It was a busy 2022 for events in the Mission Times Courier circulation areas.
From dealing with COVID, homeless issues, school achievements and more, much happened over the last 12 months.
Here is a look back at some of the events that garnered attention.
January
A winter surge of COVID cases led local schools, businesses and others to adjust more how they went about their daily affairs.
Several universities and schools in the area noted they would go back to virtual classes to kick off the 2022 spring semester. 
At Patrick Henry High School, Principal Michelle Irwin noted, “We have seen an increase in absences with both students and staff at Henry due to the spike in COVID cases. Due to the recent spike, San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) has directed us to pause on all ‘off-season’ sports training and practices. We are working with district staff to adapt our safety standards and remain responsive to the changing conditions of the pandemic.”
February
In bringing a new experience to the area for San Diego State football fans in particular, what was once a large parcel of land that played home to the Aztecs, Chargers, padres and more was taking on a new look.
Snapdragon Stadium is set to take centerstage later this year at an estimated cost of $310 million. 
Playing home football games since the fall of 1967 at what was then known as San Diego Stadium (later became Jack Murphy Stadium), the Aztecs became homeless starting with the 2020 season. SDSU played both the 2020 and 2021 campaigns in Carson.
According to Derek Grice, SDSU executive associate athletic director for Mission Valley development, everything is on schedule for the new stadium to open on time.
“We’ve had to deal like many others with the pandemic and supply chain issues,” Grice commented. “We have an incredible team and everyone has been pulling the right levers to stay on track.”
* Volunteers did their part to keep Navajo Canyon as clean as possible.
The canyon encompasses nearly 141 acres with an out-and-back 1.25 hiking trail miles from Mound Avenue to Adobe Falls Road.
In recognition of the value of the canyon in a natural state the San Diego Canyonlands, a local nonprofit dedicated to restoring the canyons, obtained a grant of $600,000 from the San Diego River Conservancy to remove the invasive palm trees. The grant will also support habitat rehabilitation and trail maintenance.
San Diego Canyonlands and Friends of Navajo Canyon work in the canyon every third Saturday between 9 a.m. and noon to help keep it clean. Teams from Patrick Henry High School Environmental Club and Key Club, by far the largest component of the person-power at work that day, and folks from the local communities, over two dozen in all, assembled at the Easton Court trailhead for cleanup duties.
March
A couple in Del Cerro has been going the extra mile for animals.
Francine Deutsch and Carole Leland have been Del Cerro residents for some 37 years. They have applied and shared a lesson that Deutsch learned at an early age from her great-grandfather.
“Save a third, spend a third, and give away a third,” said Deutsch. “That philosophy translated my whole life.”
The two committed to donating money over the next 10 years to the San Diego Humane Society (SDHS). Their upcoming philanthropic commitment will endow the new Dr. Francine Deutsch and Dr. Carole Leland Community Veterinary Services (CVS) Veterinarian position at SDHS. Additionally, another portion of their contribution supports San Diego Humane Society’s Behavior Center.
* The San Carlos Community Garden was set to celebrate its 10th anniversary in late March with an event at 6460 Boulder Lake Ave. 
“We are beyond excited to celebrate the San Carlos Community Garden’s 10th birthday and a decade of support from local volunteers and our partners including the Sierra School,” said Carol Lockwood, SCCG chair.
Established in 2012 with a grant from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, the SCCG provides a safe and beautiful space for community members to grow healthy and organic food and flowers.
April
The celebration continues for San Diego State University as it celebrates 125 years of educating locals and those coming to the area to study.
SDSU dates back to 1897. That is when the San Diego Normal School was in a building in Downtown San Diego.
SDSU was set to graduate its 500,000th student this year during commencement ceremonies.
Among some famous students to attend SDSU are Tony Gwynn, Gregory Peck, Raquel Welch, Carl Weathers, Marshall Faulk, Kawhi Leonard, Art Linkletter and Marion Ross. Among those who’ve visited the campus over the years was President John F. Kennedy several months before his death in 1963.
* The Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) Foundation launched a new program: Trail Tykes!
Created for children ages two to five years, parents or guardians can join their little ones at the free weekday morning series to hear nature-related stories, sing songs and take short walks at the visitor center to investigate the “small wonders” around us.
May
A plan to build 40 apartment homes in El Cerrito for individuals dealing with chronic homelessness recently moved a step closer to fruition.
The PATH Villas El Cerrito as proposed will take shape at 5476 El Cajon Blvd. Excavation on the location is already happening, with underground parking taking shape. 
The plan is for phase 1 to be 40 units of permanent supportive housing and phase 2 140 units of affordable housing.
* Finding parking at the College-Rolando Library has been more challenging than checking out your favorite book.
As of right now, the library has 28 parking spots on city-owned property outside the library. Planned development for that property could make it all the more difficult for patrons to find parking when coming to the library.
Jan Hintzman, president of the Friends of the College-Rolando Library, said that the parking challenge is definitely having an impact on patrons being able to do business at the library.
“The existing politicians did not cause this problem, but we’re keeping them on the hook to fix it,” Hintzman stated.
* The accomplishments for several Patrick Henry High School spring sports teams continued.
The boys’ tennis team recently completed a historically successful regular season, winning its first San Diego Eastern League championship since 1992.
Meantime, the boys’ golf team also shined in 2022, winning the Eastern League title, finishing with their best team record in seven years.
June
The long-awaited project at Benchley-Weinberger Elementary School in San Carlos has the green light.
The plan is to install grass turf on the gravel fields, giving kids a more enjoyable and safer setting when playing.
Taryn Gross is one of the parents who has been a driving force behind the outdoor upgrades. She serves on the foundation for the school. According to Gross, the playing area for kids now is nothing more than dirt and gravel.
“It has been a dream for our community,, teachers and parents to have grass fields for our students to safely play on for decades,” Gross commented. Gross went on to say that prior roadblocks to getting the setting both kids and parents want have been cleared. “Our school and our kids with gravel-scraped knees have been yearning for this seemingly impossible dream as long as all our families can remember.”
* Some Patrick Henry High School students said enough is enough when it comes to gun violence. 
The students held a peaceful protest June 7 on campus. Approximately 275 out of 2,500 students walked out of classes in protest. Their message among others is that students should not be petrified of a possible shooting instead of focusing on furthering their education.
* Patrick Henry High School celebrated graduation on June 14.
The Class of 2022 included 562 seniors receiving their degrees.
* PHHS boys’ lacrosse capped off back-to-back CIF titles, this time defeating Coronado in the championship. The Patriots had won the title the year before in beating Mt. Carmel High School.
The Patriots were also successful in scoring back-to-back league badminton titles. PHHS topped rival Mira Mesa High School this time around for the league crown.
July
It was a Fourth of July celebration to remember as the Lake Murray Music Fest and Fireworks show was held at Lake Murray Community Park.
A sizable crowd attended the Independence Day event, with music, games, food vendors, and picnics culminating in a dazzling fireworks display over Lake Murray that was viewable throughout the Navajo community. 
* Another 300 trees, including 11 different tree species, were slated to be planted in Allied Gardens.
With the City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2035, a new partnership between SDG&E and the city could help make this goal a reality.
In March, SDG&E and the city joined efforts to plant more than 400 trees in City Heights.
August
Students and staff at Patrick Henry High School eyed a return to campus following summer break. 
“At Henry, we challenge each of our students to reach their full potential with our quality instructional program,” Principal Michelle Irwin said. “We will continue to develop positive relationships with our students, parents and the community. You are always welcome at Patrick Henry High School.
* A major clean-up was slated Aug. 18 for Navajo Canyon.
This is and will be a generational efforts that includes periodic removal of trash.
The plan is for volunteers to divert littler from the San Diego River Watershed and keep it from traveling to the Pacific Ocean.
September
Some Del Cerro residents want answers to the growing homeless encampment issue in their neighborhood.
San Diego’s Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) reported a 10% increase in the number of unhoused individuals in San Diego from 2020 to 2022. And in neighborhoods like Del Cerro, this rising statistic has made an impact while the solutions are still in the works.
Within the past few weeks, Del Cerro residents Gene Erquiaga and Iris Fink noticed an encampment of unhoused individuals in the canyon behind their residential neighborhood.
“It seems like the problem is getting worse and I really don’t know what the answer is,” said Erquiaga. “I think there’s got to be more involvement from the community regarding this issue. It just doesn’t seem like there’s a lot getting done.”
While organizations like San Diego Rescue Mission and PATH are working to get support services to unhoused individuals in Del Cerro and beyond, there is still much to be done.
* A local connection and fellow Kiwanis Club members were on hand to welcome home the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln when it sailed into San Diego.
Kathy Butterstein from the Smoke Tree community of San Diego was among those on hand to greet the returning sailors.
Butterstein was a young teacher in upstate New York back in the 70’s and she would have a connection with one of her students to this day. Flash-forward several decades and the student’s daughter is a Navy doctor serving aboard the aircraft carrier as it sailed back to San Diego.
“You never know where life will take you,” Butterstein commented. “When Deb (her student back then) walked into my classroom 49 years ago, both of us nervous at the start of our first year as student and teacher, we could never have guessed that we would meet again as she sailed into San Diego alongside her daughter, a Navy doctor.”
The Navy sponsors a “Tiger Cruise” for family members who have been out to sea once their tour ends. So, Deb and her husband flew to Hawaii where the carrier was in port (before heading back to San Diego) and boarded the Lincoln to sail with their daughter back to America’s Finest City.
October
Apartment complex plans aligned with San Diego’s Complete Communities housing-crisis alleviation await permit issuance in Del Cerro as several local businesses in the same shopping center face imminent closure.
Residents in a Del Cerro neighborhood have expressed concerns about plans for an apartment complex at Del Cerro Boulevard and Madra Avenue. These approximate plans include a 6-story building with 114 units and one story of parking containing 146 parking spots. 
Jeff Katz, owner of the property and president of Tapestry Development Company, the project’s developer, explained his reason for creating these plans.
“I’ve lived in Del Cerro for 30 years, and I’ve never seen homelessness this bad, and I’ve never seen so many people who are leaving or struggling to get by because of how expensive housing is,” Katz said.
Current business owners located at the property, Madra Liquor and Deli and Define U Fitness, were forced to close up shop before year’s end.
* Mission Trails Dentistry celebrated its 25th year in business with a celebration on Oct. 27.
Dr. Bradley Ross, Dr. Ian Murray, Dr. Leslie Phillips, and their staff hosted an open house for patients and the community.
It’s been 25 years since ross transformed the former Great Western Bank building on the corner of Navajo and Jackson in the San Carlos neighborhood.
According to Ross, he appreciates the opportunity he and the staff have had to provide dental care for thousands of members of the community.
* Patrick Henry High’s Anna Pallencaoe and Kate Pritchard won the Western League doubles girls’ tennis championships. Meantime, the Lady Patriots volleyball team earned a spot in the CIF playoffs.
November
A busy flu season showed up at Patrick Henry High School.
School officials said a large number of students were experiencing flu-like symptoms, leading to a period of high absences that lasted approximately five days. Teachers adjusted their lesson plans and pacing in the response.
“Student health is always a priority,” Principal Michelle Irwin commented. “If students don’t feel well, they won’t be able to do well in school.” 
The outbreak comes during an early start to the flu season, which typically lasts from October to May.
* On Sunday, Nov. 13, the Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP) visitor center was to be transformed into a seasonal marketplace.
It was set to feature one-of-a-kind gifts from makers and artists with nature-themed offerings.
The event supports the independent vendors participating and 30% of sales will also benefit the park through the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation.
December
SDSU students came out in droves for last month’s midterm elections. 
According to a report from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University, some 27% of voters in the 18-29 age range voted last month. The previous high for that age grouping to vote in a midterm was approximately 31 percent in 2018.
“I think it’s important for everyone to vote, not only college students, but it is true that younger voters – by turning out at lower rates – have less of a say in what happens in politics, even though many of the decisions taken at the local, state, and federal levels affect their day-to-day lives,” said Kimberly Swift, a political science professor at SDSU.
“I believe voting is, and will forever be, the strongest weapon of a democracy,” said Josh Rawson, president of the College Republicans. “Real change comes through the ballot box. If you want to see your community grow and become better, you have to vote.”
* Five local educators representing schools in Del Mar, National City, Poway, San Ysidro, and Chula Vista have been named San Diego County Teachers of the Year.
Among the winners was Allied Gardens resident Melissa Rains.
Rains teaches at Castle Park Middle School in the Sweetwater Union High School District.
Those are but a few of the happenings in the Mission Times Courier area this past year.
Mission Times Courier wishes you a Happy New Year and thank you as always for reading our publication.
Editor’s note: Elaine Alfaro, Michelle Irwin and Natali Gonzalez contributed to this article.
