These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of June 27-July 3.
1. Hotels – Not the Convention Center – Are What’s Keeping Comic-Con From Committing to San Diego
Comic-Con and the Convention Center say hoteliers’ unwillingness to OK discounted hotel blocks is what’s keeping Comic-Con from committing to San Diego. (Ashly McGlone and Lisa Halverstadt)
2. The Black and White on Graywater
“Any chucklehead can do this,” insists Mark West, an Imperial Beach resident whose system recycles laundry water and pumps it into landscaping. Here’s your guide to what hoops you might need to jump through to install a similar water reuse system in your own abode. (Catherine Green)
3. 400 Steps for San Diegans, a Giant Leap for Commuters
Direct service from the trolley to San Diego International Airport is finally on the cusp of reality. Give or take 400 feet and a highway crossing. (Ashly McGlone)
4. Opinion: Mission Valley Needs More of What it Doesn’t Have, No More of What it Does
While everyone’s so distracted by the Chargers back-and-forth, we’re missing a big opportunity to create a real San Diego River Park – one that could rival Balboa Park – near the site of the team’s current home. (Donna Frye)
5. Why So Few Solar Converts Actually Make it Off the Grid
You’ll need more than just solar panels to actually cut the cord from SDG&E and go off the grid. (Lisa Halverstadt)
6. Maienschein Is King of Third-Party Payments
Republican Assemblyman Brian Maienschein has reported $9.6 million in behested payments this year – blowing all other state politicians out of the water. (John Hrabe)
7. Tourism Boosters Are Expecting Less Money from Comic-Con
Tourism boosters have changed how they calculate Comic-Con’s economic impact after a Voice of San Diego story threw shade on last year’s estimate. (Lisa Halverstadt)
8. Everything You Need to Know About Where the Convention Center Expansion Stands
Including where it literally stands in relation to the various expansion options, in handy map form. (Lisa Halverstadt and Ashly McGlone)
9. The Parent Who Seized a Charter School
San Diego Unified brought in a parent after complaints about the school’s leadership. Now the complaints have shifted to the person brought in to help. (Mario Koran)
10. Planners’ Density Dreams Are About to Come True on El Cajon Boulevard
More than 800 new rental units will start construction along El Cajon Boulevard in the next two years. (Zoe Schaver)
%CODESM20150703%