Who’s ready for San Diego Comic-Con? Sure, last year was a little weird for the convention — there were a lot of Hall H cancellations amid the Hollywood strikes, and some panelists who did show up had to avoid talking about struck projects. One thing that didn’t change, though? A bunch of trailers dropped during the convention. Hopefully, we can look forward to that tradition continuing this July. The SDCC schedule for 2024 includes The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Transformers One, Everybody Still Hates Chris, and more. There are also the usual suspects: Marvel will likely update its plans for the next phase(s) of its cinematic universe, and there will be several Star Wars panels. So far, it’s already been confirmed that HBO’s The Penguin and AMC/AMC+’s The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol will debut trailers at SDCC. Other panel descriptions are more coy, only vaguely mentioning a first look or preview. Make your predictions/manifestations now, and check back as we update this post with all the new trailers that end up coming out of SDCC from July 25 to July 28.

The homelessness crisis in San Diego is complex and urgent, demanding innovative ideas and decisive action.

Over the last year, my team at the Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department has worked to add more than 900 new sheltering options — including traditional shelter beds and safe sleeping sites — but we know we have more work to do. Approximately 80 percent of shelter bed referrals are not met, because we don’t have enough resources to keep pace. Our outreach teams often have to tell people there is no space available — this is not acceptable to me and should not be acceptable to anyone. The status quo will remain unless bold action is taken.

We have looked at dozens of properties, both city-owned and private property, to keep adding much needed shelter beds. We’ve turned non-transitional spaces into temporary shelter for San Diegans trying to end their homelessness, but those are temporary solutions. San Diego has never had a long-term shelter campus solely dedicated and designed to help those experiencing homelessness. As a leader in this space, the type of campus proposed at Hope @ Vine would set the bar for how local governments address homelessness.

The property located near Middletown presents us the unique opportunity to create a space to address the varying populations experiencing homelessness, ensuring we are incorporating best practices, lessons learned from siting shelters in the past, voices from local leaders and those with lived experience. This facility will honor the humanity and dignity of every individual being served. We aren’t looking to lease a warehouse, we’re planning to build a transformative campus to deliver services and ultimately save lives in a modern, compassionate way that all San Diegans can be proud of.

When considering the size of the project, I understand some may be concerned about density and scale. Rather than a large, impersonal space, I ask you to imagine a bright, welcoming, state-of-the-art facility designed with care and intention. Creating a successful and sustainable design for this project is a top priority for me and my team. With 65,000 square feet of indoor space in separate buildings, we can create individual spaces for different populations potentially including families, older adults, veterans and other San Diegans. In essence, it will function as multiple shelters on one campus with outdoor patios and dining areas, a commercial kitchen, pet spaces, laundry facilities, and round-the-clock security and staffing to enhance safety for everyone. We also envision onsite medical and behavioral health services, as well as case management, job training, and other wrap-around services, will be offered.

It will be a place of hope and opportunity, helping people transition out of crisis and into a clean, safe and inclusive environment, setting them up to improve their lives and become self-sufficient.

Where do we go next? If this project is approved by the San Diego City Council on Monday, we have more work to do. One of my top priorities is hearing from those who have personally experienced homelessness. These individuals will be part of a working group with regional experts to help guide our efforts. This collaboration will be invaluable.

I know the Hope @ Vine campus will be a life saving asset for our most vulnerable residents working to end their homelessness with the ultimate goal of connecting people to long-term, stable housing. We know this can be a model that other cities look to as they similarly grapple with the complexities of homelessness. In the face of such urgent need, we cannot turn a blind eye to an opportunity that holds so much promise. The cost of doing nothing is too high.

Jarman is director of the city of San Diego’s Homelessness Strategies and Solutions Department and lives in San Diego.

Originally Published: July 19, 2024 at 4:09 p.m.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – The San Diego Zoo on Friday announced the official public debut date for the giant pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao.

Zoo officials said guests can get their first in-person look at the panda pair starting Thursday, Aug. 8.

There will be three ways for Zoo guests to see the pandas:

• On the day of their visit, guests can obtain a complimentary “Giant Panda Timed Ticket”
• Guests can enter a standby line on the day they visit the Zoo
• Guests can make reservations for an exclusive “60-Minute Early Morning with Pandas Walk Tour”

Visit https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/giant-pandas for more information on how to see the pandas.

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao arrived at their new home on June 27 from China. They are the first pandas to enter the U.S. in 21 years.

Since their arrival, Zoo officials said the pandas have been getting used to their new surroundings in the newly reimagined Panda Ridge.

Zoo officials described Yun Chuan as “an almost five-year-old male identifiable by his long, pointy nose.”

Xin Bao was described as “a nearly four-year-old female best recognized by her large, round face and big, fluffy ears.”