February 2012 - San Diego Downtown News

Transcription

Volume 13
issue 2
February 2012
Columbia • Core/Civic • Cortez Hill • East Village • Gaslamp/Horton Plaza • Little Italy • Marina
➤➤ NEWS p. 7
CLIENT
PROJECT
VERSION
SAN DIEGO
DOWNTOWN NEWS
Logo Design
FINAL
CLIENT APPROVAL
DATE
1/9/12
X
Central Library meets
fundraising goals
Schmidt Design
Group releases
plans for Horton
Plaza Park and
Children’s Park
Downtown’s future
plaza touted as music
and festival hotspot
➤➤ DINING p. 16
By Logan Broyles
Downtown News
said part of the San Diego influence on Mardi Gras
includes various music styles and groups, dinner
packages and the fact that participants do not have
to “work for” their beads.
Shimabukuro also explained how the event,
synonymous with grandeur and celebration, had
humble beginnings in San Diego.
“It started out at Dick’s Last Resort, [where]
there were a couple of really enterprising employees
who decided that, with their ties to the South, they
wanted to bring a taste of New Orleans here to San
Diego,” she said.
Glen Schmidt has made a name for
himself over the past three decades
as a landscape architect in southern
California as well as an environmental
champion. He is the founder of the
Schmidt Design Group, one of the
most successful landscape architecture firms in San Diego.
Responsible for several prominent landmarks dotting the county,
such as Stone’s World Bistro & Beer
Gardens in Escondido, Schmidt has
been contacted for the development
of Stone World Bistro’s newest location, a restaurant and small brewer y
that is being built in Liberty Station
in Point Loma.
Now, Schmidt has set his sights on
giving Downtown San Diego a vibrant,
new social scene with several promising projects that will reshape the culture of the city over the next few years.
One of these projects is the Horton
Plaza Park, a potential game-changer
see Mardi Gras, page 14
see Schmidt, page 24
The Gaslamp District’s Mardi Gras brings out festive characters every year. (Courtesy Gaslamp Quarter Association)
Donovan’s receives high marks
➤➤ theater p. 22
New Orleans party, San Diego flair
Mardi Gras festival celebrates its 18th year in Gaslamp District
By Ashley Mackin
Downtown News
“The Recommendation”
takes major steps
➤➤ FEATURE p. 23
San Diego’s now-famous Mardi Gras celebration is back for its 18th year, and will dominate
the Gaslamp District downtown with dancing, a
masquerade parade and plenty of beads. This 21
and older event had 35,000 participants in 2011
and the hosts of Mardi Gras are expecting a bigger
crowd this year. Starting at 6 p.m. on Feb. 21, the
celebration will offer the New Orleans party with
San Diego flair.
Brandy Shimabukuro, marketing and public relations director for the Gaslamp Quarter Association,
Connections Housing construction kick-off
Year-round housing and service
facility will open by end of 2012
in vacant downtown building
From “Salome” to “Barber
of Seville” for the SD Opera
By Anthony King
Downtown News
Index
Briefs……………………9
Calendar………………10
Rendering of finished Connections Housing building
Feature…………...…13
(Courtesy PATH)
Drink Shrink……………15
Fitness…………………19
A r t ……………….……21
Contact Us
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www.sdcnn.com
San Diego Community News Network
City leaders gathered on the former site of San
Diego’s World Trade Center at 1250 Sixth Ave. to
launch construction on the city’s first year-round,
223-bed homeless facility in downtown San Diego.
see Connections, page 25
Glen Schmidt of the Schmidt Design Group
(Courtesy Schmidt Design Group)
2
San Diego Downtown News | February 2012
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news
At the groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 5, local representatives celebrated the beginning of North Park Embarcadero
Visionary Plan Phase I construction. (Courtesy office of Councilmember Todd Gloria)
North Embarcadero project breaks ground
Phase one includes increasing open space with new public park
By Johnny McDonald
Downtown News
Portions of what many consider San Diego’s front porch have
recently become construction
zones as the Port District moves
forward with the first phase of
the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan. Groundbreaking for the
project was held on Jan. 5.
After 15 years of public
planning and collaboration, the
North Embarcadero Visionary
Plan Phase I runs from the Navy
Pier to the B Street Pier and will
include construction on a portion
of West Broadway Street. The
estimated cost is $28.6 million. Following the demolition of
buildings that formerly housed
the Harbor Seafood Mart and
Coral Reef Restaurant, work will
commence on a 3.3-acre park
located north of Seaport Village.
Sidewalks around the perimeter
will be closed through early April.
Marguerite Elicone, manager
of media services for the Port of
San Diego, explained the Visionary
Plan encompasses approximately
30 components, including adjusting
the boundary of the Port Master
Plan to incorporate Navy Pier and
adding a youth hostel, additional
open public space, a bay front
shuttle and new parking facilities.
The Port District is contribut-
ing $3.8 million for the park alone,
which was allocated in the Port’s
Capital Improvement Program.
A $3.5 million donation by the
Ruocco family will be used for
the park’s design and upgrades,
including the garden areas.
Construction is expected to be
completed at the end of the summer.
As a provider of recreational
opportunities for the region, the
Port District has developed 150
acres of public parkland along the
waterfront of San Diego Bay and
the shoreline of Imperial Beach.
Ruocco Park will be the Port’s
18th public park.
“Projects of this magnitude
and grandeur don’t happen overnight, and don’t happen without a
lot of public debate and scrutiny,”
said Scott Peters, Chairman of the
Board of Port Commissioners.
“But in the end, we got it done
because we brought the parties
together and found common
ground for the common good and
for the public benefit. That’s how
we get things done here in San
Diego, and it’s a better project for
it,” he said.
The Visionary Plan Phase I is
part of a comprehensive project to
beautify the waterfront and create
new public space. The project also
includes significant improvements
to roadways, utilities and storm
water systems.
The project will also accommodate transportation options
with access to the nearby Santa
Fe Depot and trolley stops. The
Port of San Diego, City of San
Diego and Centre City Development Corporation, on behalf
of the Redevelopment Agency
of San Diego, worked collaboratively to provide funding
for construction and long-term
maintenance of the new public
spaces and amenities.
In addition to the Visionary
Plan, a 105-foot wide esplanade is
also being constructed and will
adorn the waterfront. The esplanade will have formal gardens,
plazas, shade pavilions and a waterfront promenade. It is expected
to be finished in two years.
“San Diego deser ves a
waterfront that links us to our
most valuable asset—the bay—
and provides public space for
residents, visitors and future
generations to celebrate our
connection to the water,” said
City Council President Pro Tem
Kevin Faulconer. “The new
North Embarcadero is about
creating a special place to share
a moment; a space worthy of our
waterfront that has the power to
invoke a shared grandeur across
a crowded plaza, yet create a
unique, personal memor y for
ever yone who visits.”v
3
4
news
AT&T San Diego Apps Challenge announced Jewish Film Festival
Contest urges smartphone application designers
to create San Diego-specific app
By Loralee Olejnik
Downtown News
Mayor Jerry Sanders recently unveiled plans for an AT&T
San Diego Apps Challenge, a
contest for application developers to create a San Diegospecific application focused on
improving the lives of its users.
First mentioned during his
State of the City Address on Jan.
11, Sanders then outlined the
challenge in a press release the
following day.
“The AT&T San Diego Apps
Challenge is a fun way to engage our community in an effort
that will put useful information
at people’s fingertips,” Sanders said in the press release. “It
fits right in with San Diego’s
entrepreneurial, innovative
spirit and we know our techsavvy population will make it a
huge success.”
Potential application uses
range from public transportation routes and where to find
a parking spot in the Gaslamp
returns to San Diego
Leichtag Foundation sponsored fest opens
February 9 in La Jolla
By Ashley Mackin
Downtown News
Mayor Jerry Sanders
(Courtesy office of Mayor Jerry Sanders)
to real-time monitoring of
energy consumption. Contestants will vie for one of 11
cash prizes totaling $50,000
with their app submission.
The contest is open to
professional, amateur and
student developers. Entries
will be judged on creativity and
originality, how well the app is
executed and what impact it has
on the quality of life for users.
A panel of industry experts
will award prizes for winners in
multiple categories including
best overall; popular choice;
best high school student application and an award for the
City of San Diego Government
Innovation, which rewards the
application that makes local
government most accessible to
the public.
AT&T and San Diego Gas
and Electric (SDG&E), along
with other corporate sponsors,
will provide the prize money.
SDG&E recently launched
a Green Button campaign to
make real-time energy consumption information available
to consumers.
“We’re moving away from
the monthly bill cycle to giving
the customer more control,”
said Erin Coller, SDG&E
communications manager.
Coller said they are hopeful the
winner in the Best Energy App
category can create something
that enhances people’s ability
to make wise decisions on how
to use and conserve energy. “We’re definitely excited to
see what the developers come
up with,” she said.
Ignacio De La Torre,
regional vice president for
external affairs for AT&T, said,
“Applications are one of the
primary reasons people buy
Smartphones and tablets. That’s
why we’re partnering with the
City of San Diego and Mayor
Sanders to support the development of great apps that improve
the lives of San Diegans.”
De La Torre added, “We’re
looking forward to seeing local
developers turn their ideas
into apps that our customers
will love.”
Although many San Diego
apps already exist, including those for touring Balboa
Park and the San Diego Zoo as
well as an app to get the latest
Chargers news, the possibilities
for the contest are vast.
Michael Sacca, owner of the
downtown web-development,
design and marketing company
Tiny Factory has developed
successful applications in the
past. Sacca, whose success-
see Apps, page 7
The 22nd annual San Diego
Jewish Film Festival, sponsored
by the Leichtag Foundation,
will run Feb. 9 - 19. The Festival is presented by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture
at the Lawrence Family Jewish
Community Center, Jacobs
Family Campus.
As a highlight, the Festival
will once again feature films
as par t of the Joyce Forum, a
celebration of emerging and
seasoned filmmakers. The
Joyce Forum is on Feb. 13
at the Reading Cinemas 14,
located at 4665 Clairemont
Dr. and presents outstanding
Jewish-themed shor t subject,
documentar y and feature films
from around the world. “David” screens Feb. 14 and 15.
As part of the Joyce Forum,
nine short films will be screened
along with one full-length feature, starting at 2:30 p.m. The
short films include “Flawed,”
“Don’t Tell Santa You’re Jewish!,” “Ladies and Gentlemen:
Biddie Schitzerman,” “Ingrid
Pitt: Beyond the Forest,” “David
and Goliath,” “Miracle Lady,” “I
Was a Child of Holocaust Sur vivors,” “Shira” and “A Reuben By
Any Other Name.” These short
films are all free to attend. The full-length featured film
From the short film “David and Goliath.”
in the Joyce Forum is “Kaddish
for a Friend,” the stor y of an
unlikely friendship between Ali,
a fourteen-year-old Palestinian
refugee who hates Jews, and
an elderly Russian Jew, Alexander, who passionately wants to
continue living independently.
“Kaddish for a Friend” starts at 5
p.m. and regular tickets start at
$13.75. It will also screen at the
Reading Cinema 14.
At 7:30 p.m., the Joyce
Forum will highlight a series of
animated shorts, “Jewish Food
for Thought,” which incorporates Jewish wisdom into conversations. Tickets for “Jewish
Food for Thought” range from
$11.75-$13.75.
In addition to the Reading
Cinema, films in the San Diego
Jewish Film Festival will be
screened at the UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard
Center, Edwards San Marcos
Stadium 18, the Carlsbad Village
Theatre in Carlsbad and the David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre
at the Lawrence Family Jewish
Community Center in La Jolla.
Single ticket prices for most
films are $10.75-$12.75 for
seniors, $11.75 for JCC members
and $13.75 for non-members,
with var ying ticket prices for
opening and closing events.
Festival passes, senior and
student discounts and group rate
discounts are available. For more
information and specific ticket
information, visit lfjcc.org. v
This is the Southern Calif. premiere of “Joanna.”
5
6
NEWS
Closure of Redevelopment Agencies discussed
at City Development Corporation seminar
Chair Kim John Kilkenny says affordable housing is ‘biggest loser’
By Ashley Mackin
Downtown News
At a monthly Sound Bites
seminar on Jan. 24, the San
Diego Centre City Development
Corporation (CCDC) had Chair
Kim John Kilkenny discuss the
recent decision by the California
Supreme Court to abolish Redevelopment Agencies across the
state and its impact on San Diego.
Kilkenny explained Assembly
Bill 26 and Assembly Bill 27,
which were adopted as a part
of the recent state budget. AB
26 abolished all redevelopment
agencies across California and
AB 27 allowed redevelopment
agencies to continue if they
agreed to pay the state a fee
that would go towards the state
education fund.
The California Redevelopment
Association, League of California
Cities and the cities of San Jose
and Union City believed AB 27
was a violation of Proposition 22
and filed a lawsuit against the
state. Kilkenny said Proposition 22 “expressly prohibits the
state of California from diverting
certain revenues from local government to state government or
from local to any other agencies.”
On Dec. 29, 2011 the California Supreme Court determined AB 27 was in violation
of Proposition 22 and reversed
its passage. However, the Court
upheld the passage of AB 26.
Kilkenny further explained
the CCDC is not a redevelopment
agency, but a non-profit corporation owned by the City. The City
gives CCDC land use responsibility, which expedites the approval
or disapproval of projects, a role
similar to that played by redevelopment agencies.
However, the CCDC funding is at risk with the Supreme
Court’s decision.
Regarding the future of the
CCDC, Kilkenny said, “[It] may
be reconfigured and renamed
[and] definitely downsized. Its
responsibilities, I assume… will
continue with the land use function that they have done previously, [but] we will charge permit
fees for those services…. It can’t
use redevelopment money.”
Kilkenny said the service that
would suffer most is development
Kim John Kilkenny, Chair of the
Centre City Development
Corporation (CCDC) (Courtesy CCDC)
of affordable housing, losing approximately $30 million in funding.
“We see… funds dwindling
for affordable housing,” he
said. “The role redevelopment
agencies used to play is [that] a
developer would come in and get
state money and federal money
and tax credits, and redevelopment would pay for the gap. If
the gap funding isn’t there, then
there is not enough money in the
other sources to make affordable
housing work. I think it’s a huge
challenge,” Kilkenny said.
District 3 Councilmember
Todd Gloria, although not present at the Sound Bites seminar,
said, “Affordable housing and bay
front improvements are things
that are going to be missed if
we’re unable to find a way to fund
them without [redevelopment
funds] going forward.”
Despite the challenge,
Kilkenny said he believes Downtown San Diego will continue to
“prosper and thrive.”
At their annual board meeting
on Jan. 25, the CCDC Board of
Directors elected the following officers with a unanimous vote: Chair,
Kim John Kilkenny; Vice Chair, Bill
Shaw; Treasurer, Donna Jones; and
Secretary, Steven Relyea.
Though Kilkenny said affordable housing is “the biggest loser”
with the loss of redevelopment
funds, the Board granted design
review approval for a residential
mixed-use project in downtown
that includes affordable units.
Bounded by Broadway, E
Street, Eleventh Avenue and
Park Boulevard, this facility will
consist of two towers of 31 and
32 stories with 623 residential
units, 40 of which are affordable
units. Also included in the design
are indoor and outdoor amenity spaces, approximately 9,700
square feet of street-level retail
space, and 644 parking spaces.
At the next CCDC Sound
Bites seminar on Feb. 7 from
12:15 to 1:15 p.m., City Council
President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer will speak in his tenure
as downtown’s Councilmember
and discuss goals for his final
year representing the district.
A question and answer session
will immediately follow. Reser vations are not required to attend
the event at the Sheila R. Hardin
Downtown Information Center
located at 193 Horton Plaza.v
NEWS
Central Library project receives anonymous donation
Mayor Sanders announces full funding in State of City address
The new Central Library, located at 330 Park Blvd. reached full funding through an anonymous donor.
Photo taken Jan. 31, 2012. (Photo by Daniel Solomon)
By Anthony King
Downtown News
In Mayor Jerry Sanders’s State
of the City address on Jan. 11,
Sanders announced the San Diego
Central Library construction project
was now fully funded. The $185 million project came up short in funds
twice. Initially, the City approved the
project in 2010 despite a $32 million
discrepancy. Then, the San Diego
Public Library Foundation, which
was responsible for raising the necessary funds, ended their campaign
in December 2011 $15 million short
of their goal.
An anonymous donor guaranteed the necessary $15 million, but
this person or organization was
not mentioned directly in Sanders’s speech and has yet to publicly
come forward.
Of the $185 million needed for
the project, $80 million is being supplied by the San Diego Centre City
Development Corporation. Both
the California State Library system
and the San Diego Unified School
District are matching $20 million
each for the project, leaving over 35
percent, or approximately $65 million, coming from private donations.
The San Diego Public Library
Foundation says this is the highest
level of private support ever for a
public library capital project anywhere outside of New York City.
“I’m delighted to announce tonight, that because of the generosity of so many San Diegans, we are
able to move forward and complete
construction,” Sanders said in his
address, which took place at the
Balboa Theatre in downtown. Calling the project “on time and under
budget,” Sanders said the project is
now “fully funded without a nickel
of General Fund money.”
San Diego Public Library
Foundation Chair Mel Katz said,
“This is truly a public [and] private
partnership and 38.5 percent of the
project’s total funding comes from
generous San Diegans.”
Katz, who was acknowledged in
Sanders’s State of the City address
along with past Foundation Chair
Judith Harris, said the Foundation
would continue its fundraising
efforts for an endowment, special
programming and an enhanced
library collection.
In March 2011, Harris told a
City Council committee she was
confident in the Foundation’s ability
to raise the necessary funds. “We’ve
met every other challenge. We plan
on meeting this challenge,” she said
at the time. Concern was raised that
if the Foundation came up short
on its goal, taxpayers would end up
making up the difference.
In his Jan. 11 State of the City
address, Sanders said, “A building
of architectural distinction and unmistakable importance, the Central
Library is a shining example of
what can be accomplished even in
the worst of economies if you have
faith in San Diego and its people.”
Sanders then introduced Harris
and Katz, who received a standing
ovation from the crowd.
“Our city will celebrate the day
the Central Library opens for business,” Sanders said, “but its true
success will come each time a child
walks inside to do her homework,
or check out a book, or use its
reading rooms, or when she attends
an education program on the ninth
floor and looks across the bay to
the horizon, knowing she lives in a
city that so proudly and prominently
values learning and knowledge.”v
The Central Library is located at 330 Park Blvd. Photo taken Jan. 31, 2012.
(Photo by Daniel Solomon)
From page 4
Apps
ful projects include Bilingual
Child, an application geared
towards helping one-to-three year
olds learn basic nouns in Spanish,
plans to enter the Challenge.
“This contest is nice because
it’s San Diego-centric,” Sacca
said, who has entered similar
contests in the past. “I like that
it’s centralized around San Diego.
It gives a direction to it. It sounds
like they’re gearing it towards students as well, which is fantastic.”
Sacca said although it varies,
he might spend approximately
100 to 150 hours developing an
application before it’s ready to
be released into the market. He
also said there are highly talented
developers working around San
Diego and one of the goals of
Tiny Factory is to bring this com-
7
munity closer together.
Those without development
know-how who have great ideas
for apps are encouraged to participate by submitting their comments via the contest’s website,
sdappschallenge.com.
Applications are required to
use at least one data set from
the city or its partner organizations. In addition to city of San
Diego data, contestants will
also have access to data from
SDG&E, Metropolitan Transit
System, the Scripps Institute of
Oceanography and SanGIS, a
regional geographic and mapping database. Entries may also
integrate information from
other places.
Submissions are accepted
until April 11 at 5 p.m. A panel of
industry professionals will judge
entries and public voting will be
open April 25 to May 23. Winners
will be announced June 13.v
8
opinion/letters
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First issue...
Dear Readers,
Diego
staff and I present our inaugural issue of San
It is with great pleasure and excitement that my
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will be able to offer more content and increased
With our coverage of uptown and downtown, we
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bring
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I thank my staff for their hard work and thank
to build on the
hope
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news
Comprehensive Pension Reform
initiative set for June 5 ballot
DowntownBriefs
City Council declines to hold public vote in November
general election amidst controversy over cost, unions
By Anthony King
Downtown News
The San Diego City Council
voted 7-1 on Jan. 30 to send the
controversial pension reform
initiative to a public vote for the
June 5 ballot. The Comprehensive
Pension Reform initiative is in
response to a petition signed by
approximately 116,000 registered
city voters filed last year.
Councilmember Carl DeMaio
led the signature campaign and
DeMaio, along with Mayor Jerry
Sanders and Council President
Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer, drafted
the initiative.
Councilmember Marti Emerald, the lone dissent vote, said it
would cost the city less money if it
the vote was placed on the general
election ballot in November. The
Council is required by law to place
the initiative for public vote as the
petition received enough signatures from registered voters.
“Let me just say that I intend
to vote against this going on the
June ballot,” Emerald said at the
Council meeting, “We have an
opportunity to save considerable
money… at a time when the City
is cash-strapped. I think this is a
legitimate way to save a considerable amount of money.” Emerald
said placing the initiative on the
November ballot could have saved
up to $300,000.
At the meeting, Emerald also
voiced concern about voter turnout
in June versus November. “In the
interest of representative democracy,” she said, “we know we have
50 percent more voters turn out in
November and this is an opportunity for more voters to step up and
be heard on this issue.”
Mike Zucchet, general manager of the San Diego Municipal
Employees Association (MEA),
said the Council was wrong to
put the initiative on the June
ballot without consultation with
unions. “We believe the City has
violated state law with respect
Councilmember Marti Emerald
(Courtesy office of Marti Emerald)
with bargaining with employees before putting this on the
ballot,” Zucchet said. Zucchet
filed an Unfair Practice Charge
against the City with the Calif.
Public Employment Relations
Board on Jan. 18.
In the filing, Zucchet said,
“With clear precedent in place
related to the obligation of public
employers to meet and confer
over matters within the scope of
representation prior to placing
an initiative on the ballot seeking
voter approval to amend or revise
a City Charter… the City has
refused to meet and confer with
MEA over a so-called ‘Comprehensive Pension Reform’ (‘CPR’)
ballot initiative headed to the June
see Pension, page 20
Free speech movement of 1912 featured at
Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park
Anniversary exhibit draws comparison to current political climate
Downtown San Diego
DUI Checkpoint Nets
Twelve Arrests
On Jan. 27, 2012 the San Diego Police Department (SDPD)
conducted a DUI checkpoint in
the 1500 block of First Avenue
Downtown. The checkpoint was
operational from just after 10
p.m. to 3 a.m. and 1,901 vehicles
passed through the checkpoint;
1,213 of the vehicles were contacted by officers; 22 motorists
were detained for a further evaluation of their sobriety. Twelve
arrests were made for DUI,
and eleven vehicle impounds
were conducted at the checkpoint. Two additional vehicles
were impounded for violations
that occurred adjacent to the
checkpoint, and one citation was
issued for a driver operating on a
suspended license. For statewide
and local Avoid DUI Task Force
Campaign Enforcement Schedules for the county and Daily
DUI Arrest/Fatal Stats for the
county and region, visit Californiaavoid.org.
City launches long-term
“wise water-use” contest
Students are filming, drawing and designing their way
to enter three contests now
underway that focus on using
water wisely and creating a
more sustainable community.
The contests attracting these
artistic talents are the City
of San Diego Public Utilities
Department’s Water Conservation Poster Contest and Film
Contest. The Poster Contest is
open to children in first through
sixth grades and all submission
must be postmarked by March
30. The Film Contest is open to
11th and 12th graders and all
submission must be postmarked
by April 6. For more information
about the Annual Poster and
Film Contests, as well as entry
forms, visit wastenowater.org or
call the poster and film contest
coordinator, Rebekah Hook, at
(619) 232-2112 ext. 104.
City Council contributes
$45,000 to Water Man
Check-In
San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria announced on
Jan. 31 a $45,000 contribution to
keep the homeless storage facility
open through June 30, 2012. In
an effort coordinated by Councilmember Gloria, City Councilmembers allocated enough Community
Projects, Programs and Services
(CPPS) funds to keep what is
A historic photo on display at the Freedom of Speech exhibit. (Courtesy Centro Cultural de la Raza)
By Kendra Atleework
Downtown News
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the fight for free speech
in America, Centro Cultural de la
Raza, located at 2004 Park Blvd. in
Balboa Park, will feature the San
Diego Free Speech Fight 100-Year
Anniversary exhibit. Running
through Feb. 12, this exhibit includes photos, first-hand accounts
and media reports surrounding
the San Diego free speech fights
in 1912.
Other highlights of the exhibit
include an exploration of California’s labor history and work by local
artists. Secretary, Treasurer and
CEO of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council Lorena
Gonzalez said the exhibit is “truly is
a must see for all San Diegans.”
The 1912 movement began
when city officials banned free
speech and assembly for 49 square
blocks in downtown San Diego.
Jim Miller, author and professor of
labor relations at San Diego City
College, said that, at the time, the
ordinance was one of the most
severe free speech bans to have
occurred in the United States.
Miller said the ordinance targeted the Gaslamp District, which
was frequented by working class
people from many ethnic backgrounds, and was ripe organizing
territory for progressive activists.
The activists most feared by San
Diego’s government and ruling
class, Miller explained, were union
organizers promoting Industrial
Workers of the World (IWW).
Miller called the IWW unique
because it embraced workers of all
ethnicities. IWW members, also
called “wobblies,” organized workers by delivering public speeches
that often pointed out the excess
wealth of large San Diego corporations compared to the relative
see Speech, page 20
9
known as the Water Man Checkin Center open through the end
of the Fiscal Year. “The Check-in
Center keeps the possessions
of our homeless neighbors safe,
while helping keep San Diego’s
streets clean,” said Councilmember Gloria, who allocated $10,000
to the cause. Since opening early
in 2011, the Check-in Center has
been credited for improved conditions on San Diego’s streets and
applauded by homeless people and
advocates for helping solve this
longstanding challenge. The San
Diego Housing Commission will
start accepting monetary donations from the public next week so
the Check-in Center’s future can
be ensured beyond June. City Council approves
changes in agriculture
regulations
The San Diego City Council
approved changes to local urban
agriculture regulations on Jan.
31. The changes make it possible
for increased access to locally
produced food. District 3 Councilmember Todd Gloria championed
many changes. In a press release,
Gloria said, “I am incredibly
proud that the common-sense
measures we passed today will
allow more San Diegans to keep
small numbers of animals on their
property and strengthen their
connection to their food.” Major
changes include allowing roosters, chickens, miniature goats
and bee colonies in designated
urban areas. Five to twenty-five
chickens will now be allowed, depending on zone restrictions, and
up to two beehives will also be
allowed. Other changes include
allowing daily Farmers’ Market
stands in all commercial zones
and allowing community gardens
to sell produce in residential
zones one day per week. Most of
the changes are expected to go
into effect March 2012 pending
Coastal Commission approval.
San Diego mayoral
candidate Bob Filner to
attend Occupy San Diego
strategic meeting
Mayoral candidate and
Congressman Bob Filner is
scheduled to attend the Occupy
San Diego County Summit 2012
on Saturday, Feb. 4. Along with
author and lawyer Marjorie
Cohn, Filner and members of
other organizations have been
invited to participate in the
strategic planning meeting by
giving speeches and teach-ins.
Filner will be debating the
issue of electoral politics and
the Occupy movement. Cohn
see Briefs, page 20
10
CalendarofEvents
Feb. 3
Lisa Loeb with Jill Sobule:
7:30 and 9:30 p.m. shows, Anthology, 1337 India St., tickets start
at $10, visit anthologysd.com for
more information
August Burns Red: 7 p.m.,
House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave.,
tickets start at $20
The Recommendation: 8
p.m., through Feb. 26, Sheryl and
Harvey White Theatre, 1363 Old
Globe Way, tickets start at $29
“Hydrodynamica - Remember the Future: 10 a.m.,
concerns the early surfboard
design culture (1947-1954) of
Bob Simons, Space4Art, 325 15th
St., free
Feb. 4
Little Italy Mercato: 9 a.m.
– 1:30 p.m. Saturdays, farmers
market with over 100 booths, Date
& India streets, free.
Russian Romance: 6:30
p.m. wine and cheese tasting, 7
p.m. performance, Beth RossBuckley on flute, Fred Benedetti
on guitar, George Svoboda on
guitar and Dana Burnett on
keyboard, Meyer Fine Art, 2400
Kettner Blvd., for more information, visit camarada.org, tickets
start at $40
Wild Child, Doors cover
band: 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
shows, Anthology, 1337 India St.,
tickets start at $10, visit anthologysd.com for more information
Black Holes, The Other Side
of Infinity: opening day, 3 p.m.
and 6 p.m. shows, Reuben H. Fleet
Science Center Heikoff Dome
Theater. Showing in conjunction
with the new exhibit: “Black Holes:
Space Warps & Time Twists” 1875
El Prado, $15.75 Adults; $12.75
Juniors/Seniors
Feb. 5
Phenomenal - California
Light, Space, Surface: final day,
11 a.m., 1100 Kettner Boulevard,
$10
Cherr y Poppin’ Daddies:
8 p.m., Anthology, 1337 India St.,
Golden Child: 2 p.m., Chinese Pirate Productions stages
David Henr y Hwang’s drama,
Tenth Avenue Theater, 930
Tenth Ave., through Feb. 18, for
more information, visit 10thavenuetheatre.com
Infinite Balance – Artists
and the Environment: 10 a.m.,
final day of exhibit, “first U.S.
presentation of artists shortlisted
for the Prix Pictet, the world’s top
prize for photography and sustainability. Museum of Photographic
Arts, 1649 El Prado, free - $6
Feb. 6
City Council meeting: 2 p.m.
Mondays, 202 C Street, 12th floor, free
Geometr y Playground: 10
a.m., Reuben H. Fleet Science
Center, 1875 El Prado, free
Wine Course for the Wine
Enthusiast: 6 p.m., class one of
six, The WSET (Wine & Spirits
Education Trust) Certification
Program for beginners and the
non-formally trained wine enthusiast, 1735 Hancock St., for tickets
and to registration information,
visit winesmarties.com or call
(619) 955-8884
Feb. 7
City Council meeting: 10 a.m.
Tuesdays, 202 C Street, 12th floor, free
Anthology House Band:
7:30 p.m., Jazz and R&B music,
Anthology, 1337 India St., visit
anthologysd.com for more information, $5
Residents Free Tuesdays
in Balboa Park: hours vary by
museum, participating museums
include Reuben H. Fleet Science
Center Centro Cultural de la
Raza San Diego Model Railroad
Museum San Diego Natural History Museum. Free for San Diego
Residents with ID, active military
and dependents
Feb. 8
Estelle with Stacy Barthe:
7 and 9:30 p.m. shows, Anthology,
1337 India St., tickets start at $10,
visit anthologysd.com for more
information
The Modern Jewish Experience in World Cinema discussion: 6:30 p.m., led by Lawrence
Baron, Ph.D, San Diego Central
Library, 820 E St., free.
Feb. 9
Whale Watching Time: 9:45
a.m. and 1:30 p.m. daily Locate
gray whales on their round
trip migration from Bering Sea
to Baja’s breeding grounds. For
reservations, call (619) 234-4111.
1050 North Harbor Dr., tickets
start at $17.50
Yoga for Cancer Survivors: 9
a.m., open class for survivors, caregivers, family and friends, focuses
on relaxation through breath work,
range of motion for all joints and
deep meditation, Ginseng Yoga,
2985 Beech St., $5 for patients, $10
for survivors
Get to Know Cheese: 6:30
p.m., cheese tasting with complimentary wine, ages 21 and older,
Venissimo cheese, 871 G St., $50
The 22nd Annual San Diego
Jewish Film Festival kickoff:
various times based on event, Lawrence Family Jewish Community
Center, Jacobs Family Campus, Single ticket prices for most films are
$10.75- $12.75 for seniors, $11.75
for JCC members and $13.75 for
non-members; visit lfjcc.org for
more information
The Persuasions: 7:30 p.m.,
Anthology, 1337 India St., tickets
start at $10, visit anthologysd.com
for more information
Teitur: 9:30 p.m., Anthology,
information
Feb. 10
Sights and Sounds of Northern Germany: 6:30 p.m., Resident
organist Janice Fehér performs historic and modern organ compositions by Lubeck, Boehm, Buxtehude, Brahms, Telemann and Gade.
18 and older, First Presbyterian
Church, 320 Date St., free.
Los Amigos Invisibles: 8 p.m.,
4th & B, 345 B St., tickets start at $23
Financial Statements – what
they mean, how to use them:
9:30 a.m., workshops for startup
and established small businesses,
550 West C St., pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door
Elite Squad – The enemy
within: Variance films showing at
Gaslamp 15, 701 5th Ave. varying times and ticket prices, visit
readingcinemasus.com/gaslamp.
htm for details
Feb. 11
A Midsummer Night’s
Dream: 8 p.m., San Diego Ballet
presents this piece and Mixed Bill
as part of the “Romance” series.
Lyceum Theater, 79 Horton Plaza,
A Valentine’s Romance: 8
p.m., Winter Pops concert with
Broadway singers Jennifer Holliday
(Dreamgirls) and Hugh Panaro
see Calendar, page 12
see Calendar, page 12
11
12
From page 10
calendar
(Phantom of the Opera), conductor
Marvin Hamlisch. Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., tickets start
at $20
Great Gatsby Gala: 7 p.m.,
annual fundraising gala for the
Pickwick Players, period dress is
encouraged, 1360 North Harbor
Drive, for more information,
visit pickwickplayers.net, $35 in
advance, $45 at the door
Feb. 12
Third Ave Certified Farmers’ Market and Asian Bazaar:
9 a.m., Sundays, on the 400 block
of Third Avenue between Island
Avenue and J St., free.
Man-made bouquets: 2 p.m.,
flower-arranging class for men,
instructing men to create unique
arrangements for Valentine’s Day,
Lula Mae Flowers, 1760 Kettner
Blvd., $74 for the class, flowers and
storage in a cooler
Feb. 13
Man-made bouquets: 2
p.m., flower-arranging class for
men, instructing men to create
European-style hand tied bouquets
for Valentine’s Day, Lula Mae
Flowers, 1760 Kettner Blvd., $74
for the class, flowers and storage in
a cooler
Mondays, 202 C Street, 12th floor,
free
Middle-Eastern Drum and
Belly Dance Class: 6 p.m., Doumbek drumming class for all levels
taught by Frank Lazzaro from 6 – 7
p.m., followed by tribal belly-dance
class taught by Sabrina Fox with
live drumming from 7 – 8 p.m. 2100
Park Blvd, $12 per class.
Feb. 14
Tommy Emmanuel: 7:30 p.m.,
Balboa Theater, 868 Fourth Ave.,
Sleeping Beauty: 7:30 p.m.,
Moscow Festival Ballet performance, Copley Symphony Hall, 750
B St., tickets start at $20
Tuesdays, 202 C Street, 12th floor, free
Legal Issues for Small Business
– organizational structure: 9 a.m.,
workshops for startup and established small businesses, 550 West
C St., pre-paid registration $49, $59
at the door
include Museum of Photographic
Arts San Diego History Center Veterans’ Museum and Memorial Center. Free for San Diego
and dependents
Feb. 15
Mid-back exercises: 1:30
p.m., exercise and wellness class,
Gaslamp Chiropractic, 302 Island
Ave., Suite 103, for reservations,
call (619) 321 - 0093, free
Swan Lake: 7:30 p.m., Moscow
Festival Ballet performance,
Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St.,
Feb. 16
Nik Simon Trio on the Voodoo Stage: 7 p.m., House of Blues,
1055 Fifth Ave., free
The Recommendation: 8
p.m., through Feb. 26, Sheryl and
calendar
Harvey White Theatre, 1363 Old
Globe Way, tickets start at $29
information, visit brazilcarnival.
com, tickets start at $25
Feb. 17
In the Wake: 8 p.m., San Diego REPertory Theater, 79 Horton
Plaza, through March 4, tickets
start at $38
Tao – Taiko Drummers of
Japan: 8 p.m., Copley Symphony
Hall, 750 B St., tickets start at $20
DanceMotion classes first day:
varying times, visit dancemotionsd.
com for times and information,
2650 Truxton Road; single class,
$30; five classes, $125; ten classes,
$270 including a wine and cheese
reception
Feb. 19
Mundell Lowe, Gary Scott,
Bob Magnusson: 7 p.m., Ground
floor of Harbor Club Towers on
Second Avenue & J Street, $15
Tribute to Reggae Legends:
5 p.m., Port Pavilion on Broadway
Pier, tickets start $65
Mexican Modern Paintings:
noon, final day to view work by artists including María Izquierdo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros,
Rufino Tamayo, Alfonso Michel,
Federico Cantú, Angel Zárraga,
San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El
Prado, free - $12
Feb. 18
Taste of San Diego Craft
Brews fundraiser: 6-10 p.m.,
Proceeds support San Diego
History Center’s continuing K-12
educational outreach efforts,
1649 El Prado, Suite 3, for more
information, visit sandiegohistory.
org/tasteofsandiego, $65 VIP, $39
general
Moby Dick: opening night, 7
p.m., Balboa Theater, 868 Fourth
Ave., tickets start at $50
Little Italy Carnevale: 5 p.m.,
West Date at India Street, Little
Italy, vignettes of entertainment
including live music and dancing,
stilt-walkers, art, maskmaking for
kids, free.
San Diego Brazil Carnival:
8:30 p.m., Rio de Janeiro Samba
Show featuring the Samba dancers
in colorful sequined costumes,
stunning Brazilian singers, high-energy Capoeira performances with
acrobatic martial arts, and amazing
Afro-Cuban dance and percussion
troupe4th & B, 345 B St., for more
Feb. 20
free
Love Clay: 11 a.m., Spanish
Village in Balboa Park, on display
through February, for more information, visit sandiegopottersguild.
org, free.
Woodies: 10 a.m., History and
evolution of the “Woodie” focuses
on the iconic surf car, San Diego
Automotive Museum, 2080 Pan
American Plaza, general admission
$8
Feb. 21
Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp: 6
p.m. – midnight, live performances
and a masquerade parade, visit
gaslamp.org/mardi-gras for more
information $20 in advance, $25
day of
California’s Most Fascinating Trees: 6 p.m., Botany professor, author Matt Ritter addresses
San Diego Floral Association.
Meeting begins with catered
dinner for $15, followed by a talk
and book signing, Casa del Prado,
Balboa Park, free
Tuesdays, 202 C Street, 12th floor,
free
Residents Free Tuesdays in
Balboa Park: hours vary by museum, participating museums include San Diego Art Institute, Mingei International Museum, San
Diego Museum of Art, San Diego
Museum of Man, Japanese Friendship Garden. Free for San Diego
and dependents
Feb. 22
Jon Anderson – The Voice of
Yes: 7:30 p.m., Progressive rock,
Anthology, 1337 India St., tickets
start at $18, visit anthologysd.com
for more information
Iced Earth & Symphony
X with Warbringer: 6:30 p.m.,
Mark Christopher Lawrence
Comedy: 7 p.m., House of Blues,
1055 Fifth Ave., tickets start at $10
Feb. 23
Gilbert Castellanos and the
Hammond B-3 Trio: 8 p.m.,
Dizzy’s, Ground floor of Harbor
Club Towers on Second Avenue & J
Street, $15
Beautiful Freaks Tour: 7
p.m., featuring Hot Chelle Rae,
Cady Groves and Electric Touch,
Tower After Hours –Ireland:
6 p.m., traditional Irish music,
dance, and story-telling performed
by our city’s top talent, San Diego
Museum of Man, 1350 El Prado,
An Introduction to Ikebana
Arrangements of the Ichiyo
School of Ikebana: 9:30 a.m.,
Instructor Deborah Warriner will
present an overview of the history
of Japanese flower arranging,
the differences between Western
flower arranging and ikebana, and
introduction to two basic styles of
moribana (low container) arrangements. Casa del Prado in Balboa
Park, Room 104, $20 ($15 for SDFA
members) Feb. 24
Tax considerations for
small businesses: 9:30 a.m.,
workshops for startup and established small businesses 550 West
C St., pre-paid registration $29,
$39 at the door
Arturo Sandoval: 7:30 p.m.
and 9:30 p.m. shows, Mainstream
Jazz, Anthology, 1337 India St., tickets start at $10, visit anthologysd.
com for more information
Feb. 25
Little Italy Mercato: 9 a.m. –
1:30 p.m., farmers market with over
100 booths, Date & India streets,
free.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo:
7:30 p.m., Anthology, 1337 India
St., tickets start at $18visit anthologysd.com for more information.
Ten Thousand Waves: 11
a.m., Isaac Julien weaves together
stories linking China’s ancient
past and present in a nine-screen
video installation, Museum of
Contemporary Art, 1100 Kettner
Blvd., $10
Feb. 26
Moby Dick: final performance,
2 p.m., Balboa Theater, 868 Fourth
Ave., tickets start at $50
McAuley-Schenker Group:
8 p.m., glam metal, 4th & B, 345 B
St., tickets start at $25
Lila Downs: 7 p.m., Balboa
Theater, 868 Fourth Ave., tickets
start at $41.50
Feb. 27
free
The Exquisite Miniatures
of Wes and Rachelle Siegrist:
10 a.m., miniature paintings so
expertly crafted that they are often
mistaken for tiny photographs, San
Diego Natural History Museum,
1788 El Prado, general admission
$17
Feb. 28
Tuesdays, 202 C Street, 12th floor,
free
Charlie Hunter: 7:30 p.m.,
Jazz Fusion Guitarist, Anthology,
information
include San Diego Air & Space
Museum, San Diego Automotive Museum, San Diego Hall of
Champions and certain House
of Pacific Relations International
Cottages. Free for San Diego
and dependents
Feb. 29
Trevor Davis & Meiko: 7
p.m., Anthology, 1337 India St.,
The Kooks with Yawn: 8 p.m.,
Echoes of the Past: Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan: 10 a.m., 6th-century
Chinese Buddhist sculpture
is combined with 21st century
3D-imaging technology in this
exploration of one of the most
important groups of Buddhist
devotional sites in early medieval
China, San Diego Museum of Art,
general admission $12v
FEATURE
13
Not all who wander are lost
Local band Hyena forges its own path to success
By Logan Broyles
Downtown News
From the ver y beginning,
Michael Cooper and Br yan Stratman have always done things
their own way. They tried their
hand at playing with more traditional bands, but felt bogged
down by so many voices in the
creative process.
Instead they have left the
beaten path with their band
Hyena, a dance-centric, electroindie hybrid that’s been making
the rounds at various local clubs
for the last two years.
It’s rare to see musicians
manning instruments and mixers at the same time, combining advanced sound equipment
with the raw energy generated
by a real band jamming on the
spot, rather than just spinning
premade recordings.
Stratman works his mixing
equipment like a man possessed
and Cooper lays down steady beats
on the drums, while they both belt
out auto-tune enhanced vocals.
“When we play a show we’re
just like machines out there,”
said Cooper. “Between me drumming and singing and looping
and programming, and him singing and playing bass and mixing
ever ything, we’re always moving
and there’s no downtime.”
Cooper and Stratman both
grew up with music and started
playing instruments at an early
age. Both have bounced around in
rock and indie bands since their
teens, including Cooper’s stint as
the drummer of TRANSFER.
Together, the multi-talented
musicians mix and mash their
instrumentals to create a unique
style of music that blends the
eighties pop of their childhood
with the more modern DJ revolution era of dance music.
“Basically what it comes
down to is I love women and
women love dance music,”
Cooper said, only half-joking. “It
all started when I began going
to parties with local DJs like
Gabe Vega and Adam Salter and
realized that people just want to
dance and have fun. Being reflective and writing sad Countr y
songs is cool but I’ve done it for
so long that I want to do something fun with more of a party
vibe,” he said.
The duo first met in 2009 when
Cooper was brought in to play
drums for a band that was recording at Stratman’s recording studio,
Capricorn Studios in the East Village. Having access to their own
recording studio has given them a
level of creative freedom that few
bands get to enjoy.
“Having played in bands
since I was fifteen years old I
know how rare this is. I do not
miss being in a band with three
or four other guys at all,” said
Cooper. “It’s so much easier to
get your input into the creative
process when it’s just the two of
us with our own studio to jam in.
With me and Br yan [Stratman],
it takes one phone call to make a
decision and we both get to take
the lead and make the music that
we want to,” Cooper said.
After starting out in the indie
rock world, neither one had
much of a background in electro
music before their latest project,
but they’ve come a long way in a
short time. They have opened for
some top DJs and bands, including MGMT, Felix the Housecat,
Classics, Diplo, and The Bravery,
and the duo just wrapped up a
show with LMFAO.
Bigger things are happening this year, with a new record
coming out locally in March and
globally this summer, coinciding
with Hyena’s world tour.
“We’re picking a few markets
around the world that we want
to attack,” Cooper said, adding,
“We’re going to have a huge
release for the new record and
then go on a global tour in some
of those markets. Touring is
what we want to do because it’s
the best way to get our music out
there and get new fans.”
Hyena will be playing at the
Guesthouse at Stingaree on
Monday, Feb. 6 and at the Casbah on Feb. 23. They also have
regular residencies at Fluxx
Nightclub in the Gaslamp.v
(Top left) (L-R) CD Hyena duo Michael Cooper and Bryan Stratman (Photo by Steven Branon), (center) The duo first met in
2009 and will be playing at the Stingaree and the Casbah this month. (Photo by Rebecca Wilson)
14
news
From page 1
Mardi Gras
“With the impetus being that
February is a rather quiet time
here in downtown since it’s not
really convention season… they
wanted to bring something that
would bring a sense of festivity,”
Shimabukuro said. “So they basically decorated a couple of cars
and [rode] around the block a
couple of times.”
Perri Spiller, manager of Dick’s
Last Resort restaurant, has been
involved with the Gaslamp Mardi
Gras since the beginning. “20
years ago, Dick’s Last Resort put
some employees in the back of
a pick-up truck and threw beads
to the people who happened to
be in the neighborhood. They
were pulled over by the police
and given a ticket for driving too
slow,” she said. “All Dick’s Last
Resort wanted to do 20 years ago
was make a slow Tuesday a good
day for our business. The rest is
history.”From then on out, Shimabukuro said, local businesses got
more involved. “People really
got creative with their floats and
double-decker buses,” she said.
“It just expanded to this districtwide block party and the Gaslamp
Quarter Association has been
involved for 18 years.”
While acknowledging the
electronic music that frequents
the celebration draws a younger,
party-oriented crowd, Shimabukuro said other forms of music and
entertainment make Mardi Gras
enjoyable for everyone. She said
several participating businesses
have house bands or host dancers
performing. She also said there
are several restaurants that provide prix fixe menus or specialty
drinks in honor of the event, and
The highlight for many attending Mardi Gras is the parade. (Courtesy Gaslamp Quarter Association)
dinner packages are available for
the night.
Shimabukuro said instead of
copying the Carnevale from Rio
or Zydeco bands from New Orleans, the San Diego Mardi Gras
plays off Southern California musical roots. She said this festival
is “more of a music festival and
just a celebration of Downtown
San Diego.”
She continued, “We have a
lot of entertainers that come out
from the local market, [and] that’s
everything from DJs to bands to
the performers and dancers in
the streets that are participants in
the parade, so we feel that really
brings out that San Diego and
Southern California feel.”
Shimabukuro said the parade is
her favorite part of Mardi Gras, and
Spiller said she agrees. Spiller said
her favorite Mardi Gras memory
was her first time on a float, in 1997.
“It was my first time to not be
in the restaurant and to really witness the neighborhood from the
view of a float,” Spiller said. “We
turned the corner onto the parade
route and I couldn’t believe the
[tens] of thousands of people that
went as far down 5th Avenue as
we could see.”
Spiller also said she is continuously proud of the staff that created
the event. “Their reward is to ride
the float, which we fill with beads
to throw. The event always ends
leaving them proud of themselves
and a bit closer to each other as coworkers and friends,” she said.
“I also enjoy watching people
go crazy to catch a… bead necklace,” Spiller said. “[The] next
time you are in the Gaslamp Quarter, look up into the trees along
5th Avenue and notice how many
beads remain hidden in them to
remind [you] of that night.” For more information about
the festival, visit gaslamp.orgv
The Mardi Gras parade extends throughout the Gaslamp District.
(Courtesy Gaslamp Quarter Association)
dining
Cremolose, skinny cocktails and a good
dose of he-said, she-said movies
It’s All
Happening
Marc and Darlynne Menkin
While much of the country is
battling frigid temperatures, San
Diego is heating up with all sorts of
fun, new additions. If you’re looking
for something that’s fresh and exciting, here’s what’s happening in the
92101 zip code:
Cremolose (840 Fifth Ave.):
For years, it was known as San Diego Hardware but now this historic
space is home to Cremolose, the
Gaslamp Quarter’s new Italian café
and specialty dessert restaurant.
Although the café offers everything from paninis to salads and
pizzas, it’s the impressive dessert
menu that will catch your eye. The
5,000 square-foot restaurant is the
first of its kind in the U.S., featuring 24 flavors of authentic Italian
gelato and 24 flavors of the Italian
imported Cremolose—a new type
of gelato that’s fresh-fruit based
with a creamy texture of fruit, zest
or nut mixed in. If that’s not enough
to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings,
Cremolose also features 40 cakes
made in-house in individual
serving sizes as well as
larger
cakes,
available to go. Concept designer
and co-builder John Russo calls the
Gaslamp Quarter a perfect location
for what they want to do. “The
restaurant has a very unique, European concept. When you walk in, it
is almost like being in an authentic,
Italian eatery.” Cremolose is open
Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m.
– 2 a.m. and Friday and Saturday
from 10 a.m. – 4 a.m.
Ra Sushi (474 Broadway):
This popular restaurant has come
up with the perfect solution for
partygoers who are watching their
waistline. Throughout the month
of February, Ra Sushi is offering
three new low-calorie skinny cocktails. Lychee-teenie, Skinny Ninja
and Thin Ginger are less than 200
calories each. The fruity sweet
cocktails may be light but they’re
packed full of flavor, so they’re far
from dull. We tried the Thin Ginger made with fresh strawberries,
ginger and Voli Lemon Vodka as
well as the Lychee-teenie: a sweet
Asian lychee fruit mixed with Voli
Vodka and Monin Agave Nectar.
Our advice? Pair up the drinks
with something from the 5 Spot
Menu featuring popular appetizers that are only $5. Ra’s specialty
rolls, like the Crunchy
Shrimp Tempura
Roll or the
Tootsy
Maki, are sure bets. Of course,
there’s always our favorite, Pineapple Cheese Wontons. Monday
to Thursday, 9 p.m. – midnight.
98 Bottles (2400 Kettner
Blvd., Suite 110): Known for its
cool, rotating art, live entertainment
and firm stand against large television screens and sports, this eclectic gathering space is a great place
to catch a flick. Every Wednesday
at 6 p.m., Movie Night is held in
the lower lounge. “Together, with
happy hour pricing all night, Movie
Night is a fun mid-week thing to
do,” said Manager Jill Mesaros. All
through February 98 Bottles will
feature a His vs. Hers movie theme.
In other words, they’ll be showing chick flicks and guy movies
every week. Some of the movie
pairs include “The Hangover” and
“Bridesmaids;” “Sex & the City”
and “Gangs of New York;” and “The
Notebook” and “Fight Club.” We
heard about this place when they
showed “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
a few weeks ago. We hope they’ll
bring Ferris back soon.
We want to hear from you:
Go to 98 Bottles and take a
creative photo of you and one or
two friends with something colorful
and quirky in their back room. The
most creative picture will win two
tickets to a Saturday public Scavenger Hunt with WYWTB Tours and
two tickets to a Discover Coronado
Biking Adventure. E-mail your fun
photo to [email protected]
—Marc & Darlynne Menkin are
the co-owners of Where You Want To
Be Tours. Many of their tours and
teambuilding scavenger hunts feature
secret Downtown areas. Visit them at
wheretours.com Celebrate Valentine’s Day
with a little bit of rosé wine
Downtown
Drink Shrink
Adam Stemmler
Valentine’s Day is observed in
honor of St. Valentine as a day for
the exchange of valentines and
other tokens of affection. Simply
put, we all are reminded to show
affection in one way or another
to our significant other. Although
gifts are a great gesture, creating amazing memories based on
shared experience is a timeless
act that will outlive the lifespan of
any flower.
Therefore, in addition to the
standard dozen red roses, try celebrating this year with something
that many misunderstand as much
as love itself: rosé or blush wines.
This is the Drink Shrink’s Valentine’s Day rosé wine guide.
To some, the mere sight of a
blush wine conjures up images of
grandmothers playing bridge while
simultaneously ingesting large
amounts of cigarette smoke and
white zinfandel, the bastardized
version of rosé wine. This image is
wrong, however, because believe it
or not, Sommeliers and wine enthu-
siasts around the globe marvel at a
proper rosé wine.
So what is considered a proper
rosé wine and why is it important?
To answer, we must first cross the
Atlantic to Provence in the South
of France, the birthplace of the
French vineyard. It was in this
region that Greek traders from the
city of Phocaea brought vines and
their cultural customs of wine making. Centuries ago, wines were customarily pale in color and relatively
analogous to the rosé wines of
today. It wasn’t until the rise of the
Romans— with heavily macerated
and deep colored red wines—that
rosé wines were introduced.
Rosé wine is achieved by doing
a very brief flash fermentation
with skin contact of red or black
grapes. Then, just as white wine is
made, the process is finished with
no skin interaction. Because all
color from red wine comes from
interaction with the skins during
the fermentation process, the
resulting wine is a bright pink hue
that combines aromas and flavor
notes of red wine with the drinkable ease of a white wine.
Here’s a quick rosé wine guide
to what and where to drink this
Valentine’s Day:
What:
Lorenza Rosé, made
from a combination of old
vine fruit from Northern
California, including mourvedre,
carignane, cinsault, grenache and
syrah grapes. This rose showcases
deep layers of flavor with big acidity
Where: Neighborhood, 777 G St.
What: Breton Avis de Vin
Fort, produced in the Loire Valley
region of France. This organic and
biodynamic rosé wine is made from
the cabernet franc grape, making it
bright and vegetal.
Where: Starlite, 3175 India St.
What: Barth Sparkling Rosé,
made from 100 percent pinot noir, or
spatburgunder grapes as it’s known
locally in Germany. This slightly off,
dry sparkling wine showcases notes
of ripe cantaloupe and freshly cut
white button mushrooms.
Where: Top of the Market, 750
North Harbor Dr.
What: Sophia Rosé; Part of
the Francis Ford Coppola series
of wines, this rosé is a perfect
food wine.
Where: Vin de Syrah, 901 5th St.v
15
16
DINING
dav id ne l s o n / r es tau r a n t r e v iew
Donovan’s special occasion
Chef Kemar Durfield hits every high-note at this Gaslamp classic restaurant
333 5th Ave.
619-906-4850
DonovansPrimeSeafood.com
Starters $6 to $30,
entrees $32 to $45,
desserts $5 to $14
Chef Kemar Durfield is a graduate of the kitchen at Addison.
(Courtesy Donovan’s Prime Seafood)
Chef Kemar Durfield’s Hamachi tartare is a special feature at Donovan’s Prime
Seafood (Courtesy Donovan’s Prime Seafood)
Kemar Durfield, chef and
general manager of Gaslamp’s
Donovan’s Prime Seafood, is a
graduate of the kitchen at Addison, which just about everyone ranks as the top restaurant
in San Diego County.
An Addison-introduced
practice that thus far, Donovan’s is
the only establishment to take up:
staffers iron the tablecloths directly
on tabletops, eliminating any risk
pesky creases or wrinkles might
spoil a discerning diner’s complete
appreciate of Durfield’s lovely and
lovingly crafted cuisine.
Very much a special occasion
restaurant, Donovan’s is the sort
of place at which food insiders
drop names the same way agents
lunching in Beverly Hills casually
allude to the celebrities in their
stables. Names include Petrossian,
the Paris- and New York-based
importer that supplies the precious
Ossetra caviar that Durfield uses
to decorate a plush Hamachi tartare. Names like James Boyce, William Bradley and Michael Mina,
three leading American chefs who
taught Durfield some of the most
magical tricks of the trade. Names
like Laughing Bird Gulf, Maine
and Alaska, the breeding grounds
of the ultra-choice shellfish that
Durfield uses inventively to make
his menu both luxurious and
worth the investment.
Although the restaurant
occupies a sizable space on a
prime stretch of Fifth Avenue, the
arrangement of the tables, the
lighting and service make it seem
intimate and private. There’s none
of the ultra-social party atmosphere that has become such a
popular distraction elsewhere. The
mood allows guests to enjoy one
another and the cuisine, which
consistently demands close
attention.
Back to that Ossetra
caviar. Durfield uses
it carefully but memorably in appetizers like
the shellfish cocktail: an
arrangement of prawns,
clams and mussels
with celery root and
micro-cilantro. The
dish is layered
with coconut
shavings,
adding texture,
and moistened
with a slightly
spicy, gazpacho-inspired broth.
The caviar is also the kicker in a
side garnish: a shooter of an oyster,
some citrus and some Champagne
ice (granite, for the French) that
doubles the presentation’s luxury.
No less lush, the Hamachi
tartare is tricked out in as many
choice accoutrements as a Parisian
model, among them a little crown
of greenery centered by a finger of
Ossetra caviar garnished with a few
precious grains of gold leaf. Lime
vinaigrette and a suave avocado
cream meld the minced raw fish
quite marvelously. So well, in fact,
that a fellow diner paused long
enough between bites to breathe,
“This is divine.”
Meals consistently get off to
good starts, with handsomely
garnished crab cakes (more like
cubes, actually) that probably are
the best in town and a presentation of Laughing Bird shrimp
(from the gulf of the same name
on the Caribbean side of Costa
Rica) in a robust bouillabaisse
studded with caramelized garlic.
Most items in the calamari appetizer appear twice, like charred
tomatoes and tomato broth,
grilled fennel dusted with
fennel pollen and so forth.
It’s about the nicest thing
that ever happened to a
little school of squid.
Entrees receive
equally expert attention. Among
the best
are seared
turbot (a
choice fish
rarely
found
on local
menus)
with
shiitake mushrooms and citrus
butter and diver scallops poised
on a remarkable risotto, flavored
with nutty Parmesan and tart,
tongue-delighting sorrel. The
simple perfection of seared Pacific
Ahi tuna in a soy consommé with
forest mushrooms and edamame
makes you tackle it slowly, appreciating every bite to the fullest.
For more traditional luxury, the
entrée list includes market-priced
Alaskan king crab, Main lobster
garnished with gnocchi, turnips
and walnuts (that’s a new idea, and
quite charming) and a couple of
USDA prime steaks for Donovan’s
Steakhouse fans, maintaining
allegiance to the most buttery and
tender beef.
The brown butter pound cake
is so light it should be called a
half-pound cake. It’s delicious
with the caramelized pear and
butterscotch ice cream that flank
it. A dark rum sauce and a brittle
almond Florentine work equal
wonders with the bananas Foster,
but for something light, scoops of
mango and raspberry sorbet end
the meal on a graceful note.v
Durfield uses shellfish luxuriously.
(Courtesy Donovan’s Prime Seafood)
DINING
Popular Grub Sprawl comes to East Village
Local restaurants offer special dishes at low price for participants
By Ashley Mackin
Downtown News
The Grub Sprawl, which has
had successful runs in Hillcrest,
Coronado, North Park, La Jolla
and Little Italy, will spring onto
downtown for the first time. On
Feb. 13 from 6 – 10 p.m., the
Grub Sprawl will take over the
East Village.
This year’s participating
restaurants include: Bub’s at
the Ballpark, Hotel Indigo, The
Knotty Barrel, Village 631,
Proper A Gastro Pub, East Village Tavern and Bowl, El Vitral,
Lolita’s at the Park, Smashburger, Toast Enoteca, Bootlegger
and Mission Brewer y.
“We wanted to participate in
the East Village Grub Sprawl
because this is our community,”
said Smashburger owner Dave
Whisenhunt. “It’s important to us
to be part of community events
and support local programs. The
Grub Sprawl is a fun way to spread
more burger love downtown, and
we’re all about that.”
For the Sprawl, Whisenhunt
said his Smashburger location will
be offering a Classic Smashburger
with a Coors Light or a Classic
Smash Chicken sandwich with
a Coors Light. The restaurant is
located at 801 Market St.
To participate, attendees must
wear complimentary wristbands,
which can be picked up at either
Bub’s at The Ballpark, located at
715 J St. or Hotel Indigo, located at
509 9th Ave. starting at 5:45 p.m.
that evening.
Bub’s at the Ballpark General
Manager Frank Miller said, “We’re
excited to have more events that
are starting to come down to the
East Village so we can showcase
our restaurant and what we’re
about,” which he said is, “fun,
great food in a bar atmosphere
[with] sports and tater tots.”
For the Sprawl, Bub’s at the
Ballpark will offer their Skinny
Boy Archie Chicken Sammie
and tots.
Wearing the wristbands enables participants to enter any of
Grub Sprawl is set for Feb. 13. (Courtesy East Village Tavern and Bowl)
the participating restaurants and
order the restaurant’s special dish,
priced at $5 each. “We’re excited to finally be
able to bring the Grub Sprawl to
East Village. This Grub Sprawl is
the first of six that we’ve planned
for this year, and will set East Village apart as its own distinct community with an up-and-coming
restaurant scene,” said William
Lopez, president of Alternative
Strategies and creator of the
Grub Sprawl.
“It feels great to have so many
diverse restaurants eager to participate this time around, with the
addition of our first drink-oriented
participant, Mission Brewery,”
Lopez said. “We’re also thrilled to
see that so many past attendees
are expressing how excited they
are to return and experience all
the Grub Sprawls throughout San
Diego County in 2012.”
For more information on the
upcoming East Village Grub
Sprawl, visit grubsprawl.com.v
Bub’s General Manager Frank Miller is excited for this month’s Grub Sprawl (Courtesy Bub’s at the Ballpark)
17
18
Fitness
Matters of the heart
By Connie Cook
Guest Columnist
Is love really a many splendored thing? If that includes
drama, giddiness, heartbreak,
lust, anger, happiness, fear and
pleasure, then I would say, “Yes.
It is.” No matter what your take
on love, one thing for sure is that
ever yone feels it—good or bad—
in their heart.
The heart is an amazing
organ. Not only is it your body’s
lifeline, it’s the one organ where
you can actually feel the emotions related to that little thing
called love. For its size, the heart
does a tremendous job of keeping the blood flowing throughout
the body.
The average human heart, at
72 beats per minute, will beat approximately 2.5 billion times during an average 66-year lifespan.
With that in mind, you should
maximize the strength of ever y
beat to make each one as strong
as you possibly can.
Training your heart is as
important as training the rest of
your body, but sometimes the
“out of sight out of mind” aspect
comes into play. If we all truly
wore our hearts on our sleeves,
then we could see exactly what
kind of shape they’re in. Is it as
buff as our biceps or as lean as
our legs?
The only way to get your
heart in tip-top shape is to train
it with cardiovascular conditioning that elevates your heart rate
for an extended period of time,
such as walking, jogging, biking,
jumping rope, swimming or
rowing. Which one is best? The
answer is one you enjoy the most
and will do consistently. Here
are three of my favorite cardio
workouts:
Sit and spin
Hopping on a bike in a cycling
class is one of the quickest ways
to get your heart pumping and
have a great time in the process.
You won’t be popping wheelies,
but you will be monitoring your
heart rate and cadence along
the way. My favorite cycling
class is inter val training. It
alternates between high and
low inter vals of intense work
followed by short rests. It is one
of the most effective ways to
increase your cycling speed and
endurance while challenging
your heart. Plus, you burn a ton
of calories in the process and
develop endurance and strength
in the lower body along the way.
Go for an indoor hike
Want to mimic the great outdoors
with a challenging indoor hike?
Hop on a treadmill and turn the
incline up. I’m amazed how many
people don’t realize how steep
treadmills rise. Maintain a steady
walking speed and increase your
incline every five minutes or so
and you’ll be surprised how the
pitter-patter of your heart gradually increases with the rise of the
treadmill. Walking a steep incline
requires considerably more effort
than a leisurely stroll on flat terrain. It not only challenges your
cardiovascular system but also
burns more fat and calories. You
also get additional toning benefits
to your posterior thigh and
calf muscles.
Row, row, row yourself
into a cardio frenzy
It’s interesting to see some
people tiptoe around the rowing machines and not even give
them a second thought, when
rowing is a full-body cardio
workout that is hard to beat.
Apart from the cross trainer, this
is the only cardio machine that
fully engages the upper body. It
can be a little tricky to establish
your rhythm, but once you’ve
got it, it’s downright cool. By
creating your own rhythmic style
and rowing to your own groove
you’ll get a great heart-pumping
cardio workout that works your
whole body.
Taking care of your heart
should be your number one
priority and the goal of any
cardio workout should be to
elevate your heart rate and get it
pumping to make it stronger and
more efficient. Remember, if you
can’t make it to the gym, you can
always tr y fooling around. Your
heart (and partner) will thank
you for that, too. Sex can give
you a great workout.
By some estimates, a vigorous roll in the hay can double
a person’s heart rate and burn
Next Issue
March 2
Read us online
sdcnn.com
up to about 200 calories,
or the equivalent of a brisk
15-minute run. Think of it as
preventive maintenance and put
a little love in your heart.v
—Connie Cook is a fitness
and athletic director with over 20
years experience in the fitness industry. After extensive experience
in the top fitness and athletic clubs
in Houston, Texas, she developed
and launched the cutting-edge
fitness club, FIT Athletic. At FIT
San Diego, Cook is the Fit Athletic Fitness Director.
19
20
Downtowntown Games
Downtown’s
Sudoku
Answer key, page 22
Downtown Crossword
Puzzle/news
From page 9
pension
2012 ballot because City claims
that it is a ‘citizen’s initiative’ not
‘City’s initiative’.”
At the Jan. 30 Council
meeting, DeMaio criticized the
move. “The notion that labor
unions would demand they
have veto power on the citizens’
initiative process is patently
laughable and, I would argue,
of fensive,” he said. “This council should not be influenced by
their asser tion of a veto over a
constitutionally protected right
to the initiative process by San
Diego citizens.”
The Comprehensive Pension Reform initiative, if passed,
would eliminate pensions for new
City employees and institute a
five-year salary freeze for current
workers. Police officers would be
exempt from these provisions.
Councilmember David Alvarez
announced at the Jan. 30 meeting he intends to introduce an
alternate pension reform plan to
be placed on the June ballot as
well. Alvarez’s plan, which has yet
to be formally outlined, would not
eliminate pensions.
“I think this council owes it to
the voter to give them a choice
on pension reform by providing
an alternative, one that I refer to
as cap and freeze,” Alvarez said
at the meeting. “Cap and freeze
would combine a five-year freeze
on pensionable pay with a cap on
pensions to prohibit anyone from
taking home a six-figure pension,” he said.
The City Council will need to
vote to put Alvarez’s measure on
the ballot and must be turned into
election officials by March 9.v
Fire hoses were used on the crowd in 1912, as shown in this archived
photo. (Courtesy Centro Cultural de la Raza)
From page 9
speech
poverty of many workers.
Although there were only 50
IWW members in San Diego in
1912, Miller explained that this
small group met with intense
repression at the hands of the
ruling class due to the changes
the IWW members posed to the
city’s economic and cultural future. “The free speech fight was
a strong indicator that the city’s
elite did not want an unruly,
organized working class population,” Miller said.
Free speech and assembly
rights were restored in San
Diego within the year, however
Miller pointed out the fight of
1912 is still underway by illuminating similarities in today’s
political climate. “The local right
[wing] wants to make San Diego
the Wisconsin of the West by
attacking unions and ensuring
that folks in low paying, service
sector jobs stay passive and
unorganized while the elites run
the show,” he said.
Miller said there is an
“obvious and striking parallel”
between the political climate,
actions of dissent and methods of
repression that occurred during
the 1912 free speech fight and the
current action surrounding the
Occupy San Diego movement.
“We have moved back to a situation of massive economic inequality in this country, much like a
century ago,” he said, “and people
are beginning to fight back.”
Gonzalez agreed, saying,
“The Occupy movement brings
back vivid memories of civil
disobedience with issues of free
speech and freedom of assembly
that took place in San Diego 100
years ago.”
Both Miller and Gonzalez
stress the lessons they hope
viewers take from the Balboa
Park exhibit. “If something like
banning free speech by an overzealous city council can happen
once, then it can happen again if
we aren’t careful,” Gonzalez said.
Miller added, “The lesson is
those rights we think of as fixed
and eternal can, and have been,
taken away. We need to fight to
preserve them.”
The exhibit will be at Centro
Cultural de la Raza Tuesdays
through Sundays through Feb.
12 from noon to 4 p.m. For more
information call (619) 235-6135 or
visit centroculturaldelaraza.org.v
From page 9
briefs
will be the keynote speaker,
presenting the United Nations
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Occupy
movement. Other discussions
include The Costs of War, Occupy 2.0 and Rescind NDAA
and the Patriot Act, among others. The Summit takes place at
the Centro Cultural de la Raza
in Balboa Park from 12:30 to
6:30 p.m.
Initial Identity
Answer key, page 22
Multi-level expansion
announced for Little
Italy eatery
Consortium Holdings
announced plans for a multilevel expansion and creation of a
Japanese whiskey bar for Little
Italy restaurant UnderBelly. The
Japanese ramen house-inspired
restaurant and bar is the fifth
venture by Consortium Holdings
and plans include the addition
of more than 1,000 square feet.
A 30-person patio is planned for
the new second floor, increasing
UnderBelly’s capacity threefold. Along with the physical
changes, UnderBelly owners
plan to introduce the City’s first
Japanese whisky bar with an
array of imported selections and
hard-to-find American favorites.
UnderBelly is located at 750
West Fir St. Completion on the
project is expected to occur by
Summer 2012.v
art
21
East Village art complex rises
Space4Art’sJessicaRosefocusesonaging,history
Jessica Rose in her studio at Space4Art as she paints. (Illustration by Donatel)
“Lighthearted,” an example of the age-appreciating paintings by Jessica Rose (Courtesy Jessica Rose)
By Will Bowen
Downtown News
Jessica Rose said she has an
affinity for what most people are
afraid of seeing on their faces. “I
like wrinkles. I can’t wait until I have
some,” she said. The 24-year-old
artist currently works at Space4Art,
an art collective and gallery located
at 325 15th St. in downtown San
Diego’s East Village.
Rose’s current series of work
includes large, colorful paintings
of the faces of the older adults she
came to know when she worked at
the Remington Club, an independent living center for seniors in
Rancho Bernardo.
Instead of doing the usual
portrait, full face or profiles, Rose,
who has been painting for just
three years, focuses on the lower
side of the face, the mouth or the
nose of her subjects. The result
is startling, striking and almost
macabre. Signs of aging, such as
wrinkles and recessed gum lines,
are boldly and colorfully depicted.
Rose, who went through six
majors at San Diego State University,
starting with nursing and ending
with Fine Art, said she paints the
part of the face or the body that most
depicts the “essence” of the person.
Rose said she is fond of the
people she paints. “Everyone is
perfectly imperfect,” she said.
Rose sees the signs of aging as
beautiful, she said, “Wrinkles
are beautiful. They are like the
landscape of history, all that the
person has gone through…. They
tell a story; all of the person’s
experiences are there to see.”
Though not overtly intended,
Rose’s paintings are a poignant
social commentary on how our
culture views aging. Her work
challenges our normal perceptions of looks and points out our
ageism, or our discrimination,
evaluation, critique and categorization of people based on their age.
Instead of seeing people as people,
we sometimes see age, with youth
as beautiful and old as not.
Rose is one of 40 artists who
work at Space4Art, a communitybased art collective built and maintained by volunteers. At Space4Art
there are 30 art studios, several
galleries and five artists who live
on the premises full time.
Space4Art is the brainchild of
Robert Leathers, his wife Sheryl
Nichol and Chris Warr. Their
purpose in creating Space4Art was
to build an art center that would
reach out to the City and schools
and have a positive and transformative influence.
Leathers is both an artist and
an architect. He previously toured
with the light show Phantasma-
goria, which accompanied rock
bands Grateful Dead, Iron Butterfly and Seals & Croft.
Leathers said, “San Diego has
been dragging its feet about what
people could do in and for the
community. We here at Space4Art
are committed to making a difference,” adding, “We want to expand
and establish an arts district in
this neighborhood with affordable
housing for artists. We want to
have 40 people living here.”
Leathers also insisted on the
importance of the arts in San
Diego’s future development. He
said he would rather see an arts
district than a football stadium
downtown. “There is no question
that the arts are more important
for San Diego than football. It is
the arts that bring people to a city,
not football,” he said.
For more information,
visit artbyjessicarose.com or
space4art.orgv
22
The Lively Arts
entertainment
By Charlene Baldridge
Downtown News
February is for theater and
music lovers as well as simply for
lovers, as downtown arts organizations and presenters regale us
with romantically informed and all
around exciting fare.
Civic Theatre
February 18, 21, 24 and 26
(times vary) San Diego Opera
presents the sensational, spectacular world co-premiere production
of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s
“Moby-Dick,” starring heldentenor Ben Heppner as Captain
Ahab. Civic Theatre, 202 C Street,
Downtown. sdopera.com or (619)
533-7000.
Jennifer Holliday is featured in the San Diego Symphony’s A Valentine Romance
Feb. 10 and 11. (Courtesy San Diego Symphony)
Copley Symphony Hall: The
joint is jumpin’!
8 p.m. February 10 and 11, “A
Valentine Romance with Broadway’s Best” San Diego Symphony
Winter Pops concert with love
songs, conductor Marvin Hamlisch and vocalists Jennifer Holliday and Hugh Panaro.
7:30 p.m. February 14 and 15,
respectively, see two of Tchaikovsky’s loveliest ballets, “Sleeping Beauty” and “Swan Lake”
performed by Moscow Festival
Ballet (music is pre-recorded).
8 p.m. February 19, Chicago
Symphony Orchestra, presented
by La Jolla Music Society (ljms.
org or 858-459-3728)
Moscow Festival Ballet performs Feb. 14 and 15
(Courtesy San Diego Symphony)
7:30 p.m. February 22, young
singer Jackie Evancho.
Tickets: sandiegosymphony.
org or (619) 235-0804.
10th Avenue Theatre
February 23 - March 18:
Mo‘olelo Performing Arts
Company reunites “Yellow Face”
actors Brian Bielawski and Greg
Watanabe in Amlin Gray’s “How
I Got That Story,” a two-man
black comedy about a naïve
newspaper reporter caught up in
the maelstrom of 1960s Vietnam.
Frank Rich called the language
“at once hilarious and chilling.”
Directed by Seema Sueko, 10th
Avenue Theatre, 930 10th Ave.,
Downtown. moolelo.net or (619)
342-7395.
The Old Globe
Continuing through Tuesdays
- Sundays through February 12,
Horton Foote’s Tony-nominated
“Dividing the Estate” and through
February 26, the world premiere of
Jonathan Caren’s “The Recommendation” at The Old Globe Theatre
and the Sheryl and Harvey White
Theatre, respectively, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, The Old Globe,
1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park.
Information and tickets at theoldglobe.org or (619) 234-5623.v
“The Recommendation” gets high marks
Playwright Jonathan Caren takes a major step in his Old Globe premiere
By Cuauhtémoc Kish
Downtown News
The character Aaron, played
by Evan Todd, in The Old Globe
Theatre’s current production of
Jonathan Caren’s “The Recommendation,” makes his initial
entrance wearing nothing but
a white towel. It is shock-value
but not shocking, and although
Caren knows how to grab our
attention in the first scene of this
well-crafted memor y play, he
gives audience members much
more than simple, youthful flesh.
Caren has a firm grip on a
stor y about friendship, social
debt and privilege, and delivers
it up with a pulse that keeps our
attention throughout.
Iskinder (Izzy), played by
Brandon Gill, narrates the stor y
of three young men in different
social strata from his middleclass point of view. Izzy is an unconnected son of an Ethiopianborn father who has sent him off
to an Ivy League college where
his roommate, Aaron, schools
him in non-credited classes like
back scratching, privilege and
fortune.
Their friendship continues
post-graduation as Izzy secures a
job at a prestigious law firm with
help from Aaron’s father, while
Aaron begins his career in the
Los Angeles film industr y as a
personal assistant. Aaron does
this, as Izzy did, with a little help
from his father.
The third man in this
dramatic triangle is Dwight,
played by Jimonn Cole, who has
no connections, no collegiate
education and even less money.
By coincidence, Dwight and
Aaron find themselves together
in a holding cell. When they are
transferred to a county jail and
Aaron’s father fails to bail him
out—to teach his son a lesson—
Aaron realizes he must barter
protection by promising Dwight
favors when released.
To no one’s surprise, Aaron
fails to follow through on his
promise to Dwight. This failure
manages to haunt Aaron, especially when Dwight is released
from prison as a result of an
assist from Izzy, who pens a successful appeal for his pro-bono
client.
Jonathan Munby’s capable
direction underscores the
energy of the play. Munby even
goes so far as to choreograph
the scene changes, highlighting the exuberance of his three
youthful players and the tension
that hangs between them. He
balances the easy humor with
audience interaction and finds
a proper place for Dwight’s
peppered slang, Aaron’s easy
braggadocio and Izzy’s overriding moral concern.
All three actors, as well
as the playwright, hail from
Julliard; the school should be
proud of its alumni package of
exceedingly bright talent. Todd
handles the challenges of his
privileged character with youthful vigor while Gill narrates and
interacts with a commanding,
self-absorbed presence. Cole
plays bravado, agitation and
impotence with equal measure.
Alexander Dodge designed a
minimalist metal set that ser ves
the play well. Lighting designer
Philip Rosenberg coolly lit the
set, focusing attention directly
on the actors.
As many learn, there is more
to most individuals than mere
muscle power. Caren brings
us the exterior of three individuals and then digs deep to
The Recommendation
Through February 26
The Old Globe Theatre
(The White Theatre)
Tues & Wed 7 p.m.
Fri 8 p.m.
Sat 2 & 8 p.m.
Sun 2 & 7 p.m.
Info: (619) 234-5623
Web: TheOldGlobe.org
display what is bubbling inside.
He has a good handle on the
subject—friendship, patronage
and nepotism—and displays
both the beautiful as well as the
ugly in his first major step as a
playwright.
This fresh, new work is
highly recommended.v
Initial Identity
(L-R) Brandon Gill as Iskinder and Evan Todd as Aaron in the
“The Recommendation,” directed by Jonathan Munby, Jan. 21 - Feb. 26
at The Old Globe. (Photo by Henry DiRocco)
Crossword solution from page 20
Sudoku
Puzzle solution from page 20
entertainment
23
San Diego Opera’s 2012 season
From “Salome” to “The Barber of Seville,”
this season has a diverse audience in mind
dow of time it offers an
escape.”
Beginning April
21, Gioachino
Rossini’s
“The Barber of
Seville”
will
close
out
the
season
Doniwill the
zetti’s
familiar
“Don
tune of
Pasquale”
fS
/
d
ev
“Figaro.”
will bring
ar
ille
ow
H
This comedic
laughter to its
n
”o
e
K
pen
opera features Fiaudiences with
by
sA
oto
h
P
p
garo as a barber and
a stor y of marriage
(
ril 2
.
em
1 sta
matchmaker, challenged
and tricker y. Complete
each
rring S
M
s
a
c
i
u
lvia Tro Santafé and L
with assisting the Count in
with a mariachi band, “Don
winning one woman’s attention.
Pasquale” will be relocated to
The eccentric set designs are
will include a selection of opera
the American Wild West and
based on Belgian artist Rene
arias, art songs, Broadway hits
tells a humorous stor y of a man
Magritte’s surrealist style.
and selections from her album
and his enamor with younger
“San Diego Opera has
“Dark Hope.”
women.
sustained its popularity over
“Opera, like all good art,
For one night only, famed
the years by attracting some of
changes lives,” Wilensky said.
soprano Renée Fleming will
the world’s leading singers,”
“Attending the arts makes you
be center stage for a benefit
Wilensky said. “The singers you
take time off, turn off the cell
concert with the full San Diego
see here, you’ll also see in New
phone and let’s you fall in love
Symphony Orchestra. On March
York, Paris, Vienna and Berlin.”
for a few hours. For a brief win24, Fleming’s performance
e
“Th
Ba
rbe
ro
The San Diego Opera opened
its 2012 international season on
Jan. 28 with “Salome,” a dramatic
and electrifying opera based on
the Oscar Wilde play. With four
diverse operas and a muchanticipated recital in store for
the season, it is no surprise that
San Diego Opera has captivated
audiences year after year at the
Civic Theatre downtown since its
foundation in 1950.
Richard Strauss’s “Salome” features the famed “Dance of the Seven Veils” followed by a gruesome
beheading. An adaptation of the
biblical story, “Salome” involves
John the Baptist and the court of
King Herod for a shocking and
action-packed performance.
“Opera is a combination
of all the arts,” said Edward
Wilensky, San Diego Opera’s
director of media relations. “It
incorporates singing, acting,
drama, dance, a full symphony
and special effects.”
Wilensky added, “Opera
is one complete art form that
works together. It’s not a museum piece; it’s a living, breathing art form.”
Taking the stage with a multimedia opera beginning Feb. 18,
the West Coast premiere of Jake
Heggie’s “Moby-Dick” will illustrate Captain Ahab’s obsession
with seeking revenge. Based on
Herman Melville’s 19th centur y
classic, “Moby-Dick” will engage
high-tech projections and a set
dangling 40-feet above the stage.
“This season there are three
established operas that offer new
twists on the originals,” Wilensky said. “Things like different
staging, costuming, nuances and
new locales. We don’t change
the music or singing,
but present the opera
in a new way. We
always stay true
to the art.”
Opening
March
10,
Gaetano
(L-R) Lise Lindstrom (Salome), Sean Panikkar (Narraboth), Greer Grimsley (Jochanaan) and Philip Skinner
(Second Soldier) “Salome,” January and February 2012. (Photo by Ken Howard)
ieg
oO
pe
ra)
Downtown News
The San Diego Opera plans
its seasons four to five years in
advance. Artistic Director Ian
Campbell is already finalizing
their 2015 season, hand-picking
and locking in dates for the
world’s best opera singers. The
company aims to introduce at
least one new opera to the community each season, in addition
to one well-established masterpiece. This year “Moby-Dick” is
new to San Diego and next season “Murder in the Cathedral”
will make its debut.
“The community is excited
about art, especially new art,”
Wilensky said, “and they’re willing to take a chance on it.”
The theatre holds 2,887
seats, with some operas requiring additional space for a larger
orchestra. San Diego Opera attracts a seasoned audience, with
university students and a younger
generation in the seats as well.
The Civic Theatre is located at
the intersection of 3rd Avenue and
B Street in downtown. For more
information visit sdopera.com.v
Sa
nD
By Kai Oliver-Kurtin
Ben Heppner (Ahab) in “Moby-Dick.”
(Photo by Karen Almond/The Dallas Opera)
24
news
A sketch of the proposed Horton Plaza Park as designed by Glen Schmidt.
“That is really going to transform downtown,” Schmidt said. (Courtesy Schmidt Design Group)
From page 1
schmidt
for the music and festival scene
in San Diego.
“We’re going to remove the old
Robinson-May building where Sam
Goody and Planet Hollywood are
now and create a downtown plaza
that will be kind of like a Times
Square for San Diego,” Schmidt
said with audible excitement. “It
will be the first time that the city
has had a large open space for
civic events, so that’s going to be a
huge change that is going to really
transform Downtown.”
The Horton Plaza retail
center, where the park will
be located, is owned by the
Westfield Corporation. As part
of the company’s contract with
the city, Westfield is obligated
to organize at least two hundred civic events and community celebrations a year.
Ranging from concerts to
music festivals, art exhibits,
dance performances, extreme
sports activities, holiday events
and farmers markets—which are
just some of the proposed activities—there will be no shortage of
things to do around town once the
plaza is built.
“The Horton Plaza Park
project will improve the quality of life in our urban core and
create a new and exciting civic
open space for all San Diegans
to enjoy,” said Schmidt. “Similar
to Pioneer Courthouse Square
in Portland or Union Square in
San Francisco, it will be a place
for a huge variety of activities
year-round that is sure to attract
visitors from outside Downtown
as well as local residents, workers and visitors.“
The Centre City Development
Corporation (CCDC), on behalf
of the City of San Diego Redevelopment Agency, is working with
A sketch of the proposed Children’s Park in downtown.
(Courtesy Schmidt Design Group)
Westfield Corporation to make
this project a reality.
“This is an important
project for San Diego because
it will rehabilitate this historic park and create some
vital new urban open space in
downtown,” said Mark Caro, a
senior planner and landscape
architect for the CCDC.
“Horton Plaza Park is one of
the oldest parks in Downtown
and in the past it ser ved as a
community gathering place,”
Caro said. “The expansion
of the park will add another
37,000 square feet, which we
hope will once again make it
the central gathering place for
all of San Diego.”
Schmidt said the renovated
park will also provide opportunities to modify the north side
of the nearby retail center to
expose it to more activities in the
Gaslamp District.
Covering approximately one
city block in Downtown, the
brand new outdoor entertainment venue is expected to be
finished in December 2013.
Additionally, the Schmidt
Design Group recently finished
plans to revive and renovate the
Children’s Park and Civic Pond
across from Downtown’s Convention Center.
Built in preparation for
the 1996 Republican National
Convention, the Children’s Park
was originally designed more
for artistic appeal than for recreational use. At the time, there
were not as many residents
living in the Downtown area as
there are today.
“Demographics have
changed and the demand for
open space and more recreational opportunities for downtown residents have increased
dramatically,” said Schmidt.
“The intent of the renovation is
to create a safer environment
and reactivate the park with
new amenities.”
Those amenities will include
a large children’s play area with
climbing structures, an interactive water area with jets, a concert
lawn and food vendors with an
informal outdoor dining area.v
news
From page 24
connections
The list of program partners was announced at the construction launch.
(Courtesy PATH)
The Connections Housing development will be a full-service residential community home to help
homeless individuals and families
transfer to permanent housing.
In attendance at the groundbreaking were Mayor Jerry
Sanders; City Council President
Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer; District
3 Councilmember Todd Gloria;
Centre City Development Corporation Chair Kim John Kilkenny;
and San Diego Housing Commission President and CEO Richard
Gentry, among others.
“Connections Housing will be a
civic project of great benefit for the
people who will be served there,
and for the City of San Diego,”
Gloria said in a press release. “By
providing supportive services on
site as well as house, Connections
[Housing] will help move people
from the streets to self-sufficiency.”
Scheduled to open by December 2012, the Connections
Housing facility will include 73
permanent housing units, 16 special needs single-room occupancy
units, 134 interim housing beds,
a social service center and a community health clinic.
Medical services will be
offered at the facility through a
partnership with Family Health
Centers of San Diego (FHCSD),
a nonprofit community health
organization. The organization
will close its current downtown
location at 1145 Broadway to move
permanently into the Connections
Housing building. “The... community health center will continue
to provide comprehensive medical
and mental health care services to
everyone,” said FHCSD Government and Media Relations Manager Ben Avey.
Operated by People Assisting
the Homeless (PATH), which
runs similar facilities in Southern
California, the funding for Connections Housing comes from the
City of San Diego through the
Centre City Development Corporation, the San Diego Housing
Commission and a Community
Development Block Grant.
Additionally, federal lowincome housing tax credits and
funds from the nonprofit organization, Corporation for Supportive Housing, round out the
primar y funders for the project.
The estimated renovation cost
is $34 million.
In his State of the City address
on Jan. 11, Mayor Sanders said
the housing project was a step in
the right direction for addressing
homelessness year round. “This
year, we look forward to opening
the Connections Housing Center,
a permanent shelter downtown
where the homeless can find
supportive housing and treatment
as they battle drug addiction and
mental health issues,” he said.
Construction on the 86-year-old
vacant World Trade Center building began in November 2011, one
year after the City Council voted
unanimously in October 2010 to
begin talks to convert the building
into what will now be Connections
Housing. The permanent building
is intended to replace the city’s
temporary winter shelter tents,
however Gloria said the opening of
the permanent facility is one step
to helping individuals and families
affected by homelessness.
“The start of construction on
Connections is the start of a new
day for our homeless neighbors in
San Diego, but is not a single solution.” Gloria said. “We must persist
with our efforts with the Emergency Winter Shelter program, services
like the Neil Good Day Center, and
provide more affordable housing if
we are to continue our progress on
this challenging issue.”
The Neil Good Day Center is a
homeless services facility located
at 299 17th St. offering case management, medical services and
veteran services, among others, to
homeless individuals in downtown
during the day only. Administered
by the city, the center is currently
operated by the Alpha Project
and will continue to offer services
through 2012.
“Our comprehensive approach to homelessness is a
model for other cities grappling
with this problem,” Sanders said
at the address, “and should make
2012 the first year in memor y
when San Diego won’t need to
open a winter homeless shelter
because beds and ser vices will
already be waiting.”v
25
(L-R) District 3 City Councilmember Todd Gloria, Mayor Jerry Sanders, City Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer
and Housing Commission and CEO Richard Gentry at the Connections Housing construction launch. (Courtesy PATH)
26
news
San Diego Black Film Festival awards announced
S. Epatha Merkerson’s documentary of the antebellum South takes home top honors
By Anthony King
Downtown News
“Ties That Bind” won Best Diaspora
film (Courtesy “Ties that Bind”)
The powerful documentary
“The Contradictions of Fair Hope”
was the big winner at this year’s
San Diego Black Film Festival,
which took place Jan. 26 – 29 at
the Reading Gaslamp Cinemas.
The film, directed by S. Epatha
Merkerson and Rockell C. Metcalf, won Best Film, Best Director,
Best Documentary and the Filmmaker’s Choice Award.
“Congratulations to all the
winners and a special thanks
to all the filmmakers who
participated in the 2012 San
Diego Black Film Festival,” said
Festival Director Karen Willis.
Downtown’s Black Film Festival
is one of the largest black film
festivals in the countr y with
over 100 African-American and
African Diaspora films screened
each year.
Merkerson is best known
for her role as Lieutenant Anita
Van Buren on NBC’s “Law and
Order,” and received an Emmy,
Golden Globe, Screen Actor’s
Guild, Gracie Allen and Image
Award for her performance in
the HBO movie “Lackawanna
Blues.” “The Contradictions of
Fair Hope” is her first feature
film project.
Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg,
the documentary examines a time
in United States history that is not
well known, when, in July 1865,
over four million slaves had been
freed and were forced to cope
with the realities of the newfound
freedom. The film focuses on The
Fair Hope Benevolent Society
in Uniontown, Ala., one of many
“benevolent societies” that were
created at the time to respond
to the hunger, illness and fear of
these communities.
Other winners at this year’s festival include “The Custom Mary”
for Best Religious Film and Best
Cutting Edge Film as well as the
South African entry, “Glitterboys
and Ganglands,” for Best LGBT
film. The documentary follows a
group of female impersonators
competing in the Miss Gay Western Cape contest and addresses
issues of poverty, HIV, gangs and
attitudes toward sexuality.
“Glitterboys” director Lauren
Beukes, who could not attend this
year’s Festival, said, “While [“Glitterboys and Ganglands”] might
be of special interest to the LGBT
community, I think it’s totally ac-
S. Epatha Merkerson
(Courtesy “The Contradictions of Fair Hope”)
cessible and universal for general
audiences, too. I’m interested in
telling compelling stories about
fascinating real lives.”
Beukes said being selected
for the Festival was an honor, and
was thankful for San Diego for
hosting an international film as
part of the selections. “Getting
international recognition for what
you do is amazing,” she said, “not
just for the filmmakers, but for
the girls who competed in the
pageant, too.”
The complete list of winners
follows:
Best Film:
Best Drama:
“Lesson Before Love”
Best Director:
S. Epatha Merkerson and
Rockell C. Metcalf for “The Contradictions of Fair Hope”
Best Diaspora:
“Ties That Bind”
Best Religious Film:
“The Custom Mary”
Best Documentar y:
Best LGBT:
“Glitterboys and Ganglands”
Best Short:
“Brotherly Love”
Best Comedy:
“Camp Kickitoo”
Best Actor:
Choice Skinner for “Brotherly Love”
Best Cutting Edge Film:
“The Custom Mary”
Filmmaker’s Choice Award:
Best Music Video:
“Whip my Mane”v
Rockell Metcalf receives an award
at this year’s festival.
(Courtesy “The Contradictions of Fair Hope”)
27
28

February 2012 - San Diego Downtown News

Transcription

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