UCPG reschedules meeting to May 16The University Community Planning Group (UCPG) has changed its meeting date for May. UCPG will meet on Tuesday, May 16, instead of May 9, due to the Hillel hearing scheduled for the same time.The San Diego City Council will hear Hillel’s proposal to build a Jewish student center on the triangular parcel known as Site 653 at 6 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 700 Prospect St. UCPG meets at 6 p.m. at the forum hall above the Wells Fargo Bank, 4545 La Jolla Village Drive. For more information call Linda Colley, (858) 453-0435, or e-mail [email protected]. ILACSD prepares for big cleanupI Love a Clean San Diego (ILACSD) will be coordinating a minimum of 2,500 volunteers at more than 45 sites, from Oceanside to Ramona, on April 29 to help clean San Diego’s watershed areas. This year’s event promises to be one of the largest Creek to Bay Cleanups in the event’s history.ILACSD conducts the Creek to Bay Cleanup annually in order to decrease pollution in some of the most important areas of San Diego. The cleanup sites include San Diego’s beaches, lakes, reservoirs, rivers, creeks and channels.”[The cleanup] really helps the area to alleviate from pollutants and chemicals,” said Sarah Leone, ILACSD volunteer events coordinator. “It definitely has a big impact, but I hope this year we’re also going to send an educational message.”At each site, ILACSD will be helping to not only encourage cleanup in the community, but also promote environmental consciousness at home and in the workplace. The event is designed to raise consciousness of how San Diego’s watershed areas ” from the creeks to the bays ” are connected.Volunteers will be provided with free T-shirts as well as cleanup supplies and refreshments. Some sites will also host raffles and contests sponsored by local businesses and organizations. Several organizations are involved with this year’s cleanup event, including Friends of Rose Creek and Surfrider Foundation.Volunteers at the Friends of Rose Creek site can choose one of several options: trash pickup, water trash pickup, invasive plant removal, or working in the native plant garden.
To volunteer for the Creek to Bay Cleanup or for volunteer registration, visit www.creektobay.org, or call ILACSD, (800) 237-2583

Spreckels to host Cinco de Mayo carnival
Spreckels Bilingual Magnet School will host its annual Cinco de Mayo/Day of the Child carnival next Wednesday, May 3, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.The event will feature games, Mexican food and homemade desserts, along with entertainment by students and special guests. The Standley Middle School Marching Band kicks off the festivities at 5 p.m., followed by the kindergarten’s El Jarabe Tapatio & La Raspa (5:30 p.m.), and dances by the third grade (5:40 p.m.). The fourth grade presents “Tinikling” at 6 p.m., the first grade performs “Wipe Out” at 6:15 p.m., the second-graders will showcase Peruvian dance at 6:30 p.m., capped off by the fifth grade’s “La Bamba” at 6:40 p.m.Spreckels School is located at 6033 Stadium St. For information call the school, (858) 453-5377. Toastmasters host Open House May 2 If you are like most people, public speaking is not your favorite pastime. But surveys show that the person with strong communication skills has a clear advantage over tongue-tied colleagues. Toastmasters Club 9550 helps people hone their communication skills as well as overcome their fear of public speaking.The club will host an open house on Tuesday, May 2 to give guests and potential new members an idea of how Toastmasters operates and what it can offer. The open house will include an abbreviated club meeting followed by lunch and a chance for guests to ask questions of current club members and even join.The open house will also be an opportunity for club member David Petry to deliver his third speech with the objective of “getting to the point” per the Toastmasters Communications and Leadership Manual. This introductory manual contains 10 speech projects that help new Toastmasters become comfortable speaking in front of a group. Petry joined the club several months ago to develop confidence and poise when speaking to groups of people. The open house runs from noon to 1 p.m. For directions and to RSVP, please call (858) 826-6200.Crash kills two in front of UCHSA fatal accident was reported on Friday, March 31 at 2:32 a.m. as three males speeding northbound on Genesee Avenue lost control of their 2001 BMW sedan and crashed into the center divide near Centurion Square, in front of University City High School.Police reported that the driver was killed on impact, and one passenger was ejected from the car and found dead in the middle of the road. The third male suffered serious injuries. n