BANKERS HILL NEIGHBORHOOD PARKING COMMITTEE SEEKING FEEDBACK
Douglas Scott, chair of the Bankers Hill Neighborhood Parking Committee, is seeking community input regarding making Bankers Hill more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly. “Our committee is charged with developing ideas to maximize the availability and maximize the use of the parking available to us in Bankers Hill,” Scott said, referencing bicycle parking. At a March 9 meeting, community members gathered to submit ideas. Those wanting to submit ideas can do so via email, at [email protected].

WATER USE FILM CONTEST DEADLINE APPROACHING
The City of San Diego issued a statement reminding young filmmakers that the deadline for the annual water conservation film contest deadline is April 6. The contest is designed to engage students in 11th and 12th grade in wise water use, including conservation and various ways to reuse water, such as recycling and water purification. The films should include one of these messages: create a sustainable world by “wasting no water,” plant native or California-friendly plants, or show how water conservation is important to San Diego’s economy. There are no entry fees required to enter.

BRAZEN BBQ WINS FIRST PLACE IN BARBECUE CHAMPIONSHIP
On March 10, Hillcrest’s Brazen BBQ took the title of the “Best in Pork” category at The Annual Santa Anita Park Winners’ Circle BBQ Championship. The Kansas City Barbeque Society sponsored this year’s Santa Anita Park Winners’ Circle BBQ Championship and hosted over 35 teams competing in four major categories. Brazen BBQ winning this award comes in addition to winning California BBQ Association’s 2009 Top 10 Team of the Year placing in the nation’s top 100, and the first place Rookie of the Year award. Brazen is located at 441 Washington St.

DINNERDATE WEBSITE LAUNCHES IN UPTOWN
DinnerDate.com, a small group dating service that introduces like-minded singles off-line at hosted events, has launched in Uptown. DinnerDate organizes group events for six to 12 like-minded singles at San Diego restaurants. DinnerDate invites members, to attend based on their individual event preferences and shared interests. For example, a DinnerDate might feature a tequila tasting or a mountain bike lover’s dinner. At every event, one participant volunteers as host. It’s free to join, and there’s no monthly fee. When booking an event, participants pre-pay the cost of their own meal plus a $5 fee. The company has restaurants including R-Gang Eatery, Mosaic Wine Bar, Cueva Bar, Sabuku Sushi, Barrio Star, Ave5 and Adams Avenue Grill signed up to participate. For more information, visit DinnerDate.com.

PANDAS AT SAN DIEGO ZOO UP FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSERVATION
An attempted coupling by two giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo has not led to a pregnancy, and the adult pandas are now up for endangered species conservation. Over the weekend of March 17-18, female giant panda Bai Yun began to exhibit signs of readiness to mate and was paired with male Gao Gao on March 18 and March 19. In 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009, the results of this match led each time to the birth of a single cub. Bai Yun has delivered five cubs at the San Diego Zoo. In 1999, her first cub, Hua Mei, became the first giant panda conceived by artificial insemination in the Western Hemisphere and the first in the United States to survive to adulthood.

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, HILLCREST, NORTH PARK DUI CHECKPOINTS YIELD MULTIPLE ARRESTS
On Feb. 25, the San Diego Police Department conducted a DUI checkpoint in the 2100 block of El Cajon Boulevard in University Heights. The checkpoint was operational from 9:50 p.m. until 12:22 a.m. In that time, 519 vehicles passed through the checkpoint, of them, 492 were screened by officers. Fourteen of those drivers were detained for an evaluation of their sobriety. Three arrests were made for driving under the influence (DUI), and six vehicle impounds were conducted. Officers later conducted DUI saturation patrols in Hillcrest and North Park. Five additional arrests were made for DUI, and one driver was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant.

COUNCILMEMBER GLORIA UNOPPOSED IN DISTRICT THREE RACE
Current District Three Councilmember Todd Gloria will run unopposed in the June 5 election for the District’s Council seat. Due to a lack of valid signatures, District Three potential candidate Dempsey McGibbony’s campaign to run against Gloria was halted on March 19. McGibbony met the March 8 filing deadline, however, of the 173 signatures submitted, only 62 were considered valid. As stated in his candidate statement, McGibbony, who was born and raised in Arkansas, said his “drive, determination and relentless efforts to bring about change for the better” would help him serve the citizens of District Three. McGibbony has not ruled out a write-in ballot effort.

STONEWALL CITIZEN’S PATROL SEEKING VOLUNTEERS IN NORTH PARK
The Stonewall Citizens Patrol, the volunteer-run watch patrol, which already has an active patrol in Hillcrest, is looking for volunteers for their North Park division. The members are trained by San Diego Police Department, and act as the eyes and ears for the police. At a March 13 North Park Community Association meeting, Stonewall spokesperson Edwin Lohr said, “We’re not the police. We don’t carry weapons and we don’t pull anybody over, but we’re helping make a difference in the community by being its eyes and ears.”