Those who have purchased ticketsto this year’s Old House Fair historichome tour on June 20 have a doublebonus in store when they enter the CStreet home designed by San Diegoicon architect Richard Requa. Thebonus being the opportunity to alsowander amid the idyllic landscape,which was originally designed by Mil-ton Sessions, the prominent landsca-per of the early 20th century (KateSessions’ nephew).

Built in 1927 from Requablueprints that came with the Tus-cany-style, three-level home, Rudd

and Sally Schoeffel purchased the in-desperate-need-of-maintenancehome in February 1998. They havebeen restoring it ever since. The cou-ple (both very active as owners ofSouth Park’s Rancho Buena Vista RealEstate), focused first on renewing thehome then recently began payingattention to the expansive grounds.

During the current restoration, theSchoeffel’s met Parker Jackson, anoted locally-based historian, whospecializes in the career of RichardRequa. “Our meeting with Parker wasby chance,” said Rudd. “When he

learned we lived in a Requa-designedhome he told us he had not visited itbefore. Of course, we invited him andhe accepted.”

Later, after several visits, Jackson,who at the time was lecturing at anarchitecture class at San Diego StateUniversity, brought the entire classand professor to visit Requa’s C Streetproject. Rudd reports that Jacksontold the class that their home was anexample of Requa’s best work.

The C Street address is not the firsthome the Schoeffel’s have bought andrestored to historical standards. Their

taste in restoration projects over theyears has focused on Mediterrean-style, mainly Tuscan and SpanishRevival; plus an adobe pueblo andtoss in a coupe of California ranch-style projects.

But, they don’t just pick any homein need of TLC. They appreciate thework of San Diego’s fabled architects,having restored three homes by CliffMay, one by Lillian Rice and the cur-rent one by Requa.

But perhaps, the redux closest to

WHAT’S INSIDE?

PRESORT STANDARDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSAN DIEGO, CAEDDM RETAIL

SHORT-TERM RENTALS — A Confusing ProblemNorth Park could have as many as 500 listings

BY THOMAS SHESS | PHOTOS BY SCOTT BASILE

northparknews.biz/digital

Serving San Diego’s Premier Urban Communities for 23 Years

Vol. 23 No. 5 May 2015

Local Postal Customer

Rudd and Sally Schoeffel in their C Street home that they have been restoring since theypurchased it in February 1998.

Around the NeighborhoodJohn and Hanna Santos cultivate agarden of plants, tortoises, fish thatlive in a rain barrel, a free booklibrary and much more in theirArizon Street home. PAGE 5

C STREET PANORAMA

The Internet has changed the waywe live. It has made life easier in manyways and it has created some chal-lenges. One area that wasn’t previouslytruly possible to explore pre-Internetwas the so-called “sharing economy.”

That’s a fancy name for sharing yourassets with other people in a way thatmakes some money for you and savesthe user some money, too. For exam-ple, in some cities, for a fee you canuse someone else’s car while they aretraveling. Cool, right? Another exam-ple is the collection of home sharingsites: Airbnb, VRBO,

Couchsurfing.com, FlipKey, etc. Theyall have two aspects that are importantfor this conversation: they are easy touse and they let regular people getmore value out of one of their biggestassets (and biggest costs) — theirhomes.

So, this month, I want to share someinformation about Airbnb and whatit means for North Park and our sur-rounding neighborhoods. Estimatesare that there are between 250 and 500Airbnb/VRBO/Craigslist short-term

BY OMAR PASSONS

A 1927 house lovingly restored by Rudd and Sally Schoeffel

SEE RENTALS, Page 16

SEE PANORAMA, Page 16

Science Fun atthe CircusA hands-on circus is the next bigexhbition at the Reuben H. FleetScience Center. At “CIRCUS: Sci-ence Under the Big Top,” kids andadults can exploe the sciencebehind the spectacle. PAGE 6

Girl Scouts’ Cool WomenCarmen Vann of North Park andHillcrest resident AwetashKeflezighi — mother of marathonchampion Mel Keflezighi — werehonored as Girl Scouts San Diego’sCool Women 2015. PAGE 10

Our Lady of PeaceModernization Plan

The opening of the St. Catherineparking structure at the Academy ofOur Lady of Peace has broughtsome closure to a long, nasty battlethe school waged with homeownersand the city. PAGE 15

The owner of this North Park home advertised a room for rent for $60 a night or $500a month.

The Rudd and Sally Schoeffel home at 3188C St. was designed by San Diego icon archi-tect Richard Requa. It was built in 1927.

2 | northparknews.biz/digital | May 2015

Leading Cast MembersAnnounced For Old Globe’s‘Arms and the Man’

The Old Globe leading cast mem-bers for George Bernard Shaw’s “Armsand the Man,” the romantic comedythat continues the Globe’s 80thanniversary festivities as part of theBalboa Park Centennial Celebration.The production runs through June14 on the Donald and Darlene ShileyStage in the Old Globe Theatre, partof the Globe’s Conrad Prebys TheatreCenter.

Tickets can be purchased online atwww.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at(619) 23-GLOBE, or by visiting theBox Office at 1363 Old Globe Way inBalboa Park.

The beautiful Raina Petkoff is aboutto marry the heroic soldier Sergius.But the battlefield sweeps into herboudoir when an enemy soldier takesrefuge under her bed. Soon she willhave to decide between her romanticideals and the surprising sensations ofnew love. “Arms and the Man,” utterlyromantic and one of the wittiest andmost charming plays of the Englishstage, mixes smarts and silliness in awonderfully entertaining tale of loveand war.

Balboa Park ConservancyHires New Executive Directorand CEO

The Balboa Park Conservancy hashired Thomas Herrera-Mishler as theorganization’s new executive directorand CEO following a national search.

Herrera-Mishler will officially start hisnew position on July 1, after serving asCEO and president of the OlmstedParks Conservancy in Buffalo, N.Y.,since 2008.

“Helping to keep Balboa Park mag-nificent is a job I will relish,” said Her-rera-Mishler. “As a nexus of arts andculture, recreation, and horticulturewithin such a diverse and dynamicurban setting, few places are as per-fectly poised as Balboa Park to serveas both an economic catalyst and pri-mary cultural resource for its neigh-borhoods and region.”

Herrera-Mishler will provide lead-ership and direction in strategic plan-ning and setting goals, ensuring theyare aligned with the organization’s mis-sion for enhancing the visitor experi-ence through improving access, sus-tainability and a vision for the future.

“We are very fortunate that a candi-date of Thomas’s caliber came forwardin our national search,” said CarolChang, president of the Balboa ParkConservancy’s board of directors. “Hissuccessful tenure working with the Cityof Buffalo to operate and restore thehistoric Olmsted parks system, thenation’s first park system, makes himuniquely qualified to help us sustainand enhance Balboa Park for futuregenerations.”

Born in Mexico and fluent in Span-ish, Herrera-Mishler moved to theUnited States as an adolescent. Heholds a bachelor’s degree in Spanishlanguage and literature with a minorin business administration and a mas-

ter’s degree in landscape architectureand regional planning, with a special-ization in urban design, from the Uni-versity of Michigan.

Prior to serving as CEO and Presi-dent of Olmsted Parks Conservancy,where he helped to secure over $30million for capital improvement pro-jects, he worked as the executive direc-tor of the Awbury Arboretum inPhiladelphia, Airlie Gardens in Wilm-ington, N.C., and the MassachusettsHorticultural Society in Boston. As alandscape architect and planner, Her-rera-Mishler has designed projectsacross the US, the Caribbean, Mexico,and Spain.

South Park’s Kim RichardsSelected as Panelist in TownHall Program

South Park resident Kim Richards,co-founder and director of STEAM-Connect, has been selected as a pan-elist in an upcoming town hall discus-sion on STEM vs. STEAM educationhosted by VH1 Save The Music Foun-dation. The event will be held at thePaley Center in New York City onThursday, May 7, at 7 p.m. ET, andwill be livestreamed for parents, edu-cators and community leaders acrossthe country at live.vh1savethemusic.org.

“It is an honor to be included in thisimportant discussion that aims tobring widespread awareness toSTEAM and the fact that every childcan learn and succeed through the artsacross all subject areas,” says Richards,who recently directed the STEAM-Connect Ascend Conference, whichwas attended by more than 500

national leaders in education and busi-ness.

Panelists from the worlds of educa-tion, the arts, policy, business, tech andmedia will share best practices, per-sonal stories, scientific study, tools andideas on STEAM education. With con-tinued input from the panelists, VH1Save The Music Foundation will com-pile a STEAM toolkit with recommen-dations and key findings for parents,educators and lawmakers to raiseawareness of STEAM and fosternationwide growth in the movement.This report will be available in fall2015.

The town hall discussion signals agreat step for VH1 Save TheMusic. For nearly two decades, theorganization has worked to restoreinstrumental music programs and hasdonated $51 million worth of newmusical instruments to 1,900 publicschools around the country. Most oftheir efforts have been focused at thelocal grassroots level, in the commu-nities where they grant in restoringschool music programs. Now, they arebringing together experts from acrossthe country and facilitating a nationalconversation on the importance of thearts to learning, retention, and creatingthe next generation of innovators.

New Boutique to Open onAdams Avenue

Alexandra Hall, founder and cre-ative director of Maven, the newestaddition to Adams Avenue, hopes tobecome the neighborhood’s go-to fortrends and brands that are otherwisehard to find in the Southern Californiaregion. Hall began to notice more and

more local shops popping up in theUniversity Heights and North Parkneighborhoods. “There was definitelya buzz happening that I wanted to bea part of,” she admits. Enter Maven.Alexandra chose the name after read-ing Malcolm Gladwell’s “The TippingPoint,” in which he describes a“maven” as someone who people relyon to connect them to new informa-tion, and are considered trustedexperts in the marketplace. She feltthis described her vision of what shewanted her shop to be in the SanDiego market.

Next, she acquired a corner spaceat Adams Avenue and 30th Street andset her sights on bringing a fresh per-spective to San Diego shopping. Witha soft opening on May 2 followed bya grand opening on June 5, Alexan-dra’s dream will soon be a reality.Maven is shaping up to be the newestgem on Antique Row. Hall has addedher own personal touch to the build-ing by completely renovating thespace, which formerly housed a realestate firm. Maven will carry clothing,accessories, apothecary items, andhome goods for women, men, andchildren.

Growing up in San Diego, Halldecided to pursue her dream of beinga fashion designer by enrolling at theFashion Institute of Design & Mer-chandising’s downtown campus.While at FIDM, Alexandra noticedthat she made all of her A grades inher classes that catered to the businessside of the industry. “It struck me as asurprise because I thought I wantedto be a designer,” she says. “But, on the

COMMUNITY NEWS

SEE COMMUNITY, Page 3

May 2015 | northparknews.biz/digital | 3

Ask Dr. ZEditor’s Note: South Park’s Dr. TaraZandvliet — Dr. Z — answers com-mon — and not so common — healthquestions for our readers.

Why doesn’t my husbandwake up when the baby cries

To the bane of new mothers every-where, it seems that the father of yourlittle one just fakes sleep when thebaby cries. But don’t whack him overthe head just yet! There is a biologicreason he sleeps right through it.

Studies have shown that hormonesinfluence our brains and what acti-vates it to wake up. Men tend to wakeup to alarm sounds — alarm clocks,police sirens, and car alarms. Secondon the list for them are footsteps anddoor creaks. The testosterone influ-ence gears the brain to wake up whenthere is a threat to the family. Whenthey are woken up, the adrenaline ispeaked, ready for a fight, and so theyoften cannot ease back to sleep forquite awhile.

Women on the other hand wake upconsistently to a baby’s cry, and any-thing that simulates it — cats, moto-cycle whine, etc. They are geared totake wake up when the weaker onesof the family need care. For both,these changes begin at puberty, when

the hormones begin to peak. So whenyour wife wakes you up asking if thatwas the baby, now you know why.

Why did my doctor give meBenadryl for my stomach flu?

Benadryl is related to the most pop-ular anti-nausea medication Phener-gan (promethazine). It blocks the his-tamine receptors, which is why it is anexcellent allergy medicine.

But those same receptors are foundin the stomach, and modulate nauseaas well as stomach acid. It works toquell nausea almost as well as Phener-gan. It is often used to help in patientswith severe gastric acid reflux as well.For children, it is based on weight. Foradults, 25-50 mg is the dose every sixhours as needed.

A good bet is the children’s chewabletablets. If the nausea is severe, it canbe broken and placed under thetongue. That way it absorbs throughthe mouth, and so it doesn’t matter ifthere is vomiting. It generally workswithin 15 minutes.

Dr. Tara Zandvliet welcomes your ques-tions. Send them to questions@ south-parkdoctor.com. She practices at 2991Kalmia St. Phone: (619) 929-0032.

Decades of Experience • Neighborhood Experts • How may we assist you?

3188 C St. San Diego, California 92102619/624-2052 telephone 619/624-2055 facsimile

4777 Arizona St.University Heights Craftsman

3 BR / 2 BA

3685 AlabamaNorth Park Craftsman

4 BR / 2 ½ BA$789,000

Ramona Hacienda8,200 Interior sq ft

5 BR / 6 BA ON 4+ ACRES

2315 31st StVR price of $698,000 to $749,000

1834 29th St. South ParkSOLD AT $640,000

2526 Pamo Ave.Burlingame Craftsman

Sold at $810,000

Sally SchoeffelCalBRE #00523223619.884.0701 Direct

Elizabeth CallawayCalBRE #00984247

619.820.0151 Direct

IN ESCROW

WITHIN 7 DAYSNEW LISTING

COMING SOONIN ESCROW

WITHIN 2 DAYS

SOLD

©MMVIII Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. A Realogy Company. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registeredtrademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office is Inde-pendently Owned And Operated. CalBRE #01767484

IN ESCROW

WITHIN 4 DAYS

WONDERING HOW WE SELL OUR LISTINGS FAST & FOR TOP DOLLAR?CALL US! WE ARE HAPPY TO CHAT & WE ARE VERY FRIENDLY!

other hand, I wasn’t surprised at allbecause I was raised by twoentrepreneurs.” Both Hall’s parentshave owned and operated successfulbusinesses in California. You could sayentrepreneurship runs in the family.

Hall took some time away from theworkforce to start a family in 2011.When it was time for her to dive backin, she wanted to apply what shelearned in school and saw throughouther travels to her community. “Goingthrough my adolescence here as a con-sumer and avid shopper,” she explains,“I saw firsthand that San Diego’s retailwas lacking. I was fortunate enoughto travel a lot and I would visit placeslike New York or San Francisco onlyto be reminded that there was a nicheto be filled back home. I knew havingmy own store would be the perfect wayto sling the things I always wished Icould design when I was in school.”

Marquis at Hillcrest Sells for$13.7 Million

Cushman & Wakefield announcedthe sale of the Marquis at Hillcrest at1751 University Ave. in San Diego toLittletown Realty LLC for $13.7 mil-lion. The seller, Virtu Investments LLC,was represented by Tyler Sinks and KylePinkalla of Cushman & Wakefield’sMultifamily Advisory Group.

The 58-unit apartment buildingtotals 28,890 square feet on 1.84 acres.The unit mix is made up of studio,one-bedroom and two-bedroomapartments.

The five-story property was built in1921 and recently renovated in 2008.Property amenities include a fitnessand yoga center, courtyard, on-site

laundry and a business center. Unitamenities include hardwood floors,new cabinets, granite countertops andstainless steel appliances. The propertyfeatures panoramic views and is locatedin Hillcrest Village, in close proximityto Downtown and Balboa Park.

The apartment building is one of theonly 50+ unit properties in Hillcrest tobecome available for sale in the pastfive years..

Golden Hill Celebrates BalboaPark Centennial

The Golden Hill Community-Bal-boa Park 1915 Expo Centennial Festivalon June 20 will highlight the uniquecommunities of Greater Golden Hillin 1915 to the present and how theneighborhoods played a key role in thebuilding of the 1915 Panama-Califor-nia Exposition.

The festival will be hosted by theGreater Golden Hill CommunityDevelopment Corp. with funding sup-port provided by the city of San DiegoOffice of Small Business through theEconomic and Tourism DevelopmentGrant.

The family-fun event will be a his-torical and musical celebration featur-ing a Historical Exhibition, AntiqueCar Show, Live Local Music,Historic Craft Beer Garden, Kid’s Fam-ily Village, Community Groups,and Isthmus Food & Vendor Alley withlocal artisans.

The centennial celebration will takeplace in Balboa Park at Golden HillPark. In the 1860s, this communitypark was the first area of parkland tobe improved. Many of its trees wereplanted by the city’s horticultural iconKate Sessions. It is located adjacent tothe historic neighborhood of GoldenHill at the end of 25th Street and RussStreet, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

COMMUNITYCONTINUED FROM Page 2

From North Park’s history to currentworld news and every printed word inbetween, you can find it at Paras News-stand. The unassuming store withamazing inventory has filled the spaceat 30th Street and University Avenuewith magazines, newspapers, comicbooks and novels, among other mer-chandise, for more than six decades.

Paras Newsstand sits in the north-west corner of what was originally theUnited Stores Shopping Center, a largebrick and concrete building construct-ed in 1928 by Orndorf ConstructionCompany for the United Realty Com-pany.

Owl Drug Companyrefined the corner space at3002 University Ave. forits drug store that openedFebruary 1929 and stayedthrough the Depressionand World War II. JosephJessop & Sons Jewelersoccupied that main spacethrough the 1950s.

The space held by ParasNewsstand started as theBasham Beauty Shoppe in1930 and was MelodyBeauty Shop later in the1930s. During the 1940s,the space was alternatelya beauty shop, gift store,and vacant. When the1950s began, the spacewas listed in the CityDirectory as Baker’s Cigarand News Stand. Itbecame Paras Brothers

Cigar Store starting in 1953. The Paras brothers, Christ (Chris),

Stratie, and William, were born in Illi-nois of Greek parents. Their father,George, came to the U.S. through EllisIsland in 1903, where his last name waschanged from Paraskas to “Paras” tobe shorter and easier to pronounce.George was the proprietor of a confec-tionary store in Chicago in the 1930s,and listed his employment on hisWorld War II Draft Registration Cardas “Self employed, Newsstand,” whichmay be why his sons went into thebusiness when they came to California.

Eldest son Chris was born in 1923.He served in the Navy as a machinist

mate on the aircraft carrierUSS Intrepid, participatingin many harrowing battlesin the Pacific. By the mid-1940s, the family had allcome to California. Theyinitially lived in Escondidoand later La Mesa, but in1959 they are listed in theCity Directory at 3930Kansas St., just one blockwest of Paras Newsstand.

While Chris operated theNorth Park store, middlebrother Stratie, born in1928, operated a ParasNewsstand at 4861 NewportAve. in Ocean Beach. Therewas a third Paras store in LaMesa for many years.Youngest brother William,born in 1929, also clerked inthe stores.

Chris and the North Parkstore were a favorite news

topic through the years. The March 18,1980, San Diego Union Currents sec-tion featured a story by Frank Green,“Read All About It At Paras’” The storeis described as “the oldest, best-stockedmagazine shop in the city” where “thereis something for everybody.”

Chris said, “I get people of all agesfrom all over the area. I have a certaintype of merchandise they’re lookingfor, so they go out of their way to comehere.” Indeed, the large photo in thearticle shows a counter crowded withcopies of TV Guide and Reader’s Digestas well as every snack imaginable,including Velamints, Chewy Pecan Pra-lines, and Bubble Burger chewing gum(“We made it FUN for YOU!”).

Reporter Bob Rowland visited Parasin November 1994 and proclaimed“North Park newsstand is world of itsown.” He interviewed Kent Snyder,who had started working at the shopfor Chris in 1986 (and still works theretoday). When asked who shops atParas, Snyder replied, “Hard to say—everybody, I guess.” And in answer tothe follow-up question —what are theylooking for? — he said, “Just abouteverything.”

Twenty years later, the answers arestill the same. Chris sold the businessin 1987. After his retirement, he andhis wife Olga devoted a lot of time tothe VFW and Fraternal Order ofEagles. They enjoyed socializing withtheir numerous friends at home-cooked meals prepared lovingly byOlga and at San Diego’s classic restau-rants including the Westgate, Hob Noband Rudford’s. Chris passed away in2010 and is buried at Fort Rosecrans

National Cemetery. But Paras Newsstand goes on. Broth-

ers Rocky and Mike Attallah boughtthe store from Chris in 1987, and abouteight years ago Junior Najor and Kenand Ann Gabbara bought the storefrom them. All kept the Paras name.The Gabbaras, who are the sole ownersnow, previously owned the Big K Mar-ket on Federal Boulevard, which theyhad bought from Rocky and MikeAttallah in 1985 and sold two years ago.

Being experienced store owners, theGabbaras are not only committed tomaintaining selection, they are alsomaking interior improvements toenhance the customer experience. Theyare remodeling the interior to createmore visibility for the expansive inven-tory, including comic books, paper-backs and, of course, magazines aboutevery topic imaginable in just aboutany language. Ann also wants to

improve the convenience store supplieswith healthy snacks and fruit for themultitude of riders who embark anddisembark on the faithful No. 2 busline right outside the door.

Of particular importance to theNorth Park Historical Society, ParasNewsstand is the only retail store inNorth Park’s commercial core to stocktheir definitive history of North Park’sfirst 50 years, “North Park: A San DiegoUrban Village, 1896-1946,” by the lateDonald Covington. Although ParasNewsstand started just after that bookended, the store continues to be animportant part of North Park’s historyand future.

Katherine Hon is secretaryof the North Park HistoricalSociety)

4 | northparknews.biz/digital | May 2015

North Park’s Historic Corner Find it at Paras NewsstandBY KATHERINE HON

Ken and Ann Gabbara are the current owners of Paras Newsstand.

Olga Paras, widow ofChris Paras, who operat-ed the North Park store inits early years, and herson, Omar Altman. (Photoby Katherine Hon).

May 2015 | northparknews.biz/digital | 5

The sitcoms of 1950s televisiondepicted neighbors coming togetherto borrow a cup of sugar or washingtheir cars on adjacent driveways.These days some Arizona Streetneighbors chat with those next doorabout their reptiles, community gar-den, and “small free library.”

John and Hannah Santos sharedsome of their story as they strolledup the street one Sunday afternoonwith their little red wagon holdingsix complacent tortoises; just someof the charm and surprise in thisNorth Park neighborhood.

Add to the mix, one rescued pit-bull named Cody, an adopted catnamed Kitty, and some fish that livein a rain barrel, and these two busypeople have cultivated not only apet and plant friendly yard, but alsoa fulfilling life.

John, a biology teacher for 10years, has long been a “plant guy.”The garden began with a group offriends, and over the years a fewpeople from the area stopped by andgardened for a season or two. Headvises that communication is key.Meeting up occasionally is impor-tant to determine plantings, main-tenance, and for sharing harvests.

The planters now grow nativeplants, flowers, grasses (for the tor-toises), herbs, and milkweeds tosupport Monarch butterflies and

caterpillars, tomatoes, eggplants,peppers, and zucchini.

It took some work, but in the yardthey created areas appropriate fortheir cat, and for El Tigre, Lion,Gemma, Bobcat, Socket, and Dino(the tortoises), separate from theirless tolerant dog.

The fish, which eat mosquito lar-vae, live in a rain catchment barrelwhich collects more than enoughwater for the garden. The “small freelibrary” to the side and in front ofthe garden holds some good booksfor passersby to borrow.

Hannah and John live in the sameCraftsman house that was owned

by his great-grandmother. John citesthe post-World War II dream of ahouse with a front and back yard asreason for the types of neighbor-hoods we live in. People could stayhome and enjoy their space, buthouseholds were also insular andisolated. What he and his wife havedone is to make a community ofplants, animals and people.

John says, “When you havedemanding jobs like ours, it’s goodto have something else that ‘needs’you and requires your time andinvestment. It’s easy to get suckedinto your work and bring it homewith you. It’s easy to give up at theend of the day and just wait aroundfor your next day to start, but thenwhere is the quality of life and rich-ness? It is really fulfilling to sharingthis experience with Hannah andour neighbors, and it adds some tex-ture to our existence.”

Should you be curious seeing thetortoises eating the clover flowers inMorley Park, be sure to engage Johnand Hannah in what they call a“good conversation,” neighbor-to-neighbor, and experience a bit ofArizona Street living.

John and Hannah Santos in their garden with their six tortoises: El Tigre, Lion, Gemma, Bobcat, Socket and Dino.

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODJohn and Hannah’s Arizona Street garden is a community affair BY SUSAN TAYLOR

The Santos family on the family porch.

John Santos at work in the garden.

Planters grow native plants, flowers, grass-es, herbs and milkweeds.

INVESTOR IS INTERESTED IN ACQUIRING MAJORITY

OWNERSHIP in a profitable asset based business with $2-

10mil in EBITDA from a retiring or exiting majority owner(s).

Currently the business must be run by manager(s) with

equity position that are willing and able to remain, operate

and grow the business. For a confidential discussion please

call Michael Fenton (760) 450 6200.

6 | northparknews.biz/digital | May 2015

northparknews.biz/digitalMidCityNewspaperGroup.com

Serving San Diego’s Premier Mid City Communities

Chairman/CEOBob Page

BobPage@sandiegometro.com

Publisher Rebeca Page

RebecaPage@sandiegometro.com

Associate PublisherBrad Weber

ReachLocals@MidCityNewspaperGroup.com

EditorManny Cruz

Manny@sandiegometro.com

Art DirectorChris Baker

cbaker@sandiegometro.com

Marketing/AdvertisingKelly Pouliot

kellysdnews@gmail.com------------------------------

Writers/ColumnistsTodd Gloria

Bart MendozaDelle Willett

Anna Lee FlemingSara Wacker

PhotographyManny CruzSande Lollis

Letters/Opinion Pieces

North Park News encourage letters to the edi-

tor and guest editorials. Please address corre-

spondence to Manny@sandiegometro.com or

mail to Manny Cruz. Please include a phone

number, address and name for verification

purposes; no anonymous letters will be print-

ed. We reserve the right to edit letters and edi-

torials for brevity and accuracy.

Story ideas/Press Releases

Do you have an idea for an article you would

like to see covered in this newspaper? We

welcome your ideas, calendar item listings

and press releases. For breaking news, please

call us at (619) 287-1865.

For all other news items, please email

Manny@sandiegometro.com.

ADDRESS PO Box 3679,

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067PHONE

(858) 461-4484

North Park News distributes copies monthly

to residents and businesses of North Park,

South Park, Golden Hill and Normal Heights.

The entire contents of North Park News is

copyrighted, 2015, by REP Publishing, Inc.

Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited

without prior written consent.

All rights reserved.

A hands-on circus is the next bigexhibition at the Reuben H. Fleet Sci-ence Center.

“CIRCUS: Science Under the BigTop” is a family-friendly exhibitionthat features 20 multi-station interac-tive exhibits that delve into everythingfrom clown makeup to the art of con-tortion to animal communication.

Visitors can explore the sciencebehind the spectacle while learning thetricks of the sword swallower, uncov-ering the illusion of the flea circus anddiscovering the psychology of com-mon circus sounds.

The exhibit opened on May 2 andcontinues through Sept. 7.

Every feature of the exhibit isdesigned to teach visitors about sci-

ence in a fun, interactive way. Visitorscan test how their center of gravityworks on the Balance Bar. The Featsof Strength exhibit shows how lever-age, compression and tension are usedto do the seemingly impossible.

Experiment with The Human Can-nonball to learn how the angle andthrust of an explosion can dictatewhere an object lands. Visitors canexperience the science and mathinvolved in juggling and acrobatics, orjust have fun clowning around.

The exhibition has something foreverybody. Youngsters will enjoy pre-tending that they’ve joined the circusat the Circus Costume Station, wherethey can dress up like a ringmaster, alion or a bear. Older kids will revel inthe “daredevil” elements of the exhi-

bition, such as Elastic Acrobatics andThe High Wire.

The Elastic Acrobatics exhibit willgive visitors the chance to practicetheir best mid-air tricks from the safetyof a harness. For the High Wire,adventurous visitors 46 inches or tallerwill strap into a harness six feet abovethe ground and test their balance bywalking across the nine-foot long wire.Best of all, the opportunity for visitorsto test out their high-flying circus skillsis included in the cost of admission.

“We’re very excited to feature CIR-CUS: Science Under the Big Topbecause it shows that science is every-where you look,” said Steve Snyder,CEO of the Fleet Science Center. “Sci-entific concepts have been incorporat-ed into performance and entertain-

ment for centuries. An exhibition suchas ‘CIRCUS’ gives a context for under-standing science outside of the typicalrealms of classrooms and labs.”

The Fleet is also adding a SideshowScience performance to the current“Don’t Try This at Home” live scienceshow. Beginning May 2, the Fleet’steam of science demonstrators willdelve into the science behind manypopular circus feats. Sideshow Sciencewill be in addition to the current rota-tion of “Don’t Try This at Home”shows: “Too Loud, Too Messy and TooShocking.”

“CIRCUS: Science Under the BigTop” was developed by the OntarioScience Centre in Toronto, Ontario,Canada.

FLEET EXHIBIT TEACHES SCIENCE IN A FUN, INTERACTIVE WAY

Science Under the BigtopPHOTOS BY DARRYL MORAN/THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

ADAMS AVENUE NEWS

May 2015 | northparknews.biz/digital | 7

8 | northparknews.biz/digital | May 2015

May 2015 | northparknews.biz/digital | 9

10 | northparknews.biz/digital | May 2015

Construction executive CarmenVann of North Park and Hillcrest res-ident Awetash Keflezighi — motherof marathon champion Mel Keflezighi— were honored as Girl Scouts SanDiego’s Cool Women 2015 during arecent luncheon and ceremony at theDel Mar Country Club.

Keflezighi was recognized for suc-cessfully paving a path to higher edu-cation for her children — against allodds, and without any former school-ing herself. The family fled war-tornEritrea in 1986, arriving in San Diegowith just the clothes on their backs. Inthe face of hardship, Keflezighi con-tinually instilled the importance ofacademics. Today, the 10 sons anddaughters of Keflezighi and her hus-band Russom are all highly accom-plished. They include one college stu-dent and nine California Universitygraduates. Among them, Meb, the onlyathlete in history to win the Bostonand New York marathons, and anOlympic medal.

During the Cool Women luncheon,Keflezighi was introduced by 2011Cool Woman Ingrid Croce — artist,author, community advocate andowner/operator of Croce’s Park West.“I am very proud to present AwetashKeflezighi, a genuinely Cool Woman.I am in awe of her bravery and the

inspiration she brings to us all. Awe-tash’s story is brimming with Ameri-can values, parental sacrifice for thenext generation, the importance ofeducation, working your way up, anda positive attitude,” Croce told theaudience.

Vann, a former Girl Scout, was pre-sented by community volunteer LindaKatz, Cool Woman of 2012. As projectexecutive for Turner Construction —and one of the few women in the field— Vann leads the construction ofmajor developments, including thenew San Diego Central Library, Sem-pra Energy’s headquarters, Hard RockHotel San Diego and the 10 Fifty Baffordable housing high-rise. Indescribing Vann’s work, Katz noted that Vann completed the library pro-

ject in just two years, on time, and onbudget, leading a team of 600 con-structions workers.

Vann is a recipient of San DiegoMetropolitan Magazine’s 40 under 40Award, Engineering News Record Cal-ifornia’s Top 20 under 40 and the SanDiego Business Journal’s Women WhoMean Business awards. She is a memberof the San Diego Architect Foundationboard, and past chair of the AssociatedGeneral Contractors’ Education andTraining/Foundation for Success com-mittee. She has also served on the NorthPark Community Association board of

directors, and volunteers for RebuildingTogether San Diego.

Marson Hills resident Lori Waltonco-chaired the Cool Women luncheonwith fellow Girl Scouts San Diegoboard member Julie Dubick.

During the event, Cool Woman2015 Susan Salka, president and CEOof AMN Healthcare, made a personal$10,000 challenge donation, whichguests collectively matched.

Proceeds from the 15th annualevent will help support Girl Scout pro-gram outreach for girls in homelessshelters, the Girls Rehabilitation Facil-ity and schools in underserved neigh-

borhoods. Cool Women 2015 honorees also

included Karen Archipley, co-founderof Archi’s Acres, a hydro-organic farmwhere veterans learn agribusinessskills; Rabbi Cantor Arlene Bernsteinof Beth Israel; Lesley Cohn, co-founder of Cohn Restaurant Group;Dr. Karen S. Haynes, president, Cali-fornia State University San Marcos;Reena Horowitz, businesswoman, phi-lanthropist and jewelry designer; CarolLazier, president of the San DiegoOpera board of directors; Susan Swen-son, wireless pioneer and chair ofFirstNet, a federal agency developingthe nation’s first high-speed publicsafety network; and Rose Schindler,Holocaust survivor and educator.

This year’s Cool Girl was Girl ScoutAmbassador Elena Crespo. The DelNorte High School junior recentlydeveloped a computer lab for a schoolin Panama. Elena, who was a delegateto Girl Scouts’ national convention, iscompleting her Gold Award project.

“We are proud to honor theseexemplary women for their extraor-dinary leadership and community ser-vice,” said Jo Dee C. Jacob, chief exec-utive officer of Girl Scouts San Diego.“Our Cool Women’s personal andprofessional lives make them consum-mate role models for girls.”

Girl Scouts’ Cool Women North Park, Hillcrest residents honored

Girl Scouts San Diego’s Cool Women honorees included North Park resident CarmenVann (left), construction project manager for Turner Construction who led the develop-ment of the new Central Library, Sempra Energy headquarters and the 10 Fifty B afford-able housing high-rise development; and Hillcrest resident Awetash Keflezighi, mother of2014 Boston marathon winner Meb Keflezighi.

Cool Girl Elena Crespo

May 2015 | northparknews.biz/digital | 11

By Bart Mendoza

Musical Tribute Night at The OfficeOn May 25, The Office continues its series of musical tribute nights with a show dedicated to punk rock pioneers, the Ramones.While the lineup had yet to be confirmed at press time, the format sees a shared backup group, with a host of well-known localperformers singing the namesake bands biggest hits. This night’s set list will include such favorites as “Rockaway Beach,” “SheenaIs A Punk Rocker” and “I Wanna Be Sedated.” Previous shows in this series have included The Smiths, The Beatles and JohnnyCash, with the whole thing turning into a bit of a highly enjoyable audience sing-a-long. theofficebarsd.com

Jason Lee & the Rip-Tides Best SeenLiveFans of frenzied surf fretwork will definitely want to checkout Jason Lee & The Rip-Tides, appearing at the Tower Bar onMay 23. With his piled high blonde hair, you can’t miss Lee,but it’s still his guitar playing that’s the stand out, full of melodicdaredevil runs. As good as their self-titled debut album, releasedlast year, is, it’s nothing compared to seeing the group livewhere the interplay of all three band members comes together.Surf aficionados will love every second to this show, but instru-mental fans and soundtrack junkies (think Mancini’s “Banzai,”etc.) will also get a real kick out of this show. thetowerbar.com

The Crawdaddys Reunited with New MaterialThe month closes out with a set from one of the most impor-tant bands in San Diego’s music history — R&B ravers, TheCrawdaddys, appearing May 30 at Til-Two Club. The Craw-daddys were among the first bands to emerge in what is nowour modern day music scene. Formed in 1979, now reunited,with new material being worked up, the current band featuresit’s second, mid ’80’s lineup of singer Ron Silva, bassist MarkZadarnowski, guitarist Pete Meisner, drummer Gordon Mossand keyboard player Keith Fisher. The band excels at bluesytunes along the lines of the Animals, the early Stones, the PrettyThings and so on, with Silva’s voice still an amazing instrument.Fans from the Crawdaddy’s original run will find this showirresistible, but any San Diego music fan that hasn’t seen thembefore, should make an effort to attend as well.tiltwoclub.com.

Little Catbird’s Friendly Music for KidsParent’s who would like to immerse their children in musicfrom an early age may want to check out Little Catbird (akaAlison Marae) at Java Joe’s every Wednesday morning at 10a.m. Billed as a “music and creative dance class,” Little Catbirdprovides all original, feel-good, family friendly music for kids,based around guitar and ukulele. Marae is a charming per-former, though in this case it’s her 15 successful years of teachingmusic that will appeal to parents most. javajoessd.com

Delta Spirit Stages a Pair of “& Friends” ShowsFew bands can fill a venue on one night, let alone two consec-utive evenings, but Delta Spirit is doing well. On May 29 and30, the group will stage a pair of special “& Friends” shows,loosely based on the Band’s farewell, “Last Waltz” concert.While Delta Spirit is not splitting, they will be taking time offafter this current tour, making it important for fans to catch ashow while they can. What makes the whole thing unmissableis the “& Friends” part with guest artists promised at everystop. While it’s unknown who will join them in San Diego,members of the Walkmen, Deer Tick and Clap Your HandsSay Yeah are among the listed possibles. theirenic.com

Master Showman Robin HenkelThere are plenty of blues guitarists in San Diego, but nothingcompares to Robin Henkel. Appearing at Lestat’s on May 17,Henkel is a virtuoso musician, with a specialty for acousticblues, in numerous styles and a boisterous, over-the-top stagepresence, that’ll have you grinning and tapping along in sec-onds flat. Most often seen in solo mode around town, orpaired with blues chanteuse, Whitney Shay, for this showHenkel will be backed by a full band. A local institution, evenbeyond his wonderful guitar playing, Henkel is a mastershowman, with a deep cuts blues repertoire and a show that’sa heck of a lot of fun. Lestats.com

The Bedbreakers Offer Something SpecialBlues rockers the Bedbreakers perform at Bar Pink on May 23. Theband has been playing it’s brand of rock and boogie for more thantwo decades, with no loss of adrenalin in their shows. Perfect forswing dancing, the band pulls in a crowd of people that’s ready toparty, with song titles such as “Hot Little Mama,” giving an indicationas to the Bedbreakers good time orientation. You only get to be along-lived band if you’ve got something special to offer. The Bed-breakers really are one of the best at what they do. barpink.com

12 | northparknews.biz/digital | May 2015

There’s a transformation happen-ing in microbiology. The price ofDNA sequencing has dropped pre-cipitously in recent years, with indi-vidual genome sequencing fallingbelow $1,000.

Lab after lab has sequenced adiverse list of species including rice,algae, mosquitoes, fruit flies andhumans. The sheer amount of datanow obtainable — quickly, cheaply— has turned biology into an infor-mation science, and San Diego StateUniversity biologist Rob Edwards ishelping to usher in this new age.

“During the genomics revolutionof the mid- to late-‘90s, it becameclear that genomic sequencing wasgoing to completely change the bio-logical sciences,” Edwards said.“There are huge volumes of data.It’s driving every aspect of biology.”

When Rob Edwards joined SDSUin 2004, there were already quite afew familiar faces. The computerscientist with a background in biol-ogy had worked as a postdoctoralscholar with Stanley Maloy, SDSU’sdean of the College of Sciences, atthe University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He had co-authoredjournal articles with SDSU virolo-gist Forest Rohwer on the genomictaxonomy of bacteria-killing virusesknown as bacteriophages.

“I was supremely impressed bythe collaborative nature of theresearch at SDSU,” he said. “It’s nota competitive environment wherethe big fish eat the little fish andtake all the credit. We have extreme-ly friendly colleagues and terrificstudents.”

Take to the sea Edwards does regularly encounter

both big and little fish in hisresearch, however. He and his col-leagues hunt for new data all over

the world, making frequent trips toisolated coral reefs in the LineIslands and diving to collect geneticsamples from their watery sur-roundings.

They’ve even successfully taken adelicate and expensive DNAsequencer out to sea with them todo sequencing in real-time — thefirst time anyone had ever attempt-ed this feat

Closer to home, Edwards workswith SDSU's Coastal Marine Insti-tute, making frequent trips to SanDiego’s waters to study a variety oflife forms, such as the ecologicallyimportant kelp forests off the coastof Point Loma.

Sorting through all this raw datato find meaningful informationtakes a combination of biologicalknowledge and computationalknow-how. Last year, Edwards anda team of local and internationalcollaborators created a new com-putational tool called cross-assem-bly that allowed them to identify anever-before-seen bacteriophagepresent in three-quarters of theworld population.

New data, new drugs Edwards hopes that cross-assem-

bly and other tools like it will helpbiologists hone in on entirely newbacteria and viruses that couldbecome the next life-saving drugsof the future. These tools might alsobe used to identify aspects of knowngenomes that can predict someone’srisk for disease or how effectivelyone drug might work compared toanother.

“As we move toward personal-ized, precision medicine, these kindsof techniques are going to becomemore and more important,” he said.

(Article courtesy of 360, the magazineof San Diego State University.)

UNIVERSITYRESEARCH

SDSU biologist Rob Edwards hunts theworld over for new viruses using thelatest computer science technology

Robert Edwards, associate professor of computer science at San Diego State, offthe Point Loma coast.

BY MICHAEL PRICE

The purchase of the company devel-oping the Oculus Rift by Facebook lastyear opened many eyes to the possi-bilities of virtual reality.

But has it made VR any more real?That and other questions were

posed to Jurgen Schulze, research sci-entist at UC San Diego’s QualcommInstitute and professor in the schools’computer science department, duringa recent discussion in anticipation ofthe school’s virtual reality symposiumscheduled for June.

“What’s driving me is the vision ofcreating computer-controlled virtualworlds that help you solve problemsin a better way than you could dobefore,” said Schulze, who’s beeninvolved in the field for the last 15years. “I’m fascinated by exploring theworld of possibility.”

However, that possibility is still yearsaway, he admitted, likening VR, as it’scalled, to the stone age of computers,when machines the size of a roomcranked out small bits of informationfrom thousands of punch cards.

“Not until the 1980s, when homecomputers were created,” did we enterthe IT stage, said Schulze. “Technologyhas to be commonplace,” before wecan take the next giant step, he added.

Virtual reality has been the subjectof experiments since the 1960s, but itnever really caught on until last year,when Facebook creator Mark Zucker-berg paid $2 billion for Oculis VR ofIrvine because of the promise of thecompany’s experimental headset for3D gaming. At the time, Facebook saidit was investing in the product becauseit saw it as the future. As CNN report-ed: “This may be a savvy bet by Face-book CEO Mark Zuckerberg on thelong-term future of how we commu-nicate.”

Virtual reality is an artificial worldthat fools your brain onto thinking it’sreal through the application of sight,sound and touch via head gear likeOculus Rift or by sitting in a containedroom like UC San Diego’s StarCAVE,which allows you to explore worlds astiny as nanoparticles or as big as theuniverse by surrounding you with360-degree, three-dimensional soundand screens that you can experienceby wearing 3D glasses.

The more common way of experi-encing virtual reality, however, isthrough headsets containing smallLCD (liquid-crystal display) screensin front of each eye responding to

computer images or images fedthrough a cell phone as well as syn-chronized audio tracks. Motion is con-veyed through gloves containing fiber-optic sensors or by operating a stickor similar attachment as in videogames. A computer would control thedisplay while you control the comput-er with the glove or stick.

Right now, most of the technologyis in the experimental stage. However,as more applications are developed bythe military for training or to be usedin medicine, such as evoking biofeed-back or overcoming missing limbpain, the technology will breakthrough, said Schulze. Video gameswill be the first field to lap it up, butVR will need content to move for-ward. That could be anything from avirtual journey to Greece or shoppingat Jerome’s for a new sofa. The adap-tation of the cell phone to fit the newtechnology will drive the field.

“The experience is good now, but

what we are seeing are demos, andafter five minutes that’s not going tobe enough,” Schulze said. “Technologyhas to match content to keep peopleinterested so it’s more than a gadget.”For now, he added, “games are goingto have to be the driver.”

Ultimately, however, VR will takethe place of many everyday experi-ences. For example, why travel milesand hours to go to a meeting whenthe same experience can be sharedwith others right in your living roomor home office?

“We can do a lot of interaction invirtual space,” said Shulze. “My beliefis that was what (Zuckerberg) saw, andthat is where he wants to go. Facebookwants to be the YouTube of virtualreality.”

However, “transferring that kind ofinformation over the Internet is notyet possible. Networks have to bemuch faster,” said Schulze. But that daywill come, perhaps in the next decade.

Said Schulze: “What I want to see ispeople not just able to buy virtual real-ity technology. I would like to see linesin front of Best Buy when the nextOculus Rift comes out. I want to seehundreds of people…When you cansee as much interest as there was for

iPhones, that’s when I’ll know we’vemade it.”

Leonard Novarro andRosalynn Carmen are founders ofAsia Media America and the AsianHeritage Society.

May 2015 | northparknews.biz/digital | 13

VIRTUAL REALITY HOW CLOSE TO BEING REAL?

Doctoral student Kyle Knabb traverse an archaeological site in southern Jordan using a vir-tual ‘wand’ in the StarCAVE at the Qualcomm Institute/UC San Diego.

Jurgen Schulze of the Qualcomm Institute.Exploring virtual reality at the StarCAVE atUC San Diego’s Qualcomm Institute.

BY LEONARD NOVARRO AND ROSALYNN CARMEN

Greater Golden Hill CommunityDevelopment Corp. The CDC nor-mally meets at 6:30 p.m. the thirdThursday of the month at the Gold-en Hill Recreation Center, 2600 GolfCourse Drive. Email: info@golden-hillcdc.org.

Greater Golden Hill Planning Com-mittee meets at 6:30 p.m. the secondWednesday of the month at the Bal-boa Golf Course clubhouse, 2600Golf Course Drive. For information,call (619) 533-5284.

The North Park RedevelopmentProject Area Committee meets at 6p.m. the second Tuesday of themonth at the Lafayette Hotel, 2223El Cajon Blvd. Meetings focus onredevelopment projects in construc-tion or planning. For information,visit sandiego.gov/redevelopment-agency.

The North Park Main Street boardmeets at 7 a.m. the second Wednes-day of the month at its storefrontoffice, 3076 University Ave. NorthPark Main Street has more than 250members, primarily businesses pay-ing annual assessments in the city-authorized North Park BID. Forinformation, call 294-2501.

The North Park MaintenanceAssessment District Committeenormally meets at 6 p.m. the secondMonday of every other month atNorth Park Community Adult Cen-ter, 2719 Howard Ave.

The North Park Planning Commit-tee meets meets at 6:30 p.m. thethird Tuesday of the month at NorthPark Christian Fellowship, 2901North Park Way. The committee isan advisory group to the city onNorth Park land use, including thegeneral plan, infrastructure and den-

sity. For information, visit north-parkplanning.org.

The North Park Community Asso-ciation meets from 6 to 8 p.m. thefourth Wednesday of each month atthe Lafayette Hotel, 2223 El CajonBlvd. The Community Associationprovides a forum for issues and con-cerns about public safety, education,land use, public facilities and services,commercial revitalization, commu-nity image and cultural activities. Formore information, visit www.north-parksd.org.

The North Park Historical Societymeets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. the thirdThursday of each month. The His-torical Society conducts research andeducational outreach in order tofacilitate preservation of North Park'scultural and architectural history. Formore information, visit north-parkhistory.org.

The South Park Business Groupmeets on the last Wednesday of eachmonth at 8:30 a.m. at AlchemyRestaurant, 30th & Beech. The SPBGis comprised of business owners withstorefronts and service businesseslocated in South Park. The organi-zation produces the quarterly SouthPark Walkabouts and the annual OldHouse Fair. For more information,call (619) 233-6679 or emailPBG@lucyslist.net.

The University Heights CommunityAssociation meets at 7 p.m. the firstThursday of the month in the audi-torium of Birney Elementary School,4345 Campus Ave. For information,call 297-3166.

The Adams Avenue Business Asso-ciation board of directors normallymeets at 7:30 a.m. the first Tuesdayof the month at the Normal HeightsCommunity Center, 4649 HawleyBlvd. For time, place and more infor-mation, call (619) 282-7329 or visitadamsaveonline.com.

The Kensington/Talmadge Plan-ning Group meets at 6:30 p.m. thesecond Wednesday of the month atKensington Community Church,4773 Marlborough Drive. For infor-mation, call 287-3157.

The Lions Club of North Park meetsfor lunch every Wednesday fromnoon to 1:30 p.m. at the club, 3927Utah St. Prospective members arewelcome to enjoy their first lunch onthe club. For information, call (619)692-0540.

Uptown Rotary welcomes prospec-tive members at its 7 a.m. Thursdaybreakfasts at Jimmy Carter’s MexicanCafé, 3172 Fifth Ave. For more, call(619) 500-3229 or visit sdurotary.org.

The North Park Recreation Councilmeets at 6 p.m. the fourth Mondayof every other month at North ParkRecreation Center, 4044 Idaho St. Forinformation, call 235-1152.

14 | northparknews.biz/digital | May 2015

Community and Board Meetings

The opening of the St. Catherineparking structure at the Academy ofOur Lady of Peace in January hasbrought some closure to a long, nastybattle the all-girls Catholic schoolwaged for years with neighborhoodhomeowners and the city of SanDiego.

The $4.5 million, two level parkingfacility — named after Sister St.Catherine, a superior of the school atthe time it was relocated from Down-town to its present site at Copley andOregon streets in 1925 — was part ofa modernization proposal the schoolsubmitted to the city of San Diego inMay 2007.

That proposal sought permission tobuild a 20,000-square-foot classroombuilding plus a 104-space off-streetparking facility which the school saidwere desperately needed to enhancestudent instruction and to relieve con-gestion around the school.

Since it was first discussed in 2006,Our Lady of Peace’s expansion projecthad been a contentious issue in theneighborhood surrounding the school,an area of well-kept single-familyhomes between University Heights andNormal Heights that adopted themoniker “BeHi” for “BetweenHeights.”

The final plan called for removingtwo historic, Spanish eclectic-stylehomes the school owned to build alarge classroom building and parkinggarage.

In September 2008, the local com-munity planning group voted againstthe project, but that vote was just a rec-ommendation to the Planning Com-mission, a citywide body that votes onchanges to San Diego’s land use poli-cies.

Almost a month later, the projectwon unanimous approval from thePlanning Commission.

Because the project was deemedconsistent with the community plan,the Planning Commission, rather thanthe City Council, had final say onapproving the project. But whenneighbors appealed the PlanningCommission’s decision, the projectwent to the City Council for a finaldecision.

In the second hearing on the appealin 2009, the City Council voted toreject the project, following a recom-mendation by Councilman Todd Glo-ria, a long-time opponent of OLP’smodernization plan.

Our Lady of Peace sued the city overthe rejection, under a federal law thatrestricts how cities can apply land useregulations on religious entitites. Theschool alleged the decision put anunreasonable burden on its ability topursue its religious mission.

The federal jury that heard the caseruled in favor of Our Lady of Peace,and awarded the school $1.1 millionin damages.

But in February 2013, the CityCouncil voted in closed session toaccept a settlement offer. The councilagreed to pay $500,000 to the school,allow the construction project to moveforward and handle the relocation of

two historic homes from the property.In return, the school dropped its claimfor $4.5 million in legal fees.

In May 2014, Our Lady of Peacehosted a commemorative ceremony tokick off construction of the St. Cather-ine parking structure, but only a briefmention was made of the school’splans to build the additional classroombuilding. Said Head of School LaurenLek at the time: “This is the first in aseries of steps we are taking to improvethe Academy to ensure we are able tocontinue to provide a rigorous educa-tion rooted in 21st century learningprinciples. OLP is committed to ensur-ing access to all students who want aCatholic education and we have grant-ed more than $2.6 million in tuitionassistance and scholarships to makethis a reality.”

Besides the parking structure, theschool completed renovations to the8,800-square-foot St. Catherine’s Hallbuilding that allowed for eight newoffices for counselors, registrar, cam-pus ministry and retreats. A large

space in the center of the second floorwas set aside for a student learningcommons and learning lab.

A school master site plan adoptedby the school board of directors inMay 2014 said St. Joseph’s Hall wouldbecome a STEM facility with engi-neering lab space on the ground level.“The current theater will be relocatedto the new Performing Arts andLibrary building, activating 6,000square feet of learning space in theheart of the campus,” according to themaster site plan.

“This facility will serve as the bridgebetween the STEM classrooms andthe general studies in Aquinas Hall.”

The yet-to-be-built 20,000-square-foot building that was approved aspart of the modernization plan willhave dance, music, choral and dramaclasses in addition to the theater andlibrary learning commons.

(Voice of San Diego contributed to thisreport)

May 2015 | northparknews.biz/digital | 15

NORTH PARKCraftsman Ground Up Renovation $849,000

1914 Craftsman beauty! Authenticon the outside, modern amenitieson the inside. 1800 sq ft 4 bed 3bath 2 car garage w/yard. Laun-dry & lots of storage. West of30th & South of Univ Ave. Walk toeverything including BalboaPark!! 15 mins to beaches. Newelectrical, plumbing, kitchen,baths, windows, Furnace, ACready, updated foundation, etc.

The Chris Bedgood Team 858.480.5455Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty Chris.Bedgood@Sothebysrealty.com CaBRE 01380111

OLP Modernization PlanMoves Forward Parking structure opens after long, bitter fight

BY MANNY CRUZ

Rivka Bent, executive assistant to the head of school (left), and Emily Pippin, communica-tions director, at the St. Catherine’s parking structure at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace.

16 | northparknews.biz/digital | May 2015

their heart is the one without a pedi-gree architect. It’s an ancient landgrant adobe hacienda (built in 1845)that they restored in Vista, where theyraised their children. That renewaleffort earned them a cover story inthe Los Angeles Times Home maga-zine in 1984. They eventually sold thehacienda, the Rancho Buena Vistaadobe, to the city of Vista, which inturn made it an historic pre-state-hood era museum.

Old House Fair historic home tourdocents were interested in showingRequa’s C Street home because it wassimply “a magnificent Requa,” saidChristine Winter, Old House FairHistoric Tour committee member.Another reason— it was the first hedesigned after the architect’s 1926tour of Mediterranean countries.The Euro tour, sponsored by theMonolith Portland Cement Compa-ny, profoundly impacted Requa’sarchitectural style, making it moresimple than ornate, and his newlyacquired vision launched him on hisrise to prominence among San Diegoarchitects, especially in the Italian andSpanish Revival genres.

Upon his return to San Diego,Requa designed in 1927 the C Streetproperty for Leslie B. Mills, a civic-

minded merchant who served aspresident of San Diego’s AdvertisingClub, Downtown Rotary Club andthe Chamber of Commerce. Millswas president of Lemon Grove-basedSouthwest Onyx and Marble Com-pany, which included a marble quarryin Baja California. Mills’ firmshipped marble worldwide and is onrecord as a supplier to the Vatican.

Located at C and 32nd Streets, the3,000 square-foot, three-bedroomhome was built on three lots on theeastern edge of Golden Hill, over-looking, to the east, the ChollasCanyon area.

The landscaping, which cover near-ly half an acre, was designed by Mil-ton Sessions, also in 1927. Hisesteemed aunt was the legendary KateSessions, whose horticultural effortsearned her the title as Mother of Bal-boa Park.

“Tourgoers will learn many of thepathways and much of the east sideof the gardens remain similar aswhen Milton Sessions installedthem,” said Rudd. “The Californiapepper tree in the garden and thestately Canary Island palm are origi-nal.”

Adds, Christine Winter, “Thesweeping patio overlooking a fruitorchard impressed us as well as thepanorama of the hills toward EastCounty.”

Also, Requa designed and had built

a splendid fountain in the northeastcorner of the main patio. Fountaintiles were made by Pasadena’s world-

class, handcrafted tile makerEarnest Batchelder (1875-1957) andrecently painstakingly restored by theSchoeffel’s after children of previousowners had used it for target practice.

The home has three balconies anda rear galleria off the main patio thatis accented with a beautiful climbingvine.

Thanks to Sally and Rudd thehome is no longer an eyesore —indoors or outdoors. Tour guests willhave run of the home’s main leveland gardens with upstairs and thedouble basement being off limits.

Surrounding the original frontdoor is a marble trim from theowner’s quarry. Marble was added tothe kitchen counters and around theliving room fireplace. “The marblefeatures are key features of the home,”said Old House Fair’s Winter.

A writer’s study to the left of thefoyer is a vision in Arts & Crafts-erawood crafting — all in Douglas Fir.Tile leading down to the living roomis original, however, the steps leadingto the upper floor is magnesite, aslabbed Portland Cement productthat was faux finished to make itappear as tiled steps.

The oak floors with a patternededge throughout were saved over theyears by being protected by wall-to-

wall carpeting. Now beautifullyrestored, the flooring offers a historicand stylish counterpoint to the plas-ter lath and plaster interior walls.

The kitchen has not been exten-sively modernized outside of themodern appliances. The counter, sinkand faucet are original to Requa’sdesign. And, to the surprise of a lat-ter-day plumber, all the plumbing ismade of brass throughout, a raritytoday.

Windows, which are either case-ment or double-hung, were all creat-ed onsite, as were all the doors andcabinets, and, now restored, work asnicely as they did in 1927.

The other fireplace is upstairs inthe master bedroom, both workbeautifully, providing comfortablewarmth during the one- or two-daylong San Diego winter.

The couple is expert in restoringrare architectural residences. “Thereare no shortcuts,” said Sally. “Just hardwork and large amounts of patienceand, yes, money.”

But it’s all worth it. She loves coun-seling new homeowners wishing topurchase and restore architecturaljewels. Her popular 40-plus year-oldfirm is now located in South Parkand, in addition, Sally has recentlyaffiliated with Pacific Sotheby’s as abroker associate, which gives her theability to offer an international pres-ence and exclusive marketing to her

clients.Now, for the million-dollar ques-

tion: Is the Schoeffel’s Old House Fairtour home in South Park or GoldenHill?

Blueprints point out the residenceand garage is built on Lots 109, 110,and 111 in the “Treasure Hill Addi-tion” in San Diego, the northwest cor-ner of 32nd and C Street.

Sally Schoeffel notes all originaldocumentation for the home that isin her possession indicates theirhome is in Golden Hill. However,Richard Requa in an article hepenned for the San Diego Union in1927 reported he was building “adwelling...reminiscent of Old Italy forLeslie B. Mills in South Park, over-looking the Chollas Valley.”

So there it is. The architect’sblueprints report Golden Hill but hispublished article in the San DiegoUnion says South Park. He was nohelp at all to resolve the ongoingdebate.

“That’s just something we have tolive with,” smiled the Schoeffel’s, whohope to remain in their C Streethome for a long time.

(Tom Shess is a five-time first placewinner of San Diego Press Club’s Excel-lence in Journalism Award for Archi-tecture and Design. As editor andfounder of North Park News, Shess wasalso on the founding committee of theinaugural Old House Fair.)

PANORAMACONTINUED FROM Page 1

rental listings in the North Park com-munity on any given day. Airbnb wasstarted by a couple guys who couldn’tafford their rent so they threw downan air mattress, posted a note online,and then let some travelers crash onthat “airbed” for the night. They werealready paying rent, so this became away to cover costs while at the sametime letting travelers stretch their dol-lars in a cool neighborhood. Every-body wins, right? Well, I’ll get to thepotential downside in a minute, firstthe basics.

What is Airbnb?(or other sharing sites)

Airbnb is one of several Internet-based companies that allows you toshare everything from your couch toa room to a whole house with some-one you’ve never met. I use the term“share” because if it’s your own home—especially if you live there — youare kind of sharing the space with astranger. But to be clear, it’s not free.People do pay you to stay, sometimesquite a lot. That’s why some peoplecall it a business. Frankly, some peopledo run it like a business. But the flex-ibility creates uncertainty for some andone person’s business might be anoth-er’s part-time hobby.

To use these services, you go on oneof these sites, create a profile, put upsome photos of your house or theroom that’s available for rent, and thenpeople who are looking to come totown (or stay in town while theirhouse is being renovated, like I didrecently) can search you out and stayin your place instead of a hotel or ona couch.

What the City of San DiegoSays

There is a ton of confusion about

what the rules are for renting outrooms in your home or renting outyour whole home for a stay of less than30 days (what most cities call a “short-term” rental) within the city of SanDiego. Decisions about what the cur-rent law actually says are made bysome combination of the Develop-ment Services Department (they workfor the mayor), the City Attorney’sOffice, and the court system. There aretwo main types of rentals that are thesource of most of the controversy:renting rooms in your home while youare living there, and renting yourwhole home/ duplex etc. while you arenot there. It’s worth understandinghow the city currently treats these.

Room RentalsThe city defines a commercial bed

and breakfast as a “place of visitoraccommodation inside a residentialstructure where breakfast is typicallyprovided for guests.” It defines a visi-tor accommodation as “uses that pro-vide lodging, or a combination oflodging, food, and entertainment, pri-marily to visitors and tourists.” Youmay be asking why I am providing youthe definition of a commercial bedand breakfast in the section on rentingout your spare bedroom. It is becausethe city of San Diego has announcedthat renting out a room or rooms inyour home while you are living therefor less than 30 days makes your homea commercial bed and breakfast andif you are in a single family zone youMUST obtain either a NeighborhoodUse or Conditional Use Permit. It doesnot matter whether you serve break-fast and does not matter how fre-quently or infrequently you rent thatroom. These permits provide forneighbor input. But to provide thatinput you typically are required notonly to tell your immediate neighborsof your plans, but to provide youraddress, the nature of what you planto do, and other personal information

about your home in a public docu-ment to the local Planning Committee— which makes it available to every-one within a few miles of your homeand can be obtained by any citizenunder a Public Records Act request.

If you are one of the 1,600 San Die-gans renting a room in your home ona part-time basis for less than 30 daysand you haven’t gotten one of these$5,000 to $10,000 permits, the city saysyou are breaking the law. It is currentlygoing after one woman for up to$250,000 for doing this and, accordingto the city, it does not discriminateagainst individual property owners soanyone doing this could be subject tosimilar treatment. (Full disclosure:Omar Passons, an attorney, representsthe one homeowner in the city that isreceiving this treatment.)

If you rent a room out for morethan 30 days in a single-family zone,the city may treat you like a boarderand lodger establishment, whichcomes with its own rules. But sincemost Airbnb and similar stays are forrelatively short periods, I’m leavingthese other descriptions aside for thispiece. This brings us to the rules forrenting out your whole home on ashort-term basis.

Whole Home RentalsIn 2007, the city attorney wrote a

legal opinion concluding that there areno regulations for short-term vacationrentals in single-family zones in thecity of San Diego. Current City Attor-ney Jan Goldsmith and the Develop-ment Services Department say thisopinion only applies to renting outentire units. So the good news (or real-ly bad news, depending on your per-spective) is that if you take a trip toHawaii and rent out your whole homewhile you’re gone, you are in the clear!Pay your Transient Occupancy Tax,register your rental with the city, andenjoy putting your asset to work foryou while you’re away. Yep, that’s right,

if you LEAVE, the city won’t botheryou, but if you STAY, then you mustrevert to the Bed and Breakfast rulesabove.

Pros and Cons Pros: This is a great way to see North

Park. (Full disclosure, I used to havemy place listed on Airbnb and it wasawesome. I created a whole web pageto tell our guests how to experienceour community(eatdrinkgivego.com/2014/11/19/wel-come/). It’s also a great way to makeends meet, pay bills, and live in thecommunity you want to be in if yoursalary isn’t what you’d like.

Cons: If you aren’t responsible, youcould have loud, obnoxious jerks stay-ing that are a drag for your neighborsand compromise the community.Also, some neighbors just object to theidea of having strangers dropping bytheir neighbor’s house no matter howwell behaved those strangers are.There are some tax implications andthe city is going after back taxes, butthe real challenges are mostly aboutwhat is appropriate versus not in a res-idential neighborhood.

The Two Big IssuesAirbnb and other short-term rental

options present two big issues for res-idential areas. The first, to be blunt, iswhether we think renting rooms inyour home or your entire home outon a short-term basis is appropriatein a single-family area. Should thatdecision be made on a citywide basisfor all communities regardless of cir-cumstance? Should it be left to neigh-bors in individual neighborhoods todecide what works best for theirblock/community? Is it a purely pri-vate matter that, as long as there is notrash, loud noise, or illegal activity,should be left to the property owner?These are all important questions thatthe city of San Diego is grappling withat the moment.

The second important issue is whatthe city should do to enforce or clarifyits laws. When you read the definitionof “commercial bed and breakfast”above, did it seem like it fit for rentingout a room in your house if you don’tserve breakfast or only do it occasion-ally? What responsibility do our elect-ed City Council officers and the mayorhave to ensure that the laws are clearbefore they encourage the CodeEnforcement Unit to go after individ-ual homeowners? How should the cityclarify what specific laws apply to rent-ing out rooms or your home on ashort term basis?

People have differing views, someof them very strong. You can decidefor yourselves, of course, I just raisethe issue. Some people think short-term renting of your home or a roomin your home can compromise thecharacter of a neighborhood. Othersthink it’s no real problem and canactually add to the community. Formy street, I tend to be in the lattercamp and love having visitors walk byasking about the historic character ofthe street and the work that historicpreservation groups like the NorthPark Historical Society have done tokeep some character in place. Noteveryone shares my view, that’s okay.The question is if property ownershave differing views about what otherscan do with their property, ultimatelyshould the city pick a side?

(AUTHOR’S NOTE: At an April 22hearing, the city of San Diego Develop-ment Services staff stated that the city’sofficial position is that short-term roomrentals are not allowed in the city of SanDiego without a commercial bed andbreakfast permit.)

(Omar Passons is a long time NorthPark resident and native San Dieganwho writes a column of interest to theNorth Park community.)

RENTALSCONTINUED FROM Page 1