community first. We want as many people as possible to have access to this very effective form of health care.”
HCA is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 – 7 p.m. and Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Appointments are encouraged but walk-ins are welcome.
For more information or to schedule an appointment call 619-298-2228, email [email protected] or visit www.hillcrestacu.com.

DATE SET FOR HILLCREST SIGN AUCTION
The Hillcrest Business Association (HBA) announced the dates for the official auction of the 1984 Hillcrest sign. For three days, starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, the 1984 sign will be available for bids from community members and business in the Hillcrest district. The auction will end Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. and stipulations of the auction state the sign must be displayed in Hillcrest and the new owner must provide transport of the sign to the new location. The 1984 sign was replaced with a refurbished Hillcrest sign in August 2011 and the HBA sent out a public request for ownership proposals in September 2011. After hearing from three interested parties, the HBA board decided to hold an auction for the sign with proceeds going to the HBA Capital Projects fund. Interested auctioneers must go to hillcrestbia.org for more information and to place their bids.