Xin Bao becomes honorary Girl Scout

Ahead of the Girl Scouts San Diego cookie season, Girl Scouts visited Panda Ridge inside the San Diego Zoo where Xin Bao, the four-year-old giant panda, was presented with an honorary membership card. The Girl Scouts in attendance also got to meet female employees of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance who are trailblazers in the fields of animal care and conservation.

The 2025 Girl Scout Cookie Program begins in San Diego and Imperial counties on Jan. 26 and runs through March 9. GSSD serves more than 15,000 Girl Scouts in San Diego and Imperial counties, with approximately 1,400 troops in this region.

Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas closes

A longtime hub for indie movies, Landmark Hillcrest closed on Jan. 6. It opened inside the Village Hillcrest mall in 1991. Another local theater operated by Landmark, the Ken Cinema on Adams Ave., closed in 2020 amid the pandemic. The closure comes amid a trend for people to watch movies at home rather than at the theater.

Hillcrest Farmers Market changing locations amid construction

The Hillcrest Farmers Market will be moving as its permanent home is being constructed. Starting on Jan. 26, the popular market will be held around the corner on University Avenue between Herbert Street and Park Boulevard every Sunday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The temporary relocation will continue until the Normal Street Promenade, which will be a permanent home for the market, is constructed.

Former Modern Times brewer becomes Original 40 head brewer

North Park’s The Original 40 Brewing Company has named former Modern Times barrel program manager Kyle Fjalstad as its new Head Brewer. Original 40 Founder Steve Billings made the announcement.

Fjalstad spent five years with Modern Times, and he won two medals at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival, the nation’s largest professional brewing competition commonly referred to as “The Oscars” of the craft beer industry. Fjalstad and his team earned a Silver Medal for “Mega Devils Teeth – Double Dutch S’mores Edition” in the Pastry Stout category. He also won a Bronze Medal in the same category for his “Chaos Grid: The Final Final Course.”

Fjalstad, who is of Norwegian heritage, started home brewing in 2010 at the age of 24 after his time at San Diego State and earning a Professional Certificate in Brewing from UC San Diego Extended Studies. He and his wife Sarah were married last October, and they recently returned from their honeymoon to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris. They reside in South Park.

Mr. Moto Pizza announces discounted pizzas on Mondays

Every Monday this month, guests are invited to receive one free order of chicken wings (6 piece) when purchasing any large pizza. Limit 1 per order. Mondays only. Not valid on Gluten free or through 3rd party order platforms. Simply use code “motowings” at checkout! Flavors available include buffalo and BBQ.

This announcement follows a similar initiative in November where pizzas were free on Mondays, with customers urged to donate instead. After their Moto Gone Crazy campaign, they donated $3,000 to the YMCA.

Honorary Diane Powers street in Old Town

Diane Powers, longtime entrepreneur and creator of Old Town icons Bazaar del Mundo Shops and Casa Guadalajara Mexican restaurant, was recently honored with an honorary street name. The new street sign “Diane Powers Way,” located at the corner of San Diego Avenue and Twiggs Street, pays tribute to Diane Powers’ extraordinary contributions to the revitalization and preservation of Old Town.

For decades, Diane Powers has been a driving force behind Old Town’s transformation into a vibrant cultural and historical destination. Her passion for celebrating Mexican and early Californian heritage is evident in her work. From creating unique dining and shopping experiences to conceiving and producing the widely recognized “Cinco de Mayo” festival, Powers’ dedication has not only brought national attention to Old Town but has also played a vital role in preserving its charm and historical significance for future generations.

Old Town also unveiled a new gateway sign which recognizes the community’s rich history and cultural heritage. The sign is framed by elegant stucco columns that mirror the facade of the Church of Immaculate Conception and other historic landmarks in Old Town, and adorned with intricate filigree and iconography, symbolizing the four key periods of San Diego’s history: the Kumeyaay, Spanish, Mexican and American eras.

Mama’s Pies raises more than $170k

Mama’s Pies, San Diego County’s largest annual bake sale, was a smashing success in its 20th year, raising more than $172,000 for Mama’s Kitchen’s critical medically tailored meal delivery services. That is a whopping $27,000 more than the organization’s original $145,000 goal set for this year’s pie sale.

This year, more than 68 pie sellers across 19 pie teams amassed more than 3,000 total pie sales. The top pie-selling teams were Jack in the Box/Del Taco, Klinge Realty Group, and Volunteer with Cheli, while the top individual sellers were Neda Nourani, Dr. Matt Hubbard, and Steve Carnes. In addition to pies baked by the likes of Jennywennycakes, Starry Lane Bakery, and Bahia Resort Hotel, this year’s Mama’s Pies featured a generous donation match from John Crisafulli, President & CEO of Behind the Scenes Catering and Events. Crisafulli and Behind the Scenes Catering and Events have participated in Mama’s Pies every year since its inception and this year they made a $10,000, dollar-for-dollar, donation match that helped the organization surpass its fundraising goal.

With the 20th year of Mama’s Pies now complete, Mama’s Kitchen has successfully raised more than $2.3 million and sold more than 91,000 pies over the last two decades of the annual sale.

City seeks volunteers for boards, commissions

As the season of fresh starts and New Year’s resolutions gets underway, the City of San Diego is inviting residents to kick off 2025 by making a difference in their community. Volunteering for one of the City’s boards and commissions offers San Diegans a chance to get involved and help shape the future of their city.

City boards and commissions play an important role in guiding San Diego’s policies, regulations and community priorities. With nearly 50 boards and commissions, there are numerous opportunities for residents to contribute their skills and perspectives to a range of areas.

To be considered for a board or commission, applicants must complete an online application, which asks for information such as employment history, references and specific interests related to the board or commission. Some board seats have specific requirements as to an applicant’s skills, political affiliation or demographics.

MTS hires research firm to advance equity in policy

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) hired Keen Independent Research to help the agency develop an Equity Statement and Equity Policy that reflects the agency’s commitment to equitably serving the public.

To complete this work, Keen Independent Research will assess MTS’ current service delivery and collect input from riders, other local residents and employees. In 2022, MTS conducted a Social Equity Listening Tour to identify the needs and priorities of hard-to-reach community members. The agency used the information to fund improvements such as new shelters and lighting, better trash cans to help address cleanliness, beautification and more.

Keen Independent Research will build on these efforts to help the agency craft the Equity Statement and Policy. The research firm is joined by local firms SVPR Communications and Yen Tu Consulting. Together, the study team will collect input from the community and MTS staff through interviews, listening sessions and virtual workshops where respondents can anonymously provide their impressions of MTS and how it serves the public.

SD Unified receives $1.5 M grant for military-connected schools

The U.S. Dept. of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) has awarded San Diego Unified a $1.5 million grant to enhance STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) instruction at seven elementary schools with a minimum of 10% military-connected students.

The goal of the Operation QUEST (Questioning, Understanding, Experiencing, Sharing and Thinking) grant is to collaborate with the San Diego Unified STEM Department in engaging students in grades TK-5 in interdisciplinary STEAM curriculum. The approach is to expand and enhance problem-based classroom instruction and student-centered instructional strategies that incorporate hands-on experiences and emphasize the development of social-emotional skills.

Crawford students learn to swim

Crawford High School’s first aquatics class graduates were presented certificates for successful completion of the school’s inaugural course, which began in October. The majority of students enrolled were of Haitian descent and had no prior swimming experience before classes held at the Colina Del Sol Pool.

In addition to the safety benefits of improving swimming mastery in a city bordered by the ocean, the idea for the program evolved after a former Crawford High School graduate drowned off Mission Beach in 2022. The school implemented the elective PE swim program this fall to teach water safety and lifeguard skills to interested students. Should they choose, these same students can now explore the possibility of attaining Junior Lifeguard jobs in the future.

Library’s Winter Reading Challenge

Pick up a new book in the new year and join the City of San Diego Public Library’s (SDPL) Winter Reading Challenge. This year’s theme is Be a Reading Machine and focuses on the world of engineering, invention and high-tech skills.

The Winter Reading Challenge runs from Jan. 1 to Jan. 31, 2025, and is open to readers of all ages. Participants can earn prizes by completing a combination of five books, five hours of reading or literacy-based activities like attending a library STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) program, creating a simple do-it-yourself machine or using a free tool to learn more about coding. Upon completion, readers will be eligible for prizes, including museum passes, a bendable robot and a special edition robot pin featuring Odi, SDPL’s mascot.

Participants can register online and view a list of recommended books and activities by visiting sandiego.gov/WinterReading. Registration is also available in person at any SDPL location and participants can visit the SDPL calendar online to find storytimes and book discussions near them.