Meet Mission Times Courier’s new advertising representative
Heather Fine has joined San Diego Community News Network as an advertising consultant representing the Mission Times Courier.
She will visit clients to help them increase customer pull and customer awareness for individual businesses through advertising in both the print and digital versions of these newspapers.
Fine described herself as a very client-oriented consultant, tailoring advertising programs for each individual business.
“I always give them the best advertising program to suit their budget,” she said. “I’m always willing to see them in person, to give them the best customer service available,” she said.
Fine has 23 years of advertising experience. She most recently worked as an advertising representative at the Smart Shopper in Lake Havasu, Arizona Before that, she was an advertising representative at Fine Community Phone Books in Chino, a family-owned business.
Beyond her experience, Fine points to persistence as one of her top characteristics. She emphasized her eagerness to build solid business partnerships with her clients as well as understanding them on a personal level.
“I love meeting people and building relationships,” she said. “My clients kind of become family. I learn about their children, their pets. I enjoy getting to know them and their business.”
Fine explained that she doesn’t mind going the extra mile to help her clients succeed by increasing customers and expanding sales through advertising.
“I learn about their business and what makes them successful. I try to help them become more successful,” she said. “They know they can contact me anytime, even the weekends.”
She explained that the field of advertising seemed an unlikely career to pursue when she was younger. She was working in the front office for the phone book company when one day she was sent on a sales call. Although she was frightened, her first experience was a success.
“I was thrown into sales,” she said. “After that, it just came naturally to me.”
Fine, who now resides in Pacific Beach, has three grown children, Derek, 26; Natalie, 23; and Haley, 21.
While Fine represents the Mission Times Courier, she is also able to arrange advertisements for businesses in the other papers of the San Diego Community News Network: La Mesa Courier, Mission Valley News, San Diego Downtown News, San Diego Uptown News and Gay San Diego.
Businesses may contact Fine by email at [email protected] or by calling 619-519-7775, ext. 107.
NCPI seeks candidates for board
Application s are currently being accepted for interested candidates who wish to serve their communities on the board of the Navajo Community Planners, Inc. (NCPI).
NCPI is the duly authorized planning group that reviews and provides recommendations on all land-use issues to the San Diego City Council.
Any resident, business owner and/or property owner in the communities of Allied Gardens, Del Cerro, Grantville and San Carlos may run for a spot on the board. In addition to the residency requirement, candidates must also have documented attendance to at least two of the last 10 meetings, prior to the February regular meeting preceding the election.
The election will be held on Wednesday, March 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd.
Residents interested in voting for new or current board members must attend the March 8 meeting in person and sign in with proof of residency — valid photo ID, a property tax bill, utility bill or valid current business license will be accepted.
For more information about the board and to download a copy of the application to become a candidate, visit navajoplanners.org.
San Diego Foundation offers scholarships
The San Diego Foundation has announced that hundreds of scholarship awards are available for San Diego students pursuing their dreams of higher education. The 2017-2018 Common Scholarship Application is available online now until Feb. 1, 2017 at 2 p.m.
The Community Scholarship Program, the largest in the region outside of the university system, provides a variety of scholarships to high school students, current college students, graduate students and adult re-entry students.
Since 1997, the program has awarded more than $26 million to thousands of students.
“According to U.S. Census data, 35.7 percent of San Diegans 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher,” said Kathlyn Mead, president and CEO of The San Diego Foundation in a press statement. “While many individuals choose to enter the workforce immediately, we want to give everyone the opportunity to pursue higher education if they so choose. The San Diego Foundation Community Scholarship Program strives to ensure the cost of college is not a limiting factor to academic success. Thanks to philanthropy, we are making higher education more accessible and attainable for all San Diegans.”
Using one online application, students can access more than 100 types of scholarships for the 2017-2018 academic year, with awards generally ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Awards are granted to four-year universities, two-year colleges, graduate, or trade/vocational schools.
The Common Scholarship Application can be accessed at bit.ly/2iEBwtx. For more information about the scholarship process, please contact [email protected].
Chargers fans bleed for their city
Apparently Chargers fans literally bleeding for their team wasn’t enough for owner Dean Spanos to keep the Bolts in San Diego. Perhaps the people of Los Angeles will do the same, but it is unlikely that they will be able to match the generosity of San Diegans.
On Nov. 22, over 900 Chargers fans participated in Chargers Drive 38 and donated 825 units of blood to the San Diego Blood Bank.
Prior to that day, San Diego Chargers fans also donated blood from Nov. 6–21 as part of Chargers Mania where anyone who donated blood received a voucher for a T-shirt and a VIP wristband for an autograph line at the Nov. 22 blood drive event.
All together, the blood drive had over 5,200 donors and collected 4,860 units of blood for San Diego hospitals. In all 38 years of the Chargers Drive, over 73,000 pints of blood have been delivered to local hospitals during the critical holiday time when demand is up and supply is low.
“The blood bank typically sees a drop in donations over the holidays — the Chargers Drive helps our supply,” said San Diego Blood Bank CEO David Wellis in a press statement. “The real heroes are the donors and we can’t thank them enough.”
Hear that, Spanos? San Diego Chargers fans are heroes. Good luck with finding that in Los Angeles.
Real estate companies merge
Starting in home sales over three decades ago, Chip Brent and Rob Northrup used just the MLS Book, a paperback volume as thick as the phone book, to help their clients locate homes — no cell phones, computers or internet.
The two experienced brokers have now combined forces and have merged their prospective companies — San Diego Properties and Best Homes Team — into one.
By partnering, the service they provide clients “will increase exponentially,” Brent and Northrup stated in a press release. And although the pair have been working in real estate since the days of marketing through print advertisements, they both have embraced changes to their industry.
“The internet has changed everything for the better,” Brent said. “The public access to available properties, with photos and virtual tours, has only improved our ability to serve.”
Merging now under the Best Homes Team banner, the marketing power San Diego Properties offers clients is multiplied ten-fold, according to the press statement.
Brent partners with his wife Dale and is joined now by their son Loren who spent years as a professional chef. “There’s nothing like the restaurant humming with happy customers and a great product being put on the table,” Loren said.
“Nothing but the best” has been Loren’s mantra, now applying the same dedication to home sales.
For more information on San Diego Properties and Best Homes Team, call 619-992-9121 or visit sandiegoproperties.us.
Hooray for school nurses
School nurses take care of children’s boo-boos and tummy aches while they are away from their parents during the day. And now there is a way to give back and take care of them for a change.
Pfizer, the maker of Children’s Advil, Children’s Robitussin and Children’s Dimetapp, recently launched a contest to find America’s Greatest School Nurse.
Until Feb. 23, parents can nominate their favorite school caregiver. One nurse form each 50 states and Washington D.C. will be chosen as finalists and each will receive $500. Then from March 27 to April 16, people from across the country will vote for their favorite of the 51 nurses who they think is most deserving the title.
The title winner will also be rewarded a trip for themselves and up to three guests to a continental U.S. destination of choice for eight days.
For more information and to nominate a school nurse, visit bit.ly/2jaqnSp.
San Carlos apartment complex has new owners
Terra at Mission Trails Apartments, located at 7707 Mission Gorge Road, has a new owner.
CBRE Group Inc. announced the sale of the apartment complex on Jan. 6. PUR VDF Apartments, LLC, who was represented by CBRE, sold the housing complex to Mission Gorge Rd, LP for $20 million.
Built in 1977, the 90-unit asset underwent a major renovation in 2010 and is situated on 3.44 acres.
The property features studios, one-, and two-bedroom units, with an average floorplan of 671 square feet. The community has resort-style amenities, including a pool, hot tub, sauna, resident lounge, BBQ area and a new state-of-the-art fitness center.
“Terra at Mission Trails is a great property, residents have instant access to the city’s best recreational destinations and a quick commute to major employment centers in any direction,” CBRE representative Jim Neil said in a press statement.
Terra at Mission Trails Apartments is located in the residential neighborhood of San Carlos, 5 miles east of Mission Valley’s shopping, dining and entertainment destinations. Mission Trails Regional Park is a half-mile away, with hiking, biking and other numerous outdoor activities.
The property has excellent drive-by visibility along Mission Gorge Road and residents are centrally located near major employment centers of Mission Valley and Kearny Mesa.
