Aug. 2012-Sept. 2012

The

A Publication of the Rolando Community Council

Volume 5, No. 4

Page 1 www.rolandocommunitycouncil.org

RCC INVITES ALL TO CONCERT IN PARK! By Aimee Lee Cheek

RCC Coming Events Summer Concert in Clay Park — Saturday, Aug. 25, 5:00-7:00PM

Next RCC Meeting — Tuesday, Sept. 18, 7:00PM — Henry Clay School Auditorium “Plans for the Site at 63rd and El Cajon Blvd” w/ Carmel Partners, owner/developer

Fall Fest Community Barbeque in Clay Park — Saturday, Sept. 22, 3:00-6:00PM

Gone Tomorrow is a-comin’ back soon! The Rolando Community Council has arranged for Rolando’s favorite bluegrass band to perform its third annu-al summer concert in Clay Park on Saturday, August 25, 5-7 p.m. The concert is free to all. It’s a chance for neighbors to spread out lawn chairs and picnic baskets under cooling shades, strum their fingers, tap their toes, and try out those dancin’ feet. “It’s our passion to play bluegrass at its best,” said Richard Burkett, a 17-year-resident of Rolando and founder of the five-man group. Reflective of the band’s versatility, he promised, “We’ll play two hours of classic and contemporary, bluegrass, Texas swing, country and original music.” Since its inception in 2001, Gone Tomorrow has earned an enviable reputation for its musicianship, range, humor and sheer enjoyableness. The band has performed all over Southern California, often opening for oth-er well-known groups such as David Parmley & Continental Divide and the Southern Grass. Its local perfor-mances include the Rolando Street Fair, San Diego Roots Festival and three times at Summergrass, the prem-ier bluegrass festival held each year in August at the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum in Vista. It even accompanied the San Diego Dance Theatre at the San Diego Museum of Art. Gone Tomorrow members all boast broad experience. Burkett, who in his other life is a ceramics professor in the San Diego State University art department, has played bluegrass for over 30 years, beginning in bands in Indiana before moving to California. He plays mandolin “most of the time,” and sings high harmony and a few leads. Steve Dame , the only other remaining original member of the group, has played banjo and fiddle with a wide variety of bluegrass bands and at major regional events. His “driving banjonic force” and strong vocals, Burkett said, “are at the heart of the Gone Tomorrow sound.” Fiddler Don Hickox, for several decades part of the San Diego bluegrass scene and a member of Burkett’s 1990’s band Rose Canyon, displays the influences of diverse musicians and styles from bluegrass master fid-dler Kenny Baker to Irish fiddle tunes. Dale Desmuke, a veteran who learned his chops in Texas honkytonks, is a rhythm guitarist with a big voice and encyclopedic knowledge of songs. Dwight Warden, bassist, besides also playing in other well-known local bands, is president of the San Diego Bluegrass Society and a board member of the International Bluegrass Music Association. “We’re inspired by a wide range of bands,” Burkett said. The spectrum extends from the contemporary sound of Alison Krauss and Union Station to Bob Wills and the Texas playboys, and then from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones to Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music. RCC is honored to again host these distinguished musicians. Please join us as the sun fades into evening shadows. The music is hot but the park is not (very).

Last year’s Rolando summer concert.

Aug. 2012-Sept. 2012, Page 2 www.rolandocommunitycouncil.org

Mark your calendars for the Sept. 18, 2012 Rolando Community Council meeting at 7:00 p.m. Dan Garabaldi, senior vice-president of Carmel Partners, will discuss the new proposed development on the for-mer CentrePoint site at 63rd Street and El Cajon Boulevard. Carmel Partners, current owner of the site, will be moving forward on the development of a luxury apartment project. It will consist of 332 luxury apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail space along El Cajon Blvd. (artist rendering adja-cent). The project will feature a four-story wood construction with con-crete parking garage. It will have resort-style amenities for residents, including a fitness center, barbeque islands, pool and full-sized outdoor decks. Construction is anticipated to begin in early 2013 with comple-tion in 2014. Representatives of the Rolando Community Council, along with Chris Pearson from Councilmember Marti Emerald’s office, met with representatives of Carmel Partners to discuss a plan to work together to achieve enhancements to Clay Park and protect available street parking for the public who utilize the park. Members of the Rolando Community Council will work with Councilmember Emerald’s office and Carmel Partners over the next several months to explore these issues.

COME TO RCC: PRESENTATION OF CENTREPOINT PLAN

Think of gardens verdant just now with summer squash, Japanese eggplant, tomatoes like glistening globes or golden teardrops, blackberries, basil greening an entire yard. Think of Rolando as a garden and the need to seed useful activity and weed harmful activity. Meet the three new members of the Rolando Community Council board who along with the three continuing board members and our generous volunteers will tend our garden during the coming year. RCC members at the June meeting elected David Clarke, second vice president; Anne Schoeller, secretary; and Rene Sheldon, director. They join Eric Crockett, first vice president; Daniel An-derson, treasurer; and Supi Bhullar, director. The president’s office remains to be filled. To their positions, the new officers bring varied interests and community service backgrounds. David Clarke, a 10-year-resident of Rolando and owner of a landscape design firm, is a founding member and main-stay of the lamppost restoration committee (ROLP), volunteers with the Street Fair, and attends the College Area BID. He especially enjoys working to clear and restore native plant habitat in San Diego canyons with the volunteer Canyon Crusaders, in cooperation with the Park and Recreation Department. Anne Schoeller has lived in Rolando 29 years. When RCC calls, she is there: publicity-co chair for the Street Fair for more than 10 years; Rolando representative to the Eastern Area Community Planning Commit-tee for eight years, nearly half of them as recording secretary; book sales and newsletter distribution; at-tendee at the School of Architecture and Urban Design project on Rolando; and, let us not forget, stalwart of community clean-ups. A new and enthusiastic Rolando homeowner, Rene Sheldon wore many leadership “hats” in her three dec-ades as an educator: teacher, middle school counselor, vice-principal at two different middle schools, princi-pal of a public charter school, and board member of a start-up charter in North County. An activist in her var-ious communities, she supported, in particular, Mama’s Kitchens, Big Sisters and Rolling Readers. More good news: Belinda Romero and Jennifer Spearel have stepped up to co-manage the RCC newslet-ter distribution. To all these hearty volunteers in the Rolando garden, hurrah, hooray!

www.rolandocommunitycouncil.org Aug. 2012-Sept. 2012, Page 3

NEW RCC OFFICERS By Aimee Lee Cheek

Everyone is invited to Clay Park on Saturday, September 22, 3:00-6:00 p.m., for the first-ever RCC barbeque pic-nic. There will be free hot dogs for all and a kid’s sta-tion for decorating cook-ies. This event is free of charge. Everyone is wel-come and encouraged to bring a pot-luck dish, and to meet and mingle with fellow Rolandians. The barbeque has been planned by the RCC commu-nity events team, which collaborates and helps organize neighborhood social events throughout the year. Among these are the popular Rolando Nights Out, which draw neighbors to local restaurants on the fourth Thursday evening of every month. If you would like to help with any event, join the committee, or receive up-dates, please contact Daniel Anderson, chairman of the team, at daniel.anderson.jr@live.com.

RCC BARBEQUE IN SEPTEMBER!

Aug. 2012-Sept. 2012, Page 4 www.rolandocommunitycouncil.org

THIRTY-FIVE DOWN – 75 TO GO!

The Rolando Project to Re-store Our Lamp Posts (ROLP) finished painting 12 more lamp posts on July 14, bringing our pro-ject total to 35. ROLP’s fundraising news is even better: With checks from William King/Lisa Capper and Ja-mie Etheridge, ROLP exceeded its $1,500 goal. Thank you, Rolan-do!! This will buy paint and supplies to finish the rest of the lamp posts in the Village. Any donations received after this will fund a neighborhood party to celebrate the comple-tion of the project and thank the many volunteers. For up-to-the-minute ROLP information, visit: w w w . s i t e s . g o o g l e . c o m / s i t e /rolandovillagelamppostsproject/ or call George Danko at (619) 286-3830 or check out facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RestoreOurLampPosts Preserving the New Finish ROLP asks that you help keep the newly restored lamp posts shiny and pretty by resisting the urge to tape signs on them (for example, lost-pet and garage sale signs) and take down any you find (or move them to the nearest palm). If you have a lamp post in front of your house, you can further help them stay new-looking if you hose off or wipe down the base once a week or so, to remove the dog urine that eats into the finish. (And dog owners are asked to encourage Fido to lift his leg somewhere else!) The Proposed Schedule (NOTE: We have Red Door Church volunteers helping August 13–18, which are weekdays) ♦ Sector E (67th Street): August 10 – 12 ♦ Sectors F and G (Amherst and Lenore): August

13 – 18 ♦ Sector H (Valencia): September 7 – 9 ♦ Sector I (Shannon): October 12 – 14

Aug. 2012-Sept. 2012, Page 5 www.rolandocommunitycouncil.org

Something is happening in Rolando on University Avenue. Are we getting a new burger outlet? Or – oh, I wish — maybe a new movie theater? Sadly, no, or at least not yet. With Rolando Community Council’s financial assistance and some talented folk, we are bringing some color and art to the avenue! The green utility boxes are being transformed from nondescript monoliths to original and wonderful works of art. You may have seen such painted boxes in neighborhoods like Hillcrest, North Park, and on El Cajon Boulevard. Recently, Redwood Village undertook a similar program under the guidance of Anna Orzel-Anita, their com-munity council president. It looks fantastic. I contacted Anna and the team leader, Jennifer Bennett, associate professor of art at Gross-mont College, whose art students had done the painting, about the possibilities for a like project on University. Together, Professor Bennett and I drew up a funding proposal to purchase needed supplies and grant small subsidies to the art-ists, which we submitted to the RCC board. I’m happy to announce that the project was approved and is now underway. Professor Bennett’s students from Grossmont are bringing color and amusement to University between College and 67th Streets. The re-sponse from the community is very positive. “I was driving by University and Rolando, and the artist was still painting the utility box there,” said Rolan-dian Pat Coffey. She continued, “It is gorgeous and I told him so. It has ‘ROLANDO’ in big block lettering on it. It is the most beautiful painted utility box I have seen.” “Tropical” is the project theme. If you think you see a fish out of water on University, it’s only a trans-formed utility box!

PUBLIC ART ON UNIVERSITY AVENUE By Jerry Calderon

Artist Victor Zepeda finishing the box at Uni-versity and Rolando.

www.rolandocommunitycouncil.org Aug. 2012-Sept. 2012, Page 6

www.rolandocommunitycouncil.org Aug. 2012-Sept. 2012, Page 7

COMINGS AND GOINGS IN ROLANDO

Breakfast M-Sat 7AM-11AM Lunch 11AM-2PM, Sunday Brunch 9AM-2PM,

Bistro Dinner 5PM-9PM

Visit our Wine Bar Happy hour wine specials.

Live music 6:00 p.m. Tuesday–Sunday.

5987 El Cajon Boulevard San Diego, CA 92115

619-287-8186 Check our website: sandiegodesserts.net

How about dinner?

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop is preparing to open as this newsletter goes to press. It is situated in the former Cutter’s Point location near Smashburger. Capriotti’s is a chain Italian deli that originated on the East Coast in 1976 and now has locations in 12 states, including one in Mission Valley. More new housing on El Cajon Blvd? Developers came to an RCC meeting in 2010 to share their plans for an affordable housing project across El Cajon Blvd. next to the Lamplighter Motel. The project is identified as Mesa Commons. Tight money has slowed their efforts, but they are persisting. The City Council (acting as the Housing Authority) will be considering a $5 million loan from Housing Commission funds. No general fund money is involved. The developer hopes to secure additional financing in time for a spring 2013 starting date. Light up the Neighborhood. Rebuilding Together San Diego, in partnership with the City of San Diego, is sponsoring the installation of an exterior solar light fixture free of charge to low-income home owners. The fixture needs no wiring and is operated by a solar battery. Lighting up dark streets, one house at a time, can deter crime and improve the whole neighborhood. To determine your eligibility, contact Rebuilding Together at www.rebuildingtogetherSD.org or (619) 321-7873. Seniors...Have you visited the JFS Cyber Café? It’s one offering of the College Avenue Center Social and Wellness Programs for Adults 60+, located at 4855 College Ave. on the campus of Congregation Beth Jacob. Its many services and programs are an arm of Jewish Family Services (JFS). The College Avenue Center, one of three such centers in San Diego, welcomes seniors of all faiths. Many programs are free, including their Cyber Café: Open Lab. Here tutors assist you to develop the skills and confidence to use technology effective-ly. Open Lab hours are Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9:30–11:30 a.m. and Fridays from 1:00–3:00 p.m. Stop in or call (858) 637-3270 for more information. For an overview of JFS programs, see www.jfssd.org/site/PageServer?pagename=programs_older_main. Click on “College Avenue Center” link on the left side.

Good neighbor. This past winter, there were two broken water meter covers across from Clay park. Bob Arthur hadn’t really noticed it until Sassy, his beautiful red Belgian-Bred dog, moved unexpectedly and he fell in. That started him on a long series of conversations with the San Diego Water Department, who came out & placed barricades but later claimed not to be able to locate the problem. Much later, new covers were placed and the sidewalk is safe again, thanks to Bob and Sassy.

Aug. 2012-Sept. 2012, Page 8 www.rolandocommunitycouncil.org

The Rolando Community Services Section is an effort to help connect neighbors who offer home-based ser-vices to interested parties. Any Rolando Community Council members with services to offer are welcome to submit their information free of charge. Email info to hintzman@cox.net. Let’s do business in our neighbor-hood when we can!

Dee Patty is opening Giggling Heights Daycare soon in her Rolando home. GHDC provides loving care and creative play year round for your little ones. (619) 990-6511. Jeff Wilson — Wilson Woodscape. Full service landscape construction company specializing in decks, fences and patio covers. License 945974. Contact Jeff Wilson (619) 838-1398. David Clarke — Water-wise Landscape and Garden Design. Design of low water Mediterranean-type residential landscapes (specializing in California native plants). Email david@davidclarkedesign.com or call (619) 582-3752. Jolyne L. Harris — PhotOptions Photography. At your location within San Diego and portable studio available. Visit www.facebook.com/PhotOptions Email amapremier@hotmail.com or call (619) 582-2606. Amy Zink — Edible Garden Consultant/ Coach. Design solutions and education for a thriving and pro-ductive edible landscape. Visit www.greenpeagardens-sd.com or call (619) 300-0713. Wenonah Wilcox — Board certified acupuncturist. Special discount for Rolando neighbors. Patients seen in home office and available for house-calls. (619) 261-4570. Brenda King, RN, CPT — Integrative Fitness Nursing. Licensed RN fitness expert offering effective solutions to maximize fitness goals, reduce your waistline and restore health. Visit www.integrativefitnessnursing.com or call (619) 200-1911. Patty Delgadillo — Certified Trainer and Massage Therapist. Teaches lifestyle changes in diet, exer-cise and daily activities to achieve fitness goals. (619) 865-3880. Aleah Cohen — Teen Babysitter. Energetic, responsible and fun. CPR and First Aid certified. Is availa-ble to babysit for your children. (619) 246-7993.

ROLANDO COMMUNITY SERVICES