P.O. BOX 633031, San Diego, CA, 92163 • T 619 269 8001 • F 619 839 3118 www.mancecreative.com VOLUME 13 ISSUE 4 April 2012 Columbia • Core/Civic • Cortez Hill • East Village • Gaslamp/Horton Plaza • Little Italy • Marina ➤➤ EAST VILLAGE BLOCK PARTY P. 13 Cedar Gateway complex hosts CLIENT PROJECT VERSION CLIENT APPROVAL DATE SAN DIEGO Logo Design DOWNTOWN NEWS FINAL X 1/9/12 grand opening Supportive Housing Model, integrating affordable housing and supportive East Village celebrates Padres services, opens in Cortez Hill opener with block party April 5 By Ashley Mackin ➤➤ DINING P. 17 Downtown News On March 21, the Cedar Gateway Multifamily Apartments, an afford- able housing community for families and individuals, celebrated its grand opening. Cedar Gateway has 42 units of affordable housing in addition to 23 units designated for accommodating supportive services for seniors and adults with mental health disabilities. The apartment complex is located Attendees at last year’s Mission Federal Credit Union ArtWalk in Little Italy cheer on one of the musicians. at 1612 Sixth Ave., bounded by Cedar Gaslamp’s Red Light This year’s event is April 28 – 29. (Photo by Paul Nestor) street and Fifth and Sixth avenues. Gary Squier, president of Squier Prop- erties LLC, the project’s developer, said ➤➤ MUSIC P. 22 the model implemented at Cedar Gateway is called a Supportive Housing Model and Little Italy ArtWalk welcomes all integrates people who have struggled with homelessness and mental heath condi- tions with those who have not. Celebrating its 28th year, the free arts festival offers art, music and dance Squier said the Supportive Hous- ing Model has “proven to be effective wherever it’s been tried, by layering By Bart Mendoza Despite the large number of attendees, it is a tes- on community services [and] social Downtown News tament to event organizers that ArtWalk rarely feels services. Its effective in giving people crowded. “One of the good things about the large genuine alternatives to homelessness Mixing art, music and dance into an incredible footprint of the event, is that you never have an un- and it’s a long-term solution,” Squier feast for the senses, Mission Federal Credit Union comfortable size of crowd,” said ArtWalk Managing said. “We’re proud to be one of the ArtWalk returns to Little Italy April 28 and 29 from Director Sandi Cotrell. “We spread the art out into early examples.” 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Now in its 28th year, over 100,000 the side streets of Little Italy as well, so that people City Council President Pro Tem people are expected to attend the free event. can flow in and out of all the nooks and crannies of Kevin Faulconer attended the opening Traditional Mexican music Taking place in the heart of Little Italy along In- this fantastic neighborhood.” and said he was excited to be there, dia Street, the works of 350 artists will be on display, A family friendly event, in addition to art displays having attended the site’s groundbreak- with four music stages and one dance stage among ➤➤ FEATURE P. 2 5 the attractions. see ArtWalk, page 21 see Cedar, page 4 Rally and march held for Trayvon Martin Florida teen’s death sparks community gathering downtown to demand justice By Anthony King Downtown News Cirque du Soleil returns Hundreds of community members gath- Index ered in Balboa Park at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 26 for a rally to support the family of Briefs…………………8 Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old teenager Calendar………………10 Residents march into downtown to rally for slain Florida teen. A view from the roof of the Cedar Gateway Drink Shrink………..…18 (Photo by Daniel Solomon) see Trayvon, page 6 apartments (Photo by Daniel Solomon) Fitness…………………20 Theater…………………24 Entertainment……..…26 Contact Us Editorial/Letters 619-961-1953 [email protected] Advertising 619-961-1958 [email protected] www.sdcnn.com San Diego Community News Network 2 San Diego Downtown News |April 2012 NEWS San Diego Downtown News |April 2012 3 Nonprofit sector holds mayoral forum Issues surrounding arts, environment, homelessness and funding dominate discussion (l to r) Bob Filner (Courtesy office of Filner), Bonnie Dumanis, Nathan Fletcher and Carl DeMaio (Photos by Daniel Solomon) Anthony King goes to arts,” Lewis asked. government or we should be reduc- Downtown News Fletcher, DeMaio and Dumanis ing the role of government.” said they were all comfortable with Fletcher, who recently left the A coalition of six San Diego the current percentage, saying Republican Party to be an Indepen- nonprofit and philanthropic orga- economic growth in the city would dent candidate said, “Those things nizations hosted a public mayoral increase the amount of money that are vital public services that forum on Monday, March 26 at The allocated. Filner, however, said, the City delivers… the City needs Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park. “I’m very uncomfortable with the to take care of.” For Fletcher, vital Participating in the forum were the funding as it is now. We have to do public services include police four major 2012 mayoral candidates: a lot better. I want to give more and and fire coverage and roadwork, Congressmember Bob Filner, I want to use the TOT at a higher among others. DeMaio and Duma- District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, percentage,” he said. nis, both Republican, agreed the Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher All candidates agreed, in a government’s role should be rel- and Councilmember Carl DeMaio. separate question regarding imple- egated to similar “core functions,” Filner participated via telephone, as menting voluntary payments for Dumanis said. he was in Washington, D.C. nonprofits in lieu of taxes, it was not For the other issues dis- The forum, which was free to the time to do so, saying, “This is cussed—homelessness, affordable the public, was the first to address not the time.” housing, the environment and topics and issues concerning non- The discussion regarding where engaging philanthropists—the profit organizations, including those the candidates would “draw the line candidates’ responses stayed true to for arts and culture; philanthropy; where government stops and the non- their original statements. Fletcher homelessness; affordable housing; profit sector takes over,” Lewis said, said innovation was key to ad- the environment; and funding. dominated much of the evening. dressing affordable housing, while Rob Hutsel, current Chair of the “We have the resources to do Dumanis and DeMaio said fiscal San Diego Association of Nonprofits, the things that a civilization has to responsibility was key. opened the forum, saying, “There do. It’s a question of priorities; it’s When asked if the City has a are thousands of nonprofits in our a question of will; it’s a question role to play in alleviating homeless- region and they play a critical role of leadership,” Filner said, who is ness, DeMaio said, “Not only does in our community. Nonprofits also registered as Democrat. “Let’s not our City have a role to play, it has a employ an estimated 75,000 people use that to say there’s not a role for moral obligation to fulfill.”v in San Diego County. The selection of the next mayor of the city of San Diego is important to us all.” CEO of Voice of San Diego news Scott Lewis and Senior Political Cor- respondent of KPBS Radio Gloria Penner moderated the questions, which candidates were given in advance. The forum lasted for an hour and a half, with approximately 580 people in attendance. “I know it’s been a tough time for nonprofits,” Dumanis said in her opening statement, “and as the mayor, the best thing I can do is make sure our city stays in the fis- cal health it needs to, to make sure we bring businesses here and to make San Diego a world class city with world class arts and culture.” Economic issues were key in much of the discussion throughout the evening, with a particular focus on the government partnering with the nonprofit sector. “We need to start embracing new ideas, and that means we have to start working with our nonprofit partners in a more powerful and meaningful way than a city gov- ernment has ever seen before,” DeMaio said. “The third sector, the nonprofit sector, can cause more change to happen and can deliver better results than our government programs, and that is why when we have opportunities to work through nonprofit organizations, we must jump at the chance.” While each candidate reiterated the importance of the arts and cul- ture for the region, they were not all in agreement with how best to fund them. As an example, Lewis said, arts organizations are allocated 10.5 percent through the Transient Oc- cupancy Tax (TOT) by hotels. “Would you, as mayor, change the [TOT] percentage… of what 4 San Diego Downtown News |April 2012 NEWS Water Man Check- FROM PAGE 1 in Center seeks CEDAR ing ceremony last year. “Cedar public support Gateway is going to be a model I am confident we will be able to rep- licate, not only across downtown Homeless service center San Diego but other areas of the city. It’s about providing help, it’s may close June 30 about providing hope and it’s about providing a great opportunity to our families and those who are in By Ashley Mackin the most need,” Faulconer said. Downtown News Frank Riley, field office direc- tor for San Diego Housing and At a March 5 press confer- Urban Development (HUD), said ence, District Three Council- Rick Gentry (Photo by SDDN) HUD became a partner in the member Todd Gloria, along with project after contributing $14 mil- San Diego Housing Commission donations from the City Council lion of the $32 million needed for President and CEO Rick Gentry, and the San Diego Housing the project though a tax credit as- urged the public to donate Commission have kept the sistance program.