Chollas Creek Restoration Project Groundbreaking Ceremony – March 26

JOIN US!

A groundbreaking ceremony will take place to celebrate the start of construction on the Chollas Creek Restoration Project.

Thursday, March 26 – 2 p.m.

Just north of Market Street on Euclid Avenue at the corner of
Guymon Street and Euclid Avenue

Parking is available at the event site. Please enter off of Euclid Avenue.

What does this mean for the Diamond Neighborhoods? The Chollas Creek Restoration Project will:

• Restore the natural beauty of a portion of the creek by re-planting native plants, removing invasive plant species, and preventing erosion
• Create places where residents can gather and enjoy the outdoors
• Enliven the area with public art works
• Provide a safer pathway for children attending Horton Elementary School

These enhancements help to beautify the area and encourage future investments in our community.

All are welcome to attend this free event. RSVP to Liz Faris at LFaris@JacobsCenter.org or 619.527.6161 ext. 376.

This project is funded in whole or part with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The City of San Diego awarded these funds to the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation. Additional funding is provided by the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 (Prop 84).

Chollas Creek Focus Group for Students 5-12th Grade

 

Learn about the value of the creek and the environmental problems the creek faces

Take part in the solution , Students in 5th-12th grade that attend will receive a $10.00 gift certificate

Contact Bevelynn Bravo for more details (619) 527-6161×188

11th Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup This Saturday

Commit to a cleaner community and register today for 11th Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup, scheduled for Saturday, April 27th from 9AM – 12noon.

The 2013 updated list of sites is posted under Cleanup Sites, and cleanup sites with the highest need for volunteers are listed in red text.  Gather a group together and register today! 

Many local residents will be at the Zone 3 location listed as City Heights – Chollas Creek at Chollas Parkway and Boyce Lane. Get the family, scouting group, class or work team to sign up. Registration and more information available online at: creektobay.org or call: (619) 704-2772.

Recycling Event at Morse High

City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department will host a free used oil and filter recycling event 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Morse High School (parking lot at 69th Street). All city residents are invited to bring their oil, oil filters, all batteries, antifreeze, CFL bulbs and tubes to this household hazardous waste program event. More information: (800) 694-7000.

Chollas View Cleanup Update

Each year the City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department conducts special community cleanup events in neighborhoods throughout the City. Areas are selected for these events based upon citizen requests, pledges of community involvement and previous citizen participation levels. On Saturday, Dec. 1 this department, along with the Chollas View Neighborhood Council, conducted a community cleanup in the Chollas View area. This successful cleanup removed a total of 32.50 tons of waste (29.35 tons of non-recyclables and 3.15 tons of recyclables) consisting of metals and appliances from the neighborhood. Mrs. Matthews and the Chollas View Neighborhood Council are to be commended for their assistance and support.

For more information regarding this cleanup, contact Solid Waste Code Enforcement Officer Stacy Workman at: (858) 492-5084

Upcoming Cleanups

Join the San Diego Canyonlands and Friends of Chollas Creek on Saturday, Dec. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at 47th Street and Chollas Parkway (next to Leisure Land) for the routine 4th Saturday event at Chollas Creek. This group and its volunteers do habitat restoration, trail main-tenance and clean-up, which includes removal of invasive weeds, planting/watering native plants, trimming brush, removing trash and painting out graffiti. Please bring a pair of gloves, a bottle of water, sturdy shoes and sun protection (hat, sunscreen, etc.). San Diego Canyonlands will provide tools and materials, but you’re welcome to bring your own.

For more information, contact Bill Babcock at: (619) 207 5809 or online: chollascreek.org.

Green Up Your Home

Able-Disabled Advocacy (A-DA) YouthBuild, in collaboration with SDG&E and the Office of Council President Tony Young, is seeking low-income home owners in Council District 4 who need modest energy-efficient improvements to their properties. This free program is offered at no cost to the homeowner. All materials will be provided through the SDG&E Green Future Grant.

Improvements include but are not limited to: water line leak detection and repair; window and door caulking/ weather-stripping; water heater insulation and/or earthquake strapping; repairing interior and exterior structural leaks; and installing low-flow toilets and water saving sink aerators and shower. Participants must be low-income and be willing to participate in a Customer Satisfaction Survey at the completion of the work. Homeowners will also be asked to provide before and after copies of utility bills and proof of home ownership such as property tax bills or Deed of Trust.

A total of 7 homes will be selected throughout District 4. Households will be selected on the basis of need and income. Application deadline is Friday, Oct. 12. For more information or to request an application, please call: (619) 231-5990 or email: Denise@adble2work.org.

New Educational Teaching Garden in Market Creek Plaza’s Festival Park

With the belief that “Every child should get their hands dirty,” Jeanne’s Garden Program for Children has installed a new educational teaching garden in Market Creek Plaza’s Festival Park.  The garden is located in the southwest corner of Festival Park, between the World Court and Chollas Creek Walking Trail at the southern end of the Plaza’s amphitheater.

As the garden grows, children can learn from interactive classes that offer opportunities for guided, hands-on self-discovery. The purpose of the garden is to not only educate children in organic gardening, but adults as well.  Nine different programs instill a passion for the natural world with the different concepts of organic gardening, compositing, native plants, and beneficial insects.

With the help of volunteers, garden beds were filled with herbs, eggplant, artichokes, tomatillos, bell peppers, and much more. The garden was planted just in time for the summer growing season and will produce pumpkins in time for Halloween.

There are also two multipurpose organic recycling areas; one is for composting and the other is a worm farm. Both of the recycling outer areas are also used for growing pole beans, lemon cucumbers, and cherry and pear tomatoes.

The garden adds to the Plaza’s strong environmental focus.  The section of Chollas Creek that runs along the Plaza was one the first restoration projects of the 20-mile creek that runs throughout San Diego.

Businesses and individuals can make an investment in advancing this rich educational opportunity by sponsoring a group or a school. The cost of a group for up to 30 children is $275. To provide a sponsorship or learn more, contact Jeann’e Waterford at (619) 675-6956 or go to www.childrensgardenprogram.com.

Outdoor Water Times

All irrigation and hand watering by residents in the City of San Diego must occur before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. starting in June and continuing through the end of October to reduce evaporation during the warmer summer and fall seasons.

Residents with automatic irrigation are encouraged to water in the very early hours of the morning. In the ongoing effort to continue long-term water waste reduction, the City also offers a number of tools and resources, including valuable cash-back rebates for eligible customers, to help San Diegans Waste No Water. For more in-formation on the City’s permanent water-waste restrictions and a comprehensive listing of available conservation resources and tips, please call the Public Utilities Department at: (619) 515-3500 or visit the city’s online website: WasteNoWater.org.

Green Jobs Training

The Center for Employment Training, has Green Jobs Innovation Funds
available for training dislocated workers and low-income adults.
Green Building Construction / Solar Panel Training Certifications is available.

For more information about no-cost training (for those who qualify).
Please call (619) 527-4895 or online: cetweb.org.
The Center for Employment Training
4153 Market Street, San Diego, CA 92114

What’s coming up in the 4th District?

Book this event
Mt. View/Beckwourth Branch Library will be hosting the last in a series of author-talks on Tuesday, March 13 at 6 p.m., 721 San Pasqual St. The free event will feature National Bok Award Finalist author Laura McNeal discussing her nominated novel Dark Water. The library will be offering a free copy of the book to each family attending the event, while supplies last. McNeal’s appearance is part of Mt View/Beckwourth Branch Library’s “Building for the Future” project. This project was designed to motivate reading by introduc-ing library patrons to the world of books through the presentation of local authors, the offering of free books, and by providing them with information on literacy. The “Building for the Future” project has been sponsored by a local grant from the Neighborhood Unity Foundation. For more information, please call Library Branch Manager Matthew Nye: (619) 527-5408.

Cleaning up Mountain view
Each year the City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department conducts special community clean up events in neighborhoods throughout the City. Areas are selected for these events based upon citizen requests, pledges of community involvement and previous citizen participation levels.

On Saturday, March 3 this department, along with Ms. Jean Miles, conducted a community cleanup in the Mountain View area (along Imperial Avenue to Teak Street and S. 37th to S. 40th Streets). This successful cleanup removed a total of 16.06 tons of waste (14.58 tons of non-recyclables and 1.48 tons of recyclables consisting of metals and appliances) from the neighborhood. Ms. Miles is to be commended for her assistance and support. Please feel free to call Solid Waste Code Enforcement Officer Beth Riley at (858) 573-1260 if there are any questions regarding this cleanup event.

Taking center stage
Common Ground Theatre, in collaboration SDCCD Continuing Education Division, will present its spring production of “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf” from March 16 to April 1 at the Educational Cultural complex. By Ntozake Shange, the play is a series of 20 poems that express the many struggles and obstacles that African-American women face throughout their lives. It is performed by a cast of seven women characters, each of whom is known only by a color: “Lady in Yel-low,” “Lady in Purple,” etc. Recently, the play has been adapted into a major motion picture by Tyler Perry. For information and reservations, please contact the CGT Box Office at (619) 255-2318. Tickets may be pur-chased online at commongroundtheatre.org.

Proceeds from the production will provide scholarships for students to attend Common Ground Theatre’s San Diego Theatre Artist Repertory Students (STARS) program. The STARS program is a new initiative created by Common Ground Theatre to build community through the arts by providing students of all ages and abilities with professional, affordable instruction in the performing, fine, and visual arts. The initial session will begin in May 2012. For a schedule of classes and fees, contact the CGT Administrative Office at (619) 255-2318.

Festival Park General Development Plan

The City of San Diego, in conjunction with the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, invites you to participate in a Public Workshop for a pocket park in
The Village at Market Creek. The park is envisioned to provide passive recreation
for all ages.

Community involvement is crucial to ensuring a successful plan that meets the
needs of our community.

PUBLIC WORKSHOP
March 8, 2012 • 6 – 8 pm

Joe & Vi Jacobs Center
Chollas View Room, 2nd Floor
404 Euclid Avenue • San Diego, CA 92114

Childcare provided. Translation services available.

For more information, contact:
Lefaua Leilua at (619) 527-6161 ext. 183 or Lleilua@jacobscenter.org

Mark your calendar for these additional meeting dates: March 22, April 19