Backed into a “no new taxes” pledge by Steve Francis during last year’s mayoral primary, Mayor Sanders consistently opposes imposing new levies to right city finances. Still, look for the mayor, and council, in the next two months to back a Tourism Improvement District where city hotels would collect $22 million-$26 million in fees from guests for visitor promotions. If all goes right by spring — pitfalls are many — that money would be used to cover up to $12 million in allocations, like ConVis ($8.8 million), which the city now funds with its TOT revenue, estimated at $140 million next year. (About half goes to loosely defined visitor-serving uses.)
Also, when asked about taxes during his Kroll Report town hall meeting, Sanders suggested a different course once the city has its financial house in order, a process he expects to take about 30 months. The mayor says the public may back new taxes to fund items such as longer library hours, better park services or more police officers.
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Vista’s half-cent sales tax increase on the November ballot, which includes a detailed plan and Web site on how the funds will be spent — vistasalestax.com — is being keenly watched by cities throughout the county. Property tax growth will stagnate next year, while retail continues to roar, and produce untethered revenue.
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Leaving the podium after speaking at Tom Carter’s memorial service at the Hall of Champions, the Rev. George Walker Smith was walking with a noticeable hitch. So noticeable he turned back around and took the microphone again. “I haven’t had a stroke,” he says. “This is a high school football injury.”
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In his capacity as president of taxpayersadvocate.org, Scott Barnett is among those signing the ballot argument in favor of negotiating to use 3,000 of Miramar Marine Air Station’s 23,000 acres for a new commercial airport. Why would the University City resident and La Jolla Country Day alumni do so? “You don’t have to be, in my view, a rocket scientist, or maybe I could say a USCD economics scientist, to know a several billion dollar international airport is going to be a boom for jobs and the economy.”
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   Concordia Homes is offering $75,000 in assistance to buyers at its Bonita Creek gated community east of Plaza Bonita in National City. Incentives include interest rate buy-downs, buyer credit toward closing costs and seller-paid HOA dues. Floor plans for the three-bedroom, two-story detached homes range from 1,353 to 1,734 square feet in 12 exterior styles. For more, call (619) 267-8618 or visit bonita-creek.com.
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Meanwhile, confounding conventional wisdom, the Downtown Partnership has voted to support keeping Lindbergh Field open. As 92101's most cohesive group of merchants, business executives and property owners, it had long been accused by Miramar opponents of salivating over the prospects of developing the 661-acre bayfront airport site.
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With Very Light Jets soon to begin flitting about America’s skies, Jimsair at Lindbergh Field expects to soon take delivery on an Eclipse 500. After management enjoys the plane for a while, Phil Bracamonte, firm president, expects to put it into charter service. Also at Jimsair, the firm has been certified as an FAA Part 145 Repair Station and has added three new employees, Rod Tippit as director of maintenance, Ed Watkins as a King Air pilot and Anthony Reovan as a scheduler and charter coordinator.
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The Port District’s Lane Field/B Street Cruise Ship Terminal development has another prospective developer. With the close of the 90-day exclusive negotiating agreement window with the Viejas Tribe and Manchester Development in August, the Port contacted Lankford Development as lead entity of Lane Field, San Diego Developers LLC and Hardage Suites Hotels, which separately had responded to the original RFP. They have combined and Port Commissioners, at their Sept. 5 meeting, will hear new proposals for the signature bayfront project from both Viejas/Manchester and Lankford/Hardage. Some suspect pressure to get a seven figure non-refundable deposit from Manchester.
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A 450-person sellout is expected for the Oct. 7 annual Burnham Institute gala at the new Manchester Grand Del Mar Hotel, this year honoring Roberta and Malin Burnham on the 10th year after renaming and the 30th anniversary of the former La Jolla Cancer Research Institute. The Burnham Institute just penned a deal to establish a satellite facility in Florida. Mary Walshock’s thoughts about founder Lillian Fishman and other “Living Treasures” are on Page 79.
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Some 400 judges, doctors, captains of industry, military officers, civic leaders, guests and members of the big San Diego Rotary Club 33 sang in unison — “I’ve been workin’ on the raaaaailroad,” the whole thing, Dinah included — led by Capt. Paul J. Hartley Jr. on his ukulele. That was Hartley’s sweethearted revenge immediately after being named by Mayor Sanders as the 2006 “Mr. San Diego” at the big Sheraton Harbor Island.
A San Diego native, graduate of Hoover High, 31-year Navy veteran and a long-time community leader, Hartley served as Club 33 president in 2001-02.
Among his efforts, Hartley helped Frank Arrington execute a financial development plan, got Patti Roscoe going on a strategic plan, improved the club’s public relations, and under his banner of Service to Youth, brought leaders of the Family Literacy Foundation, Hoover Interact, Jewish Family Service, Junior Achievement, Monarch High, Star/Pal, Jackie Robinson YMCA, Yahoo, Wilson Middle School, Sherman Elementary, Preuss School and others to meet, consult and understand each other’s needs.
He established a Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts Committee among a dozen he organized, pushed the organ donor signup program, pumped up Jack Anthony’s avoidable blindness efforts and championed John Rebelo’s village banking. And that’s just a taste of his Rotary activity. He’s been active in Armed Forces YMCA for 30 years, San Diego Crew Classic, Point Loma Association, the All Souls Episcopal Church and served as fleet chaplain at the San Diego Yacht Club. He may be most appreciated for his homespun advice: “Give others a piece of your heart, not a piece of your mind.”
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 The San Diego Metropolitan Credit Union Downtown branch at 320 B St. is awash in watercolors this month - the winning student entries from the city of San Diego’s annual water conservation poster contest, including this one by third grader Jason Hwang of Shoal Creek Elementary School in Poway.
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E-mails sent from Councilwoman Donna Frye’s office contain the following wise admonition: “Disclosure: Correspondents should assume that all communication to or from this address is recorded and may be reviewed by third parties.”
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Rick Engineering, which celebrated 50 years in San Diego last year, has opened an office in San Luis Obispo, the company’s seventh in the Southwest. Don Druse, who worked for Rick for nearly 20 years before moving to San Luis Obispo, heads the new office that will serve the central California coastal and valley areas. “We have many long-standing clients who have urged us to join them in providing services in San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield, where rapid growth continues, especially in land development, which is the type of work we have done successfully for decades,” says Roger Ball, president and CEO. The company has 450 employees.
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One way San Diego gets around Lindbergh’s limitations is with 106 round trips to LAX each day by puddle jumpers that get passengers to connecting flights. American Eagle has 64 flights and Skywest 42. While LAX has closed one of its runways for renovations to be able to handle the new class of jumbo jets, San Diego airport officials aren’t expecting any interference with local flights.
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Downtown Partnership directors have voted 22 in favor, 2 opposed and with three abstentions to support the $1.1 billion, 15-acre Pacific Gateway project that will turn the Navy’s Broadway Complex to a mixed-use development featuring office, hotel, retail, parks and museum.
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The Volkswagen dealership that used to be part of Metro Audi Volkswagen in Little Italy has gone out of business and the Audi portion of the business has moved to Escondido – the results of developers’ plans to build Pier, an $80 million complex with more than 230 residences and retail space at Kettner Boulevard and Grape Street. CityMark Development and CLB Partners acquired the property to build a 15-story sail tower and an 11-story cargo loft building, which meant the dealership had to go. Although the VW dealership did not survive, the Audi business became Audi of Escondido at 1560 Auto Park Way North.
“With the relocation of Metro Audi Volkswagen dealership, we can go forward and get the development of Pier under way,” Rich Gustafson, president of CityMark, said in July. But the developers’ plans to start construction this year will not materialize, says spokesman Jeff Burkhart, because of poor market conditions. He says construction groundbreaking won’t begin until next year. The project, designed by Martinez+Cutri, will include lofts, townhomes and penthouses plus ground-level retail space. Residential prices haven’t been established.
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 A.W. Properties should finish work by the middle of this month on this 7,262-square-foot custom home at The Crosby along Del Dios Highway in Rancho Santa Fe. Listed for sale at $4.39 million, the property includes the four-bedroom, 4 1/2-bath home with four-car garage and an attached one-bedroom, one-bath casita. The design by architect Mark Radford includes private office, bar and wine cellar, butler’s pantry, interior courtyard and covered patio with views of the golf course. Danny Hampel Construction is the builder. For more, call (858) 759-7220 or visit thecrosby.com.
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Mark and C’Ann McMillin have supported the organization known as KIT (Kids Included Together) since 1997 when their daughter Macy, who has cerebral palsy, attended a camp by the nonprofit group. Because of their financial assistance to KIT and several other community organizations — which has amounted to more than $2 million — the couple will be presented with KIT’s Champions of Children Award on Sept. 16 by Mayor Sanders. It will happen at KIT’s eighth annual gala, The Storybook Ball, at The Corky McMillin Cos. Event Center at the NTC Promenade at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
The ball will benefit the inclusion of children with disabilities in out-of-school programs and the creation of KIT’s National Training Center on Inclusion. Tickets for the ball are $200. For more information call (858) 320-2050 or (858) 320-2055. Mark McMillin says he and C’Ann are not supporting KIT for recognition. “Inclusion is just the right thing to do,” he says. “The attitude carries into adulthood. Macy will never be left out of anything — ever.”
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Diversionary Theatre can become its own landlord following the recent death of Fritz Klein, the Park Boulevard theater’s former landlord and archangel, which he remains through his estate. Klein left Diversionary $300,000 and its building, which includes rented office space. The theater may decide to sell the building or keep it, says Dan Kirsch, Diversionary executive director. “We’re in the process of discovery,” he says. The building mortgage is just over $400,000. The theater’s annual operating budget is just over $450,000. The theater ended the year in the black, Kirsch says, with just under half its operating income from ticket sales — very good for a small theater.
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When the new Pat D’Arrigo ARTS Center opens in November at NTC Promenade, it will have 25 new Dell computers, thanks to a donation made by national real estate services firm Studely during its annual company outing held this year at La Costa Resort & Spa. The computers were donated to A Reason To Survive (ARTS), a local nonprofit dedicated to bringing hope, healing and self- confidence to lives of children and youth facing adversity. The NTC center is ARTS’ first, named for founder Matt D’Arrigo’s mother who who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 48.
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The first Women’s World Longboarding Championships will be staged Sept. 23-24 at Cardiff Reef at Cardiff by the Sea and will offer a $15,000 purse, largest ever for a women’s longboard contest in the U.S. The Roxy Jam Cardiff also is the first women’s longboard contest sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals. It will serve as the national qualifier for the World Women’s Longboarding Championships to be held in June 2007 in Biarritz, France. Roxy Jam Cardiff also will have the Hansen Surfboards Longest Nose Riding Contest with a $3,000 purse (for pros only), five open amateur division contests and a paddleboard race open to all. Entry fee for the pro women’s contest is $125. Registration for pro and amateur competitions must be received by Sept. 15. The Roxy Jam Cardiff is sponsored by Paul Mitchell, Surftech and Hansen Surfboards and will benefit the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy. To register, visit roxy.com/roxyjam.com.
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 Lorin Stewart
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Lorin Stewart of Old Town Trolley Tours is chairing the ConVis board for fiscal year 2007. Other officers are Joseph Craver of Galaxie Management, first vice chair; Jim Oddo of Atlas Hotels, second vice chair; Andy Fichthorn of Sea World, treasurer; and Susie Baumann, owner-operator of the Bali Hai and Tom Ham’s Lighthouse restaurants, secretary. Committee chairs are Ted Kanatas; Ed Netzhammer, Kevin Konopasek, Patrick Fearn and Mick Musella.
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Former ConVis CEO Reint Reinders didn’t waste time getting started in his next career. Just two months after retiring, he has signed on as a consultant with MeringCarson. One of California’s leading independent advertising agencies, the firm has opened a San Diego office in Oceanside. Its visitor-industry clients include California Division of Tourism, Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and the Pebble Beach Co.
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Mayors Lori Holt Pfeiler of Escondido, Nick Inzunza of National City and Randy Voepel of Santee will talk about their cities’ planning, growth and infrastructure at the Sept. 12 meeting of the Urban Land Institute’s San Diego-Tijuana chapter. County Supervisor Ron Roberts will moderate. The meeting will be from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at The University Club, 750 B St. Downtown. Cost is $35 for ULI members, $45 for nonmembers and $25 for students if registered by Sept. 7; all add $10 at the door. To register, call (800) 321-5011.
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A 100-year-old Gustav Mahler song manuscript, “I Am Lost to the World,” is helping to give the world a new jazz pianist. San Diego civil rights attorney Tom Adler established the Adler Foundation with proceeds from the highest price ever paid for the manuscript of a song — $700,000 in 2004. The foundation is sponsoring a competition to find the best high school jazz piano player and the winner will perform in a concert with renowned professional pianist Jessica Williams at 8 p.m. Oct. 7 at City College Saville Theater. Tickets are $25. For more, visit guidojazz.org.
The song was handwritten by Mahler for Adler’s grandfather in 1905, looted by the Nazis and serendipitously discovered by Adler on a visit to Vienna. The story is in Adler’s “Lost to the World” (Xlibris).
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AIDS Walk San Diego will mean a cruise for someone. For the annual walk’s top individual fund-raiser, the San Diego LGBT Center will award a seven-night deluxe cruise to the Mexican Riviera, donated by Bob Nelson, Murray Olson and Jerry & David’s Cruises & Tours. The Balboa Park walk is Oct. 1. For more, call (619) 291-9255 or visit aidswalksd.org.
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The Port of San Diego and San Diego Port Tenants Association link up on the links for their annual golf tournament Oct. 19 at Coronado Municipal Golf Course. Lunch and warm-up is at 11 a.m. with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start followed by a barbecue at 6 p.m. Blind draw is $150 per player or $675 per corporate foursome. Register with the association at (619) 226-6546.
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No guns or ammunition will be purchased from the proceeds of the Sept. 21 San Diego SWAT Officers Association Invitational Golf Classic. Instead, the money will pay for lifesaving tools and safety equipment for the SWAT unit. Last year, the inaugural tournament raised $60,000 for SWAT and more than $20,000 in equipment donations, including a “Robot in a Box” surveillance equipment and a ballistic blanket rescue system. The second annual golf event will be at Poway’s Maderas Golf Club. Police Capt. Bob Kanaski says most of the four-member team spots, which are $1,200, are taken. Some individual spots remain for $300 each. For information, call (858) 573-1199.
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In October, the supply of finished commercial lots ready for development on Otay Mesa will increase by 30, thanks to a $9 million effort by Cornerstone CMS. Cornerstone started work on the project, called Otay Pacific, in August. The effort will require the use of more than 400 cubic yards of fill dirt delivered from the ongoing excavation of projects in Downtown San Diego.
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The second annual Solar Energy Week — including a tour of solar-powered homes — takes place Sept. 24-30 sponsored by the nonprofit San Diego Regional Energy Office and held in cooperation with local governments, organizations and businesses. Events will include Family Solar Energy Day Sept. 24, Commercial Solar Tour 2006 on Sept. 26, the San Diego Solar Energy Conference Sept. 27 and the San Diego Solar Homes Tour on Sept. 30. A full list of events and their descriptions is online at sdenergy.org.
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 If you like to see things blown up and enjoy sand castles too, life will be totally beachin’ when the Travel Channel returns to the foot of Thomas Street in Pacific Beach Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 to tape the second installment of ‘Sand Blasters.’ Eight top-notch designing pairs will have up to 11 hours to sculpt their sandy visions in San Diego through the elements of sand, sea, wind and, oh yeah, every so often at random, the works in progress will be blown up (inset) just for fun and the sculptors will have to start all over. ‘Sand Blasters’ will air in March next year.
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Condominium models at North Park’s La Boheme will be unveiled Sept. 16. The models were furnished by West Elm. La Boheme’s sales center is at 2860 University Ave. (619) 299-4663. One- and two-bedroom units in 37 floor plans will be offered. Prices start in the high $200,000s.
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Downtown’s East Village is being scrubbed by one of Downtown’s oldest businesses. Ace Uniforms has been Downtown since 1962. After at least 20 years selling scrubs and other medical and public service clothing and equipment on Sixth Avenue south of Broadway, Ace (619-233-0227) has moved to 633 16th St. between Market and G streets. The lease was up, says manager Kelly Blackburn, who has been with the store for 15 years. Ace is the place for Dickies Marathon medical shoes ($27), hip flip cargo flare pants ($20) and even — close as it is to Petco Park — Cherokee unisex v-neck tunics with the Padres team logo ($25).
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