Uptown Briefs

TASTE OF HILLCREST IS BACK
The 12th annual Taste of Hillcrest is back April 21 from noon to 4 p.m. This self-guided culinary tour allows participants to taste from over 40 Hillcrest restaurants. Tickets to the Taste of Hillcrest are $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the event. Proceeds will benefit the Hillcrest Business Association. To purchase tickets or see a complete list of participating restaurants visit fabuloushillcrest.com or call 619-233-5008.

GRAFFITI BEACH OPENS IN SOUTH PARK
On Saturday, April 7, Graffiti Beach hosted a grand opening party to celebrate its first permanent boutique in South Park. The boutique is located at 2220 Fern St. The grand opening hosted over 200 guests and featured a runway show including a range of clothing and accessories for men, women and children, with what designers are calling a “beach meets street” feeling. Emerging brands that were showcased included: Ani Bikini, 1OAKbySara, Chime Designs, Beatrice Holiday, Little Rockers, Redhawk Brigade, Cameron Hawaii, JammyPack and Jasmine Honey.

MISSION HILLS HERITAGE HOSTS ‘CRADLE TO THE GRAVE’ WALKING TOUR
“Cradle to Grave,” a docent-led walking tour hosted by Mission Hills Heritage, will explore a core area of Mission Hills. The tour is April 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. The “cradle” element of the tour centers on the 102-year-old Mission Hills Nursery. Grant Elementary School, built in 1914, is also included in the tour. Docents will discuss the evolution of this 98-year-old institution, and Grant graduates are invited to share stories. Also featured will be the Calvary Cemetery that at one time served as a playground. Tickets are $10 for Mission Hills Heritage members, $15 for non-members and may be purchased the day of the tour at 12:30 p.m. at the parking lot in Pioneer Park off Washington Place. For more information, email info@missionhillsheritage.org or call 619-497-1193.

ION THEATER ANNOUNCES PRODUCTION OF TOPDOG/UNDERDOG
Ion Theater recently announced their production of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, starting April 14. Ion theater press material described the production as “Suzan-Lori Parks’s darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity is a riff on the way we’re defined by history. The play tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, two brothers whose names were given to them as a joke, foretelling a lifetime of sibling rivalry and resentment. Haunted by the past, the brothers are forced to confront the shattering reality of their future.” Running through May 12, TOPDOG/UNDERDOG runs Thursdays through Saturdays, and tickets start at $10. The ion theater is located at Sixth Avenue at Pennsylvania Street in Hillcrest. For more information visit iontheatre.com.

FANTASTIC SAM’S IN HILLCREST RENAMED
The hair salon that was previously Fantastic Sam’s, located at 1262 University Ave., de-franchised and owner Deborah Calamia turned to the community to rename the salon. After a month of suggestions, patrons Aaron Detty and Glenn Maddock suggested the winning name, Haircrest. The pair will receive six months of free hair care each.

LOCAL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT TO HOST WALKING TOUR OF BALBOA PARK
April is Landscape Architecture Month and across the country landscape architects will hold special events to raise awareness and understanding of the role of landscape architects. In San Diego, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is offering a free walking tour of Balboa Park on April 26 at noon, inviting everyone to discover spaces and trails designed by landscape architects. The tour will last approximately one hour. Mike Singleton, Principal at KTU+A Planning and Landscape Architecture, was responsible for the preparation of trail maps for information kiosks in Balboa Park to help guide park visitors to the numerous trails in the park from several gateway locations. He will host the tour. The tour begins at Sixth and Upas Streets in Balboa Park.

ST. PAUL’S SENIOR HOME GETS FIVE STARTS FROM U.S. NEWS
St. Paul’s Senior Homes and Services, with several locations in Bankers Hill, has received a ranking of five stars overall in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Nursing Homes. Homes earn an overall rating of one to five stars, as well as up to five stars in each of three underlying categories: health inspections, nurse staffing and quality of care. Of more than 15,500 homes rated on the U.S. News web site, St. Paul’s was among the fewer than one in eight that received a five-star overall rating in all four quarters of 2011.

OLD GLOBE BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONFIRMS DUAL LEADERSHIP
The Old Globe Theater’s board of directors named Michael G. Murphy as managing director on April 4. Murphy was appointed interim managing director in October 2011 after the resignation of CEO and Executive Producer Louis G. Spisto, who oversaw both the artistic and administrative operations of the theater. As previously announced, executive search firm Albert Hall & Associates has been retained to conduct a nationwide search to identify artistic leadership for the company. The Globe’s Transition Committee, chaired by board Vice Chair Elaine Bennett Darwin, will continue to work closely with the firm to enlist an artistic director.

DINING OUT FOR LIFE COMING TO HILLCREST
The LGBT Center’s sixth annual Dining Out for Life San Diego will take place at more than 30 Hillcrest restaurants, bars, coffee houses, nightclubs and more on April 26. Different restaurants have pledged different donation amounts, but on average, between 25 and 100 percent of sales will benefit The Center’s HIV/AIDS services and prevention programs. For example, R-Gang Eatery will donate 100 percent of brunch, cocktail and dinner purchases to the cause. For more information, including a full list of participating restaurants and how much they will be donating, visit diningoutforlife.com/sandiego/restaurants.

HILLCREST TOWN COUNCIL HEARS HOMELESS INITIATIVE REPORT
At the Hillcrest Town Council meeting on Tuesday April 10, a presentation was made about a new homeless initiative. After meetings with local representatives, including District Three Councilmember Todd Gloria and the San Diego Police Department Homeless Outreach Team, designers of the project have summarized their recommendations that encourage Hillcrest residents to take independent stops at ending homelessness. These recommended steps include residents doing their own recycling, supporting a new meter donation system and consider developing a “Clean & Safe” committee modeled after one used in the downtown partnership.

TASTE OF MORENA BACK FOR FIFTH YEAR
The fifth annual Taste of Morena is back April 24 from 5 to 9 p.m. The Morena district includes Morena and West Morena boulevards south of Clairemont Drive, Napa Street and West Linda Vista Road. Tickets are $15 and are available at Cole’s Fine Flooring, Jerome’s Furniture and City Chevrolet on West Morena Boulevard and the US Bank at the corner of Napa Street and Linda Vista Road. Free Old Town Trolley shuttles will transport diners to participating restaurants, which include: Andre’s Cuban, Baci Ristorante, Bay Park Fish Co., Bull’s Smokin’ BBQ, Caffe Vicino, Iowa Meat Farms-Siesel’s Meats, J.V.’s Mexican, N.Y. Giant Pizza, Offshore Grill & Tavern, Plaza Donuts, Sardina’s Italian and Tio Leo’s Mexican.

COUNCILMEMBER GLORIA SECURES $51,000 FOR NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM
District Three Councilmember Todd Gloria announced on Wednesday, April 11 that he secured $51,000 to keep the local syringe exchange program Safe Point operational. Safe Point San Diego, which is run by Family Health Centers of San Diego, accepts used syringes and provides clean ones for community health benefit at two weekly clinics, one in North Park and one Downtown. Councilmember Gloria accumulated funds from the Community Projects, Programs and Services (CPPS) accounts of his council colleagues. Councilmember Gloria contributed $11,000, Council President Tony Young, Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer, and Councilmembers Marti Emerald and David Alvarez each contributed $10,000. The City Council approved the allocation to Safe Point San Diego by a vote of 7-1 on Tuesday, April 10.

THE RANGE TO HOST PROHIBITION PARTY
The Range Kitchen & Cocktails has partnered with Dining Out For Life and Batch 19 pre-prohibition style lager for a prohibition-themed party on April 26. The Range will donate 25 percent of all profits made from the event to support The San Diego LGBT Community Center. The Speakeasy opens at 7 p.m. with an 8 p.m. “rally” against prohibition and costume contest for best 1920 attire. The costume contest winner will receive a $1 Batch 19 at The Range every day in the month of May. RSVP at bit.ly/BATCH19. Participants will be emailed the password, as the event date gets closer.