SANDAG offers mini-grants to help local groups promote bicycling

The San Diego Association of Governments is offering up to $30,000 in grants for creative community projects and programs that encourage people to participate in Bike to Work Month in 2015. Community bike rides, safety education courses, “Bike to School Day” events and other contests or campaigns to promote bike riding are among the ideas SANDAG is looking to fund as part of a broader effort to encourage people to adopt bicycling as a mode of transportation.

The grants — up to $3,000 each — are available on a first-come, first-served basis to community groups, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations and local government agencies. Activities funded by the grants must take place between April 1 and June 30, 2015. For more details on eligibility, selection criteria and other requirements, visit 511sd.com/iCommute or call 5-1-1 and say “iCommute.”

City looking for permanent homeless shelter

San Diego’s Housing Commission is looking for a permanent indoor facility to house a minimum of 350 homeless individuals every night of the year. The city has long relied on temporary tents in Barrio Logan and the Midway area to provide shelter for some homeless individuals, at a cost of $1.6 million a year.

The city estimates it will have $2.2 million to spend on property management and supportive social services in the first year at the new shelter, beginning July 1, 2015. The Housing Commission will give priority to proposals in the Downtown area and to proposals from nonprofit organizations that have experience providing shelter and services to homeless individuals. At least 40 percent of the beds in the new shelter would be reserved for homeless veterans.

“The [request for proposals] is a welcome first step since no real effort has been made in the past to find a different site or to implement a permanent indoor homeless shelter to replace the temporary beds the tent provides,” stated Councilmember David Alvarez in a press release.

23rd annual Mama’s Kitchen’s Tree of Life event lights up Hillcrest

On Dec. 1, hundreds of candles were lit at Mama’s Kitchen’s annual Tree of Life event to commemorate World AIDS Day and remember those who lost their lives to the disease. Community leaders including Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Council President Todd Gloria attended the ceremony at Village Hillcrest. Members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego performed holiday tunes during the event. In addition to the candlelight vigil, the Tree of Life itself was decorated with personalized ornaments purchased at the event to honor those affected by AIDS. The tree will be on display throughout the month.  Proceeds from the event went to Mama’s Kitchen. To see more photos of the event visit facebook.com/mamaskitchen.

Special holiday hours in effect for San Diego Public libraries

All city libraries will be closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1. Several libraries in Uptown, including Mission Hills, University Heights and Kensington-Normal Heights libraries, will also be closed Dec. 26 – 31. The City Heights/Weingart Library will be open Dec. 26 – Dec. 31 during special hours listed below:

Dec. 26: 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Dec. 27: 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Dec. 28: 12:30 – 5 p.m.

Dec. 29: 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Dec. 30: 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Dec. 31: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

All branches will be open from 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Dec. 24 (except Central which will be open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.). For more information visit sandiegolibrary.org.

New lights in Balboa Park kicked off in time for Centennial

In partnership with SDG&E and CleanTech San Diego, the city of San Diego has replaced all the outdoor light fixtures throughout Balboa Park and installed new colorful, programmable, energy-efficient lights.. Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Council President Todd Gloria were both on hand to unveil the new lighting Dec. 1, at the fountain in Plaza de Panama. “After 100 years of serving as the crown jewel of our world-class city, we’re going to show off Balboa Park in a whole new light,” stated Faulconer in a press release in advance of the event. The new red, green and blue LED lights are programmable in 2,700 different colors and will offer many options and color combinations to illuminate the side of the many historic buildings within the park. The lighting will be on display throughout December Nights, Balboa Park’s annual holiday event, held Dec. 5 and 6, which will also officially kick off the Centennial celebration. For more information about December Nights, visit BalboaPark.org.

Rumors suggest possible change in City Council leadership

According to reports by NBC San Diego and KPBS, City Council Republicans are vying to remove Council President Todd Gloria from his role as the head of the city’s legislative body.

Each December, the City Council elects a council president, who sets the council’s agenda and appoints councilmembers to head its various committees. Gloria has served in the position for two years, having first been elected in 2012.

Political newcomer Chris Cate will soon be sworn in as the fourth Republican on the nine-person City Council, leaving conservatives just one vote shy of the five-person majority needed to elect a council president. Insiders say the four hope to elect Councilmember Sherri Lightner to the top council seat, which would require she vote for herself over Gloria, a move denounced by local progressives as damaging to local Democratic causes. Lightner has not responded to questions regarding how she plans to vote.

The City Council will elect next year’s council president on Dec. 8.

‘Magic’ fundraiser coming to Martinis Above Fourth 

Children’s Holiday Magic Project (CHMP), a local nonprofit, will host a special fundraiser “An Evening of Holiday Magic” on Dec. 14 at Martinis Above Fourth (3940 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest). The event will support the production and distribution of CHMP’s annual compilation album. Each year they create a disc with songs and stories to be given to children who are hospitalized during the holiday season. Their goal for 2014 is to produce and distribute 10,000 CDs worldwide. Doors will open for the fundraiser at 5 p.m., a three-course dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m., and entertainment is scheduled through 9 p.m. Featured performers for the night include: Ashley Fox Linton, Jennifer Knight, Lele Rose, Jordan Lamoureux and Jeff Davis. President and founder of CHMP Jeff Gelder will act as emcee for the event. Tickets start at $65 and are available at martinisabovefourth.com. For more information on CHMP and this year’s compilation CD, visit holidaymagiccd.org.

Baja Betty’s turns 10

Mexican bar and eatery Baja Betty’s — part of the MO’s Universe group of Hillcrest dining and drinking establishments — celebrated its 10th anniversary on Nov. 17 with the local LGBT community and other Hillcrest residents who all came out to help celebrate and walk the red carpet. Hundreds of people, most dressed in some sort of red as requested by the invitation, packed the restaurant, which offered dozens of free, tray-passed appetizers along with Avion and Partida tequila shots, plenty of ’80s music and even mariachis. Chris Shaw, owner and president of MO’s Universe, made an appearance and Betty’s General Manager Stefan Chicote was seen dancing to Missy Elliot in the tequila bar. Employees from across MO’s Universe were seen enjoying the festivities, wearing stickers that identified the number of years they’d worked for Shaw, and management from Betty’s three sister restaurants — Matt Ramon from Urban MO’s, Moe Girton from Gossip Grill, and Joey Aruda from Hillcrest Brewing Company — were also all on hand to offer their support. Baja Betty’s, the second “planet” to emerge in MO’s Universe, was actually its first. Urban MO’s, which had operated as a Hamburger Mary’s since 1992, didn’t rebrand with its current name until 2006, two years after Shaw opened his second restaurant in 2004. Originally named Margarita Mary’s, Shaw was forced to make changes due to a conflict with the name. Shaw reached out to the entire community to rename the venue and Baja Betty’s was the winning submission. The Mexican-themed restaurant has since thrived, becoming a staple within the Hillcrest community and made popular for its extensive tequila list and its Saturday (and Sunday) all-you-can-eat brunches. For more information visit mosuniverse.com.