Off to the races
On Thursday, Sept. 12, the parking lot of HomeStreet Bank at 6515 Mission Gorge Road played temporary dock for the bank’s Miss HomeStreet hydroplane boat.
The boat will be taking part in the San Diego Bayfair Sept. 13-15 — an event that draws 70,000 spectators to Mission Bay and is now in its 55th year.
The weekend fun features a barbeque competition and various watersport competitions
On-water activities are led by the H1 Unlimited hydroplanes, which is wrapping up its 2019 season in Mission Bay. Driver Andrew Tate is defending back-to-back Bill Muncey Cup victories in San Diego but expect Miss HomeStreet Bank driver Jimmy Shane — who was at the Mission Gorge event — to have a say before the weekend is over. Shane of Maple Valley, Washington, is expected to lock up the individual driver and team points championship in San Diego.
For more information about San Diego Bayfair, or to purchase tickets, visit sandiegobayfair.org.
Bullet holes discovered at Temple Emanu-El
In the last week of August, a work crew preparing classrooms at Temple Emanu-El found discovered bullet holes in an exterior wall.
San Diego police are currently investigating the incident but so far have not classified the shooting as a hate crime and are uncertain when the shooting took place as the classrooms were vacant during the summer. Although motivation for the shooting has not been determined, the synagogue will be taking precautions and adding extra security measures.
The regional chapter of the Anti-Defamation League is offering a $3,000 reward for information that could lead to an arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the shooting.
The discovery of the bullet holes comes just four months after a shooting at Chabad Of Poway that left one person dead and three injured.
To report any information about this incident, call the San Diego Police Department at 858-552-1700.
Alvarado recognized
Alvarado Hospital has been recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review, for the second consecutive year, as one of the “100 Great Community Hospitals” for 2019.
Alvarado currently holds a five-star rating from CMS for quality healthcare, has been a recipient of the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award for the past five consecutive years, and was awarded an A Grade for Hospital Patient Safety by The Leapfrog Group earlier this year.
Coastal Cleanup Day seeks volunteers
The 35th annual Coastal Cleanup Day is nearly here. I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) is seeking 8,000 volunteers to help beautify more than 100 sites across San Diego County on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 from 9 a.m.–noon. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are encouraged to sign up for a site in their neighborhood and help leave a positive impact on the entire region. Online registration is now open at CleanupDay.org.
Coastal Cleanup Day covers more than just the shoreline. ILACSD focuses the majority of its cleanup efforts along inland waterways and canyons. With 80% of marine debris coming from inland territories, volunteers learn first-hand the importance of keeping trash out of the region’s waterways, which can carry trash and pollutants directly to the ocean through the storm drain system. In 2018, 9,174 volunteers removed over 148,000 pounds of trash, recyclables, and green waste from San Diego and Tijuana regions that otherwise would have polluted the beloved coastline and the Pacific Ocean.
ILACSD invites volunteers to take waste reduction into their own hands by pledging to “Bring Your Own” reusable items when they register at CleanupDay.org. Each volunteer who brings a reusable water bottle, work gloves, and/or a bucket to collect litter significantly reduces the need for single-use bags and disposable gloves. Prizes will be awarded to the best decorated buckets entered into this year’s Bling Your Bucket contest. Volunteers are encouraged to download the Clean Swell app to be used in place of paper data cards to track the debris collected on event day. The app is free and available to download for both iOS and Android devices. Sony Electronics has returned to sponsor this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day Photo Contest where volunteers have the opportunity to win a Sony Cybershot Camera.
City receives tech award for 5G implementation plan
The city of San Diego has received the Outstanding IT Project Award by Government Technology, a magazine and online site focused on information technology in the public sector, at the Los Angeles Digital Government Summit. The city won the award on Tuesday afternoon for its cutting-edge approach to implementing 5G technology by using data analytics and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to create a suite of tools to support the permitting and installation of 5G small cell nodes.
“The 5G mobile network is regarded as the next-generation standard for wireless communications,” said Erik Caldwell, the San Diego’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer. “This award not only shows how we are ahead in building a foundation for this technology, but how we are doing it right.”
The city’s project was developed in September 2018 after the Federal Communications Commission required municipalities to make their assets, such as street lights, available for 5G equipment distribution. Using GIS, the City created an internal, interactive map to identify which street lights were available to mount small cells, and built a publicly available map for telecommunications vendors to research and request usage of available street lights. In addition, they made a dashboard to monitor the submittal process by vendors and a mobile editing application allowing field staff to recommend asset location and attribute changes to improve database accuracy.
“The suite of tools has sped up our workflow significantly and gives us more accurate data,” said Jonathan Behnke, the San Diego’s Chief Information Officer. “Before it was created, the city did not have a dynamic mapping interface to research what types of equipment were on all the street light poles. We hope our model inspires other cities as they permit the installation of 5G small cells.”
MTS to hold Free Ride Day
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD) announced that the agencies will hold the region’s second “Free Ride Day” on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Fixed-route bus and rail services will be free for everyone to use.
Free Ride Day is being held in conjunction with California Clean Air Day also on Oct. 2, and SANDAG iCommute efforts to promote Rideshare Week, Sept. 30–Oct. 4, to educate people about the sustainable transportation choices available in the San Diego region.
“Last year, MTS recorded a 17% increase in passenger trips on Free Ride Day. It was a great success to get that many San Diego residents to shake up their routine and choose transit,” said Mona Rios, MTS Board Vice Chair and Councilmember for National City. “Choosing transit is absolutely critical for this region as we all strive to meet our climate action goals. We need to do everything we can to get people to use alternative modes of transportation.”
SANDAG Vice Chair and Encinitas Mayor Katherine Blakespear encouraged all single riders to consider giving carpool, vanpool, or transit a try during Rideshare Week.
“Making the change even one day a week will take cars off the road and increase sustainability and quality of life in the San Diego region,” she said.
Free Ride Day will be valid on all MTS and NCTD fixed-routes services including buses, the Trolley, SPRINTER and COASTER (Amtrak Rail 2 Rail, MTS Access and NCTD LIFT paratransit are not part of this promotion). Passengers will not need a Compass Card or valid fare for either system. MTS and NCTD services will operate on a normal weekday schedule. Participants who plan to choose transit on Free Ride Day are encouraged to RSVP through the MTS Facebook page event, or online at the Free Ride Day webpage. When they do, they’ll receive reminders about Free Ride Day, tips for taking transit, and more.
“Last year, MTS logged 53,000 extra passenger trips on Free Ride Day and the Sycuan Green Line Trolley’s ridership spiked 37%,” said MTS chief executive officer Paul Jablonski. “We want even more residents this year to try it out and experience the thriving network of transportation options in San Diego.”
Sycuan earns top AAA rating
Sycuan Casino Resort has been awarded the coveted AAA Four Diamond Rating.
“To reach the exceptional standards required for the AAA Four Diamond Rating is an outstanding achievement,” said the Auto Club’s Approved Accommodations Supervisor Patricia Marenco. “AAA Four Diamond establishments are attentive to guests needs and consistently deliver memorable travel experiences,” she added.
According to AAA, to receive a Four Diamond Rating an establishment must be upscale in all areas. This includes more refined and stylish accommodations, upscale décor and furniture, full-service restaurants, impressive architectural features, extensive amenities and a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail.
“The AAA rating system has set the standard in hospitality for several decades,” said John Dinius, general manager at Sycuan Casino Resort. “Receiving the AAA Four Diamond Rating for our new hotel is an incredible honor and we are thrilled to be recognized for our artistic and detailed design, variety of new amenities and superior level of guest service.”
Only 6.3% of the more than 27,000 AAA Inspected & Approved hotels make the Four Diamond list. For more information about AAA Inspections and Diamond Ratings visit aaa.com/diamonds.
