VOLUME 10 ISSUE 24
Dec. 14, 2018 – Jan. 10, 2019 Follow us on social media! sdcnn.com
Neighborhood happenings Page 19
Old Town • Mission Hills • Bankers Hill
Hillcrest • University Heights • Normal Heights • North Park • South Park • Golden Hill • Kensington • Talmadge
A tradition worth saving
NEWS P. 4
North Park Toyland Parade marches on Mama’s Kitchen celebrates Tree of Life Ceremony
FEATURE P. 5
Boulevard. Though El Cajon Boulevard extends all the way to East County, the plan specifically focuses on the west end, including the Uptown neighborhoods of University Heights, North Park, Normal Heights, City Heights and Talmadge.
Social media buzzed when the small nonprofit organization in charge of the North Park Toyland Parade canceled this year’s event five days prior due to financial difficulties. Some said it was time to let the parade die because it was nothing like it used to be. But North Park Main Street, local businesses, city of San Diego’s Special Events Department staff, and community members stepped in to save the day. Was all the scrambling and last-minute effort worth it? It is true that the Toyland Parade is not the juggernaut it once was. The tradition traces its roots at least as far back as 1934, when the North Park Business Men’s Club and local merchants sponsored a Christmas celebration that featured decorated floats and four brass bands marching on University Avenue. The following year, a police motorcycle escort led a procession of more than 50 local business entries in nine divisions, each division accompanied by a band or drum corps. Except for a short break during World War II, the parade continued to grow for the next three decades. In 1954, an estimated 300,000 people flocked to North Park to watch 200 entries march more than two miles along University Avenue from 32nd to Arizona streets, and south to Morley Field. The parade included 30 floats, 24 bands, 26 marching units and five live reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh. In 1958, the San Diego Zoo
see Blvd. 20/20, pg 3
see Toyland Parade, pg 13
Buddha for everyone Cross country runner hits Pacific Ocean
(l to r) Jeff Zlotnik and Maggie Lee in Dharma Bum Temple’s gift shop, Buddha For You (Photo by Connor McBride)
A look at the history of University Heights temple and gift shop
HOLIDAY GUIDE P. 10
Sara Butler | Editor A large, white building on the corner of Tyler and Campus avenues isn’t quite what meets the eye.
Events and advice for the holidays
FOOD AND DRINK P. 14
To the average Uptown passerby, it may resemble a traditional Christian church, complete with a large cross atop the roof, painted glass windows along the perimeter, and
historic plaques and signage around the exterior. Some might be surprised to learn it is actually home to a Buddhist temple.
see Buddha, pg 8
Seeing 20/20 Future plans for El Cajon Boulevard begin to take shape Sara Butler | Editor
A new brewery arrives in University Heights
Index Opinion
6
Lifestyle
17
Puzzles
17
Classifieds
22
Contact us
Stretching more than five neighborhoods, El Cajon Boulevard is a vital point of connection for Uptown, as well as a crucial community asset. So when The El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement Association (The Boulevard BIA) held a town hall this month about the El Cajon Boulevard’s future, residents and business owners alike packed the house to offer their input. El Cajon Boulevard 20/20 — also referred to as Blvd.
A bus rides through the west end of El Cajon Boulevard near Park Boulevard (Photo courtesy of The Boulevard BIA) 20/20 — is a “new vision for smart living, working and growing into San Diego’s model transit-oriented community,” according to The Boulevard BIA’s website. Blvd. 20/20 aims to accommodate the growing density in nearby residential areas and along the commercial corridor of El Cajon
Wealth Management
Investments
Editorial/Letters 619-961-1968 sara@sdcnn.com
Advertising 619-961-1958 mike@sdcnn.com
www.sdcnn.com
San Diego Community News Network
www.rowling.com
(619) 295-0200
Taxes