Welcome to Old Town Playa Grill & Margarita Bar in Fenton MarketplaceThe Trellises at Town & Country Hotel

MISSION VALLEY NEWS & VIEWSThe Positive View of the Community

www.MissionValleyNews.com

April 2010 San Diego, California Volume IV Number 4

Fiessta de Reyes - Old Town

See "McDonalds" Page 4

See "Annex" Page 2

ANNEX BRANDS, INC.POSTAL ANNEX CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

By Dinah Stielau, Franchise Communications Associate

In 1985, at an age when many people are beginning to slow down to-

ward retirement, Jack Lentz was thinking of starting a new business. Be-

fore long, thought turned to action, and PostalAnnex+ had been

launched. Within a year, individual franchise locations were being sold.

And for the last 20 years, Annex Brands, Inc., franchisor of

SAN DIEGO McDONALD’S®RESTAURANTS EXPAND

SUCCESSFUL McCAFÉ® BEVERAGE LINE WITHDEBUT OF FRAPPÉS

By Gina Cord assisted by Katie Rowland Account Executive for Nuffer, Smith,Tucker PR

McDonald’s introduced Frappés, a new ice-blended treat from the

McCafé line of espresso-based coffees, to San Diego on March 18-20,

several months before the national launch, at McDonald’s restaurant in

Fenton Marketplace.

McDonald’s new

Frappés are thick and

creamy drinks, blended

with ice and a hint of

coffee, then topped

with whipped cream,

and chocolate or cara-

mel drizzle. Customers

can choose between the

Caramel Frappé with

caramel flavor and driz-

zle, and Mocha Frappé

with mocha flavor and

chocolate drizzle, each

Photo by Mohsen Zamani

McDonald’s Restaurant in Fenton Marketplace during the

introduction of McDonald’s Frappes.

On March 25th, the San Diego Planning Commission voted 4-0 to rec-ommend approval of the Hazard Center Revitalization Project to the City

Council. The pro-ject proposes add-ing 473 multi-fam-ily residential unitsand additional re-tail space to the ex-isting Hazard Cen-ter to create amixed-use, transitoriented villagenext to the trolley.“This is a show-case project and an

example of the kind of projects we should be approving in San Diego aspart of the City of Villages” said Planning Commissioner, Mary Lydon.

“If not here, then where?” asked Mike LaBarre, the project architect

See "Hazard Center" Page2

Hazard Center Drive ConnectionApproved

Construction Set to BeginLater this Year

On March 23rd the San Diego City Council approved an agreement

which will finally facilitate the connection of Hazard Center Drive from

the existing cul-de-sac near the Doubletree Hotel, under SR-163 to Fash-

ion Valley Mall. The Hazard Center Drive extension has been a planned

See "Hazard Drive" Page 7

2 MISSION VALLEY NEWS April 2010

"Annex" (Con't from Page 1)

PostalAnnex+, has been based right here in Mission Valley.

Those who know Jack Lentz can vouch that he has never been known

for being idle: after all, this is a man who ran fast and furious as a news-

paper owner/publisher in Northern California for several years. In 1963,

he was lured to San Diego by a vice president position with Neyenesch

Printers on Kettner Boulevard. After 12 years with the venerable print-

ers, he tried to retire: in

fact, he was newly-mar-

ried to a woman who en-

couraged him to take

things a little easier. But

instead, Jack went on to

open an instant-print

business with two loca-

tions, where he and wife

Marty spent long hours.

When he was tapped as

president of Westland

Title Insurance Com-

pany in 1979, he turned

over operations of the

print businesses to his

new bride.

“She showed me,”

Jack chuckles. “She sold

them.”

That sale was what led Jack down a new road. In 1982, he acquiesced

to Marty’s urging and retired, working only as a consultant to friends in

business. But before long, a need for small business services had Lentz

thinking of another opportunity: a store which would provide mailbox

rental, packing and shipping, notary, and copy and printing services. The

Lentzes brainstormed, coming up with 18 areas in San Diego County

which could benefit from having such a store, and he and Marty opened

their first three PostalAnnex+ locations in University City, San Ysidro,

and Fletcher Hills in the summer of 1985.

“Looking back, that was a lot to tackle all at once,” says Jack. “But ul-

timately it led to where we are today.”The company’s first franchisee came on board with a store in Rancho

Penasquitos in 1986. “We decided to set up our corporate office right next to

our first PostalAnnex+ in University City,” says Jack. “If Marty was working at

that location on busy days when the copy service got backed up, she would

come over to my office, roll the copier out the door and onto the patio, and the

customers would line up there in the sun. And customer service is really why

businesses like ours survive, and thrive, even during rough times.”

That doctrine of service runs deep at the corporate headquarters, as well: a

full-time staff of 19 handles everything from new store development and loca-

tion build-out to marketing and in-house design. Sean Hilly is Senior Vice Pres-

ident of Annex Brands, and oversees Franchise Services.

“We’re the support vehicle for the franchise system, so we consider

ourselves successful in our jobs when our franchisees are successful,” he

says. “Most of the time the only hurdle to being successful is the support

one receives from other people.” he says. Asked about the company’s

longevity, he believes it’s because Annex Brands’ business model is

based on need, not want. “It’s a very satisfying position to be in, because

our customers depend on us to provide the services they must have in

order to get their business done.”

Photo courtesy of Annex Brands, Inc.

The executives of Postal Annex, Inc. are (clockwise from

upper left) , Vice President of Marketing

Communications; , Senior Vice President; Jack

Lentz, Founder and CEO; and Patrick Edd,

President and CFO.

"Hazard Center" (Con't from Page 1)

while describing how high density near transit will reduce traffic.LaBarre also explained benefits of the project which include affordablehousing, wider sidewalks and sustainable design features such as greenroofs and energy efficient appliances. “We are also seeking LEED cer-tification,” said LaBarre.

Alan Nevin, an economist with MarketPointe Realty Advisors said,

“The way to stimulate the economy out of recession is to get the home-

builders going.” Nevin estimated that the Hazard Center project would

generate $72 million in property and sales tax in the first year, over 1,400

construction jobs and $14 million in development impact fees to the City.

“This project implements the goals and policies of the SANDAG’s

Smart Growth Plan” said Coleen Clementson, a regional planner with

SANDAG, San Diego’s regional planning agency. “It meets the density

targets and gives residents and workers the opportunity to use transit,”

said Clementson.

Duncan McFettridge who represents Save Our Forests and

Ranchlands and the Cleveland National Forest Foundation testified in fa-

vor of the project explaining “We need to think globally and act globally

because we all live in one room.” McFettridge urged the Planning Com-

mission and City Council to direct the project’s development fees toward

See "Hazard Center" Page10

April 2010 MISSION VALLEY NEWS 3

Tribute to Joan Embery a Success

More than 200 people joined

the inaugural “Night of Discov-

ery” to celebrate the Discovery

Park and ]oan Embery. It was a

wonderful event with a reception,

music and a delicious sit-down

dinner catered by The French

Gourmet, as the audience paid

tribute to a San Diego treasure,

Joan Embery, at the San Diego

Natural History Museum. Mayor

Jerry Sanders was on hand to pro-

claim the day “:Joan Embery

Day” in the City of San Diego.

The event was coordinated by

the San Diego River Park Foun-

dation under the direction of Ex-

ecutive Director, Rob Hutsel, and

the members of the Board.

A portion of the eve-

ning’s proceeds went to

the Embery Institute for

Wildlife Conservation.

SDRPF was pleased to

present a check for

$10,000 to support the

work of the Institute.

The evening included

the unveiling of plans for

the new River Discovery

Center at Grant Park

which is an exciting new

project of the San Diego

River Park Foundation

through the extraordinary gener-

osity of the Grant Family who has

donated this 17 acre property,

which has been in their family for

the last 100 years, to the Founda-

tion. This river fronting property

in Mission Valley will feature

Southern Califomia’s Premiere

River Education Center within a

community park. AECOM has

been working with the planning

committee to complete the Con-

cept Plan under lead architect,

Rick Barrett.

Founding donors of the San

Diego River Discovery Center at

Grant Park are Hazard Center,

Sempra Energy Foundation and

Sudberry Properties.

4 MISSION VALLEY NEWS April 2010

offering a sweet and savory substitute for traditional coffees or sodas.

With 116 McDonald’s restaurants in San Diego County, only one ex-

ists in the Mission Valley area and that is at the corner of Friars Road and

Northside Avenue on the eastern

boundary of Fenton Marketplace.This particular restaurant is a

company-owned operation and not a

franchised store and is a beautiful

structure with free parking. Cus-

tomers can also enjoy surfing the

Web for free at most of San Diego

County McDonald’s restaurants that

are Wi-Fi enabled.

“McDonald’s customers count

on us to deliver a variety of quality

items that meet their food and bever-

age needs, and that’s why we’re introducing Frappés to San Diego earlier

than other markets,” said Philip Palumbo, president, McDonald’s

Owner/ Operator Association of San Diego County. “By adding Frappés

to the McCafé line of drinks, our customers will have another great op-

tion for getting their morning coffee fix or afternoon treat.”

The new line of delicious drinks come in small (12 ounces), medium

(16 ounces) and large (20 ounces) sizes and can be enjoyed on their own

or with a meal. Frappés are a great breakfast beverage, a refreshing addi-

tion to any Extra Value Meal® and a perfect mid-day refreshment.

McDonald’s has taken strides to increase coffee and beverage options

since the launch of its Premium Roast Coffee in 2006 and McCafé drinks

in 2009. The addition of Frappés builds upon the existing line of McCafé

drinks, including Lattes, Cappuccinos, Mochas and Hot Chocolate. All

McCafé Coffees are made with quality ingredients, including Arabica

coffee beans harvested in Central and South America and the

mountainous regions of Indonesia.

McDonald’s USA, LLC is the leading foodservice provider in the

United States, serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality

ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 90 percent of

McDonald’s San Diego restaurants are independently owned and oper-

ated by local franchisees. Interesting statics provided by Bill

Trumpfheller, President of Nuffer, Smith, Tucker, “10% of the popula-

tion of the United States, at one time or another, have been employed by

McDonald’s and today, they are the largest employer in the USA.”

In Donald Trump’s book, “Think Like A Billionaire” on page 114,

Donald says, “The Best Hamburger? I have two answers for this one. I

like McDonald’s hamburgers and the DT Burger as served at the Trump

Grill in Trump Tower, but I’ve been a loyal McDonald’s customer and

even did a major ad for them.” So very soon now, Mr. Trump can enjoy

McDonald’s Frappes with his hamburger.

For more information on San Diego County McDonald’s restaurants,

visit

www.sdmcdonalds.comor Katie Rowland at619.296.0605 ext. 254.

Thick and creamy McDonald’s Frappes in

either Caramel or Mocha flavors.

"MacDonalds" (Con't from Page 1)

A Company without Advertising is like

Being in a dark room without a light!

You know what you are doing BUT

No one else does!

5th ANNUAL ‘ROTARIANS AT WORK’SET FOR APRIL 24

By Gina Cord, Past President 2005-06Mission Valley Rotary Club

In 2005, Past District Gover-

nor Bob Watson came up with a

brilliant idea to set aside one day

each year where every member

of District 5340 would donate

their work on a community im-

provement project. Now in its

fifth year, the idea has expanded

to include Districts from Mex-

ico, the entire United States and

around the world including Eu-

rope and Africa and will soon

include all of the 1.2 million

members of Rotary Interna-

tional.

This year on April 24th, The

Mission Valley Rotary Club

members will be joined by

members of the Downtown

Club 33 Rotary; the La Jolla

Golden Triangle Rotary and

their Rotaract Club; some mem-

bers of the proposed Mission

Valley New Generations Rotary

Club; students from Patrick

Henry and St. Augustine High

Schools; Boy Scout Troops 170

and 295 (The Boy Scouts are

celebrating their 100th anniver-

sary this year); and student

nurses from Grossmount Health

Occupations Center Vocational

Nursing who will be ‘manning’

the First Aid Booth.

A Continental breakfast and

luncheon will be served to all

workers.

250 workers are excepted to

spend from 8am to 2pm working

under the direction of Rob

Hutsel, Executive Director of

the San Diego River Park Foun-

dation and his staff, at the San

Diego River Garden located at

3334 Camino del Rio North in

Mission Valley (just east of

Qualcomm Way) to clean the

area of weeds; build viewing

platforms; create and install

three-bin soil recycling system;

paint informational signs; in-

stall a welcome sign; paint pic-

nic tables; install split rail fenc-

ing around the garden; define

trail improvements, etc.

A grant for providing the

necessary equipment has been

furnished again this year

through the generosity of

County Supervisor Ron Rob-

erts, who is an honorary mem-

ber of Mission Valley Rotary

Club.

This is the fifth year that the

Club has devoted their energy

and muscle to help clean up the

San Diego River areas which

will become a major tourist des-

tination in the near future.

Lydia Stewart and Sam Strong

of Mission Valley Rotary Club

are chairs for the event. You are

invited to join in, or just watch,

to witness the transformation of

the Garden! Photos of the work

accomplished will be published

in next month’s issue.

April 2010 MISSION VALLEY NEWS 5

Old Town

Photo: Mohsen Zamani

REQUEST FOR OLD PHOTOSWe take pleasure in reprinting

the following request which was

submitted by Karen Spring and

reprinted from her Alphabet

House Publications

State park staff are asking for

anyone‘s in seeking photographs

or images of the mid-twentieth

century (1950’s-ish) Cosmopoli-

tan Hotel which was previously

the Casa de Bandini Restaurant.

The structure also went by the

name of the Miramar Hotel dur-

ing the 30’s and early 40’s under

Cave Couts, Jr. and the Casa de

Bandini Motel of the Cardwells

from the late 40’s through the

60’s.

“The photos are very impor-

tant part in making the restoration

as historically accurate as possi-

ble,” said Sean Shiraishi, histo-

rian for the State Of California.

“We recognize the significance

and popularity of the location,

from tourists to locals. Many

memories were cherished over

the years, and we hope to capture

those images."

Recognized as one of the most

historically significant buildings

in California, the Cosmo will in-

clude an indoor and outdoor res-

taurant, boutique hotel with 10

rooms along with meeting rooms

for special occasions.

If there are any photos that you

are willing to share, they will be

scanned and returned to you with

an agreement for the terms of our

intended use. Images may also be

brought by appointment at the

San Diego Coast District Office

located at 4477 Pacific Highway.

Submittals are desired before

April 15, 2010. For more info,

contact Sean via email at

sshiraishi@parks.ca.gov or call

(619) 688-3398. Or contact Ka-

ren Spring at 619.491.0099, 2606

Juan Street, San Diego 92110

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OFPARKS AND RECREATION

Offers New Opportunities for Volunteers in Old

Town San Diego State Historic Park

Do you have an interest in

community service? A respect for

history? An interest in early San

Diego? Come be part of his-

tory! Old Town San Diego State

Historic Park attracts millions of

visitors from around the world

every year. Our volunteer pro-

gram—part of the California

State Parks’ Volunteer in Parks

program— provides opportuni-

ties for meaningful service in pre-

serving our heritage and present-

ing quality programs for the com-

munity and our many visitors.

We are recruiting passionate

people that have an interest in

helping preserve and sharing the

history and heritage of a unique

historic community. Whether you

want to interact with our guests as

part of the living history program,

greet visitors, give educational

tours for school groups or pro-

vide support behind the scenes,

there are many opportunities to

match your skills, abilities, and

interests with the many programs

and activities necessary to create

engaging, individualized, and

unique experiences for our visi-

tors. We are especially looking

for people interested in being tour

guides. Share your skills and

learn new ones. Your contribu-

tion matters and you can make a

difference!Free training will be

provided.

Have fun, meet new people,

and get involved! For more infor-

mation about the opportunities

available and to sign up contact

Joe Vasquez at

619-952-3897.For additional information on

Old Town San Diego State His-

toric Park, call

619-220-5422 or gotoparks.ca.gov/oldtownsandiego

for a volunteer application.

RACINE & LARAMIE IN OLD TOWN

In 1868, Racine & Laramie be-

came San Diego’s first cigar store.

Having emigrated from Quebec

Province following the Canadian

Confederation, Messrs.Racine and

Laramie sold cigars, tobacco, sta-

tionary, pipes, cutlery and gentle-

men’s furnishings.

The adobe they rented, when

built in the 1820’s, was one of the

first six buildings in this isolated

pueblo, population 500. The adobe

and surrounding city block were the

retirement home for leather-jacket

soldier, Juan Rodriguez of the Royal

Presidio.

The Rodriguez family had suc-

cess in proving their Mexican own-

ership to the U.S. Land Commission.

They owned it through depressions

and Gold Rush Booms. Many

Californio property owners were not

as fortunate. Their son, Ramon, was

elected to the City Council. The

widow Rodriguez, in 1867, remod-

eled the home into stores and rented

to the Bank Exchange, a proper sa-

loon, and Racine & Laramie. All

was lost in the fire of 1872.

This prize winning historic re-

construction is based on photo-

graphs, research, and archeology.

The interior is furnished with an

outstanding collection of antique,

c. 1870, shop fixtures and stocked

with goods, similar to those sold on

this very spot, in that long ago

frontier Pacific port.

This museum is privately re-

constructed, furnished, and oper-

ated. After it was built, the build-

ing was given in perpetuity to the

people of California.

6 MISSION VALLEY NEWS April 2010

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OUR 4TH YEAR

The Mission Valley News & Views offers a unique venue to increase salesfor your products by reaching the specific target market of over 20,000Mission Valley residents and the literally millions of tourists and shoppersdrawn to the Mission Valley area each year.

20.000 issues are published monthly in full color. The content of Mission

Valley News & Views is, and will remain, positive articles of specificinterest to our targeted audience.

Distribution is to over 400 locations in Mission Valley and somesurrounding areas including hotels, businesses, condo and apartmentdwellers, stores, restaurants, all trolley stops, the security office ofQualcomm Stadium, the Food Courts at Mission Valley Shopping Centerand Fashion Valley Mall, plus the City and County AdministrationBuildings and the Courthouse downtown, etc. We are currently deliveringto over 3,500 condo and apartment dwellers.

In addition, all of the pages and stories are listed on our web sitewww.missionvalleynewsviews.com.

Our Rates are unbeatable for access to this unique market which isconstantly growing. And, your ad remains for one full month!

6855 Friars Rd. #26, SanDiego CA 92108

Phone: 619.291.0200 ext. 127Fax: 888-677-9535

info@MissionValleyNews.comwww.missionvalleynews.com

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Health

7 Steps To A Healthy Heart - American Heart Association IdentifiesImportant Factors Leading To A Healthy Heart

By Dr. Michael Pritsker

Heart disease is the number

one killer in America. The Amer-

ican Heart Association (AHA)

says they have identified 7 steps

to achieving a healthy heart. And,

just like so many other important

things in life – these “steps” may

be “simple”… but they will not

always be easy. Published in Cir-

culation: Journal of the American

Heart Association, the AHA says

ideal cardiovascular health for

adults is defined by these health

measures:

1) Never smoked or quit more

than a year ago

2) A healthy body mass index

(BMI), an estimate of body fat

determined by a formula using

weight and height

3) Physical activity, and more

is better. (The new measure says

at least 150 minutes per week of

moderate-intensity exercise is

necessary for ideal health, or 75

minutes weekly of vigorous

physical activity)

4) Blood pressure below

120/80

5) Fasting blood glucose less

than 100 milligrams/deciliter, a

fasting measure of blood sugar

level

6) Total cholesterol of less

than 200 milligrams/deciliter

7) Eating a healthy diet.

Healthy factors in a 2,000-calorie

diet include: at least 4.5 cups of

fruits and vegetables per day; at

least two 3.5 oz. servings of fish

per week, preferably oily fish; at

least three 1-ounce servings of fi-

ber-rich whole grains per day;

limiting sodium to less than 1,500

milligrams a day; and drinking no

more than 36 ounces of

sugar-sweetened beverages

weekly.

The American Heart Associa-

tion hopes a couple of great

things happen if people follow

these 7 steps: By 2020, Ameri-

cans could have improved their

cardiovascular health by 20%,

and also reduce deaths from car-

diovascular-related diseases and

strokes by 20%. This would not

only add many years to countless

lives, it would dramatically alter

the QUALITY of life. Here’s the

amazing thing about the AHA’s

“new” finding…It Is NOTHING

NEW! I’m sure this is not the first

time you been advised to eat a

healthy diet, exercise, don’t

smoke, don’t eat too much salt,

and stay away from sugar. Bar-

ring abnormal genetics, it’s in-

credible how simple living a

healthy life can be. The key is liv-

ing up to your genetic potential.

And living up to your genetic po-

tential is NOT about fancy tech-

nology, wonder drugs or surger-

ies. All of these advancements

may save lives ONCE YOU ARE

SICK, but they have nothing to

do with staying healthy. The key

to living up to your genetic poten-

tial is doing all of these simple

things consistently for the rest of

your life. That’s where it gets a

little tricky. It is easy to eat right,

exercise, etc. for a few weeks or

months. What is difficult is doing

all the right things for years and

years and years. But, it all starts

with a decision. The decision to

take charge of your health and

life. And when you do that – any-

thing is possible. Make your deci-

sion and take your first steps to

true health today.

The American Heart

Association (AHA) says

they have identified 7

steps to achieving a

healthy heart. And, just

like so many other

important things in life –

these “steps” may be

“simple”. . .

April 2010 MISSION VALLEY NEWS 7

At Your Service

California Jewelers AssociationEelects 2010 Officers

LOS ANGELES, CA — Stu-

art Benjamin, of Stuart Benjamin

& Co. Jewelry Designs, San

Diego, has been elected President

of the California Jewelers Asso-

ciation (CJA) for 2010, succeed-

ing Teresa Saldivar, of Teresa’s

Jewelers, Santa Aria as the head

of the organization which serves

retail jewelers, suppliers and de-

signers throughout the state.

Other officers elected include

James Orloff, of Orloff Jewelers,

Fresno, President-Elect; David

Hayman, of David Hayman Jew-

elers, Yorba Linda, First Vice

President; Brenda Newman, of

The Jewelry Source, El Segundo,

Second Vice President; and Allen

Kessler, of Kessler Jewelers,

Burbank, Treasurer.

“We are pleased to announce

that Stuart Benjamin of Stuart

Benjamin & Co. Jewelry Designs

in San Diego has been elected as

President of the California Jewel-

ers Association in 2010. He co-

mes from a family with long roots

in the jewelry industry and is

proud to be a third generation

jeweler,” said CJA Executive Di-

rector & CEO Rossana Aguilar.

Stuart began his training at the

age fifteen, under his grandfather,

Ed Benjamin. He worked with his

family until 1997. It was then,

that the family store was sold.

Stuart, along with his partner,

Barbara Wasserstrom opened

their store, Stuart Benjamin &

Co. Jewelry Designs, in San

Diego. In addition to being active

in CJA, Stuart is also a member of

Jewelers Vigilance Committee

and Women’s Jewelry Associa-

tion.

He and Barbara won a Plati-

num Honors Award in the Ob-

jects of Fancy category in 1998.

They also won the Torch Award

for Business Ethics sponsored by

the Better Business Bureau.

“Today marks a very impor-

tant milestone in CJA history -

and future. As we separate from

Jewelers of America (JA) and be-

come an independent organiza-

tion, we mark the beginning of a

fresh start and open the door to

new opportunities. I believe this

is a perfect time for rebuilding

trust, confidence and passion

around CJA and the benefits we

bring our members,” Benjamin

said

Their store is also a member of

the American Gem Society.

Stuart Benjamin

LOOK FABULOUS

At Your Wedding or Anytime!

Call for Complimentary Consultation 619.203.6788

road improvement in Mission

Valley for decades.

Years of controversy over

funding, design and environmen-

tal concerns led to litigation

which had delayed the project.

Completing the connection was

supposed to be done years ago

when Hazard Center was first

built. Since that time, the owner-

ship of Hazard Center has

changed many times, but the obli-

gation to build the road remained

with CIGNA, the health insur-

ance company. Hazard Center is

now owned by Principal Life In-

surance.

In 2004, the City Council ap-

proved Fashion Walk, a 161 resi-

dential unit project on Friars

Road north of Fashion Valley

Mall. That approval required

payment of $1-million toward the

completion of Hazard Center

Drive. The current owners of

Hazard Center are now seeking

approval to redevelop the prop-

erty with 473 residential units

and more commercial space.

That project is expected to be

heard by the City Council this

Spring. If approved, the comple-

tion of the Hazard Center Drive

extension will be required before

that project can be built.

The Council’s most recent ac-

tion on March 23rd is a final step

to ensure this long-awaited road

connection will finally be com-

pleted. Construction is expected

to begin later this year.

"Hazard Drive" (Con't from Page 1)

8 MISSION VALLEY NEWS April 2010

Community Governance

Mission Valley Planning GroupMeets the 1st Wednesday of each month at noon.

Mission Valley Community CouncilMeets every other Month on 3rd Monday at 6:30pm.

San Diego River CoalitionMeets the 3rd Friday of each month at 3-4:30pm.

Info at: www.sandiegoriver.org

All of the above meetings are held at theMission Valley Library,

2123 Fenton Parkway and are open to thepublic.

See "Ron Roberts"age 9

NEW BOARD MEMBERS OF MISSION

VALLEY PLANNING GROUP

By Chet Barfield, Mission ValleyRepresentative for CouncilmemberDonna Frye

Five new board members won

seats on the Mission Valley Plan-

ning Group in last month’s bian-

nual election.

The newcomers will join

seven returning members who

were re-elected March 3. Half of

the panel’s 24 seats are up for

grabs every two years.

A total of 14 candidates vied

for the 12 open seats. More than

40 voters turned out to cast bal-

lots for up to three candidates in

each of four categories: Mission

Valley resident, Mission Valley

taxpayer, Mission Valley prop-

erty owner and Mission Valley

business representative.

The closest race was in the

taxpayer category, where board

member Gina Cord retained her

seat by beating community activ-

ist Lynn Mulholland by just one

Councilmember Donna Frye'sDistrict #6 Represents the City of

San Diego in Mission Valley

vote. The two top vote-getters in

that category were returning

board members Paul Brown and

Marco Sessa.

The only other contested race

was in the property owner cate-

gory, in which none of the four

candidates was an incumbent.

Retired accounting manager Julie

Corwin nudged out attorney

Amanda Allen by three votes,

joining professional musician

Alan Grant and property execu-

tive Allen Jones for new seats on

the planning advisory board.

The three candidates in each

of the other two categories were

uncontested. Re-elected business

representatives Deborah

Bossemeyer and Bob Doherty

will be joined by new member

Mike McDowell, a hotel

executive.

And in the resident category,

returning members Randy Dolph

and Dottie Surdie will be joined

by newcomer Marla Bell, a prop-

erty tax appraiser.

The board is bidding farewell

to termed-out members Pat

Grant, Hank Hoxie, Mark

Silverman and John Tessier. For-

mer chairwoman Linda Kaufman

will remain on the board but will

be replaced as chair by Bruce

Warren.

Councilmember Frye is grate-

ful to all of the board members –

incoming, returning and outgoing

– for their willingness to volun-

tarily serve the community, ad-

vising the Planning Department,

Planning Commission and City

Council on Mission Valley devel-

opment projects and land-use

issues.

New Electric MowersFor Only Ninety-Nine Ninety-Nine

Save some green by being green

when cutting your green

By County Supervisor Ron Roberts

I don’t mean to sound like a

pitchman – well, OK, maybe I do

a little — but have I got a

lawnmower deal for you.

To be clear on my intentions,

this pitch starts with clean air,

which is a passion of mine, and

ends with a recession-busting

priced mower in the hands of

hundreds of San Diegans.

For me, clean air is both an is-

sue of good government (the

health and welfare of the people)

and something that also is very

personal. I have asthma and

sometimes use an inhaler. When

the air quality is bad, I notice.

Throughout my career I have

been a staunch and relentless ad-

vocate for clean air. Sometimes it

has made me friends; sometimes

not. I serve on the county’s Air

Pollution Control District and for

the last 15 years as a member of

the California Air Resources

Board.

As a county, and as a state, we

are truly leading the world in

Supervisor Ron Roberts of SanDiego County Board of

Supervisors Represents District #4,in Mission Valley

cleaning up our air. And we are

doing it in a way that is sensitive

to the needs of business and the

pocketbooks of our residents.

Which brings me back to the

lawnmowers.

It was 11 years ago that I got

the idea to sponsor what has be-

come an annual lawnmower

trade-in event that we have since

nicknamed as the “Mowing

Down Pollution” program.

Since 2000, nearly 4,500

zero-emission mowers have been

distributed in San Diego County,

taking over 22 tons per year of

volatile organic compounds

(ozone precursors) emissions out

of our air. This is equivalent to

hourly emissions of more than

150,000 late model automobiles.

Clearly, the Mowing Down

Pollution program is making a

difference in San Diego’s im-

proved air quality and the quality

of life of our citizens.

This year, I am particularly

excited about the program. We

were able to negotiate an incredi-

ble price with Black & Decker

and, as the TV pitchman says, can

now pass the savings on to you!

For just ninety-nine

ninety-nine, and an old

smog-spewing mower in working

condition, we will trade you a

brand new Black & Decker

CMM1200 battery-rechargeable

mower that is normally priced at

$399.

This great deal is triple green,

good for your wallet, the environ-

ment and lawn.

Once again the 11th annual

Lawnmower Trade-In Event will

take place at the County Admin-

istration Center at 1600 Pacific

Supervisor Roberts tests out one of the Black & Decker battery-rechargeable mowers

that will be sold for $99 on May 1.

April 2010 MISSION VALLEY NEWS 9

ROTARY CLUBSWEEKLY MEETINGS IN

MISSION VALLEY OR NEARBY

Mission Valley Rotary Clubat noon on Thursdays at

Trellises Restaurant in the

Town & Country Hotel

500 Hotel Circle North

San Diego CA 92108

missionvalleyrotaryclub.org

Old Mission Rotary Clubat noon on Tuesdays at

Kelly's Steakhouse

500 Hotel Circle North

www.oldmissionrotary.com

If you would be interested in attending a meeting or

becoming a member, contact the Club of your choice.

"Ron Roberts" (Con't from Page 8)

Cruising Down Under

Highway where there is ample

space for cars to line up. It is

scheduled for Saturday, May 1,

from 8 a.m. until we run out of

mowers.

Folks arrive early for these

$99 grass clipping machines, pre-

sumably excited to take them

home and get to the weekend gar-

dening chores. This year I am

hoping we can exchange a record

785 mowers.

More information is on our

Website. Please tell your friends,

family and co-workers. They will

be green with thanks and we all

will breathe easier knowing they

didn’t miss out.

Supervisor Ron Roberts’s

Fourth District includes Mission

Valley and its surrounding com-

munities. You can reach him at

ron-roberts@sdcounty.ca.gov,

find him on Facebook by

searching Ron Roberts and fol-

low him on Twitter at

@ronrobertssd.

by Tom Leech & LeslieJohnson-Leech

This was our first journey

down under, as many are prone to

call it. We were roughing it on the

Holland America Line’s

Volendam. It would be primarily

hitting the main towns on New

Zealand’s Eastern Shore. We

were traveling in January, mean-

ing summer down there.

Our journey started from Syd-

ney, Australia. We headed across

what the Aussies call the Big

Ditch, better known as the Tas-

man Sea. We arrived at NZ’s

South Island and started our sail

through Foveaux Strait, the wa-

terway between South and Stew-

art Islands. This was a fine wel-

come to NZ as we leisurely sailed

into fjords and channels, with su-

perb scenery of mountain ranges

and waterfalls. Much appreciated

were frequent narrations by

Chris, the ship’s lecturer. He

would provide us with informa-

tive slide-illustrated talks about

each locale.

Now on the eastern side and

into the Pacific Ocean, our first

stop was Dunedin, founded by

Scots and known as Edinburgh of

the South. We took the Taieri

Gorge Railway tour out into

mountain and canyon country in

vintage rebuilt railroad cars. We

made one brief unplanned stop,

as a sheep was lounging on the

tracks.

Next, heading north, was

Christchurch, the South Island’s

largest city and an impressive one

at that. City Square was the center

of action. Just strolling around

this area was most enjoyable,

along the tree-lined Avon River

and over to the Botanic Gardens,

in full bloom. The Centre is the

place for catching the On-Off

Tramway to hit city highlights, or

the bus out to the International

Antarctica Centre.

We crossed over to the North

Island, to Wellington, the coun-

try’s capital city. A must visit

from the major downtown com-

mercial area was a short ride on

the cable car heading upward.

From here are great views of the

harbor and nearby hillside com-

munities. A stroll along the bay

was rewarding, with the City Mu-

seum a good stop. Further alongthe boardwalk are cafes, pic-turesque buildings and activi-ties, concluding with the im-pressive Te Papa Museum.

Next was a brief visit to

Napier, a small and very

walkable town, featuring art deco

buildings, extensively rebuilt

since a major1931 earthquake.

Then on to Tauranga, the busiest

port in NZ. A highlight was a tour

out to Maori world, including a

stop at a school for music and

dance routines by high school

students. All part of same family

group, the girls sang and danced

and the guys went into ferocious

expressions, grunts and tongue

poking. Back in town we took a

pleasurable stroll around the ad-

joining peak, with ocean waves

lapping up against the shoreline

rocks.

Heading into the home stretch,

we stopped at Auckland, pro-

nounced “Oak-land” by locals.

It’s the largest NZ city at 1.3 mil-

lion, thus about 1/3 of the coun-

try’s population calls this home.

Our ship docked at the major

commercial district, close to one

section called America’s Cup

(are we back in Point Loma?).

At the top of NZ, the Bay of Is-

lands Maritime and Historic

Park, with over 150 islands, of-

fers a variety of exploration op-

tions. We visited the Puketi For-

est Reserve, with many huge

Kauri trees, then inside a cave to

see glow worms which light up

when all the lantern lights go out.

One useful stop was in a small

burg, Kawakawa, to an unusual

tourist attraction, the most visited

toilet in NZ. A fascinating clo-

sure to an impressive journey.

For more information contact

Tom Leech at 858.650.0810

Cable car heading upward with scenes of Wellington New Zealand below

Auckland New Zealand’s Main Park with landmark tower in the background

10 MISSION VALLEY NEWS April 2010

The World of WineProprietor’s Reserve Wine Bar

By Steve Dryden

Wine and food lovers who cherish small, intimate wine bars with

knowledgeable staff, reasonable pricing, and delicious culinary options

- all combined in a friendly and romantic atmosphere should visit Propri-

etor’s Reserve in Normal Heights. This is my favorite wine bar in San

Diego when I’m looking for intimate conversation in a peaceful setting

among an interesting mix of working-class people or to see old friends

and explore the latest wine releases suggested by experts who really

know the industry. Seating is limited to twenty lucky guests, many of

whom are locals while

others drive from all

parts of town to mingle

with other wine aficio-

nados sharing a com-

mon affaire de coeur

for this special place in

the wine world.

As you enter this

cozy and intimate wine

bar, it’s immediately

obvious that you’re go-

ing to meet somebody,

there’s no other option.

If you’re shy or intro-

verted, go slow here,

and be aware that many people have established lifelong friends, with

some falling in love over a glass or bottle of wine. Singles and couples

enjoy an extensive selection of wines by the glass with over 200 different

bottle selections from around the world. Manager Gilbert Bravo seeks

quality wines with value pricing to pass along to his limited guests. Ev-

ery evening he orchestrates his symphony of wine and crafted beers to

satisfy the palate sensations of guests as he enhances the atmosphere by

providing great service, positive conversation and professional tips on

exploring the best brews and wines.

Proprietor’s Reserve shares the building with Rosie O’Grady’s Irish

Pub and has access to their full kitchen. The wine bar offers fruit and

cheese plates as well as tantalizing daily specials at discounted rates. One

of my favorites is New York steak, baked potato and fresh vegetables

paired up with a bottle of 2006 Isosceles from Justin Winery. In fact, I’ve

been drinking the phenomenal - newly released 2007 Isosceles, elegant

blueberry and blackberry fruit flavors, with hints of nutmeg, vanilla,

black pepper, coffee and cocoa. This awesome blend of Paso Robles fruit

contains 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and F, 4% Mer-

lot, aged for 24 months in French oak. providing a brilliant, powerful, in-

tense blend that matches perfectly with the steak. By the way, serious

wine lovers should note that the 2007 vintage of wines from Paso Robles

is catching the attention of wine connoisseur’s around the world. And,

you can be sure that Gilbert at the Proprietor’s Reserve has many options

at reasonable prices for you to explore.

Stop by and discover a well-kept secret among wine lovers - a special

place in the world of wine. Sign up for their email newsletter featuring

special prices, wine tours and upcoming events. They are located at Ad-

ams Avenue and 34th Street in Normal Heights and are easily accessible

via exits on both I-805 and I-15. They’re right behind Rosie O’Grady’s at

4711 34th Street San Diego, CA 92116 (619) 283-7449

www.proprietorsreserve.com

Steve Dryden is a wine, food. and travel writer, living in Mexico’s

premium wine country (70 miles south of San Diego) where he books

lodging, guides individual and small group wine tours. He can be

reached at: sbdryden@hotmail.com

Gilbert Bravo Manager of Propiertor’s Wine Bar in Normal Heights Baja Wine CountryLodging and Tours.

Spend the night in Mexico’sromantic wine country and

let our wine writer drive youto the best wineries.

Quality Hotel and private B&Branch options.

sbdryden@hotmail.com

"Hazard Center" (Con't from Page 2)

transit improvements rather than road improvements saying “Infill de-

velopment is what will save the backcountry.”

“But Hazard Center is already a village” said Mike Mellon, a

resident of Union Square condominiums located across the street

from Hazard Center. Rita Bartell who also lives at Union Square,

testified “My house is at ground zero for this project.” She also

questioned whether people will actually ride transit. Other oppo-

nents complained about traffic, pollution and the lack of park space

in Mission Valley.

Adrienne Moch, another resident of Union Square testified in fa-

vor of the project. “I am excited about the proposed revitalization

right across the street and I believe there is a silent majority of Un-

ion Square residents who feel the same way,” said Moch. Other

project proponents described the extensive community outreach

over the past three years which included meetings with the neigh-

bors and the Mission Valley Community Planning Group.

Commissioner Gil Ontai made the motion to approve the project

saying “It is an outstanding example of smart growth.” Commis-

sioner Lydon seconded the motion. Commissioner Michael Smiley

supported the motion by saying “Infill towers are an efficient foot-

print and there is compelling public interest for this project to go

forward.” Vice-Chair Tim Golba also supported the motion and it

passed unanimously, 4-0. The project now goes to the full City

Council, tentatively slated for May 4, 2010.

BIA CARES TO DONATE $10,000 INSCHOLARSHIPS.

APRIL 7th APPLICATION DEADLINEAPPROACHING

BIA CARES, the charitable foundation of the Building Industry As-

sociation of San Diego County, has announced that they will award

$10,000 in scholarships to high school and college students who are

seeking a career in the building industry.

Students must be full time, from San Diego County or going to school

in San Diego and be pursuing careers such as developers, contractors, ar-

chitects, civil/structural/soils engineers, designers, interior designers,

bankers, accounting, planners, landscape architects, framers, carpenters,

plumbers, electricians and other real estate and development related pro-

fessions. Scholarships are based on qualifications including academics,

personal achievement and financial need. To apply for one of the schol-

arships log on to www.BIACares.org , complete the application and

submit a copy of your transcripts by April 7, 2010.

The scholarship committee will be awarding the scholarships to those

deserved students in June, 2010.

The BIA Cares foundation has raised more than $2.9 million for local

charities in its 20 years of operation. The foundation helps to build better

communities by sponsoring such projects as providing play facilities for

children of substance abuse families, underwriting a literacy garden for

an elementary school, building a golf facility for inner city youth, hand-

ing out scholarships and donating to organizations that assist the

underprivileged throughout the County.

April 2010 MISSION VALLEY NEWS 11

Dining & Entertainment

HAPPY HOUR MISSION VALLEY CONTINUES…THIS TIME TO OLD TOWN AND DOWNTOWN!

By Dick Slaker and photos by

Alice GerschlerContinuing our journey to ex-

plore the HAPPY HOURS through-

out Mission Valley and portions of

San Diego, we were invited to visit

the following establishments, which

provide us with a different type of

‘highlight’, Happy Hours.

Arriving at 1055 2nd Avenue,

downtown San Diego, we came to

the entrance to The Westgate Hotel

with its elegant front entrance which

invites one to be amazed at the décor

of the ‘living room’ where guest are

enjoying Afternoon Tea and a harp-

ist was serenading in the

quiet and relaxed atmo-

sphere, as you observe the

comfortable dining room,

and into the Plaza Bar area

with a TV where one finds

the well-stocked bar with

enough tables to entertain

those wishing a Happy Hour

experience. Sometimes a pi-

anist might share some mu-

sic for the guests.

‘Return to Elegance’

and/or ‘Experience the Dif-

ference’, which combines

the Plaza Bar and Lobby

Lounge. Between the hours

of 5pm to 7pm you can order what

they call the “7 7 7“ meaning; seven

dollar cocktails and seven dollar ap-

petizers, for seven days a week.

Classified as Artistic Cocktails, I

wanted to find out exactly what this

offered and found out that you can

enjoy the “777 Happy Hour’ with

one of the Artistic Cocktails, such as

Cosmopolitan, Martini, Manhattan,

Margarita , and all Well Drinks.

Wine such as Saddlerock Chardon-

nay and Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon

for only $7. while beer ranges from

Budweiser at $3. or Stone IPA for

$4.

I was happy to sample the

Margarita and enjoy some of the ap-

petizers which are; Crispy Popcorn

Shrimp, Sirloin Sliders, and Califor-

nia Cheese Platter. However, I did

pass on the Big Eye Yellow Fin

Tuna Sashimi, Beef, Shrimp &

Chicken Stay, the Dim Sum and

Spanish Platter. A very pleasant way

to spend Happy Hour and relax after

a busy day.

We didn’t have time to try

Irish Coffee, Vanilla Cosmo-

politan, Apple Martini or Mai

Tai, for obvious reasons. The

drinks were not watered down,

and my Margarita had a power-

ful kick.

Not only guests enjoy the

décor, but many of the workers

in the downtown area like to

stop by after work and “Return

to Elegance” for two hours.

Parking if validated at $3., and nor-

mally the cocktails range from $8.to

$12.

We were greeted by Linda

Karimi, Executive Office Manager,

Michael Schallner, Restaurant Man-

ager, Eric Rimmele, Executive Man-

ger Food and Beverages and General

Manager Richard Cox. They were

very proud to inform us that the ho-

tel has 223 rooms and that they are

so pleased to be celebrating their 40th

Anniversary. I remember well,

when the Westgate Hotel was one of

the first 5 Star Hotels in San Diego.

You’ve come a long way, Baby!

Still having time, on a Friday af-

ternoon, we swung by San Diego

OLD TOWN and visited several of

those famous and fabulous Mexican

Restaurants: “ Barra Barra” & “El

Fandango”, as they also are famous

for their history and family

type restaurants with a

HAPPY HOUR to welcome

all the guests.

At the El Fandango Res-

taurant located at 2734

Calhoun Street, On The Plaza,

we were greeted by one of

their waiters, welcoming

guests to either sit inside or

outside, as to your pleasure.

Meeting the Manager, Bill

Gorut, we found out that

Monday is their famous Happy Hour

“ALL DAY”, which surprised me,

where you can order $2. Frozen

House Margarita or $2. XX Larger

Bottle Beer, and $3. Shrimp

Consuelo (named for Consuelo

Miller the long-time owner of this

famous restaurant). But that’s not

all, on every TUESDAY, ALL

DAY, you can delight in the $2.

Frozen House Margarita and $2.

Chico Tostada (Chicken).

For those who love Tequila Tast-

ing, Friday & Saturday from 5-7pm

for $15. per person, you get 3 Mexi-

can Tequilas including Appetizers

of Rolled Tacos (Mini) and Fan-

dango Quesadilla (cheese). But alas,

you get to try: Reposado Tequila

“Patron’, Don Julio Tequila “Blanco

Silver’, and Tres Generaciones Te-

quila. Can’t beat that for a Friday or

Saturday Happy Hour.

They call this the “El Fandango”,

“For the Romantic Adventurous

Gourmet” this is an Historically In-

terpretive Mexican Restaurant. En-

joy!!!

Finally, having had such a won-

derful Friday afternoon, we walked

next store to the famous ’Barra

See "Happy Hour" Page 14

MISSION VALLEY ROTARY CLUB PRESENTS ACOMEDY HYPNOSIS SHOW AT THE TOWN &

COUNTRY HOTEL

If you’re ready for a fast

paced, fun-filled evening of

comedy hypnosis entertainment,

look no further. This is the show

where the audience members be-

come super-stars and hilariously

entertain with their riotous antics.

This is comedic audience partici-

pation at its most riotous, and

an evening of fun you’ll never

forget! Side-splitting, non-stop

laughter is guaranteed. .

Las Vegas trained, Marsha

Starr, is an experienced comedy

stage hypnotist who brings out

the “inner-ham” in her volun-

teers, promising a laugh-a-min-

ute spectacle. No one is ever de-

graded or humiliated in these

shows since everything is de-

signed for good natured fun for

the entire group. No barking like

a dog or mooing like a cow in this

show!

Watch as your friends morph

into hilarious characters in a

roller coaster ride of shenani-

gans. See what happens when

sumo wrestlers perform ballet,

when the participants think

they’re a famous celebrity, when

they do a commercial in Japa-

nese, or when they’re in a dance

contest with one foot glued to the

floor. The show, while outra-

geously funny, is suitable for all

audiences. So fasten your seat

belt for the time of your life! See

See "Hypnosis" Page 14

Pictured left to right is Eric Rimmele, Manager Hospitality

Food & Beverage and Michael Schallner, Restaurant

Manager, behind the bar at the Westgate Plaza Hotel.

12 MISSION VALLEY NEWS April 2010

Sudoku for April

(Solution on Page 14)

By Dick Slaker with photos by AliceGerschler

Approaching the Wild Animal

Park from I-15 east on I-78 your

journey begins by driving first

through the City of Escondido to

reach the Wild Animal

Park, as you start to see

small hills, and open

space and then following

the Wild Animal Park

signs, they guide you to

15500 San Pasqual Road

, the entrance to the park.

The park opens at

9:am, and as we arrived so

did several yellow school

buses with students plan-

ning to visit with their

back packs and water bot-

tles as they started to en-

joy their trekking through

this unusual and beautiful

open space surrounded by

the hills, some mountains

and Mother Nature offer-

ing with the animals, a welcome

mat to all the visitors.

What I found out was that this

beautiful park has over 213 acres,

that offer visitors the opportunity

to view and enjoy the beauty by

visiting animals almost eye to

eye, as you experience white rhi-

noceroses, giraffes, Cape buffalo,

Roosevelt’s gazelles and African

crowned cranes plus many other

water loving birds and perhaps an

alligator watching you as you

walk around the water.

Be sure that you wear your

walking shoes as it seems that

you need to walk most of the park

to observe these animals, how-

ever, should you wish, the park

does offer for $35.00 a 50 minute

bus ride called the Savanna Safari

around the African or Asian field

exhibits in a 10 person cart with

guide. Quite a nice experience,

like almost in your African Safari

among the animals. But wait, you

can also take a 2 hour Photo Cara-

van Safari and visit the outdoor

exhibits and feed the giraffes or

rhinos. Can’t get much closer.

SAN DIEGO ZOO’S WILD ANIMAL PARK

For those that like more land

adventure, for 2 hours you can

rent an off-road Segway X2s,

along with a guide for $80. The

guide will take you to explore a

unique way of visiting the Asian

and African field exhibits. Nice

way to travel.

And, the Ride on the Wild

Side allows you an electric cart

for 2 hours and $70. to explore

and venture into the okapi and el-

ephant bedrooms, where you will

meet the Park’s animal ambassa-

dors to help you understand the

animal kingdom.

I was only pleased when I was

walking along by the Flightline

and Balloon Safari to find an ele-

vator that saves you walking ei-

ther up or down near the Heart of

Africa exhibits. Truly a relief

from the walking for a minute,

but don’t worry, there are

benches all over the park and

plenty of rest stops to grab a bite

to eat, when it’s time for lunch.

Yes, so many restaurants and ar-

eas to picnic if needed. I was sur-

prised to see so many Moms with

their baby strollers giving both

the opportunity to be outside and

explore the beauty of the park.

What amazes me is the land-

scape throughout the park, almost

matching beauty of the animals.

The landscape offers the visitors

a truly relaxing photo opportu-

nity. However, everywhere you

look; there is beauty in how the

park coordinates the landscape

with the animal enclosures.

Truly a blend of

Mother Nature.

I would recommend

that you check out the

times of the various

shows that are a daily

feature such as:

· Frequent Fly-

ers, entertaining free

flight bird show at the

Benbough Amphithe-

ater at 12 and 3 PM

· Journey into

Africa at 9:30 am

through 4:15 pm. Open

air carrying over 100

passengers. Try to avoid

11am through 3 pm, as

the line gets long for the

trip.

· Animal Trackers show

featuring African animals in the

Benbough Amphitheater. 1 PM

· Cheetah Tales

· Animal Encounters

· Lorikeet Landing

· Petting Kraal

· Balloon Safari from

400 feet. Morning and afternoon

hours available.

· Flightline zipline ad-

venture

The list goes on and enough

for everyone to find some special

interest journey exploring the

fascinating world of the Animal

Kingdom.

What I found out was that

most of these visitors are Family

Members, who have

yearly-passes and visit several

times a year to enjoy the restful

and beautiful park with its won-

ders. They do rent strollers,

which can make the walking

much easier with the young ones.

They have several Member-

ship Benefits such as: Dual

Membership $99. (2 adults); Sin-

gle Membership $79. (1 adult)

and Diamond Member: $138.

(1+1 guest=2) with free parking

(a $9.00 value); Children Koala

Club: $29. for one child between

ages 3-11; Koala Junior: $33. for

one child between ages 12-17.

However, the benefits also in-

clude: Free Journey into Africa

Tour at the Park (a $10 saving);

Free Skyfari aerial tram at the

Zoo (a $4.00 saving); Free Park-

ing, save $9.; and Two discount

tickets.

Best way to gather informa-

tion would be to go on line atwww.sandiegozoo.org/site/Page

Navigator/MembershipBenefitsLightboxes/Member

or for general information:

www.sandiego.org/listing/visitors/2985

As the park is open 365 days a

year from 9-5 PM, you can call

1-800-407-9534 for more bene-

fits than mentioned above.

As you know the Wild Animal

Park and the San Diego Zoo is

more than an entertainment park,

they have a serious commitment

and dedicated to the preservation

and display of endangered spe-

cies. All food and merchandise

purchased goes back to help sup-

port their dedication to Education

Programs and Institute for Con-

servation research. These two

world famous ‘Institutes for Ani-

mal Preservation’ are truly an ex-

cellent testimony to saving these

animals for future generations.

A perfect location to hold

Group Parties, Weddings, Corpo-

rate Meetings and Events, which

includes the admission package.

Yes, day or night.

I understand that the park av-

erages 1.5 million guests each

year, and daily visitors could be

from a few to thousands, depend-

ing upon the day and weather.

Well San Diego, these are

your two parks, support them,

promote them and use them with

your family, school children and

guests who come for a visit, a

great opportunity!

April 2010 MISSION VALLEY NEWS 13

Faith & Values

CHURCHES IN OR NEAR MISSION VALLEYFor your convenience

Holy Angels Byzantine Catholic Church

2235 Galahad Road

858-277-2511

First United Methodist

2111 Camino Del Rio South619-297-4366

First Assembly of God

8404 Phyllis Place858-560-1870

Calvary Southern Baptist

6866 Linda Vista Road858-277-7078

Immaculata Catholic

University of San Diego Campus5998 Alcala Park

619-574-5700

Immaculate Conception

Old Town2540 San Diego Avenue

619-295-4148

Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala

10818 San Diego Mission Road619-283-7319

Joyful Living Church

3505 Camino Del Rio South619-521-4800

Holy Family Catholic Church

1957 Coolidge Street858-277-0404

United Church of Christ

2877 Governor Drive858 453 3444

Presbyterian Church

2130 Ulric Street San Diego, Ca. 92111858-277-0523

Your Church or Synagogue can be listed here.Please call 619-291-0200.

Change your life on yourlunch hour!

Quitting smoking and losing weight is

easier than you think, through

hypnosis!

Six sessions with certified hypnotherapist

Marsha Starr

Weight loss, Wednesdays at noon

Smoking cessation, Wednesdays at 1 p.m.

Beginning April 21

Total cost for the six weeks is just $75.

Think of themoney you’ll save!Results guaranteed!

Joyful Living Center3505 Camino del Rio South, Suite 160

Mission Valley

(619) 521-4800

EASTER EGG HUNT IN MISSION VALLEY

Host: City Bible Church www.citybiblechurchsd.com

What: Easter mEGGa Hunt

When: April 3rd 11am-3pm

Where: Scottish Rite Event Center

1896 Camino del Rio S,

San Diego, CA 92108. in Mission Valley

Why: To serve the community

How: 100% Free to the public

1,000 Easter Baskets and Gifts

10,000 Easter Eggs total

Eight Easter Egg Runs. One every 30 min Ages 0-12

11:30 Ages 0-6

12:00 Ages 7-12

Over 150 Prizes to be given away

Prize drop every 30 min in between Egg Runs

Prizes include things like a large remote control helichoper, a medium

size bike, scooters, and ore....

Grand Prize = Wii

Winner Announced via

www.citybiblechurch.comFace painting

Inflatable jumpers

27 foot Inflatable bunny

For more information Jason Fitzpatrick 858.603.5189

14 MISSION VALLEY NEWS April 2010

MISSION VALLEY ROTARY CLUBCALENDAR FOR APRIL 2010

April 01…Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Dr.Kouadjo Koffi Hilaire

April 08…Family Health Centers of San DiegoAnthony White, Ass’t. Director of Development andCommunity Relations for the Family Health Centersof San Diego will explain the health care safety net inSan Diego and how the Family Health Care Centersof San Diego serve the uninsured and medicallyunderserved - now over 600,000 just in San Diegoalone.

April 15…San Diego County Sheriff Mike AndersonSheriff Mike Anderson and his aptly named dog,“Kilo” who is his narcotics-trained partner, willdemonstrate how Kilo is trained, what he does, andhow he benefits our law enforcement.

April 22…San Diego Chargers Community RelationsKimberly Layton, SD Chargers Director ofCommunity Relations will speak about the Team andplayers commitment, “off the field” to supporting theSan Diego community

April 29…GSE Team from East Africa

Regular meetings of the Mission Valley Rotary Club

Are held at noon every Thursday at the

Trellises Restaurant Town & Country Hotel

500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego 92108

Parking will be validated at the restaurant

Guests: $20.RSVP to Andrew Tuccillo at tuccillo@wfpc.com

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”…Walt Disney

Mission Valley News & Views6855 Friars Road#26San Diego CA 92108

Phone: (619)291-0200Visit our website at: www. MissionValleyNews.com

Editor and Founder: Contributlng Writers:

Gina Cord619-291-0200 ext. 126 Chet Barfield

Tom Leech

Publisher: Donna Frye

Mission Publishing Group, LLC Ron Roberts

Marketing Director: Writers and AdvertisingMoshen Zamani Sales Experts are

619-291-0200 ext. 127 Wanted, please call

619-291-0200 ext. 126Circulation: 20,000. Published 12 times in 2010 and delivered throughout our circulation area of

Mission Valley, San Diego, California by Mission Publishing Group, LLC. Classified ads and articles mustbe submitted by mail, e-mail or dropped off at our business address, 6855 Friars Road #26, San Diego, CA92108.

Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisements or material submitted which are deemed to be objectionable.

Publisher’s liability for errors: Mission Valley News & Views assumes no financial liability for errors nor foromission of copy and upon request will furnish a letter of correction to the advertiser. The Publisher, Mis-sion Publishing Group, LLC., shall not be liable for any error in published advertising unless an advertiserproof is requested in writing 12 days prior to publication date and clearly marked for corrections. If the erroris not corrected by the Publisher, the liability, if any, shall not exceed the space occupied for the error. Fur-ther, the Publisher shall not be liable for any omission of an advertisement ordered to be published. Onwritten request, Publisher shall reschedule and run the omitted advertisement at the advertiser’s cost. Allclaims for adjustment must be made in writing within 30 days of the date of publication. In no case shall thePublisher be liable for any general, special or consequential damages.

Equal Housing Opportunity: Real estate advertising in Mission Valley News is subject to the FederalFair Housing Law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based onrace, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin or an intention to make any such pref-erence, limitation or discrimination.” Mission Valley News & Views will not knowingly accept any advertis-ing for real estate that is in violation of the law. This is to notify Mission Valley News readers that all dwell-ings advertised in Mission Valley News are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain ofdiscrimination call HUD at 1-800. 669-9777 or TTY at 1-800-927-9275.

News and information printed in Mission Valley News is obtained from sources considered to be relia-ble, but accuracy on information sent to the paper cannot be guaranteed. Articles and opinions of writers orletters to the editor that are submitted for publication to the Mission Valley News are the views of the writersand should not be considered the views of the publisher. Content of paid advertisements is solely the re-sponsibility of the advertiser. © 2007-2010, all rights reserved.

Solution - April Sudoku

"Hypnosis" (Con't from Page 11)

"Happy hour" (Con't from Page 11)

Barra’ Restaurant where we were

greeted by Drew Walker, Manager

of this famous Fiesta De

Reyes-owned restaurant. “Barra

Barra” is located at 2754 Calhoun

Street, right On the Plaza. Seems

that the Plaza with their evening en-

tertainment and happy atmosphere,

shops and restaurants were doing a

brisk business and they say, it won’t

be too much longer, summer brings

everyone out.

The slogan for “Barra Barra “ is

that they offer the Best Margaritas in

San Diego for only $5. with Happy

Hour between 4 to 7pm, you are able

to have a $3.50 Margarita Special,

$2.50 draft beer and house wines,

and $5. for Premium Specials. How-

ever, for only $2. they offer Tortilla

Flats that includes Indian Flat Bread

Tacos, beef, chicken or veggie.

These tacos are filling and the torti-

lla bread adds such a marvelous taste

you might order another.

With these Happy Hours from

Monday–Friday, they also offer on

Saturday & Sunday from 10 to

12pm, the $2. tacos along with a pur-

chase of a beverage.

Enjoying the atmosphere, the”

Barra Barra” was already filling

up with patrons wishing to order,

not only Happy Hour specials but

their Combination Specials for

those enjoying Tortas, Indian

Flatbread Tacos, Carne Asada

Platter, Wet Shrimp Burrito,

Chile Colorado, and the “Barra

Barra Fajita Platter”. You won’t

go home hungry, for sure.Well, San Diego, time to enjoy

some of these different Happy Hours

and know that you are not alone, for

others have found out about these

three places before. Plus, you are

stepping back into some of the his-

tory of San Diego! Next month we

will continue with more locations

right in Mission Valley.

the show or Be the show!

Mission Valley Rotary

proudly presents this remarkably

amazing show for one night only,

Saturday, May 1st, showcased at

the Town and Country Hotel in

the Regency Ballroom at 7pm

Doors open at 6:15pm. General

Admission $25. Students and

Military $20. Validated Park-

ing. All proceeds support Mis-

sion Valley Rotary Charities. To

purchase your tickets contact

Ron Morell at

619-857-9274 orcaptainmarvelous@cox.net

Let’s Stick to the RulesBy Paul Burri, weekly columnist for the ‘Goleta Valley Voice’

When you

own a small

company it is

imperative that

you keep con-

trol over your

costs. Often costs can be reduced

by looking at company proce-

dures that are no longer useful.

Procedures that made sense a few

years ago (like before computers

perhaps) may still be in effect

without anyone ever questioning,

“Why are we still doing it this

way?” I can only suppose that it’s

easier to keep following obsolete

procedures than to try to change

them.

Here’s an example. I went to a

local bank recently to open a

modest checking account for a

small, non-profit organization I

belong to. The banker suggested

a combined checking/savings ac-

count that would have no

monthly charge for the account or

for the checks. He went on to add

that this would require that we

have a connected savings account

of at least $200 and that the bank

would automatically transfer $75

from the checking account into

the savings account each month.

He did not know why the bank re-

quired this and apparently he had

never asked.

Then I asked him whether we

could transfer that same $75 back

into the checking account if we

needed to do so. He replied, “Oh

yes, you can transfer the money

back any time that you want to as

long as you maintain the mini-

mum $200 balance.”

Then he paused and said

brightly, “I can set it up so that it

is automatically transferred back

into your checking account each

month.”

Apparently the idiocy of auto-

matically transferring the money

into and out of the two accounts

had never occurred to him.

So then I said, “Hey I’ve got

an idea. How about setting it up

so that you automatically don’tdo anything each month?”

And he said, “Oh no, we can’t

do that.”

Take a look at your company’s

procedures on a regular basis to

see whether they are still worth

doing or whether they are costing

you money.

April 2010 MISSION VALLEY NEWS 15

SERVICES

Keith Everett Construction and HandymanService: All phases of home remodeling and repair.Window and Door replacement specialist. Repair orbuild any style of fence, deck or patio cover. Seniordiscount, references, and member of the BBB. Nojob too small. Liic #878703. Call 619-255-3499.(05/10)

Wallcovering Contractor - Enhance the beautyand value of your home! Removal, prep andinstallation. Precise, superior workmanship by Mr.Elisha Blatt, Lic.# 644396. Discounts onwallcoverings available. Free estimates.619-582-4449. (05/10)

We want safer, stronger seniors! Let’s improveyour balance, flexibility, strength and stamina.Personalized workouts in your own home are funand private. Call Pam Melody, Certified PersonalTrainer with Stronger, Safer Seniors FitnessTraining, at 619-962-7144 for a free consultation.(05/10)

Flute/Piano Instruction. 30 years experience.Beginner to advanced. Music Education. B.A.Degree. Reasonable rates. Available for teaching inyour home or mine. Rick, 619-286-8012. (05/10)

Pet/Houeesltting Services. Est. 1983, Bonded.Pet-tenders offers feeding, walking, plant care,housesitting - and above aII...SPOILING...in yourown home! www.pet-tenders.com 619-298-3033.(05/10)

Quality exterior carpentry by Bob. Decks,fences, patio covers and termite repair. Freeestimates, reasonable rates, insured and reliable.License #365241 since 1978. Phone:619-275-1493. (05/10)

German Setter Tile and Marble: Professionalmarble/tilesetter with 26 years experience.European craftsmanship. Punctual & dependable.License #872804. Contact Jens Sedemund:619-415-6789 or via email: jens @germansetter.com. 8/l0

Linda’s Puppy Love, a bonded, licensed, insuredpet & housesitting service offers daily dog walks,cat care, vacation visits, overnight care, love, care& attention. 619-857-3674.www.lindaspuppylove.com. (05/10

ProdJectman - Handyman Services. No job toosmall. Let me help you get those jobs done!Painting, drywall, cleaning, yardwork, hauling,repairs, whatever! Please call AI, 619-997-2350.(05/10)

Painting: $60 per average room. Exterior workalso. Neat, clean and fast. Call today for your freeestimate. 619-280-7752. (05/10)

Healing Touch Therapeutic Massage. Nationallycertified, home-based massage therapist offerssports, deep-tissue, Swedish, hot stone massagefor rehabilitation and relaxation; 1 hour, from $35.Call Shizuko—Suzy, 619-767-8866. License#92010681. (05/10)

Creative Landscape - mowing, edging, trimming,weed control, fertilizer, pruning plants, shrubs,trees. Weekly/bi-weekly service. Cal Lic#736809.619-465-2237. (05/10)

Slngl Singl Slngl Grow Your Voice! Take voicelessons with Susan Simmons, New ExpressionsSchool of Music, 2852 University Ave. Call858-349-8490 for appointment. (05/10)

Roy L. Schwartz Tree Service. Commercial &Residential; ISA certified arborist WE-6180A.Hazardous tree removal, 55-foot aerial truck.Bonded, Licensed, Insured. 619-282-3562. Lic#775662. www.roystreeservice.com (5/10)

Lamps - repaired, made from keepsakes, fixturesrewired & repaired, crystals repaired & cleaned. CallSeymou, 619-461-8284. (05/10)

Paul R Smith Complete Home Improvement.Complete bath remodel for $7200. All home repairs& remodeling. 43-yr Allied Gardens resident. Inbusiness & serving the community for over 20 yrs.Lic# 692972; BBB member. Call Paul,619-818-7880. (05/10)

Hauling: construction & yard clean-up. Demos.Light maintenance. Call Carlos at 858-495-0548;cellular 619-813-9988. Tierrasanta resident. PIscontact via email: chiripas 1 @ aol.com. (5/10)

Petsittlng/houseslttlng: Mature professionalprovides plenty of TLC for your pets, so you can beworry-free! Homecare, overnights. Reliable,responsible, reasonable. verascats@cox.net.Please call 619-933-8372. (05/10)

Bathtubs & sinks refinished like new without re-moval. Fiberglass and porcelin. Over 25 years expe-rience. License # 560438. Call “Cory Tatz” Bathtubs& sinks refinishing at 619-464-5141. (05/10)

Gardening, landscape maintenance. Edge, mow,fertilizing, pruning, weeding. Repairs of fences,gates, sprinklers, lights. Planting: shrubs, trees,bulbs, roses, flowers. 33 years experience. Call858-831-1722. (05/10)

Lori’s House Cleaning Service: Reasonable rates,quality service, references. 619-582-9586.(05/10)

Computer Repair - Setup - Tuneup. PC help forfamilies, seniors, home offices. Trusted in homes forover 25 years. Call 619-992-5882. CA Lic #81527.(05/10)

Online Shopping. No lines, no crowds, no traffic.www. Steveshasslefreeshopping.com. (05/10)

Art Classes! Fine Arts Classes for children &adults. French’s Art Studio - La Mesa/Rancho SanDiego. 619-670-6762. Drawing, painting, smallclasses - individual instruction. Day & eveningclasses. Free Art Class with this ad. Holiday giftcertificates available. (05/10

Outdoor fitness – Get Fit – Cardio, Strength,Flexibility & Balance. All ages & fitness levelsWelcome! Challenging, fun & affordable exercisewith Certified Personal Trainer.FREE Trial Week! www.getfitcamp.com 05/10

Experienced Nanny with references looking forfull time opportunity. Reliable, Flexible with 7 yearsexperience. 619.246.2869

Firewood for Sale. 1/8 cord: $70. 1/4 cord: $125.1/2 cord: $195. Full cord: $295. Call 619-282-3562.(07/10)

Mirror 22" x 29" gold frame bevelled glass.Asking $85 (619) 463-2007.

House for sale in Allied Gardens..Singlelevel remodeled 3br/3ba view house 2 cargarage ..lots of upgrades..own/agt.Principalsonly.$479,900. 619-275-1874

HELP WANTED

Senior Living: 55+ small & large I BR’s start at$645/mo; $500 deposit. San Carlos Village Apts.7717 Tommy Street. Call 619-461-4111. (05/10)

For rent..Tierrasanta room available in fourbedroom house close to Mission Trails. Bed,dresser, desk and high speed internet $650. permonth including utilities. Call 858.565.7016.

Enjoy Singing? Join Barbershop Chorus.Beginners & experienced singers. Please call Joe,619-675-4374.

GIGANTIC BOOK SALE: Friends of the MissionValley Library Fundraising Effort. Most had covers$1.; most paper backs 50 cents. Mission ValleyLibrary, 2123 Fenton Parkway in FentonMarketplace next to Ikea. By Phillip & Janet Pond.05/10

TWO ENGLISH BULLDOG FREE TO GOODHOME, AKC REGISTERED, VET CHECKED,CONTACT ME AT JAMES.ADAM600@GMAIL.COM05/10

Fair prices paid for your gold, silver and vintagecostume jewelry. Free appraisals, call Erik,619-887-8762. (05/10)

No gimmicks. Just results. 23 people wanted toLose Weight. All natural, doctor recommended.FREE weight loss sample, call Ken at619-286-4577. KenF.greatescape.com (05/10)

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

WANTED 2010 MISSION VALLEY NEWS SCHEDULENote:Deadlines are firm. No Extensions.

Display ads & Bus/Sv. Dir. listings are paid in advance.

Call 619-291-0200 for the 2010 schedule* Deadline to reserve space for advertisers not currently on a contract.

Mail or drop off your ad or article to our office at6855 Friars Rd #26, San Diego CA 92108

Articles can be sent via E-Mail to: info@missionvalleynews.com

2010 PAPERPUBLICATIONDATE/ISSUEApril 2010

DISPLAY ADSPACE DEADLINEI If not on acontract - 5pm*April 22

DISPLAY ADCOPYDEADLINE5 pmApril 22

ARTICLESDEADLINE5pmApril 22

CLASSIFIED ADDEADLINE5 pmApril 22

NOTICES

List your company in our Business

Directory. Business listings run for 6 or

12 consecutive issues. For rate

information in our Business and

Services Directory, please call us at

619-291-0200 or email to

info@MissionValleyNews.com

SERVICES

16 MISSION VALLEY NEWS April 2010