LOCALS CELEBRATE INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY

The Grove on Juniper in South Park will celebrate Independent Bookstore Day with an array of special events, authors, new merchandise and free festivities. Following the runaway success of last year’s California Bookstore Day, The Grove is joining with similar locally?owned shops on May 2 for a country?wide celebration of books and independent bookstores. Anne Mery, co?owner of The Grove, said customers of her 12?year?old South Park emporium have inspired the plans for this year’s Bookstore Day. “San Diegans especially love food, travel, crafts and urban gardening, so we’re featuring those interests,” she said. Novelist Belinda Jones (“The Traveling Tea Shop”) and Maria Desiderata Montana (“San Diego Chef’s Table” and “San Diego Italian Food: A Culinary History of Little Italy and Beyond,”) will talk about their books and new interests with San Diego foodies. Cookbooks and recipes by award?winning San Diego Chef Deborah Schneider will also be featured, along with tastes of her new salsas and moles. Bhavna Mehta of Hansa Arts and UCSD will lead a book arts project workshop, demonstrating alternative ways to tell a story. A workshop on urban sketching and the drawing of food will be led by San Diegan Angie Brenner, who wrote and illustrated “Anatolian Days and Nights: My Love Affair With Turkey.” The Grove will donate proceeds from select Bookstore Day sales and will collect donations from customers to support Dorcas House/Vida Joven, services for vulnerable children and families in Tijuana, Mexico. The full schedule of Independent Bookstore Day events will be published on The Grove’s website at thegrovesandiego.com.

New parking app launched

Ace Parking and BluCar have partnered together to create an on-demand parking services app in North Park, Hillcrest, La Jolla and Little Italy for iOS. The service will be available from Thursday through Saturday from 5 – 11 p.m. Customers choose a drop off point in specified zones, which signals an Ace Parking attendant. After meeting with the customer, the attendant will park the car and retrieves the vehicle once the customer selects a return location with the BluCar app, which should be less than 10 minutes. The app is capable of tracking your vehicle in real-time. It also offers a pay and tip system directly through the app similar to Uber or Lyft.“The idea behind the BluCar App is to offer customers virtual parking at the front door of their destination so they don’t have to search for parking or walk very far from the lot,” stated Michael Dee, co-founder and vice president of sales and business development for BluCar, in a press release. “The app is especially appealing to individuals who do not want or are unable to walk very far.” The app can be downloaded at bit.ly/1CuWD3w or by visiting blucar.com.

UDA RECEIVES FIRST MAJOR DONATION

Urban Discovery Academy (UDA), San Diego’s first Downtown K-8 charter school, has received its first major gift to support the launch of its new East Village campus. Jeff Silberman, on behalf of Carleton Management Inc., has committed $125,000, a gift that was announced at a March 26 corporate sponsorship event.With a scheduled opening in September, the UDA campus at 14th and F streets will offer a high-quality STEAM infused curriculum with the benefits of proximity to the downtown public library and the convenience of nearby trolley stops. The campus is specifically designed to advance the Academy’s three founding areas of distinction: strengthening project-based education, returning arts education to the classroom, and encouraging families to live Downtown. Silberman said he was confident that other benefactors would step forward to match his family’s $125,000 pledge. “We are honored to partner with UDA in the development of their new campus in the East Village,” Silberman said in a statement. “UDA is an important community asset in the ongoing evolution of the East Village and is so worthy of our community support. We look forward to a long-standing relationship with UDA and are excited to welcome them to the neighborhood.” Urban Discovery Academy was established in 2008 as a model charter school that would fully utilize the vast resources of the Downtown urban landscape. Now in its seventh year of operation, the Academy is currently located in temporary quarters at 730 45th St. Student API test scores are in the high 800s, and UDA educational experiences include an enriched visual and performing arts program and community service opportunities. To learn more about the Fundraising efforts by The UDA Foundation, visit its website at theudafoundation.org or to learn more about Urban Discovery Academy, visit its website at urbansd.com.

BALLET’S GALA CELEBRATES SILVER ANNIVERSARY

The San Diego Ballet Guild will host their Silver Anniversary Gala on May 9 at 5 p.m. in the newly renovated Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. This elegant affair will raise the much-needed money to help support the ballet’s innovative performances, educational programming and community outreach. The Gala is chaired by Lynell Sanchez and Carolyn Lara, two founding members of the San Diego Ballet Guild who are enthusiastic supporters of San Diego Ballet and San Diego School of Ballet. “During the event, guests will enjoy beautiful ballet performed by past and present San Diego Ballet dancers,” Lara said in a statement. “San Diego Ballet’s Artistic Director, Javier Velasco, has created something truly special for this evening.” Sanchez said organizers hope attendees wear something silver to commemorate the anniversary and though black ties are encouraged for men, they are optional. The evening will begin with a reception in the Garden Terrace where guests will have the opportunity to mingle with dancers and fellow guests under the stars and bid in the silent auction. The cocktail reception will be followed by a dinner and dessert in the San Diego Ballroom and a live auction featuring unique items and travel experiences. Tickets are $125 per person or $1,000 for a table of 10. To purchase tickets or for more information, email Lynell Sanchez at [email protected], visit the website at sandiegoballet.org, or call the San Diego Ballet office at 619-294-7374.

PADRES AND THE MIGHTY 1090 ANNOUNCE PADRES WEDNESDAYS

The San Diego Padres and the club’s flagship radio station, The Mighty 1090, have teamed up with U.S. Bank for Padres Wednesdays, featuring a complete lineup of Padres guests throughout the day’s programming each Wednesday. Launched April 22, each Padres Wednesday will start with the “Executive Report” first thing in the morning on The Dan Sileo Show. This weekly update will rotate between Padres Executive Chairman Ron Fowler and Padres President and CEO Mike Dee, and will air at approximately 7:35 a.m. “Lunch with the Manager” on The Darren Smith Show will feature a weekly interview with Padres Manager Bud Black, airing at approximately 2 p.m. That will be followed by the “Front Office Report” on Scott and BR at 3:35 p.m. Each week, Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith will hear from rotating guests from the Padres front office, including EVP/General Manager A.J. Preller and other members of the club’s baseball operations and leadership teams. “From this programming, our fans can expect regular, comprehensive updates from all areas of the club,” said Padres SVP/Chief Marketing Officer Wayne Partello in a statement. “As we build upon our Padres partnership, we always keep in mind how to provide our audience with more behind-the-scenes insight about their favorite team,” Mighty 1090 President Mike Glickenhaus said. “Padres Wednesday creates another destination day on Mighty 1090 to deliver on that commitment.”