I was reminded the other the other day, while on a tour of the City’s Chollas Operations Yard, that for far too long past city administrations have neglected to prioritize what is most important to those who live and work in our great city.

Chollas Operations Yard is one of the City of San Diego’s most important facilities and the home of much the behind-the-scenes work that is so critical to key city services like repaving roads, replacing streetlights and striping streets.

The photos you see paint a sorry portrait, yet also a portrait that is finally honest with the public about the needs of the City. The lack of necessary funding to properly maintain city assets like vehicles and facilities is not the most exciting thing in the world, but it is the biggest reason that we have crumbling infrastructure all over San Diego.

I’m honored to have the entirety of Mission Trails Regional Park in my City Council District. As one of the ‘jewels’ of the San Diego park system, Mission Trails is a cornerstone of San Diego – and I am committed to doing what I can to help preserve and protect it.

That’s why I teamed up with the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation to create a Hike-a-Thon fundraiser to raise money for the park. With a goal of raising $100,000, this initiative is not limited to just Mission Trails itself; participants can log their miles from anywhere. By getting your family and friends to pledge donations for every mile you hike, walk, run, or climb, you can help preserve Mission Trails and provide educational programs for young people.

The Hike-a-Thon will begin October 15 when the weather is cooler and run to January 15. Sign up here and start fundraising with the help of friends and family!

Earlier this week, I posted the first of a series of policy-related social media videos that go in-depth into the issues, what I’ve accomplished in my first term, and what I’m hoping to get done in my next term. It’s always my goal to communicate consistently, honestly, and clearly with you – and with these videos, I hope to shed light on some of the most important issues I’m working on here at City Hall.

The first video I released this week has to do with childcare. A guiding principle for me is that San Diego should be a city that is affordable and delivers paths to prosperity for all — and one of the most pressing issues that affects many San Diegan working families is the enormous cost of childcare.

Over my first term, I have made increasing access to quality and affordable childcare a central policy focus. Together, we have founded San Diego’s first-ever Office of Child of Youth Success, passed a ballot measure to allow childcare in Parks and Rec facilities, doubled paid parental leave for City workers, and more — and the work is just getting started.

Watch the entire video here and keep an eye out for more videos over the coming weeks. Each video will eventually be posted to the Policy page of my website.

Congratulations to Patrick Henry High School senior Cody Cappelletti for his record-setting performance in the Patriots' 77-49 victory over Grossmont! Cody's four rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores helped set a new single-game scoring record for the school. We're proud to see such outstanding talent and dedication from our District 7 students. Way to go, Cody—you've made our community proud!