Uptown Briefs

BLAINE AVENUE TO BECOME HARVEY MILK STREET
On Tuesday, May 8, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved changing the name of Blaine Avenue in Hillcrest to Harvey Milk Street. San Diego will be the first city in the United States with a street named for the gay civil rights leader. A celebratory unveiling will take place on May 22 at 5 p.m., on the corner of Harvey Milk Street and Centre Street. May 22 would have been the 82nd birthday for the assassinated San Francisco leader. “Harvey Milk’s legacy as a civil rights leader remains strong, and today’s action affirms the City of San Diego’s belief in his work for equality for all people,” said Councilmember Todd Gloria, who represents the neighborhood of Hillcrest. “It is an honor to vote today to solidify Milk’s position as a true advocate for under-represented people, and a privilege to have my colleagues stand united with me for this historic action.”

OLD GLOBE THEATER TO HOST GLOBE HONORS
The Old Globe Theater will host the Globe Honors 2012, a talent competition offering teenage performers the opportunity to perform monologues and songs. Finalists will compete before a live audience and a panel of judges, who will decide on the winners that night and announce them live. Winners receive scholarships to help further their training and may be eligible to participate in national-level competitions such as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City. The Globe Honors will be May 21 at the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, located at 1363 El Prado. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. For eligibility, visit TheOldGlobe.com/GlobeHonors.

CREEK TO BAY CLEANUP YIELDS OVER 150,000 POUNDS OF TRASH
At this year’s Creek to Bay Cleanup, 5,800 volunteers, including over 1,500 boy scouts and girl scouts, picked up more than 150,000 pounds of trash and debris countywide on April 28. At Camelot Canyon in University Heights, District Three Councilmember Todd Gloria showed his support with a $1,000 check to I Love A Clean San Diego, the non-profit environmental organization that sponsored the event. At Marston Addition in Hillcrest, volunteers removed over 530 pounds of invasive chrysanthemum, tumbleweed and trash, as well as a 60-foot metal sewer snake. Cigarette butts and plastic bags were the most common items picked up from local creeks, canyons, parks, bays and beaches.

TWILIGHT IN THE PARK ANNOUNCES SUMMER CONCERT SERIES LINEUP
Organizers of Twilight in the Park, the free summer concert series, announced the scheduled performers for the 2012 season. Running each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting June 19 and running through August 30 – except July 4 – Twilight in the Park shows will be held at 6:15 p.m. at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. Some of the scheduled performers include Graceland, An Elvis Presley Tribute band; Bayou Brothers, a Cajun zydeco band; the San Diego Banjo Band; and the San Diego Youth Symphony. For more information, and to view the complete lineup, visit balboapark.org/visit/summer-events.

MUSEUM OF THE LIVING ARTIST TO HOST ART GYM SERIES
The Museum of the Living Artist at the San Diego Art Institute announced it will host the summer series Art Gym. Running Mondays through Thursdays until August 30, the Art Gym program is for art instruction and practice and is designed for artists 18 and older due to possible nude modeling and adult themes. Modeling times and closures will be listed on the Art Gym Facebook page. The museum is located at 1439 El Prado in Balboa Park. For drop-ins, the cost is $10 per class, or $50 for a monthly pass. For more information, visit sandiego-art.org.

MISSION HILLS GARDEN CLUB PRESENT ANNUAL GARDEN WALK
The Mission Hills Garden Club is hosting their annual Garden Walk, combining historical architecture with modern gardening. Held on Saturday, May 12, in honor of Mother’s Day, the Walk begins at the Mission Hills Nursery. The Mission Hills Nursery was founded by Kate Sessions, who is considered the “mother of Balboa Park.” The Mission Hills Garden Club suggests walking the route in reverse, beginning with the last garden on the Walk, to avoid crowding. Tickets are $30. For more information or to buy tickets, visit missionhillsgardenclub.org/garden-walk.php.

UNION BANK HONORS NORMAL HEIGHTS RESIDENT IN ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Union Bank has partnered with KPBS to honor two San Diegans for the 2012 Local Heroes program. The yearlong campaign is designed to celebrate and pay tribute to members of the community who are making a difference by improving their workplace or neighborhoods. The 2012 Asian Pacific American Heritage History Month honorees are Normal Heights resident Dennis-Michael Broussard and Ikunosuke “Mike” Kawamura. Broussard is the founder of event management and production firm Silk Road Productions and is responsible for many events throughout the San Diego Asian community, including the Asian Cultural Festival and the Filipino American Culture and Heritage Festival.

PARKING SPACES ADDED TO UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS
District Three Councilmember Todd Gloria announced April 11 the approval of the installation of 10 parking spaces in University Heights. The City Council approved the installation on April 10. The 10 angled spaces are designated for Meade Avenue between North and Campus avenues. “The shortage of public parking is an issue that has long plagued University Heights. Residents and visitors alike are often forced to circle block after block in search of an available parking space. In a densely populated, built out neighborhood, solutions can be difficult to develop,” Gloria said in a newsletter. “I cannot tell you how pleased I was to vote in support of this action. The community should see these 10 spaces as a starting point only. Much more work remains.”

BIRD PARK SUMMER CONCERT ANNOUNCES CONCERT HEADLINERS
Organizers for the Bird Park Summer Concert series announced its five concerts for the 2012 season. 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the neighborhood event, which offers free concerts every other Saturday from June 16 to Aug. 11. June 16 brings Blues singer Nathan James. On June 30, participants can hear Latin jazz performers Tinku. In the July and August shows, indie rock act Kitten with a Whip, country band Folding Mr. Lincoln and jazz singer Whitney Shay will perform. For more information, visit northparksd.org/concerts.

BALBOA PARK ONLINE COLLABORATIVE DIRECTOR STEPS DOWN
On May 4, Director Rich Cherry announced he is leaving his position at the Balboa Park Online Collaborative (BPOC) to co-chair Museums and the Web, LLC. He served as the Collaborative’s director since March 2009. Vivian Kung Haga will serve as interim director for BPOC during the transition period. Formerly BPOC’s deputy director, Kung Haga has experience in cultural institutions as an administrator, curator and educator. Before joining BPOC, she was the Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego director of education and deputy director for over nine years.

SPECIAL DELIVERY SAN DIEGO RECEIVES $3,500 GRANT
The Mission Hills-based Special Delivery, a free food delivery service for people living with AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses in San Diego, has received a $3,500 grant from The Thursday Club, announced Special Delivery Executive Director Ruth Henricks. Since 1921, The Thursday Club has raised over $1 million for numerous philanthropic organizations in the community. The Thursday Club Annual Rummage Sale, held in Balboa Park each spring, is the Club’s major fundraising event. Half of the money raised is distributed throughout the park, while the remaining half is contributed to other community causes. Special Delivery has served over 1.5 million meals to over 4,000 clients since its founding in 1991.