NORTH PARK COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Paula Montgomery and Victor Flake were announced as new board members for the North Park Community Association (NPCA), a volunteer group that was formed in 1984 to provide a forum for issues and concerns in the North Park neighborhood. The mission of the NPCA is to “create a voice to educate, inform and empower the North Park community.” Montgomery is a native of San Diego, growing up in Bonita. She has been active in the Neighborhood Watch program and the NPCA’s Stop Graffiti Now program. Flake, an elementary school teacher, is also a native San Diegan. “As an educator and resident, I offer my professional skills and personal devotion to North Park and the North Park Community Association,” Flake said in his NPCA profile. The two new members join President Nikki Berdy, Chuck Van Hise, Beth Swersie, Christy Scannell, Rene Parada, Lynn Elliott, Omar Passons, Rimah Khouri, Edwin Lohr and Mike Berry on the board.

AGITPROP SUMMER SALON SERIES AT MUSEUM OF ART

As part of the “Beyond the Banner” Summer Salon Series at Balboa Park’s San Diego Museum of Art, several NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NSAD) students created a multimedia display screen in conjunction with an Information Displays course at the school. The project was under the guidance of David White, an instructor at NSAD and founder of the North Park community art and culture group, Agitprop. Agitprop partnered with the Museum of Art for the Summer Salon Series. The series is a weekly “pop-up” art exhibit, changing each Friday and runs through Aug. 31. For the display screens, White’s nine students created informational displays for the changing exhibits that are being used to present scheduling and event information as well as highlighting information from presenters who use film, video and other projections. Students involved with the project include Antonio Barragan, Jared Basler, Geoff Curzon, Mahmood Fadul, Rachel Hammond, Joshua Liebman, Daniel Maldonado, Eric Spector and Samantha Winland.

GOLDEN HILL CDC TEMPORARILY RELOCATES OFFICE

Board members of the Greater Golden Hill Community Development Corporation (CDC) have moved into a temporary location for an undisclosed amount of time. The new office is located at 1606 Fern St. Formerly located on B Street, the CDC holds monthly meetings open to the public. The mission of the CDC is to “unify and empower” Golden Hill residents, businesses and property owners by “fostering cultural, education and economic opportunities.” The next business and community mixer will be held Aug. 30 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Turf Supper Club, 1116 25th Ave. For more information call 619-284-2331 or visit their new location.

PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING SET FOR NORTH PARK JACK IN THE BOX REMODEL

The San Diego Planning Commission will hear arguments for and against a remodel project for the North Park Jack in the Box restaurant, located at 2959 Upas St. Owners of the restaurant are requesting to “demolish [the] existing restaurant and construct a new, approximately 2,178-square-foot restaurant with deviations including: operation of a drive-through window, hours of operation, elimination of a pedestrian path of travel, reduced parking, off-setting planes, and landscape,” stated the City of San Diego public hearing notice. The Commission’s hearing is to approve, conditionally approve or deny the application. The North Park Planning Committee has previously opposed the project. The Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 23 at 9 a.m. The commission meets at Council Chambers, 12th floor, in the City Administration Building located at 202 C St. It is an open meeting.

VETERINARIAN PARTNERS WITH ALPHA PROJECT TO OFFER FREE SERVICES

San Diego veterinarian Dr. Susan Grove has partnered with the Hillcrest-based Alpha Project to offer free vet clinics for pets belonging to individuals who are homeless. The Alpha project is a non-profit, human-services organization serving over 4,000 residents each day with affordable housing, residential substance abuse treatment, supportive housing for people with special needs, and services for people who are homeless. Grove joined the organization to offer free monthly veterinary services at the Neil Good Day Center, located at 299 17th St., through her mobile veterinary service, Vet2You. The Neil Good Day Center offers support services to over 500 people daily. Once a month, cats and dogs can receive free examinations and preventative care. The first service day was Tuesday, Aug. 14. Donations of money or food are being accepted to help keep the program active. For more information visit alphaproject.org.

CITY COUNCIL PROCLAIMS AUG 19 ‘MISS VERNETTA DAY’

North Park resident and business owner Vernetta Bergeon has been honored by the City Council by designating Saturday, Aug. 19. as “Miss Vernetta Day.” Bergeon is the owner of Vernetta’s Dance Studio, located at 3927 Utah St. in North Park. In celebration, several special events have been planned for the day. At 9:30 a.m., Bergeon is asking community members interested in joining in a flash-mob dance performance to meet at her studio. The flash mob will perform at 10:30 a.m. on the corner of University Avenue and 30th Street. At 11 a.m. there will be a free one-hour performance at the Birch North Park Theatre, 2891 University Ave. Kathi Diamant will host and Councilmember Marti Emerald will present the official “Miss Vernetta Day” proclamation. Following, from 13:30 – 3:30 p.m., Bergeon will host a meet and greet at her studio, in honor of the 50th anniversary.

COSMOPOLITAN ANNOUNCES JONATHAN CHILD AS ASSISTANT INN KEEPER

University Heights resident Jonathan Child is the new assistant inn keeper at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant, located at in Old Town’s Historic State Park. Child has 21 years of hospitality experience, with previous work at the Renaissance Esmeralda in Indian Wells, Calif.; the Wyndham, Parker and Chase hotels in Palm Springs, Calif.; and the Sadaf Restaurant and Nightclub in San Diego. Currently a political science student at University of California, San Diego, Child’s role as assistant inn keeper includes being responsible for providing hospitality services to The Cosmopolitan’s overnight guests.

ADAMS AVENUE STREET FAIR COMPLETE LINEUP RELEASED

The Adams Avenue Business Association, organizers of the Adams Avenue Street Fair, announced the complete entertainment lineup for this year’s two-day festival. Celebrating its 31st anniversary, the fair will take place Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. in Normal Heights. This year’s festival will include more than 90 musical acts on seven stages. Headliners, announced previously, include Strawberry Alarm Clock, Paladins, Coco Montoya, Plena Libre, Jack Tempchin, Cuckoo Chaos and Junior Watson, among others. In addition to the musical entertainment, there will be four beer gardens, a beer tasting area, carnival rides and more than 300 food, arts and craft vendors. For the complete lineup and schedule visit adamsavenustreetfair.org or call 619-282-7329.

NORTH PARK’S URBAN SOLACE CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS WITH BENEFIT

Located at 2823 30th St., North Park restaurant Urban Solace will celebrate their five-year anniversary with a party to benefit Mama’s Kitchen. The celebration takes place Sunday, Aug. 19 from 6 – 9 p.m. Executive Chef and Owner Matt Gordon opened the restaurant in 2007, which has grown as a North Park neighborhood staple, focusing on serving natural, organic and sustainable whole foods. At the party, interactive stations demonstrating the sourcing choices of Urban Solace will be featured. Guests are asked to RSVP to [email protected]. A $15 donation at the door will benefit Mama’s Kitchen, a leading nonprofit serving food to individuals and families in San Diego County affected by HIV, AIDS or cancer. The organization provides three meals a day, every day of the year, free of charge to over 570 clients. Mama’s Kitchen has been a long-time partner of Urban Solace.

NICK HUBBARD, ‘MAYOR OF HILLCREST,’ DIES

Longtime Hillcrest resident, Nick Hubbard, died July 23 at the age of 60. Hubbard, a founding member and former treasurer of the Hillcrest Town Council, was a business and rental property owner in Uptown, including the Paper Rose, the French Flower Market, the Greenry and Flowers by Nick. The council recognized Hubbard with a L.I.O.N. (Let’s Improve Our Neighborhood) award in 2009 for work done on his property at 1437 University Ave., and due to his community activism and character, many dubbed him the unofficial “Mayor of Hillcrest.” “Nick was a true character who loved his neighborhood. He will be missed,” said Luke Terpstra, current Hillcrest Town Council chair, in San Diego Gay & Lesbian News. Hubbard is survived by his partner of 28 years, Andy Chen. Friends of Hubbard attended the Hillcrest Town Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 14 to share their memories.

LION AWARD PRESENTED TO PITA JUNGLE

In addition to honoring founding member Nick Hubbard, who died July 23, the Hillcrest Town Council honored the Pita Jungle owners with a Let’s Improve Our Neighborhood (L.I.O.N.) award at the Tuesday, Aug. 14 meeting. The L.I.O.N. award was to recognize the work Pita Jungle owners have done in remodeling the formerly vacant space. Pita Jungle opened at 1045 University Ave. in late July. Hubbard won the L.I.O.N. award in 2009 for renovations done to his property at 1437 University Ave. Also at the Aug. 14 meeting, Mike Kelly, president of the Committee of 100, was scheduled to present information about project related to the 2015 Plaza de Panama Exposition, and 2012 mayoral candidate Bob Filner spoke. Kelly will next address the Bankers Hills Residents Group on Monday, Aug. 27. The second mayoral candidate, Carl DeMaio, is scheduled to speak at the October Hillcrest Town Council meeting. The council meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Joyce Beers Community Center, 1236 Cleveland Ave.

TONI ATKINS APPOINTED TO ASSEMBLY MAJORITY LEADER

Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez announced Aug. 8 the selection of Assemblymember Toni Atkins for the majority floor leader position, one of the most powerful officers in the Assembly. The seat represents the speaker on the floor, expedites Assembly-floor proceedings and promotes harmony within the membership, stated a press release. Atkins’ position begins Sept. 1. “I am humbled and excited by this opportunity to assist Speaker Pérez, and am grateful for the trust the speaker has placed in me,” Atkins said in the release. “I also look forward to working with my Assembly colleagues in accomplishing the important work that lies ahead of us: continuing to balance the state budget, creating jobs, protecting the health and welfare of all Californians, and making the promise of the Golden State a reality through strong education and infrastructure programs.” Atkins was elected to the Assembly in 2010 and is up for reelection in November. She has served as majority whip for the past two years, in addition to serving on the Housing and Community Development, Health, Judiciary, Veterans, and Government Organization committees.

REP. SUSAN DAVIS URGES STUDENT VOTING

Congressmember Susan Davis announced Aug. 10 she had joined 187 of her colleagues in sending a letter to college and university presidents, encourage them to take a more active role in educating students in the federal electoral process, stated a press release. The letter describes how students have historically faced barriers in the election process that have discouraged participation or prevented them from voting at all. Some challenges include restrictive residency and identification requirements, inconveniently located polling places and inadequate distribution of voting equipment, among others. “The future of America will be left in the hands of these young men and woman,” Davis said in the release. “It is critical that they have the information and access to take part in our democratic process. Colleges pride themselves in providing a broad knowledge to students to improve their lives, and civic education should certainly be a part of that.” Davis urged the school presidents to work with local election officials to look into ways to turn campuses into voter registration sites and polling places.

DA BONNIE DUMANIS ANNOUNCES SENTENCING OF NORTH COUNTY MAN

Corazon Paulino Flores, 70, was sentenced to 475 years to life in California state prison for multiple counts of child molestation and rape, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced in a press release. Flores was convicted earlier this year for the attacks against his two stepdaughters over a period of several years. “The victims in this case suffered unspeakable abuse and demonstrated extraordinary bravery for coming forward to report the abuse they suffered for years at the hands of their father. Thanks to their courage, this predator will spend the rest of his life behind bars,” Dumanis said in the release. Deputy District Attorney Tracy Prior and the DA’s North County Branch office handled the case. The two victims, who did not report the abuse for several years, made statements at the sentencing. “We see victims all to often who delay in their disclosure of abuse,” Prior said in the same release. “Victims stay silent because they are fearful, embarrassed, feel shame and don’t think they will be believed. Fortunately, the criminal justice system has tools in place to hold these abusers accountable, and vindicate victims for what they endured.”