Residents reached out to my office regarding vegetation encroachment and fallen rocks, which caused fencing to protrude, along the sidewalk on Navajo Road headed toward Patrick Henry High School. My staff coordinated with the Transportation Department to address the issue. Thanks to the City crew's quick action, the sidewalk was cleared, and the fence was repaired. Take a look at the results below!

The City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department (ESD) provides opportunities throughout the District for residents to leave bulky items on their curb for pick up. Allied Gardens residents on Red River Drive and a portion of Laramie Way participated in one of those clean ups last month. Big thank you to Environmental Services Department staff for organizing this service and to the residents who took advantage of it.

Interested in having a Mini Bulk Cleanup on your block? ESD hosts 1-2 a month and determines the location by referencing a running list of residential requests. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with your request. We are happy to pass your street name along to ESD.

Del Cerro residents reached out to request brush abatement for an overgrown hillside. With the Santa Ana winds blowing through San Diego last month, it was important that we reached out to the Transportation Department to handle the issue swiftly. As you can see below, crews cleared the hill of fire-hazardous material and left behind fire-resistant plant life.

Thank you to the residents who reached out on this important issue and to the Transportation Department for mitigating fire risk in our neighborhoods!

The holiday season always highlights the spirit of giving, the power of community building and the joy of a family meal. Thanks to the generosity of San Diego Carpenters Local 619 and Bayside Community Center, we were able to deliver 100 turkeys, 2,173 pounds of produce, and 152 bags of non-perishable food to 152 families in Linda Vista. I’m incredibly grateful for Local 619 and Bayside Community Center’s support, which has made this event possible for the fourth year in a row. I look forward to next year!

Bayside Community Center, San Diego Carpenters Local 619 and I also partnered to deliver the space, supplies and manpower, and permitting assistance for a community garden. We broke ground on the plot of land in January 2024 and volunteers worked hard to fill the boxes with soil and seeds throughout the Spring and Summer.

I stopped by to see the finished garden and chat with Bayside Environmental Learning Center’s Program Manager, Amy Zink. The Linda Vista Community Garden has literally and figuratively blossomed into a hub that produces fresh fruits and vegetables and inspires residents to get outside, learn about and interact with nature, and spend meaningful time with neighbors. Thank you for the tour, Amy!

Giving Tuesday, which takes place on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, is an annual, global movement that encourages donations to non-profit organizations. The City of San Diego boasts an enormous non-profit network that provides critical services, resources, opportunities and cultural experiences to residents and visitors. If you’re looking for an organization to donate time, supplies, or funds to, below are three great options that operate out of the Mission Valley area.

The San Diego River Park Foundation

The San Diego River Park Foundation engages in a variety of important work related to the San Diego River. From coordinating with PATH to connect individuals living along the riverbed to housing, to hosting kayak and riverbed canvassing clean-ups, to educating children about the importance of our waterways, San Diego River Park’s positive influence is widespread.

Just In Time For Foster Youth

Just In Time For Foster Youth offers a wide range of resources and opportunities to youth as they exit the foster system and navigate adulthood. Just In Time’s vision is “a future in which every youth leaving the foster care system has access to a Community of lived experienced peers and caring adults after 18. [They] believe consistent, long-term help from the heart is the foundation for the success of [their] youth so they can thrive and enjoy productive, satisfying lives” (About - Just in Time For Foster Youth ).

Just In Time For Foster Youth is celebrating the legacy and upcoming retirement of their Founder, Diane Cox, who will be matching up to $50,000 of all contributions before December 31.

CCDSD Refugee Services

Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego (CCDSD) manages a shelter and service center for asylum-seekers, including unaccompanied children. The agency’s program includes “employability services, job training and preparation, assistance with job search, placement, and retention, English language training, childcare, transportation, translation and interpreter services, and case management” (Refugee Services - Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego ).

CCDSD accepts donations of home furnishings, hygiene products, and back-to-school items.

Safe roads and sidewalks are one of my core priorities; as your City Councilmember, I'm committed to continuing and expanding upon work to improve the infrastructure that our neighborhoods rely on. I'm pleased to share that several roads in San Carlos were identified for repaving throughout the month of December.

There is no doubt that there are still many roads to address in the District. My advocacy for road repairs is strengthened by your requests and Get It Done reports, so thank you for sending those to myself and my team of Community Representatives. Thank you to the Transportation Department, as well, for your hard work addressing our concerns!

Please take a look below at the list of identified streets in San Carlos and don't hesitate to reach out with any questions:

Town View Lane
High Winds Way
Ridge Route Road
Laurelridge Road and Summit Ridge Way
Forrestal Road and Stevenson Way
Park Ridge Boulevard to Jackson Drive
Jackson Drive
Park Ridge Boulevard and Golfcrest
Navajo Road

One of my priorities coming into office four years ago was to deliver an unleaded fuel tank to the Montgomery-Gibbs Airport. Thanks in large part to the advocacy of individuals and community groups, such as Sandra Stahl and the Montgomery-Gibbs Environmental Coalition, we delivered the long-awaited quality of life and public health improvement for the entire neighborhood.

I joined Mayor Todd Gloria and community leaders to celebrate its arrival last month. Every San Diegan deserves to live in clean, safe, and healthy neighborhoods; this tank is a strong step in the right direction.

Last week, I hosted a bulk trash drop-off event for Tierrasanta residents to get some decluttering done before the holidays. We welcomed over 150 families who filled six 40-yard dumpsters to the brim. Cumulatively, the event saved Tierrasanta residents thousands of dollars in landfill fees. I’m proud to provide this service for District 7 families in partnership with local trash companies such as EDCO, who donated the dumpsters and hauled the waste for this event.

Big thank you to all of the residents who came out and shared news of this event with their neighbors. We look forward to next bulk trash event!

Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation hosted its annual Holiday Marketplace last month. I appreciated the opportunity to stop by with my family, do some holiday shopping, and meet so many constituents and neighbors. The Holiday Marketplace is an annual community event that invites attendees to buy gifts from local small businesses, many of whom are artists. A portion of every sale goes back to trail maintenance, educational programming, and more in Mission Trails.

Big thank you to Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation for hosting this beloved event and supporting our local small business and artist economy. My family and I look forward to next year!

Last year, just before Christmas, my family and I experienced the most terrifying moment in our lives. We were struck at high speed in a DUI, hit-and-run accident. Thanks to a properly installed car seat, my infant son Rafael is still with us.

As we came up on the season of holiday travel, I wanted to provide D7 residents with the opportunity to have their children’s car seats checked. In partnership with AMR, I hosted free, drive-up inspections for D7 residents. We were able to serve 12 families. If you could not attend but would like to have your child’s car seat inspected, you can still make an appointment by contacting AMRCarSeatRequest@gmr.net. Please stay safe on the roads this holiday season!

In this month’s Local Luminary, we recognize a Linda Vista resident whose spirit of giving is not bound by the holiday season: Bree Partington! Bree Partington was nominated for Local Luminary by fellow Linda Vista resident Steve Rodriguez.

“Every neighborhood needs one of these individuals. Some neighborhoods are fortunate enough to have several. They make the neighborhood a fun and welcoming place to live. They usually set the example by making a sincere effort to know most of the people on their block, or by helping to plan and execute activities that facilitate residents meeting their fellow residents; not an easy task in this day and age where we tend to hover over our phones and computers in solitary fashion. Yes, “good neighbors” are an essential component to any quality neighborhood that boasts of maintaining a genuine sense of community… Bree Partington-Wilnewic is an active resident of her community who wishes to play a role in developing that all important sense of community amongst her neighbors” (Steve Rodriguez).

In the past three years, Bree has organized and funded Valentine’s Day card making, pumpkin painting/bat mask making, Easter egg rolls, a sidewalk chalk event, and a food drive that raised $350.00 for the San Diego Food Bank. She is the definition of neighborly— a bright spot for everyone in her community! Thank you Bree, for your commitment to bettering the lives of others.

Mark your calendars! I will be hosting several town halls at the beginning of the year. These town hall events are opportunities for me to share goals for my upcoming year and to field important feedback from all of you. My work as your Councilmember is largely informed by your thoughts, hopes, and ideas for District 7 and the City of San Diego. Please see the list below for tentative town hall dates and keep an eye on my social media for more details including registration links and locations. If you cannot attend the town hall designated for your neighborhood, you are welcome to attend another.

Wednesday, January 29 at 6:00 PM: Tierrasanta Town Hall

Thursday, January 30 at 6:00 PM: Navajo Town Hall

Wednesday, February 5 at 6:00 PM: Serra Mesa Town Hall

Thursday, February 6 at 6:00 PM: Linda Vista Town Hall

Sincerely,