• America on Travel + Leisure Magazine’s website made known to the country to what San Diegans already know by naming Balboa Park “one of the coolest urban parks in America.” The site noted the park’s open-air San Diego Zoo, the Tony Award-winning Old Globe Theater and the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean from several spots in the park. The magazine called the 1,200-acre park San Diego’s “single greatest tourist attraction,” where park-derived tourist spending came to $114.3 million, according to the Trust for Public Land. “In gaining this recognition, many Americans will come to understand what we in San Diego already know,” said Mayor Jerry Sanders in a recent statement. “Balboa Park is not only one of the largest and most beautiful city parks in the U.S., but also one of the coolest.” • The San Diego Padres announced they have selected Susan G. Komen for the Cure as one of their select charities for the 2011 season. Through May 8, $5 from each ticket sold with a special promotional code will be donated to the San Diego chapter of the breast cancer organization. The team will also promote various special events during its May 2-8 homestand, such as “Friday Party at the Park: Beerfest” on May 6 and “Bud Black Bobbleheads” on May 7. On May 8, an “honorary bat girl” will be recognized in their annual Mother’s Day celebration. Several players are expected to use pink bats stamped with the MLB breast cancer awareness logo on that day, demonstrating their support for the cause. • The 12th annual Lawnmower Trade-In Event proved to once again be a success as hundreds of residents lined up at the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, on April 23 to trade in their old, gasoline powered mowers for a new electric version. Pat Patterson, of National City, was the first in line for the deal. He arrived at the site at 8 p.m. the night before, followed by Frank Alonzo of Chula Vista at 1:30 a.m. The bulk of mowing hopefuls arrived between 4 and 6 a.m. Seven hundred and ten lucky San Diegans went home with a new Black and Decker CMM 1200, 24-volt cordless mulching mower. The model, which costs $399, was sold to the participants at the bargain price of $99. “The average gasoline-powered lawnmower spews out 40 times more pollution than a late model car,” said County Supervisor Ron Roberts, who spearheaded the campaign 12 years ago. “Since the annual lawnmower trade-in event started in 2000, it has distributed 5,200 zero-emission lawnmowers and taken 22 tons per year of volatile organic compounds out of the air.” • On April 15, Mayor Jerry Sanders joined County Supervisor Greg Cox, City Councilman Kevin Faulconer and representatives from the Kumeyaay Tribe at Spanish Landing to toast the first major construction milestone of the San Salvador, a historically-accurate replica of the European flagship that first explored the Pacific Coast in 1542. Hosted by the Maritime Museum of San Diego, the event kicked off construction of the ship with a keel-laying ceremony. The San Salvador will serve as the keystone in a living-history exhibit commemorating California heritage.