If you live in or around the College Area, you know there was much to see in 2022.
Desde the continued battle with COVID, homeless issues in area neighborhoods, news on and around the San Diego State University campus including the school’s 125th anniversary celebration and more, much happened over the last 12 months.
Here is a look back at some of the events that captured the attention of locals.
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.
En escuela secundaria patricio henry, 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.”
febrero
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.
Estadio boca de dragón is set to take centerstage later this year at an estimated cost of $310 million.
Jugando partidos de fútbol en casa desde el otoño de 1967 en lo que entonces se conocía como el Estadio San Diego (más tarde se convirtió en el Estadio Jack Murphy), los aztecas se quedaron sin hogar a partir de la temporada 2020. SDSU jugó las campañas 2020 y 2021 en Carson.
De acuerdo a 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.”
* Talk continued on the plans for the proposed All People’s Church on College Avenue.
The proposed church has been a sticking point for some residents of the community.
If permitted to go through, plans would include a 900-seat sanctuary, a dozen classrooms set aside for both Sunday school and church programs, nearly 365 parking spaces, a basketball gym for youth and the community, a room for prayer, and space set aside outside towards fellowship and coffee.
March
A couple in del cerro has been going the extra mile for animals.
Francine Deutsch y 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.
“Ahorre un tercio, gaste un tercio y regale un tercio”, dijo Deutsch. “Esa filosofía tradujo toda mi vida”.
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 annual Rolando Street Fair was on the calendar for March 20.
This popular annual event has welcomed thousands of people to the Rolando community for more than 20 years.
RSF is one of San Diego’s only neighborhood street fairs, taking place on residential streets under vintage acorn lampposts and silk oak trees that were planted more than 75 years ago.
After a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rolando Community Council was proud to welcome back an estimated 10,000 residents to celebrate all that many love about the area.
April
The celebration continues for Universidad Estatal de San Diego 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 500,000el 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 SDSU celebration was not lost on some people living in Fincas Alvarado.
Alvarado Estates (AE) shares some wonderful historic as well as present day connections with the university. Many Alvarado Estates residents have been SDSU employees or students.
It was actually the vision and efforts of university professors who helped to first plan and develop the neighborhood in the late 1940s and 1950s. In fact, about one third of the 85 original lots were purchased by then San Diego State College professors who shared a dream of “country living within the city.”
* Hospital Alvarado was recognized by Healthgrades as a 2022 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient.
The distinction places the facility among the top five percent of all short-term acute care hospitals as evaluated by Heathgrades, a marketplace connecting patients and providers.
May
A plan to build 40 apartment homes in El Cerrito for individuals dealing with chronic homelessness recently moved a step closer to fruition.
El 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.
El plan es que la fase 1 sea de 40 unidades de vivienda de apoyo permanente y la fase 2 de 140 unidades de vivienda asequible.
* Finding parking at the Colegio-Biblioteca Rolando 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.
* Members of the College Area Community Planning Board (CACPB) say crucial issues like zoning, density, and mobility are at stake and that San Diego’s Planning Department is ignoring their recommendations to update the College Area Community Plan.
Su concepto no se presentó como una opción en la encuesta reciente de la Ciudad en busca de aportes públicos sobre lo que será el "modelo" para el futuro desarrollo del Área Universitaria hasta 2050. En cambio, el departamento de planificación promovió dos de sus propios planes en la extensa encuesta técnica. que estuvo en línea entre el 27 de marzo y el 1 de mayo de 2022.
June
College Area residents have been voicing their concerns and ideas in an effort to help shape what’s known as the College Area Community Plan Update.
Last updated in 1989, it will literally lay the groundwork for future housing, mobility, park space, and other aspects of community development through 2050. 
On June 6, more than 100 residents attended an in-person meeting to give voice to their development ideas.
They met to help inform decisions about how they and future community members will live, work and play in the College Area.
* Some escuela secundaria patricio henry 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.
July
A shooting late last month in the Área universitaria left a young area man dead and led to an arrest by the San Diego Police Department (SDPD). 
On July 1, SDPD announced it had arrested David Rasean Vereen, 22. He was booked on charges of suspicion of murder and suspicion of firing on a dwelling.
Recent Grossmont High School graduate Kevin Burton, 18, was shot in the head after leaving a party in the College Area in the early morning hours of June 25. He was placed on life support at an area hospital but since passed away.
* 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.
August
Students attending San Diego State University (SDSU), will be starting the fall semester on Monday, Aug. 22. That means summertime is ending and move-in time will be the week of the 16el.
College Area residents know all too well that parties will soon likely follow. In fact, the upcoming Labor Day holiday is traditionally the first major party weekend on the academic calendar.
This school year, residents hope things will be sane and safe.
Community members have been dealing with problematic rental properties in College Area neighborhoods for years on end.
* Project Homekey funds await approval while some residents are still concerned with a planned homeless housing project in El Cerrito.
After the Board of Supervisors approved a hybrid development of homeless housing and affordable housing for the El Cerrito neighborhood back in April, construction broke ground at 5476 El Cajon Blvd. To kick off phase one of plans.
This comes after a funding partnership was struck between PATH Ventures, Family Health Center of San Diego (FHCSD), BOLD Communities, the City of San Diego, the San Diego Housing Commission, and the County of San Diego. It is a group effort aimed at helping alleviate the homelessness impacting this neighborhood.
September
El College Area Community Plan Update (CACPU) has remained a hot topic throughout 2022.
After community members overwhelmingly rejected two housing development scenarios proposed by the City in an online survey last May, they spent the late spring and summer advocating their own plan for the future of the College Area.
Rather than give up or give in, residents showed up en masse at two in-person meetings to share their ideas and preferences for College Area development through 2050.
On June 6, more than 100 community members met at Faith Presbyterian Church to attend a planning meeting co-hosted by the College Area Community Council (CACC), and Neighbors for a Better San Diego (NFABSD).
On June 29, about 125 community members attended an open house convened by City planning staff at College Avenue Baptist Church.
Resident Danna Givot upon hearing that the City is massively behind on its housing targets noted, “That is no excuse to punish the communities that happen to be working on community plan updates, with excessive zoning. The College Area should plan for the growth it is anticipated to experience by 2050, not for the shortfall the City as a whole is experiencing in achieving its RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Assessment) goals.”
* A local connection and fellow club kiwanis 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
San Diego State University (SDSU) is focusing greater attention on student safety this academic year, after several notable incidents following College Area parties.
One of the incidents pointing to the need for increased safety measures is a sexual violence report by a minor who attended a 2021 Halloween party at a student rental on Rockford Drive. Some former members of the SDSU football team have been accused of the alleged sexual assault. For the past year, the campus community and the community at-large have both been saying they are shocked, saddened, angered, and worried.
They’ve also been saying they want the University to be accountable and forthcoming.
* Mission Trails Dentistry celebrated its 25el 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.
November
For some Rolando residents living close to or doing business near the former Rite Aid at 6405 El Cajon Boulevard, they want action on a homeless encampment around the old drugstore.
With an empty business now where the former drugstore once operated, chalk up yet another site where homelessness is becoming a hot community topic.
Rolando resident Susan Adams noted, “There is often drug usage, drug dealing, and prostitution. Cars come and go making whatever deals they are making. Get It Done reports are submitted almost on a daily basis by many of the local residents and myself. As far as I know, no arrests are made even though they (homeless individuals) are trespassing.”
* For years, Área universitaria residents have been asking for more parks and recreational opportunities.
In 2020, more than 400 people completed a survey to share their perspective with City planners. According to the City, more than 80% of respondents indicated that the park and recreational needs of their household were not currently met in the College Area.
More recently, community members gave input about parks during an open house held by City planners.
Some expressed their desire for traditional park amenities like general open space, a playground, and circuit training equipment, while others highlighted the need for public space amenities like community gardens, a farmers market, and a dog park.
Local resident, Kelsey Smith, took part in the 2022 meeting. 
“My husband and I are raising four children who are age 10 and under, right here in the College Area,” she said. “I want the City to know that we need a park on the El Cerrito side of the neighborhood. A nice plan to connect with neighbors, where all the kids can safely play and families can get to know each other,” she added.
* With winter not even officially here yet, how bad of a flu season might it be when all is said and done?
San Diego State University (SDSU) students and officials are working to get out in front of the flu season by being pro-active.
Above all, SDSU officials said the best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated.
To help students do this, SDSU hosted pop-up vaccine clinics throughout October. The campaign, “Say Boo to the Flu,” offered students the opportunity to get their flu vaccine for free and be entered to win prizes for doing so.
“I think the pop-up clinics were very effective,” said student Flavio Signoretti. “I was able to get my flu shot there in less than 10 minutes.”
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.”
* On the heels of the successful launch of “Parks After Dark,” San Diego’s newest program that attracted thousands of people to three under-served parks this summer, Jon Hinkin has been named the San Diego Parks Foundation’s new executive director.
A former member of the USA Rugby team, the College Area resident brings decades of international sports expertise and business acumen as he takes the helm of the nonprofit organization.
Those are but a few of the happenings in the College Times Courier area this past year.
College Times Courier wishes you a Happy New Year and thank you as always for reading our publication.
Editor’s note: Elaine Alfaro, karen austin and Natali Gonzalez contributed to this article.
