March 31
Sweet Hillcrest ride
As these local pre-school girls enjoyed cruising along a sunny Fourth Avenue...we caught them checking out their favorite neighborhood in style.
March 30
Hillcrest resident Azfar Najmi’s logo
chosen for this year’s LGBT Pride
San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride has selected the winner from this year’s logo contest to mark the organization’s 32nd annual celebration, scheduled for July 28-30. Azfar Najmi, a graphics art student at San Diego City College, will receive $500 from San Diego Pride for his submission of a six-color logo that captures a crisp image of fanning flames representing eternal equality. Najmi is a native of Karachi, Pakistan and holds degrees in electrical engineering from Harvard University and UC Davis. He has worked as a software engineer in San Diego for over a decade and currently resides in Hillcrest with his partner of 19 years.
The contest drew 36 contestants, and according to Ron deHarte, executive director of San Diego Pride, “The colors and flames Azfar created held great appeal to us and correspond well to this year’s theme — Equality! No Turning Back.” The logo will be used on various Pride merchandise and marketing materials, including the 2006 souvenir program. Says Najmi, “I wanted to use a torch image with flames because it shows forward motion and that we’re marching toward equality.”
Pride produces an annual, all-inclusive public celebration that provides a safe environment for the communities of San Diego. Since 1996 it has donated more than $1 million to various organizations within the LGBT community. For more info about this year’s celebration or volunteer opportunities, visit the Pride website or call their office at (619) 297-7683.
To advertise in this year’s official Pride Guide email Nancy Moors or call (619) 260-1929. The earlybird deadline is April 15 with the final date for placing an ads set for May 22. The Pride website has rates.
March 29
Baja Betty’s was a-buzz with Gavin Newsom fans last Thursday as co-hosts Robert Gleason, Kevin Tilden and City Commissioners Bruce Abrams and chair Nicole Murray-Ramirez held a $500 fundraiser for his re-election campaign. The hunky man who by Nicole has crowned the “future of the Democratic party...not only in the state, but on a national level” collected an additional ten grand from San Diegans (their contributions now total $30K) for Newsom’s next run up the political ladder. The mayor’s main squeeze, Sophia Milos escorted Gavin to the popular Hillcrest eatery before running off to film another segment of CSI Miami.
March 28
Danielle
Lo Presti & The Masses
shot photos for their new album cover
yesterday downtown. Several locals
joined band members on the sidewalks
near Petco Park.
March 27
The Union-Tribune is on the right road with its Jan. 4 editorial ”A dangerous road.” By launching a criminal investigation to find out who revealed that the Bush administration was engaged in unconstitutional domestic spying, the president is entering the terminal stage of the political illness called tyranny. As Plato pointed out centuries ago and as history proves, the disease of tyranny necessarily progresses into paranoia, whereby truth itself becomes the enemy and those who speak the truth become criminals.
The truth that the president fears we will discover is that all along he has been lying to us about the “war on terror.” Secrecy and lies have led America into this unnecessary war, one that has endangered America more than any terrorist could ever dream. After squandering billions of dollars, killing tens of thousands of Iraqis civilians and thousands of our own troops, creating squadrons of new terrorists, and generally laying waste to the country, we are now discovering that the problem in Iraq is a political, not a military, problem and that it never posed a military or terrorist threat in the first instance.
Thomas Jefferson said that the whole art of government can be summed up in one word: honesty. Through his repeated use of secrecy and deception, Bush the tyrant is fighting against America itself.
DUNCAN McFETRIDGE
Descanso
Descanso
March 26
Talented women filled the performance space at King Food today. The popular Park West eatery was packed with dancers, an array of artists, activists women-owned businesses and outstanding female musicians including Danielle Lo Presti & The Masses, Alicia Champion, Lisa Sanders, Corday, Camile Bloom, Cathryn Beeks Ordeal, Lauren DeRose, Sarah Green, Jane, Brooke Wilkes, Elena, The New Dadaists and Marcia Forman. Local rocker/organizer Danielle Lo Presti (right) presented awards to women of note. Midwife Vickii Gervais (at left in jean jacket) was the recipient of the first Durga Award. Shown here with Gina Angelique, co-founder and artistic director of Eveoke Dance Theatre....and with Vickii’s assistance she’s also a new mom!
March 25
Hillcrest
a-buzz with Rachael Ray filmingThe Food Network host and Oprah’s heir apparent spent much of Friday shooting and shopping along Fifth Avenue — buying goodies at OUTmall, Buffalo Exchange, Shwoomp and Fifth Avenue Cards — and chatting about her life. Here’s a slideshow of her visit with local shopkeepers and pooches. Kathy and Nancy (right) want to continue the excitment...mention their dog “Nelly” when you buy a card at Fifth Avenue Card Co. and receive a second of equal for less value for FREE!
March 24
Wanna advertise in this year’s annual urban hip pocket guide?
HQ4 will hit the streets the last week of June. Would you like your business or organization displayed in our upcoming book and on Hillcrest’s most popular website? The next edition will again be packed with fun and interesting new stuff including history, trivia, politics, people and events. For as little as $270 (that’s less than $23 a month!) you will receive a year’s worth of exposure at the crossroads of San Diego...and beyond! The final deadline for HQ4 is April 14th.
Click here to see our rates for the fourth edition of HillQuest !
