Signs Point Downtown Drivers in Right Direction
BY MIKE ALLEN
About five years ago a study of San Diego’s Downtown parking situation concluded there was a sufficient amount, at least for the next few years, but drivers had a difficult time finding it.
Last month, the city installed some 300 signs intended to help drivers find available parking as well as 20 major Downtown destinations such as the Civic Center and Convention Center.
The teal blue signs were officially unveiled last month and have already received a positive response from local businesses operating in the heavily congested center city.
“Anything that can be done to make it easier for consumers and guests to find their way around Downtown is an improvement,” said Jack Berkman, general partner of Fio’s Cucina Italiano in the Gaslamp Quarter.
“Even with all the increased traffic and parking challenges from new construction, it seems to be easier to find your way around Downtown and part of that is because of the new signs.”
Installing the signs may have been talked about for years, but it wasn’t until last year that the funding was found within the budget of the city’s Downtown redevelopment agency, the Centre City Development Corp.
In tandem with the area’s huge surge in new businesses and the construction of more than 2,600 new housing units, the CCDC has undertaken the construction of large parking garages, which require directional signs.
The agency is building a 500-space garage at Sixth Avenue and Market Street that should open this November, and is designing a 1,000-space parking structure for Seventh and Market, said spokesman Derek Danziger.
To find available public parking, either on surface lots or in high-rise buildings, motorists should look for circular blue signs with a white P.
The newly erected signs also include rectangular ones in the same teal blue that point drivers to the quickest and easiest routes to such popular sites as the Gaslamp Quarter, county courts, Seaport Village and Horton Plaza.
The system also guides drivers out of Downtown to the freeways, the airport and Balboa Park.
City Councilman Byron Wear, whose district includes much of Downtown, said the new system is helping people, both residents and out-of-town visitors, to discover more good things the city has to offer.
“Anytime we can make Downtown more accessible and user-friendly, the better,” Wear said.
The price for pointing people in the right direction isn’t cheap. The city spent $550,000 for the signage system, which included planning where to place them, designing their appearance and making and installing the signs.
That comes out to an average $1,833 per sign. The signs are made with a more durable, longer-lasting material and included “a ton of consulting work,” Danziger said.
Clothing Distributor Offers Line Of Sun-Protective Sportswear
BY MARION WEBB
Jerry Jo James, wholesale distributor of sun-protective clothing, said her small business was off to a rough start.
“Because of the public not being aware of sun-protective clothing, it has been a nightmare,” said James, owner of Triple J Sportswear in La Mesa. But times have changed.
Added James, “Then I had some articles written and now everybody is becoming aware of the damage the sun is doing.”
James, an avid golfer, founded Triple J in 1994 out of conviction San Diegans could enjoy outside activities more knowing they’d be adequately protected from the damaging UV-rays.
Together with local children’s wear designer Lauren Soffe and Alicia Perez, James created her first UV-protective clothing line focusing on golfers and tennis players.
Today, James’ activewear extends to 19 different products for women, men and children, such as long-sleeve and sleeveless polo shirts and pants that can be zipped away into shorts.
James said the fabrics, which Triple J licenses from a company called the Solar Protective Factory in Carmichael, Calif., will block UV rays after washing and won’t irritate the skin.
Dr. Kimberly Butterwick, a dermatologist with Dermatology Associates of San Diego, gives UV-protective wear a thumbs-up for protection.
“I’ve never seen anyone tan or burn through it,” she said.
But there’s also a big downside.
“The problem with these garments is that they are made from a tightly woven fabric that doesn’t breathe very well,” Butterwick said. “Most of them have vents and zippers, but they don’t circulate the air very well.”
Butterwick said UV-protective garments are especially beneficial for people who are on medications that cause sensitivity to sunlight and for people suffering from lupus or skin cancers.
Citing from her own experience, Butterwick said she’d like to see more sun-protective bathing suits for toddlers.
“It’s easier to apply than sunscreen,” she said.
The good news is people don’t pay extra to reap the benefits of sun-protection, James said.
A long-sleeved polo shirt, for instance, runs $59.95 for women and men, James said.
James’ creations are being sold at Roger Dunn’s Golf Shop in Cathedral City, Fairbanks Ranch Country Club, BK Tennis in Del Mar and the Singing Hills Resort in El Cajon, among other local shops.
Archaeologists Dig for Artifacts at Historic Sites
BY ARTHUR S. GRUPE
When developers get ready to work on a site with an old building, Walter Enterprises swings into action to help.
Co-owners Steven Van Wormer and his wife, Susan Walter, are commercial archaeologists who excavate historic sites, extract the artifacts, and then catalog the items so the developer can comply with local, state and federal laws. The items are then stored in a safe place.
They’ve been operating the business for about 10 years now, Walter said. A building in the back yard of their Chula Vista house serves as office and laboratory for the university-trained archaeologists.
Their most prominent recent dig was the 1893 Julia Liffreing house southeast of El Cajon. Walnut Creek-based Shea Homes is developing the acreage around the house into a residential neighborhood and the four acres immediately surrounding the house will be converted into a park after the house is restored.
“In the case of the Liffreing property, the site had been substantially damaged by pot hunters before we arrived there,” Walter said.
She said the Liffreings were a typical upper-class farm family of the 1890s. There were a large number of broken pieces of Japanese and German porcelain, which is an indication of a wealthy family who was able to buy imported goods, she said.
The pair of archaeologists is now in the process of identifying and cataloging the items they found. They’re also working on a site on K Street in Downtown. She declined to specifically identify the location to protect it from souvenir hunters.
Some of their other excavations include the Daneri Winery in South Bay, which was destroyed by a 1916 flood; the turn-of-the-century Theosophical Society kitchen dump in Point Loma; and the 1900 Piper Ranch property in Otay Mesa.
They’ve also excavated at the Aguirre Adobe in Old Town, which dates from the 1840s. She admits they’ve never found any valuable items and the biggest coin excavated was a badly worn dime that had no collector value.
Their company is on a government list of approved archaeologists that developers use, and they also rely on word-of-mouth referrals from past clients. Other archaeologists subcontract with them on the larger projects, she said. Competitive bidding is used.
Grad Wins NeoPoint Scholarship
BY LEEANN WALKER
Serra High School senior Jason Remple was presented with the prestigious NeoPoint “Simply More Intelligent” Scholarship Award on June 6.
The presentation was made by William Son, CEO and president of NeoPoint, a locally based telecommunications company.
The $5,000 scholarship was awarded to Remple because of his entrepreneurial spirit, demonstration of academic excellence, interest in technology and strong community involvement.
“I feel very honored and glad that NeoPoint chose me from among the many well-qualified applicants,” Remple said.
Remple has been deeply involved in many aspects of high school life. Besides maintaining a 4.0 grade point average in Serra’s seminar program, he was captain of Serra’s competitive Academic League team and varsity wrestling team for the last two years. He was also on Serra’s newspaper staff and a member of the Science Olympiad team.
“High school has taught me to work hard and not give up,” he said.
Remple, who has worked with computers and electronics for many years, will be an electrical engineering major at UCLA in the fall. He hopes to someday work for an “up-and-coming” technology firm.
“I think my experience at UCLA will provide a good foundation for me in regards to working with computers and electronics,” Remple said.
