Unmarked graves at Presidio to get memorial

Old Town Community Planning Group voted in favor of a plan to add a memorial to Presidio Park in honor of all the people buried in unmarked graves at the site. The group intentionally kept the wording of their endorsement loose as funding will still need to be acquired to build any type of memorial. Members of the group expressed hope they can raise enough money to build something that will feature the names of people buried at the park. Three hundred such names have been collected so far, with more expected to come. At minimum, the group wants a commemorative plaque.

Fleet Science Center extends Pause|Play

The Fleet Science Center’s Pause|Play exhibition has been extended to Jan. 5, 2020 because of popular demand. Pause|Play, an adult-sized playground with a scientific twist, is an invitation for the young and the young-at-heart to leave the digital world behind, hit pause on their busy lives and recapture the nostalgia of play.

Pause|Play features more than 10 experiences that were each designed to evoke childhood memories.

The corresponding weekly event for the 21-plus crowd, Adult Recess, has been extended through September. Adult Recess offers a chance for grownups to experience Pause|Play and the Fleet’s other interactive exhibits and indulge in a no-host bar on Friday nights.

Census takers needed

The U.S. Census Bureau is now recruiting hundreds of temporary census takers in San Diego in advance of its Nonresponse Followup Operation for the 2020 census.

The primary purpose of the Nonresponse Followup Operation is to count people in person at housing units who have not self-responded to the decennial census questionnaire. Census takers visit and enumerate those households. This operation requires more field workers than any other operation for the national population count, which occurs every 10 years. Nonresponse follow-up is an integral part of the 2020 census program that ensures a complete and accurate count.

The pay rate is $20.50 per hour. For more information about 2020 census jobs, call 1-855-JOB-2020. Apply online at 2020census.gov/jobs.

Tibbitts family to build five-story housing project in Hillcrest

A partnership owned by the Tibbitts family of San Diego has obtained a $14.25 million construction loan to build a five-story, 50-unit multi-housing project in Hillcrest called Arbor Terrace.

Arbor Terrace will be developed on a 0.3-acre site at 4186 Fourth Ave., a few blocks from the 390-bed UC San Diego Medical Center and the 700-bed Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego.

The property’s 50 units will include a mix of studio and one-bedroom units averaging 560 square feet situated above a two-story parking garage. Completion is expected in first quarter 2021.

San Diego Zoo Global’s new president and CEO

Paul Baribault has been selected as the new president and chief executive officer (CEO) of San Diego Zoo Global. The organization’s Board of Trustees announced the decision Sept. 12, highlighting Baribault’s commitment to conservation and his extensive leadership experience working for The Walt Disney Studios. Current president and CEO Douglas Myers announced his retirement earlier this year, after 34 years at the helm. Mr. Baribault will officially start with San Diego Zoo Global on Oct. 1, 2019, and take over in his new role on Nov. 1, 2019.

Baribault has worked at The Walt Disney Studios since 1997. As vice president of Animation Marketing Operations and Strategy, he has co-led theatrical film campaigns for Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios and “The Muppets.” Additionally, as vice president and general manager of Disneynature, he has overseen all aspects of the film label, including marketing, feature film production and brand development.

Baribault is a committed conservationist, who has served as vice-chair of The Jane Goodall Institute, a member of the Executive Committee of Jackson Wild (a conservation summit and wildlife film festival), and executive chair of The Aspen Institute High Seas Initiative. In his work with Disneynature, Baribault pioneered the development of conservation projects tied to films, collaborating with leading nonprofits to plant millions of trees and protect millions of acres of wildlife habitat across the globe.

Bill to empower childhood sexual assault victims reaches governor’s desk

Survivors of childhood sexual assault would have more time to report an assault and pursue justice under Assembly Bill 218, authored by San Diego Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez. The measure passed the state Legislature after a 62-0 concurrence vote in the Assembly.

“The idea that someone who is assaulted as a child can actually run out of time to report that abuse is outrageous,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “More and more, we’re hearing about people who were victims years ago but were not ready to come forward to tell their story until now. We shouldn’t be telling victims their time is up when in reality we need them to come forward to protect the community from future abuse.”

Under existing law, a survivor must file a lawsuit within eight years of reaching adulthood or within three years of the date a survivor who has reached adulthood “discovers or reasonably should have discovered” they suffered damages as a result of the assault, whichever comes later. AB 218 would expand both the statute of limitations for the time given to victims of childhood sexual assault, from age 26 to age 40, and the period for delayed reasonable discovery from three to five years.

After enactment, the measure would also allow for a window of three years for the revival of past claims that might have expired due to the statute of limitations. Many older schools and organizations opposed the measure over fears an onslaught of lawsuits could bankrupt them.

Uber removing scooters and bikes from San Diego

Uber’s Jump scooters and bikes will no longer be available in San Diego, with the exception of naval bases in Point Loma and on 32nd Street, according to a statement released by the rideshare company on Sept. 12.

A company spokesman said the stricter San Diego regulations made it difficult to operate in the city. Uber will start removing its scooters and bikes on Sept. 19. Other scooter companies still operating in San Diego include Lime, Bird, Lyft, and Razor.