Museums and parks

Fleet Science Center to celebrate 50 years

Visitors to the Fleet Science Center can hop in a time machine and explore 50 years of science, pop culture, trends and San Diego history with “Flashback,” a new exhibition which opened Saturday, Feb. 11. The exhibit features the Fleet’s classic collection set in five themed galleries representing the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

Flashback opens ahead of the Fleet’s 50th-anniversary celebration on Friday, March 10. The Fleet will be celebrating all year long with events, activations, community partnerships and more.

To celebrate this milestone, the Fleet Science Center is rolling back prices from March 10-14, 2023, to its original 1973 ticket price of $2.50.

The Fleet is open daily to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at the ticket counter and online at fleetscience.org.

Comic-Con Museum named best pop culture museum by USA Today

San Diego Comic Convention’s Comic-Con Museum is the winner of the Best Pop Culture Museum category in the 2023 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The contest featured prominent museums from across the U.S., with winners determined by popular vote from members of the public. 

“Comic-Con and Comic-Con Museum have one of the most loyal fan bases and we are beyond thankful for their support,” said Executive Director Rita Vandergaw. “We are eager to continue producing interactive and quality exhibits for the public, including our current hands-on Animation Academy.” 

Construction begins on AIDS Memorial and park in Bankers Hill

At the groundbreaking for Olive Street Park in Bankers Hill, Mayor Todd Gloria was joined by State Assemblymember Chris Ward, San Diego City Councilman Stephen Whitburn, and the San Diego AIDS Memorial Task Force. An innovative memorial honoring and remembering San Diegans who have died from AIDS will be located in the.6-acre park.

The park will feature a tribute to honor the nearly 8,000 San Diegans who have lost their lives to AIDS.

“What has long been nothing but an empty, unused lot will soon be Olive Street Park, a beautiful place for members of the Bankers Hill community to relax and enjoy the view, and its AIDS Memorial will finally give San Diegans a place to remember, honor and grieve for loved ones taken from us by AIDS,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “I’m deeply grateful to the AIDS Memorial Task Force and all who made today possible.”

An empty lot will be turned into a community space as part of this $2.3 million project, which also includes an overlook deck to take in the open space of Maple Canyon below, an AIDS memorial, a new playground for kids of all ages, exercise equipment, a lawn area, and ADA-compliant pathways to facilitate access for all users.

Getting around

SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass reaches 5 million rides

Following the SANDAG Board of Directors meeting on Friday, leaders from SANDAG, Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), North County Transit District (NCTD), and the County of San Diego gathered to celebrate the significant milestone of recording more than five million youth rides since the Youth Opportunity Pass (YOP) program began in May 2022.

The number of estimated unique youth riders taking transit at least once a month has tripled since April 2022, and more than 40,000 Youth PRONTO cards have been distributed in partnership with schools and community organizations across the county.  

During Friday’s press conference, SANDAG and San Diego County Chairwoman Nora Vargas expressed the importance of making a commitment to funding the extension of the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program indefinitely.

The SANDAG YOP is one of many programs in the SANDAG Regional Plan, which aims to advance equity, help eliminate disparities in the region, and improve quality of life for historically underserved and underrepresented communities. 

“Today we are celebrating a big step toward transportation equity, thanks to years of community advocacy and the excellent interagency collaboration in our region,” said SANDAG Vice Chair and San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera. “By extending this historic program, we are expanding opportunity for San Diego’s young people and encouraging a lifetime of more sustainable and less expensive transportation habits.” 

The SANDAG YOP gives young people age 18 and under access to unlimited free rides on the bus, Trolley, COASTER, and SPRINTER with a Youth PRONTO account.

Northbound Texas St. closed intermittently

The City of San Diego will be closing the northbound traffic lanes of Texas Street to replace a guardrail and reconstruct the stormwater channel adjacent to the road. A detour will be in place to direct northbound traffic heading into Mission Valley from Texas Street to alternate routes on Adams Avenue and Interstate 805.  

The Texas Street northbound lane will close intermittently throughout the length of the project, which is expected to last at least three weeks depending on weather conditions. During the road closure, City crews will be doing grading and reconstruction work in the channel along the northbound lane of Texas Street to address erosion caused by recent storms. The project also includes the removal and replacement of a damaged guardrail.

Events

25th Annual Mission Hills Garden Walk scheduled for Mother’s Day weekend

The Mission Hills Garden Walk, a cherished gardening custom in this charming community, will mark its 25th anniversary in 2023. Each year has been a success, as the event showcases a wide range of gardens that are likely to provide inspiration for those considering making improvements to their own gardens, or for those who simply want to wander through and take in the beauty of each one. Spectacular gardens from previous seasons will be included on the walk, along with stunning gardens that have yet to be discovered. It will once again take place on May 13th, the Saturday before Mother’s Day.

This year’s Garden Walk will again include a scavenger hunt with a prize for all children who find treasures in the gardens. Admission is free for children 10 and under, however strollers are not allowed in the gardens.

The Garden Walk is approximately a 2-mile route through the Mission Hills neighborhood, and participants will select time slots to limit the amount of people in any given garden. Participants will pick up their map at Mission Hills Nursery, 1525 Fort Stockton Dr., on the day of the walk at their selected start time. Tickets go on sale March 15, and should be purchased in advance at missionhillsgardenclub.org. There is no guarantee tickets will be available the day of the walk.

Tickets on sale for “1776”

Tickets for the timeless musical, 1776, are now on sale.This iconic show is a must-see for anyone who loves history, drama, and great music.

1776 is a Tony Award-winning Best Musical that brings to life the story of how the founding fathers of the United States came together to create a nation. This new production, directed by Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus, features a multiracial cast of female, transgender, and nonbinary actors portraying the fiery founders of this country. The show puts history in the hands of the humans who were left out the first time around, resulting in an epic show of passion, debate, and roof-raising musical fireworks.

The show will be in San Diego from May 9-14. Tickets are on sale at broadwaysd.com.

San Diego EXPO Day is back at Petco Park

The annual San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering’s signature EXPO day is scheduled to be back at Petco Park, and a full day of fun will be provided by hundreds of San Diego area businesses, schools, libraries, and museums.

Admission is free and the event is open to the public, and over 100 booths will be showcasing new and returning hands-on learning, interactive activities, and experiments to inspire kids (and kids at heart!) to engage in all things science, technology, engineering, arts, and math

The event is being held on March 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Philanthropy

United Way of San Diego County hosts book drive for local children

United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) in partnership with Warwick’s La Jolla and Libélula Books & Co. in Barrio Logan will host its annual book drive starting Feb. 14 to collect 2,000 books to distribute to children throughout the region.

To inspire a love of reading in K–12 children across San Diego County, local businesses and individuals are invited to give either new books or money through March 31. UWSD wants to expand kids’ access to books at home and foster a new generation of diverse readers by collecting 2,000 books through this drive. When the campaign is finished, all of the books will be donated to San Diego County children in need to help them expand their home libraries.

“Children everywhere have big dreams of becoming writers, doctors, lawyers, artists, veterinarians, and more. Lack of access to books and not reading at grade level are reasons why students fall behind in school and their dreams slip away. To help keep dreams a reality, our team alongside our community partners work to ensure local students are reading at grade level,” says Nancy L. Sasaki, President and CEO, United Way of San Diego County.

New, unused books will be accepted in-person at UWSD’s office (4699 Murphy Canyon Road) between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the following Tuesdays: February 21, February 28, March 7, March 14, March 21, and March 28. Books can also be purchased in-person at Warwick’s La Jolla (7812 Girard Ave.) and Libélula Books & Co. (950 S 26th St.) in Barrio Logan.

SD-based Jensen Meat Co. donates 160k+ pounds of product to Feeding San Diego

 Feeding San Diego has received a donation of 166,300 pounds of product from Jensen Meat Company that will help the non-profit continue to provide nutritious food throughout San Diego County. The donation includes ground beef and plant-based meat that will be distributed by Feeding San Diego and its community partners focused on hunger-relief, which include other non-profits, faith-based organizations, and meal programs. Jensen Meat Company is a leading processor and marketer of high-quality ground beef products that has expanded into plant-based beef alternatives in recent years.   

Jensen Meat Company has been a food donor to Feeding San Diego since 2015 and has donated over 784,107 pounds of food to the organization to date, including Feeding San Diego’s largest food donation ever—500,000 pounds of plant-based patties— last year. Feeding San Diego works with local food manufacturers like Jensen Meat Company to rescue food that might otherwise end up in a landfill, for business reasons such as surplus or changed orders. For this donation, Jensen Meat Company specially produced this product as a donation, but most donations are done to cut food waste.  

“This donation from Jensen Meat Company enables us to provide a most-requested item: frozen meat protein,” says Patty O’Connor, chief supply chain officer at Feeding San Diego. “With grocery prices still inflated, families are struggling to afford high-cost items like meat and dairy. Thanks to the generosity of our local food donors, we can provide more choice to the people we serve.”  

San Diego based nonprofit organization wins two prestigious Anthem Awards

For its four-part film series, “The History of Joy,” Vanguard Culture, a nonprofit organization devoted to strengthening San Diego’s creative industries, has won two coveted Anthem Awards under the Category of Education, Arts & Culture.

Vanguard Culture collaborated with The Rosin Box Project and California Poet Laureate Nominee Gill Sotu to produce eight short films over the course of a year, each inspired by one of the Eight Pillars of Joy found in The Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Doug Abrams.

A total of 37 creatives, 62% of whom are BIPOC (Black & Indigenous People of Color), including two trans women, were employed for the History of Joy series, which emphasizes social justice, generational legacies, the female experience, and climate change.

In addition to this full-length feature film, Vanguard Culture collaborated with 22 arts organizations and hosted over 10 hours of discussions and original content regarding the subjects of the picture with some of San Diego’s most renowned artists in dance, theater, opera, and other performing arts.

“We are so thrilled by all of the recent accolades that this project has garnered and are so grateful to highlight the virtuosity of San Diego’s creative sector to a world audience. I hope that those who experience this series will be moved towards introspection, humility, unity, and positive action,” said Susanna Peredo Swap, the film’s producer and director.

Cost of living

SDG&E offer new energy efficiency program

San Diego Gas & Electric has introduced a brand-new, free energy efficiency upgrade program for renters and owners of single-family homes in an effort to assist consumers keep their energy expenses down. The new initiative, known as Residential Energy Solutions (RES), has no income requirements and has the potential to assist local households in making long-term energy bill reductions.

“Not only can energy efficiency upgrades help our customers save long term on their energy bills and make their homes more comfortable,” said SDG&E Vice President of Customer Services Dana Golan. “Additionally, reducing energy use can help our region and our state cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet our climate goals.”

Those that are eligible for RES receive free equipment like smart thermostats and HVAC services for air duct testing and sealing. The program’s objectives are to assist clients in better managing their energy use, reducing heating and cooling expenses, and achieving zero net energy for their residences. In a zero net energy building, energy consumption is either lower than or equal to renewable energy production.

Homes valued over $1 million have increased by 17% since 2015

According to a new Today’s Homeowner research, San Diego has seen a considerable increase in million-dollar homes, with 17% more million-dollar residences in 2021 than in 2015. The study also finds that the share of million-dollar homes in San Diego is 23.8% More than the national average, and while over 28% of homes in San Diego are valued over $1 million, only 16% of residents can actually afford them.

Government news

City of San Diego awarded State Cannabis Equity Grant

The Governor of California’s Office of Commerce and Economic Development awarded the City of San Diego a statewide grant totaling more than $880,000 as part of an ongoing effort to promote equity in the local cannabis business (GO-Biz). Via funding grants to pay permit and license fees as well as related start-up property costs, the funds will assist locals looking to enter the legal cannabis sector in San Diego while also opening up employment opportunities in the cannabis industry.

San Diego was among 16 cities and counties across the state to receive a combined $15 million in grants, funded through tax revenue generated from statewide recreational cannabis sales.

“The historical enforcement of drug laws produced profound disparities in business ownership, wage earnings and mass incarceration within the criminal justice system for African American/Black, Latino and Native American/Indigenous communities,” said Kim Desmond, the City’s Chief of Race and Equity. “An acknowledgment of historic institutional racism and systemic inequity is key to understanding disparities in the cannabis industry.”

Local distribution of the GO-Biz grants will help the state advance economic justice for those whose lives have been negatively affected by cannabis prohibition. With the aid of these awards, prospective business owners will be able to obtain education and training, pay for license and permission costs, and receive assistance with the renting of property for their ventures in a variety of fields that support regional cannabis enterprises. They include, among others, financial, marketing, and legal services.

Port of San Diego passes new rules for street vendors along the Waterfront

In a significant policy change, the Port of San Diego has made the area along the Embarcadero permissible for food vendors, T-shirt sellers, and other merchants who get permits and adhere to a set of new rules controlling commercial activity.

The revisions to the San Diego Port’s law controlling street vending and what is known as expressive activity—which includes music, art, pamphleteering, and other activities protected by the First Amendment—were approved last week by a unanimous vote of the port’s commissioners.

The new ordinance, which takes effect on May 1, reserves 36 specific locations for licensed commercial sellers along the Embarcadero, from the Grape Street piers to Seaport Village. These locations are spread out among eight different zones. For those who participate in free speech, there are an additional 41 spots available on a first-come, first-served basis in the same area.

Leading locals

Pacific Arts Movement announces new Executive Director

Alex Villafuerte has been named the new executive director of Pacific Arts Movement (Pac Arts), organizers of the San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF). Villafuerte joins Pac Arts with almost a decade of experience as an advocate for LGBTQ and Asian American and Pacific Islander voices and experiences as a local community leader and lifelong supporter of the organization.

“I’m honored to join the Pacific Arts Movement family as their Executive Director,” said Pacific Arts Movement Executive Director Alex Villafuerte. “I hope the San Diego community will join us in April as we kick off the Spring Showcase and continue amplifying the stories of our Asian and Pacific Islander community.”

Villafuerte, who formerly held the position of San Diego Pride’s Director of Marketing and Communications, adds years of experience in event and community organizing to the city’s major civic event, the San Diego Pride march. In 2018, he spearheaded the effort to launch the San Diego LGBTQ APIMEDA Coalition and sold over $3 million in tickets. His work elevated LGBTQ arts and culture and increased San Diego Pride’s year-round programming.

“Our city has been a beneficiary of Alex’s leadership in key community organizations including San Diego Pride, Asian Business Association San Diego, and the San Diego API Coalition. I’m looking forward to seeing Alex elevate arts and culture in our region as the new Executive Director of the Pacific Arts Movement,” shares Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego.

North Park artist debuts AI art exhibit

“Sky to Machine – A Solo Exhibition by Adrian Huth” is currently on exhibit at Bfree Studio on Girard Ave in La Jolla through March 11. North Park artist Huth prompted a visual AI tool to garner inspiration for his artwork.

“‘Sky To A Machine’ is the original text I typed into the prompt of a visual AI tool just to see how it would render back images to me. The initial results were exciting and so I spent another hour refining the prompt with additional modifiers until I reached a composition I wanted to paint,” said Huth. “One of the biggest concerns is that the use of AI in art may lead to a dehumanization of the creative process and the concept of ‘artist.’ As an oil and acrylic painter, I do not feel that AI is a substitute for my human creativity. Instead, I find it to be a powerful tool that can be used to augment and enhance my creativity.”

San Diego patrons can enjoy his art at Bfree Studio through March 11 on Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and anytime by appointment. Additionally, the public can come to Bfree for an Artist Talk on March 5 from 1-3 p.m. to learn more about Huth’s artistic process and how he incorporates AI into his artwork.

San Diego Author releases new suspense novel

The Boneyard, a newly published suspense novel written by San Diego resident KIM, follows Hugo Trainer, a small-time writer and paranormal investigator, during an investigation of a suspicious island off the coast of San Diego. Still to this day, the U.S. Navy questions why they sent a team of explorers to an island and only four returned home. Discover why the island is named The Boneyard and the secrets beneath the land.

The Boneyard, a 112-page novel with a retail price of $14.00, is now available in retailers nationwide.

North Park student selected to American Football Worldwide’s ELITE Team

Z. Harrison Quinto, a standout athlete at St. Augustine High School in North Park has been chosen to represent the United States as part of the American Football Worldwide ELITE TEAM. Quinto, a 5’ 8”, 170-pound running back/linebacker, will be one of 30 players on the high school senior select team squad.

“It was an honor to be invited to play for American Football Worldwide in Italy,” commented Quinto on his selection to the AFW ELITE team. “I am looking forward to a memorable experience.”

The American Football Worldwide ELITE TEAM will travel to Italy for a week of educational touring, serving as ambassadors for American football and culminating the week participating in a rare and special international game against a national 20U American Football team representing Italy. The game will take place at Vigorelli Stadium, in Milan, on Saturday April 8, 2023.

American Football Worldwide’s ELITE TEAM builds its roster from scouting, recommendations and nominations provided by high school coaches. The roster has representation from every region of the United States and this year will have student-athletes from 13 different states and the District of Columbia.

Quinto was a regular at both inside and outside linebacker for head coach Ron Gladnick’s Saints. St. Augustine was a CIF quarterfinalist out of the San Diego Section D1 Western League. He finished the year with 33 total tackles and was a second team all-conference performer.