Scene 8.2010
Silent movies anyone?
Silent Movie Night in Balboa Park on Aug. 23 will pair world-class organist Dennis James with the screening of “The Yankee Clipper” starring William Boyd at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. The 7:30 p.m. program, sponsored by the Spreckels Organ Society, begins with James playing his favorite pieces and leads into his accompaniement to the silent movie. James tours worldwide under the auspices of his Silent Film Concerts production company. His appearance is part of the 2010 Summer International Organ Festival. Other festival programs will feature James David Christie on Aug. 9 and Keenan Boswell and Nicole Cochran on Aug. 16. The festival will close on Aug. 30 with Jazz Night featuring San Diego Civic Organist Carol Williams and special guests Dave Scott and friends.
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By the time the 100th anniversary of the Panama California Exposition rolls around in 2015, Balboa Park — the site of the exposition — may have an independent nonprofit organization responsible for managing the park and raising money for its upkeep. Establishment of the nonprofit entity has been recommended by a task force set up by Mayor Jerry Sanders and the City Council. It would have a nine-member board. The council would have to approve the formation of the nonprofit organization and appoint, along with the mayor, the members of the board. Several other big cities have established similar organizations to look after their parks. Four years ago the Benbough Foundation claimed in a study that Balboa Park had been neglected by the city. Another report two years ago said the park required $238 million for needed repairs.
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By obtaining city permission to close Ray Street to vehicular traffic during Ray at Night, the monthly arts event will offer more opportunities for the public to become acquainted with local artists and their works. “There will be more opportunities to showcase the best of the local art community while maintaining a place for emerging artists to be seen,” says Larry Stein of Warp 9 imaging. Beginning with the Aug. 14 Ray at Night, there will be more opportunities to show and see art in the pedestrian zone — this in addition to the art in the galleries, studios and businesses along the street. “There will be a section on Ray Street for juried artists, reserved space for enrolled art students, a featured nonprofit every month and a space to feature a local restaurant,” says Stein. “There will continue to be live music featuring local bands.” Artists wanting to take part in Ray at Night, which occurs the second Saturday of each month, can visit the Website (rayatnightartwalk.com) for information and an application. Stein also can answer questions at (619) 677-2118.
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Got electronic devices you want to get rid of cleanly and legally? Ron Oster and Jeff Discher of Ascent Real Estate (619-814-3433) are sponsoring a free electronics recycling event from 8 a.m. until noon at the North Park Theatre parking lot, 2896 North Park Way. They’ll take computers, monitors, televisions, cell phones, MP3 players, printers, ink and toner cartridges, cable and wires, microwaves — everything electronic. All Green Electronics will wipe clean computer data. People with more electronics than they can adequately handle can call (800) 780-0347 to schedule a free pick-up. That’s from allgreenrecycling.com.
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The North Park Historical Society is organizing a car show on Sept. 11 to celebrate the neighborhood. The show will be from 10 am to 1 p.m. in the parking lot behind the North Park Theatre. People who have classic cars they would like to exhibit, or want more information, should contact Bill Vivian at (619) 840-0662 (broker.bill@hotmail.com). Pre-registration is required for entries.
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Apertivo is back — or soon will be. Janie and Ken Cassinelli, who closed their restaurant last October, are set to open the new Apertivo at 2322 El Cajon Blvd. at Texas Street. They were planning for an Aug. 1 opening. The new Apertivo will offer Italian inspired cuisine, a larger selection of beer and will be open seven days a week, serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Janie says there will be specials each day of the week. The owners have been operating a catering service since they closed the former location and that will continue. For more information, call (619) 261-0996 for Janie or (619) 261-0987 for Ken.
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“Eat Your Peas!” a parent tells a child at the dinner table. That’s the theme of an exhibition at Alchemy restaurant in South Park that runs through Aug. 23. The exhibition is the result of a partnership the restaurant has with the Natural History Museum of Sugar. Titled “Eat Your Peas,” the exhibit is based on the concept of what parents told their kids about food while at the dinner table. Artists were invited to create small, wall-hung art reflecting that theme. For artwork sold during the exhibit, 50 percent will go to the artist,and the rest will support Alchemy’s cooking school for Albert Einstein Academy students.
Participating artists are David Krimmel, Alexis Cole Grinbold, Anna Stump, Joanne Hayakawa, Blair Thornley, Ben Aubert, Angel Adame, Sam Murray, Tracy Wilborn, Daphne Hill, Mike Goggin, Lori Lipsman, YC Kim, Mike Goggin, Jennifer Bennett, Jesus Dominguez, Jim Cavolt, Martin Lindsay, Ollie Zinn, Ted Meyer, Amy Rouillard, Joyce Corpuz, Terri Hughes-Oelrich and third graders from Albert Einstein Academies.
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Omar Passons’ Park-2-Park Shuttle is back on the road again. The shuttle service that runs between North Park, South Park, University Heights and Normal Heights operates every Friday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Park-2-Park has all of the same stops and has added one at Soho just east of 30th and El Cajon Boulevard, said Passons.
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The Hillcrest Business Association brings back CityFest, a celebration of music, arts and crafts and neighborhood spirit, on Aug. 8 from noon until 8:30 p.m. The celebration will include a Grand Stage beneath the Hillcrest sign, an open-air beer garden, hundreds of arts and crafts, a food court, kids carnival and a lantern parade at dusk. More info is available at hillcrestcityfest.com.
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San Diego native Micah Parzen, a partner at Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, has been appointed the new executive director of the San Diego Museum of Man following a nationwide search. He assumes the job on Aug. 9. Parzen holds a bachelor’s dgree in anthropology from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in anthropology from Case Western Reserve University and has conducted extensive field work with the Navajo Nation. Parzen, who is pro bono program coordinator for the law firm, was president of ElderHelp of San Diego and sits on the board of the San Diego Volunteer Lawyers Program. He is a past recipient of the “40 Under 40” Award presented by San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, sister publication of the North Park News and Kensington News.
“As a cultural institution dedicated to ‘teaching people about people,’ the Museum of Man is uniquely positioned to explore issues that are directly relevant to our lives as cultural beings and, thus, to our community,’ said Parzen. “Margaret Mead once said, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’ That, in a nutshell, is what the Museum of Man is all about.”
Parzen lives in Point Loma with his wife Marguerite and two sons, Abner, 7, and Oscar, 2.
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JWalcher staff, from left, Sandy Young, Jacquie Edelman, Jean Walcher, Robert Arends. Not pictured: Laura Walcher.
The J. Walcher Communications public relations agency is one of the latest businesses to be attracted to South Park. The agency has moved from its previous location at 2110 El Cajon Blvd. in North Park to 2986 Ivy St. The phone is (619) 295-7140. On the Web, it’s at jwalcher.com.
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Why an owl in North Park Main Street’s new logo for the North Park Farmers Market? To remind people that the Thursday market now is open into the evening hours. Located near CVS Pharmacy just south of University Avenue between Herman and 32nd Street at North Park Way, market hours are from 3 to 7 p.m. The owl banners are among 90 that have been installed in the area under a Neighborhood Reinvestment Project grant awarded by the county and arranged by county Supervisor Ron Roberts. The grant money enabled North Park Main Street to replace 50 existing banners and install an additional 40 throughout the business district.
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Christine D. Deardorff has been named the new director of development for the San Diego History Center, formerly the San Diego Historical Society. Deardorff, a former professional musician, was most recently the director of development for the San Diego Symphony from 2002-2010. She has more than 14 years of experience in fund raising and institutional advancement, and a bachelor of arts degree from Dickinson College and a master of music degree from Duquesne University. The San Diego History Center name was adopted earlier this year. The center includes a museum in Balboa Park presenting exhibitions and events that chronicle San Diego’s history, the Research Library – also located in Balboa Park – which has more than 45 million documents and 2.5 million images that document the people, places, and events of San Diego’s past. The History Center is also responsible for the management and operation of the Junípero Serra Museum in Presidio Park
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Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market will open new stores Sept. 22 in North Park and in Oceanside. The North Park store is at 32nd Street and University Avenue. Stores in Oceanside are at River Road and College Boulevard and at College Boulevard and Oceanside Boulevard. They are among nine stores that will be opened in September. The company plans to hire more than 180 employees for the stores and is accepting applications. Entry-level positions start at $10 an hour and there are quarterly bonuses of up to 10 percent. A 401 (k) with company match also is offered.
