City Heights Field Guide | April 3, 2014

City Heights Field Guide | April 3, 2014  Navigating a Changing Community

Take Action Now to April 25: Crawford High School Prom Drive Donate new and gently used formal dresses, suits, shoes and accessories. Schedule a drop-off appointment at  promdrive@saysandiego.org or (619) 583-2500 ext. 2281. April 5: Swan Canyon Cleanup 9 a.m. to noon at Olive Street and Highland Avenue April 5: International Health Fair 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Colina Del Sol Park April 12: Manzanita Canyon Cleanup 9 a.m. to noon near 3958 Manzanita Dr. April 15: New Deadline to Apply for Obamacare Covered California is still taking applications from individuals who experienced technical glitches on the March 31 deadline. This is also the deadline to complete applications for those who did get through. More info. April 16: Second Chance Job Fair 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Balboa Park Club, dress professionally and bring résumés. April 19: 47th Street Canyon Cleanup 1 to 4 p.m. at 46th and Myrtle streets April 25: Taste of City Heights 6 p.m. at El Salvador,  3824 University Ave. April 26: Creek to Bay Cleanup 9 a.m. to noon countywide. Click here for locations. April 26: Help Capture 'One Day In San Diego' Help gather footage that tells the story of San Diego. Your footage could be used on PBS. More info.

Police Chief Hears Racial Profiling Complaints Firsthand New police Chief Shelley Zimmerman hosted a town hall meeting at Cherokee Point Elementary last week. Audience members asked for everything from increased traffic patrols and information on recent crimes to details on new and reworked policies to deter racial profiling and officer misconduct. >>Some in the crowd took issue with Zimmerman calling racial profiling allegations a perception problem. Meet Mid-City's New 'Diet Trolley' A "diet trolley" (or if you prefer, "super bus") is coming to City Heights in August. It will have large, covered stations with big signs that'll tell you when the next bus will arrive. And those are the only stops it'll make, potentially upping travel speed by 20 percent.   >>Active Transportation Manager Randy Van Vleck weighs in. The Scope of San Diego's Gang Problem For a city whose gang problem pales in comparison to so-called gang capitals Los Angeles and Chicago, we sure have been talking about gangs a lot lately. Read our primer on San Diego's gang landscape. >>Only a percentage of gang members are committing illegal acts. Offering Care Packages - and Hugs - to the Homeless Youth filmmakers in the Teen Producers Project at the Media Arts Center San Diego introduced us to Jacqueline Penhos, founder of Hugs and Bags, last week. >>Watch their video on the homeless outreach effort. Ensuring Cop Cams Don't 'Protect and Intrude' ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties attorney weighs in on how to craft cop cam policy that will hold officers accountable and protect the privacy rights of civilians. >>Read the commentary.  Sincerely, Megan Burks Speak City Heights