Hourglass Park Field House Grand Opening at Miramar College

March 27, 2009 celebrates the completion of Phase 3 of the Hourglass Park Athletics Complex, which began in the early 1980’s from area residential developer David Poole with Pardee Construction. Phase one opened in 1994 with the multi-use ball fields, volleyball courts, snack bar, children’s play areas and open park space.

The second phase was the $4 million, 3 pool Ned Baumer Miramar College Aquatic Center which opened in 1999. The Field House was designed by Carrier Johnson Architecture, which is a high-performance, “green” facility, located on a 1.5 acre site, to bridge the existing campus with Hourglass Park Field and the Ned Baumer Miramar College Aquatic Center.

The new field house is amazing. It features a state of the art gymnasium for the Miramar Jets Basketball team and future Volleyball, Indoor Soccer, and Gymnastics teams. There are also areas for 2 dance studios, state of the art weights/cardio room, physical therapy, crafts, classroom, and café. The designs are aesthetically pleasing, energy efficient, and masterfully created so each component flows from one building to another with ample courtyard space for any size event.

This whole project was made possible by this being a joint use facility with the City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department, Miramar College and the San Diego Community College District. Funding was provided by Propositions S & N and the Mira Mesa Facilities Benefit Assessment funds.

Summer registration begins June 13, 2009, with open registration running until classes are full or two weeks into the session. Classes are not prorated. Classes will start the week of June 22, 2009.

Hours of Operation:
Monday through Friday       Saturday
2:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.          9 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Open Gym Hours:
Monday              2:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Tuesday             2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday         2:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Thursday            2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Preview of Proposed Classes:

Men’s Basketball League, Ages 18& up, $350 per team Thursdays  6:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Summer Youth Basketball, Ages 5-17, Games begin June 15, 2009. All Girls League also will start.

Basic Fundamentals of Basketball, $65 / 10 weeks, Days, Ages and times:
Tuesday,  5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 5-6 years old
Thursday, 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 8-12 years old
Friday,       4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 5-7 years old
Friday,       5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 8-12 years old

Other classes offered are:
Gym Ventures: Tots, Mini/Pre-Ventures, Kid Ventures I, Kid Ventures II, Middle/High School Ventures, Gym/Ballet, Cheer Ventures, Tumble/Cheer, Adult Gymnastics Bootcamp, Children’s Self Defense (Ken-Ka-Kung Fu), First Steps In Tap & Ballet, Introduction to Ballet/Tap/Jazz, Jazz/Tap Combo level I & II, and Creative Arts.

The Hourglass Park Field House is located at 10440 Black Mountain Road, San Diego, CA. 92126.

For more information about Miramar College, visit their website at www.sdmiramar.edu.

The Latest Flash for March 30-April 5, 2009

March is almost over, and April appears to be a busy month for activities in Mira Mesa. March 31 is the Taste of Mira Mesa, which will be held at Gen-Probe in their spacious courtyard. If you didn’t purchase your tickets yet, they are available at the event for $40. All proceeds benefit the Mira Mesa High School Foundation. This is one event you don’t want to miss. Besides all the great food, there is also a fantastic silent auction that will help raise funds for the school.

Being somewhat of a practical joker, I don’t want to remind you but I feel obligated to warn you that Wednesday is April Fool’s Day. Be sure to check my Top 10 List of great April Fool’s Day jokes you can play on your friends and co-workers.

Easter Sunday is April 12, but don’t forget to mark your calendar for Friday, April 10, 2009 for the Spring Egg Hunt. The massive egg hunt takes place at the Mira Mesa Recreation Center on fields 1&2 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Please bring your own basket and join in the fun!
Age Class                  Start Time
0-3 year olds            11:30
4-6 year olds            11:55
7-9 year olds            12:20
10-12 year olds        12:45

The Mira Mesa Women’s Club is sponsoring their annual Chalk The Walk event on May 9, from 9a.m. – 4p.m. at the Mira Mesa Recreation Center. There will be a Children’s Fun Center, Live Music, and some of our local artists of all ages drawing their designs on the sidewalks to raise money for our local school’s visual arts programs. There are many ways to show your support, from registering as an individual artist for only $10, $25 for non profit organizations, $100 supportive sponsor, or $200 major sponsor. The operating costs of the Chalk The Walk were provided by a grant from our 3rd District Supervisor, Pam Slater-Price. For more information, visit the Mira Mesa Women’s Club website, or email them at: mmchalkthewalk@yahoo.com. You can download the registration form here, or the sponsor form here.

Special thanks to one of our faithful readers, Beata, for informing us about the Mira Mesa Relay For Life event taking place at the Hilltop Community Park May 16, 2009, to benefit the American Cancer Society. 1 in 3 people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. That is a staggering number, and events like this help to find a cure. There are several meetings prior to race day, held on alternating Thursdays at the Hilltop Community Park at 6:00p.m. Committee Meetings are open to everyone, and are held April 2, 16, and 30. Team Captain Meetings are scheduled for April 9, 23, and May 7.
Hilltop Community Park is located at 9711 Oviedo Way. Check this link for more information about the Mira Mesa Relay For Life, or you can email Robert Cota: Robert.cota@cancer.org.

Top 10 April Fools’ Day Tricks

I love April Fools’ Day. I like to play little practical jokes on my friends and coworkers, and each year they kind of expect it. The real trick is getting them when they are actually expecting something. That is the best. My tricks are not meant to harm or humiliate the victim, just to make them feel outsmarted by the master.
Here are my Top 10 Favorite April Fools’ Day Tricks that you may play on your friends.

1. Stuff paper towels or newspaper into the toes of your spouse’s or kids shoes. My cousins have been doing this one for years, and it just never gets old. Once they got me, the game was on. Perfect if your friends have you remove your shoes before entering the house. Multiple targets.

2. Depending on the mess you want to make, buy several bags of mini marshmallows and put them into one big bag, the more the better. Place the bag into the cupboard, and shut the door with the bottom of the plastic bag hanging out of the cupboard door. Slowly pull the bag out, emptying the contents into the front of the “loaded” cupboard. The next one to open the door gets a marshmallow shower.

3. In Microsoft Word, use the Autocorrect feature to “correct” a commonly used word, such as “the” by automatically inserting “April Fools’!” Just make sure you send them an e-mail explaining how to cancel this feature, with a gotcha message.

4. Get up really early and sneak into your victim’s bathroom and fill their hair-dryer with baby powder. Once they turn it on, you will hear the scream and know you got them.

5. Find a box about the size of a cake. Cover it with frosting, making it look like a cake. Then put it out in the office kitchen, or wherever people leave free food. Sit back as one of your co-workers tries to cut a slice.

6. Take a carton of eggs, and glue each egg to the bottom. Ask your victim to make you eggs for breakfast, and when they try to remove them from the carton, the eggs will break in their hands.

7. Take a rubber band, and slip it over the lever on the spray handle so when someone turns the sink on, it will spray them in the face. For bartenders, remove the plastic tip of the soda gun, and replace the soda gun into the holder. Ask the other bartender to get you a soda, and it will shoot water in 8 directions. This also never gets old. Bonus points if you can get them multiple times in the same day.

8. Great one for work if you each have a separate phone line. Go in early, and smear a little jelly or honey on the receiver end of the phone, and then call each person one by one. You will hear their reaction when the earpiece sticks to their ear. It always makes me laugh when you hear their greeting “Hello, thanks for calling…What the!”

9. The classic water cup/cup of flour above the door. You place a cup of water on the top of a slightly opened door. You must be careful to balance it without spilling. When the victim pushes open the door, they get splashed. Flour works well, if you don’t want water spilled all over.

10. This one takes a group effort, but it is well worth it.You will need a funnel, a coin, a couple of friends and, of course, a victim! Start playing the ‘funnel game’ in front of your victim. A game of skill that involves putting the funnel down the front of your pants and balancing the coin on your nose with your head tilted back. Tip your head forward to let the coin drop into the funnel. When you have the victim begging to do this put the funnel in his pants and get him to put his head back so you can balance the coin on his nose. As this is happening pour a large drink into the funnel!

I hope you find these amusing, and let me know if you have any tricks that work for you!

Top 10 Lucky Things That Can Happen To You

Did you see on the news last weekend the high speed chase that showed suspected drug dealers throwing huge bundles of money out of the window while speeding down the freeway? At first sight, I thought that was just awesome. Then they showed cars stopping on the shoulder and the people getting out and picking up the bills as they blew across all lanes on the freeway. Some actually stopped and got out right in the middle of the road, without any concern for their safety.

Then the FBI informed us that these bills are traceable, and anyone that found the money should turn them in to the authorities. I don’t think that will happen, for if someone is going to park their car in the middle of the Interstate 5 to pick up as many 20’s and 100’s as they can without getting plowed into by another car, they probably figure that they earned their free money. They probably figured that today was their lucky day.

This got me thinking about the lucky days I have had, and the rewards that came from them. Here is my list of the Top 10 Lucky Events that can happen to you.

1. Winning a raffle. The odds are usually stacked against you, for with each ticket sold or given away, your odds of winning decrease. Everyone wants to be that “One in a Million” no matter what the prize is.

2. Winning the Lottery. Whether it is a scratcher, a trip to the big spin, or the grand daddy of all the Mega Millions Lottery, we all have our hopes and dreams each time we throw down our dollar and wish for redemption. Although most of us are usually losers, it is worth the buck to think of how we would spend an extra 100 million, isn’t it?

3. Getting a royal flush in poker. Everyone that plays poker, whether it is for chips, online, or for cash, knows the rush you get when you get the rarest of poker hands. You feel like it is your destiny when you turn over the last card to fill your hand. Man, that feeling is sweet.

4. Finding money in the coin return in a vending machine. I was going to say phone booth, but I don’t know if my younger readers know what that is. Prior to cell phones, people who wanted to call someone at their house used to put coins into a pay phone, and  Oh never mind. Finding coins in a paper machine (soon to disappear like the pay phones) is still exciting.

5. Sitting in traffic, pulling into a parking lot, and finding a front row spot just for you. People who have read “The Secret” will say it is positive thinking that enables you to get the good spot. No it isn’t. It is sheer luck, or as I call it when it happens to me “The Smith Charm”.

6. Having the winning bid on E-Bay. Sure, there are all kinds of tricks to winning. Wait until the last minute to bid, watch the competition and follow their bidding strategies and beat their bid by a few cents, but it is still a rush when you have been stressing in front of the computer screen for 3 days so you can save $5 on that hard to find holiday toy that is sold out at Toys R Us.

7. Finding money in the laundry. Technically, this is not luck, since the money was probably yours to start with. I still get all excited when I find a few bills floating around after I pull the clothes from the dryer. Even better is when you wear a dress jacket that has been hanging in the closet for a while, and it has a twenty in the pocket. Once again, sweet.

8. Finding a job when you are unemployed. Especially in this economy, when good hard working people are out of work because the greedy bosses at the top of the food chain decide to cut their losses, close up shop, and let everyone go. Checking the classifieds, craigslist, and cold calling everyone you know in your industry who may also be looking for the same job is hard. Then one day the clouds part, a bright ray of sunlight shines on that one HELP WANTED ad and you have found your dream job. With better pay, benefits, and holidays off with pay!

9. Going fishing with your buddies, and catching the biggest fish. I don’t know how the fish decide which worm looks better, but it usually is not the one at the end of my line. I like to go fishing, and it is a great feeling when you land the biggie.

10. Getting the right one to say “I Do”. I always had the same response when people used to tell me how lucky I was to have my wife by my side, and I would say “Luck has nothing to do with it.” But if you figure all the factors that go into meeting someone at just that moment, the sequence of events that take place afterwards, and factor in your personal track record, it is not just lucky, it is a miracle. Still, I consider myself very very lucky. I love you honey.

To the rest of you, some of these may have happened to you, or may happen somewhere in the future. I believe in magic, and I wish you all luck.

Spring Break Program for Kids 8-13 Years Old

Spring Break is less than two weeks away, and I am sure that not everyone has found something for their kids to do during the week if their parents still have to go to work. I just found out about a great 4 day course that is both fun for the kids, and will benefit their mental and physical health.

I would like to bring to your attention a Spring ART Excel Course (All Round Training in Excellence) for kids ages 8-13 years old, organized by the Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) — the world’s largest non-profit, non-governmental organization.  The course will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. April 6-9 at Miramar College, A-111, 10440 Black Mountain Road, San Diego, CA. 92126. The fee for the four day course is only $175.

During this highly interactive program children will learn keys to success through fun interactive games that reinforce human values and teach valuable lessons on how to work and play with their peers in harmony. Children will also learn yoga and simple breathing techniques for good mental and physical health. At the end of the course, Children demonstrate improved creativity, memory, clarity of mind and interaction with peers.  They become more self-expressive and develop a sense of belongingness even with diverse groups of people.

The ART Excel courses have been offered to New York Inner-City schools and Los Angeles Unified School District schools with great success.  References available by request. For Course information and registration, please call 866-626-5373 or email sandiego@artofliving.org,or to find out more about the ART Excel program, visit the website.

The Latest Flash for March 23-29, 2009

The Asian Business Association of San Diego is having their March Rice Club Luncheon on Tuesday, March 24 from noon – 1:30 p.m. at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. To make reservations, contact Erica Oyama at (858) 277-2822 or email: Erica@abasd.org

The Mira Mesa Chamber of Commerce is having their monthly meeting/mixer at Callahan’s Pub & Brewery on Tuesday, March 24 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. with a business spotlight presentation from Being Fit Fitness Centers. Charter Members in attendance will receive their charter member window stickers. The meeting is open to any Mira Mesa Business Member or Community Organization. For more information, visit the Chamber Website.

Cub Scout Pack 1203 will have their monthly meeting at Ericson Elementary School Tuesday Night at 6:30 p.m.

The UPS Store 1433 (in the Ralph’s Shopping Center) will host a grand re-opening celebration on Thursday, March 26 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Stop by and see the newly remodeled store, and enjoy some tasty treats from Extreme Pita, and enter the raffle with proceeds to benefit the Mira Mesa Chamber of Commerce. Music, Free Food and Refreshments will be provided, so stop by to say hello and mingle with your neighbors and business associates.

MCAS Miramar will be conducting their night time helicopter operations at the Landing Helicopter Deck on Tuesday, March 24th and Wednesday, March 25th from 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. Helicopters will be transiting to and from the site. However, weather conditions could propagate aircraft noise and you may experience varying degrees of noise and vibration within adjacent communities. Thank you for your understanding, and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Community Planner’s Office at (858) 577-6603.

Cat Adoption Fair at Mira Mesa PETCO 3rd Saturday Monthly

The Rescue House will be having an Adoption Fair at the PETCO in Mira Mesa, Saturday March 21, from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The wonderful people from the Rescue House will be present to assist you at the adoption fair, and they want to find forever homes for their furry friends. All members of the Rescue House are volunteers, and they love the cats that they help to find homes for.

All the cats that you see from their adoption centers are very special. They have been rescued from death, or from a life of hardship and abuse. The friends from Rescue House will do their best to ensure that these cats will be loved, respected, and well cared for, for the rest of their lives. All prospective adopters must complete an application and interview process prior to becoming adoptive parents. Adoption Counselors conduct interviews by phone, within 48 hours of receiving your application from our adoption centers. Counselors will be available at the Adoption Fair, and in some cases you may be able to take your special cat home that day.

As a minimum, every cat has already been tested for feline leukemia, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, de-wormed, and treated for fleas. There is an adoption fee, which covers the initial expenses for your cats’ health needs. You are also provided with a packet containing great information about cat guardianship, health, food, etc., when you take your new “child/children” home for the first time. Now it is up to you to give your cat the love and attention that they need, and you will be greatly rewarded with the love and joy they bring to your lives.

For more information about The Rescue House and the Adoption Centers affiliated, visit their website. The Adoption Fair is held the Third Saturday each month at the PETCO in Mira Mesa. 8290 Mira Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92126.

The Latest Flash for March 16-22, 2009

This is the week of meetings for most groups in Mira Mesa. For starters, the Mira Mesa Community Planning Group meets at the Mira Mesa Library on Monday Night. The Tuesday line up features The Friends In Business Network which meets at the Hometown Buffet at 7:30 a.m., followed by the Golden Friends at 10:00 a.m. at the Senior Center. The Mira Mesa Women’s Club meets at the Mira Mesa Presbyterian Church at 7:00 p.m.

Let’s not forget that Tuesday is St. Patrick’s Day, and it is the perfect time to put on something green and head over to Callahan’s Pub & Brewery for a few pints ‘o green beer and a plate of corned beef and cabbage.

Wednesday starts off with the Kiwanis at MiMi’s Café, then three different groups meet at 7:00 p.m.: The Mira Mesa Theatre Guild at the Lopez Ridge Community Center, the Friends of the Mira Mesa Library at the Mira Mesa Library, and the Halloween Committee at the Senior Center.

Thursday finds the Mira Mesa  Senior Center Board of Governors meeting at 2:00 p.m., and the Community Pride group meeting at 8605 Pagoda Way at 6:30 p.m. Finally we have the group with the longest name, the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve Citizens Advisory Committee meeting at 7:00 p.m. at the Penasquitos Adobe Ranch House.

Friday brings us the first day of spring. Have a great week everyone!

Support 4th of July Fireworks at Casino Night

Mira Mesa Community 4th of July Committee is having a Casino Night April 25, 2009 at the Country Inn & Suites and you are invited to attend. It is an evening of fun, friends, food, music, and some Las Vegas – style gambling tables, with all proceeds going to fund our Fourth of July Fireworks! With individual tickets only $20, and only a limited number of tickets available, it is recommended that you get your tickets early before this event sells out.

It costs over $30,000 to put on the fireworks display each year, and these funds are raised completely through private donations and fund raising events such as the Casino Night. This event is the most fun way for you to donate while helping support the Fireworks Extravaganza this year. In today’s economy, we are relying on the community more than ever to help do their part to keep this Mira Mesa tradition alive. Last year, for example, several communities had to cancel their fireworks due to lack of funds. We don’t want that to happen to us this year.

So we invite you to buy tickets and attend the Casino Night, and bring your friends and business associates for a great cause and a lot of fun. There will be several different gaming tables, from Black Jack, Roulette, and Pai Gow to Texas Hold Em and Craps. There will also be a silent auction to help raise money for the Scripps/Mesa Fireworks Committee. The theme for this year’s Casino Night is a New Orleans’ Style Festival.

You can purchase tickets or make a direct donation directly from the following link at the Mira Mesa Town Council.  For more information, you can call the Chairperson, Sandy Smith at (858) 361-5229.

If we all pull together and do our part, we can look forward to another awesome fireworks extravaganza this year. I will be there with my friends, and I hope you will be there too.

Mira Mesa Gil Johnson Community Park Spring Program

There is a lot going on at the Mira Mesa Gil Johnson Community Park & Recreation Center. The new spring program is beginning, and it features events for your toddlers to teens to enjoy. Classes from Creative Arts to First Steps in Tap / Ballet are available, as well as preparing your toddlers for kindergarten in the Totally Toddler Tiny Tots classes. There is even a children’s self defense class for your 5-16 year olds, and sports from basketball to baseball at the Mira Mesa Recreation Center.

Probably the most asked question from our residents involves the various parks with Gazebos throughout Mira Mesa. Many wonder how they can reserve the Gazebos for their children’s birthday parties, and if they need a permit for an inflatable jumper. For park permits, reservations for sports field use, picnic areas, special events, gazebo reservations and all other questions, contact the Mira Mesa Recreation Center at (858) 538-8122. For Lopez Ridge reservations, contact Maria Hershman at (858) 538-8171.

Parks with a Gazebo that may be reserved:
Breen Park    11103 Polaris Drive
Camino Ruiz Park   11498 Camino Ruiz
Maddox Park   7815 Flanders Drive
Mira Mesa Park   8575 New Salem Drive
Westview Park     11278 Westview Parkway

The Hours of Operation for the Mira Mesa Recreation Center are:
Sunday    10 a.m.  -   3:45 p.m.
Mon-Fri     2 p.m.  -  8:45 p.m.
Saturday     9 a.m.  -  3:45 p.m.

Hours are subject to change without notice.
The Mira Mesa Recreation Center is open on the weekends through the courtesy of the Mira Mesa Recreation Council.

Holiday Closures:
March 31   -  Chavez Day
May 25      -   Memorial Day
July 4         -   Independence Day

For an entire list of events, classes, and contact information for the Spring Program, check this link to the Mira Mesa Gil Johnson Community Park & Recreation Center.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for Friday, April 10, 2009 for the Spring Egg Hunt. The massive egg hunt takes place at the Mira Mesa Recreation Center on fields 1&2 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Please bring your own basket and join in the fun!
Age Class          Start Time
0-3 year olds            11:30
4-6 year olds            11:55
7-9 year olds            12:20
10-12 year olds        12:45

Mira Mesa Gil Johnson Community Park & Recreation Center
8575 New Salem St. San Diego, Ca. 92126
(858) 538-8122

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