Upcoming Events and Opportunities. Community Halloween Events! Swing by the San Carlos Recreation Center on Friday, October 25 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM to enjoy a night of Halloween fun. There will be jumpers, carnival games, music, trunk or treating, and a costume contest for age groups 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. To learn more, please click here.

If you haven’t signed up already, consider clicking here to register for the upcoming “Monster Mash” 5k through Tierrasanta! It will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 8:30 AM sharp. “Dust off your costumes and aim for the prize, prepare to hit the podium with your best run, or simply enjoy a morning of family fun and fitness with your kids and furry friends.”

David Smith, longtime Allied Gardens business owner and Chair of the Navajo Community Planning Group, recently stepped down from his role at the NCPI board to focus on his professional and personal endeavors. David has demonstrated, both in his voluntary roles and his career as President and CEO of El Dorado Properties, dedication to building and improving his community.

I had the chance to present David with a proclamation on his last day at NCPI which declared September 11, 2024 David Smith Day in the City of San Diego. Thank you, David, for your leadership and continued investment in the San Diego region.

Last month, Foster Elementary upheld their tradition of inviting first responders, students, and faculty to plant 2,977 flags on campus for each of the victims of 9/11. We will never forget the tragedy of 9/11; Foster Elementary’s memorial is both a sobering reminder and an act of remembrance to honor the bravery and sacrifice of so many. Thank you for inviting my staff to participate and for bringing our community together to reflect.

A resident contacted me about several faded parking signs along Camino Largo. My staff contacted the Transportation Department to request a repair, which was completed last month. Thank you to the resident who reached out to my office and for the Transportation Department's swift action to correct the issue. Take a look at the results below!

Community Event Alert!

Please consider celebrating Clean Air Day by joining Bayside Community Center for their Linda Vista Community Clean Up. The event will be this Sunday, October 6, 2024 from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Participants will enjoy lunch afterward. Contact Tyana Ortiz at tortiz@baysidecc.org to receive more information or ask questions.

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. Residents in the cul-de-sacs and along Comstock St and Ulric St got rid of 1.05 tons of recyclable waste and 8.73 tons of non-recyclable waste during one of those Mini Bulk Cleanups last month. Big thank you to ESD 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 with your request, which we are happy to pass along to ESD.

As Chair of Economic Development and Intergovernmental Relations, I’m proud that our District is home to so many businesses that drive our economy, create jobs, and serve the community. Mission Valley’s Civita community recently welcomed a new café, La Clochette Café & Bakery, which features French-inspired food, pastries, and a wide array of drinks.

On Saturday, October 12^th and Sunday, October 13^th, there will be grand opening events for another new Mission Valley business—Dirty Dogs! Dirty Dogs is a family-owned business that provides space and supplies to “DIY” wash your dog. It also offers grooming services, which you can book or tack onto your DIY Wash. They invite the community to stop by on their grand opening weekend. Don't forget your furry friends!

Mission Valley is a hub for residents and San Diegans located in the surrounding communities. I’m grateful for all the businesses that provide services in the area and wish La Clochette and Dirty Dogs great success there.

Last month, I hosted a bulk trash drop-off event to help San Carlos residents with some of their end-of-summer cleaning. We filled six 40-yard dumpsters to the brim. I also had the opportunity to chat with a few of the folks who came through, which is always a pleasure. Thank you to everyone who came out and utilized the service and to EDCO for providing us with the dumpsters!

Delivering constituent services is one of my top priorities. In San Carlos, a resident contacted my staff regarding a damaged water meter cover. We contacted the City’s Public Utilities Department and requested an expedited repair. Soon after, City crews addressed the issue. Thank you to the Public Utilities Department for following up on the request so quickly and to the resident for reaching out to us. Take a look at some before and after results below!

Last month, I hosted Coffee with Campillo at the Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Library. It was extremely well-attended with over 50 participants throughout the meeting! These are always my favorite events, as direct feedback from residents is critical to my work as your Councilmember. Big thank you to everyone who attended and to Java Garden supplying the coffee.

If you missed this Coffee with Campillo, I hope to see you at the next one. You’re always welcome to contact my office with any questions, comments, or requests for City services at the link here.

As a former 5^th grade teacher, I understand the importance of reading in a child’s development and education. I’m thrilled that my staff was able to participate in Juarez Elementary's annual Read-A-Thon, which encourages students to find joy and fun in reading. Thank you, Juarez Elementary, for your efforts to inspire learning in your students!

Tierrasanta organizations, businesses, and families came together to host a 92124 Day extravaganza with food, drinks, live music, a talent show, and more. My staff attended the event to spend time with the community and to present a proclamation on my behalf declaring Saturday, September 21, 2024 as “92124 Day” in the City of San Diego. I hope Tierrasanta enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime celebration and I thank the sponsors and community members involved for putting together this fantastic event.

As part of my monthly small business outreach, I stopped by Iris Delights in Tierrsanta to meet Iris, the owner, and discuss her experience running a small business in San Diego. Iris Delights boasts high-quality, handmade bonbons that range from traditional picks, like salted caramel ganache, to innovative flavors, like wasabi and black sesame. Iris’ chocolates are a community favorite, evident in her extremely positive reviews and the comments I received on this Instagram reel! Thank you, Iris, for having me. I look forward to my next visit.

If you haven’t tried Iris Delights yet, I highly recommend bringing your family by for some of her incredible chocolates. Your tastebuds will thank you for supporting this local small business!

Last month, I joined Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation, Parks and Recreation Open Space Division, and patrons of the park to announce Hit the Trails: Hike-a-Thon for Mission Trails. This event is a peer-to-peer fundraiser that encourages participants to raise funds as they track mileage inside or outside of the park. Participants can hike, walk, bike, run, and climb to achieve their goals! Registration is open now at the link here.

Although fundraising begins October 15, 2024 and ends January 15th, 2024, Hit-the-Trails has already raised over $10,000 of their $100,000 goal through registrations and generous donations. All the funds will contribute to trail maintenance, educational programming for youth, and other critical park initiatives that keep Mission Trails Regional Park the beautiful place that it is.

I’m thankful for the community’s immediate outpouring of support for Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation; protecting and maintaining our region’s open spaces, which are critical to our wellbeing, is a goal I know we all share. I’m proud to have brought this concept to Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation and excited to see how the fundraising progresses.

Life does not pause for heatwaves, which means many workers who serve the City of San Diego were outdoors during San Diego's historic temperatures last month. A San Carlos resident reached out to me in hopes that we track down the sanitation driver who serviced their property that weekend and recognize his efforts. The resident's kind words are below:

“I’m wondering if your office can find out who just picked up the black trash bins on our street today (9/8/24) at noon and get them some kind of positive recognition. They are working in 105 degree heat on a Sunday. On top of that, they were even careful enough to leave the bins standing up when they were done. We are so appreciative of them.”

In response to that San Carlos resident's message, we thanked Jose Parkhill and recognized him as this month's Local Luminary. Jose has worked at the City of San Diego for over 21 years. Regarding his nomination, he said "I enjoy my job, and it is gratifying. I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of San Diego." Thank you, Jose, for your commitment to our City and your role. We appreciate all that you do!

Thanks to the incredible partnership and great legislative work of Assemblymember Chris Ward, AB 3024 - the Stop Hate Littering Act was signed into law by Governor Newsom. It took immediate effect and, now that AB 3024 is the law of the land, propagators of hate should think twice before dropping hateful flyers, as they expose themselves to a $25,000 fine for each time a flyer is dropped with the intent to terrorize.

Last week, I hosted a press conference with Councilmember Whitburn, SDPD, and community advocates in hillcrest to denounce hate in all its forms and call on San Diegans to use free tools, like California vs. Hate, that allow the public to report hate and receive support. It is despicable that hate is on the rise in our communities and demands our attention; however, our strength to stand together and our courage to speak out against hate diminishes its power. Love, respect, unity, and inclusions-- San Diego's true core values-- will always win.

Of course, I can’t tell you exactly when rain is coming to San Diego, but it’s safe to say that the coming months will bring wetter weather – and one way you can save on your water bill and reduce harmful runoff is by purchasing a rain barrel. Thanks to a limited program coordinated by Think Blue San Diego and Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, City of San Diego citizens can purchase deeply discounted rain barrels for as low as $22 (originally $97).

Rain barrels will be distributed for pick-up at two upcoming events. To order your rain barrels and register for a free rain barrel workshop, visit the link below and scroll to enter your address. Once you confirm you are a City of San Diego resident, you will be brought to a page to claim your barrels and, if you would like to learn about best practices and setup methods, register for the accompanying workshop: Click here.

Sincerely,