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North Park – Leading the Charge to Rid the Sidewalks of Ugly Electrical Boxes

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Utility Companies Not Cooperative with Community Groups

By Jim Bliesner 

Cheryl Dye, a North Park resident and business owner, President of the North Park Main Street and a member of the North Park Planning Committee presented a full blown summary of the problem of unsightly electrical boxes littering the streets of North park at a City Council Committee hearing on September 24, 2012.

According to her testimony the electrical boxes, put in place by SDGE, Cox Communication and ATT as an alternative to overhead wires, haven’t worked out very well:  “Our urban landscape is being blighted by unsightly utility equipment. The proliferation of this equipment is damaging neighborhood character, impeding walkability and reducing property values.”   [Read more…]

Restaurant Review: North Park’s Olympic Café

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Even though my birthday was two weeks ago, I am still celebrating that special day. This time Nancy and Stewart took me out for breakfast and what a wonderful experience we all had. We went to the “Olympic Café” on the corner of University and Texas Street. There is a nice size parking lot; easy access, particularly from Texas street, and a delightful restaurant.

We were met by “Rose” and she told us we could sit anywhere we wished. When we arrived there about 9:00am we were the only ones in the restaurant, but people kept coming in and eating while we were there.   [Read more…]

Newest Pizzeria in Town – Tribute Pizza – Debuts Today in North Park

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Today, March 14th, is the debut of Tribute Pizza. This one-man-show, operated by Matthew Lyons, is debuting pop-up style inside of Coffee & Tea Collective at 2911 El Cajon Boulevard. Matthew was formerly the general manager of the MIHO food truck and is now focusing on Tribute Pizza and taking it from the current ‘project’ status to a full-fledged restaurant.

Matthew has over 10 years of experience in the pizza-making world. As part of the first class at UC-Merced, he nearly launched a pizzeria there to capitalize on the newly-created college town demand but was dissuaded from this idea when he saw a headline naming Merced the “Foreclosure Capital of the USA”. Now in San Diego he’s working to move his plan for a pizzeria forward.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line – Mayor Filner Takes to the Streets, Carl DeMaio Re-emerges to Obstruct Plans

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Mayor Bob Filner is making two high profile appearances as the week winds down to highlight pro-active aspects of his agenda for San Diego. Meanwhile, the proxy war aimed at thwarting his programs continues, as opponents wage their own media onslaughts.

This morning Filner’s holding a press conference with ex-councilwoman Donna Frye to announce details of an open government initiative designed to make the inner workings of the City more accessible to citizens. The Mayor’s decision to bring the popular ex-councilwoman into his administration has been widely lauded.

The Mayor’s defeated opponent, Carl DeMaio, is also taking the stage today, with an op-ed piece in UT-San Diego this morning and a morning speech at an event hosted by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. DeMaio’s message would seem to be a clarion call to warn San Diegans about Filner-approved ‘double-dipping’ for city pensioners.

The Mayor is trying to make it possible for Donna Frye to work in his administration and get paid for her time. Period. End of story.

Taking a cue from his Congressional brethren, DeMaio’s mission is to simply obstruct where ever possible, using alarmist rhetoric to cover his real intentions. You can bet that nobody in the mainstream San Diego media will see through this ruse; the ex-Councilman will be all over the evening news.   [Read more…]

Restaurant Review: Carnitas’ Snack Shack

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Carnitas’ Snack Shack
2632 University Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 294-7675

The San Diego Free Press is highlighting North Park during the month of March.  When I have mentioned to people that I am going to review several restaurants in the area, almost to a person I have been asked if I have been to the “Carnitas’ Snack Shack.” I hadn’t been there but I knew that I would certainly get there before the month was out.

As it turned out, my daughter went with me to my doctor’s appointment today and we had talked about eating at the Snack Shack if we had time.  The place doesn’t open until 12:00pm – stays open until midnight, and it fit right into our schedule.  And when we got there at 12:01pm there were already 24 people in line ahead of us.  (The first time I tried to eat there the line was so long that I didn’t stay.)

There was not a whole lot of talking between those of us in line; everyone was bent on getting their orders in so that they could find a table in the back.  I don’t know how many the back seats – which, by the way is outdoors replete with heating lamps and/or fans – but I would think it is close to 25-30 people. Some of the tables were “community tables”; some were tables for 2-4 people; some were in the sun; some were under an awning.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line – Fake Video About San Diego ACORN Yields $100,000 Settlement; Wingnuts Continue Defamation

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You’d think the right wingers would give it a rest. But the myth of the evil-doers at ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) continues to live.

Four separate investigations by various state and city Attorneys General and the GAO released in 2009/2010 cleared ACORN of any illegal activities. Law enforcement officials found its employees had not engaged in criminal activities and that the organization had managed its federal funding appropriately.  Videos purporting to show illegal activities were found to have been deceptively and selectively edited to present the workers in the worst possible light.

So it’s with some small satisfaction that former members of that group were in a celebratory mood yesterday after court documents were released revealing that James O’Keefe, the conservative activist whose hidden-camera stings were at the center of the controversy, agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a former employee of ACORN.

INSIDE: North Park Water Tower, District 4 Dirt, Balboa Park Redux, Digging in South LA   [Read more…]

The Curtain Closes on Birch North Park Theatre?

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The intersection of 30th Street and University Avenue is the physical center of North Park, as well as the hub the commercial and cultural activity in the neighborhood.  In the early 1900s this corner earned the moniker of “Busy Corner“, a title that would be fitting today as well.  Standing at Busy Corner throughout the years would give a clear view of the many changes that have occurred throughout the decades since the first homes and businesses appeared in the first decade of the 1900s.

In 2012, after filing for bankruptcy, the Lyric Opera  sold the mortgage note on the property to David Cohen, owner of the West Coast Tavern that is housed in the front of the theatre building.  Mr. Cohen is now trying to foreclose on the Lyric Opera and take ownership of the building.  A hearing on the issue took place before Judge Margaret Mann in downtown San Diego on Wednesday, February 27th, but no ruling was issued and the case will be continued on March 7.

Pending a decision in court there are many possibilities for the future of the space but no clear direction.   [Read more…]

Alma Rodriguez: The ‘Little Napoleon’ Behind Queen Bee’s Art and Cultural Center in North Park

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Alma Rodriguez’s childhood nickname was “Little Napoleon.”

At first glance, the obvious reason is her just more than 4-foot stature. But after a conversation about how she came to be the queen at the Queen Bee’s Art and Cultural Center in North Park, it’s her determination and self-proclaimed “need to be in control” that earns her the title.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line – Sequestration, Implementation, Discrimination, Frustration… Compared to What?

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Happy sequestration day. 

The sky most likely won’t fall at 11:59pm tonight when President Obama signs the order implementing terms of a deal struck with Congress designed to be so odious that no person in their right mind would allow it to happen.

That should tell us a lot about the current mental state of the nation’s politicians. But it doesn’t.  The horrible deal, as it turns out, isn’t all that horrible, at least in the short run.

Guess who won’t be feeling the effects of sequestration?  From Bloomberg News:

The cuts, known as sequestration, will have no impact on the president, U.S. lawmakers and other top government officials. It is especially ironic that Congress, which has the power to avert the reductions, has nothing to lose in the negotiations, said Dan Gordon, former head of federal procurement in the Obama administration.

INSIDE: LES MCCANN, PROP H8, DISTRICT FOUR WALK-OFF, NORTH PARK GETS A PARKLET   [Read more…]

North Park’s Seven Grand and All That Jazz

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I love me some jazz. I love all music actually: Patsy Cline is one of my favorite singers of all time; Symphony soothes my mind; R & B practically raised me; Marian Anderson is a hero to me; Corridos stir my soul; I can’t get enough of that Rock and Roll and I have danced in a park to Blue Grass. But I love me some jazz.

And speaking of jazz, the other night I caught some nice sounds at a new place in town. Seven Grand Whiskey Bar in North Park. 3054 University Avenue to be exact.   [Read more…]

Live in North Park, City Heights, University Heights, Normal Heights, Rolando or other nearby areas? Like to ride a bike? Like to ride a bike without fearing for your life?

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If some or all of the above apply to you mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 6, from 6 to 8:30 PM.  SANDAG is holding the second open-to-the-public meeting soliciting community input for the North Park – Mid-City Bike Corridors Project.  The meeting will be held at the Sunset Temple in North Park at 3911 Kansas Street, San Diego, CA  92104.  If you’re looking for a spot to park your bike one of the city’s 4 bike corrals is conveniently located two short blocks away at the corner of North Park Way and 30th Street.  Bonus: the corral is right outside The Linkery restaurant which features Belgian-style drafts for $4 on Wednesday nights.

Think this is just another meeting to attend, voice your opinion, and have no real-world result for the investment of your time and efforts?  Well, you might be right.  But SANDAG has ponied up approximately $1 million for the planning and preliminary design stages of this project.   [Read more…]

Welcome to North Park. Let’s See What Kind of Stuff We Can Stir Up….

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Part of our mission here at the San Diego Free Press is the reporting on and encouraging the reporting of news from neighborhoods around San Diego. For the next few weeks we’ll be focusing our energies on North Park.

We’ve been going through the process of building our contacts and coming up with story ideas for our coverage of North Park. It’s very incomplete, a work in progress. So we’d like to start our by inviting your participation. Got a story idea? Want to contribute? Drop us a line: contact@SanDiegoFreePress.org

Given that I happen to reside in North Park, the task of introducing this topic has fallen upon my shoulders. Most of what’s going on here isn’t ‘sexy’ stuff.

Yet this story line is a fine example of the kind of involvement that’s necessary if we as citizens want to reclaim our lives and our futures from the demoralized and disenfranchised landscape that characterizes our society these days.   [Read more…]

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