First of Two Hillcrest Centennial Time Capsules Buried
Hillcrest resident
artist Aida Mancillas, one of
the trio including Lynn Susholtz and Gwen Gomez who as Stone Paper
Scissors
were responsible for creating the Vermont Street Bridge
public art project in 1995, holds the first
of two time
capsules
buried this year to commemorate Hillcrest’s
centennial.
Work on the south side of the popular pedestrian bridge
necessitated new concrete work, and the Hillcrest History Guild took
the opportunity to leave this gift for future generations. The vault
(which holds blueprints of the pedestrian span) will be exhumed in 100
years for the neighborhood’s bicentennial. Other interesting
items buried last Saturday included: letters to future Hillcresters,
air/water/soil samples,
centennial souvenirs, photos, menus, business cards, money, a
proclamation from the City of San Diego, copies of HillQuest and more.
A larger time capsule will be buried this winter. 
A New Tree Grows in Hillcrest
The east side of Fifth Avenue recently got a new planting from People for Trees on its mid-block (in front of George Pernicano’s long-closed Casa di Baffi). The replacement is half the size of original tree which was planted in 1998. Bug infestation under the leaves was the reason cited for the demise of the first tree. We hope this one has a better future.
Aida under the Stars
Want to see/hear Elton John & Tim Rice’s new version of the timeless love story Aida? HillQuest is hosting a fundraiser for the Hillcrest Centennial on Saturday evening, June 23. Bring a picnic to the Starlight Theatre in Balboa Park and enjoy this Tony Award-winning performance under the stars (and the jet path). As a bonus...these tickets which have a value of $43 each, will cost only $25. Let us know soon if you would like to join us for this great entertainment value and FUN-raiser!
< Thanks to Councilmember Toni Atkins and the Hillcrest Town Council — the neighborhood of Hillcrest is getting what other communities have had for years...signs! Jeffery Tom displayed one of the six new boundary signs that will be posted before the Hillcrest Centennial’s 100th birthday cake celebration on Thursday, August 2. (noon at Fifth & University).
June’s Hillcrest Town Council Meeting
The Hillcrest Town Council met tonight with nearly 50 neighbors attending. County Supervisor Ron Robert’s Chief of Staff Gary Rotto (pictured below) provided information about their cell phone recycling program
that will put
unwanted cell phones into the hands of San Diegans needing a phone for
emergency and safety reasons. Longtime Hillcrest residents Julie Gelfat and Alexandra Hart presented information about the rampant hi-rise development that continues to rob our community of its character. The pair provided the HTC with verified information of several lofty developments planned along Fifth and Sixth avenues. The HTC members appeared to overwhelmingly reject this development of properties, some that have not been brought before the community planning groups.
Reports from the crime, litter/graffiti, development and centennial committees included: an initiative to discourage panhandling, stealing from city recycling bins, a community-wide clean-up on Saturday, July 14, the city’s response to overflowing trash cans along University, upcoming centennial events and a great report by Julie Pierce-Hyde re: a ten-year vision for the development of Hillcrest.
The town council has garnered the respect of government officials and other community groups as it continues to grow with new and returning faces. The next monthly meeting will be on Tuesday, July 10 from 6:30-8pm at Joyce Beers Community Center. All Hillcrest residents are urged to attend.
Are you ready for Pride?
2007’s Pride is just around the corner, and in case you haven’t heard, the celebration will be held a week earlier this year (on the third weekend in July). Wanna be a volunteer? Sign up on Pride’s website or attend a Saturday afternoon session at The Center. Volunteering is fun, and a great place to meet new friends. The next two sessions will be held Saturday, June 16 and June 30 at noon. Info? Call (619) 29-PROUD.
June 10,
2007
Hillcrest’s BookFair was GREAT
Over 5,000 enjoyed a beautiful Sunday in Hillcrest with books, friends and fun in the sun. The San Diego Woman’s Chorus kicked off the stage at the corner of Fifth and
Robinson followed by
storytellers from the Kumeyaay Nation. The Sisters of Perpetual
Indulgence acted as ambassadors.“San Diego Reads” featured local
personalities reading
from their favorite books. Toni Atkins recited Yertle
the Turtle and Mike Aguirre
(left) read FDR’s second inaugural address. Local authors included poets from the newly published San Diego Poetry Anthology and Amy Wallen’s comic novel Moon Pies and Movie Stars which made the LA Times
best seller list. Lt.
Col. Jay Kopelman told of Lava, the pup rescued from Falluja streets in
From Baghdad with Love.
The afternoon featured crowd-pleasing
performances by the SD Men’s Chorus, Cosmos and the San Diego
Women’s Drum Circle.Big kudos to Curran Jeffrey (from the Crest Cafe) and Judy Reeves (Amy Boyd’s mom) for doing a splendid job in organizing this community event!
June 9,
2007
Billy Joel ~ Vermont Street Pedestrian Bridge Update
The city began work to replace the missing bollard at the south end of the Vermont Street bridge today. It’s now reopened to foot traffic for the remainder of the weekend, and the job will be completed Monday or Tuesday. The Hillcrest History Guild buried a centennial vault in honor of our first hundred years. A rededication of the bridge will be held in July on a date to be announced next week.
