Friends of Tecolote Canyon and the broader San Diego community recently lost a widely loved changemaker and leader, Eloise Battle. Eloise was the driving force behind the protecting of Tecolote Canyon. In the 1960s, Eloise began a decade long fight that resulted in the preservation of the Tecolote Canyon natural space we know, love and enjoy today.  

 

But Eloise was not just an environmental advocate—she was a teacher, community builder, and a fierce protector of open space. The City Council, led by Councilmember Campbell, voted to dedicate a street sign in her honor. Now, the shared boundary of our District along Tecolote and Morena will forever remind us of Eloise and her positive impact on San Diego.  

Nearly a year ago, I shared in the District 7 Dispatch that The City Council unanimously approved a $3.7 million state grant to assist unhoused individuals living along the riverbed. The grant designated a specific portion along the riverbed in Mission Valley for intensive, targeted outreach. 

 

This funding has been in-action throughout the past year and City Council recently heard an update on its success. We learned that 411 individuals along the riverbed have been served through that state grant. This great news comes alongside another recent report from the 2025 Point in Time count that shows homelessness is down 13.5% in San Diego.  

 

We’ve been working hard to address homelessness at its core, which starts with prevention and is strengthened by targeted, meaningful outreach to those experiencing homelessness. Grant funding is a critical element of our efforts, and the numbers are a promising indication that we spend it in impactful ways.

The fight to keep Lake Murray open is still not over. In fact, Friday will be your chance to voice your support for keeping it open. I’ve been flyering around the lake to spread the word about what you can do. I also filmed this video, which I encourage you to share with your neighbors, family and friends. 

 

Our recreational spaces—especially our lakes—are critical to residents’ wellbeing as free spaces to exercise, play, enjoy our beautiful weather, and so much more. I’ve been fighting hard to reinstate Lake Murray in the budget, but your voices and urgence will make our case stronger.  

 

Please consider advocating for Lake Murray at the upcoming Budget Review Committee, which is happening this Friday, June 6th at 9:00 AM. You can come in-person to City Hall, call in, or submit written comment. If you need a refresher on how to provide public comment, check out my How Do I video here. 

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. San Carlos residents participated in a recent major cleanup to remove a total of 31.75 tons of waste! I extend a big thank you to ESD staff for organizing this service and to the residents who took advantage of it.  

Tierrasanta Girl Scout Troop 4851, this month’s Local Luminary, stopped by City Hall to present their Silver Award service project. Troop 4851 built a poster with essential resources—a one-stop shop for anyone seeking assistance or experiencing a time of need. They also created a Spanish version. I’d like to thank Troop 4851 for their outstanding service to our community and the impressive work they poured into this project.  

The community also celebrated the Tierrasanta Library’s “40-ish” Anniversary. The library first opened its doors in 1979 but moved into its current building in 1984. With last year’s 40th anniversary unfortunately interrupted by construction, we finally got the chance to celebrate. Since its founding, the library has grown from 6,000 volumes to nearly 71,000, and it remains a cornerstone of the neighborhood. 

 

I had the honor of presenting a City Council proclamation celebrating the milestone. Huge thanks to the incredible staff, volunteers, and neighbors who’ve helped make this such a welcoming and vital space for our community. Here's to the next 40! 

In May, the Annual Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation Photo Contest wrapped up. The winners in multiple categories were announced at a ceremony, which I was happy to attend and participate in. All photo entries are currently displayed at the Visitor Center. I highly encourage you to swing by and take a look. There is some really incredible talent on display! 

 

Congratulations to all of the winners! And an enormous thank you to Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation, whose organization of this event inspires creativity and deeper engagement with our natural surroundings.

Summer is here and with summer comes intense heat. I’d like to remind everyone how important it is to properly prepare for summer heat and all that comes with it, including a heightened risk of dehydration, heat illness, rattlesnake encounters, and more. There are many things you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your pets from preventable heat-related emergencies. 

 

Linked here is an REI article on Hot-Weather Hiking Tips. I encourage you to review this brief article and keep these tips in mind as you lace up your hiking boots for some beautiful summer hiking. 

This month, Tierrasanta faced a terrible and tragic situation in Murphy Canyon. 

 

I would like to thank law enforcement officials for their rapid and organized response to the emergency, which undoubtedly saved lives and homes. I spent much of the day on the ground in Murphy Canyon, and I was genuinely moved by the coordination and commitment showed by the agencies at every level, including San Diego Police, San Diego Fire-Rescue, the National Transportation Safety Board, FBI, CHP, San Diego Unified School District, and more.

 

I’d also like to thank and commend the community for their incredible response. In meeting with families at the emergency evacuation site, I heard stories about neighbors helping neighbors to escape their homes, evacuate pets, climb fences, and remain organized and calm despite the immediate danger.  

 

There were also several organizations that immediately stepped up to provide resources to the impacted families. Many of you reached out to me to ask what you could do to help, which I was grateful for and heartened by. While donations have halted for the Murphy Canyon emergency (thanks to an overwhelming abundance of donated items), below is a list of those organizations, which mobilize around these kinds of situations to support families during their time of need.

Militarized raids on neighborhood restaurants do not make us safer. Just the opposite: what happened on Friday in South Park sowed fear and undeniably violated the due process of many individuals. Monday, I stood alongside many San Diego elected leaders to say in one voice that we will not normalize these tactics.       

 

As San Diego's Intergovernmental Relations Chair, I call on the federal administration to immediately shed light on what legitimate public safety need there was to send in dozens of agents to aggressively and publicly arrest members of our community. San Diego will not stand for this.