Diner opens in University Heights

Following the unfortunate water damage that led to the closure of pink-dipped brunch spot Breakfast & Bubbles, which replaced Cafe on Park, the space along Park Blvd. is now home XOXO Retro Neighborhood Diner. This 3,000 square-foot, brand-new concept has officially opened its doors to the University Heights neighborhood, offering a nostalgic nod to ’90s American diners with a contemporary twist.

XOXO Retro Neighborhood Diner is set to become the new favorite spot for dinner and late-night bites. Open for dinner from Monday to Saturday, XOXO promises a delightful fusion of traditional diner dishes and eclectic cuisines. Additionally, the beloved Breakfast & Bubbles will remain part of this concept as a weekend breakfast pop-up, serving brunch favorites every Friday through Sunday.

Movers and Shakers

New Chief Administrative Officer for County

The County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Ebony Shelton as the new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Shelton is the first Afro-Latina in County history to serve in the role. She will start her new position June 14.

Shelton has dedicated her career to serving the community, most recently in a dual role as the County’s chief financial officer and as a deputy chief administrative officer.

The appointment comes after the County rescinded the job offer to labor-endorsed Cindy Chavez in the wake of the Nathan Fletcher scandal, leading to protests and a standoff with chair Nora Vargas.
After the vote, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer released a statement, “I hope Ebony can forge a new partnership with labor that centers the voice of working families across our County. I look forward to seeing her deepen our Board’s commitment to advancing equity and environmental sustainability in all the work we do — not only through our County programs and budget priorities, but also in how we run our County as an enterprise, and how we manage procurement and contracting.”

Shelton, who is considered a financial expert, will oversee the County’s 18,000 employees through a difficult budget season.

Diversionary Theatre announces new artistic director

Starting June 15, 2024, Diversionary Theatre is thrilled to announce the selection of Sherri Eden Barber as the new Artistic Director. Barber will fill the position left open by the departure of Matt M. Morrow in June of 2023.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled that Sherri Eden Barber will be joining Diversionary as our new Artistic Director,” conveyed Diversionary Theatre’s Board President Russ Sperling. “Sherri’s incredible experience in professional theater nationally, and her strong desire to tell stories of our diverse LGBTQIA+ community makes her a perfect fit for Diversionary. The fact that our theatre will be co-led by two women at the top of their field is tremendously exciting for all of us.”

Executive Director Jenny Case, alongside former Interim Artistic Director Stephen Brotebeck and Diversionary’s Board of Trustees, worked together to oversee the success of the 2023/24 Season, while the search for their next artistic leader took place. Brotebeck and Case planned Diversionary’s upcoming  39th Season,  which was announced last month, and will kick off this fall and run through the summer of 2025. 

Calif. LGBTQ Legislative Caucus honors three locals

Every year during Pride Month, the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus hosts a ceremony in the Capitol to honor distinguished individuals who have made great contributions to the LGBTQ+ community and have served as exemplary role models. This year, the LGBTQ Caucus Pride honorees from San Diego are Araceli “Cheli” Mohamed, Paris Antoinette San Agustin Quion, and Bruce M. Abrams, Esq. Mohamed is renowned for her volunteer leadership and was recently appointed as a Commissioner by Governor Gavin Newsom to California Volunteers, which helps shape the landscape of community engagement. Drag queen and trans educator Quion was not only honored by the caucus, but is also San Diego Pride’s 2024 Champion of Pride. Abrams is a lawyer who has helped many underrepresented clients with pro bono legal services.

Regional property manager promoted

NewMark Merrill Companies, Inc., a Calabasas, California-based retail shopping center owner and development company, is proud to announce the promotion of Chuck Moore to the position of Regional Property Manager. Moore has been an integral part of the NewMark Merrill team for nine years, previously excelling in roles such as Property Manager and Senior Property Manager before his current promotion.

In his new role, Moore will oversee the management of more than 1.5 million square feet of commercial real estate in San Diego County, specifically including notable shopping centers like Piazza Carmel and Grand Plaza.

Local PR firm Scatena Daniels wins national award

Scatena Daniels, a women-owned PR and integrated communications firm serving organizations in Southern California, is racking up awards for their earned media relations work on behalf of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC). The team received a Bronze Anvil at the Public Relations Society of America’s 80th Annual Anvil Awards for their coordinated public response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

The PRSA Annual Anvil Awards set the industry standard for excellence and have long been considered the benchmark for outstanding performance in public relations. In addition, the firm won two best in shows and other awards at the Health Care Communicators of Southern California’s Finest Awards, edging out major healthcare corporations.

Awards aren’t the only thing Scatena Daniels is celebrating right now–the firm is celebrating its 15th year of public relations service to healthcare, education, and nonprofit organizations. Founded in 2009 by Arika Daniels and Denise Scatena, the company has become a top public relations agency in San Diego, implementing PR and integrated communications campaigns for more than 100 organizations across San Diego, Orange County, and beyond.

County Assessor honored for public service

Balboa Park’s latest

Balboa Park innovators honored

Forever Balboa Park announces its annual sPARK Awards winners at a special event (May 9) at the San Diego Air and Space Museum: Celebrating Innovation in Balboa Park. The program recognizes the people and organizations that amplify Balboa Park’s distinct role and increase the park’s positive impact on well-being through creativity, collaboration, and imagination.

San Diego Automotive Museum won in the Igniting Innovation category for Ignite Academy. This innovative program combines career exploration, independent research, and skill-building through project-based hands-on learning to prepare students for internships and other pathways towards successful careers in the automotive industry.

In the Crossing Boundaries category that honors cross-sector collaboration, Museum of Us and partner Friends of Friendship Park won for the Border Wall Preservation Project. Murals from the old border wall were going to be destroyed. Now they will be given new life. Friends of Friendship Park and the Museum of Us in Balboa Park partnered to preserve several sections of painted wall that will go on public display in the future.

Winner for Enhancing Ecosystems, CleanUp Kitsune (kit-soo-nay), is a partnership project presented by Allgoods. It is a performance art project designed to generate waste awareness through culture and creativity. CleanUp Kitsune can be found at parks, events, and various gatherings, collecting trash and littering kindness. They hope to inspire people to be more mindful about the waste they make and kindly ask for help to keep our shared space clean.

New Porsche exhibits at automotive museum

The San Diego Automotive Museum is excited to announce the opening of two captivating new exhibits on June 15th, “Power of Porsche: Evolution of a Supercar” and “Power of Porsche: From Stuttgart to SoCal.” On exhibit through August 4, the Evolution of a Supercar showcases 1973 Carrera RS Touring, 1988 959 Komfort, 2004 Carrera GT, 2015 918 Spyder Weissach, and 2019 935.

Southern California plays a significant role in the Porsche legacy, with collectors and club members in this region contributing to the brand’s vibrant worldwide community and exemplifying the enduring allure of Porsche. In honor of that contribution, six to eight locally owned Porsches will be on display through November 24.

Timken’s artist-in-residence to create mural

The Timken Museum of Art announced Mexican artist Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio, known for her monumental wall drawings, as its 2024 summer artist-in-residence. She has past experience in San Diego with installations at Bread & Salt Gallery and City College. For the Timken’s popular, annual summer installation, Ortiz-Rubio will create a large mural titled, “In Blue Time,” inspired by the Timken’s 1557 painting, “Parable of the Sower,” by artist Pieter Brueghel the Elder, in addition to other artworks. Ortiz-Rubio’s painting will occupy an entire wall in the Museum’s Dutch/Flemish Gallery and be on display from early June through September 29. Ortiz-Rubio is scheduled to be on site at the Timken, June 5-26, as the wider creative process for In Blue Time unfolds and comes to life. The public is welcome to visit the Timken and watch the artist at work.

City dispatches

MTS unveils Pride month bus wrap

In celebration of Pride Month, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and San Diego Pride nveiled a new bus wrap featuring a Pride flag. The agency’s new bus wrap started operating on June 5. The purpose of the “Ride with Pride” bus wrap is to celebrate and support LGBTQIA+ riders, employees and community throughout Pride Month and beyond.

MTS also announced its participation in this year’s San Diego Pride Parade July 20, featuring the newly wrapped “Ride with Pride” bus. MTS employees will celebrate San Diego Pride and promote inclusivity for LGBTQIA+ folks with the more than 250,00 spectators along the parade route.

City launches photo exhibit for Immigrant Heritage Month

Artist and photographer John Raymond Mireles, the City of San Diego’s municipal photo fellow through the Exposure program, has teamed up with the City’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and Arts and Culture to create a series of unique photographic exhibitions based on the City’s Welcoming San Diego strategic plan. In recognition of Immigrant Heritage Month, these exhibitions, celebrating diverse immigrant communities, will debut in public spaces across the city in June.

Drawing inspiration from a poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty, Mireles titled his photo project “The New Colossus: A Photographic Celebration of San Diego’s Immigrant Communities.” The project aims to capture the lives of San Diego’s immigrants through portraits taken in their everyday surroundings. The photos can be found at city hall and various libraries.

San Diego to add 556 apartments from commercial conversions

The latest Adaptive Reuse Report from RentCafe revealed although construction is underway on some projects, no new adaptive reuse apartments were completed in 2023. This was in stark contrast to other locations such as Manhattan, which completed 733 apartments (all of them from offices); Richmond, VA, with 622 units delivered; or even unexpected players like Alameda, CA, which opened 372 units in 2023.  However, the ongoing construction efforts in San Diego are expected to yield at least 556 units in the coming years, with 393 of those resulting from transformed office spaces, 100 from retail spaces and around 60 from a former hotel. On the national level, hotel to apartment conversions outpaced office conversions for the first time. Nationwide, adaptive reuse projects increased by 17.6% from the previous year. 

City Clerk to expand social media presence

San Diego City Clerk Diana Fuentes issued the following statement regarding her office’s expanded presence on social media platforms.

“Social media has shown demonstrable impact in leveling access to local government. Starting today, my office will begin posting real-time vote results from City Council meetings on the following social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X. Expanding my office’s presence to these platforms closely aligns with my mission to maximize engagement with residents, enhance transparency, improve information sharing and facilitate service delivery. I look forward to further promoting civic engagement and resident participation in the local democratic process.”

Members of the public can connect with the Office of the City Clerk using the social media handle: @sdcityclerk. The Office also has a YouTube channel featuring San Diego historical images and content. 

Nonprofit news

SD Foundation expands homebuyer program

San Diego Foundation (SDF) announced today that it has granted an additional $1 million to the Access Granted Homebuyer Program (formerly the San Diego Black Homebuyers Program) that will now expand to serve local Black, Latino/a, Native American and Asian and Pacific Islander residents that qualify for assistance.

The San Diego Black Homebuyers Program was launched in August 2021 by SDF with an initial $1 million grant. To date, SDF has invested $2.4 million in the homebuyer program.

The SDF Access Granted Homebuyer Program also received a $500,000 donation from U.S. Bank; those funds will be used to support any eligible homebuyer earning no more than 80% of the Area Media Income and purchasing in designated low-income census tracts. LISC San Diego will be the administrator of all funds granted to eligible homebuyers, who must make no more than 120% of the Area Median Income to qualify for funding available through the program.

SD Jewish Bar Association hosts second event

The newly-formed San Diego Jewish Bar Association held its second event on May 30 in North Park. With about 200 attorneys, judicial and law student members, the organization has grown since its inception in March.

“Recent events and rising antisemitism have shaken the Jewish community, both in San Diego and around the world, prompting Jewish legal professionals, including myself, to seek each other out for comfort and support,” board member Sarah Shekhter said. “We realized that creating a safe space for networking and learning would be valuable, and the Jewish Bar Association was formed through the dedication and hard work of lawyers and judges in the area.”

Law firm’s $30k donation for Just in Time for Foster Youth

Just in Time for Foster Youth is thrilled to announce a significant investment from Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation, which has a San Diego office in Hillcrest, to further their mission of supporting transition-age foster youth in achieving self-sufficiency and well-being. Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation’s $30,000 donation will provide essential resources, professional development, higher education and mental wellness assistance to the youth Just in Time serves.

This contribution represents a three-year commitment, with Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation pledging $10,000 annually. Additionally, the firm demonstrated its support by hosting two tables at Just in Time’s Empower Party on May 15th at Parc Bistro-Brasserie.

Sen. Atkins names Outdoor Outreach nonprofit of the year

Senate President pro Tempore Emeritus Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) selected Outdoor Outreach as the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year for the 39th Senate District. The organization was recognized yesterday during a ceremony at the Capitol.

“We have kids that live less than ten miles from the coast but have never been to the beach,” said Atkins. “Outdoor Outreach is changing that, and in doing so, is mentoring future generations to become civic leaders and stewards of our environment. Since 1999, Outdoor Outreach has worked with more than 20,000 young people.”

Outdoor Outreach maintains partnerships with over 40 Title I schools, social service agencies and youth-serving organizations to engage communities who benefit most from their programming. Recent successes include an innovative mental health prevention and early intervention program based on outdoor engagement, as well as a juvenile justice program focused on nature-based engagement for critical youth.

First study on LGBTQ+ cancer risk

In a first-of-its-kind study, the American Cancer Society (ACS) released “Cancer in People who Identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer ​or Gender-nonconforming (LGBTQ+).” The article provides the latest statistics on the prevalence of cancer screening and modifiable risk factors in LGBTQ+ populations, as well as a ​review of literature on cancer occurrence and obstacles to cancer prevention and treatment.

LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States have elevated prevalence of smoking, excess body weight, and other factors that increase cancer risk. However the greatest health disparity occurs due to the presumption-of-care gap, which is the fear that a provider will refuse care due to gender identity or sexual ​orientation. The report found only 25% of medical students are confident in the healthcare needs of transgender patients and 30% are not comfortable treating transgender patients according to one study.

“Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to prevent and detect cancer early, which is why it’s so important to remove these roadblocks for this ​population,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, cancer surveillance at the American Cancer Society ​and senior author of the study.

Screening for some cancers is low among transgender people; for example, 46% of transgender men are up-to-date on colorectal cancer screening compared to 60% of cisgender ​men and 68% of transgender men with a cervix are current for cervical cancer screening compared to 87% of cisgender women.

Cancer-causing infections such as HIV, HPV and Hep C are also higher among some populations of the LGBTQ+ community.

Feeding San Diego steps up this summer for kids facing hunger

Alimentando a San Diego, the county’s leading hunger-relief and food rescue non-profit, is supporting youth and families in need of food assistance this summer with meal and food distribution sites across the county by partnering with libraries, recreation centers, and schools. This comes after a study from Feeding America found 100,000 kids in San Diego County are experiencing food insecurity amid high inflation and rising cost of living. During the summer months, kids lose access to nutritious meals provided at school as part of the Universal School Meals program. This creates an urgent need for food resources for families who rely on school meals to feed their children.

To see a full list of food pantries and distribution sites for families, visit alimentaciónsandiego.org.

100k San Diegans trained in CPR

Just in time for National CPR and AED Awareness Week (June 1-7), Revive & Survive San Diego — a community initiative to train one million San Diegans in lifesaving, hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) led by the County of San Diego Emergency Medical Services and the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego — has reached a milestone with more than 100,000 individuals trained in CPR.

Whether in schools, businesses, shopping centers or other community spaces, Revive & Survive San Diego partners have collectively trained 108,346 San Diegans. Using simulation modeling, Natasha Martin, DPhil, UC San Diego School of Medicine professor, estimates that Revive & Survive San Diego could lead to 1,701 more individuals to perform bystander CPR and save an additional 474 lives over five years.