San Diego, CA
Get a Sneak Peek of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Float for the 135th Rose Parade® Presented by Honda
Float Highlights Include a Resilient Orangutan, a Young-at-heart Polar Bear and the Lion Who Started It All
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — For the third consecutive year, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance will partner with the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena and participate in the 135th Rose Parade® presented by Honda on New Year’s Day. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s parade float theme— “It Began with a Roar”—will feature a myriad of heartwarming stories from the San Diego Zoo that have inspired generations to care for and protect wildlife.
Float Commemorates the San Diego Zoo’s 107-Year History and Features Iconic Wildlife, Including the Lion Who Started It All
The Rose Parade is one of the world’s most storied traditions, celebrating the hope and optimism a new year brings. The “It Began with a Roar” float will bring to life the vibrant sounds and rhythms of nature, offering a global symphony of music and a resounding way of connecting all of us—wildlife, people and the planet we share.
“For 107 years, we’ve experienced the spirit of Rex the Lion’s mighty roar, which sparked a dream to bring our world-renowned organization to life—right in the heart of San Diego,” said Paul A. Baribault, president and chief executive officer, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Over the past century, we’ve evolved to meet the growing needs of wildlife, offering millions of guests who visit our two leading zoos every year the opportunity to explore immersive conservation experiences and connect with the world’s wildlife. The Rose Parade is near and dear to many, and we want to share our stories of nature and conservation with the world.”
From the animated calls of flamingos to the soulful heartbeats of an orangutan and the soothing sounds of century-old tortoises, the float will represent the harmonious music of wildlife that echoes across our planet. Rex the lion will stand tall on a ridge overlooking the rest of the 55-foot float, letting out a thunderous roar—akin to the one that sparked a dream more than a century ago and inspired the world-renowned San Diego Zoo. A Sumatran orangutan, inspired by Karen at the San Diego Zoo Lost Forest habitat, will watch intently as a Quino checkerspot butterfly dances on her finger. Karen the orangutan, now 31 years old and thriving, was born with a heart defect. She was cared for by San Diego Zoo veterinarians and received lifesaving open-heart surgery from a surgeon experienced in treating people with heart issues.
Leading the way at the front of the float, a polar bear—designed after Chinook at the San Diego Zoo Polar Plunge—glides through the ocean. Disappearing sea ice threatens the survival of polar bears, and evidence shows that loss of sea ice is correlated with declines in a polar bear’s body condition, reproductive success, and survival. For many years, polar bears at the San Diego Zoo have participated in scientific studies and conservation efforts to help save the species in the face of climate change.
The San Diego Zoo’s own Matt Akel will be riding on the float with his wife Courtney, and their daughter Meadow. Matt joined San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in 2002 as a wildlife care specialist on the polar bear team, where he cared for 7-year-old Chinook. Now, 21 years later, Matt is the associate curator of mammals who leads the polar bear program and the team caring for 28-year-old “young at heart” Chinook.
“When I was 10 years old growing up in New Jersey, I visited the San Diego Zoo with my family,” said Matt. “Visiting the zoo as a child was part of my inspiration to pursue a lifelong career in wildlife care and conservation. Every time I have the opportunity to interact with Chinook, it brings back special memories from my time with her at the start of my career, and why we work so hard to protect these incredible animals. Polar bears are near and dear to my heart, and I have an extreme passion to want to protect their wild Arctic environment before it’s too late.”
The purposefully designed float incorporates the stories of the San Diego Zoo and represents the mission of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, utilizing mesmerizing plants and a dazzling array of flowers—featuring, of course, roses. The floral array on the float will also illustrate that both the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and San Diego Zoo are accredited botanical gardens—and serve as a reminder of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s dedication to plant conservation through its many efforts, including the Wildlife Biodiversity Bank.
In the 2023, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Rose Parade float celebrated the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s 50th anniversary. The float’s theme, “Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation,” won the Animation Award for most outstanding use of animation. The giraffes and rhinos on the float were animated, with the rhinos seemingly coming to life as they turned their heads and the giraffes moving their long necks and bending down for a cool drink of water from a flowing waterfall.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is an international nonprofit conservation organization that operates two world-class parks—the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park—and empowers people to connect with plants and animals, develop an appreciation for nature and contribute to the safeguarding of wildlife everywhere by becoming Wildlife Allies. The two wildlife parks are home to over 17,000 rare and endangered animals, representing more than 1,000 species and subspecies. Both parks also host more than 2 million individual plants representing close to 13,000 specimens, and close to 7,000 species. Welcoming nearly 6 million guests and touching countless others each year, the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park inspire wildlife allies from around the globe. Here, conservation comes to life as generations experience the magnitude and wonder of the world’s wildlife. Guests are invited to take part in exciting educational experiences and create lasting memories, while supporting San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s conservation efforts worldwide—and it all started with a roar.
About San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, a nonprofit conservation leader, inspires passion for nature and collaboration for a healthier world. The Alliance supports innovative conservation science through global partnerships. Through wildlife care, science expertise and collaboration, more than 44 endangered species have been reintroduced to native habitats. Annually, the Alliance reaches over 1 billion people, in person at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and virtually in 150 countries through media channels, including San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers television programming in children’s hospitals in 13 countries. Wildlife Allies—members, donors and guests—make success possible.
Link includes:
SOURCE San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
New documents show that the superintendent of Chula Vista Elementary School District and a company he pushed as a prospective district contractor have been connected since at least 2018.
Al Renteria, the operator of Dr. Build, donated $100 to Superintendent Eduardo Reyes’ campaign for school board in 2018.
Reyes, allegedly pressured a district employee multiple times to award a contract to Renteria, as our Will Huntsberry revealed earlier this week. The district employee who made the allegation is also under investigation for allegedly having an unusually close relationship with a separate company.
A district spokesperson has repeatedly not answered questions about how long Reyes and Renteria have known each other. The spokesperson previously said they have no personal relationship.
“The idea that Dr. Reyes would be influenced by a publicly disclosed $100 contribution is preposterous,” the spokesperson wrote.
Read the full story here.
Two D1 Candidates Push for Delayed County Budget Vote
A quiet campaign to delay the county’s annual budget vote got a lot louder on Wednesday but also didn’t seem to get any more likely to succeed – at least directly.
Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and Chula Vista Deputy Mayor Carolina Chavez, who are both vying for the open District 1 supervisor’s seat, argued that county supervisors shouldn’t approve a budget until the South Bay seat is filled.
One big complication: A now politically divided County Board of Supervisors would need to vote to agree to formally shift a budget timeline now scheduled to end with a vote by the end of June – and Supervisors Joel Anderson and Terra Lawson-Remer told Voice of San Diego they don’t want to do that.
But also: District 1 candidates may get their wish anyway. While Lawson-Remer doesn’t want to change the county’s budget timeline, she also doesn’t expect the political divided board to pass a budget by the end of June. She predicts the winner of the District 1 race, widely expected to be decided in a July 1 runoff, will be the deciding vote on the county’s budget.
Read the full story.
The Learning Curve: What Trump’s Cuts Mean for One University
UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla is calling attention to how funding cuts proposed by the Trump administration could impact the university.
In the email sent to staff on Tuesday, Khosla wrote university officials had received notices of the disruption of funding sources to around 50 UCSD researchers. The university has also seen a “concerning rise,” in delayed payments for projects not paused or cut.
The actions pose a “significant financial risk to the university,” Khosla wrote. Still, they were “unable to predict exactly what the losses will be,” he continued.
The university leader also laid out a series of actions the school is taking to deal with the shortfall, Jakob McWhinney writes in the latest Learning Curve.
Read more here.
Save the Date: Politifest 2025
That’s right, Politifest is back, baby!
Mark your calendars for Politifest 2025 on Saturday, Oct. 4, at University of San Diego. We’ll be back with a great lineup of speakers and panel discussions.
In Other News
- The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce has a new CEO: Chris Cate, a former San Diego councilmember. Axios San Diego spoke to Cate about what’s next and what this means for the Chamber. (Editor’s note: Chris Cate currently serves on Voice of San Diego’s board.)
- National City has replaced security guards with police officers at its library. (inewsource)
- It should come as no surprise that newly built homes are hard to come by in San Diego. A new report found that last month the region only saw 50 developments of single-family homes, condos and townhouses. (Union-Tribune)
- Chula Vista and the Port of San Diego are celebrating more access to the bay with a new park near the Gaylord development.(KPBS) Also, the Port is planning to increase parking rates along the bay. (NBC 7)
- Speaking of fees: The city of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department will recommend to the City Council that the city’s new monthly trash fee be $53. (NBC 7)
- In 2018, a couple called on police to get their son help. He was making threats to drive his sports car the wrong way on the freeway. San Diego police said they couldn’t do anything. Later that day, he followed through and died after colliding with a van – the woman and daughter in that car died as well. Following several lawsuits from both families, SDPD has made policy changes to how officers respond. (CBS 8)
The Morning Report was written by Will Huntsberry, Lisa Halverstadt and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.
An East County-based plumbing contractor has been ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution in a workers’ compensation fraud case brought by local prosecutors.
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said an investigation and audit into GPS Plumbing found that the company wasn’t reporting millions of dollars in payroll.
The wages GPS Plumbing reported to the Employment Development Department and the wages it reported to the State Compensation Insurance Fund — which provided the company with workers’ compensation insurance coverage — revealed “a vast difference,” the DA’s Office said.
The company’s owner, Daniela Birdwell, pleaded guilty to one count of workers’ compensation insurance premium fraud. Along with the $1,030,062 restitution order, Birdwell was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to perform 320 hours of community service.
“Employers who engage in premium fraud are not only breaking the law, they also gain an unfair advantage over their competitors,” San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement.
The DA’s Office said insurance fraud is the second-largest economic crime in the nation, costing consumers an estimated $80 billion to $90 billion annually.
In recent decades, two South Bay school districts have been home to corruption scandals that ended with superintendents serving jail time in pay-to-play scandals.
Now, a different South Bay district is embroiled in pay-to-play corruption allegations, as our Will Huntsberry reveals in a new story.
The former COO of Chula Vista Elementary School District is under investigation for allegedly having an unusually close relationship with a company seeking to do work in the district, district officials confirmed.
But the former COO, Jovanim Martinez, said the investigation against him is retaliatory. It wasn’t him trying to make sure work got awarded to certain companies — it was actually the district Superintendent Eduardo Reyes and Board Member Francisco Tamayo.
On top of that, Martinez said he and another employee were essentially ordered by an assistant superintendent to organize a fundraiser and host on behalf of two school board candidates as part of their district duties.
In a series of shocking allegations, Martinez said that Reyes pressured him to award a contract to a company called Dr. Build that specializes in ADU construction. When a contract didn’t go to Dr. Build, Reyes pulled it from a board meeting agenda.
District officials, however, say Reyes pulled the contract because they believe Martinez had found a way to make sure it went to a different company.
Read the full story here.
South County Report: District 1 Race Home Stretch
Just when San Diegans thought they were out of balance shifting County Supervisor elections, former Supervisor Nora Vargas pulled them back in.
Vargas’ abrupt resignation four months ago set up a high-stakes face-off to replace her not seen since November, when former Mayor and Republican Kevin Faulconer challenged Democratic incumbent Terra Lawson-Remer for the District 3 seat. Faulconer lost that election, ensuring Democrats kept control of the County government – for now.
A whole host of would-be successors have stepped up to run for Vargas’ seat and in the process, have raised over $2 million. Those candidates include multiple high-profile Democratic politicians who’ve been slugging it out in campaign ads. Given the number of Democrats in the race, they’re likely fighting for second place – and a ticket to a runoff – behind Chula Vista Mayor John McCann.
And even though South County has long been solidly Democratic, recent electoral shifts, and the more conservative nature of run-off elections, could play in McCann’s favor.
Read the South County Report here.
Song of the Week
Ian Curtis, “Novel”: An enchanting, understated dose of indie rock, “Novel,” is both wistful and hopeful. Curtis’ velvety vocals float on top of a mellow acoustic guitar and bouncy bassline. It’s the kind of song that, although compact, feels like it’s taking deep breaths. It’s in no hurry to get to where it’s going, even if where it’s going is right around the corner. Read more about the Song of the Week here.
Like what you hear? Check out Ian Curtis at Soda Bar on Saturday, April 5.
Do you have a “Song of the Week” suggestion? Shoot us an email and a sentence or two about why you’ve been bumping this song lately. Friendly reminder: all songs should be by local artists.
In Other News
- A jury has decided that National City must pay a former police officer $10 million in damages in a suit where she alleged that she was sexually harassed, discriminated against and retaliated against while working for the police department. The Union-Tribune reports the City Council is set to discuss the verdict and consider the city’s legal options. The settlement makes up 15 percent of the small city’s general fund.
- KPBS reports that some people are tuning out of politics to protect their mental health.
- One person died after falling from the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday and another was injured, according to authorities.
- City Heights businesses are finally getting some relief with the reopening of University Avenue between Fairmont and Euclid, but still, some say the damage has been done. The busy main road has been bogged down by ongoing construction for at least two years.
- The Trump administration has frozen $44 million in federal funds meant to help combat homelessness in San Diego. HUD officials are requiring local leaders to sign a new contract with the vague prohibition of “promoting illegal immigration.” (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Will Huntsberry and Jakob McWhinney. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.
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