Garbage collection in residential areas may start at 6 a.m. if the full City Council follows the 4-0 recommendation for that early start by a Council committee who heard testimony it would save the city to $4.4 million.

The savings would come with sanitation employees working 10 hours a day for four days a week instead of eight hours for five days a week.

The current start of garbage collection is 7 a.m., but the Natural Resources & Culture Committee voted 4-0 on April 14 to endorse the idea and forwarded it to the City Council.

This change would fall within the Noise Abatement and Control section of the Municipal Code and would require City Council approval.

The motion to forward it to the Council was made by Councilmember Marti Emerald and councilmembers Donna Frye, Sherri Lightner, and Carl DeMaio also voted for it.

Only one speaker spoke against it. “People aren’t going to get up at 5:45 in the morning to put out the trash,” said Gary Smith.

Emerald humorously agreed with Smith that people might not want “a good photo op” by “getting up earlier to put the trash out.” However, Emerald said “this is an important savings.”

Joan Raymond, who represents the city’s sanitation workers, said most of them are in favor of the change, saying it would be more efficient. She noted this would only involve curbside collection with the city’s green and blue containers which pick it up by mechanical means.

This would not involve dumpsters. The change would not be imposed upon private haulers of dumpsters that are used by owners of condos or apartment buildings. According to city documents, there are 11 nearby cities and the county of San Diego which currently collect garbage starting at 6 a.m.

The savings would include approximately $2.4 million in the general fund, $1.8 million in the recycling enterprise fund, and $200,000 in the refuse disposal enterprise fund, according to a City Council report. The change was also endorsed by the city’s Environmental Services Department.

The Fitness Gallery will host a free informal dinner and educational evening on Sunday, April 25, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and repeated on Wednesday, April 28th from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Learn 4 keys to permanent weight loss without dieting, drugs, surgery or scale watching. Hear an introduction to a 12-week program scientifically designed and tested. Enhance your lifestyle and improve your diet in a fun and supportive social setting. Stop dieting but lose weight through good nutrition and exercise integrated into your lifestyle. Set your own goals; go at your own pace. Program will be lead by Bruce Calkins, Healthy for Life Certified Team Leader and Cory Russo, CPT. Participants will be invited to participate in a charity fundraiser to benefit Special Delivery. As we lose, charities win.

Admission to the introductory evening is free but a reservation is required. To reserve a seat call Bruce at 619-282-7424 or 619-892-0419. The Fitness Gallery is located at 930 10th Ave., Downtown San Diego 92101.

The recently-formed San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus is thrilled to announce that it will kick off its first season with a fabulous and fun spring concert entitled “Our House” during the weekend of May 1-2. This exciting concert featuring a wide range of music will honor social service organizations in San Diego that work to provide services and enrich the lives of members of our community.

The Chorus will perform some of the greatest music ever written about what makes a house a home including “C’mon a My House,” “Home” from The Wiz, and Leonard Bernstein’s “Make Our Garden Grow. Other featured selections in this eclectic mix of magnificent music include the poignant “A City Called Heaven,” an uplifting toe-tapping rendition of “Up the Ladder to the Roof,” and the funky “It’s My House” written by Ashford & Simpson and made famous by Diana Ross. Concert performances are scheduled for Saturday, May 1, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 2, at 3 p.m. at the Stephen and Mary Birch North Park Theatre located at 2891 University Avenue in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego.

SDGMC Artistic Director Gary Holt explained, “We’ve pulled together some of the most amazing music ever written about the many things that mean ‘home’ to someone. And just as the coming-together of the two choruses is like building a new home, we wanted to honor and celebrate the tremendous good work being done by some community partners who help others reclaim a sense of home through the life-affirming services they provide. Our audiences will love the clever and entertaining way we tell these stories through some of the greatest and most recognizable songs ever written.”

Ticket prices range from $30-$40 for Saturday night’s performance and just $26-$35 for Sunday’s matinee. Discounts are also available for students, seniors, military, and groups of ten or more people. For even more information about the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus, SDGMC’s “Our House” spring concert, and to purchase tickets go to www.sdgmc.org or call the Birch North Park Theatre Box Office at 619-239-8836.

SDGMC will also dazzle San Diego with its inaugural summer pops and winter concerts as well, so be sure to mark your calendars now so that you can buy your tickets early and not miss a moment of fun.

“extrABBAganza” will be presented the weekend of July 31 and Aug. 1. “Tinseltown A Holiday Celebration” will be performed on Dec. 11-12 as it’s time for Lights!! Camera!! Reindeer!!

The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus proudly came into existence in 2010 following the merger of the San Diego Men’s Chorus and the Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego. Building upon SDMC’s 25-year history and GMCSD’s 17-year legacy, the new group of is comprised of more than 130 singing members and non-singing volunteers, immediately making SDGMC one of the ten largest gay choruses in the United States.

Male? Newly diagnosed with HIV? 20-30 years old? Beginning April 19, a new Living with HIV group will be held weekly on Mondays, 6-7:30 pm at The San Diego LGBT Community Center (3909 Centre Street, 92103). This group will be facilitated by Jackie Platenik, Ph.D., and is designed for men 20-30 years old who have been recently diagnosed with HIV. All are welcome and counseling sessions are free. Call 619-692-2077, ext. 208, if you are interested in joining