City College to celebrate opening of green buildings

On Thursday, Dec. 11 starting at 10 a.m., San Diego City College will celebrate the opening of two of its newest facilities. The two new structures are a five-story Arts & Humanities building, which offers study in areas such as visual arts, English, English for speakers of other languages, foreign languages, speech and more; and a three-story Business & Technology building, which includes business and small business studies, and business and computer systems.

The Arts & Humanities building includes a below-ground 40-car parking garage and a student commons and shares an open outdoor plaza with the Business & Technology building. Both buildings also have classrooms, lecture halls, and space for faculty and support staff. Located Downtown at 1313 Park Blvd., City College is part of the San Diego Community College District, the second largest district in California. The state-of-the-art, dual-building project is scheduled to be certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold for its innovative, environmentally friendly design. A wide, open-air, two-story high stairway now acts as the main campus entry from the East Village side of the campus and leads up one of the buildings. The design team followed Center City Development Corporation (CCDC) guidelines for all landscaping and other treatments, ensuring the campus blended in with the neighborhood and ensured plants and foliage were selected based on drought-tolerant criteria and compatibility with the Downtown climate. The irrigation system will be energy efficient and monitor water usage. Funding for the development was made possible by the passage of Propositions S and N, and Roeslin Nakamura and Terada were the architects. The grand opening will include a ribbon cutting ceremony, light refreshments, tours of the two buildings from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., and remarks from various student and academic leaders from both the college and the district, including the current president of City College, Anthony Beebe. Parking will be available in the Career Technology Center, located on 17th and C streets. For more information, visit sdccd.edu.

‘Healthy for the Holidays’ initiative launched Downtown

San Diego Downtown Partnership (SDDP) and Scripps Health are expanding their “Healthy Living in the City” program, looking to help people stay healthy and stress-free over the holidays. They will join forces with Downtown retailers to do so. “Scripps has a long-standing commitment to serving the health care needs of our community,” stated Don Stanziano, corporate vice president of marketing and communications for Scripps, in a press release. “We all know how stressful and rushed the holidays can be, and this program is a way to help people take care of themselves while saving some time and money.” According to leaders at SDDP, the “Healthy for the Holidays” initiative was designed to showcase the neighborhood’s rich retail offerings, as well as provide shoppers a less stressful way of getting their holiday-related errands done. “This program is about taking the time to do the holiday season right by providing a healthy and fun way to enjoy all that Downtown has to offer,” stated Kris Michell, CEO of SDDP in the same release. Some of the many things offered through the initiative include free yoga before stress-free shopping at The Headquarters, a 30-minute guided walk through Horton Plaza, a 60-minute circuit training throughout The Headquarters, and a free cooking class taught by a Scripps registered dietitian at Jimbo’s … Naturally. Each event also includes valuable gift items, gift cards or coupons. For more information and a complete itinerary, visit downtownsandiego.org/healthyscripps.

Faulconer announces RFP for year-round shelter

With a plan that is being called a “major change in how the city shelters the homeless,” on Dec. 2, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, along with Council President Todd Gloria and Councilmember David Alvarez, announced the city’s plans to establish a permanent, year-round shelter to address the hundreds of homeless individuals on the streets of Downtown San Diego. “One of my top priorities as mayor is creating more opportunities for San Diegans and that includes homeless individuals and veterans in need,” stated Faulconer in a press release. “This permanent, year-round shelter continues the City’s move away from just providing a bed for a few months. We’re trying to make a real difference by providing supportive services that help our fellow San Diegans get off the streets for good.” The new shelter, expected to open July 1 of next year, would replace the 350 temporary beds set up in emergency shelters located in Barrio Logan and the Midway District, with 40 percent of the new beds to be set aside for veterans. The city issued a request for proposal (RFP) for the facility, specifying that the shelter would not only be required to provide beds throughout the year, but also support services to help homeless individuals get stabilized and on their way to permanent housing and better lives. The city has approximately $1.6 million in annual funds to put toward the project, which is currently used for the temporary housing. The Housing Commission will oversee the RFP process. Those interested should submit a proposal. To review the RFP, visit sdhc.org and search for project number HIT-15-14, dated Dec. 2, 2014, under public notices.

New lights in Balboa Park kicked off in time for Centennial

In partnership with SDG&E and CleanTech San Diego, the City of San Diego has replaced all the outdoor light fixtures throughout Balboa Park and installed new colorful, programmable, energy-efficient lights that will kick off the Centennial and keep Balboa Park lit for years to come. Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Council President Todd Gloria were both on hand to unveil the new lighting Dec. 1, at the fountain in Plaza de Panama. “After 100 years of serving as the crown jewel of our world-class city, we’re going to show off Balboa Park in a whole new light,” stated Faulconer in a press release in advance of the event. The new red, white and blue LED lights are programmable in 2,700 different colors and will offer many options and color combinations to illuminate the side of the many historic buildings within the park. The lighting will be on display throughout December Nights, Balboa Park’s annual holiday event, held Dec. 5 and 6, which will also officially kick off the Centennial celebration. For more information about December Nights, visit BalboaPark.org.

Manny the Frenchie comes to Mission Brewery  

Celebrity French Bulldog “Manny the Frenchie” will be the focus of a festive “Jingle Jam” fundraiser at Mission Brewery Saturday, Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. San Diego will be the first stop on Manny’s national tour, where he will be making appearances and raising money for local animal support and service organizations. Attendees can meet Manny, enjoy craft beers from Mission Brewery, food from Taste of Chicago food truck. Basic admission is $40, and ticket holders will get to meet Manny and receive a “Manny on Tour” bracelet from Pura Vida jewelry. VIP tickets are also available for $45, and include an additional limited edition “Manny on Tour” bag filled with vendor swag. All proceeds will go to Save-A-Vet (saveavet.org) and Rancho Humane Society (rchumanesociety.org). Mission Brewery is located at located at 1441 L St. in East Village, Downtown. Dogs and children are welcome. For more information, visit mannythefrenchie.com.

Holiday skating party for Big Brothers, Big Sisters

More than 300 “Bigs” and “Littles” from Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County (BBBS of SDC) are expected to turn out for a holiday skating party under the stars on Monday, Dec. 8, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Horton Plaza ice rink, located at 225 Broadway, Downtown. Aside from lots of fun on the seasonal ice rink, the 12th annual “Big Night on Ice” will also include hot chocolate, food, chocolate overload cakes from Jack in the Box, Mrs. Claus and Jeromey Clary and Nick Hardwick from the San Diego Chargers. The mission of BBBS of SDC is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-on-one relationships that change their lives for the better. For more information visit SDBigs.org.

KPBS honors 2014 HEROS

On Nov. 16 at the Aztec Student Union at San Diego State University, KPBS and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., joined together to honor the group of Local Heroes they had selected as their “class of 2014.” The program is part of their ongoing commitment to cultural diversity. The 19 inspirational individuals were chosen for the 17th annual installment due to their personal example and how they have made a difference in their community and enriched the lives of others. The honorees were recognized throughout 2014 and this reception was the culmination of all those individual events, bringing them all together for one final celebration. “MUFG Union Bank is proud to partner with KPBS to celebrate San Diego’s 2014 Local Heroes who bring leadership and dedication to their work and communities,” said Union Bank Managing Director Pierre P. Habis, who heads consumer, business and private banking. “These individuals embody our 150-year commitment to inclusion and diversity.” KPBS General Manager Tom Karlo has been a part of the Local Heroes partnership since it first began. “I really love this event because time after time I have the honor to meet incredible and heroic individuals from our community,” he said. “The main reason this program has succeeded all these years is that both KPBS and Union Bank seek to inspire, motivate, and celebrate the people and good work being done in our neighborhoods.” The following Local Heroes were recognized during the 2014 ceremony: Tessie Bonner, J.T. Inge, Joe Earl Jackson and Dr. Carrel Reavis (Black History Month); M. Eloise Battle and Vickie E. Turner (Women’s History Month); Helene Bortz, Myrice Goldberg and Ed Samiljan (Jewish American Heritage Month); Dr. Allen W. Chan and Dr. M.C. Madhavan (Asian Pacific American Heritage Month); Rev. Canon Albert Ogle and Robert Gleason (LGBT Pride Month); Myra Curiel and Carmen Kcomt (Hispanic Heritage Month); Alex Montoya and Travis Ricks (Disability Awareness Month); and Dr. Daniel J. Calac and Roy Cook (American Indian Heritage Month). For more information about the Local Heroes program, visit kpbs.org/heroes.