Balboa Park celebrates Mexican Independence Day
Four Balboa Park museums will be helping to celebrate the second Mexican Independence Day festival, “Viva Mexico.”
On Sept. 14 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., the San Diego Museum of Man, the Mingei International Museum, The San Diego Museum of Art and the Timken Museum of Art will stay open late to celebrate along with the Consulate General of Mexico, The Prado Restaurant and XEWT-TV.
Along with roaming mariachis and colorful folk dancers, The Prado will be providing a different Mexican dish along with Mexican wine or beer at each museum. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the event. Children six and under are free. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit vivamexico2011.eventbrite. com, museumofman.org or mingei.org/vivamexico.
Michelle Steel fights rural fire prevention fee bill
In response to the recently implemented Assembly Bill 1x 29 (Chapter 8), approving a rural fire prevention fee, Michelle Steel, vice chair of the State Board of Equalization, reached out to Governor
Jerry Brown, calling upon him to stop the bill.
Steel wrote in her letter to Governor Brown that “Under this law our state’s firefighters will be shorted important personnel and may be unable to purchase necessary equipment, while at the same time, CAL FIRE will be issuing grants to conservation groups to teach the necessity of defensible space.”
She also addressed the questionable constitutionality of the bill, stating that it was passed by a majority vote, which could be a “violation of Proposition 26, which states that any fee that benefits the public broadly must be passed by a two-thirds vote. Educational programs targeted to people and businesses, including those who may not be assessed the fee, certainly fit this definition.”
Steel ended her letter reminding Governor Brown of the approaching Santa Ana winds and the inevitable fire dangers that come along with them, urging him to act soon.
New app created to guide you through Balboa Park
There is now a free Meridian app for Android and iOS devices that will act as your own personal tour guide around Balboa Park. This new app provides directions, maps, location-based information, a restaurant guide, an attractions guide and an events guide complete with a calendar that has venue and category specific searches.
After the success of the Balboa Park iPhone app, The Balboa Park Online Collaborative (BPOC) began
working with Meridian to create the same thing for iOS and Android devices.
“The goal of Meridian is to do more than package a mobile version of information from organizations’
websites,” said Kiyo Kubo, Meridian’s CEO in a recent release. “Rather, we seek to offer helpful tools wherever you are in your visit to a place that only location-aware technologies can deliver. Balboa Park is a perfect fit because of the huge number of attractions located on the Park’s grounds.”
The new app can be downloaded at the Apple App Store or through Meridian Market.
Travel the Tequila Trail in Old Town
The Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) has teamed up with the Old Town Chamber of Commerce to help fundraise for both organizations. “The Tequila Trail—A Taste of Old Town” is a huge money making event for the Old Town Chamber, and this year $5 of every ticket sale will also go to SOHO.
On Sept. 11 from 3 to 6 p.m., participants can visit ten of Old Town’ finest Mexican restaurants to sample some of their signature dishes as well as over a dozen fine tequilas, mescals and complementary liquors for $25. Restaurant stops include: Barra Barra Saloon, Café Coyote, Cosmopolitan Hotel & Restaurant, Casa Guadalajara, El Fandango, Fiesta de Reyes, La Piñata Miguel’s Cocina, Old Town Mexican Café and Rockin’ Baja Coastal Cantina.
Tickets can be purchased by calling (619) 297-7511, visiting brownpapertickets.com/event/195198 or stopping by The Whaley House Museum Shop at 2476 San Diego Ave.
Public meeting announced to discuss new DMV development
Sen. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) announced today that two public meetings will be held to discuss the development of a new Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) building in Hillcrest. The discussion will be part of the Uptown Planners’ regularly scheduled meeting, and will be held at 6 p.m. on Sept. 6 and Oct. 4 at the Joyce Beers Center, 1230 Cleveland Ave., in the Uptown Shopping District.
The Sept. 6 gathering will be an introduction of the people working on the project, while the Oct. 4 session will be more detailed and allow the public to share comments and have questions answered.
“These meetings will give residents an opportunity to know more about this new facility that will improve their DMV customer experience and be an asset to the neighborhood,” said Kehoe.
The private developer, Lankford & Associates, would demolish the existing DMV structure and build a larger facility with underground parking, rental housing, and commercial/retail space.
MOGL launches in San Diego
On Aug. 22, MOGL, an app for your phone that allows for finding restaurants and saving money, launched in San Diego. MOGL’s platform is built on three key components for customer benefit:
Ten percent cash back: Once they complete the free registration process, MOGL members begin to receive ten percent cash back on their designated debit or credit card each time they dine out at participating MOGL restaurants.
Become the MOGL: Each month, MOGL members have the opportunity to compete against each other to be named the MOGL (or top customer at any participating restaurant) and win a MOGL “Jackpot” cash prize. The MOGL jackpot is equal to ten percent of all cash back learned by MOGL members that month at that restaurant and can reach up to $1,000.
Meal for a Meal: Through a partnership with Feeding America San Diego, every time a MOGL member spends more than twenty dollars at a MOGL restaurant or bar, one meal is donated to someone in need. Members can track how many meals they have donated to date.
For more information, go to www.mogl.com.
Redistricting committee approves district boundaries
At a City of San Diego’s Redistricting Commission meeting on Aug. 25, the Committee approved new boundaries for the City Council Districts.
Council District Three will no longer include the communities of Kensington, Talmadge and City Heights. These areas were reassigned to become part of District Nine, though the date at which this becomes effective is unclear.
Councilmember Todd Gloria, who represents the current District Three, said, “Some authorities believe that councilmembers begin representing the new districts this fall. The City Attorney has opined that councilmembers begin representing the new districts in December 2012, following the next election cycle. ”
North Park, South Park, Golden Hill, University Heights, Normal Heights, Hillcrest and Balboa Park remain in District Three, with the addition of Mission Hills, Bankers Hill, Park West, Old Town and Downtown.
Gloria said, “It is worth noting that the final map is the result of a lengthy public process and developed
and approved by an all-volunteer Redistricting Commission made up of seven private citizens. I would like to thank them for their service to our City.”
Hillcrest Restaurant The Range under fire for exterior work
The opening of The Range restaurant in Hillcrest has raised some questions regarding its permits and the historical nature of the building that houses the restaurant.
A notice posted on the door read that the restaurant was in violation of a municipal code by performing the following: “tenant improvements without required building permits and inspections…including structural, electrical, [and] plumbing in the interior of the building.”
The problem could be the age of the building. Jaye MacAskill, president of the Save our Heritage Organisation (SOHO), said, “If a building is more than 45 years old, it is potentially historic,” adding that the range building is more than 45 years old. If someone applies for a permit to perform alterations to the building structure, it must be reviewed for historical significance.
She claims the work was performed and the building was altered without filing the proper permits. Restaurant owner Dave Schissman said, “we’ve been open for business for a month now, and the permits were all good to go.”
Do you now what this symbol means?
This is a sharrow, which is painted on streets such as Adams Ave, Park Ave, Congress St., San Diego Ave, and El Cajon Blvd and streets in Kensington.
California Vehicle Code 21202 states that when operating a bicycle one should ride close to the right-hand curb unless:
(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction. (2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway. (3) When reasonably necessary
to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, a “substandard width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane. (4) When approaching a place where a right turn is authorized.
Sharrows signal to drivers that one of these situations is present and promote safety for both cyclists
and motorists.
Quince Street bridge officially open
The Quince Street Bridge was officially reopened the morning of Sept. 1 with an official ribbon cutting. Damaged in a storm back in March, the footbridge has been unusable until today.
Councilmember Kevin Faulconer reminded those in attendance that the bridge is over 100 years old and said, “we want it to be here for another hundred years.”
Director of Public works Tony Heinrichs added that the Quince Street Bridge is the only remaining wooden trestle bridge in San Diego.
Originally wondering how many years it would take to rebuild the bridge, Ben Baltic of the Banker’s Hill Residents Group, said how pleased he was that it only took five months. “I can’t tell you how pleased I am…that the bridge is actually going to be open today.”
With that, the ribbon was cut, and community members were invited to finally walk across the Bridge.
