This week is the premier of my column in In Los Angeles…. I will be writing about our San Diego Scene every two weeks — and also doing a profile on a San Diego personality. Of course, I will be promoting our beautiful city and community, while informing Los Angeles’ GLBT community where to go when they’re in San Diego. I wish to thank Gay and Lesbian Times Publisher Michael Portantino for his support of my new column in a Los Angeles-based publication….

Here we go again…. Another AIDS agency has folded and now it seems thousands of dollars were misused by its executive director. The Healthy Youth Advocacy Program (HYAP)/ Positively Speaking has closed its doors after funds showed up missing from its general fund. David Blair, who owns Blair House in Hillcrest, was not only the organization’s founder, but served as its CEO and was a board member (talk about a conflict of interest). Blair made $52,000 plus benefits…. Blair also had control of this organization’s credit card, which he used to pay for trips to foreign countries and personal use…. Blair, it seems, may have even used the AIDS organization’s credit card to pay for gas and maintenance of his Rolls Royce — that’s right, Rolls Royce!?!? Yes, this AIDS agency has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, including just last year $194,000 from the California Endowment…. A full investigation is ongoing, but this is all an outrage — and the community should be outraged by yet another AIDS rip-off. AIDS has become like a big business/corporate world scheme, with staff members getting big salaries and endless grants being thrown every which way — and no one keeping an eye on where the money is going. David Blair has been in control of this AIDS agency for six years…. Everyone needs to start asking AIDS agencies for their annual financial records (AIDS fundraising expenses, for example). This year two different AIDS organizations held “wine tasting” events. While one AIDS agency did it all with volunteers and donations, the other hired and paid an “event producer” for the same type of wine-tasting event. Wake up, community and start asking questions and demanding answers of AIDS agencies and fundraisers.…

I have shopped at Blair House (located at 4th and University in Hillcrest, across the street from Hairspray) before, but I will not shop at Blair House ever again.… Period.

For over 30 years we in the GLBT community have been able to count on the Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego.… Their pastors have been community leaders and equal civil rights spokespersons.… Who can forget Rev. David Farrell and his leadership and campaigns against Anita Bryant and John Briggs? The MCC has been one of our community’s strongest foundations. Now the MCC has begun their capital campaign for a new church building.… Our community, regardless of faith, has always been able to meet and gather at MCC. They have opened their doors to all for memorials and funeral services for anyone who needed them. The MCC’s leadership during the early AIDS crisis and to this day has made a big difference for many. Rev. Tony Freeman has been a dynamic leader and has started programs for our youth, homeless and those who needed food for their families. I urge our community to support the MCC’s building capital campaign.… The Imperial Court de San Diego has made a $15,000 pledge. For further information, call the MCC at (619) 280-4333.

Warm weather, cold beer and don’t forget the lemon! Enjoy a frosty Widmer Hefeweizen (see if you can say that three times in a row after drinking three of them) at Numbers. This local favorite on Park Blvd. will be serving up Widmer Hefeweizen Thursday through Saturday. Stop in and try one this weekend.

San Diego’s first openly gay candidate for city council was Al Best in 1979.… He received death threats and was fired from his job for being an openly gay candidate. He has been an activist and leader in our community for over 20 years, and remains so to this day.… This coming Sunday, June 22, Al Best will be honored at the 6th Annual Community Tribute Banquet — a well-deserved and long overdue honor. The (beef tenderloin) dinner will be held at the U.S. Grant Hotel. Cocktails start at 6:00 p.m., dinner at 7:00 p.m. It’s only $65, and proceeds benefit the Ben F. Dillingham Community Grant.… Al is a former city commissioner and is on the board of our AIDS Food Bank.… And he continues to serve and volunteer on numerous committees. Let us never forget that Al Best and Neil Goode blazed the trail for the elections of Chris Kehoe and Toni Atkins.… Al is one of our community’s true pioneers. For further information or reservations for the Al Best Tribute, phone (619) 692-1967. Dress code is black tie or dressy business attire.

Hey, look at your home or business windows. They’re a mess … dusty and sometimes so dirty that even a “peeping Tom” wouldn’t try to take a look at your beautiful body.… Well, I have the answer to all your dirty windows.… It’s Rusnak Enterprises, a residential/commercial window cleaning service by Philip. Give him a call at (619) 806-4140.