We honored the legacy of civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. across San Diego. On Jan. 19th, Team Foster walked in the 43rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade along Harbor Drive. It was so good to see families and community come together for the event. Thanks to the organizers, Zeta Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and the San Diego Alpha Foundation.

January 29th kicked off the Lunar New Year worldwide. It's a time for families to give gifts to each other and attend cultural festivities. On Jan. 28th, the Council celebrated the proclamation of "Lunar New Year Week" in the City of San Diego with community members, and we watched a traditional Lion Dance performance by the San Diego Lucky Lion Dancers. Happy Lunar New Year!

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Neighborhood Festival & Parade Celebration on Jan. 25th. The parade along Skyline Drive started outside Valencia Park Elementary and concluded at MLK Park. The outdoor festival followed the parade and featured the Ground-Up Youth Sports Showcase. The George L. Stevens Senior Center hosted an indoor MLK program featuring keynote speaker Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber.

It was beautiful to see the community come together to honor the legacy of our great civil rights leader. Let’s continue to strive for excellence and come together as a united community.

Congratulations to Pastor James Moore Jr. for 20 years of service at the New Paradise Missionary Baptist Church. To commemorate the anniversary, I had the honor to proclaim Jan. 26, 2025, as “Pastor James Moore Jr. Day” in the Fourth Council District in the City of San Diego. Thank you, Pastor Moore’s dedication to instilling faith in the community.

Fannie Lou Hamer made an impact on America’s civil rights and food justice movement during the late 1960's. She is celebrated across the nation, including here in San Diego. On Dec. 5th, Project New Village (PNV) hosted the 13th Annual Fannie Lou Hamer Legacy Celebration at UC San Diego Park & Market in Downtown San Diego. PNV is spearheaded by San Diego’s very own food justice advocate, Diane Moss. 

I am proud of Morse High School “Hungry Tiger Culinary Arts” students for catering the event with success. Congratulations to all the Food Justice Equity Award recipients, including Dr. Tina M. King of San Diego College of Continuing Education, and Yesenia Ceja Zamorano of Food Access Research for Equity in Nutrition SDSU.

On Dec. 7th, the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council hosted their Holiday Food and Toy Drive for union families. It was great to fellowship with working families and my fellow colleagues. Nearly 400 union families received a holiday meal and toys. Thank you to all the donors and the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council for giving our families a holiday to remember. We must continue to uplift and support our working families.

On Dec. 10th, we celebrated the 75th Inauguration Ceremony for the City of San Diego. Congratulations to my fellow Councilmembers on their re-election: Joe LaCava (D1),  Stephen Whitburn (D3), Marni von Wilpert (D5), Raul Campillo (D7), and Sean Elo-Rivera (D9). Congratulations to Mayor Todd Gloria on his re-election. 

We also bid farewell to Mara W. Elliott - our City’s first Latina City Attorney - while welcoming her successor, Heather Ferbert. Thank you to the Council President’s Office and the San Diego City Clerk Diana Fuentes for organizing a memorable day.

Dee Sanford and Gloria James are two steadfast women who have dedicated 10 years of service as organizers of Wreaths Across America at Greenwood Memorial Park. The cemetery is the resting place of 10,000 veterans who served to protect our nation. To commemorate the anniversary, I declared Dec. 14th, 2024, to be "National Wreaths Across America Day" in the Fourth Council District of the City of San Diego. 

I am grateful to take part in laying down remembrance wreaths to honor our local servicemembers. More than 3,000 wreaths were laid that day. Thank you to Dee and Gloria, and everyone who worked hard to bring this annual tradition to Greenwood Memorial Park. Thank you, Mayor Todd Gloria, for joining us for this time-honored tradition.

On Dec. 14th, families enjoyed snow at the Winter Wonderland San Diego at Market Creek Plaza in Lincoln Park. It was an incredible sight to see kids play in the snow. And it was a joy to see children smile as they picked up their Christmas gifts thanks to the annual Toys for Tots Drive. 

A sincere thank you to Karla Ruiz, Officer Omar Luzuriaga, the entire San Diego Police Department, Community Wraparound, Toys for Tots, Jacobs Center, and San Ysidro Health, who all made the event possible for our community. Events like these bring families together and highlight District 4's giving spirit.

On Dec. 14th, the local nonprofit celebrated its 18th Annual Blue Heart Christmas Breakfast & Community Awards at Liberty Station. I am so proud of this year’s group of young men who are accomplishing goals through the Blue Heart Foundation. Congratulations to Tammy T. Blevins on her appointment as the new Executive Director of the Blue Heart Foundation. Congratulations, and keep shining!

On Dec. 21st, families were welcomed to the Christmas with Character event at the Jackie Robinson YMCA. Families enjoyed pictures with Santa and holiday-themed arts & crafts activities. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated gifts and contributed to creating a memorable experience for the community.

On Jan. 10th, I presented District 4's Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Budget Priorities Update to the Independent Budget Analyst (IBA). The City faces a highly challenging budget outlook for FY 2026, requiring tough decisions to balance the budget, uphold public safety, and maintain services mandated by the San Diego City Charter. 

Equity must remain central to the budget process, even in the face of a significant deficit. Resources must be directed toward emergency response, housing and homelessness prevention, small business and community development, infrastructure, parks and recreation, libraries, public safety, and other essential Citywide services to ensure District 4 has the support it needs to overcome systemic pressures. 

On Dec. 11th, I voted "NO" to "Item 4: Set a Public Hearing Date to Approve 2025 San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) Rates Pass-Through" during the Budget and Government Efficiency Committee.  While my fellow Councilmembers voted "YES" in a 2-1 vote, allowing Item 4 to pass, I am still firm that the County Water Authority needs to engage in community outreach to help our constituents understand the cost of proposed water rates. The CWA increased the rate to 14% in July 2024. City Staff proposed a pass-through water rate increase not to exceed 5.5%, effective May 1, 2025. This still marks a significant rise in fees and may negatively impact families in District 4. There needs to be an understanding of what's behind the water rate increase and how to break costs down.

The pavement project on the northbound side of Euclid Avenue wrapped up on Dec. 14th. The street repairs started on Nov. 4th. We appreciate the San Diego at Work mill and pave teams for improving the conditions of our roads.  We appreciate your patience during the improvements.

MTS has completed sinkhole repairs at the trolley crossing along 69th St. between Akins Ave. and Imperial Ave. The traffic crossing has reopened for rail, pedestrian, and vehicle traffic with no restriction. Thank you MTS for completing the sinkhole repairs!

The tennis courts at the Encanto Recreation Center have reopened for use. They have been upgraded and resurfaced, and the work was completed on Jan. 13th. Bring your rackets and get ready to play. For more info, call the Encanto Recreation Center at (619) 527-3411.

More streetlights were repaired in District 4 as part of our public safety goals. In December, the City of San Diego Transportation Department (TD) conducted 105 streetlight repairs in District 4. Those neighborhoods include Alta Vista, Encanto, Lomita Village, Oak Park, Ridgeview, Valencia Park, and Webster. Since being sworn in as your Councilmember, 259 streetlights have been repaired in District 4. TD says current scheduling is presented in two-month blocks to address streetlight service repairs equitably across the City of San Diego. For more info on reporting streetlight repairs, visit here.

Illegal Dumping @ Lakiba Palmer Ave. & Hal St.

Graffiti @ Zest St & Paradise Valley Rd.

Pothole @ S. San Jacinto Dr. & Churchward St.

Illegal Dumping @ Stork St. & Brooklyn Ave.

Graffiti @ Imperial Ave. & West St.

Graffiti @ 47th St. & Imperial Ave.

The City of San Diego is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of residents living in floodplain areas by distributing educational pamphlets with vital information on how to prepare for potential flooding. The informational brochures, which were sent to about 10,000 residents who live in or own property in a floodplain, contain essential guidelines on emergency preparedness, evacuation plans, flood insurance and other critical flood-related resources. The pamphlets include important tips on:

• How to protect your property.
• What steps should be taken before, during, and after a flood.
• Understanding your potential flood risk.
• Purchasing flood insurance.
• How to contact the City for needed services.

Residents are encouraged to review the information and implement measures to protect against flood damage. To find out if your home is in a floodplain, visit sandiego.gov/floodplain. If needed, empty sandbags are available in District 4. Sandbags are limited to 10 bags per City of San Diego household or business, and sand is not provided. Call ahead for supply information:

MLK Recreation Center, 6401 Skyline Dr., San Diego, CA 92114. Phone: (619) 527-3415

Richard “Rich the Gumbo Guy” Taylor brings the hearty flavors of Louisiana to District 4 with PoBoy Shop located in Lincoln Park. The fast-casual sit-down restaurant is named after its signature comfort food dish, the po’boy sandwich. Their menu also features: gumbo, étouffée, macaroni & cheese, and Creole rice. 

Rich the Gumbo Guy is a trained culinary chef whose food menu pays homage to his family’s Louisiana roots. All his desserts are named after the best bakers in his family: (Grandmother) Sally's Sweetie Potato Pecan, Aunt Nicky's Rum Cake, and Auntie Pat's Peach Cobbler. He is proud to bring his family’s recipes to District 4. You can find Rich, his wife Lynne and their kids working in solidarity to make their family business thrive. Rich and Lynne say, “We hope our success inspires more restauranteurs to come to District 4, too.”

PoBoy Shop | 220 Euclid Ave., San Diego, CA 92114 | poboyshopsd.com

Your voice matters. That’s why I created “Foster Fridays” to meet with you, the residents of District 4, on Fridays at the Southeastern Live Well Center. Email me to schedule an appointment: HenryFoster@sandiego.gov. I look forward to meeting you.

Office Hours: Fridays | 1:30 PM -  4:30 PM
Location: Southeastern Live Well Center, 5101 Market St., San Diego, CA, 92114  

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Land Development Code Updates
• Encanto: Public Notices & Community Planning Group (CPG) Agendas
• Cannabis Updates
• Chollas Creek Watershed Regional Park Master Plan
• Planning Commission
• Skyline Paradise Hills: Public Notices & CPG Agendas
• Southeastern San Diego: Public Notices & CPG Agendas

District 4 is comprised of 18 communities. It includes: Alta Vista, Broadway Heights, Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Encanto, Greater Skyline Hills, Jamacha, Lincoln Park, Lomita Village, Mountain View, North Bay Terraces, O'Farrell, Oak Park, Paradise Hills, Ridgeview, South Bay Terraces, Valencia Park, and Webster. This includes zip codes: 92102, 92105, 92113, 92114, 92115, and 92139. To find out where your Community Council Meetings are held visit here.

We are the home of the Black Arts + Culture District.

HENRY L. FOSTER III
Councilmember
HenryFoster@sandiego.gov

Councilmember Henry L. Foster III

City of San Diego Council District 4

City Administration Building
202 C Street #10A
San Diego, CA 92101

(619) 236-6644