30th annual UC Celebration on the 4th of July
History lesson: Thirty years ago Sandy Lippe wanted to bring some of her east coast traditions to University City and said that “I tried to get a parade in University City because I grew up in Stratford, Conn., where each patriotic holiday the American Legion put on a huge parade on Main Street. However, the permit process was unbelievable and police weren’t available to man each street that intersected with Governor Drive. So we switched to a UC Celebration at Standley Park. Sunny Pippin agreed to co-chair the first one, and we enlisted Sue Detisch, Lenda Paris, Bob Vilven, Phyllis Speer, Bonnie Hornbeck, Mary Mathis and others to kick-off a July 4th UC Celebration to keep folks at home and take a page out of New England and mid-western celebrations.” Early fliers for the UC Celebration listed events that included a Beard Growing Contest, Bingo, Sheriff and Jail, Soccer Tournament, the Molly Trolley, a Realtors Relay, and a Family Dance. Good times. Fast forward to today? The 2019 UC Celebration schedule includes: 7:30 to10 a.m. – Pancake Breakfast;
7:45/8 a.m. – 1-Mile Fun Run/5K begins – sign-ups online or onsite starting at 6:30 a.m.; 9 a.m. – Book Barn and Ticket Sales Open;
10 a.m. to 1:00pm – UC Car Show at Spreckels Elementary parking lot;
10:30a.m. – Bike & Pet Parade let by the Standley Middle School Marching Band;
11 a.m. – Official Opening and kickoff for all day music, entertainment, field games, and Kids Fun Zone;
noon – Photo Scavenger Hunt;
1 to 3 p.m. – Snow Play area open;
5 p.m. – Manual Scan band performs;
7 p.m. – True Stories band performs. That’s not all the fun for 2019! Swanson Pool will be open for free swim. A mechanical bull will be on hand for the kiddos. Vendor and community group booths are open for shopping and information gathering, plus many booths will have fun activities for the kids. Trees 1000 will be giving away trees. Food booths include hot dogs, burgers, nachos, kettlecorn, root beer floats, BBQ, cookies and cakes, shave ice, and East African Flavors. And under the gazebo, you’ll find the Beer and Wine Garden. Standley Park is located at 3585 Governor Drive. The Old Town Trolley will be making stops along Governor Drive to ease with parking. Make history with your friends and family, and come to the traditional 4th of July UC Celebration at Standley Park. More info at uccelebration.com. Drones and You: Navigating Innovation
The City of San Diego was selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct testing as part of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP). During the three-year program, the City will be working with several public and private sector partners to test the feasibility of advanced UAS operations, including unmanned traffic management, night operations, flight over people, and flight beyond the visual line of sight.
The City is hosting a public workshop on Thursday, July 11, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the University Community Library, located at 4155 Governor Drive. Discover the latest in drones, including package delivery, air transportation, and how a drone can save your life. To RSVP and suggest specific workshop agenda items, visit bit.ly/RSVPdrone. For more program info, go to SanDiego.gov/uas. UCUC Blood Drive
On Saturday, July 13, there will be a UCUC San Diego Blood Bank Bloodmobile Blood Drive at the Sprouts Marketplace on Governor Drive and Regents Road, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You can sign up at in advance at mysdbb.org. Spontaneous Blood Donors and Blood Buddies are also welcome. The last Blood Drive, in May, collected 32 pints of blood – anything over 30 is considered above-average. Prior to donating, eat your beans and greens in the days before you give blood, and if you’re sick or on antibiotics, skip this Blood Drive. Also, keep in mind that your body will temporarily be down a pint of life-giving liquid for about a day, and depending on your body size, that could be 10 percent of your total blood. So, drink lots of water before and after you give blood, and stay cool.  Save the Date for July Summer Fun in UC July 14, 5 p.m. – Summer Concert, Standley Park: Ron & the Reapers (‘60s Rock)
July 19, dusk – Summer Movies in the Park, Villa La Jolla Park: The Greatest Showman
July 21, 5 p.m. – Summer Concert, Standley Park: Teaser (Arena Rock)
July 28, 5 p.m. – Summer Concert, Standley Park: Los Tecolotes (‘60s to ‘90s Rock).